With teachers vaccinated, why are we still talking about hybrid, and not a full return to school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What cohorting? What testing?

I’ve looked over (and over) APS’s mitigation plans. By “cohorting” I mean you are in T/W group or Th/F group and you don’t have opportunities (at school) to interact between groups. Testing is already pretty widely available in Arlington and APS either has its own testing mechanism or will use the County’s. Plus screening, masks, ventilation, etc. I’m not saying this happens in every school system in the US but locally.

[Anonymous]

A full return ain’t happening until fall, to protect PARENTS. Not everyone is fully on-board with “let’s get CoVID”. You need to get over that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A full return ain’t happening until fall, to protect PARENTS. Not everyone is fully on-board with “let’s get CoVID”. You need to get over that.

I’m the PP just above you; I’m not sure how this relates to my comment. I’m not advocating for 5 days/week this year. But I’m not sure it’s happening this fall, either, and I really hope APS is making some plans now around this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The CDC is supposed to issue new guidance on Wednesday regarding the opening of schools, hopefully addressing the 6 ft distance thing. You can eat in a restaurant without 6 ft between people.

Indoor dining is one of the most dangerous things you can do right now, so yeah, sure, let’s emulate that.

You people are bonkers.

Well if the CDC says that schools can have less than 6 feet distancing, are you going to say that they are incorrect?

If a frog had wings it wouldn’t bump its ass when it hops. We can “if” all day long, but it doesn’t change the fact that indoor dining is one of the main causes of spread. Y’all are slowly trying to take every mitigation factor away and won’t stop until it’s 5 days, unspaced with no/optional masks.

Yep. I won’t stop until we’re back in normal school. You’re right there!

DP. It is because of attitudes like yours PP that we can't get this pandemic under control. You need to get help for your anxiety so that you can be more calm and reasonable, and you will be able to understand the science behind the CDC directives, mitigation like social distancing and masks, and those things that help keep society safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A full return ain’t happening until fall, to protect PARENTS. Not everyone is fully on-board with “let’s get CoVID”. You need to get over that.

I’m the PP just above you; I’m not sure how this relates to my comment. I’m not advocating for 5 days/week this year. But I’m not sure it’s happening this fall, either, and I really hope APS is making some plans now around this.

I am not the PP but I would assume that not everyone has as much faith as you do in the public school system’s ability to implement and enforce “proper mitigation measures.” If you have been inside a school building when school was in session in the past 10 years, you might understand why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A full return ain’t happening until fall, to protect PARENTS. Not everyone is fully on-board with “let’s get CoVID”. You need to get over that.

I’m the PP just above you; I’m not sure how this relates to my comment. I’m not advocating for 5 days/week this year. But I’m not sure it’s happening this fall, either, and I really hope APS is making some plans now around this.

I am not the PP but I would assume that not everyone has as much faith as you do in the public school system’s ability to implement and enforce “proper mitigation measures.” If you have been inside a school building when school was in session in the past 10 years, you might understand why.

I have, thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it is so impossible to re-open schools safely, how come the plurality of schools in the US are open for full-time in person instruction? It's almost a majority for K-5.
https://info.burbio.com/school-tracker-update-feb-8/

UNICEF mapped out back in fall where things were open:
https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5f89a8d700c7756971847605/960x0.jpg?fit=scale

There are districts here in the Commonwealth of Virginia that are fully in-person for 4 days:
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/health_medical/office/reopen-status.shtml

I've said it before and I'll say it again - given the number of families choosing to remain fully remote, it should be possible to get all kids in school who want to be in-person at a 3' spacing (the spacing recommended by the WHO and used in Europe). You don't have to jettison distancing entirely.

VDOE has a layout on it's site for a 3' spacing for classrooms:
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/health_medical/covid-19/classroom-3-feet-distancing.pdf

My building has over 70% returning. My class and grade level is close to 80%. I wouldn't be able to fit them in my classroom at 3' distance.

Honest question: what if the put you in the gym and gave you a microphone on a stick to hold for kids when they talk? Is there another creative way to do it?

Our school is a 50-50 split.

