Back-to-School Bummer

Education in America may be undergoing a fundamental change starting this semester.

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash.

Among all the changes caused by Covid-19, the impact on the U.S. public school system stands out as one of the most significant.

In the fullness of time, lengthy public school closures in districts around the country may have consequences beyond the obvious and immediate we’ve witnessed thus far, including learning loss, a decline in youth mental health, and an increased rate of juvenile crime in districts that remained closed to students longest.

If, as a society, we accept that an educated populace is likely to be more productive, stable, and peaceful — and by agreeing to pool our tax dollars towards the collective endeavor of public education, we have — we must also accept that the converse is also true: A populace deprived of education will tend to be less productive and more disposed to criminality

But the far-reaching consequences of long-term school closures may only be just coming into view.

In the last two election cycles, parents determined to push back against school closures — among other grievances stemming from them, like a sudden rash of attention to curriculums and reading lists — are running for their local school boards as conservatives.