After nearly two years of school closures and other COVID-19 restrictions that targeted children, one thing has been made entirely clear: The people who did everything they could to disrupt schooling in the name of “safety” should be ashamed of themselves.

Washington state had one of the highest testing participation rates in the country in 2021. When comparing the 2021 results to 2019, scores were down across the board in English and math among every racial demographic group, as well as among low-income students, students with disabilities, and English learners.