In Blue States, Thousands of Schools Close or Go Remote

Students and families are again dealing with closed schools and remote learning, mostly in Democrat-controlled cities and states. In Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and more, schools are shuttering — sometimes unexpectedly — leaving parents and children out to dry. The return of pandemic-related education disruptions is another campaign promise Joe Biden and Democrats across the country are breaking.

Multiple studies and experts have said that students perform better with in-person learning and that shutdowns lead to worse educational and emotional outcomes. 

Axios: Nearly two years after the arrival of the pandemic, America’s schools are still struggling to provide kids with uninterrupted, high-quality education. Our children’s futures — not just educational but also emotional, social and psychological — are at stake…

All the disruptions continue to hurt students and the economy at large.

Elementary school students ended the 2020–2021 academic year about five months behind on reading and math skills, per a McKinsey report. That learning loss will worsen as COVID keeps interrupting school. So many kids are isolated and out of school that it’s contributing to an escalating child mental health crisis in the U.S. On top of that, the mounting stress and loss of productivity that working parents are dealing with is hurting the economy. Closing schools for COVID-19 could cost about $700 billion in lost revenue and productivity, according to a Barron’s analysis — a whopping 3.5% of GDP.

Despite calling for the return of in-person learning, the Biden-Harris administration is refusing to criticize allied teachers unions, including in Chicago, for unilaterally shutting down schools. Republican leaders, however, are effectively keeping schools open for uninterrupted, in-person learning — a position CNN said is helping Republicans.

Politico: Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis also declared his state’s schools won’t shutter for in-person learning when droves of students and teachers return as soon as this week, while suggesting it was “absolutely insane” to see universities across the U.S. switching to online courses. Charlie Baker, the Republican governor of Massachusetts, also advocated for in-person learning as much as possible in the new year.

Bottom Line: In Democrat-led cities and states, many schools are once again closing or returning to remote learning. This is politically toxic for Democrats and another example of their incompetent management of the COVID-19 pandemic.