John Stossel is a legendary journalist that now works for a libertarian magazine called Reason. Stossel worked for ABC’s 2020 for many years before transitioning to Fox Business. Many of his books and videos have a libertarian focus.
Teachers unions claim Covid makes schools too dangerous for teachers. That may be true for elderly teachers, but overall, reopening schools is safe. “If we look around the world, 191 countries, there is no consistent link between reopening schools and increased rates of Covid transmission,” Heritage Education researcher Lindsey Burke points out. Schools are rarely Covid hotspots. “But it’s logical that they would be,” I push back. “The kids are bunched together!” Burke responds: positivity rates in schools are generally below those in the broader community.” Studies on tens of thousands of people in the United States do find that closing schools made no difference as far as Covid. Closed schools hurt students, especially poorer kids, because they can’t afford the alternatives available to the privileged. California closed government-run schools, while governor Gavin Newsom sent his kids to a private school that’s open. Why do unions support closures that hurt students, and won’t make people safer? It’s about money and power. In Oregon, the state teachers union even blocked students from transferring to virtual charters — schools that pose no Covid risk. We asked the Oregon Education Association — and twenty other unions — to respond to these criticisms. None would. The unions are winning. Nice for them, but it’s a big loss for students, parents, and taxpayers.
