Critics of COVID school closures share their success and frustrations — including with themselves and the media.
By Alexander Russo
This fourth feature from The Grade’s March 2025 series on COVID coverage features some of the experiences and reflections of parents, educators, and advocates who fought against school lockdowns and other COVID mandates.
Five years after the start of the pandemic, the short-term effectiveness and long-range consequences of prolonged school closures are increasingly being questioned. A new book by two Princeton professors describes school-only closures as a failed response. Just last week, the New York Times asked whether the COVID lockdowns were really worth it.
But these questions weren’t considered viable until recently. What was it like for school reopening advocates during the early years of the pandemic? What were they able to accomplish? What could they have done to change the outcome?
This isn’t a comprehensive representation of pro-reopening experiences; it isn’t even a comprehensive representation of the nearly two dozen people who were kind enough to share their insights in response to a call-out last month. But it does capture some of the key moments and emotions that have often been left out of or downplayed media coverage of the school COVID experience.
What you’ll read in their responses is a combination of anger and frustration – at the heavy-handed government response, at their own efforts, and at journalists charged with covering schools.
“Mainstream news outlets — particularly what’s left of the large dailies — need to fix their shit,” says parent and longtime substitute teacher Gale Morrison. “Especially education reporting.”
Mainstream news outlets need to fix their shit.
Responses have been edited and condensed for clarity. Some respondents did not want their full names used. The previous stories in this series are COVID Collapse, Learning from COVID, and How the pandemic response destroyed the learning culture in one Baltimore high school.
WORRIED FROM THE START
When did you come to believe that closing schools was a bad move?
I knew it was coming, and I knew it was bad. And that there would be no offramp. – Jennifer Sey (parent, documentary filmmaker)
Immediately. March 9, 2020. [The] first thing I posted on Facebook: “Oh God, don’t close the schools.” – Gale Morrison (educator, parent)
When I saw an age stratified analysis of likely IFR [infection fatality rate] range around late March 2020. – Eli Klein (art-dealer, self-taught COVID expert)
A rushed meeting on March 23rd where our assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction conveyed a startling message: grades did not matter, learning did not matter, and the primary focus of our remote learning efforts was to make the students feel safe, welcome, and understood. – Kyle (parent, advocate, and teacher)
A GROWING SENSE OF HORROR
For those who didn’t question the decision right away, when did you come to see the problem?
After two weeks, it made no sense that you could order anything you wanted on Amazon — and humans had to go out and do the jobs that brought it to you – but kids could not go to school. – Maud Maron (parent, elected leader)
As of May, all I could think about was ‘What were [children with disabilities, special needs, children in abusive homes, children in homes without food] doing, and how were they going to survive this?’ – Vanessa (teacher, parent)
I had a nephew who lived on Long Island, 15 miles away from me, and in Fall 2020 his school was reopened full time. And I thought to myself, ‘If he can go to school full time, why can’t my kids?’ – Daniela Jampel (New York City parent)
You could order anything you wanted on Amazon — and humans had to go out and do the jobs that brought it to you — but kids could not go to school.
AN ONSLAUGHT OF CRITICISM
What happened when you first started raising concerns?
I was called a granny killer. I was told, “Would you rather have your kid educated or dead?” The hysteria was omni-present. Everyone had forgotten our most vulnerable children. – Vanessa
I was targeted by online mobs tagging my employer and other organizations I worked with. – Jennifer Sey
There were a lot of accusations that the only reason I wanted to open schools was so my kids would be out of my house. – Emily Oster (professor, parent)
The blowback was sudden and complete. I received furious comments, direct messages, emails, a few threats. The moderator of the Facebook group wrote to say he was turning off my commenting privileges. My editors at the Washington Post – who tracked my Facebook presence for story ideas – cut off our relationship that day. – Ann Bauer (citizen/journalist)
A lot of the blue moms I came to know in a gun safety group we formed all argued with me and dismissed the concerns and were condescending in how they did it. – Gale Morrison
LOW POINTS
What were the lowest points?
The absurdity peaked with “reverse parades,” where teachers drove through neighborhoods waving at children — but never stopping to interact. These superficial gestures only highlighted the profound disconnect between the educational system and the students it was meant to serve. – Kyle
Colleagues who had once been friends turned on each other, reporting those who expressed support for in-person learning and publicly shaming those who questioned the wisdom of prolonged closures. – Gale Morrison
On Christmas Eve of 2020, someone with a large social media following, who I won’t name, but was vocally opposed to reopening schools, essentially suggested I should commit suicide. – Anthony LaMesa (advocate, educator)
Worst was the constant shirking of our duty to the children. – Vanessa
The absurdity peaked with reverse parades,” where teachers drove through neighborhoods waving at children — but never stopping to interact.
