Failing grades among middle and high school students spending the first quarter of the 2020–21 school year learning remotely are up more than 80 percent compared to last year, a new report (pdf) from Virginia’s largest public school system shows.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), which serves more than 188,000 students with nearly 200 schools, began the 2020–21 school year with virtual learning for all students on September 8. Throughout the first quarter, which ended October 20, only a handful of special needs students returned to in-person classes.