School PPE Stockpiles: An Obvious Move for PPE Shortages

*Edit: Reddit has reminded me that many teachers do not work in circumstances within the larger US public system where things like what I describe below are structures and resources that actually exist. If you feel that you are part of that group after reading, I get it, and in my opinion, your school system is lucky to have you. Stay safe and be well.*

My sister is a nurse in West Palm Beach. She indicates that PPE is growing quite scarce. A dear friend told me that they went to their (shuttered) school to take goggles and gloves to give to a local medical facility that needed them. Which is an amazingly thoughtful act, and also got me to thinking:

Why aren't all schools (that can) doing this?

My initial contacts to my US connections about the idea suggest that most schools aren't doing it because they just didn't think of it. So let's help them think of it.

If you are a teacher, contact your administrators with the suggestion. If you are an administrator, see what you need to do to bless this initiative. And if you are an American, contact your local, state, and federal representatives to see about getting them to direct this to happen.

Many school science and tech labs are filled with a huge number of gloves, safety goggles and rubber aprons that is not going to be used by students or teachers anytime soon. This equipment should not be allowed to collect dust in the middle of a pandemic.

One thing that is particularly hard about the current situation is that it often feels like there is not much we can do to help. This is an easy thing that every American reading this can work to make happen immediately. Even if you aren't a science teacher, call your local government officials to get them to understand they may well have a resource available that they haven't considered.