Be Thankful You Don't Live in Georgia (Unless You Do, In Which Case, I'm Sorry)

Here in Maine, where our Coronavirus numbers are better than any other state in the nation except for Vermont (damn you Vermont!), the superintendent of our schools school district made his recommendations yesterday for the fall. It will be the hybrid model that a lot of states seem to be employing here in New England: Classes are split in half, and kids attend school two days a week (for the social aspects) and will learn remotely for the rest of the week. All the kids will have to wear masks. We’re also pushing the opening back another two weeks, so that teachers can prepare, because Maine is super cautious, which is why we’re only reporting 10-25 new cases a day on most days (also, for geographic reasons, and because people in New England wear masks and keep their distance).

Anyway, I hate that I have to wait another two more weeks before the kids go back to school, and I hate that I’m still going to have to home teach them three days a week because the last five months have been interminable, but also, I would hate being in Georgia 100 times more right now.

Last week in Georgia, a summer camp took some precautions, but because the virus is so widespread there, 76 percent of the 597 children and staff who attended came back positive. SEVENTY SIX PERCENT.

Meanwhile, last Wednesday, teachers returned to school in Georgia. In Georgia’s largest school district, 260 teachers couldn’t return on Thursday, either because they had tested positive or they had been exposed to someone who had. That was in one day, before students had even been allowed to return.

Today, the students returned, and holy shit.

Despite being in the middle of a pandemic, today Etowah High School in Cherokee County started their first day of school.

Here's a seniors photo that was taken this morning. pic.twitter.com/3VwzN3d0pE

— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) August 4, 2020

This is a completely different school from the one above in Georgia:

This is the first day of school in Paulding County, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/fzdidaAABM

— 🇯🇲Black🇭🇹Aziz🇳🇬aNANsi🇹🇹 (@Freeyourmindkid) August 4, 2020

Things may be bad wherever you are right now, but if you are a parent, just be thankful you’re not in Georgia, because the Governor clearly does not give a shit about your kids or your teachers.

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Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba.

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