Jay Weber Show transcript 7/20/20 7:08am
Here’s a shot out of left field: The city of Milwaukee’s health department quietly moved to ban all schools from opening until they say so.
They did it nearly a month ago and never told anyone.
This change was made even before MPS opted to start their classes in fall online only.
After MPS made that move- the thought was that-okay- that’s MPS. But the independent charter schools and private schools would still be allowed to open and most were moving to do so: have in person classes in fall.
But this new health dept. directive -issued June 25th- blocks them from doing so.
So not a single school will be open and operating until tom Barrett’s health department gives the okay and they were just recently made aware of it.This has enraged the administrators, teachers, and parents of those private and charter schools.
This directive took everyone in the educational community off guard.None of them were asked for input.Barrett’s health department just...went rogue and issued it on their own...and did so in a ...quote...revised....reopening plan.
So this is all up in the air now.Private and independent charters in the city of Milwaukee were planning to open up with various forms of in-person class time....mixed with on-line and this slippery directive has derailed everyone’s plans.
And here are the questions i have:
First-why didn’t the health dept. and mayor’s office make it clear to -all schools- that a new, higher bar had been put in place before they could reopen?
Why didn’t Barrett’s admin make sure everyone knew about this...on June 26th?
And if they want to claim that was an oversight-then-okay-why didn’t they say anything a week or so ago when MPS’ board decided to go all
On-line for the first 60 days, or whatever?
Why-at that time?-didn’t someone from the health dept. or Barrett’s office say:I believe you are under the mistaken impression that you get to decide this, MPS board.We have blocked any school from reopening until phase five? Didn’t you know that?
So-as MPS is going thru these ministrations and putting out their new rules...and everyone’s doing a deep dive into it: Tom Barrett and his health sect are standing by? Saying nothing?
What’s wrong with them?
If the mayor’s office and health department knew-well before mps ever made its call- that they weren’t going to allow schools to reopen...
They should have said so: I think you are getting ahead of yourselves here....
And meanwhile-every other school, religious, private, charter....
Every other school in the city is making its own plans for fall....many of them are planning to get back to class....and the dill weeds in the mayor’s office-know?Know?That they won’t be able to reopen to in-person class time and don’t say anything?
What is that?
And to be clear: this directive only covers schools in the city of Milwaukee...and so you’ve got the city-bound universities and private schools worried about losing students to suburban options.
We have a mountain of scientific evidence says opening schools in fall is safe.European and Korean kids have been back to school for months-and have proven this is safe.
We have American academy of pediatrics and the national institutes of the sciences saying- get the kids back to school....and Tom Barrett and his ninnies at the city of Milw. Health department are standing in the way.
They know best.
That is infuriating.
And by the way-tom Barrett and the Milw. City leaders aren’t getting nearly the criticism and scrutiny they deserve...for keeping the city largely closed...or only partially reopened...as Milwaukee businesses start to close permanently or start new rounds of layoffs.
On Friday- Potawatomi announced that they were laying off sixteen hundred workers.
Not furloughed. They aren’t still part of the company. With company benefits. But missing their paychecks for a while.
These are firings. Layoffs. Due to covid-19 alarmism.
And they are supposed to operate this way-indefinitely.Tom Barrett will tell them when it’s okay to fully reopen, if ever.
Or maybe he won’t.Barrett’s health department is apparently now issuing longer lockdowns without telling the interested parties about it.
This is just unconscionable...now that we know who coronavirus negatively affects and who it doesn’t.
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