Politicizing a Pandemic: Critical Discourse and Intersectional Analyses of School Reopening Policies in Four States

• In Event: Dissecting Policy Discourses That Contribute to Educational (In)Equalities

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, reports have indicated that Black and Latinx communities have been disproportionately impacted (Centers for Disease Control, 2020). African Americans account for more than a quarter of US deaths while they are 13% of the population (Hawkins, 2020). The social determinants of health that have affected historically underserved communities’ increased COVID-19 risk include systemic discrimination, healthcare access, prevalence in high-risk essential work occupations, educational, income, and wealth gaps, and housing circumstances. (Centers for Disease Control, 2020). Considering these challenges, and related educational policies developed, we conducted critical discourse analyses of school reopening policies in the four states containing some of the largest US school districts, New York, California, Florida, and Texas.

Authors

• Dana Thompson Dorsey, University of South Florida - Tampa

• Angel Miles Nash, Chapman University