Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[Steph01002]

Have they not have had social distancing with their peers? This past month, all outside, but backyard gatherings, fire pits, swimming, beach (my kids drive themselves), soccer runs, soccer practices, fast food meet ups, long hikes... I‘d rather my kids socialize outdoors with friends in groups under 20 than be inside with masks and their classmates.
[/QUOTE]
Summer is fine because we haven’t done too much differently except wear a mask when required. That will change once the kids have to be back at a computer learning in colder weather. We already jumped the state border so our son could continue sports, so a longer drive for some things, but we can manage the summer. Daughter got a job that has more chance for exposure than if she was in school.
I may have thought differently on a return to school if we lived elsewhere, but my kids go to a small rural school where everybody knows everybody and probably had contact with someone who has had contact with someone at school. While they do see their closer friends, it’s still important for them to socialize with peers. It brings a different level of thought.

 

[handinpocket]

We've cancelled in-person political conventions (in a presidential election year), we can't attend concerts or sporting events, prisoners are being let out of some prisons due to the threat of contagion, our nation's governing house won't allow the public inside, most governing bodies are still doing all business via Zoom ~ but sure, let's go ahead and open all public schools across the country!!

Ahhh, but you were all for listening to the science and the experts before. Now, the experts have spoken, but you don't want to listen to these experts. Very transparent, that it doesn't fit your narrative.

 

[Searc]

Ahhh, but you were all for listening to the science and the experts before. Now, the experts have spoken, but you don't want to listen to these experts. Very transparent, that it doesn't fit your narrative.

The CDC, with the exception of one man, is nothing more than a mouthpiece. I like my experts to be non-compromised. YMMV

 

[wvjules]

Ahhh, but you were all for listening to the science and the experts before. Now, the experts have spoken, but you don't want to listen to these experts. Very transparent, that it doesn't fit your narrative.

See post 760. They experts have spoken but apparently no one is listening, at least not listening to what they are ACTUALLY saying.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Ahhh, but you were all for listening to the science and the experts before. Now, the experts have spoken, but you don't want to listen to these experts. Very transparent, that it doesn't fit your narrative.

And you are cherry picking the part of what they said that fits your narrative.

 

[LSUmiss]

And you are cherry picking the part of what they said that fits your narrative.

Exactly. They said they recommend opening in areas where community transmission is low. Don’t know where PP is, but here, community spread is NOT low!

 

[HeatherC]

It is disheartening to see just how much of a difference between what schools can manage with this virus in a wealthy community vs a lower income or city school district. One local district just announced a hybrid model. They laid out all the precautions they are doing along with managing the bussing situation of 25 kids per bus as well as opening up a new facility for childcare for 250 kids. The childcare will be provided for teachers with kids first then open to others.
Parents have a choice to do remote which they are considering sourcing out to a private curriculum company at no cost to parents or have teachers who don’t want to return teach it. That is still undecided right now.

A neighboring city is probably going to do remote because they just don’t have the money to implement all the new procedures. Some kids are STILL waiting to be provided Chrome books and Internet connections. They can’t even afford masks and sanitizer.

These communities are less than 10 miles distance wise but light years apart in every other regard.

We really need to do better as a country with our schools.

 

[Lumpy1106]

No, but I do think I'm BETTER at READING COMPREHENSION than SOME people are. because they RECOMMENDED focusing on a return to school when it is SAFE to do so and appropriate GUIDELINES are followed.

There has been a lot of discussion about CDC and AAP guidelines, but I paged back and found that no one has even bothered to post a link to either. Here you go;
American Academy of Pediatrics Urge Safe Return to School this Fall, Posted July 10, 2020
CDC, Preparing K-12 School Administrators for a Safe Return to School in Fall 2020, Posted July 23, 2020

Of note, the CDC provides guidelines subject to the relative spread of COVID, but they DO NOT advocate preemptively closing schools in any case.

