Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[Mrs. Ciz]

Our county school board gave parents 3 choices - traditional (in person), remote, or virtual. School was scheduled to start August 10, but apparently so many people opted for remote or virtual that they've put the start date 2 weeks later on August 24, to give them time to train teachers for the remote and virtual options.

Smart parents!!!

 

[LSUmiss]

it’s insanity.

It really is. I think opening schools in the current situation here is actually much more dangerous than opening theme parks.

 

[mousefan73]

Of 1,400 Israelis diagnosed with COVID-19 last month, 657 (47 percent) were infected in schools. Now 2,026 students, teachers, and staff have it, and 28,147 are quarantined.

These were schools that were using masks and social distancing.

And on the flipside in Germany things have gone very well with schools reopening the past few months. Maybe it has to do with overall numbers in a society? I wonder what Social interaction besides in school these teachers and students in Israel have? I wish there was more information on the Israel cases it would really interest me.

As a hypothetical question: if the schools were to open in Dade County Florida, where it’s the hotspot, how can you 100% say determine point of infection?? Can’t really say because my kid was in school they got Covid. Unless the kid was on home lockdown and only allowed out to go to school and parents worked at home with no outside contact.

 

[mousefan73]

For all your teachers out there my daughter told me an interesting story yesterday. It seems half of her class would use to IT “issues” as excuses not to 100% participate online. Many use the excuse “my microphone is not working” so the teacher will not be able to call on them online during an online class.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So in my state the governor rejected the Board of Education's recommendation that pre k-6th not be required to wear masks (which their recommendation was due to distraction/hindrance reasons). Now all schools that have in-person learning will require masks from everyone including visitors. That is within her authority to do so without ability to override.

However, the governor also signed an executive order delaying the start date of schools from mid-August to just after Labor Day. That decision was within her authority so long as the Board of Education signed off on it. Today the Board of Education rejected that which allows individual school districts within the state to choose to reopen originally scheduled or delay as they see fit. It wouldn't surprise me if the big districts in my area choose to delay, others already have within the metro in other counties but we'll see. I believe one of the big ones in my county already said they supported the governor's decision to delay but I don't know yet if they are actually going to do so.

Update to my post:

1 of the big 3 school districts in my county announced they'll follow the governor's request and delay school. School will start September 9th (original start date was August 18th and they have approximately 23,000 students). It will be interesting if the other 2 big ones will follow (one district has approximately 30,000 students while the other has over 27,000 students).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Update to my post:

1 of the big 3 school districts in my county announced they'll follow the governor's request and delay school. School will start September 9th (original start date was August 18th and they have approximately 23,000 students). It will be interesting if the other 2 big ones will follow (one district has approximately 30,000 students while the other has over 27,000 students).

Update again:

Another of the 3 big school districts (the one that previously gave support for the delay and has over 27,000 students) also is delaying though no official date has been worked out just yet but it should be after Labor Day as well as far as I know (original date was August 17th,18th or 19th depending on grade levels).

This just leaves the school district that my house is assigned to in terms of what they will decide. Given that all 3 districts tend to work together (especially on snow/inclement weather days) I expect mine to follow but we shall see.

 

[godisney14]

Update again:

Another of the 3 big school districts (the one that previously gave support for the delay and has over 27,000 students) also is delaying though no official date has been worked out just yet but it should be after Labor Day as well as far as I know (original date was August 17th,18th or 19th depending on grade levels).

This just leaves the school district that my house is assigned to in terms of what they will decide. Given that all 3 districts tend to work together (especially on snow/inclement weather days) I expect mine to follow but we shall see.

Since I have not heard of any schools in CA delaying start dates, can you explain why a school would delay? Is it to buy more time for preparing remote/hybrid curriculum? Or are they hoping the virus situation would lessen during the extra 2 or 3 weeks?

