Editor’s Note: The footnotes containing relevant citations for this article can be found at the end of the article.

I, like others, have gone through many other channels trying to get my voice heard. Medical professionals, other concerned parents, teachers and staff members, and public health officials have all told me that they have given up trying: No one is listening, and nothing will make a difference. I have a Ph.D. in Immunology from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and as a professional in the field, a member of the community, and a parent of young children in the schools I feel obligated to speak out publicly and say that we, as a community, must do better.