Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[GreatLakes]

Well good news there - under the new sports order in CA, teams are not allowed competitions or to travel out of state for them until at least January 25th (with reevaluation on Jan 4th).

Good, hopefully it is enforced and breaking it comes with very real and sever consequences.

It shouldn't require an order to not travel out of state unnecessarily during a pandemic. Sports are nice and fun. I have always played some sport. During a pandemic suspending sports is not a big deal. They are an extra, not a necessity. If not playing a sport for a few months or a year leads to your suicide you have much bigger problems to address.

 

[rjb123]

I'm pretty sure that was covered in this thread earlier on too, and other threads. Many of us discussed in the past online schools, Connections Academy, K12, etc. There's no denying whatsoever. This thread is 112 pages long. There's def. a few other threads that have gone dormant talking about schooling. I think this was just forgotten because it wasn't being actively discussed on every post.

I don't feel like I need to on every post discussed that online school is available or that some people do better. My own sister-in-law did this because socially she was having problems. But people do that because they recognize their student has strengths and weaknesses that might be better served that way. Same as homeschooling.

I think it's great that some students have found online school to really work for them. I wouldn't presume that if it's not working for them they much be lazy, not motivated, refused to seek out help or any other adjective used. I also think we realize there's only so much to be done because this virus is still around sooo you know kinda a crap shoot here.

I guess when I learned about the idea of multiple intelligences it stuck. We all don't learn the same way. Finding out what works best for us is really important to our own personal success and right now there's a lot of people, students and adults alike, that were shifted into environments that don't match that. As much of an independent, personal responsibility person that I am, I am a bit surprised at the dog eat dog viewpoint of schooling that has really come about (and speaking outside of the DIS just as much on the DIS).

I have three kids, one in person (private) and two who are in an online charter. My one DD who is in online charter is in her second year and LOVES it. She is a competitive gymnast and she loves the flexibility it gives her. She works her tail off and is thriving in honors classes and advanced math/ language/ science etc. My youngest is in fifth and is doing the same program and is doing well, but misses in person school. She still is learning, participating and happy though. The thing about online is that it is NOT offered everywhere. I sincerely hope this changes. Every single public school should be required to have an online option for students that they can choose. Additionally at the high school level all students should have the option to do either full time online or partial- some in person classes and some online with the ability to come and go for the in person classes much like a university. We need to stop thinking inside the box with kids, and realize that while some kids will need to be in a physical building for eight hours a day due to their maturity, age or other factors, other students are more mature and able to manage far more than the average high school student. I should not have to pull my child out of their local school and do online home school because the public school is too lazy to manage this. Or they don't want to deal with more independent kids. Our local (highly ranked) high school flat out says that they will never do that sort of thing because they want to keep the kids inside the building so that they can "keep control" of them. Control? That is all they are interested in doing? come on. I sincerely hope and pray that this pandemic will force schools to reevaluate online learning and realize that for many students it can be a fantastic way to further their education. Also that kids dont' need to be locked up in a building at the high school age- if they do, there are bigger issues at play.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I have three kids, one in person (private) and two who are in an online charter. My one DD who is in online charter is in her second year and LOVES it. She is a competitive gymnast and she loves the flexibility it gives her. She works her tail off and is thriving in honors classes and advanced math/ language/ science etc. My youngest is in fifth and is doing the same program and is doing well, but misses in person school. She still is learning, participating and happy though. The thing about online is that it is NOT offered everywhere. I sincerely hope this changes. Every single public school should be required to have an online option for students that they can choose. Additionally at the high school level all students should have the option to do either full time online or partial- some in person classes and some online with the ability to come and go for the in person classes much like a university. We need to stop thinking inside the box with kids, and realize that while some kids will need to be in a physical building for eight hours a day due to their maturity, age or other factors, other students are more mature and able to manage far more than the average high school student. I should not have to pull my child out of their local school and do online home school because the public school is too lazy to manage this. Or they don't want to deal with more independent kids. Our local (highly ranked) high school flat out says that they will never do that sort of thing because they want to keep the kids inside the building so that they can "keep control" of them. Control? That is all they are interested in doing? come on. I sincerely hope and pray that this pandemic will force schools to reevaluate online learning and realize that for many students it can be a fantastic way to further their education. Also that kids dont' need to be locked up in a building at the high school age- if they do, there are bigger issues at play.

