Schools Can Open If.....

In the middle of a nationally uncontrolled pandemic, the clamor to open schools has entered the realm of politics. A disgraced CDC and it's feckless director can no longer be believed. If you really want schools to open it can happen if:

-Classroom spaces with real 8 ft. distance on all sides are provided.

-Student schedules are put in place with minimal to no movement from class to class occuring. This means bring back tracking...sorry education gurus.

-New high tech desks with plastic see through all around inserts and disinfectant wipes,, tissues, gloves and masks supplied and replenished within built in compartments.

-Triple Custodial and Nursing positions to provide twice an hour cleaning and to reach testing protocols.

-One full day school cleaning meaning all remote at least one day a week.

-PPE provided to all staff daily along with twice weekly Covid tests for students and staff.

-Elimination of close contact activities and classes or complete revision of affected curriculum to provide social distance learning with Chorus. band, theatre, Physical Ed. etc

-Remodeling of staff break areas to insure social distance and hygiene guidelines, toilets, refrigerators etc can be to the highest health standards.

-Prepacked lunches for students distributed with social distance and mask standards in place.

-Eliminate assemblies and replace with high tech school zoom/communication systems in place.

-No class trips

This is a start but the costs will never be funded. I guess you are on your own. Remember that we love our students and staff. Health first. Where are you Americans for Reason and Truth?

The Right Way To Open School

I wouldn't ask a florist to perform heart surgery nor a carpenter to be my wedding planner. Training and expertise matter. I therefore would not ask a politician to decide on reopening school unless they were a former teacher or school expert with something credible to say. We should not be surprised that the least competent Secretary of Education and anti public school advocate in history and the demonic idiot she serves are putting students, parents and staff in the middle of a political war during a raging health crisis without regard for their health. We must hope that the thousands of smart minds running public school systems can ignore the noise, the threats, the inaccuracies and the bluster and plan for a safe reopening of school. We cannot look for a one size fits all approach. The reopening plans should run the gamut from a hybrid of remote/in class to a full reopen to full remote. It depends on how you merge the realities of the spreading virus with the essential public health requirements, building capacities and financial flexibility of each district. All 13000 school districts are planning for the new school year but must reflect on their geography, their infrastructure and their local realities. It's easy to create another us vs. them war...those who want to open school and those against it. That is a false and totally dangerous narrative. It's only used by trump to stoke more hatred and division. It won't work. I am a retired educator and Board of Ed member so this issue is near and dear to me. I know that the expertise, professionalism and common sense of the vast majority of educators is up to the task. Knee jerk reactions and political interference will not work. Let the educators and public health officials do their jobs. The rest should just go under a tree and read a book.

Where are you Americans For Reason and Truth?

Mass(k) Confusion.

Let's say you are a MAGA hat wearing supporter of the President. He has told you masks are not manly, they show weakness and the virus has only affected15 people going to zero. Then it was that the virus is only for the old. Then it was it won't kill more than 75000. Then it was, we have to open, the virus will just go away. Then it was the Governor's are handling it great. Then it was Dr. Fauci makes a lot of mistakes. You've bought into it all. You've listened and reacted hook, line and sinker. You worship him. Now yesterday, he wore a mask. Are you confused? Are you less of a man? 

Where are you Americans for Reason and Truth?

trump Math

Math is useful whether you like the subject or not. Numbers do not lie. trump has the support of 40 percent of likely voters. This group is 53 percent men 94 percent who are white. 73 percent are non college grads. 47 percent are women 92 percent who are white and 68 percent non college. These numbers have been gathered from a selection of polls and may not be completely representative of real numbers. That leaves the rest of us. If you do the math, it looks like he is a goner. So how does trump math work? Restrain mail in ballots to reduce the educated participation. Pass draconian voter ID laws in red states to suppress minority votes. Scare suburban white women about Antifa kidnappers coming for their kids so they stay inside on election day. Lie about Covid 19 death numbers calling the lost lives fake corpses and use the three fifths compromise to only count 60 percent of the black vote claiming that one man one vote is not real getting AG Barr to issue such an advisory. It just may work.

Where are you Americans for Reason and Truth?

The Old Playbook

In 1987 George Herbert Walker Bush was down in the polls against Massachusetts liberal Michael Dukakis. He dusted off the old Nixon playbook, the Southern strategy and his race baiting Willie Horton ad turned the tables. Be afraid of mean looking black rapists released from jail. It worked. He went on to be our President. In 2020, we again are seeing and experiencing the remnants of racism in this country. This time the incumbent, down in the polls is going full on hate. Good Nazis, heroic Confederate traitors, left wing Antifa, encouraging police roughness, extremist lefties aligned with Pantheresque dark people. The same old playbook. If you don't want it to work again, you better vote. Where are you Americans for Reason and Truth?