For the past two years, American children have had their lives upended as schools across the country transitioned to remote learning and introduced harsh measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19. As a result, most students have fallen far behind in school, and many children and teenagers are experiencing grave mental health problems. With districts across the country now navigating the Omicron surge, students and parents are worried that educators will again shut their doors and return online.

The New York Times’ David Leonhardt joined Marc and Dany to discuss the damage school closures have on America’s students, why lockdowns disproportionally affect minorities and the poor, how teachers unions are exacerbating the problem, and the pandemics’ long-term impact on our children’s lives.

David Leonhardt is a senior writer for the New York Times, where he writes The Morning newsletter every weekday and also contributes to the Sunday Review section. Leonhardt has worked at The Times since 1999, in a variety of reporting and editing roles. In 2011, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for his columns.

Download the transcript here.