 

[mjkacmom]

There has been a lot of discussion about CDC and AAP guidelines, but I paged back and found that no one has even bothered to post a link to either. Here you go;
American Academy of Pediatrics Urge Safe Return to School this Fall, Posted July 10, 2020
CDC, Preparing K-12 School Administrators for a Safe Return to School in Fall 2020, Posted July 23, 2020

Of note, the CDC provides guidelines subject to the relative spread of COVID, but they DO NOT advocate preemptively closing schools in any case.

Most people (including educators) believe that the schools are setting up a system just because they have to, that will fail in under 2 weeks, because it’s just not realistic. Six hours of planned instructional time, but it will take forever getting kids in and out of schools and classrooms. High school impossible, there are no pods of kids in high school, I have twins, one in 5 academic classes, the other in 7, only 1 class in common.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Most people (including educators) believe that the schools are setting up a system just because they have to, that will fail in under 2 weeks, because it’s just not realistic. Six hours of planned instructional time, but it will take forever getting kids in and out of schools and classrooms. High school impossible, there are no pods of kids in high school, I have twins, one in 5 academic classes, the other in 7, only 1 class in common.

And what are they basing this belief on? Because, if they are not going to follow the CDC and AAP, they should have some solid, concrete data to back that up - but they don't, do they?

Still waiting for my kids' school district to provide us with an update showing what improvements they are making to on-line learning in the Fall, using lessons they learned from the failed experiment that was on-line learning in the Spring...

 

[Renarr]

Most people (including educators) believe that the schools are setting up a system just because they have to, that will fail in under 2 weeks, because it’s just not realistic. Six hours of planned instructional time, but it will take forever getting kids in and out of schools and classrooms. High school impossible, there are no pods of kids in high school, I have twins, one in 5 academic classes, the other in 7, only 1 class in common.

And what are they basing this belief on? Because, if they are not going to follow the CDC and AAP, they should have some solid, concrete data to back that up - but they don't, do they?

My school administration had once bragged in a staff meeting in May that the entire building had only assigned 8 detentions all year (only administrators can assign them; staff can only recommend them), when detentions are listed as the disciplinary infraction for dress code violations, tardiness, and other assorted smaller disciplinary items.

I alone had recommended 30 students for detention based on violations of these various protocols in accordance with our procedures. Some of these procedures are required by law.

By law, students with more than 10 absences in a semester are required to be submitted for recommended loss of credit. Some of these are overturned ultimately by our district (and for good reason) because students have excused absences (for instance, one student I know had mono and was out for four weeks).

Our administration in 2018-2019 submitted zero such cases.

I have a good faith basis for believing that my administration will not enforce masking procedures in our school, which is in effect by our governor's emergency proclamation, when they will not enforce other legal requirements.

 

[mjkacmom]

And what are they basing this belief on? Because, if they are not going to follow the CDC and AAP, they should have some solid, concrete data to back that up - but they don't, do they?

Still waiting for my kids' school district to provide us with an update showing what improvements they are making to on-line learning in the Fall, using lessons they learned from the failed experiment that was on-line learning in the Spring...

They are trying to follow the guidelines, but it’s next to impossible. Our schools are packed, most elementary schools have trailers, the last 2 referendums have failed. Our elementary and high schools have open lunch because they don’t have nearly enough space in the cafeterias (or in the case of some elementary schools, gyms where the tables come down from the walls, none have kitchens, food is brought in). Instead of wasting precious time on a sh*t show joke of a hybrid system, they should’ve been focusing on a well planned out virtual schooling, because that’s how it’s going to end up (I have yet to be wrong since february, dd19’s college went virtual yesterday, no surprise). I wish I could bet money on this stuff.

