Inside the great teacher resignation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the plan is to privatize education there won’t be enough teachers for charters and private schools at the rate people are leaving education and/or not entering it in college. There may be more autonomy for teachers in those settings but pay is often significantly lower without the benefit of large group insurance plans and state pensions.

I posted above. I am paid slightly less in my private school setting. I am no longer contributing to my pension, but my employer does contribute into a retirement plan for me.

I value autonomy so much that I feel it is a good trade. Autonomy feels like respect, which I did not get in the public setting.

Are you at a big, well regarded private school or a smaller one?

I’m at a well-regarded Catholic high school. (It isn’t one of the top 3-5 listed regularly on DCUM.)

I’m a strong believer in public education, but I strongly feel it isn’t doing itself any favors. Many of the problems I experienced in my time teaching in a public school were self-inflicted. I wish my school system stopped chasing fads. Instead, they could have relied on the combined experience of the many dedicated teachers who spent long days trying to support students. I felt like I had to defy my school-based and central office admin if I wanted to actually teach. I watched master teachers leave before retirement because they were tired of being micromanaged by people with 1/4 of their experience.

I wanted to stay, but I simply couldn’t. I spoke in front of our Board of Ed about testing requirements, fads, etc. One was on his phone as I talked. Nobody really cared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the plan is to privatize education there won’t be enough teachers for charters and private schools at the rate people are leaving education and/or not entering it in college. There may be more autonomy for teachers in those settings but pay is often significantly lower without the benefit of large group insurance plans and state pensions.

I posted above. I am paid slightly less in my private school setting. I am no longer contributing to my pension, but my employer does contribute into a retirement plan for me.

I value autonomy so much that I feel it is a good trade. Autonomy feels like respect, which I did not get in the public setting.

Are you at a big, well regarded private school or a smaller one?

I’m at a well-regarded Catholic high school. (It isn’t one of the top 3-5 listed regularly on DCUM.)

I’m a strong believer in public education, but I strongly feel it isn’t doing itself any favors. Many of the problems I experienced in my time teaching in a public school were self-inflicted. I wish my school system stopped chasing fads. Instead, they could have relied on the combined experience of the many dedicated teachers who spent long days trying to support students. I felt like I had to defy my school-based and central office admin if I wanted to actually teach. I watched master teachers leave before retirement because they were tired of being micromanaged by people with 1/4 of their experience.

I wanted to stay, but I simply couldn’t. I spoke in front of our Board of Ed about testing requirements, fads, etc. One was on his phone as I talked. Nobody really cared.

I can relate to this so much. Being on the inside of public schools did the most to make me question sending my kids. It’s really stunning how much better my kids’ independent school treats teachers. And that’s even with private schools paying less. Of course it seems teachers assign a lot of value to their kids getting tuition remittance, wonder why…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the plan is to privatize education there won’t be enough teachers for charters and private schools at the rate people are leaving education and/or not entering it in college. There may be more autonomy for teachers in those settings but pay is often significantly lower without the benefit of large group insurance plans and state pensions.

I posted above. I am paid slightly less in my private school setting. I am no longer contributing to my pension, but my employer does contribute into a retirement plan for me.

I value autonomy so much that I feel it is a good trade. Autonomy feels like respect, which I did not get in the public setting.

Are you at a big, well regarded private school or a smaller one?

I’m at a well-regarded Catholic high school. (It isn’t one of the top 3-5 listed regularly on DCUM.)

I’m a strong believer in public education, but I strongly feel it isn’t doing itself any favors. Many of the problems I experienced in my time teaching in a public school were self-inflicted. I wish my school system stopped chasing fads. Instead, they could have relied on the combined experience of the many dedicated teachers who spent long days trying to support students. I felt like I had to defy my school-based and central office admin if I wanted to actually teach. I watched master teachers leave before retirement because they were tired of being micromanaged by people with 1/4 of their experience.

I wanted to stay, but I simply couldn’t. I spoke in front of our Board of Ed about testing requirements, fads, etc. One was on his phone as I talked. Nobody really cared.

I can relate to this so much. Being on the inside of public schools did the most to make me question sending my kids. It’s really stunning how much better my kids’ independent school treats teachers. And that’s even with private schools paying less. Of course it seems teachers assign a lot of value to their kids getting tuition remittance, wonder why…

I’m the PP.

I took my kids out of public. I’m comfortable estimating 1/3 of my coworkers at my former public sent their kids to private schools. We were well aware that isn’t okay, but you need to make choices for your own children. It’s admin. It’s the way schools are run. I needed my own children in a school that teaches study skills, note-taking, responsibility, punctuality, and all of the “soft” skills that help students grow into functioning adults. My public wasn’t doing that, no matter how many teachers stood up and tried to fight that good fight. One by one, we started leaving. I hate it. Sincerely. It isn’t right.

I’m a firm believer that teachers should drive decision making. We are the ones who see what students can do and what they need. We are the ones who see the changes in student ability and behavior year after year. We have the bag of tricks that we can draw from when we encounter problems. Central office provides fads, things that are being sold as solutions by people who never stepped foot in our classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of temper tantrums, how does being so angry and irate at teachers 2 years later help your child learn this year?

Is your vitriol helping children get help or is it making the situation worse?

Or are only teachers expected to put your child above their family/yourself?

Is that how you’d characterize the situation of the tens of millions of people that worked through the pandemic in public-facing and/or crowded conditions? Including the people that made sure you had food, utilities, medical services/supplies, public safety services, and countless other essential (and nonessential) goods and services?

No it is how I characterize this thread and people who are still rehashing this argument after 2 years.

There are different issues now. Are they related? Sure
If you want to help and not just spew anger then help. If not your anger is just anger and only you can change that.

