Time It Was and What a Time It Was: Education During the pandemic in the U.S.

The Covid-19 pandemic that emerged in the U.S. in spring of 2020 significantly impacted all aspects of American culture. This paper examines the specific impact on education, both PK-12 and higher education. It examines financial issues, personal mental health-related concerns, and Covid-19’s effect on student learning. By examining multiple surveys, governmental data, current scholarship and popular media, the analysis concludes that four key themes define the Covid-19 pandemic for education – being embattled, confounding uncertainty, emergent responses, and potential positives.