In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to traditional schooling. In response to the, then, relatively unknown threat of COVID-19, Congress sent emergency relief funding to schools. They did so again, sending much more money. Then, they did so again, sending much much more money.

These funds, known as the Elementary and Secondary Schooling Emergency Relief funds, or ESSER for short, totaled nearly $200 billion, making it the largest federal expenditure for public education in American history.

So, where did these funds go, and for what? Here to discuss is the Director of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab, Marguerite Roza.

Show notes:

Marguerite’s latest Education Next article: Punishment for Making Hard Choices in a Crisis: Federal Prison

Subscribe to Report Card with Nat Malkus by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.

Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join and see what you’ve been missing.

There are 2 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. genferei Member
    genferei
    @genferei

    Get the government out of education. 

    • #1
  2. Caryn Thatcher
    Caryn
    @Caryn

    “Where are we at???”  Yikes.  Who wrote this headline?  On an education report podcast, no less.  

    • #2
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.