Economist- Let them learn- The risks of keeping schools closed far outweigh the benefits

[Anonymous]

I guess it comes down to how risk-adverse we are. Everyone has a different degree of comfort. I do not trust the constantly emerging information coming from a medical community and administration sending mixed messages. There are reports of people who recovered now displaying pulmonary/respiratory, heart/blood pressure changes. Babies in the NICU are being exposed. I’m a NICU mom so already super conservative e.

The virus mutates. Our research is based off of VERY LOW COUNTS OF TESTING. We are 90 days in and don’t have a full national picture (forget global) or a plan in place to restructure to a new vision. I simply don’t trust the info emerging yet. There are idiots running around not familiar with public service and treating every policy as an attack on their wallet. CDC is getting censored. Add my low confidence for just a few of these reasons to the fact that every year in this are there is some horrible bug going around near Thanksgiving, I have no doubt that c19 would spread like wildfire in the fall. it’s already a tricky time of year. I’m willing to risk the loss
of money (which is being printed like Monopoly money anyway as politicians manipulate the system for a cash grab of as much as they can before it all crumbles down) for a life to enjoy it.

But you are free to volunteer your child as Tribute for Trump’s Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in their* favour!

I do think masks should be mandated and i also think the states should articulate how they have been using this time to prepare for a reopening that may lead to increased surges.


*their = innocent, helpless, minor children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who think we should open the school, under what conditions would you close them? Do you ever think the risks outweigh the benefits? Be specific.

Closing a school should be based SOLELY on the infection rate and cases in the county/town. Closing should be a last resort not the other way around. Close bars, indoor dining, churches, limit retail, mandatory masks, etc.

The fact that bars and indoor dining is open and schools are closed shows the priorities of a community.

So what is that infection rate? Does the new data showing kids 10-19 are the worst spreaders change your mind at all?

You need to provide a cite for this or it will be ignored.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/10/20-1315_article

[Anonymous]

Look at how much money and thought is being put into bringing professional sports back so the players are safe. If half that thought (not even the money, just the thought) had been put into reopening schools I’d have no qualms about reopening. But we made the short sighted economic choice to open bars and restaurants, people are traveling, IKEA is as crowded as a spring break beach. It feels better now but the long term effects are going to be so much worse.

Everything should have stayed shut down and schools should have reopened early and first. That would have required strong and consistent national policy and messaging to convince people that don’t have children that it’s in their best interest to have kids in school instead of being able to return to their lives. We just don’t have that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Uh no. teachers are—to put it simply—scared to die.

There’s a pandemic and if schools hadn’t closed in march, the death toll would have been much higher.

The political part of this is how terribly Trump has handled it for months and months, calling it a hoax, never wearing a mask, pitting states against each other for proper equipment, firing the pandemic team long before this happened, refusing to listen to top health experts.

If teachers had proper PPE and schools could have soap and paper towels, maybe they wouldn’t be so scared, but my kids in McPs —a wealthy county —often don’t even have soap in the bathrooms. How the hell can they keep the virus at bay without the proper equipment?

I’m shocked to hear schools don’t have soap in the bathrooms. That being said I am CERTAIN parents or even strangers would be more than happy to donate to the school if that’s so it takes to reopen. I don’t have kids but I’d gladly restock your school singlehandedly! Sadly I do think there are some teachers who don’t want to reopen at all if they have to take any risk whatsoever and there still getting paid. They should feel more sense of responsibility for the future of our children. Imagine if our healthcare workers refused to help patients until some long list of demands were met. Teachers play just as big a role in the (social, intellectual, emotional) health of our society as healthcare workers do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uh no. teachers are—to put it simply—scared to die.

There’s a pandemic and if schools hadn’t closed in march, the death toll would have been much higher.

The political part of this is how terribly Trump has handled it for months and months, calling it a hoax, never wearing a mask, pitting states against each other for proper equipment, firing the pandemic team long before this happened, refusing to listen to top health experts.

If teachers had proper PPE and schools could have soap and paper towels, maybe they wouldn’t be so scared, but my kids in McPs —a wealthy county —often don’t even have soap in the bathrooms. How the hell can they keep the virus at bay without the proper equipment?

Fear does not equate to facts. The long term negative impact on children is a fact. Teachers were screaming for shutdowns for the fall before schools were provided the opportunity to demonstrate their plan.

Either step up and do the job or find another profession. (See all other open businesses and their employees.)

