Another day, another person publishing a think piece using flawed and biased data as a reason to put teachers, kids, and their families at risk.

A few things worth noting.

First, transmission rates across age groups differs. Can we please account for that? (I know - pundits never will, but can the rest of us?)

Second, we are flying blind on how the new, more transmissible strains will impact schools.

Third, our comparisons across schools aren't consistent - and that's okay, but we need to acknowledge that. Schools across the country have been doing radically different things to respond to pandemic.

(thank you, "local control" and the failed federal response)

Fourth, testing in schools has been inconsistent. My kids school has been 100% in person since Sept. The high school has had at least 9 positive cases since January 8th in a school of 400. The district insists things are fine, but there is no testing in the school. None. Zero

Fifth, youth suicides are tragic and horrible.

Can we talk gun control and access to guns? Can we talk lack of a social safety net? Can we talk rising youth suicide rates *before* the pandemic? https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/09/11/youth-suicide-rate-increases-cdc-report-finds/3463549001/

So, yes, it would be great if schools could open safely. It would be great if we could have this element of normalcy.

But we can't even get adults -- and adults on school boards -- to commit to wearing masks, and/or to not call Covid the "China virus".

We can't get schools, school boards, and policymakers to commit to making schools places free of racist discipline, exclusionary tactics, places where LGBTQ youth are tormented - so can we stop pretending that schools being forced to reopen won't have these pre-existing issues?

We can't get schools, school boards, and policymakers to commit to respecting students and not using surveillance tech against students (and hey, teachers - just know that this tech can be used to surveil you as well!) - yet the solution to a pandemic is to "open the schools."

And with all that said, it would -- truly -- be great to get schools open.

Let's open schools safely -- by correcting the pre-existing problems that plagued learners *before* the pandemic.

Let's open schools safely by making sure that every school is staffed with health professionals, librarians, counselors, and small class sizes.

Let's open schools safely by getting gun control laws in place, so that kids can go to school without a gnawing fear that today is the day they will be shot while trying to learn.

Let's open schools safely by getting cops out of schools.

But if your main argument for opening schools safely is that we don't really know if kids and teachers being in schools makes them more likely to die or have lifelong health issues from a virus we still don't understand?

You're not credible.