I think we’re mistaken in blaming COVID for this although it’s certainly a contributing factor. The US has always had shitty educational outcomes (look at our literacy rates) compared to even much poorer countries. Biggest villain here is austerity, which has only worsened in recent years. I’ve seen several news stories about districts having to go down to 4 or even 3 days a week since they literally can’t keep the doors open, either due to lack of funds or lack of teachers (which is just a lack of funds by another name).

The teachers are doing the best they can but trying to pin it on the parents is wrong headed too. By the time a kid is in high school they’ve spent 8 hours a day at school for half the year for 8 years, like at that point if they haven’t been taught how to do simple math there’s something very wrong with the system itself, and it’ll never be fixed because rich people don’t give a shit since their schools are good (funded through property taxes) or they go to private schools