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A recent analysis from The New York Times conceded that Republicans were largely correct while Democrats were mistaken regarding policies concerning school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The analysis acknowledged a widespread consensus among many experts in public health and education that prolonged school closures did not significantly curb the spread of COVID-19, while causing significant and enduring academic harm to children.
It also highlighted the detrimental impact of remote learning on children’s educational progress during the pandemic, regardless of their socioeconomic background. According to the analysis, there was a notable correlation between remote learning and declining test scores at both state and local levels, supported by research from institutions such as Harvard and Stanford.
The report emphasized that these learning setbacks may pose significant challenges to overcome without substantial interventions. Even recent test scores from spring 2023 indicated that students, overall, had not fully recovered from the academic losses incurred during the pandemic, with larger disparities persisting among students who initially lagged behind. Moreover, students in districts with prolonged periods of remote or hybrid learning, constituting at least 90 percent of the 2020-21 school year, faced nearly twice the academic catch-up compared to those in districts that offered in-person instruction for most of the year.
Despite claims by Democrats that their approach to education during the pandemic prioritized safety, experts cited by The Times argued that there was limited evidence to support the effectiveness of school closures in curbing the virus’s spread.
The report attempted to contextualize the difficult decisions faced by policymakers at the time, suggesting that there were no straightforward solutions. Among Republicans, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida emerged as a prominent advocate for reopening schools and resisting stringent measures that disrupted people’s lives during the pandemic. As early as spring 2020, DeSantis unveiled a plan to resume in-person schooling in the state and return children to the classroom.
