This afternoon, and right now, parents are gathering at Garfield School, on Detroit, in a peaceful assembly trying to drum up support to open schools and especially get school sport programs going.
As with protesters in this day and age, while they were often closer than 6', they mostly wore masks and kept their distances.
Which makes me ask, "How does this work out?"
For the past two weeks in Florida, kids under the age of 18 have been getting COVID and a trip to the hospital at a rate of about 880 kids a day. Now Florida, is in a lot worse shape than Ohio, and Lakewood, maybe. The problem is that asymptomatic people spread it. Kids spread it. Young kids carry a higher viral load than adults, but show no symptoms.
I desperately want to see the kids back in school and sports. Besides them needing to learn, and socialize in an educational surrounding, many students need sports and schools to help get scholarships and into higher education
At the same time, parents need to get back to work, and home schooling is not the best for all. Then there is the breakfast and lunch, and counseling, and...
But on the day the Governor announces he has COVID, and the country releases a map that show Lakewood's numbers doubling in the last 3 weeks one has to ask... How are you going top pull this off?
Professional sports teams with massive budgets have had ZERO success keeping COVID out of the game, the locker rooms and the families. How are Lakewood Schools and the parents of Lakewood kids going to pull this off? Education maybe but doubtful, sports, basketball? football? soccer? It is all close proximity and major huffing and puffing.
Which brings us to the kids of Lakewood, and the chance for any of this to work. This week we heard of an outside summer camp in Georgia where 269 of the 300 campers came down with COVID in 7 days. Masks were mandatory inside but not outside. 50% of the campers infected.
Now I have spoken with many parents, and businesses. They can put up with this for a little while MAYBE, but almost no one survives a second shutdown. And to be honest, we are well past the signs that the Governor said would trigger it. But then he is out with COVID.
Before we send our kids back to school and sports, drive down Detroit and Madison. What do you see? I see a nightmare coming in a couple months. Americans must socialize, drink, gather and yes play sports. No matter the dangers.
My mind could be changed, I respect many of the parents, just tell me one thing... "How are you going to pull this off?"
I love protests, especially peaceful ones. I hope this gets worked out.
peace/love
From Lakewood Superintendent Michael Barnes...
