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

[DLgal]

OK, understood - but what do you suggest? I feel bad for anyone at-risk, but so far EVERYONE has self-isolated - and it's been a disaster for everyone's mental health. Someone else here suggested that the proposed measures to re-open schools would create a dystopian experience - I don't think that's far off. Let's get the majority of kids back to normalcy, then give the kids that can't be there the mother-of-all remote learning experiences. My guess is when nothing happens, or even very little happens, we'll find a way to get even the at-risk kids back at it by Christmas.

Would it be so hard to just livestream every class, so that kids who can't go to school or who choose not to can at least feel like they are there? This seems like a really simple solution. I would even accept this as the "hybrid" model where kids go to school in person on alternating weeks. Anything less than this isn't acceptable to me. I want my kids to get teacher led schooling EVERY DAY, in some way. I have seen nothing like this being proposed and it seems like it would be easy to implement.

 

[godisney14]

OK, understood - but what do you suggest? I feel bad for anyone at-risk, but so far EVERYONE has self-isolated - and it's been a disaster for everyone's mental health. Someone else here suggested that the proposed measures to re-open schools would create a dystopian experience - I don't think that's far off. Let's get the majority of kids back to normalcy, then give the kids that can't be there the mother-of-all remote learning experiences. My guess is when nothing happens, or even very little happens, we'll find a way to get even the at-risk kids back at it by Christmas.

You aren’t making any suggestion either to make ANY accommodations or precautionary measure.

I’ll stop the back and forth here since we all get each other’s argument.

 

[anniemae]

Would it be so hard to just livestream every class, so that kids who can't go to school or who choose not to can at least feel like they are there? This seems like a really simple solution. I would even accept this as the "hybrid" model where kids go to school in person on alternating weeks. Anything less than this isn't acceptable to me. I want my kids to get teacher led schooling EVERY DAY, in some way. I have seen nothing like this being proposed and it seems like it would be easy to implement.

This would also work well for kids who are too sick to attend school in person but can still follow along at home. I think we can no longer send kids to school who are a little "under the weather" but not so sick that they need to stay home i.e. just a cold, sniffles, small cough.

 

[3threebabies]

This spring millions of students in this country did not receive educational services required by law through IEPs and IDEA and ADA acts. Students with significant medical issues have received legal reasonable accommodations for decades by school districts and will continue to do so. My child deserves the education he is guaranteed by law through his IEP.

 

[1GoldenSun]

This would also work well for kids who are too sick to attend school in person but can still follow along at home. I think we can no longer send kids to school who are a little "under the weather" but not so sick that they need to stay home i.e. just a cold, sniffles, small cough.

I'm onboard with the live-streaming idea. They could even record the classes so kids who have to share devices could watch at different times. This way if a family has limited internet access they could drive to where they can get access, download the files, and then go back home for the kids to watch the lectures. This is preferable to families with no internet access camped out in their cars in parking lots to access internet. These kids wouldn't be able to ask questions in "real time" but it would be better than what we've got now.

They could also ask parents if they might prefer to keep their kids home or if they would be willing to do so. Ideally I'd like to see my kids back in a typical classroom environment, but online learning went fairly well at my house and I would be willing to continue, especially if they went to live-streaming classes. I recognize that some students need the in-person experience more than others and since schools may not be able to accommodate everyone, many of us who seem to need it less would likely be willing to stay home and give the opportunity to those who need it more--special needs children, children who need more help than their parents can provide, etc. Maybe they could have an early dismissal or half day once a week to give those at-home schooling children a chance to come to school and check in in-person with their teachers and get a bit of social interaction with their peers.

 

[mom2rtk]

Are you speaking for everyone? In my family of 7, it hasn’t been ideal, but certainly not a disaster. Right now ds22 (who came home for a week, just moved into a new place) is biking to help paint a historic building in town, he hiked the last 2 days, dd19 is down the shore for the 3rd time this summer. Ds17 is having the hardest time, dd17 was down the shore with friends yesterday. Lots of parking lot meetups and fire pits. We are in one of the hardest hit areas, maybe it’s easier mentally for us because we all know a bunch of people who had it, or died from it.

Surely you're not suggesting that since your family hasn't had an mental health issues related to the pandemic that nobody else has?

 

[mjkacmom]

Surely you're not suggesting that since your family hasn't had an mental health issues related to the pandemic that nobody else has?

This is what the poster I responded to wrote: OK, understood - but what do you suggest? I feel bad for anyone at-risk, but so far EVERYONE has self-isolated - and it's been a disaster for everyone's mental health.

 

[HeatherC]

CNN has an article today that more than half the states may be undercounting cases. While I know we will never know the exact numbers, if even half of this is true I don’t see how it would be safe to just send kids back like things are normal. A lot of people and states are pretending things are getting back to normal, but they aren’t. It is a new normal we need to navigate. Maybe if, as a country we followed CDC guidelines as a whole, we could actually get a handle on this virus. Doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon, however.