Schools and teachers can help by acknowledging their past mistakes and promising to act differently in the future.

Ok we are so very very sorry. The pandemic was mishandled by school boards, the president who threw out the CDC pandemic playbook, superintendents and the NIH. Teachers taught these people and are therefore responsible for their actions. It is true, even teachers themselves made errors of judgement and wanted to work from home. In the next global emergency we will act differently. This new, improved and better plan will be based upon the needs of the pandemic of 2020, not whatever future situation the world will be facing.

Thank you for demonstrating my point. It’s a problem that teachers haven’t acknowledged the harm they did to kids through their actions. It’s not even clear many of them fully understand that harm or the role they played.

You are not getting apologies. You are not getting reparations. You are not getting future promises.

GROW UP AND MOVE ON. Or keep holding your breath and impotently stamping your feet like a toddler. Your choice.

Ok. Then watch public support for public schools and teachers continue to be in the gutter.

You are acting like this is a threat to teachers. Who are you honestly hurting but kids?

It is like in a divorce. If the parents are fighting over kids, custody or whatever in the end the KIDS are the ones who pay the price.

The only thing you are really doing is hurting kids. Especially those who already start with fewer advantages.

The teachers can and will find other work. The kids only get one shot at this and 2 years are already gone. You can take shots and get mad and kick and cry, or you can say “That sucked, but let’s get back to work. We have even more to do. How can I help?”

No, I was trying to say public schools are threatened. If you care about protecting public schools then you should be looking for a path that not only meets the needs of teachers, but also students and their families. Otherwise more and more of those families are going to turn to private schools, which we're already seeing happening. That will only increase political support for private school vouchers. And yes, it's going to be the disadvantaged kids that lose out, not really the DCUM crowd.

DCUM kids are generally in the top 5% of the nation economically. Most people who have left for private school already have. It's not just disadvantaged kids who will and are suffering, it's middle income and even upper middle income kids are too or at the very least, won't be able to afford even the cheapest of private schools.

Exactly. And those middle-income families rely on schools. That doesn't make them bad parents. The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families.

What? That is the weirdest take on this I have ever seen. Are you suggesting schools closed just to “attack” families? Attack means there was malicious intent. Wow. That is NUTS!

Read it again. The comments made by the teachers unions, and some teachers themselves, included attacks on working parents. There have been examples in this thread, although I tend to think they’re from SAHMs rather than teachers.

Ok clearly I have a comprehension fail. The PP said that the 18 month school closure was an attack on families. They in my mind were NOT talking about this thread. Saying the school closures were premeditated and an attack on families by teachers or unions is t crazy. Please reinterpret that post for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I’m a firm believer that teachers should drive decision making. We are the ones who see what students can do and what they need. We are the ones who see the changes in student ability and behavior year after year. We have the bag of tricks that we can draw from when we encounter problems. Central office provides fads, things that are being sold as solutions by people who never stepped foot in our classrooms.

Teachers can also be in bubble and be obvious to the needs of parents and kids. Like when I get last minute requests for a meeting at the school for 3pm when my shift finishes at 5 and my manager can’t let me go since we are already under staffed. Or having parent days during a work day during the summer dunce it’s vacation, no I am not on vacation! Schools should get input from outside their eco chamber.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’m a firm believer that teachers should drive decision making. We are the ones who see what students can do and what they need. We are the ones who see the changes in student ability and behavior year after year. We have the bag of tricks that we can draw from when we encounter problems. Central office provides fads, things that are being sold as solutions by people who never stepped foot in our classrooms.

Teachers can also be in bubble and be obvious to the needs of parents and kids. Like when I get last minute requests for a meeting at the school for 3pm when my shift finishes at 5 and my manager can’t let me go since we are already under staffed. Or having parent days during a work day during the summer dunce it’s vacation, no I am not on vacation! Schools should get input from outside their eco chamber.

Teacher here. You do realize that teachers don’t schedule things like parent days, correct? Once again… that’s central office and administration. Teachers are also parents. We know what restricted schedules are like. After all, we have them ourselves. I have to take 4 hours of leave (a half day) in order to go to my own daughter’s school for her upcoming concert at 10am. Think the teachers scheduled that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of temper tantrums, how does being so angry and irate at teachers 2 years later help your child learn this year?

Is your vitriol helping children get help or is it making the situation worse?

Or are only teachers expected to put your child above their family/yourself?

Is that how you’d characterize the situation of the tens of millions of people that worked through the pandemic in public-facing and/or crowded conditions? Including the people that made sure you had food, utilities, medical services/supplies, public safety services, and countless other essential (and nonessential) goods and services?

No it is how I characterize this thread and people who are still rehashing this argument after 2 years.

There are different issues now. Are they related? Sure
If you want to help and not just spew anger then help. If not your anger is just anger and only you can change that.

Schools and teachers can help by acknowledging their past mistakes and promising to act differently in the future.

Ok we are so very very sorry. The pandemic was mishandled by school boards, the president who threw out the CDC pandemic playbook, superintendents and the NIH. Teachers taught these people and are therefore responsible for their actions. It is true, even teachers themselves made errors of judgement and wanted to work from home. In the next global emergency we will act differently. This new, improved and better plan will be based upon the needs of the pandemic of 2020, not whatever future situation the world will be facing.

Thank you for demonstrating my point. It’s a problem that teachers haven’t acknowledged the harm they did to kids through their actions. It’s not even clear many of them fully understand that harm or the role they played.

You are not getting apologies. You are not getting reparations. You are not getting future promises.

GROW UP AND MOVE ON. Or keep holding your breath and impotently stamping your feet like a toddler. Your choice.

Ok. Then watch public support for public schools and teachers continue to be in the gutter.

You are acting like this is a threat to teachers. Who are you honestly hurting but kids?

