This spring, the coronavirus pandemic blindsided America's schools having a staggering, unforeseen problem. On March 12, Ohio governor Mike DeWine announced that he was closing all of his state's schools. Within two weeks, a lot more than 40 states had followed suit, upending the lives of nearly 50 million students. Schools were suddenly instructed to find ways to feed millions of children and reinvent means of educating kids and supporting families. It was simple to find tales of heroic efforts by local teachers and stories of hair-rending frustration from overwhelmed parents. On the whole, did the country's schools rise to the challenge? If not, what's going to be the legacy of their failure?
Weighing along with opposing opinions are Michael Casserly, executive director from the Council of the Great City Schools, and Chris Stewart, ceo of Brightbeam, a nonprofit network of education activists.
by Michael Casserly
by Chris Stewart