The Economist - USA (2020-08-29)

20 United States The EconomistAugust 29th 2020

1

T

he first meeting between teachers in

Montpelier, Vermont, before the start of

the autumn term is usually festive—hug-

ging over breakfast and coffee. This year

they had to make do with an online video-

conference. After a scramble in the spring

(to set up online learning, pack lunches for

poor pupils who relied on them and ship

computers to those without them), the dis-

trict plans to let younger pupils return for

in-person learning on September 8th. High

school will remain partly online because

the building is too small to allow social dis-

tancing. The young pupils who can return

will need to wear masks, keep their dis-

tance and have temperature checks before

entering school buses or buildings.

Setting up these protocols took many

60-hour weeks over the summer holidays,

says Libby Bonesteel, the superintendent.

Her husband, a microbrewer, recently ded-

icated a new beer, “Our Impossible Ask”, to

teachers. “Pairs well with late staff meet-

ings, upended expertise, existential crisis

and seemingly unending complications,”

suggest the tasting notes.

Of the 50 largest school districts in

America, 35 plan to start the coming term

entirely remotely. The opportunity to

squelch the virus over the summer has

been lost, upending plans for “hybrid” edu-

cation (part-time in-person instruction).

This means more than just child-care

headaches for parents. The continued dis-

ruption to schooling will probably spell

permanent learning loss, disproportion-

ately hurting poorer pupils.

“Achievement gaps will become ach-

ievement chasms,” warns Robin Lake, di-

rector of the Centre on Reinventing Public

Education, a research group. Analysts at

McKinsey, a consultancy, reckon that the

typical American pupil would suffer 6.8

months of learning loss if in-person in-

struction does not resume until January

2021 (which looks plausible). This would

fall heaviest on black pupils, who would re-

gress by over ten months’-worth of instruc-

tion, and poor ones, who would fall behind

by more than a year. There could also be

648,000 more high-school dropouts.

The true scale of the educational fallout

will be unknown for years, because it man-

ifests itself in future decisions like drop-

ping out of high school or university. It will

also remain murkier because typical ba-

rometers, such as the standardised tests

administered in crowded school halls,

WASHINGTON, DC

Disrupted schooling spells worse

results and deeper inequality

Back to school

Learning and covid

“J

oe kennedyknows how a legacy is

earned,” begins a new campaign ad for

Joe Kennedy, a 39-year-old congressman

who is running for the usSenate in Massa-

chusetts. The ad weaves footage of Mr Ken-

nedy helping his constituents with images

of his famous family. His great-great-

grandfather was a Boston mayor, his dad

was a congressman, his great-uncle was

president, another served as senator and

his grandfather was attorney-general, a

senator and a presidential candidate. A

Kennedy running for the Senate in Massa-

chusetts should be a shoo-in, especially

one with an abundance of red hair. But the

Kennedy name may no longer carry the

same resonance it once did.

A University of Massachusetts Amherst

poll indicates that young people are more

attracted to his Democratic-primary oppo-

nent and incumbent, Ed Markey. Mr Mar-

key is a Washington veteran. He served as a

congressman for nearly four decades be-

fore becoming a senator in 2013. He has

proved resilient, and his digital strategy

has cleverly targeted younger voters. One

clip of him shooting hoops while wearing

khakis and old trainers has gone viral. Oth-

ers star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the pro-

gressive New York congresswoman widely

known as aoc, who introduced the Green

New Deal with Mr Markey. For the first time

in his long career this rather cerebral poli-

tician has taken on a rock-star quality.

As well as aoc’s backing, Mr Markey has

received that of Elizabeth Warren, the

state’s senior senator. Mr Kennedy, mean-

while, has won the endorsement of Nancy

Pelosi, the House speaker. That angered Ms

Ocasio-Cortez, who implied the Democrat-

ic Congressional Campaign Committee

(dccc) was hypocritical in “cherry-pick-

ing” whom to support. Last year the dccc

said it would blacklist firms that help chal-

lengers to Democratic incumbents.

Despite arguments over who is more

progressive, there is little to distinguish

the two likeable politicians beyond their

age (Mr Markey, at 74, is nearly twice as old

as Mr Kennedy) and that famous last name.

Perhaps that is why the campaign has taken

on a nasty tone as the primary on Septem-

ber 1st draws near. In one ad, which has had

3m views, Mr Markey says: “With all due re-

spect, it’s time to start asking what your

country can do for you,” a play on John Ken-

nedy’s inaugural speech in 1961. In a debate,

Mr Markey accused Mr Kennedy’s father

and brother of funding negative ads. Mr

Kennedy has had to beef up security be-

cause of death threats, which his campaign

blames on the “dangerous” atmosphere

created by some of Mr Markey’s supporters.

Polls have pointed to a tight race, but re-

cently Mr Markey has pulled ahead. Some

people may decide not to vote because ei-

ther candidate would be fine. Both have

high approval ratings in their respective

jobs. Mr Kennedy had at first been careful

not to play on his family’s legacy because it

might have turned off younger, progressive

voters, some of whom see him as the em-

bodiment of entitlement and privilege. As

primary day approaches, however, he has

started to lean into the legacy in an effort to

persuade older supporters to vote. A Ken-

nedy has not lost an election in Massachu-

setts since John Kennedy became a con-

gressman in 1946. Mr Kennedy does not

want to be the first. 7

The name no longer guarantees victory,

even in Massachusetts

Sparring for the Senate

Kennedy fatigue?

Spot the rock star