Dear readers,
When we started this newsletter in April 2021, we were at a critical point in the pandemic. Only the most vulnerable adults were eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and children wouldn't be in line for inoculations for many more months. Schools had been shuttered for over a year, and some had just started to reopen. Many parents didn't feel safe sending their unvaccinated children into a classroom just yet. It was clear that the shared frustrations, struggles, empathy and resilience of parent and child had reshaped the experience of schooling.
It was just the right moment to start 8 to 3, which aimed to provide vital information to parents at a time when there were so many unknowns. We wanted to help you navigate the daily struggles of parenting as well as the quagmire of education policy.
And more than 50 newsletters later, we've done just that. We explored the risks of attending gatherings with kids when California was slowly opening up. We wrote about the COVID baby bust, the unprecedented investments in summer school and the increasing number of teens struggling with body image issues because of the pandemic. We delved into why a striking number of pregnant people weren't vaccinated, why a record number of parents were home-schooling, and why kids just weren't as interested in team sports. We gave you tips on how to cope with your kids' pandemic-fueled social anxiety and parental burnout. And we spotlighted the innovative ways schools were addressing the youth mental health crisis.
As K-12 students finish their first full year back on campus, 8 to 3 has reached its endpoint — for now. We'll keep you up to date here on future newsletter projects from our education team.
I hope you'll continue to subscribe to the L.A. Times' other newsletters, including Essential California, Boiling Point, Latinx Files and Coronavirus Today. And please keep following the robust daily news coverage on all things school-related from our excellent education reporters.
It's been a true pleasure learning with you all. Bye for now, and take care.
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