Well, this Pandemic is wreaking havoc on everyone and everything and it's not about to go away anytime soon. It's been a year now since we've been living with these lockdowns, masks, hand-washing, social distancing, the conflicting politicization and the search for the vaccine shot.
So, what about the Kids with this on and off in-person and remote schedule with no apparent logic or timetable and when are we going to get them Back in the Classroom?
Seems to me that there's a bunch of reasons why we don't seem to have a cogent, logical and effective short-term and long-term plan to get back in the classrooms. Let's be honest, there's no way that this virus won't be around for the rest of this calendar year and we need to have a plan that gets the Kids back in the Classroom as soon as we can.
So, here's what I see as the issues preventing us from getting the Kids back in the Classroom:
The inept leadership of Jerry 'Referen-Dumb' Shi, aka Mr. Shi-shed who spends more time with politicizing the Board of Ed with his Dem-party friends and getting his majority so he can continue being the Biggest Detriment to the 2021 School Year. In my opinion, a track record that has zero credibility and lacks any trustworthiness.
The rest of the Board needs to Step-up and not allow him to rule just because he has 5 votes. Like the twice defeated School Bond Referendum, this stuff is too important to leave in his hands alone.
The giant elephant in the room - Overcrowding. Mr. Shi-shed wasted two years and failed to properly address the problem. Seems his failure just seriously exacerbates the Pandemic solution and they ignore it as if it weren't a problem.
The lack of communication with all the stakeholders. Seems Dr. Bragen has a plan, the Board has a plan, the Unions have a plan, the Parents have a plan yet nobody seems to be working with each other to come up with a plan that works for everybody.
Getting the vaccine shot now seems to be a political weapon. Do the teachers return only if they get vaccinated or not. Let's not make that a reason for a stalemate. Have the conversation with all the stakeholders and come up with a plan.
CDC guidelines can be followed with a little effort and money so don't think it should be used as for or against getting the Kids back in the Classroom. Safety is always a priority and we can properly address it if everyone comes together.
The shortage of staff being unfairly labeled as the reason we can't get the Kids back in the Classroom. Don't buy into that since you first need a plan to determine what the needs are.
Everybody has got to Stop trying to cover their own rear-ends and Start listening to each other if we really want to find a solution to this problem.
Take some of that Bloated & Wasted Budget money and Start $pending it on the things required that gets us in the Best position possible by the end of this calendar year.
As long as we allow them to fight with each other, ignore the real issues, look to lay blame elsewhere, get the parents all worked-up, have the unions fight with the administration about where the blame lays for where we are today - nothing will get solved and these Kids will not see the inside of a Classroom in 2022 either.
You know, my good friend Emil 'Do the Right Thing' Ferlicchi use to say it's all about the Kids. So, at tonight's meeting - let's make it about the Kids and Not about the Adults in the Room.
Anyhoo, there's a way to get us where we need to be but it takes everyone working together to come up with both a short and long term plan, respecting each others issues and concerns. Let's hope they recognize it.
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