This article suggest labeling schools as essential services, but not the type of essential service that open when virus is raging. Which could easily lead to confusion since that& #39;s not how we& #39;ve been defining essential services. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms2024920?query=featured_home">https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/...

I wish this article was reframed as "steps the US needs to take to safely reopen schools by Oct." That& #39;s more reflective of their message than "schools are essential services" framing.

Also, the authors never states who the comparison group is. What are we comparing in-person school to? Crisis school of the spring? Traditionally homeschooled children? Homeschool clusters? Pandemic pods? This article forces a false dichotomy by not expressing a reference group.

my last thought... maybe... is that articles like this take a "all In-person schools are the same" approach. Schools vary widely across this country. Therefore our recommendations for schools reopening can not be one size fits all approach.