Is DCPS passing the buck with health decisions?

The answer is yes, and this lack of leadership is going to cost people their health or worse.

At the last school board meeting, the superintendent spoke about how the health department will conduct "investigations" when somebody presents signs of the virus or tests positive. There was absolutely no description of what this would look like, but we can imagine.

A student in class coughs and presents with a fever. The teacher checks on them and decides they may be sick. They walk them out to the office or nurses station, if the school has one, IF!! 

The principal and or the office staff, or both check on the child. One of them calls the parent, and the other calls the department of health. The parents says they will be right there, maybe, or maybe there is no answer, or perhaps it's going to take some time.

The underfunded and undermanned Department of Health may pick up quicker, but there is no guaranty; they will get there faster or that day for that matter. What if there are multiple contacts,  can they send out 167 investigators at a time? What about 80 or 40? How about 20 or even ten? Maybe 5 right.

I say they may not get there that day, and that's a real possibility. I have reported abuse and not seen the Children and Families investigator for days, so why would I expect the DOH to be any different. 

So they get there, but now the class where the child presented the symptoms has switched and switched and switched. The teacher has taught several different courses. Now the entire school is infected, or maybe not, this kid could just have a cold.      

This is what I imagine will happen, but I have also imagined much worse. My wife dying because I got sick at school and gave it to her. I have imagined that too and a lot of things in-between. 

Now you might be saying, well Chris, you are just imagining, and you are right, but what else am I to do because the district hasn't given us any answer, just broad scary strokes.  

The thing is it does not have to be this way. 

We know the super has been working behind the scenes with numerous health leaders, who I am sure aren't painting a pretty picture. So how come we haven't heard their recommendations? Do they not want to be the bearers of bad news, are they passing the buck to the super? Well, friends, the Super ha passed the buck to the Department of health.   

Let me give you some scale of how daunting the DOH's job will be. Counting Charters, there are 192 schools, 130k children, and roughly 17k staff. That's a small city, and that's not counting how the DOH has to take care of the rest of the town. 

I "imagine" it will be impossible. 

Friends, the district has shown over and over again they don't care what teachers think, but there is a chance they will care what parents think. You can ask the city's health leaders to chime in, you can demand the district reveal what they have said.

There is guidance out there from the CDC and AAP, and where they both start with kids should be in school, something everybody agrees with, they finish with if it is safe.

Things are not safe, and worse, they know people will get sick, and schools will close but still, they push on, putting our teachers and students and our families in danger. 

Unacceptable 

Here is a link to the JAX DOH if you want to check it out.

http://duval.floridahealth.gov/index.html