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

[jaybirdsmommy]

I don't think you can have the kids physically in school and the teachers remote. Why have a TA there to supervise the kids instead of the actual teachers? This might be an option for at risk teachers but I don't see it for most classrooms.

I agree, this won't work. Unfortunately, as part of the new normal some high risk people are going to have to make tough decisions. Teachers who no longer feel that they can teach safely even with PPE and whatever other safety guidelines schools implement may have to choose another career. It happens all the time with other health related issues. It's no different from any other profession that deals directly with the public.

 

[EveDallas]

Didn't read all replies, but where I live in upstate NY, my MIL works at a public school and they are making plans to have all grade levels attend class virtually. Teachers will still go into their classroom to teach as normal, but students will be via webcams. They plan to invest in technology to make this an easier effort. I have no idea what the plan would be for parents who have to go to work and can't leave little kids at home, families who don't have access to computes and webcams, or even teachers who have kids that can't be left alone. Will be interesting to see how it plays out.

I guess the special needs kids are screwed too.

 

[3threebabies]

I have a very stressed out Algebra I student who is ready to give up. I just told him to take a break, but he has several assignments due this evening. The teacher praised his performance so much that she has recommended he take honors geometry and/or take geometry and Algebra II next year. He had high A‘s before we started distance learning. He currently has an A-. I understand the grade difference is negligible in the big picture, but for a struggling teenager it is crushing.

My child needs his teacher. Videos, zoom and email are not adequate. Luckily we only have a few more weeks of school this year. My family cannot continue like this for next school year. We have worked too hard for my child to succeed in school for him to end up broken.

 

[mjkacmom]

I agree, this won't work. Unfortunately, as part of the new normal some high risk people are going to have to make tough decisions. Teachers who no longer feel that they can teach safely even with PPE and whatever other safety guidelines schools implement may have to choose another career. It happens all the time with other health related issues. It's no different from any other profession that deals directly with the public.

What about the parents? I know several parents of school aged who were hospitalized, one died, the others now have other medical issues.

 

[3threebabies]

I agree, this won't work. Unfortunately, as part of the new normal some high risk people are going to have to make tough decisions. Teachers who no longer feel that they can teach safely even with PPE and whatever other safety guidelines schools implement may have to choose another career. It happens all the time with other health related issues. It's no different from any other profession that deals directly with the public.

Agreed. There is a reason ADA includes reasonable accommodation protections for employees and undue hardship protections for business. It is a tightrope, but negotiations like these are not new to the business world.

 

[CarolAnn856]

I hate to break it to you, but that is a NATURAL cycle. That is how we, as a SPECIES, get immunity to practically everything. If kids are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, what is the problem? I'm not making this up - there is no data to support closing the schools. Open the schools and nearly every kid will have been exposed and will have immunity within a month - sounds like a win to me. Oh, I hear you, they can't go see their grandparents. My kids haven't seen their grandparents since this started, and my parents live 5 miles away. Protect the vulnerable and get on with life or they will NEVER see their grandparents.

One other thing to think about - all signs point to this thing hitting the US far earlier than March when we shut everything down. We highly suspect my kids' school had it roll through in December. Yes, schools are notorious for spreading disease, and there's a really good chance they already have.

Hate to break it to you, but you’re so far off base it’s ridiculous. A MAJOR problem with schools being open is that kids may not get it as severely or as often, but they are likely carriers. When one kid comes in as a carrier, and their classmates become carriers, and get the adults in their houses sick, THAT’S what can lead to hospitals becoming overwhelmed again. Will this definitely happen? I don’t know, maybe. But it’s not black-and-white like your very, very limited view suggests. We need much more info before opening school doors wide open.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

What about the parents? I know several parents of school aged who were hospitalized, one died, the others now have other medical issues.

Have you read my other posts on the issue? I am absolutely, undoubtedly in favor of on-line options for students whose families don't feel comfortable sending them to school. This post was just addressing a suggestion that at risk teachers teach in-class students from home.

 

[monsterkitty]

I hate to break it to you, but that is a NATURAL cycle. That is how we, as a SPECIES, get immunity to practically everything. If kids are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, what is the problem? I'm not making this up - there is no data to support closing the schools. Open the schools and nearly every kid will have been exposed and will have immunity within a month - sounds like a win to me. Oh, I hear you, they can't go see their grandparents. My kids haven't seen their grandparents since this started, and my parents live 5 miles away. Protect the vulnerable and get on with life or they will NEVER see their grandparents.

One other thing to think about - all signs point to this thing hitting the US far earlier than March when we shut everything down. We highly suspect my kids' school had it roll through in December. Yes, schools are notorious for spreading disease, and there's a really good chance they already have.

If you read my post correctly, you should have seen where I stated that many of our students live in multigenerational homes. That means grandparents are living in the homes with the students. Also, we have several students in our district who are being raised by grandparents, aunts/uncles, and I even have a few who are being raised by great-grandparents.

In my school alone, we've already had 3 students lose their both grandparents and in one of the cases, great grandparents from the virus. These grandparents were raising their grandchildren and now have no one.

