By Scott A. Teschky
I fully support opening schools 100 percent in class, on time, as well as resuming all fall sports.
The negative effects of this closure thus far on our kids are already measurable. I see it in my family. We need to take the fear and emotion out of the decision-making process and look at the data and the facts. After all, isn’t that what we are constantly being told, follow the science?
From the CDC, 30 kids under the age of 15 have reportedly died from COVID-19. One hundred ninety kids die every year from the seasonal flu.
We don’t shut the schools down for the seasonal flu, the student stays home and comes back when healthy. 436 commit suicide, 625 from homicide, and 4,114 who die from drowning or other unintentional death.
The science also shows that kids don’t spread the virus as easily, if at all. Add to that the recent news that 300 Florida testing sites have reported 100 percent positive results in error, which has fueled the current panic and news reports that Florida is out of control. This is not true. The reported positive test rate is ten times higher than the actual number.
There is no factual data to support schools being shut down or sports, not resuming. Europe and Asia have had schools in session for months with no major issues.
We are in a never-ending cycle because of the indecision currently taking place. Fall sports summer conditioning was to start on June 8, 2020. It has literally been pushed off every week to where we are now looking at July 27, 2020, to start.
Will it be pushed off again?
This kicking the can down the road approach can go on for another year if we allow it, and it does not serve the best interests of the students or the community.
Get our kids back to school and fall sports underway. The negative consequences of not doing so will be felt for years to come if not irreparable.
Scott A. Teschky has lived in Coral Springs for six years. He is a senior project manager for a company in Fort Lauderdale.
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