Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[penn19]

I hear flu brought up many times in discussion of C-19. I know that many thousands of Americans die yearly from the flu but I personally have never known anyone that has died from the flu, nor can I recall anyone telling me that someone they know, has died from the flu. I personally know 2 people that have died from Covid, 2 others that were on life support with one of those on ECMO and 2 nurses that were hospitalized along with their husbands with Covid. My DD worked with a 30 yo woman who passed away from Covid and left a 10 yo child behind. I have 2 friends who have lost an elderly parent to Covid. All but one of the aforementioned people were medical personnel or exposed through medical personnel that contracted Covid prior to use knowing it was here and wearing appropriate PPE.

I personally “know” of one person (a friends daughter ) that had Covid. No one I know has died from it. So everyone has their experiences I guess.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I personally “know” of one person (a friends daughter ) that had Covid. No one I know has died from it. So everyone has their experiences I guess.

Since March, I've had three friends who were very sick, one who is sick now, one who lost her mom, and one who lost several family members.

 

[spiders]

I am aware of 7 or 8 people at work that have gotten it. None of them had serious complications resulting from it.

But I don’t think anybody got it from someone at work.

 

[low-key]

I am sending the neighbor kids to school

 

[penn19]

I am sending the neighbor kids to school

How would we get through this without you Low Key?!

 

[HeatherC]

Just an FYI...outbreak at UCLA....

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news...30-20-intl/h_519dce5006ecb2be848029448c14ea09

 

[siren0119]

We just heard what the likely plan is going to be from our town, and it brings up something a PP mentioned about it being public school and being able to re-enter in person teaching at any point in the school year.

The plan being presented is this:
- Hybrid learning (classes divided into two cohorts, A and B). Cohort A goes to in person teaching M-T, Cohort B goes on Th-F, and all students learn virtually from their classroom teachers on the Wednesdays and the days they are not in person. For this, the classes are being taught by the public school teacher, so the teachers will need to be able to manage live and virtual classes at the same time.

- Full remote will be made available for families who do not wish to return to in person learning. BUT the remote option would be a third party curriculum and not the students participating in the teacher-led virtual classes through the public school. I researched the program being proposed, and it is a self-paced learning platform with pre-recorded "classroom" instruction by a teacher, and no actual interaction with a class or teacher in any live online setting.

Because hybrid and full remote students will be learning two different curricula....You cannot opt into one or the other once you commit to it. So either students are hybrid in person and stay in the local system, or they commit to a full year of this learning program (because the school has to use funds allocated to the student to purchase it, they are not allowing students to switch between the two and only purchasing the licenses for those that opt for full remote).

So this means either you commit to sending your kids back to the building, come what may, or you commit to them basically isolating from their teachers and classmates for the year, and having no live instruction at all (barely an improvement over what we had in the spring). Sending my kids to an established virtual school for the year just seems more and more likely, at least they won't lose out on the interaction and classroom style connection with other people.

 

[Music City Mama]

I know that many thousands of Americans die yearly from the flu but I personally have never known anyone that has died from the flu, nor can I recall anyone telling me that someone they know, has died from the flu. I personally know 2 people that have died from Covid, 2 others that were on life support with one of those on ECMO and 2 nurses that were hospitalized along with their husbands with Covid.

Let me preface this with that I think Covid is more contagious and potentially more dangerous than the flu.

However, I have not not known one person who has had Covid (yes, I know I'm lucky, no one has to tell me) -- I know people who know people, but I don't personally know anyone. On the other hand, I personally knew a little girl who died a few years ago (she was 9) from severe complications of the flu.

 

[CarolAnn856]

Can we please dispense with the comparisons to the flu? It's not anywhere near the same, and that has been proven fact for quite some time. I don't know why anyone is still bringing it up.

 

[KittyKitty]

I work for a school district in a suburb of Seattle. Got notice yesterday they have changed to all remote learning starting in Sept. for at least till Thanksgiving. Our Covid numbers are slowly going up in the county, and the County Health Dept. recommend no in person classes. As a substitute teacher, I probably won't have any jobs. But I rather they be overly cautious and keep the students and staff safe.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Can we please dispense with the comparisons to the flu? It's not anywhere near the same, and that has been proven fact for quite some time. I don't know why anyone is still bringing it up.

Thank you. It's infuriating.