 

[mom2rtk]

Update again:

Another of the 3 big school districts (the one that previously gave support for the delay and has over 27,000 students) also is delaying though no official date has been worked out just yet but it should be after Labor Day as well as far as I know (original date was August 17th,18th or 19th depending on grade levels).

This just leaves the school district that my house is assigned to in terms of what they will decide. Given that all 3 districts tend to work together (especially on snow/inclement weather days) I expect mine to follow but we shall see.

I don't understand what the big deal is with the delay. Do they expect things to change that much in 3 weeks?

 

[DisneyElite4]

I don't understand what the big deal is with the delay. Do they expect things to change that much in 3 weeks?

We are delaying here, too. The delay here is to give the teachers time to set up and learn the new distance learning platform our district is using.

 

[anniemae]

What I worry about is what happens when your child has a cold? I have been hearing rumblings that they will not be able to return unless they get a negative covid test. That could mean a lot of trips to the dr.'s for testing. Kids get so many colds and viruses throughout the year. It will be a long year.........

 

[mom2rtk]

We are delaying here, too. The delay here is to give the teachers time to set up and learn the new distance learning platform our district is using.

@Mackenzie Click-Mickelson Is that what the KS schools are doing? Using the time to prepare online curriculums?

 

[monsterkitty]

For all your teachers out there my daughter told me an interesting story yesterday. It seems half of her class would use to IT “issues” as excuses not to 100% participate online. Many use the excuse “my microphone is not working” so the teacher will not be able to call on them online during an online class.

Another reason kids wouldn't participate is they were embarrassed about the room or space they were having to Zoom from. We told them they could turn off the video but keep the mic on. Our STEM teacher had the kids build a fort with blankets and that got more kids involved. I think half the kids started showing up for all classes in their blanket forts after that.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don't understand what the big deal is with the delay. Do they expect things to change that much in 3 weeks?

@Mackenzie Click-Mickelson Is that what the KS schools are doing? Using the time to prepare online curriculums?

They want to see of the additional time will allow cases to ease a bit especially now that the more populous counties have adopted the mask mandate in early July and to allow for additional time for supplies for schools after the governor adjusted some but accepted most of the Board of Education's plan. I think most of the planning is done but they probably have still can find more to do.

I'm kinda with you I'm not sure what an additional 3 weeks will do especially with the way the metro is but at the same time I get it. I know that KCK schools delayed AND opted to do the first 9 weeks remote learning. I don't think that is the plan for the JOCO schools but they haven't fully released their plans. KCK just made their decision in the last day or so after their health director said it would be best.

At some point though delay after delay will start to cause an issue.

What's MO doing in your neck of the woods? I think I remember you saying they were doing summer school.

 

[motherof5]

I have to respectfully disagree with this statement. It hasn't been safe for essential workers. The first documented person to die of Covid in my county was a grocery store worker. Just last night, there was a news story about a nurse dying after getting exposed in her job. Healthcare workers all over the country are the getting virus. It's not that teachers and schools "can't make it work." We don't think it's safe. Back in March when we shut down, there was a small but growing number of cases in most states. For safety, we were told to teach from home. Now the cases are exploding all over and, in many states, show no signs of slowing down. And people want us to go back into classrooms? Why? Because it's August and that's when we always go back? That makes no sense. Our return needs to be based on science, not a calendar.

This is not a cold. People are dying from it. And since it such a new virus, no one really knows its long term effects. Even after recovery, patients are showing damage the the lungs, heart, kidneys, blood vessels and brain. It's not something to mess around with.

Our kids will get back to school eventually. As educators, we will work hard, use our skills and creative thinking to bridge the gap caused by the pandemic. In the meantime, we will do as much as we can to keep them learning, but from a distance.

This past virtual learning was not successful in my town and surrounding towns. I can say one of my children only met with her teacher for 15 minutes virtually weekly. Maybe if it was more successful we would have more faith in it.

