How are schools still staying open?

[QuietRiot]

In Florida, even though there are reports of Covid 19 outbreaks since schools started....they only talk about how they are just quarantining the kids, teachers, and staff at home for 14 days, but...no talks of actually closing the schools altogether. Like at UNC (though, it's a University, not a K-12 school)

What is their system? Infected quarantine for 14 days, then...come back to in-person environment? I mean, I figured I'd start seeing headlines now saying, "SCHOOLS CLOSED DUE TO VIRUS!" all over, but...only reports of infections.

I just see a serious lack of consistency when it comes to controlling the virus.

Edited August 28, 2020 by QuietRiot

[thefooloftheyear]

Its a political game....

I guess they don't see themselves as essential....🙄

Local schools here worked hard to get a system in place for a "hybrid" opening, only to have teachers suddenly "call out"....Purely political move, IMO...

At what point are citizens going to quit paying property taxes as schools make up the majority of property taxes...Want to stay home?  No problem...Then you don't need all that money....Let's see what happens then...

TFY

[mark clemson]

That is correct. We have 50 states with different people governing them, different state medical boards, variation in local political philosophies, etc. So unless some sort of national order comes down, I think a lack of consistency is actually to be expected. Even if a national order were to be given, there would no doubt be inconsistency in levels of compliance, levels of enforcement, etc.

I don't think, under our system, that the Fed gov't is supposed to tell local school boards what to do (generally). They tend to take a one-size-fits-all approach, but often that doesn't work well due to local variances. For example, if hypothetically a state had COVID well in hand in terms of outbreaks, monitoring, etc, then telling them the have to keep their kids home wouldn't make sense.

One might argue that this approach doesn't work well under COVID as people are allowing/encouraging kids to attend school in areas where COVID is pretty rampant. That's a fair point I think, but I think COVID is an unusual situation and our system is intended to work to provide flexibility under more "normal" circumstances. For example, if there is flooding in the midwest, local schools might shut down temporarily, but that's hardly a reason to shut down schools nationwide. Nor would the federal gov't be likely to have good insight into local conditions as to when it might be safe for students to return, etc.

[Redhead14]

10 hours ago, QuietRiot said:

In Florida, even though there are reports of Covid 19 outbreaks since schools started....they only talk about how they are just quarantining the kids, teachers, and staff at home for 14 days, but...no talks of actually closing the schools altogether. Like at UNC (though, it's a University, not a K-12 school)

What is their system? Infected quarantine for 14 days, then...come back to in-person environment? I mean, I figured I'd start seeing headlines now saying, "SCHOOLS CLOSED DUE TO VIRUS!" all over, but...only reports of infections.

I just see a serious lack of consistency when it comes to controlling the virus.

Trump threw the governors under the bus and turned a national health crisis into 50 different ones all being handled differently.  We will never get out from under all this until a viable vaccine is found. 

[major_merrick]

The situation in Florida is probably quite different from where I live.

In my area, schools are open.  In my county which has barely had any cases of COVID, the public schools aren't even requiring masks.  In the next county over, they are.  That county had a lot of cases earlier in the year, but only a small number of new cases each week now.  I think it ought to be up to individual districts to decide what they are going to do, rather than having statewide or nationwide policies.  And probably ought to have it decided by the PEOPLE, rather than some appointed board or a group of politicians. 

I totally don't understand how in this society with lots of single parents and lots of families with two working parents how schools NOT being open is even a choice.  Unless everybody is gonna start homeschooling their kids or having some kind of neighborhood education collective.  I think that would be a very positive thing, but I don't see it happening.  People want their old lives back.

[Spring1234]

Completely agree, I don't get it.

I  hear about people getting positive, then quarantining, however did anyone actually get sick and die or made a relative sick or die?? 

Were all these people just asymptomatic? I can't understand how school works unless you have like 5 kids in a class with great ventilation wearing masks. However I don't believe the virus is as contagious anymore. 

Florida was so bad there's no way a school could operate if the virus was so contagious.

