Every week, there’s another front page headline with the same theme: students are failing all the tests. This week’s bombshell came from Tom Kane and Sean Reardon in The New York Times option page. Tom Kane and Sean Reardon, top-notch researchers from Harvard and Stanford, penned an article: Parents Don’t Understand How Far Behind Their Kids Are in School. 

In response to the public opinion polls, which show that parents believe their child caught up after the pandemic, Kane and Reardon offer a reality check. Students remain behind, but their damage is worse in schools that educate poorer children. They say, “the pandemic exacerbated economic and racial educational inequality.”

The battle lines over learning outcomes have been formed. One side questions the research, the value of the tests, and even the value of a traditional education. The other side wants to double down on a traditional education, without regard for the logistical nightmare involved with implementing their plans.

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