Next you have the parents who then get the virus from their children. These parents then spread it at work. To the elderly. Oh wait, who cares. They're already old.

But not only the elderly are dying from this. We have a family friend who was 59 and no health risks catch the virus. It caused him to have a stroke. Then he got pneumonia and had to be put on a ventilator. His arm had to be amputated. Then his kidneys failed and he went on life support where his 89-year-old mother had to make the decision to take him off the life support.

The DH of a former student in his early 30s was on a ventilator for 3 weeks.

Another good friend who is a teacher got it 3 weeks after we closed schools and had only left the house to go to the grocery store. She was hospitalized with pneumonia. For 3 weeks her temp never went below 101 WITH Tylenol.

We're collecting Chromebooks this week from our students. Yesterday a lady came through the line asking if she can pick up her nephews' locker contents despite not being able to return their Chromebooks. She is the only one in the family not quarantined as all of them, including her nephews who are 5th, 7th, and 8th grade, that does not have the virus. The 8th grader has pneumonia.

Basically what I'm saying is kids not only get the virus but the give the virus to those they live with who then spread it around more. Unfortunately it's the gift that keeps on giving. That is why school were closed so fast.

I meant kids going to school, teachers teaching from home. Have you seen this option discussed anywhere? I haven't. Maybe have the teachers teach remotely to a classroom managed by a TA in PPE? Again, I've yet to see this option even suggested. I've seen remote learning for all kids (pretty big failure in our experience) or all sorts of social distancing ideas for teachers and kids in school. Kids staying 6 feet apart and not touching anything? I agree, that's pretty unrealistic. I would argue, also unnecessary, kids aren't getting sick. If it's the teachers you are concerned about, that's another story.

You must have a certified teacher in the classroom at all times. While a para in my state can be used in an emergency, a licensed teacher must be available to help in the room next door. It's called the law. Also, districts are not going to hire a "TA" to watch a classroom so a teacher can work from home. They can't afford to do that.

Let the professionals decide what's going to happen after they are given directions from the governors.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

Hate to break it to you, but you’re so far off base it’s ridiculous. A MAJOR problem with schools being open is that kids may not get it as severely or as often, but they are likely carriers. When one kid comes in as a carrier, and their classmates become carriers, and get the adults in their houses sick, THAT’S what can lead to hospitals becoming overwhelmed again. Will this definitely happen? I don’t know, maybe. But it’s not black-and-white like your very, very limited view suggests. We need much more info before opening school doors wide open.

Exactly, the kids aren't necessarily getting sick (unless you count the inflammatory syndrome that is being reported, that absolutely terrifies me) but they can be asymptomatic carriers and spread it to others in their families. So many people can't seem to grasp that the precautions aren't necessarily about keeping an individual from catching the virus, they are about preventing infected people from spreading it. I'm not high risk.. If I catch it it isn't a huge deal. If I spread it to 20 other people who each spread it to 20 more, that's a very big deal.

 

[HeatherC]

This is horrible solution for underprivileged children, ones whose parents aren't able or won't supervise their child during school hours, and abused and at risk students. This will set us back light years in terms of education equality and a over reaction to a disease the average person has a over a 98% chance of surviving.

Not only that, but millions of kids still don’t have reliable internet. And who is going to pay those internet bills? People are trying to put food on the table for their families and some just simply cannot afford it.

 

[mjkacmom]

In my state, 26% of those in my age group have been hospitalized, 15% for those 30 - 49. I know people who had the virus who weren’t hospitalized, yet they were very ill for over 3 weeks and say it was hell.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yes, that was the article that I found. They said the teen tested positive for COVID-19, but that other factors may also have been involved in his death. This was mostly a response to lumpy’s absolute assertion that children don’t seem to die from Covid.

Tested positive and died from are different things. Your comment was they died from it so repectfully maybe a different example should be used as we know that particular case doesn't seem to have been confirmed (at least not an initial review of it).

I haven't kept up with all 50 states but I'll go with the assumption that at least in one of these 50 states some child has passed away from it to err on the side of caution but again I haven't kept up.

However, children don't seem to die in such numbers like we had come to expect given past viruses of this kind. I do believe we've seen they had different immune system responses to it but by in large children for whatever reason have been mostly spared from it in terms of symptoms.

 

[monsterkitty]

I guess the special needs kids are screwed too.

One of the models we are looking at is students with IEPs be in the building every day and not on a rotation schedule if that's what we do.

I have a very stressed out Algebra I student who is ready to give up. I just told him to take a break, but he has several assignments due this evening. The teacher praised his performance so much that she has recommended he take honors geometry and/or take geometry and Algebra II next year. He had high A‘s before we started distance learning. He currently has an A-. I understand the grade difference is negligible in the big picture, but for a struggling teenager it is crushing.

My child needs his teacher. Videos, zoom and email are not adequate. Luckily we only have a few more weeks of school this year. My family cannot continue like this for next school year. We have worked too hard for my child to succeed in school for him to end up broken.

Hugs to your son. It's hard on so many and we feel helpless.