False confidence isn’t a fact anymore than fear is. The fact is, all of the facts are still coming in. Another fact, is that we have someone that is looking at this problem through solely an economic and self-rewarding lens. Which leads to fact number 3, the information we could have been acting on and receiving was delayed because Trump literally dismantled a pandemic response team and took our CDC liaison in China off of her detail, and refused to work with the WHO in the earlier stages. So the fact is that this fear is based on risky and irresponsible actions of a leader that had a clear inability to identify *timely* solutions through a broader public safety lens. That is partially why many could predict that this administration would be incapable of getting their stuff together in time for school. People would have more confidence if we didn’t feel everyone were operating solely in one interest. Instead, we have to assign the fact that GOP senators married to NYSE heads can short the market in a post corona brief as something that lends confidence or doubt to the facts being presented at hand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at how much money and thought is being put into bringing professional sports back so the players are safe. If half that thought (not even the money, just the thought) had been put into reopening schools I’d have no qualms about reopening. But we made the short sighted economic choice to open bars and restaurants, people are traveling, IKEA is as crowded as a spring break beach. It feels better now but the long term effects are going to be so much worse.

Everything should have stayed shut down and schools should have reopened early and first. That would have required strong and consistent national policy and messaging to convince people that don’t have children that it’s in their best interest to have kids in school instead of being able to return to their lives. We just don’t have that.

100% agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who think we should open the school, under what conditions would you close them? Do you ever think the risks outweigh the benefits? Be specific.

Closing a school should be based SOLELY on the infection rate and cases in the county/town. Closing should be a last resort not the other way around. Close bars, indoor dining, churches, limit retail, mandatory masks, etc.

The fact that bars and indoor dining is open and schools are closed shows the priorities of a community.

So what is that infection rate? Does the new data showing kids 10-19 are the worst spreaders change your mind at all?

The data doesn't show that. I notice you didn't link to a source with such evidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who think we should open the school, under what conditions would you close them? Do you ever think the risks outweigh the benefits? Be specific.

Closing a school should be based SOLELY on the infection rate and cases in the county/town. Closing should be a last resort not the other way around. Close bars, indoor dining, churches, limit retail, mandatory masks, etc.

The fact that bars and indoor dining is open and schools are closed shows the priorities of a community.

So what is that infection rate? Does the new data showing kids 10-19 are the worst spreaders change your mind at all?

The data doesn't show that. I notice you didn't link to a source with such evidence.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/10/20-1315_article

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uh no. teachers are—to put it simply—scared to die.

There’s a pandemic and if schools hadn’t closed in march, the death toll would have been much higher.

The political part of this is how terribly Trump has handled it for months and months, calling it a hoax, never wearing a mask, pitting states against each other for proper equipment, firing the pandemic team long before this happened, refusing to listen to top health experts.

If teachers had proper PPE and schools could have soap and paper towels, maybe they wouldn’t be so scared, but my kids in McPs —a wealthy county —often don’t even have soap in the bathrooms. How the hell can they keep the virus at bay without the proper equipment?

I’m shocked to hear schools don’t have soap in the bathrooms. That being said I am CERTAIN parents or even strangers would be more than happy to donate to the school if that’s so it takes to reopen. I don’t have kids but I’d gladly restock your school singlehandedly! Sadly I do think there are some teachers who don’t want to reopen at all if they have to take any risk whatsoever and there still getting paid. They should feel more sense of responsibility for the future of our children. Imagine if our healthcare workers refused to help patients until some long list of demands were met. Teachers play just as big a role in the (social, intellectual, emotional) health of our society as healthcare workers do.

It has been disheartening to read how many teachers don't consider themselves essential. They are scared of all the wrong things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uh no. teachers are—to put it simply—scared to die.

There’s a pandemic and if schools hadn’t closed in march, the death toll would have been much higher.

The political part of this is how terribly Trump has handled it for months and months, calling it a hoax, never wearing a mask, pitting states against each other for proper equipment, firing the pandemic team long before this happened, refusing to listen to top health experts.

If teachers had proper PPE and schools could have soap and paper towels, maybe they wouldn’t be so scared, but my kids in McPs —a wealthy county —often don’t even have soap in the bathrooms. How the hell can they keep the virus at bay without the proper equipment?

I’m shocked to hear schools don’t have soap in the bathrooms. That being said I am CERTAIN parents or even strangers would be more than happy to donate to the school if that’s so it takes to reopen. I don’t have kids but I’d gladly restock your school singlehandedly! Sadly I do think there are some teachers who don’t want to reopen at all if they have to take any risk whatsoever and there still getting paid. They should feel more sense of responsibility for the future of our children. Imagine if our healthcare workers refused to help patients until some long list of demands were met. Teachers play just as big a role in the (social, intellectual, emotional) health of our society as healthcare workers do.

