I agree but I think some cities (NY) are way too quick to pull the plug on schools...and we’re seeing negative effects on kids from those closures.
To get kids back in Iowa schools, Gov. Reynolds indicates she will push for law requiring it
- Thread starter cigaretteman
- Start date
I appreciate it too!
I get that most all childhood development professionals say that kids should be in school learning. But it seems like they (and it's their role) come at it from the perspectives of the kids, not the teachers, administrators, and support staff who have to also be in the school, and who may be at higher risk of getting covid, and having worse symptoms. I'm sure that there are a lot of safeguards that can be take, but depending on the kids, getting the students to consistently go along with them could be challenging.
One issue I do have is the parents. Parents are notorious for sending their kids to school when they're sick - masking fevers with aspirin, etc. If there was a way to ensure that parents wouldn't send their kids to school sick, it'd be safer, but parents aren't like that. Parents want those kids out of the house!
Your first question is a good one. I'm not involved in education, except for having a kid in high school. So all I've got is my perspective. I guess I wonder why it is that teachers are put in such an important role, which requires advanced education and training, and then treat them like blue collar workers? Look at that list that you wrote -they're all low level workers. I guess not "bankers", but here locally, the only people in the bank are tellers, and some of the banks are drive thru only for now.
But if you're going to lump teachers in with meat packers and grocery store workers, doesn't it diminish their importance and their professionalism? When covid started my company sent us all home to work, and there's no telling when we're going to be allowed back - I'm hearing it'll be summer '21. Most of the "white collar" workers here are in the same boat. So if teachers are going to be respected as college-educated professionals who are in fact responsible for developing future leaders, shouldn't they be treated with as much respect as other professionals? Doctors and nurses have a level of health risk (and accompanying safeguards) inherent in their roles. Teachers haven't historically had that.
If teachers are now going to be told that they have to do the same job, for the same money, but take on a whole new level of health risk, isn't it reasonable to expect them to push back against that? It's like if you told me that I have to go back to the office, and there's a 1 in 1000 chance that I'm going to be shot and seriously injured (if not die), then I'm not going to be thrilled with that. I'm going to look for ways to reduce my risk, or to be paid better for accepting the new risk.
I don't know what the right answer is, but I think there could be significant pushback to telling all the teachers that they have to go report back to work at the schools, while there's still a bunch of covid going around. If there's not, then what did the teachers ever bother unionizing for - if not for a huge health and safety issue like this? Seems like that is supposed to be the whole point of the union - to protect the workers.
In North Liberty a street could separate where it is safe to go to school and where there are apparently mass deaths and students must remain home.
CNN: Now we have proof that kids are paying the price of Covid:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/02/politics/what-matters-december-1/index.html
CNN:
Letters to Santa reveal the toll the pandemic is taking on kids
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/09/us/santa-letters-children-coronavirus-trnd/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/02/politics/what-matters-december-1/index.html
CNN:
Letters to Santa reveal the toll the pandemic is taking on kids
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/09/us/santa-letters-children-coronavirus-trnd/index.html
You guys keep saying this, but it's really weird how many teachers started getting Covid when schools were open. I'm saying this as someone who looks forward to seeing the kids on Monday.
You have schools in the same county and some times same city (public vs private) doing completely different things. Why can some in the same county/city operate full in-person while others cannot? Why don’t those not operating full in-person model those that are. Is it really that hard. Are some school boards and admins really that dense and stuck in their ways that they can’t adapt?
Of the teachers we know that have had it they haven’t traced it to school but outside of school.
The important thing is being able to spread kids apart. If your class sizes were already relatively small or you had large rooms then it isn't necessary to split the classes up.
Same here,.. I know three teachers that have tested positive and all of them are believed to have contracted the virus outside of school activities...
Didn't you learn over the summer that teachers are more at risk than any one else? It was reported that in one district, it would cost approximately eleventy billion dollars to make everything safe to return.
Any statistics on the number of teachers who contracted it from their students? I can’t find any. The few anecdotal cases broadcast on the media when they reopened turned out to be not from the kids.
Fauci says schools should reopen
I agree with Kimmy on this one, kids should be in school
Thank the good lord I’m an Iowan and have a governor that’s not scared of pleasing the liberal mob. You douche canoes can always move somewhere “safer”
right. Make a difference in kids lives.....and die.
Agreed. ^^ I think the radical differences in how some school districts have dealt with this, even when they are separated by only a few miles relates more to politics and culture differences.
My wife is a school teacher and her school has modified the day to minimize the potential to spread it and a few people have had COVID, teachers/admins and students and parents, but in almost all of the cases it was determined to have been spread through activities outside of school. In response, there have been temporary suspensions of in person school, but only for a limited time and then back at it.
There is no signal whatsoever that in person school is driving any significant # of COVID cases. Meanwhile, the youngsters are making very good academic progress, enjoying the vital social interaction between schoolmates/teachers and life is moving on, albeit in a little different manner than normal.