In every school across the country, the sheer number of kids with diabetes, asthma, allergies, taking different medications for any number of reasons is mind boggling. There are also a lot of families all across the country who have multi generation households, family members with chronic diseases or who are at high risk. I think we have a responsibility as a society to accommodate as many of these issues as possible. This is not the flu. It is a new disease of which we still know very little and which over 100,000 Americans have died from. Accommodations need to be made.

I certainly hope schools can find a way to open safely whether it is online or split shifts, etc. I do think, however, we all need to realize that it will not be like we are used to and we will certainly have to adapt to whatever happens. Sure does stink though.

 

[mrs. magoo]

We have to find a way to return to a school schedule. My students with IEPs need to be serviced and I can not do that over zoom or even live streaming. Their needs require me to be in a classroom with them. They are floundering and we have school until the 19th. Some have checked out and are no longer responding to emails, phone calls or zoom chats. Some are stressing out about special classes because someone said they might have to go to summer school. I have students who are emailing me with questions for teachers because the teachers are not answering emails. Those teachers are not answering my emails either. I am beyond frustrated with this online learning. I would love to have a discussion with any special ed teachers who were able to make it work for their case loads. There are not enough hours in the day to personally zoom with the 27 kids on my case.

This does not even begin to cover my frustration with no chromebooks or wifi for kids either.

June 19th can not come fast enough for me this year. I plan to put away my computer for at least 2 weeks and step away.

 

[rjb123]

This spring millions of students in this country did not receive educational services required by law through IEPs and IDEA and ADA acts. Students with significant medical issues have received legal reasonable accommodations for decades by school districts and will continue to do so. My child deserves the education he is guaranteed by law through his IEP.

I agree that your child deserves an education. But so do ALL children. And lets be real, NO ONE got one. Its not like your child was the only one, the one who was deliberately picked upon and left out. I have yet to find a parent who says that their kid got any kind of education this spring. Of course our governor (insert eye roll) loves to say that "learning is still happening" but the truth is that it was absolutely NOT happening. Around 3000 kids in one district in our area literally dropped off the planet. They STILL can not contact them. They drove to homes, called, emailed etc and they are freaking GONE. So while I understand and agree with you that your child deserves the best, the reality is that Millions of kids got nothing.

 

[mefordis]

As time passes more information is coming out which points to getting back to normal, opening up businesses, getting kids in school, as in normal not wearing masks.

The cases are becoming even milder as the virus mutates.
https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2020/06/upmc-covid-19-news-is-good/
It's believed that asymptomatic spread is rare (WHO). - Which is good for the protests, which people believed they would spread COVID19 by having them.
https://www.prevention.com/health/a32811972/who-asymptomatic-spread-rare-coronavirus/

 

[godisney14]

As time passes more information is coming out which points to getting back to normal, opening up businesses, getting kids in school, as in normal not wearing masks.

The cases are becoming even milder as the virus mutates.
https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2020/06/upmc-covid-19-news-is-good/
It's believed that asymptomatic spread is rare (WHO). - Which is good for the protests, which people believed they would spread COVID19 by having them.
https://www.prevention.com/health/a32811972/who-asymptomatic-spread-rare-coronavirus/

 

[goodeats]

What does this mean? Most epidemiologists believe the virus will weaken as it spreads. Do you not agree?

CNN has an article today that more than half the states may be undercounting cases. While I know we will never know the exact numbers, if even half of this is true I don’t see how it would be safe to just send kids back like things are normal. A lot of people and states are pretending things are getting back to normal, but they aren’t. It is a new normal we need to navigate. Maybe if, as a country we followed CDC guidelines as a whole, we could actually get a handle on this virus. Doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon, however.

That means the rate of deaths and rate of cases with serious illness is less than assumed! The virus was circulating through schools and the US since at least Christmas. Did the sky fall?

A new normal means we live with the virus, we don't hide from it.

 

[anniemae]

As time passes more information is coming out which points to getting back to normal, opening up businesses, getting kids in school, as in normal not wearing masks.

The cases are becoming even milder as the virus mutates.

Is this true? I had read something about this but thought it was "de-bunked" and only one dr. was saying this. It sure would be nice if it did become a mild virus.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

You'll get no criticism from me - you speak for me 1000%! BTW - where do you live where sports have resumed? CA guidelines don't even mention any extra-curriculars. Sports, band, choir, dance, drama - it's all crucial. My kids have been playing lacrosse since they were 9 years old with the goal being playing in High School. There is only a slim chance they'd ever play beyond that. Parents with their kids in club soccer - same story. same goes for band, and drama for other kids. It is their primary social group. I'm not really interested in a scenario where ANY of this is not included.

