erdypiangco

COVID’s Impact on Small Businesses

We can all probably think of a small business in our neighborhood that either closed during COVID-19 or came dangerously close to closing. Mantra Coffee, one of my favorite coffee shops in Azusa, California, turned to the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe in late 2020 in order to keep their doors open.…

image of college students

The College Dilemma: Enrollment Rates During COVID-19

The pandemic has caused a dramatic drop in college enrollment, with California experiencing the largest decrease in enrollment this spring. Local and national news outlets, along with research centers, are digging into the reasons behind this while dissecting socioeconomic and racial trends.  The Data  New data from the National Student…

Cover image of teacher teaching children for a blog post

To Hold Back or Not to Hold Back

As summer approaches, many students and parents are celebrating the completion of another school year. Are all students prepared to move on to the next grade? Who decides if a student is at risk of being held back?  Grade retention policies vary by state, and in 18 states, including California,…

4 more years of school in America

4 More Years of School in America?

On April 28, 2021, the eve of his 100th day in office, President Joe Biden proposed a $1.8 trillion American Families Plan that would expand universal prekindergarten access, provide two years of free community college education, and fund programs to train and support teachers (Education Week). Biden said in his…

COVID-19 and the Achievement Gap

Recently, we passed the one-year mark of the pandemic. The idea that it would take “two weeks to flatten the curve” serves almost as a comedic reminder that we had no idea what the future was going to bring.  Prominent research institutions like McKinsey & Company, think tanks, and nonprofit…