So the gym could hold one class like that. What about all the other classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it is so impossible to re-open schools safely, how come the plurality of schools in the US are open for full-time in person instruction? It's almost a majority for K-5.
https://info.burbio.com/school-tracker-update-feb-8/

UNICEF mapped out back in fall where things were open:
https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5f89a8d700c7756971847605/960x0.jpg?fit=scale

There are districts here in the Commonwealth of Virginia that are fully in-person for 4 days:
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/health_medical/office/reopen-status.shtml

I've said it before and I'll say it again - given the number of families choosing to remain fully remote, it should be possible to get all kids in school who want to be in-person at a 3' spacing (the spacing recommended by the WHO and used in Europe). You don't have to jettison distancing entirely.

VDOE has a layout on it's site for a 3' spacing for classrooms:
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/health_medical/covid-19/classroom-3-feet-distancing.pdf

My building has over 70% returning. My class and grade level is close to 80%. I wouldn't be able to fit them in my classroom at 3' distance.

Honest question: what if the put you in the gym and gave you a microphone on a stick to hold for kids when they talk? Is there another creative way to do it?

Our school is a 50-50 split.

So the gym could hold one class like that. What about all the other classes?

At our school the art and music rooms are bigger. Then there's also the cafeteria, if not being used for lunch.

If there's more than one class in a grade level that's too big, multiple can probably fit in the gym/cafeteria and the teachers team teach.

I acknowledge that absolutely NONE of this is easy on administrators or teachers. But if in-person school is really valuable, it's worth it. There are plenty of places, even public school districts, doing things like this.

[Anonymous]

The number of Virginia districts that are looking to expand to 4 days/week for in-person kids keeps going up after Governor Northam's announcement:

https://wtop.com/loudoun-county/2021/02/loudoun-co-superintendent-maps-path-to-expand-in-school-learning/
https://wtop.com/virginia/2021/02/fauquier-students-to-return-to-classrooms-four-days-per-week/
https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2021/02/05/here-are-the-reopening-plans-for-18-local-school-divisions/
https://www.nbc12.com/2021/02/04/henrico-school-board-votes-in-person-learning-plan/
https://cpschools.com/return-to-school-plan/option1/
https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/isle-of-wight-to-make-decision-on-returning-some-students-to-in-person-learning-5-days-a-week/
https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/chesterfield-middle-and-high-school-students-able-to-return-in-person-in-march/

We don't have to lead in figuring this out, just follow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Funny, I told my mom who lives in a different state in the southeast that kids maybe back in hybrid last week, and then we talked again yesterday and when I clarified hybrid meant 2 days a week for APS she started laughing. She then said teachers in her state have been back since August doing 2 days a week with extended winter break, and since last week 5 days a week. She thinks it could be done as their schools used summer to make space in schools including use of unused space like gyms and cafeterias for classrooms. They do bag lunches and set up cannaopies in outdoor areas with heat for lunch etc. Installed sanitation stations throughout the schools with air purifiers, and isolation room in each school for sick children or staff in portable classroom not in main buildings. Currently working on getting a face recognition app up and running statewide to have parents check and enter temps checked prior to getting on buses.Yes, schools will supply thermometers. So they truly used and are using the money given to make safe space.And I thought Arlington was was progressive......I knew it was far behind New England states we previously lived in,but for the southeast to be figuring out leaves one to ponder.
[

Lower midwest states are on top of it too. As are Florida, Ohio, Texas. The list goes on.

Thermometers are pointless. Our previous school in the SE never went virtual and it spread easily even with masking and moving desks. One teacher died. The families don’t talk about who got it and who has it because there’s some kind of stigma- or maybe they’re just ashamed to admit they were wrong to take it lightly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Funny, I told my mom who lives in a different state in the southeast that kids maybe back in hybrid last week, and then we talked again yesterday and when I clarified hybrid meant 2 days a week for APS she started laughing. She then said teachers in her state have been back since August doing 2 days a week with extended winter break, and since last week 5 days a week. She thinks it could be done as their schools used summer to make space in schools including use of unused space like gyms and cafeterias for classrooms. They do bag lunches and set up cannaopies in outdoor areas with heat for lunch etc. Installed sanitation stations throughout the schools with air purifiers, and isolation room in each school for sick children or staff in portable classroom not in main buildings. Currently working on getting a face recognition app up and running statewide to have parents check and enter temps checked prior to getting on buses.Yes, schools will supply thermometers. So they truly used and are using the money given to make safe space.And I thought Arlington was was progressive......I knew it was far behind New England states we previously lived in,but for the southeast to be figuring out leaves one to ponder.
[

Lower midwest states are on top of it too. As are Florida, Ohio, Texas. The list goes on.