We will not survive as a economy if we continue to be shut down. Businesses around me are already closing, people are losing their jobs. The shutdown was initiated to give hospitals time to get the appropriate equipment and get ready to care for a mass number of ill patients. It was not to be a long term shut down. We cannot remain closed until a vaccine. I'm a healthcare worker and have continued to work. Can people still get sick? Of course, but with proper equipment, good hand washing this disease can be slowed down. I know first hand how hospitals have been trying their best. We can't close down we need to continue to care for the sick. Grocery stores can't close down since people need food to survive. Schools are just as essential. Students need to learn and grow. Their future can be impacted immensely if they don't get a proper education. Why is a education not considered essential? How can children learn if they don't have internet, or their parents don't speak english, or they don't have a chromebook, or if they are on a IEP? There are many barriers to virtual learning. All I'm saying is a one size fits all is not the best approach. Some towns/cities have low numbers of cases, smaller class rooms, yet are still not opening as the states are all being lumped together versus individualized. New students graduating as teachers are not getting jobs, but need to pay their student loans. This continue thinking of closing everything until a vaccine is crippling our economy.

You stated that it isn't safe for essential workers and are giving the few examples of those that have gotten sick. Yet so many have worked without getting sick or dying. I know every life is worth living, but if I go by your thinking everyone should stay home, no essential worker should work. Sick people have no where to go or anyone to take care of them. If you agree essential people should still work and help these people. Then aren't teachers essential. They have always stated they were essential so now why in a pandemic does that change. People want to argue that teachers are at greater risk due to having so many kids in a classroom. Daycares have been opening, caring for essential workers childrens. Parents of these children worked with Covid patients and then brought their children into a confined space. Yet look at the numbers and you will see daycares have remained relatively safe and haven't increase the numbers of Covid cases.

We can't wait til there is a vaccine to continue living. We need to adjust and follow guidelines. People follow guidelines for wearing masks in public spaces and will confront someone who doesn't follow the guidelines. The CDC and American Pediatrics guideline both state it's safe for children to return to school.

 

[motherof5]

This isn't meant to be argumentative - I'm genuinely curious. Do you really think in person, under these conditions will lead to a proper education? I can see it better at the high school level where they proposed AA/BB for hybrid, but the elementary school plan of AM/PM just feels like it would be a mess. 3 hours a day per cohort - with staggered arrivals and departures, mask issues and just general kid behavior, I have concerns over how much actual learning would be done.

I totally agree with you that in person is better than remote - for my kids at least - but that's under normal circumstances. I feel like nothing this year is going to give our kids the education they deserve or need.



As above, not meant to be argumentative, but curious. Do you think in person, when socially distanced and with masks will give him the social interactions he needs? I understand as an only child even being around kids is better than by himself, but kids have all said they'd struggle with the idea that they could be in the same room as their friends, but not actually be around them. And this idea that kids would be playing on the playground by themselves - or without shared equipment just depresses me. I personally feel that it could make them feel more isolated because they can be around kids but not actually truly interact with any of them.

Now obviously my opinion is based on what's been presented by my own school districts, so it may not be the situation for others. As I've said, it doesn't matter if kids are in person or remote, they've being screwed in all of this. There are no perfect answers.

I agree with you both. I don't think a am/pm schedule works not just for the children and working parents but financially for school districts. They can't possible clean the building in between the am and pm students, they can't disinfect the buses and now they are using more transportation and personnel. I don't have all the answers and I know it's a difficult situation. I do know that originally near me they stated they wanted to split classes to have less students in school. Now more than 50% of students are not returning either their parents feel it isn't safe and are doing the virtual learning and some are afraid of changes happening when cases spike and school closes so they are opting for homeschool to have a more consistent schedule. My issue is now that 50%+ aren't returning why can't the remaining students have 100% in school since the number of students have decrease. Do I think masks are the best for children. Absolutely not. They will have to get used to wearing them (I know it took me a while when I first became a nurse) They will be distracted by the masks, have difficulty breathing, get headaches and touch their mouth and nose more often to adjust them. I would prefer face shields or plastic dividers between desks like grocery stores. But I have no control over it. I will teach my children how to wear masks and tolerate them, they know good hand washing. Hopefully this isn't a long term solution. I do know that the last 4 months of school my children didn't learn, and I am on the PTO at their schools and talked to many parents who were just as frustrated as I was. We don't blame the teachers we just want a solution. We want our kids to get a proper education. They need social interaction, they needs to be interactive with children their own age. We are following guidelines for wearing masks in public. Why then shouldn't we follow the CDC and American Pediatric guidelines which state children should go back to school?

