Popular Information - How to keep kids in school
Welcome to Popular Information, a newsletter about politics and power — written by me, Judd Legum. Across the country, children are returning to school. For some kids, it's the first time they will be back in the classroom full-time since the pandemic began in March 2020. It's the responsibility of adults to make sure they can be in the classroom and stay safe. Virtual learning is not an acceptable substitute for classroom instruction. According to a McKinsey study, virtual instruction in Spring 2020 left the average student "three months behind where we would expect them to be in mathematics" and "a month and a half behind" in reading. There were improvements in virtual instruction beginning in the Fall 2020, but McKinsey estimates, by the end of the 2020-21 academic year the average student cumulatively lost "five to nine months of learning." Moreover, there is evidence that virtual instruction "compound[s] racial disparities in learning and achievement" because students of color experienced above-average learning loss. This is partially due to the fact that students of color are less likely to have access to the internet or devices necessary to fully participate in virtual classes. The negative impact of virtual learning goes beyond academic achievement. Many students suffered "emotionally, mentally and even physically from so many hours, often alone, in front of a computer screen." While vaccines are not yet available for kids under 12, kids can safely return to the classroom by wearing masks. There is data to prove it. Researchers studied 864,515 K-12 students in North Carolina who attended in-person school, while wearing masks, from March 2021 through June 2021. According to the study, a total of 6,484 students were infected with COVID-19 in the community. But there were just 308 cases of "secondary" infections — students who contracted COVID-19 from another student at school. Guidelines required anyone potentially exposed to the infected students to quarantine but ultimately only 1% of quarantined students tested positive. There were similar findings about the efficacy of masking in Utah, Missouri, and Wisconsin. If students wear masks, it may not be necessary for them to social distance from other students or teachers. The North Carolina researchers found "no difference between schools requiring greater than 3 feet of distance between students compared to those requiring less than 3 feet." In the absence of masking, the Delta variant spreads rapidly among kids. In Houston, for example, "health officials reported more than 130 youths and adults tested positive for the virus in cases connected to a church camp." Large outbreaks at schools could force them to close entirely for weeks and force students, again, to learn virtually. The research is consistent with the advice of the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP "strongly recommends in-person learning" for the 2021-22 school year and advises that "everyone older than age 2 wear masks, regardless of vaccination status." The group adds that "children are at higher risk of suffering mental health issues and developmental setbacks if they miss out on in-school learning." Yet, in Florida and Texas, governors are putting kids at risk by banning school boards from requiring masks. DeSantis disempowers parentsIn Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis (R) claims he is banning school boards from instituting mask mandates because he wants to empower parents:
But DeSantis' argument is bunk. If schools don't have a uniform policy to require masks, no student can be required to wear a mask, regardless of what parents decide. Teachers are not equipped to enforce different policies for different students within the same class. So students will make their own decisions. And students who are maskless don't just endanger themselves but put their classmates at greater risk of infection. A strong majority of parents, however, want a mask requirement in school. A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found 63% of "all parents of children who attend school think their child’s school should require unvaccinated students and staff to wear masks at school." These parents are being disempowered by DeSantis. DeSantis' order banning mask requirements in schools also includes misinformation about masks. The order claims, without evidence, that "forcing children to wear masks could inhibit breathing [and] lead to the collection of dangerous impurities including bacteria, parasites, fungi, and other contaminants." Despite DeSantis' order, school officials in Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Orange and Palm Beach counties have announced mask mandates for all students. In response, DeSantis has threatened to withhold the salaries of the officials responsible for the decision. "[Y]ou can't put a price tag on someone's life, including my salary," Leon County Superintendent Rocky Hanna said. A group of Florida parents has sued DeSantis, alleging that his order puts their children at risk. COVID can be serious, even for kidsChildren are not as vulnerable to COVID-19 as the elderly. And, in many children, infections can be mild. But, as the Delta variant increases the rate of infections among kids, "children’s hospitals are seeing a spike in medical care needs among the young patients." Before schools opened in Florida, the state already had "the second-highest number of children hospitalized for the treatment of COVID-19 in the nation." In late July, "an average of 1,540 Florida children under 12" were testing positive each day