I thought I would be hearing about schools shutting down, people getting really sick and dying. 

Our schools are virtual until thanksgiving, however there are 200,000 students+staff in our district alone and the buildings are old with no ventilation, windows don't even open in rooms. 

[Veronica73]

I don’t know. One theory going around is that the virus is mutating, and it now is just as contagious, but not as deadly as it used to be. I have no idea if that is true or not. And I don’t really trust anyone who thinks they know for sure how the virus is going to act.

Edit: also, clearly people are still dying from this. And even if they aren’t dying, many people are having what seems to what are going to be long-term, debilitating effects.

Edited August 29, 2020 by Veronica73

[JohnHunter84]

I think schools should stay closed. Coronavirus can be dangerous for children

[CaliforniaGirl]

On 8/28/2020 at 7:39 AM, thefooloftheyear said:

Its a political game....

I guess they don't see themselves as essential....🙄

Local schools here worked hard to get a system in place for a "hybrid" opening, only to have teachers suddenly "call out"....Purely political move, IMO...

At what point are citizens going to quit paying property taxes as schools make up the majority of property taxes...Want to stay home?  No problem...Then you don't need all that money....Let's see what happens then...

TFY

With Zoom and canvas and Chromebooks available to hundreds or thousands of students per school, teacher salaries and in general, school offices being open, and meal programs still in place, yes, your money is still going to thw schools in a literal way. Don't worry.

[CaliforniaGirl]

34 minutes ago, JohnHunter84 said:

I think schools should stay closed. Coronavirus can be dangerous for children

Or more so...kids are little petri dishes (there's a reason that the first 2 months of school are notorious for everybody getting sick), kids bring stuff home, including to high-risk people, and to adults in the home who must still go out shopping, to work, etc.

Edited September 2, 2020 by CaliforniaGirl
Spelling error

[CaliforniaGirl]

On 8/29/2020 at 1:20 AM, Veronica73 said:

I don’t know. One theory going around is that the virus is mutating, and it now is just as contagious, but not as deadly as it used to be. I have no idea if that is true or not. And I don’t really trust anyone who thinks they know for sure how the virus is going to act.

Edit: also, clearly people are still dying from this. And even if they aren’t dying, many people are having what seems to what are going to be long-term, debilitating effects.

I think it's a double-whammy. Covid is on top of other flu strains that would already be making the rounds in the fall.

[SincereOnlineGuy]

On 8/28/2020 at 2:37 AM, QuietRiot said:

I figured I'd start seeing headlines now saying, "SCHOOLS CLOSED DUE TO VIRUS!" all over,

Uh, you were supposed to start seeing  those headlines 6 months ago, like everyone else.

On 8/28/2020 at 2:37 AM, QuietRiot said:

 

 

[Mrin]

Despite being one of the hottest zones in March, we now have very few infections. And people are extremely diligent in social distancing and mask wearing. So schools are open. 

[MrPlop]

On 8/28/2020 at 5:37 AM, QuietRiot said:

In Florida, even though there are reports of Covid 19 outbreaks since schools started....they only talk about how they are just quarantining the kids, teachers, and staff at home for 14 days, but...no talks of actually closing the schools altogether. Like at UNC (though, it's a University, not a K-12 school)

What is their system? Infected quarantine for 14 days, then...come back to in-person environment? I mean, I figured I'd start seeing headlines now saying, "SCHOOLS CLOSED DUE TO VIRUS!" all over, but...only reports of infections.

I just see a serious lack of consistency when it comes to controlling the virus.

Our governor is a clown. Notice how long he took to request those weekly $300

[basil67]

On 8/29/2020 at 12:39 AM, thefooloftheyear said:

Its a political game....

I guess they don't see themselves as essential....🙄

Local schools here worked hard to get a system in place for a "hybrid" opening, only to have teachers suddenly "call out"....Purely political move, IMO...

At what point are citizens going to quit paying property taxes as schools make up the majority of property taxes...Want to stay home?  No problem...Then you don't need all that money....Let's see what happens then...

