Students are learning in very different ways this year. Are they even able to learn? Some students enjoy the online school change but are they passing? The loudspeaker conducted an online survey and with over 40 responses and one can conclude that most students are struggling with online school.

According to The Long Beach Post about a third of the grades LBUSD teachers gave their students in the first quarter of the 2020-21 school year were D’s or F’s and the percent of students with failing grades rose to 31.75% . During a typical school year about 15% of students have a D or F during the first quarter. 

The Long Beach Post also reported that the slip in grades is not only from students who typically receive low grades but also largely from students who usually earn A’s. According to the survey students are feeling a lack of motivation, and inability to focus and difficulty retaining information taught through Zoom. 

The strain on students has led to a rise in mental health crises in people under 18-years-old. The CDC reported a 44% increase in mental health emergency visits by children.

In the first quarter of the 2019-20 school year 47.10% of LBUSD grades were A’s and that number has since dropped to about 29.76% 

More than 90% of the students that responded to The Loudspeaker survey said that they believe they would be doing better in the classes they are currently failing if those classes took place in person.