 

[Renarr]

I work for a school district in a suburb of Seattle. Got notice yesterday they have changed to all remote learning starting in Sept. for at least till Thanksgiving. Our Covid numbers are slowly going up in the county, and the County Health Dept. recommend no in person classes. As a substitute teacher, I probably won't have any jobs. But I rather they be overly cautious and keep the students and staff safe.

I also teach in the same area (although apparently a different district), and I don't know if you saw about this possibility as a substitute for getting unemployment benefits: https://action.washingtonea.org/images/COVID 19 Reasonable Assurance FAQs-062820.pdf

 

[Kitty 34]

I am sending the neighbor kids to school

Jason, that's one of the funniest things you've written here on the DIS!!!!

 

[TJA]

We just heard what the likely plan is going to be from our town, and it brings up something a PP mentioned about it being public school and being able to re-enter in person teaching at any point in the school year.

The plan being presented is this:
- Hybrid learning (classes divided into two cohorts, A and B). Cohort A goes to in person teaching M-T, Cohort B goes on Th-F, and all students learn virtually from their classroom teachers on the Wednesdays and the days they are not in person. For this, the classes are being taught by the public school teacher, so the teachers will need to be able to manage live and virtual classes at the same time.

- Full remote will be made available for families who do not wish to return to in person learning. BUT the remote option would be a third party curriculum and not the students participating in the teacher-led virtual classes through the public school. I researched the program being proposed, and it is a self-paced learning platform with pre-recorded "classroom" instruction by a teacher, and no actual interaction with a class or teacher in any live online setting.

Because hybrid and full remote students will be learning two different curricula....You cannot opt into one or the other once you commit to it. So either students are hybrid in person and stay in the local system, or they commit to a full year of this learning program (because the school has to use funds allocated to the student to purchase it, they are not allowing students to switch between the two and only purchasing the licenses for those that opt for full remote).

So this means either you commit to sending your kids back to the building, come what may, or you commit to them basically isolating from their teachers and classmates for the year, and having no live instruction at all (barely an improvement over what we had in the spring). Sending my kids to an established virtual school for the year just seems more and more likely, at least they won't lose out on the interaction and classroom style connection with other people.

Thank you for the detail. May I ask what state you are in? We are in New York and will be hearing of our plan in the next week or so. We have very little Covid around here....the most cases we've had at one time has been around 30 and that was recently and it's already back down to 10-ish. We are praying the kids can go back to school - we've heard possibly going Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri and everyone stays home on Wednesdays for deep cleaning school. People can also choose option to remote learn, but I didn't hear possible details of that scenario.

 

[siren0119]

Thank you for the detail. May I ask what state you are in? We are in New York and will be hearing of our plan in the next week or so. We have very little Covid around here....the most cases we've had at one time has been around 30 and that was recently and it's already back down to 10-ish. We are praying the kids can go back to school - we've heard possibly going Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri and everyone stays home on Wednesdays for deep cleaning school. People can also choose option to remote learn, but I didn't hear possible details of that scenario.

I'm in MA, we also have very good numbers state wide, and my town has relatively low numbers considering our population. I have had to be very realistic that my desire to have them in physical school is mostly rooted in what school used to be - friends, social interaction, play, group activities, music and art. NONE of those things will be present (well, friends MIGHT be physically present if they are placed in the same cohort, but they can't be with their friends) with hybrid school and precautions for COVID safety. So I was holding onto something that wasn't going to exist at first. That is what led me to look into virtual charter schools, where the kids could get the safety of remote learning but the benefit of live interaction and teachers who are well trained in delivering virtual curriculum.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

In CA, schools in all counties are not allowed to open until the county has less than 100 cases per 100,000 people over a 14 day period, neglecting the most recent 4 days to allow testing to catch up.

People in California - Have you heard that districts in counties on the state's watchlist can submit a waiver to get permission to open, even before completing the 14-day period? Apparently there is a process by which districts can request to open certain classes. They have to complete an application that has to be approved by the state and county's local health department. I've heard that the district where I work is trying to open certain special ed classes in person, as well as set-up supervised rooms for certain kids to do their distance learning. These would be for kids of essential workers, or kids who didn't engage in distance learning in the spring. This plan would require some staff members to be in classrooms everyday, while most get to remain safely at home.