It is like in a divorce. If the parents are fighting over kids, custody or whatever in the end the KIDS are the ones who pay the price.

The only thing you are really doing is hurting kids. Especially those who already start with fewer advantages.

The teachers can and will find other work. The kids only get one shot at this and 2 years are already gone. You can take shots and get mad and kick and cry, or you can say “That sucked, but let’s get back to work. We have even more to do. How can I help?”

No, I was trying to say public schools are threatened. If you care about protecting public schools then you should be looking for a path that not only meets the needs of teachers, but also students and their families. Otherwise more and more of those families are going to turn to private schools, which we're already seeing happening. That will only increase political support for private school vouchers. And yes, it's going to be the disadvantaged kids that lose out, not really the DCUM crowd.

DCUM kids are generally in the top 5% of the nation economically. Most people who have left for private school already have. It's not just disadvantaged kids who will and are suffering, it's middle income and even upper middle income kids are too or at the very least, won't be able to afford even the cheapest of private schools.

Exactly. And those middle-income families rely on schools. That doesn't make them bad parents. The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families.

What? That is the weirdest take on this I have ever seen. Are you suggesting schools closed just to “attack” families? Attack means there was malicious intent. Wow. That is NUTS!

Read it again. The comments made by the teachers unions, and some teachers themselves, included attacks on working parents. There have been examples in this thread, although I tend to think they’re from SAHMs rather than teachers.

Ok clearly I have a comprehension fail. The PP said that the 18 month school closure was an attack on families. They in my mind were NOT talking about this thread. Saying the school closures were premeditated and an attack on families by teachers or unions is t crazy. Please reinterpret that post for me.

Read it again: "The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families."

The narrative used by teachers' unions and their supporters in their comments justifying the continued closures was the attack, not the closures themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of temper tantrums, how does being so angry and irate at teachers 2 years later help your child learn this year?

Is your vitriol helping children get help or is it making the situation worse?

Or are only teachers expected to put your child above their family/yourself?

Is that how you’d characterize the situation of the tens of millions of people that worked through the pandemic in public-facing and/or crowded conditions? Including the people that made sure you had food, utilities, medical services/supplies, public safety services, and countless other essential (and nonessential) goods and services?

No it is how I characterize this thread and people who are still rehashing this argument after 2 years.

There are different issues now. Are they related? Sure
If you want to help and not just spew anger then help. If not your anger is just anger and only you can change that.

Schools and teachers can help by acknowledging their past mistakes and promising to act differently in the future.

Ok we are so very very sorry. The pandemic was mishandled by school boards, the president who threw out the CDC pandemic playbook, superintendents and the NIH. Teachers taught these people and are therefore responsible for their actions. It is true, even teachers themselves made errors of judgement and wanted to work from home. In the next global emergency we will act differently. This new, improved and better plan will be based upon the needs of the pandemic of 2020, not whatever future situation the world will be facing.

Thank you for demonstrating my point. It’s a problem that teachers haven’t acknowledged the harm they did to kids through their actions. It’s not even clear many of them fully understand that harm or the role they played.

You are not getting apologies. You are not getting reparations. You are not getting future promises.

GROW UP AND MOVE ON. Or keep holding your breath and impotently stamping your feet like a toddler. Your choice.

Ok. Then watch public support for public schools and teachers continue to be in the gutter.

You are acting like this is a threat to teachers. Who are you honestly hurting but kids?

It is like in a divorce. If the parents are fighting over kids, custody or whatever in the end the KIDS are the ones who pay the price.

The only thing you are really doing is hurting kids. Especially those who already start with fewer advantages.

The teachers can and will find other work. The kids only get one shot at this and 2 years are already gone. You can take shots and get mad and kick and cry, or you can say “That sucked, but let’s get back to work. We have even more to do. How can I help?”

No, I was trying to say public schools are threatened. If you care about protecting public schools then you should be looking for a path that not only meets the needs of teachers, but also students and their families. Otherwise more and more of those families are going to turn to private schools, which we're already seeing happening. That will only increase political support for private school vouchers. And yes, it's going to be the disadvantaged kids that lose out, not really the DCUM crowd.

DCUM kids are generally in the top 5% of the nation economically. Most people who have left for private school already have. It's not just disadvantaged kids who will and are suffering, it's middle income and even upper middle income kids are too or at the very least, won't be able to afford even the cheapest of private schools.

Exactly. And those middle-income families rely on schools. That doesn't make them bad parents. The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families.

What? That is the weirdest take on this I have ever seen. Are you suggesting schools closed just to “attack” families? Attack means there was malicious intent. Wow. That is NUTS!

Read it again. The comments made by the teachers unions, and some teachers themselves, included attacks on working parents. There have been examples in this thread, although I tend to think they’re from SAHMs rather than teachers.

Ok clearly I have a comprehension fail. The PP said that the 18 month school closure was an attack on families. They in my mind were NOT talking about this thread. Saying the school closures were premeditated and an attack on families by teachers or unions is t crazy. Please reinterpret that post for me.

Read it again: "The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families."

The narrative used by teachers' unions and their supporters in their comments justifying the continued closures was the attack, not the closures themselves.

Wow! 18 months? Where were schools closed to in-person instruction for that long? My DS’s ES closed mid-March 2020, so he missed 3 months that spring and then was home Sept until mid-March 2021, so another 6.5 or so. Even if I count the summer months it was nowhere close to 18 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of temper tantrums, how does being so angry and irate at teachers 2 years later help your child learn this year?

Is your vitriol helping children get help or is it making the situation worse?

Or are only teachers expected to put your child above their family/yourself?

