We have research that suggests learning loss is a broad issue. Of course, a lot of the parents on DCUM might not have experienced this for their kids—frankly the fact that you are here means you are likely engaged with schooling and have time to do so.

We know that the kids who were already behind were disproportionately affected by learning loss. Some of the kids who were doing just fine before actually did better as a result of individualized attention that their parents were able to provide or pay for.

If your child wasn’t okay, I just want you to know that YOU didn’t do something wrong. It’s a societal problem and in many cases could not be addressed with individual solutions.

Anonymous wrote:Hard to say. I think the pandemic made schools lower their standards enormously. During the shut down it was “oh well, we can’t be expected to teach on Wednesdays or to administer tests!” Post pandemic it was like “oh well, the kids are behind!” I’m not sure that expectations have recovered. In parallel, reducing rigor is also now more broadly accepted as an equity move - eg no homework, honors for all.

What do educators think? Are there still lower standards and expectations compared to pre-pandemic? If so, is there going to be a shift back to higher expectations, if ever? I know nobody as a crystal ball, but I’m asking for opinions from anyone who works in public education.

Anonymous wrote:Hard to say. I think the pandemic made schools lower their standards enormously. During the shut down it was “oh well, we can’t be expected to teach on Wednesdays or to administer tests!” Post pandemic it was like “oh well, the kids are behind!” I’m not sure that expectations have recovered. In parallel, reducing rigor is also now more broadly accepted as an equity move - eg no homework, honors for all.

+1,000

This is what I would say as well. It’s frustrating and concerning.

It did hurt my teenager with ADHD and anxiety somewhat academically. The social and developmental impacts were terrible. Much worse than the academic setbacks.

Not at all. Kids were full time in person from Sept 2020 on. Thankfully they weren't in public.

Older 2 not at all. They were a Freshman and Junior. Online school was a joke so they had fantastic grades during Covid but didn't really learn much.

Youngest was in 4th and it set him back about a year. We transferred him to a private school and he's caught up. I doubt that would be the case if he remained in public.

No social impact on my kids because we never kept them away from friends. Ever even in March 2020.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:JFC. Shred your pandemic excuse card. DCUM Moms are going to be on their walkers in nursing homes in 2073 toothlessly bleating “LeArNinG LoSs! EviL tEaChErS!! mY pOoR pAnDeMiC bAbIes!!!!”

Time to take some parental responsibility. Actually, the time for that was three years ago.

And I’m a parent, not a teacher, so don’t bother with the predictable clapback.

Parent and teacher here. For my kids who both have ADHD, there was a significant impact. One was in advanced math and is no longer on that track. The other is impacted across the board. No need to lecture me about parental responsibility. I have nearly killed myself to get my kids where they are today and as a teacher, I used resources you wouldn't even know existed.

For what it's worth, from where I sit I see many kids whose kids are a little bit impacted, but their parents are not aware. You could be one of those parents... It is what it is. Did you think we could close schools for as long as we did and *not* see an impact?

Many of those kids probably would have had the same thing happen. Why didn't you work with your kids as a teacher?

I don't think at all. Most schools don't teach spelling, vocabulary and grammar and read a few books at best a year. Not a surprise.

My DD did 9th grade online in 2020-21. Academically, my DD struggled with math and never asked a question online during class. We got her a tutor, but that was also online, and I'm not sure how much that helped. She dropped off the crazy intensive math track she had been on after that because she decided she wasn't a math kid anymore.

Socially was also tough -- new school, friends from middle went to different high schools, so she didn't make any high school friends until the middle of 10th grade. There were many times her mental health suffered because of that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:JFC. Shred your pandemic excuse card. DCUM Moms are going to be on their walkers in nursing homes in 2073 toothlessly bleating “LeArNinG LoSs! EviL tEaChErS!! mY pOoR pAnDeMiC bAbIes!!!!”

Time to take some parental responsibility. Actually, the time for that was three years ago.

And I’m a parent, not a teacher, so don’t bother with the predictable clapback.

Parent and teacher here. For my kids who both have ADHD, there was a significant impact. One was in advanced math and is no longer on that track. The other is impacted across the board. No need to lecture me about parental responsibility. I have nearly killed myself to get my kids where they are today and as a teacher, I used resources you wouldn't even know existed.

For what it's worth, from where I sit I see many kids whose kids are a little bit impacted, but their parents are not aware. You could be one of those parents... It is what it is. Did you think we could close schools for as long as we did and *not* see an impact?

I have a severely ADHD kid and we taught him ourselves and paid for tutors. As you said, parents of children with special needs have to work harder to achieve the same result as other parents.

It's not whether or not there's learning loss that's the real question. It's whether or not parents took it upon themselves to manage it. The worldwide pandemic was bigger than any agency could reasonably handle, so I don't like this idea that we are entitled to wait for government resources. In this case, we can't. This is an "everyone for himself' emergency.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:JFC. Shred your pandemic excuse card. DCUM Moms are going to be on their walkers in nursing homes in 2073 toothlessly bleating “LeArNinG LoSs! EviL tEaChErS!! mY pOoR pAnDeMiC bAbIes!!!!”

Time to take some parental responsibility. Actually, the time for that was three years ago.

And I’m a parent, not a teacher, so don’t bother with the predictable clapback.

Stupid

No the PP is right. I have a 12th grader who went through the college process this year. Colleges couldn't care less about pandemic learning loss - academics and GPA matter enormously, particularly in this test-optional world, and if you can't keep up, you don't get into the colleges you want, period. The kids who could not take AP exams, or who had low AP scores, or missed out on instruction and whose GPAs were lowered the year after when they realized they'd missed a key part of math, for example, were NOT given passes by the admissions officers. We tutored the heck out of my high schooler, so he was alright, but others are not that lucky.

So buck up and deal with it.

Anonymous wrote:JFC. Shred your pandemic excuse card. DCUM Moms are going to be on their walkers in nursing homes in 2073 toothlessly bleating “LeArNinG LoSs! EviL tEaChErS!! mY pOoR pAnDeMiC bAbIes!!!!”

Time to take some parental responsibility. Actually, the time for that was three years ago.

And I’m a parent, not a teacher, so don’t bother with the predictable clapback.

Parent and teacher here. For my kids who both have ADHD, there was a significant impact. One was in advanced math and is no longer on that track. The other is impacted across the board. No need to lecture me about parental responsibility. I have nearly killed myself to get my kids where they are today and as a teacher, I used resources you wouldn't even know existed.

For what it's worth, from where I sit I see many kids whose kids are a little bit impacted, but their parents are not aware. You could be one of those parents... It is what it is. Did you think we could close schools for as long as we did and *not* see an impact?

My 7th grade son says he's never been asked to write an essay all year. I work in elementary and they're writing all the time, so why not middle school? I wish I knew.

Anonymous wrote:JFC. Shred your pandemic excuse card. DCUM Moms are going to be on their walkers in nursing homes in 2073 toothlessly bleating “LeArNinG LoSs! EviL tEaChErS!! mY pOoR pAnDeMiC bAbIes!!!!”

Time to take some parental responsibility. Actually, the time for that was three years ago.

And I’m a parent, not a teacher, so don’t bother with the predictable clapback.

I’m sorry you are such a one-dimensional thinker.

Academically, either not at all or caught up last year. Socially, it was tough but also back to normal.