Not to mention how limiting it is to be restricted to only the courses offered at your local school. Students would have access to a far greater variety of subjects and courses more tailored to their specific needs and interests when they can access classes taught by an instructor anywhere in the world.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have three kids, one in person (private) and two who are in an online charter. My one DD who is in online charter is in her second year and LOVES it. She is a competitive gymnast and she loves the flexibility it gives her. She works her tail off and is thriving in honors classes and advanced math/ language/ science etc. My youngest is in fifth and is doing the same program and is doing well, but misses in person school. She still is learning, participating and happy though. The thing about online is that it is NOT offered everywhere. I sincerely hope this changes. Every single public school should be required to have an online option for students that they can choose. Additionally at the high school level all students should have the option to do either full time online or partial- some in person classes and some online with the ability to come and go for the in person classes much like a university. We need to stop thinking inside the box with kids, and realize that while some kids will need to be in a physical building for eight hours a day due to their maturity, age or other factors, other students are more mature and able to manage far more than the average high school student. I should not have to pull my child out of their local school and do online home school because the public school is too lazy to manage this. Or they don't want to deal with more independent kids. Our local (highly ranked) high school flat out says that they will never do that sort of thing because they want to keep the kids inside the building so that they can "keep control" of them. Control? That is all they are interested in doing? come on. I sincerely hope and pray that this pandemic will force schools to reevaluate online learning and realize that for many students it can be a fantastic way to further their education. Also that kids dont' need to be locked up in a building at the high school age- if they do, there are bigger issues at play.

Eh you know I kinda disagree with the school part requiring online. In districts there can be an alternative school (my old school district had that) which offers a different much smaller more one on one style though it's in-person.

I don't think it's lazy to not have online, I tend to think of it as resources. Some schools are baring able to function with in-person. I remember oh probably 10+ years ago watching a documentary about Ohio where they showed the poorest school district and wealthiest. The poorest didn't even have bathrooms inside their buildings. To go to the bathroom they had to round up all the students and go to a different building on school grounds. The school buildings themselves were falling apart, mold, etc.

By at the state level there is plenty of options in my state for online and I'm actually fine with keeping that separate from school districts. Connections Academy for instance is a tuition free public online school available. In my state the larger hurdle is actually going to be reliable internet throughout. One of my sister's friends from school I'm also friends with on FB. She's actually a mayor of a town in my state. They just got a provider to bring high speed internet..that is still not in place though is coming this month and throughout early parts of 2021.

I am glad to hear things are going well with your children

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Not to mention how limiting it is to be restricted to only the courses offered at your local school. Students would have access to a far greater variety of subjects and courses more tailored to their specific needs and interests when they can access classes taught by an instructor anywhere in the world.

We actually have that now (although not the whole world part) it just depends on district. In the school district assigned to my house they have what is called a 21st Century Program at the high schools. The high school newly built a few years ago is a Green Tech and Public Safety one. Students can attend another high school outside of the one their place of residence is assigned if that high school has the academy they are interested in.

These are the 'academies'



My husband and my sister-in-law went to the high school that had Engineering and they were a part of that. They both were in Robotics. That fed into their Aerospace Engineering desire both of which earned degrees in.

I don't disagree with you on this point but like my earlier comment a lot comes down to resources available. My high school I went to in the neighboring district was considered the poorest high school in the district and wouldn't even dream of having any of the above though they were a good high school to go to for Drama and ROTC.

 

[piglet1979]

I don't think it's lazy to not have online, I tend to think of it as resources. Some schools are baring able to function with in-person. I remember oh probably 10+ years ago watching a documentary about Ohio where they showed the poorest school district and wealthiest. The poorest didn't even have bathrooms inside their buildings. To go to the bathroom they had to round up all the students and go to a different building on school grounds. The school buildings themselves were falling apart, mold, etc.

Let me guess, this was Cleveland. They were in bad shape about 10ish years ago. They are doing much better now. They have closed many of the schools that were in bad shape. They consolidated many schools and made most of their highs schools specific to a career. So more like career centers or JVS's. The schools state report card for them has gotten better. Their CEO (Superintendent) really cares about the kids and improving the schools.

They are still poor in this area. They have been fully online since the beginning of the year. The school district has bought computers for students (will be turned in when they graduate) and hot spots for them so they can be in classes. I am not sure how it is going though. I haven't really heard anything in the news or at work on how this is affecting them. I am sure they have a group not doing what they are supposed to, a group that is super motivated and doing well and a group in the middle.

