PBC school campuses will remain closed to students

[genxlib]

Despite the foot stomping demands coming from Tallahassee and DC, our local County isn't having it.

Students in Palm Beach County public schools will continue learning from home when classes resume next month after school board members concluded Wednesday the risks of reopening classrooms were too great.

Under increasing pressure from teachers and local health experts, the seven board members unanimously agreed to keep classes online-only for the district’s 174,000 students until the coronavirus pandemic improves.

“We’re truly not ready,” board member Marcia Andrews said. “We’re not ready from a health standpoint. And we’re not ready from a planning standpoint.”

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20200708/pbc-school-campuses-will-remain-closed-to-students-board-members-decide

This is an awful situation all around. Every option sucks. But the option that maintains safety is the right one for now.

If only we had the leadership and community support to keep the cases in check, there would have been a way. But we are here because of a fundamental lack of leadership and the behavior of a bunch of idiots.

One interesting side note in the article is that Teachers will be encouraged to do the online learning from the classroom even if the kids aren't there. I think that could be helpful to keep at least a modicum of normalcy.

[Mike 03]

1. "online learning from the classroom"

That's a good idea, so long as it's safe. That would give the online classes a "Great Courses" (Teaching Company) feel, which is one of the coolest things about the Great Courses. In some of those courses you get the idea that there are actually other students in the classroom and it makes a difference psychologically IMO.

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. As a fifth grade teacher in a WaPo editorial said...

We cannot get this “right.” We can only get it less wrong.

Bravo to PBC. Now let's see what the morons in Brevard County have to say.

[usaf-vet]

9. The best comment I heard about this is a nationwide one. Why is it UNSAFE for Flynn, Manafort....

... and Roger Stone (all Trump buddies) to be in a crowded jail because of CoVid -19 but it is alright to send millions of kids back into crowded environments while the pandemic is still raging.

[global1]

3. Am I Wrong To Assume That Palm Beach County Is An Affluent County In Florida?.....

If so - and the affluent people aren't willing to send their kids back to school - why should any one send their kids back into schools while we're still dealing with this pandemic?

[Just_Vote_Dem]

4. I live in Palm Beach County

There are definitely affluent areas-Palm Beach, Wellington, Boca Raton-but there are many middle-class and below areas (for people like me. heh) It's a great ruling and it will help affluent and poor children alike.

[global1]

6. I'm All For This Ruling And Like You Say It Will Benefit Both Affluent & Poor Children.....

That's good.

What bothers me is that we've experienced 'Do As I Say - Not Do As I Do' during this crisis.

What I was concerned about is that this decision in PBC was made to protect the children of the affluent.

Just like Trump is protecting himself in the WH with daily testing and temp checks - but he won't recommend the same for all the rest of the masses.

You may have guessed - I'm not for re-opening schools right now.

What struck me when I read this OP was that it was coming out of PBC - which I associate with the more affluent population. I associate PBC with both Mar-A-Lago and Rush that are in PBC.

I abhor the hypocrisy we encounter on a daily basis. Hence - my post.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

8. I understand where you're coming from

But at this point I will take a win wherever I can get it.

And I appreciate your post

[genxlib]

10. It isn't really as high end as Palm Beach makes it sound

That one small barrier island with Trump and Rush properties really skews the reputation of the County.

It is really rather average overall

Households in Palm Beach County, FL have a median annual income of $61,691, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States

https://datausa.io/profile/geo/palm-beach-county-fl

[genxlib]

5. Like many places

It has a mix.

There are some truly rarefied areas like Palm Beach where Mar a Lago is

But there are some impoverished sections as well. Not the worse areas that you would see but still challenged.

We live in Boca Raton which is relatively high end but has a pretty broad Upper Middle Class. Our public school is top notch but was over crowded even pre-covid. They even had to go to staggered lunch periods last year to even manage all the kids. It is simply an impossible task to do it with social distancing added.

It is a Blue area so that may have more to do with it than wealth. But we also have some Red Streaks like Alan West. That viral video of idiots complaining about a mask ordinance a few weeks ago was in Palm Beach County for context.

If I had to put "reasons on it, I would put affluence third behind being Democratically led and logistical practicality.

[Thekaspervote]

7. Thank heavens!! Hope other districts around the country will follow suit

[calimary]

12. If my kids were still school age, that's how I'd feel, too.

I’m just grateful they’re all grown up and beyond this. And they’re old enough to see and understand for themselves what a hideous blight on America he is.

[wnylib]

11. Cuomo says that Trump does not

have the authority to otder the schools to open and that noblody should let themselves be bullied by him.

So NY public school districts need .need to turn in their plans for reopening, whether in person, online, or a combination by the end of July. In August he will make a decision based on those plans and the health situation at the time, not on anything that Trump tries to order.