Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Iowa educators proactively responded by developing an alternative pre-school and K-12 educational delivery system. Research now reveals this altered schooling will have permanent educational and long-term economic damage if not appropriately rectified.
It’s well documented that quality education creates better quality of life and overall societal increased economic productivity.
Iowa’s GOP trifecta-controlled politicians were negligent when they approved the 2021-2022 public school and pre-school funding before taking into account pandemic-related educational research findings.
Linda Jacobson, Center for Research on Educational Outcomes, Stanford University, studied educational achievement across 19 states during this pandemic era and reported two findings (The74million.org, 2020). First, elementary students will lose from one-third to a year’s worth of reading advancement. Secondly, from 75% of a school year to 232 school days equivalency of mathematics will be lost; 180 school days make up a typical school year. Brookings Institution research conclusions are also consistent with Jacobson’s findings.
Eric Hanushek, Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research -- using Germany-based longitudinal studies of lost class time as his research base -- estimates due to the COVID-19 educational setback “over the next century, the skill shock will produce $25-$30 trillion of lost economic output in today’s dollars. The lifetime household incomes of the affected students will be 6-9% lower.”
Olivier Jean Blanchard, Peterson Institute for International Economics, is referenced in a Wall Street Journal article (Feb. 27-28) as “most worried about the long-run effect of the Covid crisis on children and their future as workers; it might be time to start thinking about sending children to summer school to make up for lost time.”
The long-term educational and economic costs of the pandemic’s lost schooling for the “COVID generation kids” should be of concern to every parent, grandparent, school board, educator, employer, taxpayer and especially Iowa’s politicians. Tomorrow’s workers will only be as competent as the education they receive.
If Gov. Kim Reynolds was sincere in her Feb. 24 public statement “our children are our greatest asset and we have to do everything we can to set them up for success,” she would review the research by Jacobson, Brookings Institution, Hanushek and Blanchard and demand Iowa legislators address four issues before the projected April 30 adjournment.
First, provide one-time supplemental funding to Iowa’s 367 public school districts for them to employ a 2021 summer school, expanded school day during the 2021-2022 school year and/or provide year round schooling to enable Iowa’s 499,825 students to get caught up in their educational studies.
Secondly, request the GOP legislators to rectify opening-the-floodgate of home schooling with no accountability nor oversight measures, diverting millions of public tax dollars from public education to private education ($57M to $200M) and with their below inflation funding of public schools -- for 12 consecutive years – have created more educational and down-the-road economic harm than good. Iowa’s per pupil support ranks 27th in America. There is a direct correlation between school resources and educational achievement; you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7).
Third, knowing the short- and long-term value of pre-school education, reverse their decision to cut pre-school funding by $7.4 million so 2,600 Iowa children will be properly prepared for K-12 education.
Finally, require all school districts to conduct an assessment of their students’ educational advancement (or loss) during the healthcare pandemic setback time period with a post-pandemic educational recovery course of action plan.
Iowa’s children deserve better leadership than what currently exists in the Capitol.
COVID-19 created lost schooling research findings are sound. Our legislators and Governor can take action “if” they care about the quality of education received today and the economic productivity of tomorrow’s Iowa worker.
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Steve Corbin, Emeritus Professor of Marketing, University of Northern Iowa and freelance writer who receives no remuneration, funding or endorsement from any for-profit business, not-for-profit organization, Political Action Committee or political party