roomthreeseventeen
Inaugural Dopey Challenge finisher
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2009
Well, here goes the school year. (I've never heard of a school starting this early, but I guess some do.)
Key part: "The waivers though, do not even need to be signed by parents for their kids to be allowed to return to in-person classes." Additionally: " The Trust told ABC15 Tuesday evening that they have developed a "coverage option" that would make the "optional waiver" obsolete. The board plans to vote on it at their meeting August 4."
WA state: they just announced my high schooler will have virtual learning for the rest of 2020. (School was set to begin September 1st. My four college age kids, who go to three different colleges have all announced online classes for Fall.
I work from home. My husband is home to at least October. We have upgraded our internet to the best available, but spring was stressful. We are going to have to come up with a 24 hour schedule to spread out the bandwidth.
As you’re deciding, remember that public school is public school. If your family’s needs change, they cannot bar you from public school. That is the one thing I’m seeing that seems unenforceable. My state is saying that you must choose an option for a quarter and can only change then but how will they enforce that? Students move, change schools, pull out to home school, come back all the time every year. Is public education really prepared to say to a family who made a choice that isn’t working after a few weeks, “well too bad, you can change in 6 weeks.” I highly doubt it.
That is a very practical idea.I bought 100 gift bags that are large enough to pack a lunch in for DH. He will not be taking his lunch bag to school this year. Neither will I when I sub!
It's easy to see such absolutes when you're not actually facing the question. I looked into the possibility of quitting /taking a year (or two) off, but if I quit, these are realities for me:There's a lawyer in St. Petersburg Fl offering this as well. If I were a teacher, I would be quitting my job rather than go back. Finances are important, but living is better.
Agree. My RN daughter and her coworkers have been exposed to Corona Virus many, many times since March -- she works in one of our state's real "hot pockets" -- but only one person in her office has tested positive. Protective gear is quite effective. Not an absolute promise, of course, but we do have some control over our fate.I continue to be amused by it's work and die or stay home and live.
I looked into the possibility of quitting /taking a year (or two) off, but if I quit, these are realities for me:
- We have a teaching shortage in my area. I 100% can return to the classroom when I want -- maybe not in my current school, maybe not in the same grade I've been teaching, but I can "come back" easily.
- I'm nearing retirement, so I was hired years ago under "the old rules", so I will have paid basic health insurance for the rest of my life AND I have the option to buy health insurance for my husband. If I quit and am rehired, I will have to come in under "the new rules", and I would give up that huge, huge benefit. I can't do that.
- I could retire now, but it would cost me just short of $5,000/year in pension for the rest of my life (because I'm young to be retiring, I have to "max out" with the full 30 years OR take a big hit financially). That's a huge amount of money to give up.
Over a year ago, we switched from a residential account to a business account at our home and it increased our bandwidth & removed data caps. The price was a few dollars more than our previous 3 yr residential contract that was due to expire, but $15 lower than the new rates the company was offering.We are going to have to come up with a 24 hour schedule to spread out the bandwidth.
You've heard the term "golden handcuffs" in terms of retirement pensions? You and I are both wearing them. I have to work two years to complete my 30 (so potentially I might not see post-Covid schools again), and I would retire now -- but, as you say, I'm not ready to "lose thousands forever".I’m in the same boat. I met my minimum retirement date last December. However if I take retirement now, I will lose thousands forever. I really need to work 8 more years, and PreCovid, I really wanted to work several more years. I do not feel ready to retire.
I also love my current position and coworkers. I teach at a school less than a mile from my house. If I took a year off, I could for sure come back (shortage here, as well and I have lots of contacts) but there is no guarantee that it wouldn’t be to a less desirable job with a long commute.
For all those reasons, I’m masking up and going back.
You've heard the term "golden handcuffs" in terms of retirement pensions? You and I are both wearing them. I have to work two years to complete my 30 (so potentially I might not see post-Covid schools again), and I would retire now -- but, as you say, I'm not ready to "lose thousands forever".
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.It's easy to see such absolutes when you're not actually facing the question. I looked into the possibility of quitting /taking a year (or two) off, but if I quit, these are realities for me:
- We have a teaching shortage in my area. I 100% can return to the classroom when I want -- maybe not in my current school, maybe not in the same grade I've been teaching, but I can "come back" easily.
- I'm nearing retirement, so I was hired years ago under "the old rules", so I will have paid basic health insurance for the rest of my life AND I have the option to buy health insurance for my husband. If I quit and am rehired, I will have to come in under "the new rules", and I would give up that huge, huge benefit. I can't do that.
- I could retire now, but it would cost me just short of $5,000/year in pension for the rest of my life (because I'm young to be retiring, I have to "max out" with the full 30 years OR take a big hit financially). That's a huge amount of money to give up.
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.Not to be flip and NOT comparing it to the flu, but children die of the flu every year. They just don’t always publicize it. It’s always sad whenever a child dies.
Our district has been having in person summer school for almost a month.Well, here goes the school year. (I've never heard of a school starting this early, but I guess some do.)