Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[SaintsManiac]

Maybe some but not majority. Many parents don't want to take one of their vacation or personal days to be home with their child. How many people get fired for taking a sick day. I don't know any people who get NO sick days!

I worked quite a few crappy jobs without sick time. Unfortunately, there are tons of parents who work 1 or even 2 of those types of jobs. It's a big problem in this country.

 

[JM23457]

The dr.s offices are going to be swamped with kids needing tests to go back to school.

If you're suspected of having Covid, they typically tell you to NOT go into the doctor's office, and after a telephone screening, refer you to a mobile testing location, instead. So doctor's offices should not be flooded at all.

 

[Lilsia]

@palavra said it’s a societal problem. If ever we were going to reconsider the two parent income model, now is the time. If one parent was home, this would be a non issue. Schools would not feel the pressure to open because the kids would already be taken care of by a parent. People will scream that it can’t be done, but it can be done.

I am late to this thread but I agree with you with the one adult working model. When my hubby and I first got married almost 25 years ago, we decided that we did not want to put our kids in daycare just to have more. We geared our life on 1 income. We bought a smaller house, cheaper cars that we kept for years, cooked at home, shop at Walmart, etc. Our kids are 18 and & 19 now and we still live off of 1 income. Even though I went back to work part time when the kids were older, we use that money as splurge vacation and savings. Many people that we know have both parents that work and they don't really seem to be much better off then we are. My daughter will be going to college, but she is an adult and understands that she needs to follow safety measures. My hubby and I actually talked about this recently and we both agreed that if our kids where still young, that we would not have sent them to school this year. We would have figured out a way to get them educated. I don't think it is safe enough to be in a school setting, especially with the younger ones. Our first priority is our kids' safety.

 

[cmrdgrs]

Schools here in AZ are starting online and they hope to transition to in school learning in October. We'll see how that all goes.

 

[kandb]

Then perhaps you need to be around more people

I've never worked at a place that had actual sick leave (retail didn't get any time (sick, vacation, PTO) and corporate had just PTO). About 6 years ago my husband's company merged sick leave and vacation time into one--just PTO. Any prior sick leave is in a bank that can be used but if you were hired after the merging you had just PTO. And you may think "oh well that's like that same thing" It's not. Company policies vary.

Yes, I know sick and vacation/personal time is not the same however, when you have children and they are sick, sometimes you need to take a sick day. I inspect daycares and can't tell you how many of the directors say how many parents drop off their kids sick and how many drop their kids off to daycare when the parents have a holiday/day off. When you have children, they come first.

 

[JM23457]

Bussing- Federal law does not require school districts to bus any student unless they are Special Ed. Please do not be shocked if any districts cut back on bussing significantly.

It isn't federally required, but districts will continue to provide busing. They know that without it, many students won't get to school. I've been through severe budget cuts where many staff were laid off, etc., but busing was untouched because without the buses, kids wouldn't get to school. It's a necessary service, just like providing meals to a percentage of kids is necessary.

 

[kandb]

I worked quite a few crappy jobs without sick time. Unfortunately, there are tons of parents who work 1 or even 2 of those types of jobs. It's a big problem in this country.

Just wondering. Are they full time jobs?

 

[kandb]

Nope, I think anyone who goes to Disney is a fool.

I know you think people who go to disney are fools but do you agree with disney keeping the parks open??

 

[JM23457]

Currently, there are no federal legal requirements for paid sick leave.

That is a situation that needs to change.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I know you think people who go to disney are fools but do you agree with disney keeping the parks open??

When Florida has 12,000 new cases every day? No.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Yes I thought 24 kids to a room was too much also. They may try to further break the class into smaller groups, but they hadn’t said yet if they’d be doing so, or how that would work, since there are only about five teachers in the junior high level, and those teachers already have to divide their time between the different grades, let alone if the grades are broken down even further. It’s a small Catholic school, and I know they said that their smaller size is an advantage with social distancing. Yet I also heard that kids from the local public schools who want face to face learning are flocking to our school, and I wonder if they will cap the population at a certain point (and what?), otherwise the social distancing kind of goes out the window. They aren’t sharing that info with the parents yet, nor have they detailed their plan for remote learning if they shut down, so I just felt overall it would be more consistent to homeschool than pay private school tuition with so many unknowns

As I’m reading your post, I kept thinking, “Did I write this??!!”

I teach MS at a small Catholic school. What your school us telling you is exactly what my school is telling me. Except my school will not require the students to wear their masks in the classroom if they’re desks are 6ft apart. So I’ll have 18 kids in one room in spread out desks with no masks. They will have to mask up to go out into the hallway. But I’m thinking the same thing you are thinking - how in the world can this be SAFE???!!!!

I do know that at our school we do have a cap in place per classroom. Classrooms were emptied out and measured. As long as we adhere to that cap, we can keep desks 6 feet apart. Our diocese has instructed us to respect the cap for the sake of our current families even though public school families are also flocking to our school for in person learning. We can only accept up to the cap for each grade. We do have some room though because many of our families are doing exactly what you are going to do, which is exactly what I would do if I still had school age kids - pulling them out and homeschooling through the pandemic. I am generally not a fan of homeschooling, but I think the current crisis warrants it.