Is that how you’d characterize the situation of the tens of millions of people that worked through the pandemic in public-facing and/or crowded conditions? Including the people that made sure you had food, utilities, medical services/supplies, public safety services, and countless other essential (and nonessential) goods and services?

No it is how I characterize this thread and people who are still rehashing this argument after 2 years.

There are different issues now. Are they related? Sure
If you want to help and not just spew anger then help. If not your anger is just anger and only you can change that.

Schools and teachers can help by acknowledging their past mistakes and promising to act differently in the future.

Ok we are so very very sorry. The pandemic was mishandled by school boards, the president who threw out the CDC pandemic playbook, superintendents and the NIH. Teachers taught these people and are therefore responsible for their actions. It is true, even teachers themselves made errors of judgement and wanted to work from home. In the next global emergency we will act differently. This new, improved and better plan will be based upon the needs of the pandemic of 2020, not whatever future situation the world will be facing.

Thank you for demonstrating my point. It’s a problem that teachers haven’t acknowledged the harm they did to kids through their actions. It’s not even clear many of them fully understand that harm or the role they played.

You are not getting apologies. You are not getting reparations. You are not getting future promises.

GROW UP AND MOVE ON. Or keep holding your breath and impotently stamping your feet like a toddler. Your choice.

Ok. Then watch public support for public schools and teachers continue to be in the gutter.

You are acting like this is a threat to teachers. Who are you honestly hurting but kids?

It is like in a divorce. If the parents are fighting over kids, custody or whatever in the end the KIDS are the ones who pay the price.

The only thing you are really doing is hurting kids. Especially those who already start with fewer advantages.

The teachers can and will find other work. The kids only get one shot at this and 2 years are already gone. You can take shots and get mad and kick and cry, or you can say “That sucked, but let’s get back to work. We have even more to do. How can I help?”

No, I was trying to say public schools are threatened. If you care about protecting public schools then you should be looking for a path that not only meets the needs of teachers, but also students and their families. Otherwise more and more of those families are going to turn to private schools, which we're already seeing happening. That will only increase political support for private school vouchers. And yes, it's going to be the disadvantaged kids that lose out, not really the DCUM crowd.

DCUM kids are generally in the top 5% of the nation economically. Most people who have left for private school already have. It's not just disadvantaged kids who will and are suffering, it's middle income and even upper middle income kids are too or at the very least, won't be able to afford even the cheapest of private schools.

Exactly. And those middle-income families rely on schools. That doesn't make them bad parents. The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families.

What? That is the weirdest take on this I have ever seen. Are you suggesting schools closed just to “attack” families? Attack means there was malicious intent. Wow. That is NUTS!

Read it again. The comments made by the teachers unions, and some teachers themselves, included attacks on working parents. There have been examples in this thread, although I tend to think they’re from SAHMs rather than teachers.

Ok clearly I have a comprehension fail. The PP said that the 18 month school closure was an attack on families. They in my mind were NOT talking about this thread. Saying the school closures were premeditated and an attack on families by teachers or unions is t crazy. Please reinterpret that post for me.

Read it again: "The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families."

The narrative used by teachers' unions and their supporters in their comments justifying the continued closures was the attack, not the closures themselves.

The "narrative" was not a narrative. For the 20-21 school year the CDC was still saying 6 feet of distance in public schools. I believe the FCPS superintendent went on CNN that spring to publicly say that the CDC needed to change the policy in order to let kids in school full time. Here is a quote from Feb 2021:

"Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand says that is the most this large suburban Washington, DC, school district can do while still following US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for safe school re-opening. The county is currently in the red zone."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/28/politics/fairfax-county-virginia-schools-reopen-covid/index.html

There physically wasn't enough space to social distance with all children attending school.

Now if you want to see that as an attack, go ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of temper tantrums, how does being so angry and irate at teachers 2 years later help your child learn this year?

Is your vitriol helping children get help or is it making the situation worse?

Or are only teachers expected to put your child above their family/yourself?

Is that how you’d characterize the situation of the tens of millions of people that worked through the pandemic in public-facing and/or crowded conditions? Including the people that made sure you had food, utilities, medical services/supplies, public safety services, and countless other essential (and nonessential) goods and services?

No it is how I characterize this thread and people who are still rehashing this argument after 2 years.

There are different issues now. Are they related? Sure
If you want to help and not just spew anger then help. If not your anger is just anger and only you can change that.

Schools and teachers can help by acknowledging their past mistakes and promising to act differently in the future.

Ok we are so very very sorry. The pandemic was mishandled by school boards, the president who threw out the CDC pandemic playbook, superintendents and the NIH. Teachers taught these people and are therefore responsible for their actions. It is true, even teachers themselves made errors of judgement and wanted to work from home. In the next global emergency we will act differently. This new, improved and better plan will be based upon the needs of the pandemic of 2020, not whatever future situation the world will be facing.

Thank you for demonstrating my point. It’s a problem that teachers haven’t acknowledged the harm they did to kids through their actions. It’s not even clear many of them fully understand that harm or the role they played.

You are not getting apologies. You are not getting reparations. You are not getting future promises.

GROW UP AND MOVE ON. Or keep holding your breath and impotently stamping your feet like a toddler. Your choice.

Ok. Then watch public support for public schools and teachers continue to be in the gutter.

You are acting like this is a threat to teachers. Who are you honestly hurting but kids?

It is like in a divorce. If the parents are fighting over kids, custody or whatever in the end the KIDS are the ones who pay the price.

The only thing you are really doing is hurting kids. Especially those who already start with fewer advantages.

The teachers can and will find other work. The kids only get one shot at this and 2 years are already gone. You can take shots and get mad and kick and cry, or you can say “That sucked, but let’s get back to work. We have even more to do. How can I help?”

