The Pulse Back to School in a Rapidly Changing World
Aug 21, 2025
David Zweig, an investigative journalist and author of 'An Abundance of Caution,' dives into the shaky decisions behind school closures during the pandemic and their profound impact on students. Holly Korbey, an education reporter and founder of The Bell Ringer, discusses the transformative role of AI tools like ChatGPT in classrooms. They address the challenges of adapting to new technologies, the intense pressures of 'Ivy League fever,' and the evolving landscape of education shaped by the pandemic and modern innovations.
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Student Experience Of Extended Remote Learning
- Sen Gatson spent seventh and eighth grade largely learning remotely and admits he was often on his phone and distracted during class.
- He says prolonged remote learning made him more introverted and drained when he returned to in-person school.
Flawed Models Drove Some Pandemic Decisions
- David Zweig found many pandemic models were projections chained to other models with weak assumptions, producing unstable guidance.
- He calls this GEIGO — garbage in, garbage out — showing policy suffered when inputs were unreliable.
Empirical Evidence From Europe Was Overlooked
- Zweig points out 22 European countries reopened schools and observed no spikes, offering empirical evidence the U.S. ignored.
- He argues America privileged theoretical models over visible real-world outcomes.
