So....school reopening is going well...
- Thread starter Joes Place
- Start date
Shocking... No one could have predicted this....
Thoughts on Reynolds changing her mind? She is getting a staggering amount of criticism for this.
So, one sick kid. Being careful with 12-14 others.
What is the crisis here?
What is the crisis here?
This went out to Des Moines School District parents/students today. This should be interesting:
MESSAGE FROM DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT AHART
Dear Friends,
As soon as Des Moines Public Schools transitioned to distance learning to finish last school year, we shifted our focus to how to safely begin 2020-21. Like school districts across the state, we spent thousands of hours developing a plan - according to the guidelines issued by the State of Iowa - on how to resume school in the midst of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. The development of this plan also reflected input from more than 80% of our families. While everyone wants a day when we can resume school as we have for the past one hundred years, that is simply an unsafe option. For DMPS, we prepared a plan - again, according to the guidelines issued by the State of Iowa - that provided our families with a choice between an all-virtual learning model and a hybrid model, which combines in-person and online learning. Our goal: educate our students while protecting the health and safety of our students, their families, and our staff.
Over the past two weeks, the State of Iowa has released increased limitations on local decision-making, after more than 75% of our families had already registered for the plan we introduced on July 1. The DMPS plan was designed to maximize both student and staff safety and academic learning. Compliance with the recent changes in requirements will place students and staff at unacceptable risk given the COVID-19 conditions expected at the time school begins. Of particular concern are the guidelines issued just yesterday, stating that the transmission rate in a community must be more than 15-20% before a school can even ask for permission to change to online learning for a mere two weeks, a level triple that recommended by most public health experts.
The State's approach over the past two weeks has created concern and confusion for parents and teachers alike. It ignores the complexities of everything that goes into how a school district operates, not only preparing for online learning but everything from transportation to meals to technology to staffing. We recognize the significant challenges that the dramatic changes to daily schedules creates for our families and we are working with multiple district partners to address childcare and other family needs. However, the very notion that a school can simply flip a switch to go back and forth between in-person and online learning ignores the reality of how schools operate, what is best for our students and families, and limits the ability of teachers to provide quality instruction.
Our reason for existence is to educate students, and that is exactly what DMPS will do in 2020-21. Whether in person or online, our teachers live to support the success of their students. But I am not going to put our staff - or their students and families - in the position of getting sick for that purpose. We can return to learn in a way that is smart, safe and realistic.
Therefore, Des Moines Public Schools is working on the following changes to our Return to Learn plan:
Delay the start of the school year to shortly after Labor Day. Professional Development days currently scheduled throughout the year would be held prior to the start of classes so that the 2020-21 school year ends as currently scheduled.
The 2020-21 school year would begin fully virtual across all grade levels.
As soon as it is safe to do so, DMPS would transition to the hybrid learning model for elementary and middle school students who registered for that plan.
High school classes would most likely be held entirely online for the Fall semester, with the exception of some in-person classes at Central Campus.
As Superintendent, I will continue to make every effort to work collaboratively with the Iowa Department of Education and the Governor about our need to take this approach to responsibly further our students' education. Finally, DMPS is prepared to take every step available to ensure a safe start to the school year for our 33,000 students, 5,000 employees, their families, and the entire Des Moines community.
Dr. Thomas Ahart, Superintendent
Des Moines Public Schools
MESSAGE FROM DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT AHART
Dear Friends,
As soon as Des Moines Public Schools transitioned to distance learning to finish last school year, we shifted our focus to how to safely begin 2020-21. Like school districts across the state, we spent thousands of hours developing a plan - according to the guidelines issued by the State of Iowa - on how to resume school in the midst of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. The development of this plan also reflected input from more than 80% of our families. While everyone wants a day when we can resume school as we have for the past one hundred years, that is simply an unsafe option. For DMPS, we prepared a plan - again, according to the guidelines issued by the State of Iowa - that provided our families with a choice between an all-virtual learning model and a hybrid model, which combines in-person and online learning. Our goal: educate our students while protecting the health and safety of our students, their families, and our staff.
Over the past two weeks, the State of Iowa has released increased limitations on local decision-making, after more than 75% of our families had already registered for the plan we introduced on July 1. The DMPS plan was designed to maximize both student and staff safety and academic learning. Compliance with the recent changes in requirements will place students and staff at unacceptable risk given the COVID-19 conditions expected at the time school begins. Of particular concern are the guidelines issued just yesterday, stating that the transmission rate in a community must be more than 15-20% before a school can even ask for permission to change to online learning for a mere two weeks, a level triple that recommended by most public health experts.
The State's approach over the past two weeks has created concern and confusion for parents and teachers alike. It ignores the complexities of everything that goes into how a school district operates, not only preparing for online learning but everything from transportation to meals to technology to staffing. We recognize the significant challenges that the dramatic changes to daily schedules creates for our families and we are working with multiple district partners to address childcare and other family needs. However, the very notion that a school can simply flip a switch to go back and forth between in-person and online learning ignores the reality of how schools operate, what is best for our students and families, and limits the ability of teachers to provide quality instruction.
