Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[KittyKitty]

The head of CDC AND the American Pediatrics both recommended sending kids back to school, IN PERSON. The virus poses a very small risk to them. Do you think YOU know more than them?

I was surprised by this, so I read the article. I agree schools are the best way most of the children learn.
Maybe the issue is not being able to social distance, cleaning, and wearing a mask while at school. Maybe giving it to adults is the issue. Maybe the issue is we don't know enough about Covid to be sure our kids will be safe. It's only been 2 months we realized that children can get it.
I would rather be wrong for a semester, stay home with remote learning, and no one gets the disease. You can tell me "I told you so". I'll accept it happily.

 

[Searc]

We've cancelled in-person political conventions (in a presidential election year), we can't attend concerts or sporting events, prisoners are being let out of some prisons due to the threat of contagion, our nation's governing house won't allow the public inside, most governing bodies are still doing all business via Zoom ~ but sure, let's go ahead and open all public schools across the country!!

 

[motherof5]

The thing is things are just as bad & possibly worse than when all this started so if s schools were closed in March here, then they should remain closed.

Schools were closed so they could work on reopening them with new precautions in place, not to remain closed indefinitely. I think 6 months of preparing should be adequate.

 

[monsterkitty]

Schools were closed so they could work on reopening them with new precautions in place, not to remain closed indefinitely. I think 6 months of preparing should be adequate.

No, schools were closed so that the virus wasn't spread faster and over whelming the hospital systems.

My district has prepared for re-opening the schools for the past 6 months. They have what I feel is a good plan for what they are facing. Is it perfect? No. But at least they are one of only a few districts in the metro area requiring facemasks for everyone. No mask, you will be given one. Don't want to wear it? You will be sent home. My district bought 500,000 masks so no child would go without a mask.

However, it doesn't matter how much a district has planned. This virus has a mind of its own and if there is an uptick in an area all the plans the schools have made are out the window.

 

[Steph01002]

I’m a teacher and ready for in-person teaching. I have two high school kids and they are going to do the in-person school option in about a month. They will follow their schedule online and participate in video classes if the school is required to close, otherwise they need to be back in school having social interactions with peers.

 

[Music City Mama]

School starts back in two weeks for us. They gave the option of a complete online program that you have to commit to for the semester or in-person (when our community spread is low enough and masks will be required).

If you opt for the online program, you will be in "classes" with other kids in the county/district, but not necessarily at your school (classes will be taught by teachers at schools in our district). The learning will be mainly not in real-time, so learning as your schedule allows for the most part -- assignments will still be due on certain days/times as well as exams.

The in-person option has kids with temps being taken upon arrival and masks required (they encourage you to drive your kids or have them bike/walk if possible), but they will spread students out on buses the best they can (masks required on buses).

If the community spread is too high (0.5% or more of the total population of the county), they move to "remote learning" (not to be confused with the online program) -- you will still have your classes, same bell schedule, mainly real-time learning/attendance/zoom sessions. We just found out that we will start with remote learning in two weeks and depending if our positive/active cases are going down (which they are at the moment, thankfully), then they'll re-evaluate after our first two weeks with remote learning to see if we can then go back in-person.

The spring was a disaster for us, but I'm hopeful they've got their act together this time.

Every student will be issued a Chromebook and there are plans for those who have poor or no internet access.

K-2 will be in school in-person even in this scenario (masks required), unless they opted for the online program for the semester. I think kids in grades 3-12 with special needs/IEPs will also be in-person at least on some days.

My kids want to be back in school, so the online program wasn't something either wanted to do. They're okay with wearing masks. Also, they can't offer every subject possible with the online program, and I just think they'll get a better education doing the in-person/remote learning scenario.

Poor school system can't win. Social media rips them apart one way or the other -- some say everyone just needs to be in-person now, no masks required -- to the district is sending the kids to the slaughter for even considering allowing in-person at some point. I personally think they're doing their best.

 

[CarolAnn856]

.

 

[GreatLakes]

We've cancelled in-person political conventions (in a presidential election year), we can't attend concerts or sporting events, prisoners are being let out of some prisons due to the threat of contagion, our nation's governing house won't allow the public inside, most governing bodies are still doing all business via Zoom ~ but sure, let's go ahead and open all public schools across the country!!

And that's the Crux if it. Anything that can be done virtually, even if it isn't 100% perfect, is. School shouldn't be any different.

It doesn't matter if kids are less likely to have bad reactions to the virus, what matters is that they can carry it to someone who is.

Even if this lasts two years, we will manage. 2 years is a blip in time.

 

[mjkacmom]

I’m a teacher and ready for in-person teaching. I have two high school kids and they are going to do the in-person school option in about a month. They will follow their schedule online and participate in video classes if the school is required to close, otherwise they need to be back in school having social interactions with peers.

Have they not have had social distancing with their peers? This past month, all outside, but backyard gatherings, fire pits, swimming, beach (my kids drive themselves), soccer runs, soccer practices, fast food meet ups, long hikes... I‘d rather my kids socialize outdoors with friends in groups under 20 than be inside with masks and their classmates.

 

[TJA]

Our (rural) district in New York is ready to go! Our survey was due today and they are currently preparing a spreadsheet on what families are planning to do (in-school or virtual) along with who will need to take a bus. They are dissecting the ("new") CDC guidelines along with the American Pediatrics' suggestions/guidelines and also Health & Education Department suggestions/guidelines. All 3 of those places are recommending in-school classes with contingencies in place, so that is the route our school is taking.

