Iowa City School District

[Run&Blade]

The trailer trash and inner city poor went from a small chance of a future to zero in one school board meeting.

all because 4-5 old fat people in Iowa are dying every day that already outlived their life expectancy.

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

The trailer trash and inner city poor went from a small chance of a future to zero in one school board meeting.

all because 4-5 old fat people in Iowa are dying every day that already outlived their life expectancy.

Two things have been clear from this decision by those who disagree:

1) Schools are daycares and parents don’t want to watch their kids anymore.
2) The sudden concern for low income families/kids.

 

[hexumhawk]

I think too many people are uninformed and scared. You are right that people need to be responsible and help control the spread. Unfortunately you have too many people who refuse to do simple things like wear a mask.

I have continued to work at the hospital since the beginning of this. I have had several close co-workers who tested positive for covid. This was before masks and face shields were recommended. After the implementation of masks and face shields all spread at work has stopped. I have cared for patients who are Covid positive while simply using a mask and face shield without spreading covid.

My sons daycare has been open since the beginning of this, we had 1 teacher test positive and but did not have a single other kid or teacher test positive after exposure. They take temps every morning. They do not let any parents in the daycare, teachers all wear masks all day, they clean thoroughly at the end of every day and they wash hands frequently. Heck they even have my 5 year old practicing wearing a mask 6 hours out of the day.

School could reopen if they had teachers either stand behind a shield, wear a face shield, wear a mask or any combo of this. All students could wear masks or face shields. All I know is that if a daycare with 250 kids aging from 0-9 (counting before and after program) can successfully navigate this, I know the schools would be able to.

This is a perfect example of why they need to go back. Are some kids and staff going to test positive - of course. Is it deadly enough to shut everything down - not even close. If that is the case, we will be shutting down from November to March every year for the flu season. Life comes with some inherent risks people. You cant put everyone in a bubble for the rest of time.

 

[hexumhawk]

Republicans are in control of both houses and the governor’s office.

This was a liberal Iowa City decision based on unfounded fear. Simple as that.

 

[hexumhawk]

The trailer trash and inner city poor went from a small chance of a future to zero in one school board meeting.

all because 4-5 old fat people in Iowa are dying every day that already outlived their life expectancy.

This exactly. You got politicized by the ICCSD last night. I heard them mention Reynolds and Trump (not by name of course) several times in reference as to why they HAD to make this decision. Think about that for a minute.

 

[MWardT]

 

[hexumhawk]

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This
We all got got by the politics of it. Teachers should stop getting paid until they go back imo. They have already been off since March with full salary.

 

[UKGrad93]

How does your teaching align with State and national standards? What certifications do you have and how many hours of continuing education and professional development? Which learning methods do you employ in your classroom and how do they coexist with your discipline techniques? What accommodations are you providing? Do you use standards based or traditional grading? How do you scaffold? What data do you collect and interpret to structure future teaching? Are you modifying reinforcement based on the subject matter? What curriculum path do you use? What does your professional development plan look like?

Just curious, what kind of discipline techniques are used with online classrooms?

 

[bojihawk44]

They have already been off since March with full salary.

We have? Shit, guess we all missed the memo. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[binsfeldcyhawk2]

Going to be a lot of that. The virus is virtually no threat to kids but it's going to take some brave teachers who are willing to stand up to the pressure of resisting in person instruction.

On the flip side, asking teachers to do hybrid, some at home some in class is too much to ask.

My daughter finished her senior year online and from what I observed it was a joke.....

Would like to see some more creativity in getting kids back to school. Maybe have kids in class....teachers at risk zoom/skype in and hire some young teachers assistants to manage the class.

Just think we're under-estimating the importance of getting these kids some in person teaching....the kids on the lower end of the economic spectum will be the ones that get really set back by this....

If you're economically well off there are ways to ensure your kid still receives a decent education in these circumstances....

 

[hexumhawk]

We have? Shit, guess we all missed the memo. Thanks for the heads up.

Well, if you were working you weren't doing a good job of it by all accounts.

 

[h-hawk]

"Your kids are not in danger at school. Per CDC: 30 kids ages 15 & under have died of the coronavirus. That compares to 190 who die from the seasonal flu every year, 436 who commit suicide, 625 who are murdered, 4114 who die from drowning or other unintentional deaths."

On its own, this is meaningless. The vast majority of kids have been in quarantine mode and not exposted to Covid 19 like they have been to seasonal flu.

Not arguing kids are not less susceptible, only that this quote is without value.

 

[bojihawk44]

Well, if you were working you weren't doing a good job of it by all accounts.

You have no idea what I was doing.

And the online portion of last year didn't work very well because we had almost zero direction from school/state leaders. They basically said "hey, everything is online now and the kids don't have to do it, good luck!" I wonder why some teachers struggled with it. Crazy.

