What do you think school will be like in the fall? UPDATE page 29 for Mass.

[Wendy1985]

We are on a balanced calendar. We go back to school the end of July. From what I understand, the governor (Indiana) does not plan to make any announcements about next school year until at least July 1st, which is understandable, but it puts my school district at a distinct disadvantage because we go back so early.

Does your district usually go back so early

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

We had our first conversations about fall planning last night in a steering committee meeting, and it is a mess! Some background: I'm on the committee of a small, parochial school. Our largest classes are in the mid-teens, and we serve students K through 8, and our building has extra classrooms (currently used for "specials") that could be converted for additional space. So we basically have every advantage in dealing with this, compared to larger or public schools.

Right now, we're being told by the regional superintendent to prepare for hybrid learning and to maintain distancing in the classroom. But developing a workable plan for that is going to be rough. The thing that makes the most sense is to have the middle schoolers, who share the same three teachers, attend on some days and the lower elem attend on the other - the thinking is 2 days one week, 3 the next, switching off so both groups get equal time. That would also allow those teachers to be available for online learning support on their grades' off days. But that means that some families who have kids at both levels won't have them on the same schedule, and if one of those families does come down with the virus, the whole school gets exposed because the kids are attending with both groups. But to split the kids along different lines, with half of each grade attending each day so that kids from the same family are on the same schedule would mean teachers are unavailable to students learning at home on the other half of the days. Also, art and music and tech are looking like they'll be completely impossible - too hard to do in the ordinary classroom, too high risk in terms of equipment and cleaning - so those are just going to go away.

We're also being told to expect a 20% enrollment drop, more if we aren't allowed to start the year with at least some in-person learning, though that might be offset as the consequences of the gutted public school funding our state is currently proposing become clear. I don't see how the public schools will be able to be anything other than fully online, with a 25% budget cut coming and class sizes already in the high 20s or low 30s. There's not enough time, space or staff to reduce class sizes enough to comply with the distancing guidelines we're being told to expect, and there won't be any money to reconfigure spaces or hire additional teachers or aides to make it work.

I am a middle school teacher at a small JK-8 Catholic school, and I am terrified about next year. This last quarter has been so hard and incredibly time consuming. I've had to re-do so much of my curriculum, spend hours upon hours looking for and reviewing online resources that will allow my students to learn my 4th quarter curriculum objectives, and it takes FOREVER to grade the work that is coming is at all different times and in all different ways. We have tried and tried to get kids to turn things in to Google Classroom so we have some uniformity, but we've also been told to be flexible and accept work however it is turned in. On Monday I spent 40 minutes looking through 1700 assignments for work a student said he turned in, and another 30 minutes on a Zoom with his dad. It turns out he did turn the work in, but he put it under different weeks and different assignments that I'd already graded and returned, and he didn't hit "turn in", so I never would have found it without spending all that time looking! And then there are the emails. When I'm not in a Zoom session, I'm emailing with my students constantly to answer their questions. I wish our Zoom lessons had required attendance, but they don't. We teachers are required to do them, but the students aren't required to attend. Most of the questions I get, I've already answered in the Zoom sessions. It's frustrating.

Anyway, my point is that we are having the same discussions at my school - alternate attendance days, hybrid in person/online learning, how to best utilize space for social distancing. I can barely keep my head above water now, so I have no idea how I'm going to manage trying to do BOTH in person and online learning at the same time.

If I hadn't just bought a new to me car and I didn't have my DD's last year of college to pay for, I would be gone at the end of this school year. I truly do not want jump through all the hoops next year and constantly be told I am not doing enough, or not doing it correctly, or doing too much...especially not for my measly little salary. I get it, I truly do. We are worried about enrollment, so we are being told we have to do more and more and more, and plus it, plus it, plus it to differentiate ourselves from other schools. But they are plussing me right out the door, and I am an incredibly good, caring, experienced teacher.

 

[Dole_whip_doll]

They’ve already had us complete and submit all our lessons/assignments/work for the rest of closure (admin goes through it all first). BUT the other day they wanted us to practice doing a lesson in Zoom/Google/whatever. I am extremely uncomfortable doing any of that so I did a portion of a lesson with something called Screencastify. I am guessing this is to show abilities for next year??? No other info was given. Just to do whatever and record it so we can submit it when requested.

 

[amylevan]

Other posters. Have you heard from your school or area college/high school/elementary public or private where a chancellor or president or district superintendent has publicly come out and said, YES 100% we will have in person come Fall 2020?

Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education stated the other day he expects students to be back in schools in the fall.

Since my county is still “red” and our governor has stated that schools will not open in the “yellow” phase, I find it hard to believe and have spent the last day researching homeschooling curriculum because our virtual schooling isn’t cutting it.

 

[HeatherC]

Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education stated the other day he expects students to be back in schools in the fall.

Since my county is still “red” and our governor has stated that schools will not open in the “yellow” phase, I find it hard to believe and have spent the last day researching homeschooling curriculum because our virtual schooling isn’t cutting it.

If you are able to homeschool. I think you are very smart to research it now. My thoughts are that many schools will reopen in the fall....for a while...then shut down again . I don’t see this going away over the fall and winter, but I am really hoping to be proven wrong.

 

[mousefan73]

I can tell you guys what school looks like right now in Germany. We have slowly opened schools.. this is what it looked like in our state.

1. 2 weeks ago exam year classes returned. Our school system has final exams which are required to pass to get your "diploma" in grades 9, 10, or 12 depending on school ( vocational, college prep A levels etc.). This gave them time to prep a 6-8 weeks for their final exams.
2. Last week the class levels just below those taking exams where eased in grades 8, 9, and 11 depending on school level. And 4th grade as this is the last year before kids get split by ability ( vocational, vs college prep etc) Gives these kids 2 months time to get caught up.

For those above classes are split into smaller classes, basically in half. Only exam relevant or core classes are being taught, no music, art, sport.
3. Next week Grades 1 and 2 start. Here the class is split in 2. with alternating days. plan is that kids go to school for 5 days within 2 weeks. one week. m-w-f and next t-th. extra homework is given for non-school days. Only 3 core classes, readiing/grammar, math and general science. Art, music, sport, religion not taught. I assume the teacher here will do the same lesson plan for two weeks, in two groups.


1. All students have to wear masks in school buses and stops where distance cannot be kept.
2. No sharing of large tables or desks. Desks are 1-5 meters now apart.
3. No mask wearing needed while in the classroom seated at desk,
4. Only one person per time in the bathrooms depending on size.
5. No Cafeteria
6. All school field trips, exchange programs stopped until Fall

We are lucky in a way as our school year ends July 30 for 6 weeks and starts again Beginning of September, for us it makes sense to start school again.


my kids are in 8 and 9th in the college prep so their classes will most likely start 2 week of June. We have a two week break coming up anyways. This gives them at least a few weeks of real classes...

Challenge will be when all classes return and classes need to be kept small. Only solution would be a two week rotating system.

Just wanted to add that the whole child care issue will also need to be addressed. I know that even during our shut-down and now if you had an essential job you were able to send your kids to school. Schools were open with a general classroom for these kids. basically day-care. But schools by us are normally half day anyways and then afterschool is on-site daycare.

 

[spiders]

One way or another, some form of school is going to need to be made available outside of what is now essentially home schooling. We have no issues with teaching our kids the curriculum. But not every kid is so lucky and there are plenty poor parts of town where the parents may not even understand the material themselves. If we don't find at least some form of school then you are going to be guaranteeing some kids a lifetime of poverty because they are not going to have an opportunity at a decent education.

 

[China Expat]

The entire Cal State University system of 500,000 students will not have regular classes in the fall...wlll be distance for the most part.

 

[DopeyDame]

Yes, this. Los Angeles County announced yesterday that, because there are still so many new cases in LA, we are stuck until August, probably beyond - the whole county. OK, but where are those new cases exactly? Nope, can't say, privacy concerns. OK, but I'm sure if you started plotting those locations, a pattern would pretty quickly emerge. Can't do that though, so we are all locked down - through the summer - probably longer - shoot me now.

they don’t release by zip code? That’s what I think most other places are doing by this point. I recognize that most decisions need to be made at the county level but you’re right that knowing more accurate locations can help priorities resources

 

[Dole_whip_doll]

they don’t release by zip code? That’s what I think most other places are doing by this point. I recognize that most decisions need to be made at the county level but you’re right that knowing more accurate locations can help priorities resources

Ours is still county only on news and social media. A local paper, which is mostly a gossip rag, will allude fo locations without actually naming them.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I can tell you guys what school looks like right now in Germany. We have slowly opened schools.. this is what it looked like in our state.

