News 12's Elizabeth Hashagen was joined this morning by Ashley Bencan and Dr. Peggy McDonald.

Bencan is the co-founder of Connect Ed Workforce, an education consulting group. Dr. McDonald is coordinator of special projects at the Foundation for Educational Administration, and former NJDOE assistant commissioner for the Division of Student Services.

A McKinsey Global Institute analysis shows that the impact of the pandemic on K–12 student learning was significant, leaving students on average five months behind in mathematics and four months behind in reading by the end of the school year. The shift to remote learning during the pandemic disrupted special education services, likely exacerbating an already widening achievement gap.

A report from New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found that when schools shut their doors to fully in-person learning in March 2020 and shifted to remote or hybrid options, 464,000 students with disabilities statewide — representing 18% of the K-12 enrollment — lost out on vital services. What needs to happen to try to compensate for what the students were missing?

How do school districts figure out how to prioritize federal funding, and should it be spent on special education programs?