Prompt Cast
Emily Oster's Data-Driven Approach to School Reopenings
TLDR Emily Oster used data collection and analysis to provide a framework for parents and policymakers to make informed decisions about reopening schools during the pandemic, highlighting that elementary schools may not be major sources of COVID-19 outbreaks.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Emily Oster used her newsletter to gather data and help parents make decisions during the uncertainty of the pandemic.
02:33
Emily Oster provides a five-step framework for making hard decisions, starting with framing the question and considering the trade-offs involved.
05:08
Step two involves mitigating risk by considering how to make the options as low risk as possible.
07:23
Emily Oster launched a project to collect data on the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools and daycare centers through simple Google forms in her newsletter.
10:00
Emily Oster collected data on COVID-19 transmission in schools and daycare centers, leading to the creation of a dashboard with infection rates for in-person students.
12:36
Preliminary data suggests that schools, especially elementary schools, are not major sources of COVID-19 outbreaks, indicating that the benefits of reopening schools may outweigh the risks in many places.
15:16
Decisions about reopening schools involve weighing the risks of COVID-19 against the negative impacts of remote learning on children, with some cities implementing evidence-based policies tied to positive test rates.