1. 2 weeks ago exam year classes returned. Our school system has final exams which are required to pass to get your "diploma" in grades 9, 10, or 12 depending on school ( vocational, college prep A levels etc.). This gave them time to prep a 6-8 weeks for their final exams.
2. Last week the class levels just below those taking exams where eased in grades 8, 9, and 11 depending on school level. And 4th grade as this is the last year before kids get split by ability ( vocational, vs college prep etc) Gives these kids 2 months time to get caught up.

For those above classes are split into smaller classes, basically in half. Only exam relevant or core classes are being taught, no music, art, sport.
3. Next week Grades 1 and 2 start. Here the class is split in 2. with alternating days. plan is that kids go to school for 5 days within 2 weeks. one week. m-w-f and next t-th. extra homework is given for non-school days. Only 3 core classes, readiing/grammar, math and general science. Art, music, sport, religion not taught. I assume the teacher here will do the same lesson plan for two weeks, in two groups.


1. All students have to wear masks in school buses and stops where distance cannot be kept.
2. No sharing of large tables or desks. Desks are 1-5 meters now apart.
3. No mask wearing needed while in the classroom seated at desk,
4. Only one person per time in the bathrooms depending on size.
5. No Cafeteria
6. All school field trips, exchange programs stopped until Fall

We are lucky in a way as our school year ends July 30 for 6 weeks and starts again Beginning of September, for us it makes sense to start school again.


my kids are in 8 and 9th in the college prep so their classes will most likely start 2 week of June. We have a two week break coming up anyways. This gives them at least a few weeks of real classes...

Challenge will be when all classes return and classes need to be kept small. Only solution would be a two week rotating system.

Just wanted to add that the whole child care issue will also need to be addressed. I know that even during our shut-down and now if you had an essential job you were able to send your kids to school. Schools were open with a general classroom for these kids. basically day-care. But schools by us are normally half day anyways and then afterschool is on-site daycare.

Thanks for the insight - very interesting. So has there been any increase in cases associated with opening the schools? That's the fear here.

 

[Colleen27]

I think many colleges and universities will have on campus classes this fall. Not CA or the northeast, but lots of other locations will.

Even in CA, some are planning for it. What we're hearing from DD's university is that the only way they're going to be all-online in the fall is if the governor or mayor prohibits them from reopening. Many classes will still be held online and even more will be hybrids and some facilities will be closed or limited, but the plan right now is to have the dorms open at least to out-of-area students (and they've already reduced capacity - no triples or quads, only doubles) and hold labs, clinicals, performance classes, etc. in person.

Other posters. Have you heard from your school or area college/high school/elementary public or private where a chancellor or president or district superintendent has publicly come out and said, YES 100% we will have in person come Fall 2020?

I don't think anyone can say 100%, at least not in my state or the state where DD attends college, because there's a strong possibility that the governors will step in to prohibit openings regardless of the plans that schools develop. Some colleges located in parts of my state have made announcements that fall semester will be on campus, and my alma mater has already detailed hybrid plans with a significant amount of on-site learning, but I've heard from friends who work in higher ed. that there's an uneasy feeling that the more schools decide to reopen in person, the more likely it is that the governor will mandate they stay closed.

I am a middle school teacher at a small JK-8 Catholic school, and I am terrified about next year. This last quarter has been so hard and incredibly time consuming. I've had to re-do so much of my curriculum, spend hours upon hours looking for and reviewing online resources that will allow my students to learn my 4th quarter curriculum objectives, and it takes FOREVER to grade the work that is coming is at all different times and in all different ways. We have tried and tried to get kids to turn things in to Google Classroom so we have some uniformity, but we've also been told to be flexible and accept work however it is turned in. On Monday I spent 40 minutes looking through 1700 assignments for work a student said he turned in, and another 30 minutes on a Zoom with his dad. It turns out he did turn the work in, but he put it under different weeks and different assignments that I'd already graded and returned, and he didn't hit "turn in", so I never would have found it without spending all that time looking! And then there are the emails. When I'm not in a Zoom session, I'm emailing with my students constantly to answer their questions. I wish our Zoom lessons had required attendance, but they don't. We teachers are required to do them, but the students aren't required to attend. Most of the questions I get, I've already answered in the Zoom sessions. It's frustrating.

Anyway, my point is that we are having the same discussions at my school - alternate attendance days, hybrid in person/online learning, how to best utilize space for social distancing. I can barely keep my head above water now, so I have no idea how I'm going to manage trying to do BOTH in person and online learning at the same time.

