School in, outdoor fun out in Gov’s latest bit of theater
Hey! Lookie there! New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is starting to make sense again. That’s good.
At his thriceweekly coronavirus press conference on Wednesday, he said kids are going to be back in the classroom come September. When asked about the remote option, he said ...
“I want to be unequivocal about this. We are expecting Monday through Friday, in-person, every school, every district. Obviously, if the world goes sideways, we have to revisit that. But as of this sitting, the answer is no.”
Couple of things here, as I meander to my main point, which is not about school. (This isn’t a “buckle up” situation, just a leisurely row in a lake. Sit back. Relax.)
1) Saying schools will be open is the right call, although I know of at least two districts that I’ve been told are certainly not planning for this right now. Curious to see how the NJEA feels about this “unequivocal” stuff.
2) While it’s probably safe enough to get all kids back in the classroom now, I totally understand if unvaccinated teachers aren’t ready. Way I see it, once a teacher gets vaccinated, it’s back in the classroom.
3) Interesting, though, that virtually all students aren’t going to be vaccinated by September. Thankfully, young people overwhelmingly don’t suffer the horrors of severe COVID-19 like older people. But I don’t know about you, but I’d certainly prefer my kids not get COVID-19. We obviously don’t know about long-term effects. Again: I think it’s safe enough for kids to be in school, but … not the safest, not by a longshot.
4) And don’t think all parents are on board with this: I saw a Twitter poll by News12NJ Thursday morning, and 25 percent of parents aren’t thrilled with the idea of not having a remote option.
5) You know, this is kind of interesting, as we’re almost six months away from the start of the 2021-22 school year, and Murphy is already making grand pronouncements about how schools are going to be open. And indoors. Which finally brings me to my main gripe …
6) How the hell can Murphy sit there and say what he’s going to do in six months, but not tell us what his more immediate plans are with his Grand Executive Power? Especially plans concerning things that are, almost literally, 100% safer than opening schools? For instance, let’s not forget, he’s still limiting outdoor gatherings to 50 people, which is - and I’m not using this term lightly - stupid. Every single scientist who has studied the coronavirus is in agreement: Outside is generally safe, masks outside are ridiculously safe, and with more than half of the state’s adults already at least half-vaccinated … well, not being allowed to gather outside is the - again, not lightly stupidest thing I’ve seen in a while.
Add to the fact he announced Monday that he doesn’t see any restrictions being lifted anytime soon because cases are ticking up, and you have a situation where Murphy is spitting in the face of science and forgoing an opportunity to allow New Jersey residents to safely enjoy being around other humans.
Make no mistake: This is a mistake.
“I don’t think it is too much for the Governor and his office to just give us some idea of the road map for the next few weeks/months of how they hope to increase the large outdoor gathering number so that we can plan,” said one festival organizer who emailed me. “And so people can get excited for the things to come. We all need to FEEL BETTER AND HAVE HOPE!”
Yeah, no kidding. But by continuing to disallow outdoor gatherings (unless, of course, you own a theme park … or are having a political rally … or a wedding … or going to a sporting event …) Murphy is showing either his A) illogical side, B) his (sorry) stupid side, or C) his stubborn side.
Seriously, Murphy: Would you please admit you’re wrong about this one and lift the outdoor gathering limit immediately? Enough is enough.