Not school sports, since we haven’t heard about that, but our Little League season is starting this week and dance studios are allowed to resume for summer (both came with 20 page proposals and approval from the city). There will be requirements, but it’s something and hopefully something schools can learn from.

Yes.
It is those comments suggesting doing nothing, and saying at-risk or risk averse kids stay home, that my responses were geared towards.

No, nobody said this. They said to do it without social distancing and masks. Many encouraged temperatures being taken and a change in policy that allows for kids to call in sick without penalties. I’m sure some would be ok with masks in/out of common areas. But masks AND social distancing actually goes against what we’ve been told is necessary. It is masks when 6ft can’t be obtained. So if desks are 6ft apart, they shouldn’t need masks too. Or if they have masks, desks should be able to be closer than 6ft. And certainly this should hold true on the playground. If the either/or guidelines are ok in every other sector of society, why did it become a both for schools?

Would it be so hard to just livestream every class, so that kids who can't go to school or who choose not to can at least feel like they are there? This seems like a really simple solution. I would even accept this as the "hybrid" model where kids go to school in person on alternating weeks. Anything less than this isn't acceptable to me. I want my kids to get teacher led schooling EVERY DAY, in some way. I have seen nothing like this being proposed and it seems like it would be easy to implement.

That is one of the options our schools are looking at. The class would be held in the classroom with some in the classroom and the rest at home life streaming it via zoom. (There was also an option for actual homeschooling). Ballet will be doing it the same, with some in the studio and the others zooming in from home.

 

[cmp3400]

It's believed that asymptomatic spread is rare (WHO). - Which is good for the protests, which people believed they would spread COVID19 by having them.
https://www.prevention.com/health/a32811972/who-asymptomatic-spread-rare-coronavirus/

The WHO pulled back from that today

 

[3threebabies]

I agree that your child deserves an education. But so do ALL children. And lets be real, NO ONE got one. Its not like your child was the only one, the one who was deliberately picked upon and left out. I have yet to find a parent who says that their kid got any kind of education this spring. Of course our governor (insert eye roll) loves to say that "learning is still happening" but the truth is that it was absolutely NOT happening. Around 3000 kids in one district in our area literally dropped off the planet. They STILL can not contact them. They drove to homes, called, emailed etc and they are freaking GONE. So while I understand and agree with you that your child deserves the best, the reality is that Millions of kids got nothing.

I completely agree with you. Every student was affected. I hoped that those who believe canceling in person school is such a simple concept, would better understand the legal ramifications of that decision. They seem unaffected by other appeals. Every child with an IEP deserves the education they were promised. It is a legal binding document.

Our schools need to be open. Your area‘s example is proof. School is about a lot more than education for many children who live in poverty and/or come from dangerous home environments. Those children are not lucky enough to have the option to school from home safely.

 

[texaslover]

I'm not sure live streaming the school day will work everywhere. We aren't allowed to have parents or other people "without an educational need to know" in our classrooms to observe. This is to protect the privacy of students. If we have a student with behavior issues, medical issues, social issues, learning disabilities, etc. we cannot have their information/actions/education plans shared with strangers. If a student is watching the lessons from home they will be able to hear and see everything going on in the room as will all of the other people in their households.

Now if the teacher is video taped just presenting the lesson without showing the students it would be ok but that is certainly not best practices and not any better for the kids in class than watching at home (no quality questioning, peer discussion, partner shares, etc.).

There are also timing issues - getting a K-5 classroom settled and ready for a lesson (especially with extra precautions, more hand washing, sanitizing manipulatives or other materials used) isn't able to be timed to the minute. Someone throws up and that lesson is not starting at exactly 1:15 (for example) lol. I can see that being extremely frustrating for students/parents at home logging in.

I don't have any answers and am open to doing anything that helps the most students but I don't know if live streaming would be ok with privacy and timing concerns.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Actually, one really good thing that has come from this is a lot of people are now given a lot more flexibility to work from home. The company I work for has no real plan to modify the office so we can return - we work from home until the pandemic is over. That's great! One of my biggest complaints as a parent has been, if my kids get sick, I have to take a day off. My PTO subsequently has always been near zero and I am very careful to budget when and how long I am off on vacation. If I can work from home and care for a sick kid, well, that solves two problems. I don't have to take the time off and I'm nowhere near as likely to send my kids to school if they are not feeling well.

 

[HeatherC]

What does this mean? Most epidemiologists believe the virus will weaken as it spreads. Do you not agree?



That means the rate of deaths and rate of cases with serious illness is less than assumed! The virus was circulating through schools and the US since at least Christmas. Did the sky fall?

A new normal means we live with the virus, we don't hide from it.

Making accommodations is not hiding from it.