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Saturday, January 9, 2021

John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution? | Diane Ravitch's blog

John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution? | Diane Ravitch's blog
John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution?



John Thompson, historian and retired teacher in Oklahoma, has a beef with “experts” and pundits who criticized teachers and teachers’ unions for refusing to reopen schools when it was not safe and uncertainty was the rule.

He writes:

The Guardian reports, “Los Angeles is becoming the center of America’s out-of-control coronavirus pandemic in these final days before the new year.” Its “meteoric rise in infections is crushing the healthcare system.” Hospitals have set up triage tents, and “doctors will have to make agonizing choices to ration care.”

Reports about L.A.’s “horrific” super-surge stand in stark contrast to the commentaries of a month ago. On November 20, when it should have been obvious that Thanksgiving was coming and would start a series of “surge on surge” spreads, Alexander Russo continued to compile journalism that attacked teachers for excessive caution in reopening for in-person education, and to urge CONTINUE READING: John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution? | Diane Ravitch's blog