 

[Lumpy1106]

They are trying to follow the guidelines, but it’s next to impossible. Our schools are packed, most elementary schools have trailers, the last 2 referendums have failed. Our elementary and high schools have open lunch because they don’t have nearly enough space in the cafeterias (or in the case of some elementary schools, gyms where the tables come down from the walls, none have kitchens, food is brought in). Instead of wasting precious time on a sh*t show joke of a hybrid system, they should’ve been focusing on a well planned out virtual schooling, because that’s how it’s going to end up (I have yet to be wrong since february, dd19’s college went virtual yesterday, no surprise). I wish I could bet money on this stuff.

Well, we could get into the whys and hows of things like 40-year-old, "temporary" trailer classrooms (boy, sure would be nice to wheel some of those in new right now, wouldn't it?), shall we say, budget commitments, etc. but what's the point? It's really too late to fix those errors. Maybe just me, but I believe that you have to start with a bold vision - the kids WILL Be back in school, then work back to solve every little thing to make that happen until it does. That is what makes me so mad about what is happening now. Instead of starting from that point, our governor and school district instead gave a half-hearted statement about how they want that, but never really put in the effort to make it happen.

If it's any consolation, we are fully committed to "virtual schooling" as you call it, but to call it "well planned out" would be just plain foolish - at least from what we've been told - and from what we experienced in the spring of course.

 

[mjkacmom]

Well, we could get into the whys and hows of things like 40-year-old, "temporary" trailer classrooms (boy, sure would be nice to wheel some of those in new right now, wouldn't it?), shall we say, budget commitments, etc. but what's the point? It's really too late to fix those errors. Maybe just me, but I believe that you have to start with a bold vision - the kids WILL Be back in school, then work back to solve every little thing to make that happen until it does. That is what makes me so mad about what is happening now. Instead of starting from that point, our governor and school district instead gave a half-hearted statement about how they want that, but never really put in the effort to make it happen.

If it's any consolation, we are fully committed to "virtual schooling" as you call it, but to call it "well planned out" would be just plain foolish - at least from what we've been told - and from what we experienced in the spring of course.

Ok, for example, restaurants aren’t open in our state for inside dining, our schools need to follow what our state is doing. There are students who online school, everyday, before all of this. My kids actually did okay with it. My daughter took an online college calculus class this summer that is always online, it was well done, a combination of recorded lectures and live group discussions (lessons were daily, discussions 3 times a week). My junior got a 5 on her AP calculus exam, so she obviously learned something (4 on her AP spanish exam). I think everyone is going to need to think outside the box. I see co-ops with parents and educators being formed, small groups getting together, educators who don’t want to go back into the classroom connecting with working parents.

 

[kandb]

Do you mean the kids cannot be allowed into school unless they are wearing masks? Or do you mean the masks cannot be allowed into school?

I mean, children and teachers should wear masks

 

[kandb]

What if you work with exempt populations?
It’s not as simple as that for all teachers. I teach young kids (under 4). Kids that age probably won’t keep masks on (though I think many would for at least a bit) and many of them have sensory issues. My school has said no masks for kids OR teachers citing the AAP recommendations (that have been walked back) and a bunch of articles from early in the pandemic when they said masks didn’t help and since they “don’t protect the wearer” (which I always say the benefit is less than 0, so I’m sure they help some). Also no distancing due to the age. I will be within a foot of kids for 8 hours a day and providing hand held assistance the majority of that.

We literally have to rely on parents to keep their kids home with symptoms (Ha! Preschoolers snot and cough ALL YEAR without Covid) and take temperatures (when they’ve had meds) and pray for the best. My kids put everything in their mouths still. We could literally station a teacher at the sink all day for the amount of hand washing that would be needed to truly be effective.

We aren’t doing shared supplies thankfully and we are “disinfecting more,” which we already did constantly. I don’t even know how to disinfect more when we are constantly with the kids who need 1:1 support.

Just about every other person I know working has more protections than I will have as a teacher. Masks (currently required here in stories and businesses), distancing, plexiglass, different schedules, less people around, etc. I am terrified. I can’t divulge too much about my job, but taking a year off is not financially or in other ways feasible.