 

[Lilsia]

I have three kids, one in person (private) and two who are in an online charter. My one DD who is in online charter is in her second year and LOVES it. She is a competitive gymnast and she loves the flexibility it gives her. She works her tail off and is thriving in honors classes and advanced math/ language/ science etc. My youngest is in fifth and is doing the same program and is doing well, but misses in person school. She still is learning, participating and happy though. The thing about online is that it is NOT offered everywhere. I sincerely hope this changes. Every single public school should be required to have an online option for students that they can choose. Additionally at the high school level all students should have the option to do either full time online or partial- some in person classes and some online with the ability to come and go for the in person classes much like a university. We need to stop thinking inside the box with kids, and realize that while some kids will need to be in a physical building for eight hours a day due to their maturity, age or other factors, other students are more mature and able to manage far more than the average high school student. I should not have to pull my child out of their local school and do online home school because the public school is too lazy to manage this. Or they don't want to deal with more independent kids. Our local (highly ranked) high school flat out says that they will never do that sort of thing because they want to keep the kids inside the building so that they can "keep control" of them. Control? That is all they are interested in doing? come on. I sincerely hope and pray that this pandemic will force schools to reevaluate online learning and realize that for many students it can be a fantastic way to further their education. Also that kids dont' need to be locked up in a building at the high school age- if they do, there are bigger issues at play.

The real reason why they want kids there is because they get government money for each butt in a seat. That is why they don't even want you to call your kid in sick.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Let me guess, this was Cleveland. They were in bad shape about 10ish years ago. They are doing much better now. They have closed many of the schools that were in bad shape. They consolidated many schools and made most of their highs schools specific to a career. So more like career centers or JVS's. The schools state report card for them has gotten better. Their CEO (Superintendent) really cares about the kids and improving the schools.

They are still poor in this area. They have been fully online since the beginning of the year. The school district has bought computers for students (will be turned in when they graduate) and hot spots for them so they can be in classes. I am not sure how it is going though. I haven't really heard anything in the news or at work on how this is affecting them. I am sure they have a group not doing what they are supposed to, a group that is super motivated and doing well and a group in the middle.

I wish I could remember the city honestly but I don't. It totally could have been Cleveland. Thank you for giving that information if it was Cleveland I'm glad to hear there's been renewed interest in the kids I don't know why but the Ohio story I saw just stayed with me.

To give a non-Ohio viewpoint it easily could have been my state. In fact for years under a prior governor the state had been under heavy scrutiny on cost per pupil spending especially because the two places he slashed funding to was public schools and roads. In fact year after year the State Board of Education threatened to not allow any school in the state to open if they didn't come to an agreement on spending.

It's in the state's constitution that spending should be equal in reality that's just not how it happens. BUT a large reason is because school districts heavily rely on property tax for funding due to practice and funding laws. Over 55% of my property tax on my home goes straight to my school district assigned to my house. The higher the property values (of which ours are higher than heck really) the more money of your property tax goes to school districts. Even the county above me which has high property tax in proportion to ours but is often the poorest county in the state still has funding issues. And I live in the wealthiest county in the state and there still is disparity between opportunities between the districts. You see where this can leave rural areas and those areas not as wealthy. The school district assigned to my house did purchase some wifi hot spots to help out. But the district I grew up in has a higher proportion of lower income/free lunch students than the other two large districts.

For me it's just not an easy thing to tell the districts to get with the program and figure out how to sideload online schooling for every school even though I don't disagree schools should have varied opportunities to more suit growing interests and ability to learn.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

As if anyone actually listened to or enforced the order.

Well this is a new order that came out last week, so let’s see.

 

[lanejudy]

The real reason why they want kids there is because they get government money for each butt in a seat. That is why they don't even want you to call your kid in sick.

I disagree. Keeping kids out of school disrupts families which disrupts communities with reverberating effects. Our schools are doing attendance every day whether remote or in-person and they are strongly encouraging kids to stay home with any cold symptoms, etc. as well as quarantining.

You are really negative on the public schools. I'm so sorry your public officials have lost your trust.

 

[Lilsia]

I disagree. Keeping kids out of school disrupts families which disrupts communities with reverberating effects. Our schools are doing attendance every day whether remote or in-person and they are strongly encouraging kids to stay home with any cold symptoms, etc. as well as quarantining.

You are really negative on the public schools. I'm so sorry your public officials have lost your trust.

