Remote Learning Can Be a Lot Better

The shift to remote learning during the pandemic has seriously harmed America’s schoolchildren. The end of in-person instruction last spring reduced expected learning gains by an estimated 50% in math and nearly one-third in reading. With the vast majority of schools in urban districts still closed, low-income students are losing ground they might never make up.

This underscores the need to reopen schools as quickly as possible — which, in turn, will require new funds to pay for safety measures and careful limits on activities that might spread the virus. However, even if reopening moves as quickly as prudence allows, schools will need to rely for a while yet on some degree of remote learning. It’s vital to ensure that this kind of instruction is as effective as possible.