Chapter 11: School Leaders and General and Special Education Processes During the Pandemic

Initially confirmed in the U.S. on January 20, 2020 (CDC, n.d.), COVID-19 spread quickly to all states and territories by mid-March 2020 (CDC COVID-19 Response Team, 2020). As a result, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2020), in February issued guidance to K–12 schools on preventing the virus’ spread, including directions on school closures. However, as the virus spread across the U.S., school districts abruptly closed and moved to virtual learning with little or no preparation. “The first COVID-19 associated school closure occurred on February 27, 2020, in Washington State. By March 30, 2020, all but one U.S. public school districts were closed” (Zviedrite et al., 2021, p. 1).