 

[win1forthe]

Just curious, what kind of discipline techniques are used with online classrooms?

There are discipline issues when using online learning. Bullying and using technology inappropriately are issues I dealt with last year.

 

[bojihawk44]

Just curious, what kind of discipline techniques are used with online classrooms?

Proximity (breakout groups), verbal warnings, written expectations and consequences, etc. Not vastly different from in-person teaching, just much more difficult.

 

[win1forthe]

My daughter finished her senior year online and from what I observed it was a joke.....

Would like to see some more creativity in getting kids back to school. Maybe have kids in class....teachers at risk zoom/skype in and hire some young teachers assistants to manage the class.

Just think we're under-estimating the importance of getting these kids some in person teaching....the kids on the lower end of the economic spectum will be the ones that get really set back by this....

If you're economically well off there are ways to ensure your kid still receives a decent education in these circumstances....

I get what you’re saying but budgets for this year are staying the same, at best, and in most cases are decreasing so hiring any additional staff will be hard.

 

[bojihawk44]

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Ah, yes. The same Clay Travis who said the coronavirus would only kill a few hundred people and was nothing to worry about. Definitely who I'm going to listen to on this topic.

 

[binsfeldcyhawk2]

I get what you’re saying but budgets for this year are staying the same, at best, and in most cases are decreasing so hiring any additional staff will be hard.

Agree....it's something that should have been addressed in the first couple corona virus bills....money for states/communities to do this.

Should have been planning for this since mid-march.

Even if they add that to a new bill we're way behind the curve...

 

[Hawk_82]

One thing that is clear is that no one knows what would happen if kids go back. It's possible closing schools was the right choice, it's probably more likely that it was unnecessary.

I propose a trial class with 50-70% of the normal students. Every morning and afternoon a temp must be taken and recorded. In order to go back parents have to be willing to submit daily temps that are visible to all students. Parents also must submit all covid tests that are done. If anyone living in the house has symptoms of covid or tests positive for covid then the student must quarantine for 14 days from exposure and do online learning.

I believe this would be extremely successful and would limit transmission.

 

[Rifler]

Just curious, what kind of discipline techniques are used with online classrooms?

All attending students are penalized with a worthless education...

 

[ChrisVarick]

It is madness that you will have ICSD online and schools 10 miles away going. If I were a parent their I'd be looking to rent an apartment in Tiffin so I could send my kids to real school next semester.

 

[MWardT]

Ah, yes. The same Clay Travis who said the coronavirus would only kill a few hundred people and was nothing to worry about. Definitely who I'm going to listen to on this topic.

Seems logical. Ignore facts because you dislike who they come from.

 

[bojihawk44]

Seems logical. Ignore facts because you dislike who they come from.

I don't like or dislike Clay because I, like most everyone else in the world, don't pay attention to him. He's just an idiot, that's been proven over time.

 

[BigDelHawk]

Older teachers are watching this closely. Do not want rona, do not want to take rona back to husband. They are waiting for the final call from their districts. If they go back in to school this fall, they are going to retire in droves. No one in the pipeline to replace them. Why take out $100,000 in long term debt for a $30K a year job at entry level that peaks around $60K?

 

[IowaHawkIT]

So, I'm assuming no fall sports for Iowa City schools? Sends a pretty bad message if you're trying to stop the spread by going online but still allowing teams to practice/play against others. Full disclosure, I don't care if they're doing onsite learning or remote, I just think it looks terrible if they still allow sports.

 

[anon_89hvcc2uyzmki]

My wife is preparing to start her 14th year of 2nd grade teaching in a large Iowa school district. She is ready and hoping to get back into the classroom in August.

 

[UKGrad93]

It is madness that you will have ICSD online and schools 10 miles away going. If I were a parent their I'd be looking to rent an apartment in Tiffin so I could send my kids to real school next semester.

I was thinking the same thing. I could see a neighborhood getting together to do this. Imagine twenty or thirty kids with the same address.

 

[Run&Blade]

Two things have been clear from this decision by those who disagree:

1) Schools are daycares and parents don’t want to watch their kids anymore.
2) The sudden concern for low income families/kids.

Almost everybody cares about giving kids a chance. I gave up on shitty parents, there is no hope to save them. We need to draw a line in the sand with kids. After school programs that feed, bathe, wash their clothes, and help them with their homework. Iowa City just dammed these kids to zero future. Might as well mail them meth.

 

[BondHawk]

I was thinking the same thing. I could see a neighborhood getting together to do this. Imagine twenty or thirty kids with the same address.

I don't believe any of the surrounding districts have officially announced a plan yet. Their intent appears to be to go back to school as normal, but changing circumstances may influence decisions to be made in the next week or two.

