I know it doesn't solve all your issues but I've heard that some teachers are using a small speaker/microphone combo that hangs around your neck. Something like this is what teachers are using to breach the volume issues.
Okay so this book I really enjoyed (The Science of Fear) talks about how we make WAY more decisions with our "gut" than our "brain", despite the fact that we THINK we're making logical, informed choices.
"Gut" is based on emotion, immediate social proof, etc. It's not conscious thought, it's just a feeling.. but it leads our choices WAY more than we think. (this applies to EVERYone to some degree or another)
"Thanksgiving FEELS good. It's a HAPPY FAMILY time. How could it be bad??? No one ever DIED from Thanksgiving." ...That's gut, whispering to the subconcious.
Normally, making choices based on "gut" is a totally normal and fine thing to do. It's how we parse through the incredible amounts of information our minds have to process each day.
The problem is that too many people stop at "gut".
It's like how a lot of teens do dumb things like driving 120mph on a deadly turn. Fast is fun, and the danger is abstract.
...but some adults never developed the ability to override "gut" with "brain"- the part that actively pays attention to data outside our own personal scope of experience.
So it really is as simple as "Thanksgiving good."
You all should see my nextdoor.com "neighborhood," and I'm in a reasonably liberal Detroit suburb. You've got the people who understand, and the people who are rabid, screaming cult members, and for some reason they try to persuade one another. There is no persuasion at this point. You recognize the clear, obvious truth, or you don't. No one is going to come around to the other side based on factual argument, because if they cared about facts they'd be there already.
Alright... what if I get this and pass out bags of candy... :(
KN95. I make no promises, but I've bought that brand on amazon since Dec 2020. Different orders at different times, and nothing sketchy like different packaging or change in the appearance between orders. A few people I gave them to liked them and ordered their own, no issues on their end either.
If you have a laptop that is old but not ridiculously old, you can probably turn it into a passable or better Chromebook for free with Neverware Cloudready. Requires some light IT work to prep a USB installer. Great option for very elementary age kids.