TFY

What does 'call out' mean?    And was it all teachers or just some?

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

6 minutes ago, basil67 said:

What does 'call out' mean?    And was it all teachers or just some?

Called in sick, called off work....not sure how you'd say it where you live.

[basil67]

1 hour ago, CautiouslyOptimistic said:

Called in sick, called off work....not sure how you'd say it where you live.

"Chuck a sickie"   

We're currently having industrial relations discussions about workers compensation for essential service workers who catch COVID.  

Edited September 3, 2020 by basil67

[CaliforniaGirl]

21 hours ago, thefooloftheyear said:

No buses....No mechanics, no drivers, no aides, no nurses, no garages, no support personnel, no building maintenance, no diesel fuel, huge reduction in utility usage,  massively reduced procurement of basic supplies and materials to run the facilities, etc, etc, etc.....And that's just what I can come up with in the 2 minutes of time i have to type this...I am sure it's way more.. ..and btw,. I am paying for the laptop ...just wrote the check...

According to my 17 year old daughter(straight A honors student)... virtual class.??  "it's a joke"...

Many people in this state are preparing for some type of tax inquisition and have already contacted local politicians about it... I am hearing it all over the place from just about everyone I talk to...School tax paid is close to 1K/ month  here.......its not a small dollar amount...I have no problem with them whining and demanding they wont come in, but I also don't want to be paying 12K/year for public school, that a student that is actually enrolled in it, and knows what she is talking about,  says is "a complete joke..."

TFY

Well, that’s fine (inquisition). I can’t see why you shouldn’t have the right to pursue that.

I’m sorry to hear about the low quality of your daughter’s classes. So far things are going well that way in my sons’ school system. The classes are as challenging as any other year. They need to physically be there with the lesson, lots of interaction and so on, so there’s really no way to slack. My one child is in special ed, with adjusted classes. He’s doing great. My other gen ed son is also an honors student like your daughter. He’s a freshman, wants to be in the medical field. Challenging classes. I mean...the curriculum is the curriculum, There’s no way to just not do the work.

I think you should call your child’s school and ask why the quality of her classes has plunged. It’s your right to know. Our district is in constant contact with the parents. We’re encouraged to speak up. OTOH, it’s one of the highest rated USDs in the state (which is part of why we chose my town to live in). I don’t know whether that’s the difference, but it doesn’t really matter, you have a right to speak up.

[CaliforniaGirl]

11 minutes ago, CaliforniaGirl said:

Well, that’s fine (inquisition). I can’t see why you shouldn’t have the right to pursue that.

I’m sorry to hear about the low quality of your daughter’s classes. So far things are going well that way in my sons’ school system. The classes are as challenging as any other year. They need to physically be there with the lesson, lots of interaction and so on, so there’s really no way to slack. My one child is in special ed, with adjusted classes. He’s doing great. My other gen ed son is also an honors student like your daughter. He’s a freshman, wants to be in the medical field. Challenging classes. I mean...the curriculum is the curriculum, There’s no way to just not do the work.

I think you should call your child’s school and ask why the quality of her classes has plunged. It’s your right to know. Our district is in constant contact with the parents. We’re encouraged to speak up. OTOH, it’s one of the highest rated USDs in the state (which is part of why we chose my town to live in). I don’t know whether that’s the difference, but it doesn’t really matter, you have a right to speak up.

Oh ha, as we speak (so to say) my son is in PE and the coach is yelling for student X and Y to get up, he can see them and he won’t ask again. 😂 

If my sons weren’t receiving an actual, literal school day plus at least an hour of independent work (and then the homework) - which had the SAME curriculum they’d otherwise have - I’d have something to say and it wouldn’t be something quiet.
 

My feeling, though, as I write this and think about it a bit more, is that these are the early days. Most kids have only been back to school for a week or two. You might keep a sharp eye out in what’s happening on each class and wait a week before deciding how the year is actually going to go, Fool of the Year. But it’s really up to you.

