WASHINGTON — School closures dropped markedly over the long weekend, as the Omicron-fueled coronavirus surge appears to have abated in many parts of the nation. Still, thousands of schools remain closed, prolonging a complex crisis that continues to pose educational, economic and — increasingly — political challenges, as the coronavirus frustrates attempts to return to pre-pandemic modes of learning.
The vast majority of schools are now open to in-person education, as the White House was quick to highlight on Tuesday. “Forty-six percent of schools were open a year ago; now over 95 percent,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a news briefing.
Whereas more than 6,000 schools were closed