Reexamining the Data on COVID-19 Case Rates for in-Person Teachers and School Staff

As a scientist, the spouse of a former K–12 educator, and a parent of two young children, I have closely followed the debate over whether children in America should attend in-person schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. My interest in this topic piqued when a neighbor shared with me the Rockefeller Foundation’s recent plan for school reopening. This plan claimed that in-person schooling could resume as early as February 1st with no additional risk of COVID-19 spread both for students as well as school teachers and staff, if schools implement mitigation procedures, including testing and mask wearing. …