 

[LSUmiss]

This past virtual learning was not successful in my town and surrounding towns. I can say one of my children only met with her teacher for 15 minutes virtually weekly. Maybe if it was more successful we would have more faith in it.

We will not survive as a economy if we continue to be shut down. Businesses around me are already closing, people are losing their jobs. The shutdown was initiated to give hospitals time to get the appropriate equipment and get ready to care for a mass number of ill patients. It was not to be a long term shut down. We cannot remain closed until a vaccine. I'm a healthcare worker and have continued to work. Can people still get sick? Of course, but with proper equipment, good hand washing this disease can be slowed down. I know first hand how hospitals have been trying their best. We can't close down we need to continue to care for the sick. Grocery stores can't close down since people need food to survive. Schools are just as essential. Students need to learn and grow. Their future can be impacted immensely if they don't get a proper education. Why is a education not considered essential? How can children learn if they don't have internet, or their parents don't speak english, or they don't have a chromebook, or if they are on a IEP? There are many barriers to virtual learning. All I'm saying is a one size fits all is not the best approach. Some towns/cities have low numbers of cases, smaller class rooms, yet are still not opening as the states are all being lumped together versus individualized. New students graduating as teachers are not getting jobs, but need to pay their student loans. This continue thinking of closing everything until a vaccine is crippling our economy.

You stated that it isn't safe for essential workers and are giving the few examples of those that have gotten sick. Yet so many have worked without getting sick or dying. I know every life is worth living, but if I go by your thinking everyone should stay home, no essential worker should work. Sick people have no where to go or anyone to take care of them. If you agree essential people should still work and help these people. Then aren't teachers essential. They have always stated they were essential so now why in a pandemic does that change. People want to argue that teachers are at greater risk due to having so many kids in a classroom. Daycares have been opening, caring for essential workers childrens. Parents of these children worked with Covid patients and then brought their children into a confined space. Yet look at the numbers and you will see daycares have remained relatively safe and haven't increase the numbers of Covid cases.

We can't wait til there is a vaccine to continue living. We need to adjust and follow guidelines. People follow guidelines for wearing masks in public spaces and will confront someone who doesn't follow the guidelines. The CDC and American Pediatrics guideline both state it's safe for children to return to school.

I’m pretty sure the American Pediatrics reconsidered that opinion for certain areas.

 

[gwynne]

These cities may have to work to get the virus under much better control as a first priority.

ST. LOUIS — One of the leading doctors on the White House Coronavirus Task Force warned state and local leaders on a private phone call that 11 cities, including St. Louis needed to take "aggressive" steps to limit the virus' spread, a report said.
According to a report from the Center for Public Integrity, Dr. Deborah Birx, a leader of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, identified St. Louis along with Baltimore, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans and Pittsburgh as cities needing to get outbreaks under control.
https://www.ksdk.com/mobile/article...fight/63-891bf7ee-0fcc-49d0-b7da-4ab068551981

 

[SaintsManiac]

This past virtual learning was not successful in my town and surrounding towns. I can say one of my children only met with her teacher for 15 minutes virtually weekly. Maybe if it was more successful we would have more faith in it.