for COVID. That represented a "600% increase over the same time a month earlier." As cases increase, pediatricians are reporting an "alarming rise in children being hospitalized." Last week, there were "157 pediatric inpatients at Florida hospitals with a confirmed case of COVID-19." The only state with more children hospitalized with COVID is Texas, where Governor Greg Abbott (R) has also issued an order banning mask mandates. At Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston alone there are "approximately 45 COVID-19 pediatric hospitalizations." Several Texas counties have secured injunctions against Abbott's order, allowing them to impose mask mandates in schools, for now. Too often, the media treats the news as a game. It's about who is up and who is down — who is winning and who is losing. Popular Information takes a different approach. We believe journalism should focus on people. We believe that at its best, journalism can have a positive impact on people's lives by holding the powerful accountable. Our reporting has helped secure guaranteed sick leave for 170,000 restaurant workers, improved conditions for cable technicians, and pressured large corporations to cut off donations to members of Congress who voted to overturn the election. You can support this work — and help us do more of it — by becoming a paid subscriber. If the cost of this newsletter ($6/month or $50/year) would create any kind of financial strain, I hope you stay on this free list. We've eliminated the paywall for the duration of the pandemic. But, if you can afford it, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. |
Older messages
Texas Governor focuses on denying workers paid sick leave
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
The Delta variant is ravaging Texas. "9027 Texans are hospitalized for the coronavirus" — nearing the prior peaks of July 2020 and January 2021. Worse, "hospitalizations are increasing
Proof that change is possible
Monday, August 9, 2021
(Photo by: Don and Melinda Crawford/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) A core premise of Popular Information is that equipping people with information can empower them to create meaningful
GM said it was a champion for voting rights, sent 125K to GOP group pushing voter suppression
Thursday, August 5, 2021
On April 6, General Motors CEO Mary Barra wrote on LinkedIn that the "right to vote in a fair, free, and equitable manner is the most precious element of #democracy." Barra then expounded at
These corporations just donated to a Republican group that helped create the January 6 mob
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the US Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images) "The march to save America is tomorrow in Washington DC… At 1:00 pm, we will
The eviction blame game
Tuesday, August 3, 2021
During the course of the pandemic, members of Congress and the executive branch have been able to put aside their differences to quietly provide virtually unlimited support for corporations. A little-
You Might Also Like
☕ I can see it now
Friday, March 29, 2024
Is video the next AI frontier? March 29, 2024 Tech Brew PRESENTED BY Infinity Fuel It's Friday. Today we've rounded up AI news from the extended Brewniverse: Tech Brew's Patrick Kulp kicks
The Police Have A Dark Money Slush Fund
Friday, March 29, 2024
Corporate interests are funneling far more money to law enforcement than previously known — often with scant oversight. Police are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars a year in secret funding
A very bad year for press freedom
Friday, March 29, 2024
Plus: Beyoncé's new album, Netanyahu's new crisis, and more. March 29, 2024 View in browser Good morning! I'm back, here to dig into a topic close to my heart. —Caroline Houck, senior
Numlock News: March 29, 2024 • Trading Cards, Kite Fights, Breadfruit
Friday, March 29, 2024
By Walt Hickey Have a great weekend! Kite Fighting A popular competitive sport in Brazil is kite fighting, where competitors try to cut down their opponents kites while avoiding getting their own kite
☕️ Floppy-haired fraudster
Friday, March 29, 2024
SBF is sentenced to 25 years... March 29, 2024 View Online | Sign Up | Shop Morning Brew PRESENTED BY Impact.com Good morning. Today marks one year since Evan Gershkovich, a 32-year-old American Wall
AI hallucinates software packages and devs download them – even if potentially poisoned with malware [Fri Mar 29 2024]
Friday, March 29, 2024
Hi The Register Subscriber | Log in The Register {* Daily Headlines *} 29 March 2024 Illustration of someone in a hoodie looking at a bench with a cloud over it AI hallucinates software packages and
What A Day: Clown by law
Friday, March 29, 2024
Trump's lawyers are having another rough one. And the mainstream media could learn a lesson from the legal world about handling corruption. Thursday, March 28, 2024 BY CROOKED MEDIA —Steve Bannon,
🌶️ Is it getting hot in here?
Friday, March 29, 2024
Introducing our theme for April plus fun stuff to read, watch, and click on. March 28, 2024 Open in new tab Did a friend forward this? Subscribe today! April's Theme is SPICY It was chosen by our
What 58 Famous People Smell Like
Friday, March 29, 2024
Here's what you missed on the Strategist. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. What
Trump Would Need New Tactics to Steal the 2024 Election
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Columns and commentary on news, politics, business, and technology from the Intelligencer team. Intelligencer early and often Trump Would Need New Tactics to Steal the 2024 Election Many avenues Trump