Muh Muh Muh My Corona (virus)

Oh good that means FOOTBALL and RIBLETS for all Real Americans!

 

Florida reports daily death count over 100 for seventh time in two weeks.

Florida coronavirus: Another 9,700 cases, 139 new deaths Wednesday

 

I remember double sessions back in the early 1970s when Palm Beach County couldn't keep up with population growth. I caught the school bus at 5:30 a.m. and eighth grade started at 6:15 a.m. However, we were done by noon (no lunch break), so I got home in time to watch every day game of the 1971 World Series.

And yes, they hired double the teachers. But that was then. As you have mentioned, how do you hire twice the teachers (with a shortage of qualified staff already) without additional funding, let alone "hazard pay?" How hard up would you have to be to WANT to teach school for $40,000 a year (Broward's starting teacher salary) under those conditions?

 

I believe the order for Florida was to be reopened by Aug. 31. I'm not sure when they would normally reopen. That seems a bit late relative to much of the south.

 

They say a Brazilian wax only lasts three weeks.

 

Why the hell did I think Audi was Swedish?

 

Save your Saab story for somebody else.

 

Roger Stone etc. not in prison, but:

 

School budgets were already shot to hell with unexpected expenses from earlier in the year. Addition classroom and substitute teachers would need to be found, which will require hazard pay. No federal dollars means that all of the "we have to get the kids back in school" talk is a non-starter, or a start and stopper maybe.

 

I'm sorry ... I have to share this.

 

I'm not sure about the first part of that. There may have been costs in technology for districts that went to virtual learning, but there was also savings from not having to open their buildings. My daughter's district cited those savings as something that helped them stay on budget for 2020-21. That may help a little in balancing expected shortfalls in state funding.

Overall, you are correct. Districts don't just need to maintain their budgets. They need more funding to reopen safely. That is a big part of why funding for public education was part of the relief package the House passed in mid-May. Then Mitch McConnell got in the way and insisted that another relief package wasn't necessary. He didn't start making noises about changing his tune until President Trump started making a fuss over schools reopening. It is almost as if they didn't realize it was bit more complex than just going on Twitter and writing that they should open.