I am increasingly frustrated by the refusal to allow children to return to school as normal. There is zero evidence that there is any significant risk to children, teachers or parents from doing so. And there is ample evidence of enormous damage done to children by not allowing them to have a typical educational and social experience. Especially for low-income and minority children, the educational consequences are devastating. Many simply check out. The burden on working parents is enormous, causing family disruption and financial hardship. This study, from Wisconsin, shows what we are doing to children’s mental health. (Wis. Survey) In a survey of over 3200 adolescent athletes regarding the emotional effect of school and athletic shutdowns, 65% reported anxiety symptoms and 68% depression symptoms with significant minorities saying those symptoms were severe. Physical activity declined, overall well-being perception declined, quality of life declined.
Teachers unions are behaving disgracefully, showing no regard for the welfare of the students they are supposed to be educating. And as an epidemiologist from England, who is on the committee advising the government on coronavirus, notes, there is no evidence of even one case of transmission of coronavirus from a student to a teacher. (Times Story) Yet our gutless politicians and cowardly school boards refuse to acknowledge the science and the data and let children have the education experience they deserve.
So here is my question for the teachers’ unions–how many children have to commit suicide, die of drug or alcohol overdoses, become addicted to drugs or alcohols, suffer serious mental illnesses, endure child abuse at home, become isolated and lonely, and have the quality of their lives ruined forever because of lost educational opportunity before you come to your senses? Parents should be permitted to sue the teachers’ unions for damages caused to their children. This is simply bullsh*t at this point. It is simply unspeakably horrific what we are doing to our children.
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at 
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Teacher unions have been corrupt for decades and decades. They finance “their people” to run for school boards; usually we have one or two who represent the parents & teachers.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1593038.NEA
Follow the money.
If Minnesota goes to a blended model, with preparation for both in-person and online training, they will need to hire more staff. More IT specialists, more internet and wi-fi technicians, more video and audio people, more people distributing and repairing iPads, more people ordering technology and managing inventory, more people on help-lines, and more administrators. Bigger budgets, more spillage, but most importantly, more members of Education Minnesota, and more union dues being paid. Wonderful news for union leadership, large merit pay increases for those at the top. Maybe even some bonuses. And more campaign money later for the politicians that supported them (including many former teachers) and continued protection of their franchise. Everyone wins.
Except the students.