Re: “A handful of Washington schools are rapid-testing staff and students for COVID-19. Is it working?” [Feb. 8, Education Lab] and “A lost generation of learners” [Feb. 2, Opinion]:
As a public high school teacher, I will sprint back to my beloved classroom the minute we have enough clear data that shows a tolerable risk to myself, my family, my colleagues and my community. How many cases of COVID-19 have been contracted from in-person schooling in our state this year? Where is the data? It was not in Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s recent presentation. It does not appear on the state’s Department of Health web page. It was not in the editorial. Our public policy must show grounding in facts.
Educators have sounded the alarm for years about the dire problems the outbreak now amplifies. I am reading more and more heartbreaking accounts from families in my district for whom remote learning is excruciating. Even before COVID-19, too many districts were unable to provide equitable access to school resources, technology or mental-health services. Let the outcome of this ordeal be reinvigorated public support to fully address these crises. When solving a problem, we ask students to show their work to ensure they aren’t just guessing at a solution. It’s time for our state to show their work so I can return to my computer lab, where I belong.
Paul Mulvaney, Bothell
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