What would be a reasonable approach to classroom teaching in the fall?

[Stockmann]

For comparison, here in Shitty Location, at Unrelenting Toddler's school they've had 0.8% Covid rates (kids + adults), and the claim is that transmission didn't happen in school. This even though none of the kids are vaccinated and toddlers aren't exactly famous for their strict adherence to hygiene and social distancing protocols. Plus, vaccines have been available to adults here for much less longer than in the US (overall vaccination rates here are lower than the overall US rate) and many folks got relatively low efficacy vaccines. The school has managed to keep cases low overall not because Dumbledore cast an anti-Covid spell but with common-sense measures like ventilation, masks, taking everyone's temperature, limiting kids in different groups mingling, etc. If it can be done with toddlers, it could theoretically be done with adults.

Toddlers are tougher in some ways, but much easier in others. Keeping toddlers in one group all day at daycare is mostly a logistical and staffing problem. That's because the toddlers don't get a say in it. Adults generally want autonomy. Some small schools did put students in small residence hall pods to limit exposures last year, but that's a pretty drastic measure.

True, but everything other than keeping them in a group all day could be implemented with adults, plus a vaccine mandate. Even here at Shitty Location, my employer could more or less implement a vaccine mandate if President WetNoodleSpine et al. chose to do so.

[Caracal]

For comparison, here in Shitty Location, at Unrelenting Toddler's school they've had 0.8% Covid rates (kids + adults), and the claim is that transmission didn't happen in school. This even though none of the kids are vaccinated and toddlers aren't exactly famous for their strict adherence to hygiene and social distancing protocols. Plus, vaccines have been available to adults here for much less longer than in the US (overall vaccination rates here are lower than the overall US rate) and many folks got relatively low efficacy vaccines. The school has managed to keep cases low overall not because Dumbledore cast an anti-Covid spell but with common-sense measures like ventilation, masks, taking everyone's temperature, limiting kids in different groups mingling, etc. If it can be done with toddlers, it could theoretically be done with adults.

Toddlers are tougher in some ways, but much easier in others. Keeping toddlers in one group all day at daycare is mostly a logistical and staffing problem. That's because the toddlers don't get a say in it. Adults generally want autonomy. Some small schools did put students in small residence hall pods to limit exposures last year, but that's a pretty drastic measure.

True, but everything other than keeping them in a group all day could be implemented with adults, plus a vaccine mandate. Even here at Shitty Location, my employer could more or less implement a vaccine mandate if President WetNoodleSpine et al. chose to do so.

Yeah, that's true. I'm often grumpy at the students who wear their masks wrong or take them off constantly to drink water, but we have a mask mandate and the vast majority of students comply to the letter and spirit of it.

I haven't really seen any reports of clusters linked to college classes. I would have expected to see some, at least at places without mask mandates. Obviously, some of that is down to masks, but I wonder if there are other factors making college classes lower risk than other sorts of indoor gatherings.