To me, this completely discounts the reason the governor closed schools in high-risk areas in the first place. I think if it's been deemed unsafe to open schools in those areas, they should all remain completely closed until the county meets the standards to open. Sending in a few staff members seems so inequitable. Some will be able to work from the safety of home, while others will be required to work in a classroom, in an area that the state has deemed unsafe. I might be one of these people, yet I'm not supposed to know that! Apparently they plan to spring it on the chosen few just before school is scheduled to start. I suppose they don't want to give people time to object or negotiate. I had a video visit with my doctor the other day and we started talking about the issue of schools reopening. I told her about my situation and she said, "Well, can you afford to quit your job? That's what I'm advising my patients to do instead of working in classrooms right now."

 

[sk!mom]

I've heard that the district where I work is trying to open certain special ed classes in person, as well as set-up supervised rooms for certain kids to do their distance learning. These would be for kids of essential workers, or kids who didn't engage in distance learning in the spring. This plan would require some staff members to be in classrooms everyday, while most get to remain safely at home.

This actually sounds like one of the best plans I’ve heard. It would provide for those who just cannot be successful with remote learning as well as accommodating special populations. It would also allow for real social distancing since I would assume that groups would be very small.

I would hope that a plan like this would include allowing for staffing by volunteer. I know many teachers who have no concerns and want to go back while others due to age or other concerns do not feel safe.

 

[godisney14]

People in California - Have you heard that districts in counties on the state's watchlist can submit a waiver to get permission to open, even before completing the 14-day period? Apparently there is a process by which districts can request to open certain classes. They have to complete an application that has to be approved by the state and county's local health department. I've heard that the district where I work is trying to open certain special ed classes in person, as well as set-up supervised rooms for certain kids to do their distance learning. These would be for kids of essential workers, or kids who didn't engage in distance learning in the spring. This plan would require some staff members to be in classrooms everyday, while most get to remain safely at home.

To me, this completely discounts the reason the governor closed schools in high-risk areas in the first place. I think if it's been deemed unsafe to open schools in those areas, they should all remain completely closed until the county meets the standards to open. Sending in a few staff members seems so inequitable. Some will be able to work from the safety of home, while others will be required to work in a classroom, in an area that the state has deemed unsafe. I might be one of these people, yet I'm not supposed to know that! Apparently they plan to spring it on the chosen few just before school is scheduled to start. I suppose they don't want to give people time to object or negotiate. I had a video visit with my doctor the other day and we started talking about the issue of schools reopening. I told her about my situation and she said, "Well, can you afford to quit your job? That's what I'm advising my patients to do instead of working in classrooms right now."

i don’t know. Never heard of that from any of the nearest 5 school districts around me. If that was possible around here, I would imagine I would’ve heard it at least once from the multitude of board meetings and parent webinars, and email communications, that have occurred so far.

 

[lanejudy]

To me, this completely discounts the reason the governor closed schools in high-risk areas in the first place. I think if it's been deemed unsafe to open schools in those areas, they should all remain completely closed until the county meets the standards to open.

The school is not inherently unsafe - assuming the appropriate deep cleaning has been done. It's all the bodies in close proximity when school is in session that creates a hazard. I agree with @sk!mom that small groups of kids with a few teachers who can all easily spread out around the classroom/multiple classrooms is a great way to try and connect with those students who have fallen through the cracks of remote learning. And some teachers are ready to return to the classroom.

 

[MrsPete]

Holding out for better times ahead.

We'll get back to those better times.

Everyone makes the best decision for them, but just to throw it out there... If you took the early retirement you'd lose the $5000/yr, but you would also have the opportunity (assuming you are young enough that you don't really want to retire) to work in some other area and make much more than that. A second career is not for everyone, but it's something to think about if it does work out for you.

Eh, the math doesn't support this idea. Here are the two options compared:

1. Teach two more years at my current job and "max out" my years and my pension.

2. Retire now, accept the loss of $5000/year (okay, it's actually something like $4700, but round numbers are easier for our purposes here). Looking at my age and my family genetics, I anticipate being retired for 50 years (obviously this is a guess, but that's the number I'm using for my retirement savings and plans). So that $5000/year will turn into $250,000 over the course of my lifetime. Working two more years will net me that $250,000 over the course of my lifetime. I cannot earn $250,000 in two years, and I don't have the years for compound interest to work its magic.

That's not even a choice!

As for a second career, I don't want to dip into my savings too soon, and I can't collect Social Security for quite a few years -- so, yes, I intend to have a part-time job for a while. A part time job + my pension will give me as much as I have now, but I'll only be working part time.