So, how do you reopen schools? (Preschool to High School & even College)

[Elessar78]

5 hours ago, Fergasun said:

I am glad that I wanted to have a family when I was younger.  12 and 15... but they are already in a hybrid program... 1 class day with about 5 kids each class. It is our homeschool community. 

 

All these pre-K and K students get to miss out on the excitement of daily school.... I have a niece doing the virtual learning and it is sad, but necessary.  

 

You parents doing this out in this thread and teachers are heros.  

I actually think it makes it easier for them to be younger. Older kids have that hormone thing going on.

[Springfield]

4 minutes ago, Elessar78 said:

I actually think it makes it easier for them to be younger. Older kids have that hormone thing going on.

My kids, 6 and 4, don’t know any better. They’ve never been to school. So, assuming we all go back to normal next year, they won’t even notice. The excitement of going to school for the first time will just be shifted one year.

 

One can hope.

[dfitzo53]

1 hour ago, Elessar78 said:

I actually think it makes it easier for them to be younger. Older kids have that hormone thing going on.

On the other hand, playing with other kids is vital developmentally. We're extremely fortunate we have two kids who play well together.

 

I dunno how families with only children are doing it right now.

[Springfield]

4 minutes ago, dfitzo53 said:

On the other hand, playing with other kids is vital developmentally. We're extremely fortunate we have two kids who play well together.

 

I dunno how families with only children are doing it right now.

 

We also have two kids who play well together. That said, I wish they had outside influences other than Blippi and Roblox.

[tshile]

See mine didn’t know any better but he wasn’t doing well with virtual. I don’t know if he’d do better if he was 10 as opposed to 5. But he just didn’t do well. 
 

Once he was in class 2 days a week he was doing great. Significantly better. Night and day difference. 
 

what’s crazy is when he was all virtual he has 1 independent day and 4 days with the teachers. It was just all virtual. 
 

when he was in class it was 2 days in class and 3 days independent. 
 

so only seeing the teacher twice a week, but doing so in person, was significantly better than seeing the teacher 4 times a week but only virtual. 
 

maybe now that he’s been in class and made some progress he’ll do better virtual-only. Guess we’ll find out. 
 

I realize the pandemic is the priority. But isolating it strictly to my family’s specific circumstance, it sucks and is worrying. 

Edited December 12, 2020 by tshile

[LD0506]

Here's a fun read. Even in tony Brookline, where their resources utterly dwarf those available to most others, where you have everything a genii from a lamp could give you and more, they are still completely incapable of just addressing the problems directly and pragmatically and it devolves into an upscale mud wrestling match. Makes me think of WarGames, where the only winning move is not to play. This kinda **** is why you don't ignore a pandemic and just pretend it is someone else's problem for months. All the everything being sucked up in all these battles could have been focused on Covid last March and we wouldn't be here.

 

 

 

https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/12/school-reopening-teachers-unions-parents-brookline-massachusetts.html?fbclid=IwAR2HudExdLz4CM000-XSLOM8qoTh6oEYSsoOWVyM5g17V6fkgsc-hnxVxNg

[Xameil]

So...my 4 year olds pre-school/day care still free of any cases.

My 14 year olds school...is now in "yellow zone" which means 20% testing of students and staff.

With a good percentage of those students being full virtual...

No matter how many regulations and laws you put in, no matter what your political stance is, most people will not give up their family holiday plans....

Wanna know why Europe is getting better while US is getting worse again? Thanksgiving.

I am almost 100% positive that after next week, EU numbers raise again...and I do hope I'm wrong.

 

[TD_washingtonredskins]

On 12/12/2020 at 8:49 AM, dfitzo53 said:

On the other hand, playing with other kids is vital developmentally. We're extremely fortunate we have two kids who play well together.

 

I dunno how families with only children are doing it right now.

 

That's a good point. We have a blended family and often have a few here at the same time. We also have our niece come over some weeks to do online school since there are other kids around and we can be at home (which her mom can't). I think it's a time and circumstance that is improved with more bodies in a house. 

 

Sure on the days when I have 4 kids 18 or younger doing various levels of online learning, I'm scurrying for the nearest closet or bathroom when I have to speak in a meeting...but I'll take that over the kids feeling isolated. 

[skinsmarydu]

Major parent/teacher protest of schools reopening here in ATL after the holiday break per WSB-TV.  One great sign:  I CAN'T TEACH FROM THE GRAVE. 

