Moms for Liberty Responds to Nation's Report Card: America's Teenagers Are Still Paying the Price for Failed COVID-Era Policies
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Moms for Liberty today responded to the release of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Long-Term Trend Report, which found that America's 13-year-olds continue to struggle in both reading and mathematics years after pandemic-era school closures disrupted learning nationwide.
"Children only get one chance at an education," said Tina Descovich, co-founder and CEO of Moms for Liberty. "America cannot afford another generation sacrificed to failed policies and an education system more interested in protecting itself than serving students."
The report found that 13-year-olds remain significantly behind pre-pandemic achievement levels in mathematics and continue to struggle academically despite years of increased spending and intervention efforts. The findings come as education experts continue to assess the long-term damage caused by extended school closures and learning disruptions during COVID-19.
"The education establishment spent years ignoring parents while teachers unions fought to keep schools closed," Descovich said. "Today's 13-year-olds are the students who paid the price. While parents begged for classrooms to reopen, union leaders and bureaucrats prioritized politics and power over the academic success of children."
The report also highlighted a troubling cultural trend: fewer children are reading for enjoyment than in previous generations. Just 37% of 9-year-olds reported reading for fun almost every day, down from 53% in 2012. Among 13-year-olds, only 14% reported reading for fun almost every day, compared to 27% in 2012.
"While we are encouraged to see some modest improvement among younger students, these numbers should concern every parent in America," Descovich said. "A nation that stops reading is a nation that struggles to learn, think critically, and succeed. We must restore a culture that values literacy, knowledge, and academic excellence."
Moms for Liberty said the report should serve as a warning against returning to the policies that contributed to historic learning loss and declining academic achievement.
"The lesson from these results is simple," Descovich said. "When education bureaucracies and special interests are put ahead of students, children suffer. When parents are empowered and schools focus on academic excellence, children succeed."
Moms for Liberty is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. Moms for Liberty is dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.