[burger]

I said upthread somewhere that I didn't think teachers would voluntarily come back to classes in the fall.  I stumbled on this article which reported some polling numbers for teachers:

About 20% of teachers said they aren’t likely to return to teaching if schools reopen in the fall, according to a USA Today/Ipsos poll conducted in late May. EdWeek Research Center surveys conducted around the same time found that more than 10% of teachers are more likely to leave the profession now than they were before the pandemic, and 65% of educators said they want school buildings to remain closed to slow the spread of the virus.

A program where teachers' being present in classrooms is voluntary is doomed to fail if there aren't enough teachers to go around.  Class sizes are going to have to be smaller than previously to allow for distancing (and let's not even discuss how unlikely it is that young kids will stay 6' away from their classmates or teachers).

Like I said above, we should be investing money now in doing online education better.  Instead, just like with the general covid response, we're doing...nothing. 

Meanwhile, even just opening everything up is going to be unaffordable for all the states experiencing massive declines in tax revenue:

Without a boost in state or federal funding, many school districts might not have the resources they need. An analysis by the American Federation of Teachers estimated that the average school will need an extra $1.2 million, or $2,300 per student, to reopen safely. An analysis by the School Superintendents Association estimated it would cost less, but still nearly $2 million for the average school district to buy enough hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and masks and to hire more custodial staff and nurses or aides to check temperatures regularly.

[burger]

I said upthread somewhere that I didn't think teachers would voluntarily come back to classes in the fall.  I stumbled on this article which reported some polling numbers for teachers:

About 20% of teachers said they aren’t likely to return to teaching if schools reopen in the fall, according to a USA Today/Ipsos poll conducted in late May. EdWeek Research Center surveys conducted around the same time found that more than 10% of teachers are more likely to leave the profession now than they were before the pandemic, and 65% of educators said they want school buildings to remain closed to slow the spread of the virus.

A program where teachers' being present in classrooms is voluntary is doomed to fail if there aren't enough teachers to go around.  Class sizes are going to have to be smaller than previously to allow for distancing (and let's not even discuss how unlikely it is that young kids will stay 6' away from their classmates or teachers).

Like I said above, we should be investing money now in doing online education better.  Instead, just like with the general covid response, we're doing...nothing. 

Meanwhile, even just opening everything up is going to be unaffordable for all the states experiencing massive declines in tax revenue:

Without a boost in state or federal funding, many school districts might not have the resources they need. An analysis by the American Federation of Teachers estimated that the average school will need an extra $1.2 million, or $2,300 per student, to reopen safely. An analysis by the School Superintendents Association estimated it would cost less, but still nearly $2 million for the average school district to buy enough hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and masks and to hire more custodial staff and nurses or aides to check temperatures regularly.