[China]

More than 100 students and staff quarantined in San Diego County 2 days after resuming in-person learning

 

Two days after officials welcomed back students to on-campus instruction, about 100 students and staff across a San Diego County school district were ordered to quarantine due to Covid-19 infections reported across various K-8th grade campuses -- raising questions about whether schools in the region are ready to reopen their doors.

 

"While the quarantines so early in the reopening are frustrating and concerning, positive Covid cases and quarantines were not unexpected," Escondido Union School District Superintendent Dr. Luis Rankins-Ibarra said in a statement to CNN.

The challenging environment created by Covid-19 has impacted schools nationwide as teachers and students grapple with the new reality of distance-learning models, wearing masks, and social distancing, following the recommendations of local and state health officials.

After months spent learning online, many officials are eager to reopen classrooms, which has sparked debate over whether it is safe to return to in-person learning.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Simmsy]

Clearly, we're going to have to make a law that requires kids to be vaccinated before attending school. That should be fun to watch, glad I don't have kids.

[China]

CDC Offers Clearest Guidance Yet For Reopening Schools

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Friday its much-anticipated, updated guidance to help school leaders decide how to safely bring students back into classrooms, or keep them there.

 

Rather than a political push to reopen schools, the update is a measured, data-driven effort to expand on old recommendations and advise school leaders on how to "layer" the most effective safety precautions: masking, physical distancing, hand-washing and respiratory etiquette, ventilation and building cleaning, and contact tracing.

 

For politicians, parents and school leaders looking for a clear green light to reopen schools, this is not it.

 

"CDC is not mandating that schools reopen," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday on a phone briefing with reporters.

 

Instead, the CDC goes to great lengths to explain that proper mitigation can help keep kids and staff safe at school, even in hard-hit communities, though it also warns that schools lulled into a false sense of security because of low community transmission rates could still spread the virus if they don't enforce mask-wearing and socially distanced classrooms.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

As millions of kids skip kindergarten, the learning gap widens — and schools may lose funding

 

Last school year was hard enough. Denise Ladson Johnson’s son Moses struggled with the abrupt transition to distance learning in the spring, with having to say goodbye to his teacher and classmates and not knowing when he’d see them again. It didn’t help that Moses was only in prekindergarten at the time. 

 

The instability was a big reason Ladson Johnson, who lives in Charleston, South Carolina, decided to homeschool Moses this year rather than enrolling him in his district’s kindergarten program. There were too many "uncertainties," Ladson Johnson said. How could Moses, who's now 6, learn lessons and social skills remotely?

 

She didn’t want him to spend his days in front of a computer. She wanted him to enjoy being a kindergartner.

 

Ladson Johnson is among the potentially hundreds of thousands of parents who decided not to enroll their kindergarten-aged children in traditional schools this academic year. 

 

Although national statistics aren’t available, one NPR survey last fall of more than 60 districts in 20 states found that enrollment dips have been especially pronounced in kindergarten – on average, these districts have 16% fewer kindergartners than they did during the 2019-2020 school year. A separate analysis of 33 states by Chalkbeat and the Associated Press found that kindergarten opt-outs have been the biggest driver of the overall K-12 enrollment decline, accounting for 30% of the total reductions.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Ball Security]

3 hours ago, China said:

As millions of kids skip kindergarten, the learning gap widens — and schools may lose funding

 

Last school year was hard enough. Denise Ladson Johnson’s son Moses struggled with the abrupt transition to distance learning in the spring, with having to say goodbye to his teacher and classmates and not knowing when he’d see them again. It didn’t help that Moses was only in prekindergarten at the time. 

 

The instability was a big reason Ladson Johnson, who lives in Charleston, South Carolina, decided to homeschool Moses this year rather than enrolling him in his district’s kindergarten program. There were too many "uncertainties," Ladson Johnson said. How could Moses, who's now 6, learn lessons and social skills remotely?

 

She didn’t want him to spend his days in front of a computer. She wanted him to enjoy being a kindergartner.

 

Ladson Johnson is among the potentially hundreds of thousands of parents who decided not to enroll their kindergarten-aged children in traditional schools this academic year. 

 

Although national statistics aren’t available, one NPR survey last fall of more than 60 districts in 20 states found that enrollment dips have been especially pronounced in kindergarten – on average, these districts have 16% fewer kindergartners than they did during the 2019-2020 school year. A separate analysis of 33 states by Chalkbeat and the Associated Press found that kindergarten opt-outs have been the biggest driver of the overall K-12 enrollment decline, accounting for 30% of the total reductions.