No, I was trying to say public schools are threatened. If you care about protecting public schools then you should be looking for a path that not only meets the needs of teachers, but also students and their families. Otherwise more and more of those families are going to turn to private schools, which we're already seeing happening. That will only increase political support for private school vouchers. And yes, it's going to be the disadvantaged kids that lose out, not really the DCUM crowd.

DCUM kids are generally in the top 5% of the nation economically. Most people who have left for private school already have. It's not just disadvantaged kids who will and are suffering, it's middle income and even upper middle income kids are too or at the very least, won't be able to afford even the cheapest of private schools.

Exactly. And those middle-income families rely on schools. That doesn't make them bad parents. The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families.

What? That is the weirdest take on this I have ever seen. Are you suggesting schools closed just to “attack” families? Attack means there was malicious intent. Wow. That is NUTS!

Read it again. The comments made by the teachers unions, and some teachers themselves, included attacks on working parents. There have been examples in this thread, although I tend to think they’re from SAHMs rather than teachers.

Ok clearly I have a comprehension fail. The PP said that the 18 month school closure was an attack on families. They in my mind were NOT talking about this thread. Saying the school closures were premeditated and an attack on families by teachers or unions is t crazy. Please reinterpret that post for me.

Read it again: "The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families."

The narrative used by teachers' unions and their supporters in their comments justifying the continued closures was the attack, not the closures themselves.

Wow! 18 months? Where were schools closed to in-person instruction for that long? My DS’s ES closed mid-March 2020, so he missed 3 months that spring and then was home Sept until mid-March 2021, so another 6.5 or so. Even if I count the summer months it was nowhere close to 18 months.

DC had a lot of schools that did not offer in-person instruction to the vast majority of students for all of the 2020-2021 school year, plus did not offer needed in-person summer school services, and were of course closed form March-June 2020. My school was one of them -- in-person was offered to just 10% of students. In my child's grade, no child received in-person instruction. And this was K and 1st, grades that do not lend themselves to distance learning. Also, though the school did open for summer school in 2021, spots were limited and my child did not get one. So my child was without in person school for approximately 18 months.

But the school did call me repeatedly to criticize me for failing to log into Canvas on "no synchronous instruction" days (there was at least one, sometimes two, every week). Can't have those absences on the school record, you see. Nevermind that the only school my child could have been present for on those days was whatever his dad and I were able to offer at home or arrange for him privately. DCPS needed me to make sure he didn't get marked absent from imaginary school.

Glad your school did better, but not all schools did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of temper tantrums, how does being so angry and irate at teachers 2 years later help your child learn this year?

Is your vitriol helping children get help or is it making the situation worse?

Or are only teachers expected to put your child above their family/yourself?

Is that how you’d characterize the situation of the tens of millions of people that worked through the pandemic in public-facing and/or crowded conditions? Including the people that made sure you had food, utilities, medical services/supplies, public safety services, and countless other essential (and nonessential) goods and services?

No it is how I characterize this thread and people who are still rehashing this argument after 2 years.

There are different issues now. Are they related? Sure
If you want to help and not just spew anger then help. If not your anger is just anger and only you can change that.

Schools and teachers can help by acknowledging their past mistakes and promising to act differently in the future.

Ok we are so very very sorry. The pandemic was mishandled by school boards, the president who threw out the CDC pandemic playbook, superintendents and the NIH. Teachers taught these people and are therefore responsible for their actions. It is true, even teachers themselves made errors of judgement and wanted to work from home. In the next global emergency we will act differently. This new, improved and better plan will be based upon the needs of the pandemic of 2020, not whatever future situation the world will be facing.

Thank you for demonstrating my point. It’s a problem that teachers haven’t acknowledged the harm they did to kids through their actions. It’s not even clear many of them fully understand that harm or the role they played.

You are not getting apologies. You are not getting reparations. You are not getting future promises.

GROW UP AND MOVE ON. Or keep holding your breath and impotently stamping your feet like a toddler. Your choice.

Ok. Then watch public support for public schools and teachers continue to be in the gutter.

You are acting like this is a threat to teachers. Who are you honestly hurting but kids?

It is like in a divorce. If the parents are fighting over kids, custody or whatever in the end the KIDS are the ones who pay the price.

The only thing you are really doing is hurting kids. Especially those who already start with fewer advantages.

The teachers can and will find other work. The kids only get one shot at this and 2 years are already gone. You can take shots and get mad and kick and cry, or you can say “That sucked, but let’s get back to work. We have even more to do. How can I help?”

No, I was trying to say public schools are threatened. If you care about protecting public schools then you should be looking for a path that not only meets the needs of teachers, but also students and their families. Otherwise more and more of those families are going to turn to private schools, which we're already seeing happening. That will only increase political support for private school vouchers. And yes, it's going to be the disadvantaged kids that lose out, not really the DCUM crowd.

DCUM kids are generally in the top 5% of the nation economically. Most people who have left for private school already have. It's not just disadvantaged kids who will and are suffering, it's middle income and even upper middle income kids are too or at the very least, won't be able to afford even the cheapest of private schools.

Exactly. And those middle-income families rely on schools. That doesn't make them bad parents. The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families.

What? That is the weirdest take on this I have ever seen. Are you suggesting schools closed just to “attack” families? Attack means there was malicious intent. Wow. That is NUTS!

Read it again. The comments made by the teachers unions, and some teachers themselves, included attacks on working parents. There have been examples in this thread, although I tend to think they’re from SAHMs rather than teachers.

Ok clearly I have a comprehension fail. The PP said that the 18 month school closure was an attack on families. They in my mind were NOT talking about this thread. Saying the school closures were premeditated and an attack on families by teachers or unions is t crazy. Please reinterpret that post for me.

Read it again: "The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families."

The narrative used by teachers' unions and their supporters in their comments justifying the continued closures was the attack, not the closures themselves.

