The anti-science decision to lock down schools during COVID, along with other political choices, have broken education in more ways than one.

Much has been written about students who have become chronically absent since the pandemic led some politicians to tell them schools weren’t important enough to remain open. But there has also been an increase in teachers missing school days using their sick days. Nearly 15% of teachers were absent in a given week in Michigan last school year, up from 10% in 2019. One in five public school teachers in New York City missed 11 days or more last school year.