If I hadn't just bought a new to me car and I didn't have my DD's last year of college to pay for, I would be gone at the end of this school year. I truly do not want jump through all the hoops next year and constantly be told I am not doing enough, or not doing it correctly, or doing too much...especially not for my measly little salary. I get it, I truly do. We are worried about enrollment, so we are being told we have to do more and more and more, and plus it, plus it, plus it to differentiate ourselves from other schools. But they are plussing me right out the door, and I am an incredibly good, caring, experienced teacher.

Wow, that's tough.

Have you tried raising the issue of attendance with your administration? Our Zoom/Google Meet classes are mandatory and participation is a grade, just as it would be in the classroom, and our principal has 100% backed the teachers up on that while also letting parents know that if they have a real issue preventing them from logging in as scheduled, to reach out to make alternative arrangements. We also record all our Zoom and Meet classes, so those alternative arrangements involve giving kids who cannot attend, whether on a specific day or routinely, access to watch the video on their own time.

We had some of the same issues with how assignments were turned in at first, but it seems to have settled in as each teacher established their preferred methods. We only have three teachers at the middle school level, and they've really done a good job of working together to learn the technology with the two youngish teachers helping the one somewhat tech-adverse, two-years-from-retirement member of the staff. But we also only have about 30 kids, total, in middle school (grades 5 to 8) and the 8th graders mostly take math at our affiliated high school, so their workload is probably a bit lighter than most middle school teachers. And we've used some digital learning tools, like IXL, for years for worksheet-type practice assignments which makes it easier still.

I hope you're able to get into a better groove and get some better support from your school going forward. I don't blame teachers at all for thinking about leaving right now. All these changes are ridiculously stressful all the way around.

 

[Lumpy1106]

they don’t release by zip code? That’s what I think most other places are doing by this point. I recognize that most decisions need to be made at the county level but you’re right that knowing more accurate locations can help priorities resources

In California - doubtful. A handful of counties that had almost no cases between them FINALLY got approval to open faster than the State mandates - which has been more conservative than just about everywhere from the start. Then there's the LA Mayor - do as I say, not as I do. Nice haircut bro! Yes, this is from TODAY;

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Even in CA, some are planning for it. What we're hearing from DD's university is that the only way they're going to be all-online in the fall is if the governor or mayor prohibits them from reopening. Many classes will still be held online and even more will be hybrids and some facilities will be closed or limited, but the plan right now is to have the dorms open at least to out-of-area students (and they've already reduced capacity - no triples or quads, only doubles) and hold labs, clinicals, performance classes, etc. in person.



I don't think anyone can say 100%, at least not in my state or the state where DD attends college, because there's a strong possibility that the governors will step in to prohibit openings regardless of the plans that schools develop. Some colleges located in parts of my state have made announcements that fall semester will be on campus, and my alma mater has already detailed hybrid plans with a significant amount of on-site learning, but I've heard from friends who work in higher ed. that there's an uneasy feeling that the more schools decide to reopen in person, the more likely it is that the governor will mandate they stay closed.



Wow, that's tough.

Have you tried raising the issue of attendance with your administration? Our Zoom/Google Meet classes are mandatory and participation is a grade, just as it would be in the classroom, and our principal has 100% backed the teachers up on that while also letting parents know that if they have a real issue preventing them from logging in as scheduled, to reach out to make alternative arrangements. We also record all our Zoom and Meet classes, so those alternative arrangements involve giving kids who cannot attend, whether on a specific day or routinely, access to watch the video on their own time.

We had some of the same issues with how assignments were turned in at first, but it seems to have settled in as each teacher established their preferred methods. We only have three teachers at the middle school level, and they've really done a good job of working together to learn the technology with the two youngish teachers helping the one somewhat tech-adverse, two-years-from-retirement member of the staff. But we also only have about 30 kids, total, in middle school (grades 5 to 8) and the 8th graders mostly take math at our affiliated high school, so their workload is probably a bit lighter than most middle school teachers. And we've used some digital learning tools, like IXL, for years for worksheet-type practice assignments which makes it easier still.

I hope you're able to get into a better groove and get some better support from your school going forward. I don't blame teachers at all for thinking about leaving right now. All these changes are ridiculously stressful all the way around.

