Lessons from the 1918 Flu Pandemic, When Many Schools Closed

History. Do with it what you will, but I hope that what you will to do is wise.

Diane Ravitch's blog

I was recently contacted by a journalist who asked me if there was any precedent for the current school closings in response to a health crisis.

My first impulse was to say no, based on my knowledge of history, but I started googling before responding.

I googled school closings and 1918 flu epidemic and found this excellent article by Alexandra M. Stern, Marin S. Cetron, and Howard Markel,...