 

[kandb]

Is anyone else concerned about the constant illness factor? Kids constantly get colds, which have similar symptoms to covid. From what I understand, if a child has symptoms they can't return to school unless they have a negative covid test, or quarantine for 14 days. The dr.s offices are going to be swamped with kids needing tests to go back to school. I know that with masks, illness should lessen, but I think it will be kind of cumbersome.

My 11 year old son has reactive airway disease. Whenever he gets a virus, it goes right to his lungs, he has been on prednisone numerous time. It's a no-brainer, I will keep him home this school year. He also gets sick so easily and I would do nothing but worry, if I sent him to school. I think people need to weigh their risks with this virus and make the best decisions for their families.

 

[quandrea]

I am late to this thread but I agree with you with the one adult working model. When my hubby and I first got married almost 25 years ago, we decided that we did not want to put our kids in daycare just to have more. We geared our life on 1 income. We bought a smaller house, cheaper cars that we kept for years, cooked at home, shop at Walmart, etc. Our kids are 18 and & 19 now and we still live off of 1 income. Even though I went back to work part time when the kids were older, we use that money as splurge vacation and savings. Many people that we know have both parents that work and they don't really seem to be much better off then we are. My daughter will be going to college, but she is an adult and understands that she needs to follow safety measures. My hubby and I actually talked about this recently and we both agreed that if our kids where still young, that we would not have sent them to school this year. We would have figured out a way to get them educated. I don't think it is safe enough to be in a school setting, especially with the younger ones. Our first priority is our kids' safety.

If you read on, you’ll see my opinion is not a popular one. It’s seen as sexist and entitled. I don’t intend it to be either of those things. I truly believe that in families where there are two adult partners, having one home can and should be prioritised. It would change the very fabric of our society. Single parent families would of course need access to daycare. Perhaps parents who are home, could be incentivised to do so.

 

[kandb]

When Florida has 12,000 new cases every day? No.

I know disney is a business but I often wonder why they are staying open. I think they only can have 25% occupancy in the parks. I guess they are still making a profit but at what costs?

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

To the many people on here who think schools should not open, do you all agree with disney opening and staying open during this pandemic? Many rides are indoors and you are breathing the air many people exhaled right before you. I see so many want schools closed. What about disney?

You couldn’t pay me to go to Disney right now. I am also still not attending indoor church, the gym, or eating inside restaurants even though all are allowed with some restrictions in my state.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

If you're suspected of having Covid, they typically tell you to NOT go into the doctor's office, and after a telephone screening, refer you to a mobile testing location, instead. So doctor's offices should not be flooded at all.

Although as I posted, our school is requiring a doctor’s note to return after ANY illness, not just Covid. So no, it’s not that simple. Testing will not be enough to return to school. And if it’s Covid, it still requires a doctor’s note to return. It also will overwhelm doctors’ offices if they’re needed every time, so telehealth appts may even be hard to come by.

 

[anniemae]

If you're suspected of having Covid, they typically tell you to NOT go into the doctor's office, and after a telephone screening, refer you to a mobile testing location, instead. So doctor's offices should not be flooded at all.

Well then the mobile testing locations will be flooded. Then if the covid test is negative, you will be back at the dr.'s for further diagnosis.

 

[JM23457]

Well then the mobile testing locations will be flooded. Then if the covid test is negative, you will be back at the dr.'s for further diagnosis.

Not in most cases. A lot of potential Covid symptoms are minor or fleeting. If you're negative, they typically tell you to self-isolate for a certain number of days and/or until symptoms abate. The doctor provides a note virtually for your return to work/school after the required isolation is over.

Only serious symptoms would cause you to go in, and in that case you'd probably be headed to the ER.

 

[Lilsia]

No reason to get snippy. Of course it doesn't matter if I know them or not, I find it hard to believe so many get NO sick days. Are these people who are working, working on the books? I thought a company has to provide it's employees with sick days by law? I am wondering what jobs these 32% Americans do?

Food service and retail are 2 huge industries that many do not get any paid days off. I have worked in food for over 30 years and have never received any paid days off. If I don't show up, I don't get paid. You would be amazed at how many businesses don't give their employees and paid days off. My last job, only the managers got a paid vacation, a whole week. And if one of the 2 days a year that we were closed(christmas/new year) fell on a day other then their usual day off, they had to make up that day off. It's a joke how so many are treated in the Country. Not to mention people that have the same attitude that you do, believing that we are all treated well. FYI, there are no laws saying that anyone is required to get paid days off. There are no laws even mandating that people get breaks.

 

[monsterkitty]

Just wondering. Are they full time jobs?

I had no sub days last year and I was a teacher. Yes, it was strange circumstances, but it was my 31st year in the same school and I had no sick days.

My district required teachers to have a doctor's note if they were gone on a Monday, Friday, or the day before or after a holiday. So if you were sick on the Friday before President's Day you had to get a note. Not only did you have to have the note, but it had to come with the receipt of the visit. I got the stomach flu that was going around our school the year before last on that Friday. I had to waste my doctor's time and go in for a visit. He also thought it was ridiculous. If you don't get that note, they charge you for the sub plus dock you so I would have lost over $600 for that one day.