This is not my opinion, it is a fact. The schools get money for every child that is in a seat. Look it up. We decided to live a more frugal life to be able to have our kids in a better school district and they did great. The teachers where great for the most part and they really did all they could to help each student out. The district was in a more affluent area so had more tax money. The district that we moved from was more inner city and the difference was night and day. They did not care how well your student did, just that they were in their seat every day. I had a teacher come right out and tell me that they don't get paid to give kids extra help. If they can't keep up then too bad. Money makes the difference. But it does not change the fact that they get money for the kids being in school.

 

[piglet1979]

I wish I could remember the city honestly but I don't. It totally could have been Cleveland. Thank you for giving that information if it was Cleveland I'm glad to hear there's been renewed interest in the kids I don't know why but the Ohio story I saw just stayed with me.

To give a non-Ohio viewpoint it easily could have been my state. In fact for years under a prior governor the state had been under heavy scrutiny on cost per pupil spending especially because the two places he slashed funding to was public schools and roads. In fact year after year the State Board of Education threatened to not allow any school in the state to open if they didn't come to an agreement on spending.

It's in the state's constitution that spending should be equal in reality that's just not how it happens. BUT a large reason is because school districts heavily rely on property tax for funding due to practice and funding laws. Over 55% of my property tax on my home goes straight to my school district assigned to my house. The higher the property values (of which ours are higher than heck really) the more money of your property tax goes to school districts. Even the county above me which has high property tax in proportion to ours but is often the poorest county in the state still has funding issues. And I live in the wealthiest county in the state and there still is disparity between opportunities between the districts. You see where this can leave rural areas and those areas not as wealthy. The school district assigned to my house did purchase some wifi hot spots to help out. But the district I grew up in has a higher proportion of lower income/free lunch students than the other two large districts.

For me it's just not an easy thing to tell the districts to get with the program and figure out how to sideload online schooling for every school even though I don't disagree schools should have varied opportunities to more suit growing interests and ability to learn.

Our taxes seem to similar. Though CMSD (Cleveland Municipal School District) I think gets less money from taxes and more from the state. The property taxes are very low in Cleveland. They actually just passed a levy which was surprising. They only do this if they have too because most people can barely afford to live in their houses. The state cut funding to schools this past spring because of COVID. It was the first thing that got cut. Cleveland schools were hurting and needed the levy to continue to give the kids what they need.

My district (a suburb of Cleveland) is doing a bit better because our property taxes are high. Mostly from school levy's and 2 different Bonds. My son was the first kindergarten class in the new elementary and is now the first freshman class in the brand new high school. Though he won't get to see it until next year because he is doing online this year. They also just built a new elementary school at the same time as the high school. Even with this we are looking at a deficit at the schools in 2 or 3 years I think. Mostly coming from the money we lost from the state.

 

[monsterkitty]

I disagree. Keeping kids out of school disrupts families which disrupts communities with reverberating effects. Our schools are doing attendance every day whether remote or in-person and they are strongly encouraging kids to stay home with any cold symptoms, etc. as well as quarantining.

You are really negative on the public schools. I'm so sorry your public officials have lost your trust.

Our district encouraged anyone with cold-like symptoms to stay home. However, when the community you serve has a 38% positivity rate and then you test students and staff who wish to be tested and the percentage is 1 in 20 were positive, you have no choice but to go remote. We tried. We went in-person 100% in August. We made it 10 weeks before the you know what hit the fan.

The parents in my district are the essential workers as in grocery store, hospital custodians, CNAs, - the low income workers who have been hit hard by the virus. We know our remote learning hurts them, but we had no choice.

This is not my opinion, it is a fact. The schools get money for every child that is in a seat. Look it up. We decided to live a more frugal life to be able to have our kids in a better school district and they did great. The teachers where great for the most part and they really did all they could to help each student out. The district was in a more affluent area so had more tax money. The district that we moved from was more inner city and the difference was night and day. They did not care how well your student did, just that they were in their seat every day. I had a teacher come right out and tell me that they don't get paid to give kids extra help. If they can't keep up then too bad. Money makes the difference. But it does not change the fact that they get money for the kids being in school.

Not all states fund schools on daily attendance. Colorado is one of them. In late September/early October we have a 10 day window in which they take the average daily attendance and that is how they do funding. Do we encourage students to be in school during those 10 days? In a normal year, heck yes! However, because they take an average during a period of time if a students misses a day or two we will not lose funding.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Our taxes seem to similar. Though CMSD (Cleveland Municipal School District) I think gets less money from taxes and more from the state. The property taxes are very low in Cleveland. They actually just passed a levy which was surprising. They only do this if they have too because most people can barely afford to live in their houses. The state cut funding to schools this past spring because of COVID. It was the first thing that got cut. Cleveland schools were hurting and needed the levy to continue to give the kids what they need.

