Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson Kids are at a breaking point, and school policies might be to blame
Jan 15, 2026
Jia Lynn Yang, a journalist and New York Times senior writer, explores the mental health crisis facing U.S. children and the impact of school policies. Drawing on her reporting and personal experiences as a parent, she discusses how major policy shifts have heightened expectations on kids since the 1980s. The conversation reveals how testing culture, rigid standards, and limited playtime stress children, while also leading to rising ADHD and autism diagnoses. Jia emphasizes the need for a supportive educational environment that fosters well-being.
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School As An Overlooked Factor
- Jia Lynn Yang asks whether school — the place kids spend most waking hours — might be part of the mental-health problem.
- She urges rethinking school environments rather than assuming each struggling child is individually broken.
Personal IEP Struggle In NYC
- Jia Lynn shares parenting experiences with a child who read early and required an IEP in New York City.
- She describes the IEP bureaucracy and the emotional toll on families navigating services.
Accountability Shift Changed Classrooms
- Jia Lynn traces how accountability reforms (No Child Left Behind, Common Core) made test scores public and tied them to funding.
- She argues those reforms pushed instruction toward metrics and narrow skills at younger ages.