 

[ChrisVarick]

I was thinking the same thing. I could see a neighborhood getting together to do this. Imagine twenty or thirty kids with the same address.

That would be obvious and you couldn't really pull that off. There is a cheap crappy 2 bedroom available in town for $650. If I had a couple of children it would be well worth it to rent it this year. In the end it may fail if everything goes online statewide, which is a possibility.

 

[Rifler]

The hybrid approach is the best solution, as it provides options as we progress through the pandemic,.. If things smooth out the classrooms are open and available, if things go to shit kids can fall back to the online resource, and if things simply remain stable the online option provides a way to support students that might be impacted by short term quarantine conditions as the school year progresses....

 

[Hawkfan_08]

it’s not difficult to put a kid through an online curriculum with a parent present. The point is that a teacher can’t keep a kid from starting the house on fire. There’s no need for a teacher if the parent has to be home watching the kid.

But most families have two parents working or are divorced at two separate houses working. Nobody monitors this crap.

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

don't be a douche.

Teaching is like being a stay at home parent. It looks and sounds easy. Heck, for the right person it is easy. But for the average person it is extremely challenging, frustrating, and after trying it you gain a new respect for what they do.

I gained a ton of respect for teachers after doing the in home teaching thing last spring. And I respected teachers before that.

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

Almost everybody cares about giving kids a chance. I gave up on shitty parents, there is no hope to save them. We need to draw a line in the sand with kids. After school programs that feed, bathe, wash their clothes, and help them with their homework. Iowa City just dammed these kids to zero future. Might as well mail them meth.

Lol. You should really write for Fox News.

Multi-generations of poverty, addiction, and mental health issues were all just close to making a breakthrough, until the district went with virtual learning for a year. Calm down, Hannity.

Also, in-between breaths, I hope you text your mentee to ask how he’s doing, add another year to your recurring pledge to the local food bank, and finish writing that letter to your state representatives to increase funding for child mental health services, while also decriminalizing possession of marijuana. Also, ask your wife to put the fire out on your head.

 

[sober_teacher]

State will override it. Won't happen to as districts can't create their own rules.

The State has effectively punted on this to the districts.

I get that there are differences between school and daycare. But to say 1 is safer than the other is not true. Some daycares have 250 kids,. Not all schools have this many kids. Daycares also have a lot of young kids who put things in their mouths and need hands on care.

So while the numbers may be more in most schools, daycares have a higher risk of spreading.

Outside of small, rural districts, I promise you most school districts will easily average at least 250 kids per school. For sure in the medium to large towns where most of Iowans live for example.

It is madness that you will have ICSD online and schools 10 miles away going. If I were a parent their I'd be looking to rent an apartment in Tiffin so I could send my kids to real school next semester.

Agreed that it is madness. But it's happening like this in Iowa b/c Reynolds and the State DOE punted the decision to local districts back in June - they issued a 2 pg document for districts to follow, which was vague as hell. They essentially wanted districts to reopen but not carry any of the risk themselves.

Do I think districts should reopen, on at least some sort of hybrid option to start? Yes! But the problem is, cases are currently spiking in Iowa City and all over the country, with no sign of it slowing, hence the overabundance of caution. Kids themselves may be less at risk than adults - for now anyway. However, people keep forgetting that schools include far more than just the kids. there's the teachers, support staff, administrators, etc. Then there's the parents, many of who drop off/pick up their kids everyday. Then you have all the extracurricular events, which many parents travel too. Just think of a high school football game, and how easy it would be to spread COVID-19 in that environment.

I hope they don't go online only for the entire fall, but I can't blame them for looking at the worst case scenario right now.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

But most families have two parents working or are divorced at two separate houses working. Nobody monitors this crap.

I know. That’s why going to school is the better option of the shit sandwich we’ve been handed.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Older teachers are watching this closely. Do not want rona, do not want to take rona back to husband. They are waiting for the final call from their districts. If they go back in to school this fall, they are going to retire in droves. No one in the pipeline to replace them. Why take out $100,000 in long term debt for a $30K a year job at entry level that peaks around $60K?

you don’t know why people choose to be teachers?

 

[BigDelHawk]

you don’t know why people choose to be teachers?

Yep, and the trade off is not worth it right now because this current group of kids and the political environment is shit.. There are not enough teachers being newly minted to replace those in going into retirement and quitting. So a big bubble this fall would be devastating.

 

[rolfey]

Here is a link for the "Return to Learn" survey that was sent to all ICCSD parents/teachers. Nearly 60% of teachers/parents are comfortable returning to school.

 

[BigDelHawk]

Here is a link for the "Return to Learn" survey that was sent to all ICCSD parents/teachers. Nearly 60% of teachers/parents are comfortable returning to school.

Which means more than 40% are not.

17.5% of teachers in Iowa are older than 55.