Schools were closed in 1918 when an influenza shook America to the core. It had nothing to do with teachers' lobbying. 

Unlike today, in 1918 teachers were eager to see their students back to school once the influenza began to taper off. It is worth mentioning that they did not have much collective bargaining power then. Even if they did, they could not bring themselves to use education as a bargaining chip. By the way, they were by no means well-paid.

In San Francisco, California, teachers took no joy in school closures twelve years after the 1906 earthquake. They took pride, though, in visiting and tutoring their students, circumstances permitting. Otherwise, they volunteered as nurses, caretakers, telephone operators, you name it. They reached out to the needy. They were their students' shining examples. Here, I have to add that San Franciscans, in general, had learned how to self-help during the earthquake.

Any teacher who keeps students out of school for no good reason should quit.

Author: Lingyang Jiang