Wow! 18 months? Where were schools closed to in-person instruction for that long? My DS’s ES closed mid-March 2020, so he missed 3 months that spring and then was home Sept until mid-March 2021, so another 6.5 or so. Even if I count the summer months it was nowhere close to 18 months.

MCPS didn’t really reopen until Fall 2021.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of temper tantrums, how does being so angry and irate at teachers 2 years later help your child learn this year?

Is your vitriol helping children get help or is it making the situation worse?

Or are only teachers expected to put your child above their family/yourself?

Is that how you’d characterize the situation of the tens of millions of people that worked through the pandemic in public-facing and/or crowded conditions? Including the people that made sure you had food, utilities, medical services/supplies, public safety services, and countless other essential (and nonessential) goods and services?

No it is how I characterize this thread and people who are still rehashing this argument after 2 years.

There are different issues now. Are they related? Sure
If you want to help and not just spew anger then help. If not your anger is just anger and only you can change that.

Schools and teachers can help by acknowledging their past mistakes and promising to act differently in the future.

Ok we are so very very sorry. The pandemic was mishandled by school boards, the president who threw out the CDC pandemic playbook, superintendents and the NIH. Teachers taught these people and are therefore responsible for their actions. It is true, even teachers themselves made errors of judgement and wanted to work from home. In the next global emergency we will act differently. This new, improved and better plan will be based upon the needs of the pandemic of 2020, not whatever future situation the world will be facing.

Thank you for demonstrating my point. It’s a problem that teachers haven’t acknowledged the harm they did to kids through their actions. It’s not even clear many of them fully understand that harm or the role they played.

You are not getting apologies. You are not getting reparations. You are not getting future promises.

GROW UP AND MOVE ON. Or keep holding your breath and impotently stamping your feet like a toddler. Your choice.

Ok. Then watch public support for public schools and teachers continue to be in the gutter.

You are acting like this is a threat to teachers. Who are you honestly hurting but kids?

It is like in a divorce. If the parents are fighting over kids, custody or whatever in the end the KIDS are the ones who pay the price.

The only thing you are really doing is hurting kids. Especially those who already start with fewer advantages.

The teachers can and will find other work. The kids only get one shot at this and 2 years are already gone. You can take shots and get mad and kick and cry, or you can say “That sucked, but let’s get back to work. We have even more to do. How can I help?”

No, I was trying to say public schools are threatened. If you care about protecting public schools then you should be looking for a path that not only meets the needs of teachers, but also students and their families. Otherwise more and more of those families are going to turn to private schools, which we're already seeing happening. That will only increase political support for private school vouchers. And yes, it's going to be the disadvantaged kids that lose out, not really the DCUM crowd.

DCUM kids are generally in the top 5% of the nation economically. Most people who have left for private school already have. It's not just disadvantaged kids who will and are suffering, it's middle income and even upper middle income kids are too or at the very least, won't be able to afford even the cheapest of private schools.

Exactly. And those middle-income families rely on schools. That doesn't make them bad parents. The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families.

What? That is the weirdest take on this I have ever seen. Are you suggesting schools closed just to “attack” families? Attack means there was malicious intent. Wow. That is NUTS!

Read it again. The comments made by the teachers unions, and some teachers themselves, included attacks on working parents. There have been examples in this thread, although I tend to think they’re from SAHMs rather than teachers.

Ok clearly I have a comprehension fail. The PP said that the 18 month school closure was an attack on families. They in my mind were NOT talking about this thread. Saying the school closures were premeditated and an attack on families by teachers or unions is t crazy. Please reinterpret that post for me.

Read it again: "The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families."

The narrative used by teachers' unions and their supporters in their comments justifying the continued closures was the attack, not the closures themselves.

The "narrative" was not a narrative. For the 20-21 school year the CDC was still saying 6 feet of distance in public schools. I believe the FCPS superintendent went on CNN that spring to publicly say that the CDC needed to change the policy in order to let kids in school full time. Here is a quote from Feb 2021:

"Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand says that is the most this large suburban Washington, DC, school district can do while still following US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for safe school re-opening. The county is currently in the red zone."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/28/politics/fairfax-county-virginia-schools-reopen-covid/index.html

There physically wasn't enough space to social distance with all children attending school.

Now if you want to see that as an attack, go ahead.

The CDC guidelines that were the result of closed-door meetings with teachers unions? Yes, I remember those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of temper tantrums, how does being so angry and irate at teachers 2 years later help your child learn this year?

Is your vitriol helping children get help or is it making the situation worse?

Or are only teachers expected to put your child above their family/yourself?

Is that how you’d characterize the situation of the tens of millions of people that worked through the pandemic in public-facing and/or crowded conditions? Including the people that made sure you had food, utilities, medical services/supplies, public safety services, and countless other essential (and nonessential) goods and services?

No it is how I characterize this thread and people who are still rehashing this argument after 2 years.

There are different issues now. Are they related? Sure
If you want to help and not just spew anger then help. If not your anger is just anger and only you can change that.

Schools and teachers can help by acknowledging their past mistakes and promising to act differently in the future.

Ok we are so very very sorry. The pandemic was mishandled by school boards, the president who threw out the CDC pandemic playbook, superintendents and the NIH. Teachers taught these people and are therefore responsible for their actions. It is true, even teachers themselves made errors of judgement and wanted to work from home. In the next global emergency we will act differently. This new, improved and better plan will be based upon the needs of the pandemic of 2020, not whatever future situation the world will be facing.

Thank you for demonstrating my point. It’s a problem that teachers haven’t acknowledged the harm they did to kids through their actions. It’s not even clear many of them fully understand that harm or the role they played.

You are not getting apologies. You are not getting reparations. You are not getting future promises.

