Investing in educators is the real key to continuity of learning

This article was first published as part of a global conversation on the future of teaching. The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a well-documented spotlight on inadequate systems and infrastructure in education. Across the U.S., for example, student engagement has plummeted (Herold and Yettick Kurtz, 2020) as schools and districts navigate the transition to remote learning. Students who lack reliable internet access or necessary devices are all but unable to learn (Herold, 2020). Even for those who do have access, a persistent digital use divide (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.) means that many students are using technology simply to replicate pen-and-paper models of education (e.g., digital worksheets or online multiple-choice tests). A growing body of evidence suggests that the students who already used technology before the pandemic (Molner, 2020) are continuing to do so - while their peers continue to fall further behind. But while COVID-19 has, in many ways, highlighted and exac