Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[Mrs. Ciz]

I believe that's what is going to happen, a lot of teachers will take a leave of absence if they can. Or we may see massive teacher strikes...etc. My sister just heard from my nephew's school today. They sent out a survey to see what the parents preferred. This is K-8 Charter School. Honestly I don't even know what to make of the choices. One choice was 8am to 12pm, five days a week, sending kids home at noon with a bagged lunch. All kids must wear masks as they can't space them out. Another was 8am to 2pm two days a week. Another was 8-2 four days a week. There would need to be some online learning because they normally go from 8-4, 5 days a week and also offer aftercare until 6pm. The school has a population of 45% Hispanic children, 45% white children, and 10% African American children.

This schedule will greatly impact the parents who can not work from home. My sister works from home anyway, so she's opting for the 2 day schedule, but she said that she thinks the school will end up going for 8-2pm four days a week because there are a lot of parents who can't work from home. She said, she's considering just sending my nephew 2 days a week, but doesn't know if that would even be an option.

No word yet for my niece who entering 10th grade. The high school doesn't have their plan together yet. And no word from either school about the plan for the inevitable outbreaks of virus.

The local catholic schools are all doing 100% in person learning, because....tuition....shocker. I would expect that a lot of teachers will retire, or try to take a year off. At least in this part of NJ, it sure isn't going to be a normal school year for these kids.

My sister in N.C. is keeping my other nephew home.....she didn't even want to know the plan, she's not sending him.

Well that's a wrap. Gov. Newsom just made it official - private schools can't go back to in-person teaching either. Not to worry though, he's mandated that distance learning needs to be "rigorous" and "include live daily interactions". Well that will fix it.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1284067860361478145

I teach at a small Catholic School in Virginia. Our diocese is saying that we are opening on time with in person learning (and we all know this is because of tuition). Even so, many families have left our school for next year. They see the handwriting on the wall. Parents from the public schools are now flocking to our school. The city in which my private school is located just announced yesterday that they will be online distance learning for at least the whole first semester. I am really worried that by planning so positively, we will be pulling a bait and switch and putting ourselves in a position of overselling and underdelivering. Admin keeps saying if we have to go online or hybrid, it will be better than last Spring because we’ve had so much time to prepare. Really? They’ve had us take a 3 week online class in hybrid learning that was pretty useless, and we have to attend 2 webinars. When we ask what we actually need to do over the summer, we’re told to prepare for all eventualities. That is way too broad and non specific, so no one is doing anything except keeping our fingers crossed that we can do in person learning. (Full disclosure: I’m 1.5 weeks into 12 weeks of medical leave right now, so there is not much I can actually do at this time).

The problem is once kids and teachers start getting sick, which they will, we will shut down, and it will be last spring all over over again. Maybe we’ll have a few extra ideas about organization and material to use from the classes we took this summer.

I actually think Newsom is getting this one right. And the data listed above seems to support it.

As a parent, I have a college senior. She’s going back to her university next month where she will take 3 of her 5 classes in person for as long as they will let her. She realizes her whole senior year, especially all the fun stuff will be severely impacted. But sitting out a semester or a year of school was never on the table for discussion at our house, even if her classes were 100% online.

If I had small kids, I’d be using my state’s online curriculum. It has been up and running for years now, so it’s tried and true. In addition, it was designed by professionals in education and web based learning and is very professionally produced. This is totally different than the hodgepodge we stressed out classroom teachers would be able to come up with in a couple of short months after a class and a webinar. That said, I do not think online distance learning can ever be as good as in person classroom learning. It’s just not the same; but it might be all we get. We have to realize we can’t control what we can’t control.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Had an interesting conversation with my principal the other day. Each district is required to come up with a plan for in person/ hybrid/ distance learning. State mandates are for a minimum of 3 feet, but recommended 6 feet, of distance along with masks for grades 2 and up. The administration has measure out the classrooms and we can do 3/4 without issue and 5 in many cases but not 6. We have the space, so she is making the class sizes smaller by asking some teachers in other positions, who have dual certifications, to move into the classroom. (Special Ed, Reading Specialist, etc...) With that, we can cut classes down to 12 - 15 students and maintain the 6 feet. So, IF we are in person I will be a classroom teacher this fall instead of a special education teacher. I support her idea 100%, but oy! what a year for such a big change. I haven't been a classroom teacher in about 12 years. I don't know what grade yet, so I can't even prepare.

Also, we all got an email today about an early retirement incentive as a way for the district to save money which includes $15,000. It wouldn't make sense for me, but is a nice push for those who were thinking they would retire soon. I wonder how many other districts are doing this?

