So in concert with my piece today, one key data void leaps out: the importance of pods and pod sizes. > https://www.npr.org/2020/06/24/882316641/what-parents-can-learn-from-child-care-centers-that-stayed-open-during-lockdowns

From what I can understand, the purpose of podding children, or workers in a factory, is to limit the size of potential outbreaks, because one sick person is limited to close contact with just 12 other people rather than potentially hundreds through crossover & gatherings. >

Pods--not handwashing, masks, canceling assemblies, or limiting outsider access to the building--are the major issue with school in the fall. Pods mean lower classroom capacity, which means staggered schedules, remote learning, etc. >

So first of all it would be really helpful to know if tiny pods are that important. If the baseline risk of transmission among kids is low enough, maybe we don't need pods and can get by with other precautions. Or maybe there's an achievable compromise like 20 kids per class.>

But what's also really important: if you have staggered schedules, the kids will need to be elsewhere at other times. Will they be home with parents who work from home? Will they be in microschools/homeschool coops with 1 other family? Or will they be in group care?>

If they're not with immediate family only, + if they're in two different situations during the week, contact tracing becomes harder. If they're in group care, their number of close contacts could go way UP, not down.