There is a lot to unpack in this post, and a great synopsis of it is captured in this paragraph regarding remote/distance learning
"Definitive answers are hard to come by, and national data on student learning is virtually nonexistent. But more than a dozen national surveys of teachers, parents, students, and school administrators conducted over the past few months offer the clearest initial tally of successes and failures."
@LibertySpeaks
This is a very good article which sums up many of the problems facing remote instruction. The engagement numbers reported are much higher than what I saw, even for my more affluent students.
The data needs to be reset to zero for the new school year, IMO. Schools had to pivot to online instruction in the Spring with almost no warning or preparation, and figure it out on the fly. Now they should (in theory) be a bit more prepared.
@LibertySpeaks
That said, the decisions to move to virtual instruction are being made right now, or in some places have not been made at all. That's still only a few weeks to prepare significantly modified curricula and revamped lessons.