Our reason for existence is to educate students, and that is exactly what DMPS will do in 2020-21. Whether in person or online, our teachers live to support the success of their students. But I am not going to put our staff - or their students and families - in the position of getting sick for that purpose. We can return to learn in a way that is smart, safe and realistic.
Therefore, Des Moines Public Schools is working on the following changes to our Return to Learn plan:
Delay the start of the school year to shortly after Labor Day. Professional Development days currently scheduled throughout the year would be held prior to the start of classes so that the 2020-21 school year ends as currently scheduled.
The 2020-21 school year would begin fully virtual across all grade levels.
As soon as it is safe to do so, DMPS would transition to the hybrid learning model for elementary and middle school students who registered for that plan.
High school classes would most likely be held entirely online for the Fall semester, with the exception of some in-person classes at Central Campus.
As Superintendent, I will continue to make every effort to work collaboratively with the Iowa Department of Education and the Governor about our need to take this approach to responsibly further our students' education. Finally, DMPS is prepared to take every step available to ensure a safe start to the school year for our 33,000 students, 5,000 employees, their families, and the entire Des Moines community.
Dr. Thomas Ahart, Superintendent
Des Moines Public Schools
I think, so long as schools in Iowa are in "onsite session", every school should send a class on a field trip to tour the Capitol in Iowa and Reynolds should shake every kid's hand in a small room....
They will recover quickly and help build herd immunity.
Really? 15k- 30k students returning to Iowa City the last couple weeks of August. You don’t think it would be a good idea to wait and see how that shit show works out before bringing kids back to the classroom? Seems logical and also recommended by the Johnson County Public Health. But, go Regina!
the herd immunity of the disease you can catch multiple times in one school year, ok.......
Let's assume herd immunity is 50 % just for easy math. 350 million humans in this country. So 175 million must be infected. 1 % fatality rate 1.75 million corpses correct. Then we have the number of recovered that have long term illnesses due to Cornavirus. Can the healthcare system handle that without collapsing?
...and when 78% of adults evaluated post-infection have documented lung and heart damage - irrespective of the severity of their case, it'd seem a Fool's Errand to mix a whole lot of kids together, when we KNOW they can experience the same damage with MIS-C, and we have no idea if the asymptomatic ones incur lung and heart (coronary artery) irregularities. One would THINK we should have a clear answer that they truly DO NOT have a risk of any of those outcomes to any appreciable level BEFORE letting that horse out of the barn.
Not a chance, it would cost many millions of lives including millions of deaths from non covid issues that couldn't be helped. Everywhere would make NY in April look like nothing
Scare tactics. Look around you. Cases are minimal. Complications are virtually non-existent.
You offer no realistic solution other than to hide perpetually which isn’t possible.
You offer no realistic solution other than to hide perpetually which isn’t possible.
A
anon_89hvcc2uyzmki
Guest
Tell that to the families of the people who are going to die because we opened up schools instead of doing it slowly.
Regina offers both in person and completely online. Something Iowa City schools cannot say.
So it's all a hoax then? You're sick in the head.
Kids have extremely low cases (5% in Johnson County). Zero deaths.
Not a hoax. It’s a virus that can be dangerous for the sick and old. They should take careful precautions. We all should. But, most people are not at significant risk to an illness they are unlikely to contract, and very likely to overcome if they do.
152,000 dead Americans...again.
Correct which means a shit ton of corpses for herd immunity. And a shit ton of medical manpower to handle it.
Of the people who have symptoms, and who think “I might have it! I should get tested!”
Guess how many actually test positive?
About 8%.
Of people with covid symptoms. Who think they have it. 8% positive.
Of that 8%, 5% were 0-17 years old. zero deaths.
Time to accept the low risk and start to begin productive life again.
Guess how many actually test positive?
About 8%.
Of people with covid symptoms. Who think they have it. 8% positive.
Of that 8%, 5% were 0-17 years old. zero deaths.
Time to accept the low risk and start to begin productive life again.
Who doesn’t want their health decisions decided by a fresh out of college doctor with no ability to counter the governor?
Which is good. Do you want and see if they can handle herd immunity goal case load. No masks, no social distancing, start indoor concerts back up, no restrictions let's turn this mother out.
. Some places can most likely handle full in person school. Just like some places with high transmission rates probably can't.
Right....and schools have been closed since March and so many kids activities have been cancelled over the last 5 months. You don't think that has a lot to do with the low number of cases?
Which is good. Do you want and see if they can handle herd immunity goal case load. No masks, no social distancing, start indoor concerts back up, no restrictions let's turn this mother out.
Some places can most likely handle full in person school. Just like some places with high transmission rates probably can't.
No. Just keep doing what we’ve been doing. Slowly continue to reopen (like we did with businesses, restaurants and now schools). Then evaluate and reassess.
But, things are currently under control enough to take the next step forward. At least around here.