GROW UP AND MOVE ON. Or keep holding your breath and impotently stamping your feet like a toddler. Your choice.

Ok. Then watch public support for public schools and teachers continue to be in the gutter.

You are acting like this is a threat to teachers. Who are you honestly hurting but kids?

It is like in a divorce. If the parents are fighting over kids, custody or whatever in the end the KIDS are the ones who pay the price.

The only thing you are really doing is hurting kids. Especially those who already start with fewer advantages.

The teachers can and will find other work. The kids only get one shot at this and 2 years are already gone. You can take shots and get mad and kick and cry, or you can say “That sucked, but let’s get back to work. We have even more to do. How can I help?”

No, I was trying to say public schools are threatened. If you care about protecting public schools then you should be looking for a path that not only meets the needs of teachers, but also students and their families. Otherwise more and more of those families are going to turn to private schools, which we're already seeing happening. That will only increase political support for private school vouchers. And yes, it's going to be the disadvantaged kids that lose out, not really the DCUM crowd.

DCUM kids are generally in the top 5% of the nation economically. Most people who have left for private school already have. It's not just disadvantaged kids who will and are suffering, it's middle income and even upper middle income kids are too or at the very least, won't be able to afford even the cheapest of private schools.

Exactly. And those middle-income families rely on schools. That doesn't make them bad parents. The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families.

What? That is the weirdest take on this I have ever seen. Are you suggesting schools closed just to “attack” families? Attack means there was malicious intent. Wow. That is NUTS!

Read it again. The comments made by the teachers unions, and some teachers themselves, included attacks on working parents. There have been examples in this thread, although I tend to think they’re from SAHMs rather than teachers.

Ok clearly I have a comprehension fail. The PP said that the 18 month school closure was an attack on families. They in my mind were NOT talking about this thread. Saying the school closures were premeditated and an attack on families by teachers or unions is t crazy. Please reinterpret that post for me.

Read it again: "The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families."

The narrative used by teachers' unions and their supporters in their comments justifying the continued closures was the attack, not the closures themselves.

The "narrative" was not a narrative. For the 20-21 school year the CDC was still saying 6 feet of distance in public schools. I believe the FCPS superintendent went on CNN that spring to publicly say that the CDC needed to change the policy in order to let kids in school full time. Here is a quote from Feb 2021:

"Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand says that is the most this large suburban Washington, DC, school district can do while still following US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for safe school re-opening. The county is currently in the red zone."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/28/politics/fairfax-county-virginia-schools-reopen-covid/index.html

There physically wasn't enough space to social distance with all children attending school.

Now if you want to see that as an attack, go ahead.

The CDC guidelines that were the result of closed-door meetings with teachers unions? Yes, I remember those.

Link please? Funny that doctors offices did this too. In fact many still are AND are requiring masks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of temper tantrums, how does being so angry and irate at teachers 2 years later help your child learn this year?

Is your vitriol helping children get help or is it making the situation worse?

Or are only teachers expected to put your child above their family/yourself?

Is that how you’d characterize the situation of the tens of millions of people that worked through the pandemic in public-facing and/or crowded conditions? Including the people that made sure you had food, utilities, medical services/supplies, public safety services, and countless other essential (and nonessential) goods and services?

No it is how I characterize this thread and people who are still rehashing this argument after 2 years.

There are different issues now. Are they related? Sure
If you want to help and not just spew anger then help. If not your anger is just anger and only you can change that.

Schools and teachers can help by acknowledging their past mistakes and promising to act differently in the future.

Ok we are so very very sorry. The pandemic was mishandled by school boards, the president who threw out the CDC pandemic playbook, superintendents and the NIH. Teachers taught these people and are therefore responsible for their actions. It is true, even teachers themselves made errors of judgement and wanted to work from home. In the next global emergency we will act differently. This new, improved and better plan will be based upon the needs of the pandemic of 2020, not whatever future situation the world will be facing.

Thank you for demonstrating my point. It’s a problem that teachers haven’t acknowledged the harm they did to kids through their actions. It’s not even clear many of them fully understand that harm or the role they played.

You are not getting apologies. You are not getting reparations. You are not getting future promises.

GROW UP AND MOVE ON. Or keep holding your breath and impotently stamping your feet like a toddler. Your choice.

Ok. Then watch public support for public schools and teachers continue to be in the gutter.

You are acting like this is a threat to teachers. Who are you honestly hurting but kids?

It is like in a divorce. If the parents are fighting over kids, custody or whatever in the end the KIDS are the ones who pay the price.

The only thing you are really doing is hurting kids. Especially those who already start with fewer advantages.

The teachers can and will find other work. The kids only get one shot at this and 2 years are already gone. You can take shots and get mad and kick and cry, or you can say “That sucked, but let’s get back to work. We have even more to do. How can I help?”

No, I was trying to say public schools are threatened. If you care about protecting public schools then you should be looking for a path that not only meets the needs of teachers, but also students and their families. Otherwise more and more of those families are going to turn to private schools, which we're already seeing happening. That will only increase political support for private school vouchers. And yes, it's going to be the disadvantaged kids that lose out, not really the DCUM crowd.

DCUM kids are generally in the top 5% of the nation economically. Most people who have left for private school already have. It's not just disadvantaged kids who will and are suffering, it's middle income and even upper middle income kids are too or at the very least, won't be able to afford even the cheapest of private schools.

Exactly. And those middle-income families rely on schools. That doesn't make them bad parents. The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families.

What? That is the weirdest take on this I have ever seen. Are you suggesting schools closed just to “attack” families? Attack means there was malicious intent. Wow. That is NUTS!

Read it again. The comments made by the teachers unions, and some teachers themselves, included attacks on working parents. There have been examples in this thread, although I tend to think they’re from SAHMs rather than teachers.

