BLOGGER’S NOTE: This post has been corrected. Your blogger regrets the error of the original post.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made what might be among the most predictable decisions yet in this coronavirus pandemic fight.
He has closed Texas’s public schools for the remainder of the academic year. The state’s 5.4 million students and their teachers and school staffers are still at work. They are studying at home. Teachers are sending study materials to the students’ homes; the students are turning in their work. However, the school buildings themselves remain dark.
A relaxation of other restrictions appears to be coming. Abbott announced the formation of a task force that will craft a list of recommendations to be presented in fairly short order on how the state should proceed with lifting certain restrictions.
The school recommendation was pretty much a fait accompli. Abbott had set a May 4 target date for classes to reopen with students and teachers, but that date became unrealistic because the state was unable to curb the infection rate sufficiently to allow the reopening of schools.
Now comes the harder part. The “strike force” that Abbott announced will decide on a phased-in approach to restarting the Texas economy. Abbott already has announced some loosening of restrictions at hospitals, certain retail businesses and — this is my favorite item — reopening of state parks; my wife and I are itching to awaken our fifth wheel from its extended winter hibernation and take it to a state park for a few days.
Abbott pledges that his actions will be guided by “data and doctors.” That’s a welcome pledge from the governor. Proceed, Gov. Abbott … but with maximum caution.
I, too, am anxious to return to some semblance of what we used to think of as normal. However, the stakes are too great to mess this up by proceeding too hastily.
Not quite correct on schools. Schools are closed as far as students and teachers in the buildings. We are still open and teaching remotely and will continue to do so until the end of the year. My wife works all day long working with her 4th grade students. I go into the office everyday working on plans to streamline our online delivery.
Staff and students are not “free” to do whatever. It is possible that the commissioner could make a change. But all of our conference calls with him have indicated we’d continue at-home school for the duration.
Again, you should listen to the entire statement and not pick what you want to hear.
I corrected it.