During the pandemic, many governors, the CDC, and teachers unions, among others, called for prolonged school closures. For over a year, students were forced to be isolated from their peers and teachers and attend school remotely. Yet many other groups and leaders foresaw and feared the negative impacts and loss of learning of children in isolation. These fears were confirmed in recently released data that shows the lasting impacts on students were far worse than anticipated. 

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is an annual federal exam administered across the country to assess student’s knowledge and help our education system evaluate progress. Last week, the 2022 report was released and the results are alarming. Math scores saw the biggest decline ever recorded on the NAEP—eighth graders' math scores fell in nearly every state by 8 points with only 26 percent of students proficient, and fourth graders' scores declined in 41 states with only 36 percent of students proficient. That means that only one third of students can do “okay” in math. 

The downward score trend continued with reading, dropping 3 points for both grades. Students that fall behind in reading often have trouble learning and retaining information in other subjects, which is expected to carry on into their adult life. Even worse, students that do not read well are more likely to drop out of high school or not graduate on time. The study further concluded Black and Hispanic students nationally suffered the most from remote learning due to inadequate resources, sickness, economic hardships, and technology difficulties. Simply put: our nation’s students were left behind.

In Washington state, students’ scores saw unprecedented declines in math and reading as well. Fourth graders’ math scores dropped 5 points, while eighth graders’ math scores plunged 10 points. In reading, Washington saw a 3- and 5-point drop, respectively. Rural areas, like Central Washington, are disproportionately impacted by remote learning decisions due to the lack of digital infrastructure, limited childcare, and long-distance work commutes for parents, placing more hardships on both parents and children. These are issues I hear about from parents, students, and teachers each time I return home to meet with them.

While students are struggling as a result of pandemic closures and virtual learning, students at charter and private schools that remained open either held the line on their previous NAEP scores or lost substantially less ground, further illustrating the impact school closures had on our students. And for what? From the start of the pandemic, the medical consensus was clear: severe COVID is extremely rare in children, and for most of them it is comparable to the flu or a cold. Now, two years later, we are seeing the very real impacts of these often-unwarranted school closures.

These sobering results are a wake-up call for educators and policymakers across the country. As a result of the extended shutdowns, an enormous amount of learning was lost, and it will take years for our nation’s students to recover. That is why it is imperative we provide our parents with choices when it comes to their children’s education and why I support legislation to increase transparency regarding the curriculum they are learning. Specifically, I support the Open Schools Act, which provides grants to parents of students whose school does not provide in-person learning, to allow parents to pay tuition fees for a private elementary or secondary school or pay the cost of a public school that provides in-person learning options. I also support the Parents Bill of Rights Act, which requires public disclosure of curriculum for each grade level and requires notification to the parents and guardians as far as their rights to review the school’s curriculum and budget. Both of these legislative initiatives seek to increase transparency between school districts and parents in order to provide for the best educational outcomes for students. 

Families should be able to provide their children with the best education possible, and it is clear today that allowing school choice for families is the best way to prevent politically motivated decisions, like school shutdowns, from impacting their children’s futures. In the meantime, we cannot accept this as the new status quo. Every one of us must work together to get our students back to where they need to be, before any more damage is done.