Greene said she would listen to the medical experts, she is not

Superintendent Greene and the school board have been put in a tough position by the stunning lack of leadership by the mayor and governor. I want to acknowledge that, but that being said the state constitution says they control education in Jacksonville Florida, and in my opinion, their first and highest duty is to keep students and staff safe. Greene has said she would listen to the experts on whether to close the schools or not, well friends plenty of them are screaming at her to do so. 

The Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics released guidance about schools opening.

COVID-19 positivity rates are currently extremely high in Florida with a rolling average of 12% of tests positive for new infections over the past two weeks. FCAAP recommends that school districts in locales with positive test rates averaging  ³5%  over the previous two weeks delay the start date for school until positive testing rates are lower.

https://fcaap.org/posts/news/fcaap-releases-white-paper-on-re-opening-school-in-florida/

We are a long way from 5 percent. A long way.

The district's mitigation efforts and I remind you that mitigation means slow not stop aren't designed to be effective when the spread is so high.

The AAP isn't the only doctors saying we shouldn't open.

Okay, that's the pediatricians what about the infectious disease doctors

From Tampa 10,

But infectious disease experts say reopening brick and mortar schools won't help stop the spread of COVID-19.

"We're not where we should be for kids to be going back to school. I think a lot of people are thinking maybe if we give two more weeks, we're actually going to see an improvement with COVID, but we haven't seen an improvement in several weeks," Dr. Jill Roberts with the University of South Florida Public Health said. "I'm not sure that that's going to give us the window that we really need. My additional concern of that is that's actually pushing us closer to flu season. 

The full picture hasn't been painted yet. Dr. Roberts says not enough kids have been tested and those that have are severe. As a parent herself, she also has a difficult decision to make.

"My husband and I both know she's probably going to get infected and she's probably going to bring it home. So that's gonna cause problems for us as well. There is no easy decision for anything or anybody here to make. It's all hard across the board," Dr. Roberts says.

Come fall, she says schools could be the epicenter for community transmission.

"Coronavirus spreads so much easier than Influenza does. There is no way that the schools don't end up becoming a center for this. I would be shocked if we make it very long through the semester before they go back to online learning," Dr. Roberts said.

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/education/infectious-disease-experts-believe-schools-will-be-the-epicenter-for-the-spread-of-covid-19-this-fall/

Gulp, that doesn't sound good. If schools will close and everyone seems to know that,, why are we opening them again?

Heck, Melissa Ross of First Coast Connect has a couple of doctors on and guess what they said.

From FCC, 

Despite the steady rise in new coronavirus cases, area schools are still planning to open on August 10, for both brick and mortar and virtual classes. 

Many educators, parents and even students are questioning this decision. As are some local doctors. We spoke with two local experts on kids and infectious disease. Dr. Mobeen Rathore, a prominent local pediatrician and co-chair of the Baptist Health System Infection Prevention and Control Committee; and Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, a pediatrician and the former Director of the Duval County Health Department joined us. 

https://news.wjct.org/post/concerns-about-reopening-schools-hugh-greene-medicaid-cummer-museum 

Give it a listen they think opening schools is a bad idea too. 

When Ashley Smith Juarez voted no, she sited John Hopkins doctors as a reason why. 

It is Arizona, but they aren't as bad off as we are. 

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2020/07/17/doctors-say-its-ill-advised-and-dangerous-open-arizona-schools/5460660002/ 

It is California, but again, they aren't as bad off as we are.

https://edsource.org/2020/schools-should-not-open-until-safety-is-assured-california-teachers-association-tells-state/635625 

A lot of medical experts think not just our schools, but the country should shut down.

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-07-23-20-intl/h_888b0f983d42b46d73b8e0d336b9721b

Here is a doctor from Orlando's COVID-19 task force, who says schools are to dangerous.
https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2020/07/22/orlando-doctor-on-reopening-schools---in-person-classes-are-just-too-risky--

I could have gone on and on.

Superintendent Greene and the board even admit in-person school is dangerous, and they say they would close them if only the medical experts told them too. The problem with that is expert after expert is telling them, screaming out them to and they aren't listening. Pediatricians, Infectious Disease doctors, John Hopkins, and doctor after doctor is screaming, do not open your schools. Yet still, they plow ahead and for what? 

They have been put in a terrible position because of a failure of leadership at the city and state level. It is true, that being said, it is their job to keep us safe and thus far they have chosen not to.

Schools will open, people will get exposed some will get sick or worse and schools will close again. I know it, you know it, Superintendent Greene and the board knows it and most importantly doctor after doctor knows it too. Opening schools is nothing but a fool's errand that will risk lives.