We will not survive as a economy if we continue to be shut down. Businesses around me are already closing, people are losing their jobs. The shutdown was initiated to give hospitals time to get the appropriate equipment and get ready to care for a mass number of ill patients. It was not to be a long term shut down. We cannot remain closed until a vaccine. I'm a healthcare worker and have continued to work. Can people still get sick? Of course, but with proper equipment, good hand washing this disease can be slowed down. I know first hand how hospitals have been trying their best. We can't close down we need to continue to care for the sick. Grocery stores can't close down since people need food to survive. Schools are just as essential. Students need to learn and grow. Their future can be impacted immensely if they don't get a proper education. Why is a education not considered essential? How can children learn if they don't have internet, or their parents don't speak english, or they don't have a chromebook, or if they are on a IEP? There are many barriers to virtual learning. All I'm saying is a one size fits all is not the best approach. Some towns/cities have low numbers of cases, smaller class rooms, yet are still not opening as the states are all being lumped together versus individualized. New students graduating as teachers are not getting jobs, but need to pay their student loans. This continue thinking of closing everything until a vaccine is crippling our economy.

You stated that it isn't safe for essential workers and are giving the few examples of those that have gotten sick. Yet so many have worked without getting sick or dying. I know every life is worth living, but if I go by your thinking everyone should stay home, no essential worker should work. Sick people have no where to go or anyone to take care of them. If you agree essential people should still work and help these people. Then aren't teachers essential. They have always stated they were essential so now why in a pandemic does that change. People want to argue that teachers are at greater risk due to having so many kids in a classroom. Daycares have been opening, caring for essential workers childrens. Parents of these children worked with Covid patients and then brought their children into a confined space. Yet look at the numbers and you will see daycares have remained relatively safe and haven't increase the numbers of Covid cases.

We can't wait til there is a vaccine to continue living. We need to adjust and follow guidelines. People follow guidelines for wearing masks in public spaces and will confront someone who doesn't follow the guidelines. The CDC and American Pediatrics guideline both state it's safe for children to return to school.

All of this has been said many, many, many times on these boards. There isn’t an easy solution. It’s going to be a long, tough road to recovery.

This virus has been in our lives for just 6 months. That’s it. It might feel longer, but it hasn’t been. We simply do not understand it well enough to determine the best courses of action.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I agree with you both. I don't think a am/pm schedule works not just for the children and working parents but financially for school districts. They can't possible clean the building in between the am and pm students, they can't disinfect the buses and now they are using more transportation and personnel. I don't have all the answers and I know it's a difficult situation. I do know that originally near me they stated they wanted to split classes to have less students in school. Now more than 50% of students are not returning either their parents feel it isn't safe and are doing the virtual learning and some are afraid of changes happening when cases spike and school closes so they are opting for homeschool to have a more consistent schedule. My issue is now that 50%+ aren't returning why can't the remaining students have 100% in school since the number of students have decrease. Do I think masks are the best for children. Absolutely not. They will have to get used to wearing them (I know it took me a while when I first became a nurse) They will be distracted by the masks, have difficulty breathing, get headaches and touch their mouth and nose more often to adjust them. I would prefer face shields or plastic dividers between desks like grocery stores. But I have no control over it. I will teach my children how to wear masks and tolerate them, they know good hand washing. Hopefully this isn't a long term solution. I do know that the last 4 months of school my children didn't learn, and I am on the PTO at their schools and talked to many parents who were just as frustrated as I was. We don't blame the teachers we just want a solution. We want our kids to get a proper education. They need social interaction, they needs to be interactive with children their own age. We are following guidelines for wearing masks in public. Why then shouldn't we follow the CDC and American Pediatric guidelines which state children should go back to school?

My guess is staffing. Schools can’t afford to hire the number of teachers that would require. And while great in theory, a teacher trying to teach an in person class at the same time as a remote class will only end up with everybody frustrated, in my opinion.

Also, the AAP reversed their stance on return to school and said only when it’s safe. I know it’s not safe for my area.

 

[brockash]

Most districts around us are delaying as well. I think in part in hopes of easing current upticks and also to have time to organize/prepare for which kids are doing traditional and those choosing virtual. They left the majority of the rest of the calendar the same so I'm fine with it.