Every school year, along with paper and pencils and whatnot on the supply list, parents are asked to send in tissues and purell and Clorox wipes. On a normal year parents provide this type of supply because schools don’t have it. Now when Clorox wipes are nowhere to be found, how WILL the community provide it?

And teachers are not asking for paid leave off—they are trying to work from the safety of their home—online learning is NOT ideal, I have no doubt of that. Teachers were working hard during the spring. Teachers want their students to succeed. They’re doing their best in a crappy time amidst their own anxieties and family struggles.

[Anonymous]

People keep posting the public policy argument for schools (AAP, this economist, etc) and then using it to say schools should be open to all students in the fall. That's not what those documents mean.

1. School is really important ... so we should make major changes to suppress covid and also temporarily change how schools are run. Not just return to a pre-covid situation.

2. Public schools are more important to certain populations, e.g., those who are food insecure, kids in unsafe situations, kids with special needs, etc. That doesn't mean all kids need to go to school: it suggests prioritizing certain groups with greater needs. If your kid is not hungry, abused, or special needs, these public policy arguments don't necessarily support him being in public school right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/07/18/the-risks-of-keeping-schools-closed-far-outweigh-the-benefits?fbclid=IwAR3aWHwHAUu3yCEdbtG0aywVXZNz_v3scNGhdW0i6nEglfeX510KUxQuH4k

Text available here for those that don’t have a Subscription- https://outline.com/stat1k/

“Education is the surest path out of poverty. Depriving children of it will doom them to poorer, shorter, less fulfilling lives. The World Bank estimates that five months of school closures would cut lifetime earnings for the children who are affected by $10trn in today’s money, equivalent to 7% of current annual GDP.

With such catastrophic potential losses, governments should be working out how to reopen schools as soon as it is safe. This should not be a partisan issue, as it has sadly become in America, where some people assume it is a bad idea simply because President Donald Trump proposes it. In some countries teachers’ unions have been obstructive, partly out of justified concern for public health as cases climb, but also because teachers’ interests are not the same as children’s—especially if they are being paid whether they work or not. The main union in Los Angeles urges that schools remain closed until a long wishlist of demands has been met, including the elusive dream of universal health care in America. Children cannot wait that long.”

The Wall Street Journal recently had an article that said the same thing. They said keeping the high schools closed will create juvenile delinquency in the cities. The poor will be hurt the most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uh no. teachers are—to put it simply—scared to die.

There’s a pandemic and if schools hadn’t closed in march, the death toll would have been much higher.

The political part of this is how terribly Trump has handled it for months and months, calling it a hoax, never wearing a mask, pitting states against each other for proper equipment, firing the pandemic team long before this happened, refusing to listen to top health experts.

If teachers had proper PPE and schools could have soap and paper towels, maybe they wouldn’t be so scared, but my kids in McPs —a wealthy county —often don’t even have soap in the bathrooms. How the hell can they keep the virus at bay without the proper equipment?

Fear does not equate to facts. The long term negative impact on children is a fact. Teachers were screaming for shutdowns for the fall before schools were provided the opportunity to demonstrate their plan.

Either step up and do the job or find another profession. (See all other open businesses and their employees.)

OMG GOOD LUCK finding enough good teachers this fall!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/07/18/the-risks-of-keeping-schools-closed-far-outweigh-the-benefits?fbclid=IwAR3aWHwHAUu3yCEdbtG0aywVXZNz_v3scNGhdW0i6nEglfeX510KUxQuH4k

Text available here for those that don’t have a Subscription- https://outline.com/stat1k/

“Education is the surest path out of poverty. Depriving children of it will doom them to poorer, shorter, less fulfilling lives. The World Bank estimates that five months of school closures would cut lifetime earnings for the children who are affected by $10trn in today’s money, equivalent to 7% of current annual GDP.

With such catastrophic potential losses, governments should be working out how to reopen schools as soon as it is safe. This should not be a partisan issue, as it has sadly become in America, where some people assume it is a bad idea simply because President Donald Trump proposes it. In some countries teachers’ unions have been obstructive, partly out of justified concern for public health as cases climb, but also because teachers’ interests are not the same as children’s—especially if they are being paid whether they work or not. The main union in Los Angeles urges that schools remain closed until a long wishlist of demands has been met, including the elusive dream of universal health care in America. Children cannot wait that long.”

The Wall Street Journal recently had an article that said the same thing. They said keeping the high schools closed will create juvenile delinquency in the cities. The poor will be hurt the most.

So then let's close the bars and stop the airplanes until Labor Day. Stop the large gatherings on private property.

[Anonymous]

Don't worry we will be having our elite pod where our hand picked tutors and pod mates are all wealthy and not having to deal with silly poverty