 

[MrsPete]

In NYC, they are creating day care for 100,000 children whose parents will have to go to work.

Yes, similar things are happening here. Not all families need day care, but with school being a part-time thing in the fall, some families are scrambling for placements.

As an educator, I can tell you right now that I have been working all summer coming up with an online plan and an in-person plan. I don't get paid to do this, yet I'm putting in the time and effort to make sure I'm prepared for whatever happens ...
This is a massively complex issue, and our school district will not say anything until our state department of education gives us the guidelines.

Yes, we've been working all summer on improved online lessons /methods. Since our governor just announced our state's "overall plan", our school systems are now working on details: how many kids on the bus, an "isolation chamber" for kids who become ill at school until they can be picked up, how to serve lunches, and so much more.

I can't say I love our school's plan -- no one does -- but it's a pretty decent middle-of-the-road plan:
- One day a week for online class /everyone "attending" together.
- Students attend class one day a week in person /small groups.
- Students do online work three days a week.

Could you at least give the teachers and schools the benefit of the doubt that Fall will be better than Spring before deciding it's going to suck? Because trust me, your kids WILL pick up on your attitude and it will absolutely have an affect on how well it goes.

Agree. In the spring we literally had a weekend to prepare for online learning -- we are better prepared now. Will it be the same as "full strength school"? No, but that's not a realistic option at this moment.

And, yes, your attitude will go along way towards how your kids approach the school year.

My kids actually preferred the remote learning this spring to in person classes also. They like not having to waste time waiting for half the class to pay attention or behave, and also like being able to replay something again if they didn’t understand the first time

Yes, if I were a student right now, I wouldn't be unhappy. I'm an introvert. I would've loved sleeping in, knocking out my classwork in a couple hours without interruptions, avoiding difficult social situations. It's not bad for all kids -- my college daughter wasn't unhappy with online classes last spring.

I believe that's what is going to happen, a lot of teachers will take a leave of absence if they can.

Yes, we just learned our state's plan last week, and the chatter among teachers is, "Who's not coming back?" Some teachers -- those who have the choice -- are looking at whether early retirement or a year of sick leave is a good option.

And there is no "rest of the experience" with in person right now. It's just not possible.

Yes, the things we're talking about at school right now are not going to make the "I want to come back for the social experience kids" happy: one kid per bus seat, no group work in class, lunches delivered to classrooms /eaten at the desk, no fall sports, no clubs.

We’re likely talking a year out of the classroom. This isn’t a lifetime. It’s not their entire school career. It’s not ideal and yes, there will be kids who fall between the cracks (like there always are, even in person).

Agree. While the hybrid classes that my school system is choosing aren't ideal, it's not the end of the world. The kids whom I worry about most are the ones in the lower grades /the ones who are learning to read. They're the ones who need the classroom the most.

Also, we all got an email today about an early retirement incentive as a way for the district to save money which includes $15,000. It wouldn't make sense for me, but is a nice push for those who were thinking they would retire soon. I wonder how many other districts are doing this?

Lots of teachers are running their retirement numbers. If they offered "a package", I'd consider it -- I'm close anyway, but I'm on the young end to be retiring, and the deduction for age is too much for me to accept (given that it'd be for the rest of my life). But if they offered "a special" to get rid of people like me at the top of the pay scale, I'd kick it around.

We are hearing about potential teacher layoffs or furloughs -- I do suspect they'll offer some such "deals" to soften the blow. Why? Because we have a serious teacher shortage already, and if they "let go" younger people, they will be hard to get them back when things return to normal.

What we don't know at this point is how many students will /won't come back to school in the fall. So we don't really know whether we'll "lose teachers" because of numbers. It's a nervous time to be a teacher.

 

[rabidstoat]

My daughter’s high school is planning for 100 percent in person learning (full school day) this fall, with one caveat: a family can apply to be considered for remote learning if the student or family member is “at high risk of contracting COVID19”. That is a direct quote. Isn’t everyone at high risk for contracting it? Maybe they meant to say at high risk of dying from it? Most parents of high schoolers are in their mid to late 40s like we are, and I have seen far too many stories of deaths in this age group, and many more hospitalizations in this age group, even with no pre-existing conditions. We had fully planned to take advantage of a remote learning option because DD prefers it and we’d feel less anxious as well (plus there are teachers in the school in their 70s and I worry about them with full classrooms) but now it feels like we’d be potentially taking away a remote learning “spot” from someone with higher risk. Now I’m trying to see if the school would take her back for senior year if we withdraw from the school this year and do our own homeschooling, but I have a feeling they are going to give us a hard time

Well, obesity is a risk factor. If no one in the family is currently obese, maybe they need to start hitting the Ben & Jerry's and pack on 30 or 40 pounds real quick -- you know, for their health. Because then they could apply for remote learning.