I have already spent a ton of money getting individual bins for my students, extra supplies (play doh, crayons) because kids won’t have them sometimes, bins to sort activities/toys by groups to lessen the shared items. A new computer for if we go virtual when there are (inevitably) cases. A thermometer for my classroom. Extra hand sanitizer for if our pumps run out and extra hand soap for if we run out midday. Clorox wipes because parents can’t find them (I can’t anymore, but could for a few weeks). We have spray, but spraying every toy and waiting for it to dry is not realistic. These things are NOT provided by most schools. Spray disinfectant might be...IF you are allowed to have it in your room.

Teachers are in a tough position. We WANT to go back! I want nothing more. But it’s not safe the way schools work.

Cases rising here and the spread is getting bad. Most districts are moving to start the year virtual now and pushing back start dates. My sons district has a great plan (and masks required at preschool). But not all places do, and those teachers are at risk and at the mercy of others.

And there aren’t enough tests for kids here! Schools won’t do anything unless it is confirmed and there is almost no way to get it “confirmed.” We need a lot better testing to do this safely.

I don’t see how this is going to work.

(BTW, I am masking despite all this...bought clear masks and we will see what happens)

To be honest, this issue has always disgusted me even before COVID. Sadly, parents send their kids to school and daycare when they are sick. Parents will give the child ibupropen and send them into school, just so they can go to work. Sadly, they will do the same with Covid. Don't know any way around that when people are selfish!

 

[kandb]

Did anyone see Dr. Fauci at the baseball game in the stand with NO mask on? One woman next to him had no mask on either (assuming it was his wife) but there was an elderly man right next to him with a mask on. Does this elderly man live in the same household as Dr. Fauci??? If not, he should of kept his mask on. They were shoulder to shoulder. What kind of example is he? AND no he was not drinking something. The picture I saw he had nothing in his hands and his hands crossed together. Terrible example!

 

[kandb]

You sound like a good teacher. I have 5 kids in school and only 2 received a education during the virtual learning. 1 child met with their teacher virtually 15 minutes a week with the class. 15 minutes! What could they possible learn. Nothing! They were read a story and said hi to each other. And this was 3rd grade. The teacher then assigned work and parents were told to work on it with them, but not to worry they wouldn't be graded. This isn't learning. Another child of mine is behind on reading and writing. I had to beg for help. He is still 1 grade behind. Now if we continue this virtual learning, I have to watch my child suffer academically? We are weighing our children's mental health versus physical health, when both can be met. We have had more than 5 months to prepare and get school ready to have children back in the building safely. This should be assessed on individual bases of schools and towns. We have small schools and some classes with less than a dozen kids. Yet everyone is going by a one size fits all approach.

My high-schoolers kept saying (as well as their friends moms) said they were just given "busy work"

I worry about how far behind they will be from all this time off and not being in school

 

[motherof5]

My high-schoolers kept saying (as well as their friends moms) said they were just given "busy work"

I agree. Younger kids were given projects which were more parent projects and busy work for us with kids, but no real direction and no real learning.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

To be honest, this issue has always disgusted me even before COVID. Sadly, parents send their kids to school and daycare when they are sick. Parents will give the child ibupropen and send them into school, just so they can go to work. Sadly, they will do the same with Covid. Don't know any way around that when people are selfish!

Happens all the time! Most of my preschoolers don't yet have the language skills to tell us when they feel sick or if their parents gave them medicine. One returned from a few days of being sick and mom said she had been fever-free for 24 hours without medication (which is our policy). After about an hour, she threw up something red all over the carpet. Sure looked like Tylenol to me! Another time we told a mom at pick up time that her son didn't seem to feel well. She brought him the next day and he still wasn't quite himself. He didn't feel overly warm so we kept him. He started walking around the room and mumbling something to each adult. We finally figured out what he was saying. "More Tylenol please!" Seriously, if you try to hide it from us, your kids will tell us somehow!