 

Click on the link for the full article

We enrolled our child into public kindergarten this year.  If we had the benefit of hindsight, we would have explored private alternatives.  As she gets older, I do expect that her class will be much smaller than the one behind her.  Hopefully that benefits her when it comes to applying to college, less competition.  Would be a small silver lining to this mess.

[Springfield]

We are doing Kindergarten at home this year with hopes our kids can go to school full time next school year. If they can’t then the whole thing is ****ed.

[purbeast]

My son goes back in Montgomery County March 15th.  I'm happy about this.  He will still have Wednesday as virtual from home and it's only a half day.  But getting him out of the house and in school is just going to be much better than him sitting at home by himself.  They have a virtual meeting on Wednesday explaining how it's going to work so I'm definitely going to be watching that.

[The Evil Genius]

I fear for the teachers who weren't given the chance to get an early immunization.

 

Personally, I don't see this ending well. 

Edited February 22, 2021 by The Evil Genius

[TD_washingtonredskins]

My two Loudoun County middle schoolers go back 2 days per week beginning in early-March. Both are very excited, as am I. My younger one hasn't ever set foot into the middle school yet so it'll be a learning curve. My oldest is in his final year in that school, so another reason why walking the halls a few times before summer is important. 

[TD_washingtonredskins]

44 minutes ago, The Evil Genius said:

I fear for the teachers who weren't given the chance to get an early immunization.

 

Personally, I don't see this ending well. 

 

I guess it depends on how you define "well" 

 

I think millions of children will get some normalcy and socialization back. I think for the greater good, it will be a clear net positive. I am not under any delusion that we won't see some cases of the virus though. 

[The Evil Genius]

2 minutes ago, TD_washingtonredskins said:

 

I guess it depends on how you define "well" 

 

I think millions of children will get some normalcy and socialization back. I think for the greater good, it will be a clear net positive. I am not under any delusion that we won't see some cases of the virus though. 

 

Again I say this with no kids and no skin in the game anymore, but forcing teachers to be around superspreaders without giving them the chance to get immunity first just seems dangerous.

 

Health over normalcy should be their argument. 

[TD_washingtonredskins]

That makes sense...maybe they'll cycle in the teachers once they have the shot? 

[just654]

So I cant speak to any other County in MD besides PG county. But by the time students go back in PG county all teachers will have had the opportunity to get the vaccine. PG county has been doing vaccine clinics for the last 3 weekends for Teachers only. My wife got her 2nd shot yesterday. 

[tshile]

2 hours ago, The Evil Genius said:

Again I say this with no kids and no skin in the game anymore, but forcing teachers to be around superspreaders without giving them the chance to get immunity first just seems dangerous.

 

Health over normalcy should be their argument. 

Where are you seeing they’re super spreaders?

 

our state health department says cases of in-school are zero/minimal at least in the health districts I follow.  My district was 0. 
 

43 minutes ago, just654 said:

So I cant speak to any other County in MD besides PG county. But by the time students go back in PG county all teachers will have had the opportunity to get the vaccine. PG county has been doing vaccine clinics for the last 3 weekends for Teachers only. My wife got her 2nd shot yesterday. 

Same here. Our back to school date was picked based on how vaccination for school workers was going and how long it was expected to take 

Edited February 22, 2021 by tshile

[The Evil Genius]

32 minutes ago, tshile said:

Where are you seeing they’re super spreaders?

 

our state health department says cases of in-school are zero/minimal at least in the health districts I follow.  My district was 0. 

 

That's good news then. My understanding was that kids in general are dirty little heathens. 😄

 

I can't imagine what elementary school teachers are going to have to deal with. Imagine babysitting 30+ kids and trying to ensure they keep their masks on, wash their hands, and socially diatance while not getting exposed by them. 

 

 

1 hour ago, just654 said:

So I cant speak to any other County in MD besides PG county. But by the time students go back in PG county all teachers will have had the opportunity to get the vaccine. PG county has been doing vaccine clinics for the last 3 weekends for Teachers only. My wife got her 2nd shot yesterday. 

 

I had thought nationwide the argument against opening all along was that teachers were not getting vaccinations early. My apologies if I was mistaken. 

[just654]

3 minutes ago, The Evil Genius said:

I had thought nationwide the argument against opening all along was that teachers were not getting vaccinations early. My apologies if I was mistaken. 

 

At least in MD Teachers are in 1B.