Unfortunately our school is part of a larger diocesan network, so we have to follow the rules set forth by the diocesan superintendent. They are so afraid about getting sued that we are not allowed to make Zoom sessions mandatory even though we lent computers to families who didn’t have them. We also are supposed to be teaching new material and grading it, but at the end of the quarter we aren’t allowed to give any zeros or let a student’s grade drop from the 3rd quarter. So if a student doesn’t do the work, there will be no consequences. But we are under a tremendous amount of pressure to get the work from those kids who are not complying. We also are not allowed to penalize kids for late work, which is one of the reason things are so hard to grade. Since we can’t hold kids accountable to due dates, they are turning stuff in whenever they feel like it. It also makes it hard for me to post all my Zoom sessions because in some of them, I’m going over the work that half of them haven’t turned in yet. I can’t publish the video until I’ve collected the assignment from everyone. I do publish the Zoom lessons that are just straight teaching though. Then when kids who didn’t attend the Zoom session ask how to do something, I direct them to the video. Only about 30% of our MS students actually log in to the live Zoom sessions. It’s kind of shocking.

I will say most kids with their parents encouragement and support are still really working hard. But there are some families who have completely checked out even though they are paying tuition. It’s frustrating.

 

[amylevan]

Only about 30% of our MS students actually log in to the live Zoom sessions. It’s kind of shocking.

30%. Ouch.

Our school district isn’t allowing any mandatory “live” sessions. Both of my kids have had class zoom calls but not for teaching lessons. All lessons are pre-recorded to allow students to watch anytime during the week. District-wide all assignments are due on Sunday night of that week so theoretically a student could wait until all assignments and videos for the week are posted and sit and do it all on the weekend. They opted for this to alleviate issues with parents still working. Last I heard we had a 98% engagement of students.

 

[lifesavacation]

30%. Ouch.

Our school district isn’t allowing any mandatory “live” sessions. Both of my kids have had class zoom calls but not for teaching lessons. All lessons are pre-recorded to allow students to watch anytime during the week. District-wide all assignments are due on Sunday night of that week so theoretically a student could wait until all assignments and videos for the week are posted and sit and do it all on the weekend. They opted for this to alleviate issues with parents still working. Last I heard we had a 98% engagement of students.

I think the prerecorded lessons are a good move. Families with multiple children might be sharing one device so that would allow them flexibility.

 

[Dole_whip_doll]

All I know is I will not put any videos of myself out there. A video of me talking will be pushing my limit. I once had video of me taken at an event and then it was doctored and cropped and such to make fun of my appearance. And this was as a teacher. Never going through that again.

 

[monsterkitty]

I am very stressed about what is going to happen with school in the fall. DD will be a junior in high school, DD5 enters kindergarten and DD3 will be in daycare.
Dh and I are both full time essential employees. DH works for our city and I am an X-ray tech in a major CT hospital. Right now all 3 kids are home which has worked out bc I am out on medical leave. I had surgery in March and will be out of work until June

Daycare is scheduled to open back up the week before I return to work. However, I have no idea what will happen if schools are closed in the fall. The shortened or rotating days will be a disaster for me. DD would be able to watch DS if she was home but what if they have school opposite days or times.

Even if school is all online I can’t have DD watch DS while she has school work to do.
I am really hoping for schools to open back normal days and normal times. If not the only solution I can see is me leaving my full time job that I have spent years to get the position I want within my hospital.

Schools understand and will work with you the best they can. My district has already told parents that if we have to do split schedules or alternating days, they will do their best to have families on the same track.

The biggest problem we are having with students not doing work is that our middle school kids are now babysitting their younger siblings. Also, parents who are now working from home are using the school-provided Chromebooks for their jobs because many of them don't have their own computers and their employers did not provide a device. As a result of both of these circumstances, many of our students are doing their school work at night, making it hard for them to have any teacher contact. I have actually been doing a Zoom "office hours" twice a week from 9:30-10:30 pm. This is when I get most of my students!

Hang in there. We know it's hard for parents. We will get through though this together.

 

[Jennasis]

In California - doubtful. A handful of counties that had almost no cases between them FINALLY got approval to open faster than the State mandates - which has been more conservative than just about everywhere from the start. Then there's the LA Mayor - do as I say, not as I do. Nice haircut bro! Yes, this is from TODAY;
View attachment 494567

Did he get his hair cut by a professional or did he have a family member do it or cut it himself, just out of curiosity? DH cuts his own hair (and I'm insanely jealous).

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Does your district usually go back so early

Yes, we have been on this calendar for several years