Our governor already said he has 2 guidelines that must be met before he'll even consider going back to school (must be in Phase 4 and have less than 5% positivity rate). We have met both, so now it's up to each of the school districts in the entire state to draw up their plans and submit for approval.

 

[Funfire240]

I'm in NW OH and our kids start back next month. As of now they will be on a hybrid schedule and mine are in the group for Tuesday/Friday classes. we are lucky that ours are old enough to be home alone with grandparents next door and have each other as DH and I both have full time careers. I do worry because DS' response was "sweet I only have 2 days of school this year!" and had to be like sorry kid, remote learning the other 3. It sounds like they will have to wear masks on the bus and in all main areas but may be able to remove them while sitting socially distanced at their desks.
Things can change though. As of last week our district was set to start 5 days a week and then it was changed so we will see what happens in a month.
What surprises me is how many people in our area are against kids being in school but yet are going on vacations out of state and have no problems with going to cedar point and things of the sort. I feel if this was stopped then maybe, just maybe things would be better under control but that's another conversation/thread.

 

[KittyKitty]

Our governor already said he has 2 guidelines that must be met before he'll even consider going back to school (must be in Phase 4 and have less than 5% positivity rate). We have met both, so now it's up to each of the school districts in the entire state to draw up their plans and submit for approval.

Somehow I started watching Governor Cuomo way back in March. I live in Washington State. I watched how your state worked hard to get the cases down. All New Yorkers( And New Jersey, Connecticut) should be proud of yourselves!
New York Strong.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Oh yeah that’s crazy. I was one who wanted to open & see what would happen. Well now I see. I don’t think all things should close up again, but I definitely don’t think schools should open here. The CDC & the White House recommended in-person learning, but specifically said NOT in hotspots. So how are we not a hotspot again with hospitalizations & deaths up & the most cases per capita in the country?!

Yes we are a "red zone" state.

 

[Brett Wyman]

There is no correct answer for all families or all of the US. Should kids in rural Montana stay home and do online? Probably not. Should kids in the metro areas in the southeast with COVID spreading like wildfire have in person classes. I think thats a firm no. The point is each school system should make a decision based on their communities needs. It's not something that can be decided or even debated at a national level.

 

[SaintsManiac]

There is no correct answer for all families or all of the US. Should kids in rural Montana stay home and do online? Probably not. Should kids in the metro areas in the southeast with COVID spreading like wildfire have in person classes. I think thats a firm no. The point is each school system should make a decision based on their communities needs. It's not something that can be decided or even debated at a national level.

You're 100% correct. Heck we can't even get neighboring school districts on the same page in Louisiana. I just wish people would give kids more credit for their resiliency.

 

[LSUmiss]

No, schools were closed so that the virus wasn't spread faster and over whelming the hospital systems.

My district has prepared for re-opening the schools for the past 6 months. They have what I feel is a good plan for what they are facing. Is it perfect? No. But at least they are one of only a few districts in the metro area requiring facemasks for everyone. No mask, you will be given one. Don't want to wear it? You will be sent home. My district bought 500,000 masks so no child would go without a mask.
However, it doesn't matter how much a district has planned. This virus has a mind of its own and if there is an uptick in an area all the plans the schools have made are out the window.

Exactly & the cdc has recommended that schools open EXCEPT in hotspots. Well, with the highest number of cases per capita in the country, & records deaths & a significant increase in hospitalizations, I would say this state is a hotspot again. Some districts here have said they will go virtual temporarily, but that does no good when neighboring districts still plan to go in-person. So, at least in this state, I think schools should be virtual at least until we flatten the curve again.

 

[LSUmiss]

There is no correct answer for all families or all of the US. Should kids in rural Montana stay home and do online? Probably not. Should kids in the metro areas in the southeast with COVID spreading like wildfire have in person classes. I think thats a firm no. The point is each school system should make a decision based on their communities needs. It's not something that can be decided or even debated at a national level.

I agree, but here I think the decision should be made on a state level when you have the largest district in the state with over 1 million kids & staff still planning to reopen on 8/13 when another district in the same metro area is planning to go virtual til at least Labor Day. There are politics at play here even with districts that are that close to each. It’s ridiculous.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I agree, but here I think the decision should be made on a state level when you have the largest district in the state with over 1 million kids & staff still planning to reopen on 8/13 when another district in the same metro area is planning to go virtual til at least Labor Day. There are politics at play here even with districts that are that close to each. It’s ridiculous.

I'm giving myself until the end of next week before I withdraw my kid from the school system completely. They are giving us zero information on the online programs other than an FAQ.

 

[Renarr]

I'm giving myself until the end of next week before I withdraw my kid from the school system completely. They are giving us zero information on the online programs other than an FAQ.

I have to admit, I'm irritated with my district that I teach in, too. They answer four super-broad questions, and then have an FAQ section for a lot of the particulars that staff, parents, and students would all be interested in, but none of the questions that are frequently asked are actually answered.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

The head of CDC AND the American Pediatrics both recommended sending kids back to school, IN PERSON. The virus poses a very small risk to them. Do you think YOU know more than them?

No, but I do think I'm BETTER at READING COMPREHENSION than SOME people are. because they RECOMMENDED focusing on a return to school when it is SAFE to do so and appropriate GUIDELINES are followed.