U.S. school reopening policy ignored high schoolers with catastrophic consequences for college readiness.

It was a mistake to set a pandemic school reopening goal that ignored high schoolers.

In December 2020, then President-elect Joe Biden announced a school reopening goal for K-8 schools — ignoring high schools — that I worried would have tragic consequences for American teenagers. High school basically constitutes a third of a child’s education and is essential preparation for the world of work or tertiary education.

In winter 2021, children were speaking out — noting that high school closures interfered with college preparation — but nobody in power seemed to care.

This New York City high schooler accurately declared that “virtual school is not real school.”