 

[Pucks104]

Our school board voted today to open school on August 17 in virtual mode only for the first 9 weeks with a reassessment then of whether our community spread is heading downward or continuing to increase. There really are no good options given the increasing cases and costs to implement safety protocols.

 

[katie01]

Well, obesity is a risk factor. If no one in the family is currently obese, maybe they need to start hitting the Ben & Jerry's and pack on 30 or 40 pounds real quick -- you know, for their health. Because then they could apply for remote learning.

Lol, not obese, but that sounds like a fun project!

 

[Renarr]

Well, obesity is a risk factor. If no one in the family is currently obese, maybe they need to start hitting the Ben & Jerry's and pack on 30 or 40 pounds real quick -- you know, for their health. Because then they could apply for remote learning.

 

[5lilfish]

Our school just announced that assuming they get the ok to go back, the students and teachers will wear masks all day (except mask breaks...whatever that means, exactly).

This isn't a debate about masks. I wear my masks. My kids wear a mask when they go out. I actually believe in the benefit of masks with the pandemic. I am just struggling to be ok with my 13 yr old twins wearing a mark for 7 hour stretched, 5 days in a row, for 35 hours a week. I have trouble after about an hour with a mask on. I know my kids will be touching/adjust their masks. They do that even with short stints. There is no way they won't over hours. Both girls get migraines. I have no idea if the mask will trigger those. Suppose the whole thing triggers stress/anxiety? I am being careful about asking what they think of the situation because I don't want to play it up and/or put ideas in their heads. I'm definitely keeping my concerns to myself so that they don't feed off of my emotions.

I'd like to look into our options, but I don't really know where to start. I've never seriously considered homeschooling. I'm not the type to pull that off without a structured program...like an online school. My twins are both bright and very good (advanced) students. They are scheduled to take 3 high school classes (Algebra, Earth Science and 9th grade ELA) as 8th graders. Could I even find a program that let them take half 8th grade and half 9th grade courses. What about band and Spanish? Can they even have band if they do go back to school anyway? The girls are both very good with their instruments and love playing. I want them to be in school. I love having them home, but they need to be in a classroom and they need to learn. I want them to have the social aspects of school too. If I did look into homeschooling, I'd only want to do it for as long as I felt that I had to, so I'd want them to be able to transition back to their school.

I guess our schools are still looking into hybrid learning...splitting the kids so that some go on some days and others go on other days. I don't think we will have all the details until a couple weeks before school starts...at most a month before (We go back Sept 8).

I'm venting more than anything. I need to wrap my head around all of this and be ok with it so that I can help my kids be ok with it.....but I don't truly find any of this to be ok.

Jess

 

[SaintsManiac]

We got info yesterday on school opening. They will open 5 days later on August 10th with 25% capacity per day until it goes to 100%. No idea how they plan to do that. We chose virtual school. Louisiana is one of the 18 "red zone" states and I think it is madness for them to be opening in 3 weeks.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

We got info yesterday on school opening. They will open 5 days later on August 10th with 25% capacity per day until it goes to 100%. No idea how they plan to do that. We chose virtual school. Louisiana is one of the 18 "red zone" states and I think it is madness for them to be opening in 3 weeks.

I would have chosen virtual school too. As an educator, I think it will be the safest and most consistent option. Kids need consistency and all the back and forth, we’ll do this if this happens does not provide consistency. Parents also need consistency to plan. I know you must feel relief at having made a choice and having a plan.

I hope your kids have the best year they can have under these crazy circumstances!

 

[AndyTwoLines]

Our school district In Wisconsin has given us three options. 1. Face to Face traditional learning with as much mitigation as possible. 2. Cohort which would leave each class in their class and bring the teachers to them. 3. Virtual learning. We are leaning towards virtual, due to the rising numbers here and looking like it’s going to slow down.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I would have chosen virtual school too. As an educator, I think it will be the safest and most consistent option. Kids need consistency and all the back and forth, we’ll do this if this happens does not provide consistency. Parents also need consistency to plan. I know you must feel relief at having made a choice and having a plan.

I hope your kids have the best year they can have under these crazy circumstances!

Thanks it is definitely a relief. The home based virtual option is exactly like regular school without actually being there. I think it will work out well. It was already a bummer because we got re-zoned into a new district with only 1 year of primary school left. Too much upheaval!!!

