Free Republic

Lower- and middle-income families who struggle with the costs associated with hiring private tutors for their children this fall may ultimately be dealing with a greater loss of learning as their children fall further behind. According to a report at NBC News Sunday, the disparity between some with means to afford private schools and tutors and those without those means will likely contribute to a stark gap already widened in public schools following the adoption of many fruitless progressive reforms. As Bloomberg has noted, the U.S. already spends approximately $700 billion annually on K-12 education.

A new report summarizes research showing the financial and health repercussions of keeping schools, colleges, and child-care facilities closed far outweigh any risk. The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity report also offers recommendations on how to reopen for the safest and fairest results. Report coauthor Avik Roy said in a tweet the report aims for policymakers to learn of and “heed the educational, social, and public health impact of prolonged school closures” for the nearly 80 million U.S. students who have already been out of school for months in 2020. The article described the nation’s current educational plans as...