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I have a friend in public school administration and the “recommendation” really put them in a bad spot. The vast majority of parents and teachers in his district want to return to in person school (it’s a very rural area) so on its face it looks like they can do what they want but the red tape involved with actually doing that is so overwhelming it’s really not practical. Long story short, it’s only a recommendation on its face and in practice more of a mandate, at least for public schools. Which puts all the heat on the administrators.TSK, it appears at least a few schools and districts are going to defy the recommendation so we'll probably figure that out pretty soon. I tend to lean with you on public schools being virtual at least fall semester, but then we're into flu, and maybe the new covid, seasons so will it be all school year?
Students are going to get it...period. Just like they get the flu, strep, ear infections, etc, etc, etc. It is proven that the recovery rate and ability to ward off any severe issues at school ages is high so move forward and deal with it when it comes. Shutting down schools is a gross malfeasance by our officials.
Teachers are front line workers, imo, and I don't buy the argument that they are at a high risk given they don't have to be in close proximity to other teachers or students for prolonged periods of time.
It's TBD, but I have a feat that this fall/winter is going to play hell on the immune systems of the young due to the lockdowns and associated factors.
Isn't that exactly what they did with their 4 months of planning?I disagree. Schools must address the students, teachers, custodians, administration, etc. safety first. Covid is real and highly contagious.
Location?My kids go to public school. Today was the first day
I think some did, but not all.Isn't that exactly what they did with their 4 months of planning?
Same with my daughter's catholic school. We also chose to send her since it's a smaller school with only two 7th grade classes. The guidelines they rolled out seem well- thought out and safe, so we'll see how it goes.Our district went with the parents choice model and we chose to send our kids. I'm not sure how many chose to stay home, but judging from the car rider lines, not many.
The few people that I know that are keeping kids home are doing it solely because they don't think their kids should have to wear a mask.
So you're fine with the "some" moving forward and "not all" to get better plans?I think some did, but not all.
Public schools (in Democratic states) will not re-open until the police are defunded
IMO, back to school should've been priority #1 starting in March. We've seen distance learning has been all but a disaster for most and especially the children that need us most. Teaching is a skill and most parents don't have the ability or patience to do it effectively. Teaching is also THEE essential employee and someone needs to come out and say that. Give them hazard pay, we're printing fake money as it is. If I had to tell employees in March, "sorry you're scared, but you're required to show up or you're not eligible for unemployment," why should teachers be different? If we're safe having attendance at soccer games, Derby, Ky Kingdom open, we're fine to have schools open for those that need it. We built 1/2 billion dollars worth of field hospitals that never saw a patient yet we can't do the same for classrooms to achieve social distancing? What if this drags on for another 2 years with no vaccine or advances in treatments? Are we just going to lose 2.5 years of schooling for our kids? We're already working on a full school year. We keep being reminded how awful America handled this pandemic yet countries with higher deaths per capita have been back in school safely since May(France/Sweden). In my opinion the teachers associations are using this as a bargaining chip and it's really f*cked up, to say the least. Just disgusting.
Schools shouldn't have been the last thing to open, they should've been the first thing to re-open and everything else tailored around that. Offer a parents choice, go find the at risk teachers and boot camp them to being the best NTI teachers, pair them(without districts or border restrictions) with at risk children and get the others back in the building safely.
I don't have kiddos, so I don't have a dog in the fight, but I used to do a fair bit of domestic violence/dependency abuse and neglect work. My heart breaks for those kids that have been trapped at home away from resources to help them, away from mandatory reporters (fyi all adults are mandatory reporters in Kentucky, but schools are HUGE for getting the ball rolling since they generally see the kids daily and can monitor progress). I haven't heard the teachers' unions say a damn thing about that. Covid is real, it's a risk, but the damage some of these populations are experiencing is far worse than a respiratory virus. The food poverty is also something that concerns me. Yes, I know there were deliveries of school lunches--my boyfriend's dad did it through the end of May--but still. There's so much so many are missing being out of school.
my parents homeschooled me, but it was a thought-out decision with a lot of research and both of them have college/terminal degrees, and we had outside resources (umbrella school, outside classes, etc) so I wasn't 100% at home. I did fairly well with it; my brother a little less so. It's NOT for everybody, and I can't imagine how working parents are coping with the prospect of NTI interminably.
tl;dr parents' choice, and get as many of these at risk kids back in the classroom asap.
Same with my daughter's catholic school. We also chose to send her since it's a smaller school with only two 7th grade classes. The guidelines they rolled out seem well- thought out and safe, so we'll see how it goes.
My son is in JCPS, so we don't have a choice with him at least through Oct, and I predict until at least the first of the year. Luckily my wife and I are WFH so we can swing distance learning for a bit.
IMO a parents' option is the way to go. Not everyone can WFH or have kids old enough to be left alone. Not to mention the kids without wifi and those that need school meals. JCPS said that over 1000 kids didn't even check in with their teachers once last spring after they closed the schools. We can't have that.
Also, as a guy with several teachers in my family, the constant shifting of mandates and recommendations is frustrating school officials to no end. Every time they come up with a plan, something else changes.
St. Aloysius in Peewee Valley. I just saw a few minutes ago that the superintendent is pushing forward with the in-person option. I think it's the right decision given the circumstances and the NTI option. Honestly, I'm pleased with the way they've handled all of this.Which Catholic school does your daughter attend? My son is in 6th grade at one of the Catholic schools and they have given the option of in person or virtual. We've chosen to attend and supposed to start on the 19th. Supposed to hear today if that gets moved back due to Andy's new recommendation.
Not to mention the kids without wifi and those that need school meals. JCPS said that over 1000 kids didn't even check in with their teachers once last spring after they closed the schools. We can't have that.
Hadn’t heard from my daughter’s school, so this is fantastic news.Catholic Schools in Lou/Lex are moving forward as planned next week. Nice.
That's at least 4-5 sizeable districts telling Andy to get pumped. Be intersting to see if he tries to penalize them.
Open them up. Use whatever combination of social distancing practices fits the individual school situation best.
- If necessary...do some kind of staggering with the days. MWF half the students are in person the other half are NTI. Flip it on TU/Th. Then alternate that schedule the following week.
- Make special arrangements for kids that don’t have the means to participate in the NTI part.
- Wear masks in and out of the school and in hallways.
- Stager start times for classes so hallways aren’t as crowded in between classes.
- Use whatever inside each classroom. By “whatever” I mean to say that the administrators & teachers have had 4 months to come up with how to make a classroom safe. It might be different for each district or school or even for each individual classroom within a school depending on the classroom logistics, class size, class subject, etc...
- If bars, restaurants, Walmart, Lowe’s, hospitals, doctors offices, barber shops, salons, etc...can figure it out then so can schools.
- Kids need to be in school.
Almost forgot...
- Cancel car pool lines. Not necessarily Covid related and I don’t have a better plan to offer...I just hate those mofos. So cancel them.
Catholic Schools in Lou/Lex are moving forward as planned next week. Nice.
That's at least 4-5 sizeable districts telling Andy to get pumped. Be intersting to see if he tries to penalize them.