Deborah Loewenberg Ball comments on learning loss in New York Times letter to the editor

In a May 23, 2023, New York Times letter to the editor, Deborah Ball responds to the claims about Covid-related learning losses advanced in the May 11 opinion piece, “Parents Don’t Understand How Far Behind Their Kids Are in School.” She argues, “Being ‘behind’ is the product of the unquestioning acceptance of ‘grade level’ as a standard for students’ progress. This leads to agitated moves to help students ‘catch up’ and assumptions that, because they didn’t learn to add fractions last year, they never will.” Instead, Ball urges a focus on supporting teachers in their crucial work: “To address the needs of our young people and ensure their academic progress and social development, we must support the work that teachers are doing and provide necessary resources and opportunities for professional learning.”