BLIND SPOTS
What seems obvious now?
The hypocrisy from my field was just excruciating. I would never have believed in a million years this would have happened. – Vanessa
I was blindsided by how consensus-driven the school districts were, rather than *offering* choice to some families or letting different teachers or principals and families come to their own decisions. – Chad Aldeman (parent, researcher)
I underestimated how much people’s hatred of Trump and Democrats’ outsized fear about Covid would keep people fighting in favor of school closures well into 2021. – Kelley Krohnert (parent)
I was blindsided by how consensus-driven the school districts were.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
What could you have done differently?
We might have prevented the worst damage if we had been more assertive—organizing larger protests, mobilizing communities, and demanding that schools remain open. – Kyle
I would have never cancelled the March 10, 2020 Community Education Council meeting, the first NYC DOE event to be cancelled for Covid. I think it accelerated the NYC shutdown because prior to that DeBlasio was trying to keep schools open. – Maud Maron
I wish I would have done more to reach out to national media about the harms of school closures and the need to reopen schools, as well as the way public health was exaggerating the risks to children and the risks of children as super-spreaders. – Kelley Krohnert
During summer 2020, national Democrats launched a campaign to oppose Donald Trump’s push to reopen schools. This behavior should have been more explicitly called out as harmful and bad at the time. – Anthony LaMesa
Push for options rather than trying to “win” the argument? – Chad Aldeman
We might have prevented the worst damage if we had been more assertive demanding that schools remain open.
TURNING POINTS
What was the turning point when the public started to understand the dangers of prolonged schooling?
I think many parents were shocked when the Fall of 2021 was not normal school–even the masked, socially distant types were ready for normal by then. – Maud Maron
I’d seen parents with suicidal kids weeping on camera, high school students with dead eyes , a state rep who barely listened and complained about how her Republican colleagues didn’t wear their masks. My recommendation was that people with children leave MN if their kids were suffering. That thread went, literally, viral. – Ann Bauer
There was only any effort to acknowledge the harm once Democrats began to be punished electorally for what was happening, especially when Phil Murphy almost lost his reelection in NJ. – Daniela Jampel
I don’t think we are there yet. I certainly haven’t been permitted back into polite society. – Jennifer Sey
BEST MOMENTS
What were the best parts and moments?
I posted the photo of Stacey Abrams sitting in a Decatur school surrounded by masked children and it went viral. The image of masked children behind a smiling politician did not sit well with many people. – Kelley Krohnert
Our superintendent led with such grace and strength. He had to really stick his neck out and go against the grain of other supers in our area. – Gale Morrison
I made three appearances in CNN in a single week. It was super super late in the game, but I think it helped prevent school closures from carrying on into a third calendar year. – Angie Schmitt (parent)
The San Francisco school board being recalled. – Jennifer Sey
The day the kids got to return to the middle school, the principal played U2’s “It’s a Beautiful Day” over the speakers. I cried. – Gale Morrison
The day the kids got to return to the middle school, the principal played U2’s “It’s a Beautiful Day” over the speakers. I cried.
RECOMMENDATIONS
What’s the takeaway?
Fear is the most powerful motivator and when it is employed to steer people, most will comply. The few people who don’t fall into formation are all that holds society together during such times. – Ann Bauer
Don’t trust politicians, “experts” and teachers unions with your kids if the issue is political. – Eli Klein
Fight for your freedoms zealously and always. Nobody else will. – Maud Maron
Be careful. Closing is easier than reopening. – Anthony LaMesa
I think the overreach during COVID, with extended school closures being the prime example, contributed to the Democrats defeat, which is what concerned me at the time. A lot of trust was lost. – Angie Schmitt
Mainstream news outlets, particularly what’s left of the large dailies, need to fix their shit. Especially education reporting. – Gale Morrison
Previously from The Grade
COVID Collapse (interview with Princeton professor Frances Lee about her new book)
Learning from COVID (reporters reflect)
How the pandemic response destroyed the learning culture in one Baltimore high school (first-person essay)
Additional media coverage
Were the Covid Lockdowns Worth It? (New York Times The Daily)
Media mistakes around masks and lab leaks in Covid hurt public trust (Vox)
On 5th anniversary, Bay Area public health officials on fray between life, liberty (SJ Mercury News)
Would Schools Close in a Future Pandemic? (NYT)
Interview: Did Scientists and the Media Get Covid All Wrong? (Undark)
The Covid Alarmists Were Closer to the Truth Than Anyone Else
How Our Politics Failed during the COVID Pandemic (Public Discourse)
Elegy for the Last Covidians (Compact)
