More than 40 school principals are now under quarantine after being exposed to the coronavirus. According to school officials, the exposure happened after the group met in-person to discuss the complex logistics of an upcoming district goal. That goal? How to safely reopen schools without subjecting students to the novel coronavirus.

Stella Kemp is the superintendent for the Santa Clara Unified School District, and she explained the rationale for the meeting.

Given the complexity required in the development of our reopening plan, some of our staff meetings are taking place in person. Of course, those meetings are being conducted under the strict guidelines provided to us by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.

Amy Wacht, president of the United Teachers of Santa Clara, was present at the meeting, and says all the recommended protocols were followed, including social distancing and the wearing of masks. She said, “My concern is even though we were following the protocols like we were supposed to, there was still exposure.”

In response to this controversy, the county of Santa Clara released a statement to the local newspaper, which included the following:

Our recommendation has always been that to the extent possible, meetings should not be in person and should happen virtually. In this case, it is not clear why meeting in person was necessary. It is a lesson for other government agencies—even though they have the authority to hold an in-person meeting, it does not mean they should exercise the right to do so.

Possible Preaching Angles:

1) Advice; Counsel; Wisdom - Even when in the counsel of other trusted allies, we must continue to seek God for wisdom in our daily affairs, lest we be fooled by a false sense of security in numbers. 2) Authority; Privilege; Rights – While may have the right or authority to do something, it may not always be the best course of action.

Source:

Aidin Vaziri and Jill Tucker, “Officials question in-person meeting exposing more than 40 principals,” San Francisco Chronicle (7-3-20)