New data showing historic learning losses during the pandemic prompts bad takes from both the right and the left — a conservative policy fellow says kids will catch up, while a teachers union head implies tests don’t matter. Matt and Laura argue that both of these positions make kids the situation’s losers who will just keep falling behind unless they make up lost time. Plus, they explore how the pandemic shook up ideological fault lines on education.

Suggested reads:

The Pandemic Erased Two Decades of Progress in Math and Reading, Sarah Mervosh, The New York Times

School Is for Wasting Time and Money, Bryan Caplan, The New York Times (a runner-up for this week’s ‘bad take’)

Students Are Learning Well Again. But Full Recovery? That’s a Long Way Off., Sarah Mervosh, The New York Times

How federal covid aid trickled down to Xavier’s classroom, Perry Stein, The Washington Post

Send us a bad take to review at badtakes@grid.news.

For a transcript of an episode of Bad Takes, please email transcripts@grid.news.