Continuing form my previous Post on Middlesex County School Districts and the evident deviation by the Edison School Board of Education, I would like to raise a very straight forward question to the Superintendent of Schools Mr. Bernard F. Bragen right on the Open forum –
So, Mr. Bragen , did you have a look at the day by days cases of Covid as reported for Edison Township? if not, my sincere suggestion is to have a look at the Middlesex County numbers by City. It clearly highlights that Edison School District needs to take proactive measure to not let the schools become the Hub for the virus spread. Not that the spread can be attributed to schools as of now, but do we want to take a chance?
In yesterday’s Board Meeting most of the students as well as parents highlighted the issue, but the way those points were dealt with were not at all convincing and they certainly pointed towards “High-Headed” decisions that may have been taken by the Board or may be by the Office bearers. You would know the truth and reality as to why?
Mr. Bragen, It is very strange for the person of your caliber and position making such dubious comments like “If schools were to be remote, kids would spend time in malls and shopping complexes where masks are not mandatory. But did you even walk into a Mall and Shopping Complex for that matter to see how many kids roam there without wearing mask or rather how many kids actually visit malls and wander there?
Seriously Mr. Bragen, the comments from your end to this effect were clearly outweighing the Risk and identified that Your Office didn’t take a note of the Risk and the Impact there off. The School Buses, the entry and exit from the schools, the corridors and the cafetaria of schools are very easy target places for infectious disease. But did you happen to view the risk and impact there? I am sure you have not and your office failed miserably to this effect.
What surprises me is the way the concerns from the Parents is being handled by the School District as well as the individual schools. Certainly, it is the matter of fact that I learnt from parents that Calls were made from the schools to the parents trying to convince them to send their kids to the school. That for sure is being done to save the face in public for ensuring attendance when the Parents are reluctant to send the kids to the school. But Mr. Bragen, did you weigh in the Additional Risk of the students being carrier if not infected and infecting their family members with wet immunity? Did you weigh in the issues and risk related to Immuno Compromised getting infected from their kids attending the school?
Mr. Bragen, very sincere request, please DO NOT misquote Gov Murphy on non-availability of Hybrid as an option as you did in the Board Meeting yesterday. Quoting Gov Murphy’s statement from Friday Last week “He said Friday that he would leave it up to local school officials to decide whether to remain open, go remote or have a hybrid schedule.”
To conclude, I opine that the Board has NOT taken into consideration the Risk and Impact Assessment to impose “In-Person” attendance as Mandate for the students. Mr. Bragen, I hope that the decision and the way persuasions are being acted on, do not result in any untoward incident to render the schools as the Hotspots. Should that happen, rest assured the Board and the Township will face a huge Backlash for their poor handling of the situation.
It would be a wise decision to conduct and survey and pool parents opinion, that’s True Democracy, the current imposition and the mandate reflects the Autocratic and Irrational Behavior in decision making by the Board and your Office.
