Thread by @karenvaites, Memo to teachers defending continued closures:All those successful reopenings across the country [...]

Memo to teachers defending continued closures:

All those successful reopenings across the country did not happen in districts with perfect buildings, state of art PPE, and

testing.

See:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/health/coronavirus-schools-children.html
Spain, UT
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/21/925794511/were-the-risks-of-reopening-schools-exaggerated
CA
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-sees-no-link-from-school-openings-to-15626000.php
1/

Schoolchildren Seem Unlikely to Fuel Coronavirus Surges, Scientists Say

Researchers once feared that school reopenings might spread the virus through communities. But so far there is little evidence that it’s happening.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/health/coronavirus-schools-children.html

My sister teacher in FL, and could tell you stories about how nervous she was to reopen. She was not in a renovated building with hospital-grade PPE.

And yet FL brought back >50% of kids and it went OK:

2/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2020/09/28/florida-schools-reopened-en-mass-feared-covid-surge-hasnt-followed/3557417001/

Florida schools reopened en masse, but a surge in coronavirus didn't follow, a USA TODAY analysis...

A USA TODAY analysis shows the state’s positive case count among kids ages 5 to 17 declined through late September after a peak in July.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2020/09/28/florida-schools-reopened-en-mass-feared-covid-surge-hasnt-followed/3557417001/

Seriously, read about the mitigation efforts where reopening has gone OK:

EU
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/coronavirus-outbreaks-schools-europe/2020/09/27/0dd19bf6-ff48-11ea-b0e4-350e4e60cc91_story.html
NYC
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/nyregion/schools-coronavirus.html
NY
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/10/school-openings-covid-19.html
MO
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/early-success-in-containing-virus-prompts-more-st-louis-area-schools-to-bring-students-back/article_f51a746a-4da2-5383-bb87-0fe995dfdf27.html
CT
https://www.courant.com/coronavirus/hc-news-coronavirus-hybrid-transition-20200928-xm6jjx3ecza3nkxypqxpji2g3e-story.html
RI
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/09/us/how-rhode-island-reopened-schools.html

3/

Europe stays committed to in-person classes as school outbreaks remain rare

Some countries have seen a few infections in primary and secondary schools, but officials say the benefits outweigh the risks.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/coronavirus-outbreaks-schools-europe/2020/09/27/0dd19bf6-ff48-11ea-b0e4-350e4e60cc91_story.html

I’m all for mitigation. Mask mandates, distancing, and more.

But I see some really high expectations (Ex. universal rapid testing) in some educator tweets, and I would ask folks to look at the districts that have reopened successfully. The evidence is persuasive.

You can follow @karenvaites.

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