Thermometers are pointless. Our previous school in the SE never went virtual and it spread easily even with masking and moving desks. One teacher died. The families don’t talk about who got it and who has it because there’s some kind of stigma- or maybe they’re just ashamed to admit they were wrong to take it lightly.

Yes, I find just when I think I couldn’t underestimate humankind less than I already do, I encounter a community such as that... Probably not dissimilar to many of the folks who like to post here on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CDC guidance is 6feet. Schools can’t open 4/5 days a week and follow the current guidance. They can’t even get 3ft at full capacity.

NP. Sure, but why would that remain the current guidance after the adults are vaccinated?

Science just because they are vaccinated they can still spread.

SIL teaches HS Magnet RI 5th floor walk up no windows in room. Even vaccinated she is not comfortable because normally each class has 32 students. Building built in early 1900's ventilation system, non existent.

We want every back in school of course, 100% but we have challenges to over come.

For example Florida you sending your kid back to school after all the unmasked idiots at the super bowl celebrations. They go home they infect they go to work they infect, now we have those students or even teachers in the Florida schools.

Again how do we do this when a huge part of the population clearly could careless?

That's actually not the science. The science is that we don't have enough data yet to say that you CAN'T spread after you're vaccinated, but there are many reasons to think that a vaccinated person is less likely to spread COVID. In a couple of months, we'll likely have enough data to say with more certainty.

+1. I can’t wait until that happens so that we can put this ridiculous trope from the basement hiders to bed.

[Anonymous]

Because as happy as I am for the teachers, my kids and I are not vaccinated. And although school would be the only risk our family takes, some families are traveling, partying, and not taking precautions and that’s too big a risk for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The CDC is supposed to issue new guidance on Wednesday regarding the opening of schools, hopefully addressing the 6 ft distance thing. You can eat in a restaurant without 6 ft between people.

Indoor dining is one of the most dangerous things you can do right now, so yeah, sure, let’s emulate that.

You people are bonkers.

Well if the CDC says that schools can have less than 6 feet distancing, are you going to say that they are incorrect?

If a frog had wings it wouldn’t bump its ass when it hops. We can “if” all day long, but it doesn’t change the fact that indoor dining is one of the main causes of spread. Y’all are slowly trying to take every mitigation factor away and won’t stop until it’s 5 days, unspaced with no/optional masks.

Yep. I won’t stop until we’re back in normal school. You’re right there!

DP. It is because of attitudes like yours PP that we can't get this pandemic under control. You need to get help for your anxiety so that you can be more calm and reasonable, and you will be able to understand the science behind the CDC directives, mitigation like social distancing and masks, and those things that help keep society safe.

Seriously. The rabid reopening people like to mock people advocating for mitigation measures, claiming they are anxious basement dwellers. To me the rabid reopeners look like the ones truly struggling with anxiety. They simply cannot accept that this is out of their control. They are just crumbling in the face of this adversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The CDC is supposed to issue new guidance on Wednesday regarding the opening of schools, hopefully addressing the 6 ft distance thing. You can eat in a restaurant without 6 ft between people.

Indoor dining is one of the most dangerous things you can do right now, so yeah, sure, let’s emulate that.

You people are bonkers.

Well if the CDC says that schools can have less than 6 feet distancing, are you going to say that they are incorrect?

If a frog had wings it wouldn’t bump its ass when it hops. We can “if” all day long, but it doesn’t change the fact that indoor dining is one of the main causes of spread. Y’all are slowly trying to take every mitigation factor away and won’t stop until it’s 5 days, unspaced with no/optional masks.

Yep. I won’t stop until we’re back in normal school. You’re right there!

DP. It is because of attitudes like yours PP that we can't get this pandemic under control. You need to get help for your anxiety so that you can be more calm and reasonable, and you will be able to understand the science behind the CDC directives, mitigation like social distancing and masks, and those things that help keep society safe.

Seriously. The rabid reopening people like to mock people advocating for mitigation measures, claiming they are anxious basement dwellers. To me the rabid reopeners look like the ones truly struggling with anxiety. They simply cannot accept that this is out of their control. They are just crumbling in the face of this adversity.

+1,000,000