These are two of the many reasons that we are doing every thing we can to have in-school learning next year. We want to be there. Sitting at home teaching was not what I signed up to do.

Side note - Many of our severe special needs students have health issues. Several of their parents have said that they cannot have their kids back in school until there is a vaccine or something else can ease their minds.

 

[3threebabies]

One of the models we are looking at is students with IEPs be in the building every day and not on a rotation schedule if that's what we do.



Hugs to your son. It's hard on so many and we feel helpless.

These are two of the many reasons that we are doing every thing we can to have in-school learning next year. We want to be there. Sitting at home teaching was not what I signed up to do.

Side note - Many of our severe special needs students have health issues. Several of their parents have said that they cannot have their kids back in school until there is a vaccine or something else can ease their minds.

Thank you. His teachers have been great (except gym—go figure). We also got mono during all this, so I have kept the guidance counselor and learning specialist busy

 

[piccolopat]

For students with both IEPs and health issues that would prevent them from returning to school right away, could teachers be deployed to their homes? My mom is still receiving her PT at home and has a home health aide at night since both are considered essential services. Could we do the same with any willing teachers? Of course they would need some special training and PPE.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

For students with both IEPs and health issues that would prevent them from returning to school right away, could teachers be deployed to their homes? My mom is still receiving her PT at home and has a home health aide at night since both are considered essential services. Could we do the same with any willing teachers? Of course they would need some special training and PPE.

I think most school districts have something like that in place already for kids that can't attend school due to health reasons. It would just be a question of whether or not they could expand it to meet the increased need due to COVID.

 

[Minniesgal]

Has anyone else proposed motion doors being installed along with plexiglass desk enclosures. The teachers change classrooms vs kids aka most high schools.

what else is needed to add some C19 safety?

As a teacher I don't see the teachers moving working all my equipment is in my class I can't carry what I need about with me

 

[SamFaniam]

Tested positive and died from are different things. Your comment was they died from it so repectfully maybe a different example should be used as we know that particular case doesn't seem to have been confirmed (at least not an initial review of it).

I haven't kept up with all 50 states but I'll go with the assumption that at least in one of these 50 states some child has passed away from it to err on the side of caution but again I haven't kept up.

However, children don't seem to die in such numbers like we had come to expect given past viruses of this kind. I do believe we've seen they had different immune system responses to it but by in large children for whatever reason have been mostly spared from it in terms of symptoms.

I agree, children don’t seem to suffer is seriously from Covid as adults do. Although I do have some concerns about the children that have died from respiratory issues associated with Covid. I wasn’t trying to say the children are more likely to suffer effects of Covid. but, lumpy stated that all of the children that have died from Covid had pre-existing conditions, which was not true, and then stated that no children have died from Covid in California. I do not know the follow up to the 17-year-old, and perhaps the child died from a car accident or something completely unrelated to Covid. But, they did test positive for the virus.

I guess I’m just struggling with statements like “schools should never have been closed“. I think closing the schools, especially in major metropolitan areas, probably helped to flatten the curve. I probably just shouldn’t respond to people who only speak in hyperbole, because there is no point.

So, to bow out gracefully from this conversation - In my area, and I can’t speak for any others, schools are looking at various options for the fall. No one here has said that they K-12 schools will be online only. And, the health and safety of the adults who work in the schools, and the children’s homes are part of the consideration. As they should be.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I agree, children don’t seem to suffer is seriously from Covid as adults do. Although I do have some concerns about the children that have died from respiratory issues associated with Covid. I wasn’t trying to say the children are more likely to suffer effects of Covid. but, lumpy stated that all of the children that have died from Covid had pre-existing conditions, which was not true, and then stated that no children have died from Covid in California. I do not know the follow up to the 17-year-old, and perhaps the child died from a car accident or something completely unrelated to Covid. But they did test positive for the virus.

I think we all have concerns ya know especially as more information is coming out and there should be continual investigation so I get wanting to keep an eye on that.

I think I was just speaking towards your comment that a 17 year old had died in CA and was discussing if it was the same one that had circulated the news late March. As for your testing positive comment, testing positive is not the same as death and people aren't disputing that younger individuals have tested positive for covid-19.

Respectfully, I'll just kinda move on from this particular discussion so as not to go back and forth. I was just trying to give clarifying information anyways and truly no offense meant here

*Written prior to your editing but I'll just leave my comment to yours the same

 

[mjkacmom]

I have a very stressed out Algebra I student who is ready to give up. I just told him to take a break, but he has several assignments due this evening. The teacher praised his performance so much that she has recommended he take honors geometry and/or take geometry and Algebra II next year. He had high A‘s before we started distance learning. He currently has an A-. I understand the grade difference is negligible in the big picture, but for a struggling teenager it is crushing.

My child needs his teacher. Videos, zoom and email are not adequate. Luckily we only have a few more weeks of school this year. My family cannot continue like this for next school year. We have worked too hard for my child to succeed in school for him to end up broken.

He shouldn‘t be crushed by an A-, and this is still middle school, right? My kids are high school juniors who probably didn’t get the scores they should’ve on their AP calc exams with online instruction and only 2 questions.