A.G. Gancarski
A Republican Senator from Florida believes a “cost-benefit analysis” shows that schools must reopen, but with safety precautions.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio addressed the topic Monday morning on CNBC Squawk Box.
“Florida’s an enormous state,” Rubio said, noting that in “many counties,” such as Northwest Florida, “the vast majority of counties could reopen.”
“In others, we’re going to have to take additional measures to reopen schools,” Rubio added. “We need to be flexible about all sorts of things. It isn’t going to be school as you are used to in normal times.”
“At some point you’ve got to make those decisions on a cost-benefit analysis … the costs of not reopening our schools are extraordinary, in terms of learning loss, in terms of not being able to open the rest of the economy.”
“What is a parent who is being required to work supposed to do with a 9 year old? Leave him in front of the computer all day doing school work,” Rubio asked, seemingly rhetorically.
“We have to mitigate risk here,” Rubio added.
The Senator’s comments came after moves from the Gov. Ron DeSantis administration to return to normalcy in the sphere of K-12 education.
“I’m confident if you can do Home Depot, if you can do Walmart, if you can do these things, we absolutely can do the schools,” he said Thursday in Jacksonville.
Though parents and classroom teachers and staff may disagree with that, an order from Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran requires schools to reopen in the fall for five days a week, offering full services as was the case before coronavirus struck in March.
On Saturday, the Governor continued to outline his thinking on the subject.
“Most businesses still operated, you had most of them across the state of Florida, you had things that operated every day,” the Governor said. “I think in terms of if you look at things that are the most essential, to me, education is as high amongst them as I can fathom. It’s very, very important.”
The logisitics of reopening, notes the superintendent in Rubio’s home county, are “difficult to achieve,” but not impossible.
Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday and said that social distancing in South Florida schools presented particular problems.
“But there are mitigation strategies that you can take in lieu of the six-feet of distancing like the wearing of masks, which will be a mandatory element when we do reopen, like the use of non-traditional spaces, like cafeterias or media centers or gymnasiums,” Carvalho added.
11 comments
Sonja Fitch
July 13, 2020 at 12:11 pm
Kiss my ass little Marco. Children. Stupid! Children! Stupid! Cost benefit analysis!!! Shut down state 14 days! Close the theme parks! Then and only then start transition our children into “School”. Omg goptrump nazi scum!!!! Yeah you little Marco!
Tom Baxter
July 13, 2020 at 1:20 pm
Sounds like Macnamara when he was trying to get me killed and did kill millions of Vietnamese.
DisplacedCTYankee
July 15, 2020 at 9:12 am
Tom, exactly! A good comparison. McNamara was supposed to be a very stable genius at data analysis and what did we end up with? The Vietnam War measured in “body counts.”
I told Nixon to jam his selective service draft up his ass. (Actually, I told my local draft board.) They were shocked, shocked!
Frankie M.
July 13, 2020 at 1:42 pm
I got a place where Marco can put those spreadsheets of his.
Speaking of cost benefit analysis Lenny never did give us a breakdown on the ROI for the RNC coming next month. He just threw out some made up figure like he some kinda mathmagician. I’d hate to see how he handled his books when he ran his own accounting firm. Maybe he can teach a class on fuzzy math at a local college if this whole politics thing doesn’t work out?
Esteban Yu
July 13, 2020 at 2:17 pm
I am not sure that the cost / benefit applies when the cost can be death or be left with serious consequences of health.
Carol
July 13, 2020 at 2:33 pm
What value did Senator Rubio come up with for a human life in his cost benefit analysis? Just curious how much value he places on my life.
PeterH
July 14, 2020 at 9:54 am
Marco Rubio, Rick Scott and the huge cadre of Trumpism apologist should have planned their cost – benefit analysis in February when this virus was exploding in Asia and the EU. Careful planning in the early stages of this pandemic to curtail viral spread by immediate and universal nation wide stay at home orders, mask manufacturing and wearing, ramping up hand sanitizer and use everywhere.
This administration has spent more time and effort pretending the virus would magically disappear when the weather warmed up than it did on national testing protocols and contact tracing. The American people are left vulnerable without leadership and a coherent policy. Our country is leading from behind.
Now the virus is everywhere, contact tracing is impossible and magically we’re told that asymptomatic children carriers of the virus will not transmit this hidden sickness to teachers, administrators, lunch room workers and other school staff.
On every level this corrupt and incompetent administration has failed Americans. Trumpism must be defeated and never again be allowed to contaminate America.
Arl XP
July 14, 2020 at 11:07 am
Rubio puts “cost benefits” ahead of lives. VOTE HIM OUT!
Souless Marco
July 14, 2020 at 12:22 pm
Death Panel Marco!
Itsme
July 14, 2020 at 4:50 pm
Teachers are not babysitters.
Manuel Linares Sr
July 15, 2020 at 8:14 pm
Sen.Rubio,question-where will you be sending your own school-aged kids? Here’s your, proverbial “Catch 22 dilemma,” will you be sending your school aged kids to the public school system or to some private schooling or for that matter home-schooling. Either way, most parents in Florida are of the thinking (wisely) why should I send my school aged children to harm’s way? Parents would have to be fools to take a risk and not consider them a commodity-when you are doing cost-benefits analysis. Children are more than comparable value, to whom? Just pause and think-have you Senator lost your f**king mind!
Comments are closed.