Ok clearly I have a comprehension fail. The PP said that the 18 month school closure was an attack on families. They in my mind were NOT talking about this thread. Saying the school closures were premeditated and an attack on families by teachers or unions is t crazy. Please reinterpret that post for me.

Read it again: "The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families."

The narrative used by teachers' unions and their supporters in their comments justifying the continued closures was the attack, not the closures themselves.

The "narrative" was not a narrative. For the 20-21 school year the CDC was still saying 6 feet of distance in public schools. I believe the FCPS superintendent went on CNN that spring to publicly say that the CDC needed to change the policy in order to let kids in school full time. Here is a quote from Feb 2021:

"Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand says that is the most this large suburban Washington, DC, school district can do while still following US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for safe school re-opening. The county is currently in the red zone."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/28/politics/fairfax-county-virginia-schools-reopen-covid/index.html

There physically wasn't enough space to social distance with all children attending school.

Now if you want to see that as an attack, go ahead.

The CDC guidelines that were the result of closed-door meetings with teachers unions? Yes, I remember those.

Link please? Funny that doctors offices did this too. In fact many still are AND are requiring masks.

Never mind I found it. In the New York post and Fox News and other conservative outlets.

Enjoy your vouchers and private schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of temper tantrums, how does being so angry and irate at teachers 2 years later help your child learn this year?

Is your vitriol helping children get help or is it making the situation worse?

Or are only teachers expected to put your child above their family/yourself?

Is that how you’d characterize the situation of the tens of millions of people that worked through the pandemic in public-facing and/or crowded conditions? Including the people that made sure you had food, utilities, medical services/supplies, public safety services, and countless other essential (and nonessential) goods and services?

No it is how I characterize this thread and people who are still rehashing this argument after 2 years.

There are different issues now. Are they related? Sure
If you want to help and not just spew anger then help. If not your anger is just anger and only you can change that.

Schools and teachers can help by acknowledging their past mistakes and promising to act differently in the future.

Ok we are so very very sorry. The pandemic was mishandled by school boards, the president who threw out the CDC pandemic playbook, superintendents and the NIH. Teachers taught these people and are therefore responsible for their actions. It is true, even teachers themselves made errors of judgement and wanted to work from home. In the next global emergency we will act differently. This new, improved and better plan will be based upon the needs of the pandemic of 2020, not whatever future situation the world will be facing.

Thank you for demonstrating my point. It’s a problem that teachers haven’t acknowledged the harm they did to kids through their actions. It’s not even clear many of them fully understand that harm or the role they played.

You are not getting apologies. You are not getting reparations. You are not getting future promises.

GROW UP AND MOVE ON. Or keep holding your breath and impotently stamping your feet like a toddler. Your choice.

Ok. Then watch public support for public schools and teachers continue to be in the gutter.

You are acting like this is a threat to teachers. Who are you honestly hurting but kids?

It is like in a divorce. If the parents are fighting over kids, custody or whatever in the end the KIDS are the ones who pay the price.

The only thing you are really doing is hurting kids. Especially those who already start with fewer advantages.

The teachers can and will find other work. The kids only get one shot at this and 2 years are already gone. You can take shots and get mad and kick and cry, or you can say “That sucked, but let’s get back to work. We have even more to do. How can I help?”

No, I was trying to say public schools are threatened. If you care about protecting public schools then you should be looking for a path that not only meets the needs of teachers, but also students and their families. Otherwise more and more of those families are going to turn to private schools, which we're already seeing happening. That will only increase political support for private school vouchers. And yes, it's going to be the disadvantaged kids that lose out, not really the DCUM crowd.

DCUM kids are generally in the top 5% of the nation economically. Most people who have left for private school already have. It's not just disadvantaged kids who will and are suffering, it's middle income and even upper middle income kids are too or at the very least, won't be able to afford even the cheapest of private schools.

Exactly. And those middle-income families rely on schools. That doesn't make them bad parents. The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families.

What? That is the weirdest take on this I have ever seen. Are you suggesting schools closed just to “attack” families? Attack means there was malicious intent. Wow. That is NUTS!

Read it again. The comments made by the teachers unions, and some teachers themselves, included attacks on working parents. There have been examples in this thread, although I tend to think they’re from SAHMs rather than teachers.

Ok clearly I have a comprehension fail. The PP said that the 18 month school closure was an attack on families. They in my mind were NOT talking about this thread. Saying the school closures were premeditated and an attack on families by teachers or unions is t crazy. Please reinterpret that post for me.

Read it again: "The narrative that "school isn't child care" and that parents should have had backup plans for an 18-month school closure was a ridiculous attack on working families."

The narrative used by teachers' unions and their supporters in their comments justifying the continued closures was the attack, not the closures themselves.

The "narrative" was not a narrative. For the 20-21 school year the CDC was still saying 6 feet of distance in public schools. I believe the FCPS superintendent went on CNN that spring to publicly say that the CDC needed to change the policy in order to let kids in school full time. Here is a quote from Feb 2021:

"Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand says that is the most this large suburban Washington, DC, school district can do while still following US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for safe school re-opening. The county is currently in the red zone."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/28/politics/fairfax-county-virginia-schools-reopen-covid/index.html

There physically wasn't enough space to social distance with all children attending school.

Now if you want to see that as an attack, go ahead.

The rigidity that many have demonstrated when reading/interpreting CDC guidelines has made the CDC's job impossible. There's never been an expectation that every single guideline could be strictly followed in every single environment or situation. Even in the Feb 12 2021 guidelines, the CDC acknowledged things like physical distancing would not always be implementable, saying it should be used "when possible."

It would be impossible to create any set of guidelines that would always be practical to implement.