Photo: CBS 12
Top Three Takeaways – August 26th, 2021
- There’s consequences for that. The words of Governor DeSantis Wednesday when asked about potential action to be taken against school districts flouting the Florida Board of Education’s mandate for parental choice over whether their children are to be masked at school all day (except when they’re eating or drinking because apparently the virus only transmits itself when students aren’t consuming food or drink). Anyway, when pressed by a reporter about the prospects for punishment for rouge school districts DeSantis had this to say: How about keeping the power with the parents? You can’t go above the law and take away people’s rights, and that’s what they’re doing. They’re taking away parents’ rights, and there will be consequences. When pressed further he had this to say: I understand, respectfully, people in your profession love having kids in masks. I get it, you guys have taken an editorial position on that, very clear. The data doesn’t support it. Now, here’s the thing. As always there are two sides to stories and one side to facts. The fact of the matter is there’s data to support whichever argument you’d like. If you are with the mask agenda, you can point to mask efficacy of up to 96%. But that's without social distancing which is already in place in schools – which even just three feet results in a 75% reduction in spread and that’s with an N-95 mask and how many kids are wearing N-95 masks? And you could also point to there having been more spread in Florida’s schools which didn’t have mask mandates compared to those which did last year. But what was the difference? 0.2%,a number so small it’s statistically insignificant. We keep hearing about the school districts following science, but not only is that a misleading statement, as they’ve only paid attention to the science they like...they’ve ignored the biggest science experiment of all which is actual data from Florida’s schools last year showing that the only difference between school districts with mask mandates and those without was 0.2%. How convenient. And for that they’re willing to ensure teachers teach less, students learn less and up to 81% of students have negative health effects. In the words of Governor DeSantis, the data doesn’t support it and he’s right. There are two sides to stories and one side to facts but so many people have been conditioned and brainwashed to think that if kids don’t always wear masks, except when kids are eating or drinking when apparently the imaginary science these school districts use says the virus stops spreading, that there’s nothing resembling...
- Common sense. Look, this really isn’t complicated. The reason why there is near no statistical difference in the school districts last year that imposed masked mandates compared those that didn’t is that teachers aren’t anywhere near kids in the classroom and kids at their desks aren’t within three feet of other kids in the classroom. A balanced masked approach would suggest students wear masks when they’re near other students and staff and don’t when they’re at their desks. Balancing the pandemic with an analytical view of the available science suggests this makes the most sense. But there’s no room for sense in these debates and it’s anything but common. However, round one in the saga is about to be...
- Settled. Tomorrow morning we should hear Leon County Court Judge John Cooper’s verdict regarding the parental legal challenge to the Florida Board of Education’s rule. And while I expect additional legal challenges regardless of the outcome, it’s what both sides – the school districts and the governor – have been waiting for before doling out punishments to the perceived offenders. This is why students are being told that punishments will be doled out next week for mask violations and why Governor DeSantis hasn’t acted yet. This case hasn’t yet been settled but once it is that dynamic will change. Even if additional legal challenges will likely only lead to more issues being unsettled. That’s what happens when there’s a lack of common sense.