Edited September 3, 2020 by CaliforniaGirl

[CaliforniaGirl]

21 hours ago, thefooloftheyear said:

Also, letting publicly funded employees dictate the terms of their employment, then expecting full pay/benefits/pensions starts to open up a can of worms...What if cops did the same thing?   Or public utility workers?  Or the postal service?  Health care workers?? Prison guards? Toll collectors??

Privately held companies can do whatever they want. that's their right as an independently/privately funded operation... The stance the teachers have made isn't cooperative, is depriving the students whose interests that they all claim to put above all others, when they are whining for more money/benefits...,  and is rooted in politics....which again is unfair to the students and unfair to the taxpayers..

TFY

I don't know, but the above sounds more like an ongoing issue for your USD (or county or whatever) than something that came from the decision to distance educate. ETA: The more I hear about your schools the more upset I get. (Uncooperative, putting money before the students, sub-par distance learning classes, I mean what ARE they doing over there?) No wonder you're frustrated. You guys need some serious change.

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by CaliforniaGirl

[OatsAndHall]

I'm a teacher and we're just simply pushing forward. When we have a positive case in the school, we're shut down for 24 hours so they can contact trace and isolate but that's about it. We won't end up shutting down for an extended period of time until we have a large number of staff sick/under quarantine and can't operate. And, that is  -when-, not -if-. Many of the classrooms are packed with 20+ kids with no social distancing and masks are only mandated if we're under a certain number of cases in the county.  During our first two weeks of school, my classroom was packed, wall to wall, with no masks on. We now have ten kids out with pending tests.

Bottom line, our school board isn't going to pull the plug until we hit the point where we can't operate. Once we hit that point, we'll probably have too many active cases within the school to go back any time soon.

[BaileyB]

37 minutes ago, OatsAndHall said:

Many of the classrooms are packed with 20+ kids with no social distancing. During our first two weeks of school, my classroom was packed, wall to wall, with no masks on. We now have ten kids out with pending tests.

Ugh. And so it begins...

[QuietRiot]

1 hour ago, OatsAndHall said:

I'm a teacher and we're just simply pushing forward. When we have a positive case in the school, we're shut down for 24 hours so they can contact trace and isolate but that's about it. We won't end up shutting down for an extended period of time until we have a large number of staff sick/under quarantine and can't operate. And, that is  -when-, not -if-. Many of the classrooms are packed with 20+ kids with no social distancing and masks are only mandated if we're under a certain number of cases in the county.  During our first two weeks of school, my classroom was packed, wall to wall, with no masks on. We now have ten kids out with pending tests.

Bottom line, our school board isn't going to pull the plug until we hit the point where we can't operate. Once we hit that point, we'll probably have too many active cases within the school to go back any time soon.

NO masks? Well, at least here in Florida the schools are packed, but...they are at least wearing the masks and have plastic shields installed on desks.

[OatsAndHall]

6 hours ago, QuietRiot said:

NO masks? Well, at least here in Florida the schools are packed, but...they are at least wearing the masks and have plastic shields installed on desks.

 Technically, we should have been in masks, given that we're indoors and social distancing can't be maintained.  But, there wasn't any backing fro the higher-ups with regards to enforcing this in the classroom. Several of us tried to enforce it in our rooms but it wasn't going to happen without administrative support. I only tried for one day and realized quickly that I wasn't going to win that fight.

Welcome to Covid "policy" in a rural, red state.

[QuietRiot]

2 minutes ago, OatsAndHall said:

 Technically, we should have been in masks, given that we're indoors and social distancing can't be maintained.  But, there wasn't any backing fro the higher-ups with regards to enforcing this in the classroom. Several of us tried to enforce it in our rooms but it wasn't going to happen without administrative support. I only tried for one day and realized quickly that I wasn't going to win that fight.

Welcome to Covid "policy" in a rural, red state.

Oh okay, so just like anywhere else, it's only a mandate and masks are optional. 😛