Tonight, I’m going to recommend that you read a new article in Vox by Benjamin Linas, MD, an infectious disease specialist focused in epidemiology. He relates the story of his three children who are “locked out” of their Brookline, MA public school.
He puts the blame for this on the teachers union in the school system that has made it increasingly difficult to meet requirements to return to school in person.
The CDC has definitively stated that schools are safe to open and unlikely to spread COVID-19. More and more the educational and psychological catastrophes that result from isolation and remote learning are being acutely felt. However, teachers have insisted on social distancing and other restrictions that make in person learning impossible.
Dr. Linas feels that teachers unions are moving towards a “zero risk” requirement for teachers to return to work that will be impossible to achieve, while insisting schools remain closed for another year. This would be a disaster for students.
You have heard that other communities have similar problems. San Francisco is the most prominent and is suing their school system to re-open schools. That may not work since teachers unions say they will refuse to return to work until first the teachers then the students are all vaccinated!
Many other communities aren’t taking such drastic steps, but find their public schools just can’t seem to get their act together to re-open.
Dr. Linas’ thoughtful article is required reading for anyone wrestling with this problem.
Kids need to be back in school.
Thanks for sharing this, Dr. Baker. If you’re so inclined, I hope you will share this post with the superintendent of AAPS!
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