The Schools Discourse

Every week or so we get a study or an epidemiologist saying something like, "Schools can open safely if they use masks properly, have social distancing, and proper ventilation." A bunch of elite journalists who are sick and tired of their kids being at home hit the retweet button as hard and fast as they can, often along with the suggestion that this is all about helping poor kids, and by poor they mean "minority," a population they're always very very concerned with.

I don't actually have opinions about how to deal with the school situation, I just know that the discussion, repeated weekly for almost a year now, is always incredibly dishonest. You can't expect little kids to use masks properly. Schools are not designed for social distancing (they are overcrowded). They don't have windows that open. The SCIENCE about kids/teens being or not being carriers/vulnerable isn't straightforward. Even if you can have acceptable class sizes, you can't maintain those if teachers get sick.

I get it. It's hard having your kids at home.