No, they really haven't made it as safe as possible. At least in DSM, when they were fully open, class sizes were the same, they didn't do much social distancing, etc.
I feel like somehow this has gotten turned into a debate that for some reason teachers don't want to reopen...ever. Of course they do. I know my sister hates trying to teach 1st graders via Zoom. For whatever reason, this has bled into the debate surrounding how easy some people think teachers have it, so what's the possible risk?
It's not just about catching it from students though. Just try to think about the sheer number of adults that are present at any decent-sized school. From the parents who show up for activities, to administrative staff, custodians, all the teachers, etc. Substitute teachers are largely older/retired teachers who are high-risk. And so on. It's not just the teachers and students.
I'm guessing the state will force schools to pause activities if there is no 100% option as soon as the vaccinations start. I'm totally good w/ that and hope that teachers get the option to get vaccinated near the top of the list.....
No reason not to open at that point right?
No reason not to open at that point right?
I get
i get that but I thinks the benefits of keeping the schools open outweigh the risks. Just haven’t seen the anticipated spread in schools.
No. No visitors allowed on campus. Ever. That’s the first thing that gets shut down. Temperatures taken at drop off before they step into the school. Random temperature checks between class where students are released from classes staggered to prevent hallway crowding. It can be done. Pretty easily actually. I’m seeing it happen.
I agree with those that feel like in-person schooling is important, but we don't seem to be willing to make the sacrifices needed to make it safe. Most of the studies that suggested in person schooling is 'safe' were done during times of low community transmission, which is definitely not where we are at. If we really cared about this we should be clamoring for closing bars, limiting large gatherings, mask mandates, and limiting in-person dining. We aren't even willing to mandate masks for high school aged kids.
I wouldn't say the idea that in-person schooling does not contribute to community outbreaks, and I will include a tweet thread outlining some of that data. I haven't looked at it in depth, but it is enough to bring things into question. One last thing that has been on my mind: what has lead to the significant decrease in cases in Iowa over the past few weeks? The rest of the country is continuing to have a rise in case rates, but ours has decreased. We didn't seem to do much to mitigate things outside of making a lot of schools virtual, and I wonder if that has helped with our downtrend, and I don't think closing bars at 10 was enough to drive the downtrend.
I wouldn't say the idea that in-person schooling does not contribute to community outbreaks, and I will include a tweet thread outlining some of that data. I haven't looked at it in depth, but it is enough to bring things into question. One last thing that has been on my mind: what has lead to the significant decrease in cases in Iowa over the past few weeks? The rest of the country is continuing to have a rise in case rates, but ours has decreased. We didn't seem to do much to mitigate things outside of making a lot of schools virtual, and I wonder if that has helped with our downtrend, and I don't think closing bars at 10 was enough to drive the downtrend.
Sure but that’s not happening everywhere. Reynolds is big on saying do this, but offering few suggestions about how.
So funny to see people try to make some important scientific sounding point, only to base it on, “well, I think it’s due to this...but probably not that”.
”did some of this...but, probably not enough of that. So, that’s why...”
lol. Yeah, ok.
”did some of this...but, probably not enough of that. So, that’s why...”
lol. Yeah, ok.
Most everyone has the capability to work full time, and still be fully involved in your kids education, L. wade. I know it requires a little sacrifice and some effort which is obviously too much to ask of most of you.
There are over 12,000 students missing New Mexico school system as of middle of fall. Students have not been able to physically attend since March. The long term effects will be interesting to see which states were successful.
Evidently my house is an outlier. We have a fourth grader in IC that did the hybrid model while it was offered and has been virtual when not. She is doing very well considering the circumstances. We have stepped up our routine of reviewing her work every night, and found a University student that was willing to come to our house for a few hours a week to go over math for the price of a baby sitter. It's been pretty amazing to watch her develop skills that I saw adults struggle with for months. We went into the year knowing it wasn't going to be perfect, and decided to focus on getting her excited about a new way of learning and taking on some responsibilities that are way ahead of the "normal" timeline of a 9 year old.
Overall it's not great, but I am actually pretty satisfied with how her teachers and school are handling things.
Overall it's not great, but I am actually pretty satisfied with how her teachers and school are handling things.
Even Fauci said to open the schools.. you fvcking corksuckers
news.yahoo.com
'Close the bars' and open schools, Fauci says
Evidence strongly indicates that schools are not the sites of significant viral transmission, leading some to wonder why schools are being forced to bear the pandemic’s brunt, when it is adults in adult spaces who seem to be spreading the virus.
my kids havent been in school one day since march and they have no desire to go back. our kids love virtual school and they have really thrived because we set our lives around their school work. I realize we are outliers too because most parents wont do what is necessary for their kids to succeed or they lack the ability.