My district (a suburb of Cleveland) is doing a bit better because our property taxes are high. Mostly from school levy's and 2 different Bonds. My son was the first kindergarten class in the new elementary and is now the first freshman class in the brand new high school. Though he won't get to see it until next year because he is doing online this year. They also just built a new elementary school at the same time as the high school. Even with this we are looking at a deficit at the schools in 2 or 3 years I think. Mostly coming from the money we lost from the state.

Yeah sounds like our areas are pretty similar. Bonds were used to pay for the new high school, a new middle school and upgrades to existing schools. I've got 2 school bonds presently on our property taxes. Unfortunately this year my county in May decided even though people were hurting so were they and they passed a mill levy increase for the county as a whole.

Ugh this darn virus it just hits everywhere doesn't it?

 

[lanejudy]

This is not my opinion, it is a fact. The schools get money for every child that is in a seat. Look it up.

Not everywhere. Our school funding is so convoluted nobody can understand it, but “butts in seats” it is not. And my understanding is that places who do use attendance to drive funding should have made temporary adjustments to attendance policy for this year to allow for remote learning or at least COVID-related absences. If your district is so uncaring and unprofessional...I’m very sorry, I can’t imagine living in that situation. But you can’t paint with such a broad stroke assuming everywhere is like that.

 

[VandVsmama]

At the start of the COVID cooties time, the governor of our state signed a temporary executive order allowing state school funding to continue regardless of whether students were physically in the classroom in the school building or learning from home in an online format.

 

[EACarlson]

We got word this week that January 11, my district will go back to hybrid after being full remote since October. Two days a week is better than zero, but all of the other districts in my area are going full in person, one of them has been full in person all year.

 

[mrs. magoo]

So my district announced on Friday that the 7 - 12 graders will be remote for the entire school year but will have the option of meeting once a week in a learning pod(no real information about what that is or how much work it will entail for us teachers). I was told last week that I am returning in person to teach 6 kids who are in our autism program. They are in 2 different classes and I will teach those kids in person while I teach the others remotely. I am becoming more upset with the Union and my fellow teachers every day. The teachers who are happy they get to stay home for the rest of the year are driving me crazy. I was told I only have to come in for the classes I teach in person but for my schedule to work I need to be there the entire day. I teach 4 classes in the morning and then the last class of the day. I will have 3 hours in the middle of the day every day to plan but seriously I am going to be bored out of my mind. They are not allowing us to even bring in books to read. Returning to work cost us 5400 as we had to get a used car for the kids to get themselves to school and if I hear one more of my colleagues say how great working from home is I may just lose it.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

One of the school districts here has decided to include social and emotional wellness (both under a mental health talking point) of their students into their gating criteria for next semester with respects to remote, hybrid and in-person learning. They use a scale so adding those two factors in just adjusts the scale a bit.

 

[Renarr]

So my district announced on Friday that the 7 - 12 graders will be remote for the entire school year but will have the option of meeting once a week in a learning pod(no real information about what that is or how much work it will entail for us teachers). I was told last week that I am returning in person to teach 6 kids who are in our autism program. They are in 2 different classes and I will teach those kids in person while I teach the others remotely. I am becoming more upset with the Union and my fellow teachers every day. The teachers who are happy they get to stay home for the rest of the year are driving me crazy. I was told I only have to come in for the classes I teach in person but for my schedule to work I need to be there the entire day. I teach 4 classes in the morning and then the last class of the day. I will have 3 hours in the middle of the day every day to plan but seriously I am going to be bored out of my mind. They are not allowing us to even bring in books to read. Returning to work cost us 5400 as we had to get a used car for the kids to get themselves to school and if I hear one more of my colleagues say how great working from home is I may just lose it.

I know this feeling pretty acutely; I'm one of my school's building-level union representatives.

The level of care that is being shown for our special education staff right now has been appalling. I understand the whole idea behind FAPE, but at the same time, I feel really badly for staff who are being asked to be within closer proximity for longer periods of time than CDC and WHO guidelines in order to provide that.

Fortunately, we were able to rescue one of our most at-risk special education staff from going into the building for now, but that just adds burden to the rest of her colleagues.

I just can't wait until this whole thing is over.