 

[TJA]

I just hope/wish schools will consider those kids who are older, can drive themselves back and forth to school, and have mostly AP classes small in size. I have twins who are going to be Seniors. They don't need bus transport. They are fine with wearing a mask into the school and common areas. Most of their classes are small and easily able to move desks around to distance. They NEED to be in school for most classes. Labs cannot be done at home....they are both in classes such as AP physics, AP chem, AP bio, AP calc., AP lit. I believe there are a couple of classes that will have to be "changed" in some way, such as phys ed/strength training and the larger classes like French/Spanish. Lunch is fine in the classroom, outside, or in different phases in the cafeteria.

I'm getting confused as to which thread I've posted in, but the latest I've heard is our local districts are pushing to have elementary kids for in-person school 5 days a week for sure. They are saying it's essential for that age group to be back in school. While I can listen and understand that view, I do hope they'll consider what the older kids (like mine) need too. Distance learning was "ok" for us last spring, but definitely not ideal and definitely would not be ideal for their Senior year classes.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I just hope/wish schools will consider those kids who are older, can drive themselves back and forth to school, and have mostly AP classes small in size. I have twins who are going to be Seniors. They don't need bus transport. They are fine with wearing a mask into the school and common areas. Most of their classes are small and easily able to move desks around to distance. They NEED to be in school for most classes. Labs cannot be done at home....they are both in classes such as AP physics, AP chem, AP bio, AP calc., AP lit. I believe there are a couple of classes that will have to be "changed" in some way, such as phys ed/strength training and the larger classes like French/Spanish. Lunch is fine in the classroom, outside, or in different phases in the cafeteria.

I'm getting confused as to which thread I've posted in, but the latest I've heard is our local districts are pushing to have elementary kids for in-person school 5 days a week for sure. They are saying it's essential for that age group to be back in school. While I can listen and understand that view, I do hope they'll consider what the older kids (like mine) need too. Distance learning was "ok" for us last spring, but definitely not ideal and definitely would not be ideal for their Senior year classes.

The older the child is, the more at risk they are for the virus, and the more they should be staying home.

 

[TJA]

The older the child is, the more at risk they are for the virus, and the more they should be staying home.

I think that's the way our school is looking at things so far. Though they are considering all angles and realizing that all districts/classes are different and it is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. Many of our district's AP classes are vey small (6-8 kids) and the teachers feel very strongly about teaching particular classes in school (labs are pretty impossible to do at home, not to mention dangerous haha). One of the teachers posted a picture of her classroom: 7 kids' desks spread out, the teacher's desk surrounded by plexiglass, a sink for real soap and water, lab stations with sanitizing wipes at each station. Things will take longer since cleaning will be constant, but everyone is excited to at least give it a try.

Large classes/congested students are a totally different scenario.

Here in NYS, to start in-person school, our governor said each region will have to be in the final phase of re-opening (we are) and also have less than 5% positive percentage rate (we have around 1%). Thousands of kids have been tested because we live in a country-type atmosphere with a beautiful lake that draws huge summer crowds. Each time one kid tests positive, all of our Urgent Cares have lines for miles of people getting tested. So far, we have around 20,000 negative tests. Hospitals have been void of covid patients (maybe 3 total since this all began). Our schools are talking about trying to get the "saliva pooling" test for the parents who are comfortable sending their kids to school, while also having the option to allow kids to distance learn. We'll see. Our State is very strict, so I'm sure they'll devise a plan they feel is safe.

 

[KittyKitty]

How is DS supposed to really learn especially his Calculus and Physics classes! Now I am worried.

My school district that I tutor uses Edgenuity. I tutored a junior that was using it. It is pretty self directed. It's not just book work, but shows how to learn the material, and gives examples. Don't worry too much. If DS is taking those classes, I suspect he is very motivated. And there is someone he can call if he's stumped.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Well, in NJ, the head of the State Teacher's Union is pushing back, saying that there's no way that schools will be ready by the first week of September. Our governor has said if the science says that the date needs to be pushed back, he'll do that. It's still 7 weeks away here, and I suppose anything can happen. But I'll be shocked if this fall is anything other than a hot mess.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

via Twitter:

my wife just completed a survey for her school’s return plans. she voice-texted her response so while I was eating breakfast, I heard: “While I understand the implications on my students’ learning, I cannot teach my students if I am dead.”

 

[mefordis]

I can envision some lucrative side businesses with teachers taking on 10-12 students to lead proper homeschooling. For parents who can afford it.

 

[AustinTink]

I can envision some lucrative side businesses with teachers taking on 10-12 students to lead proper homeschooling. For parents who can afford it.

There is currently a facebook thread about this in my neighborhood. It's definitely happening.