3 teachers taught from a empty classroom, all caught COVID & 1 died

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So three adults shared a space and spread the virus among each other.

This has nothing to do with schools.

My kid's kindergarten class had one teacher and two full-time IAs. My son's third grade class had a teacher, a part-time IA, and a special ed teacher who pushed in for the other half of the day. Some of the Special Ed classes at my school have at least three adults in the room at all times, plus speech therapists, OTs, and other itinerant staff coming and going all day. It's not unusual.

I think pp’s point was that it could happen at any work environment. It has nothing to do with these people being teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So three adults shared a space and spread the virus among each other.

This has nothing to do with schools.

My kid's kindergarten class had one teacher and two full-time IAs. My son's third grade class had a teacher, a part-time IA, and a special ed teacher who pushed in for the other half of the day. Some of the Special Ed classes at my school have at least three adults in the room at all times, plus speech therapists, OTs, and other itinerant staff coming and going all day. It's not unusual.

I think pp’s point was that it could happen at any work environment. It has nothing to do with these people being teachers.

That's fair enough. I thought that PP was saying that since teachers don't typically share space with other adults and are just in a room with children, this situation isn't applicable to regular school, and I would disagree with that statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So three adults shared a space and spread the virus among each other.

This has nothing to do with schools.

My kid's kindergarten class had one teacher and two full-time IAs. My son's third grade class had a teacher, a part-time IA, and a special ed teacher who pushed in for the other half of the day. Some of the Special Ed classes at my school have at least three adults in the room at all times, plus speech therapists, OTs, and other itinerant staff coming and going all day. It's not unusual.

I think pp’s point was that it could happen at any work environment. It has nothing to do with these people being teachers.

That's fair enough. I thought that PP was saying that since teachers don't typically share space with other adults and are just in a room with children, this situation isn't applicable to regular school, and I would disagree with that statement.

Original PP here. Yes, I am just saying that this is an example that could happen in any workplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So three adults shared a space and spread the virus among each other.

This has nothing to do with schools.

+1 there people could’ve been hospital workers, fire, police, factory, grocery store employees.

All the whining from/about teachers is getting old. No one is physically forcing you into the room, just like no one is forcing any of the other workers to go. It’s a choice.

This kind of bass ackwards thinking is exactly the opposite kind of approach that needs to be taken during a public health crisis, much less a pandemic. It's not about individual choices whatsoever, it needs to be about public good and weighing risks with rewards. Calling a teacher a whiner who is concerned about their life is beyond the pale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very convenient for parents to pretend that teachers should just accept that they will contract the virus and whatever outcome that means, or they are whiners with no work ethic. I don't know who you think is going to run the school when all the teachers are out sick. Some people test positive for over a month. No substitute in their right mind would walk into a school with COVID being passed around.

This is a losing battle. The pps who are arguing for F2F will not loosen their grip. They will fight tooth and nail for in person teaching and when people start to die it still won't register. They'll say "so sad but blame the victim somehow. No use trying to talk reason to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is absolutely infuriating. So now that a 61-year-old retired teacher with asthma and multiple health conditions died because she didn't take precautions to protect herself--while claiming that she took them in the classroom (but please, why oh why did the need to be in the same classroom?), people will use this as another reason for not returning to school? This has nothing to do at all with the precautions they took in the classroom. It is very clear that she and her family were not that careful. Plus, she's 61, obese, with asthma. She should have been more responsible. She seemed like a lovely person who was very much loved by her family, so I understand this is very sad. But she didn't take personal responsibility for her own health. And now you nuts all want to prevent healthy children from getting an education over this example? It's so frustrating!

This is an incredibly insensitive response no matter what your opinion is on returning to school. Take a moment to read what you wrote again and think how it sounds from any number of perspectives.

NP. I disagree. There were extenuating factors at play here.

Well then add yourself to the tone deaf crew. Regardless of any factors, discussing a beloved educator's death in such terms is not going to win the argument for your position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very convenient for parents to pretend that teachers should just accept that they will contract the virus and whatever outcome that means, or they are whiners with no work ethic. I don't know who you think is going to run the school when all the teachers are out sick. Some people test positive for over a month. No substitute in their right mind would walk into a school with COVID being passed around.

Local mom with 2 HS DC: I am a part time, itinerant school employee who pre-Covid would work in 2 different schools a day and not unusual to work in 4 different schools a week. I am sending DC back to school with limited DL and am now having serious second thoughts about IF I will return. For the very modest salary, I am not sure that it’s worth the risk to my health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So three adults shared a space and spread the virus among each other.

This has nothing to do with schools.

My kid's kindergarten class had one teacher and two full-time IAs. My son's third grade class had a teacher, a part-time IA, and a special ed teacher who pushed in for the other half of the day. Some of the Special Ed classes at my school have at least three adults in the room at all times, plus speech therapists, OTs, and other itinerant staff coming and going all day. It's not unusual.

I think pp’s point was that it could happen at any work environment. It has nothing to do with these people being teachers.

That's fair enough. I thought that PP was saying that since teachers don't typically share space with other adults and are just in a room with children, this situation isn't applicable to regular school, and I would disagree with that statement.

Original PP here. Yes, I am just saying that this is an example that could happen in any workplace.

NP. I think what's important about the story OP posted combined with PP's comment above is that often 2-3 teachers in a classroom is the norm before you add the kids. There's risk. For me that doesn't mean there should be no school. Of course. I don't have a magic solution either.

Personally, I see a very difficult situation where there's potential harm and risk in either opening or not -- and that's combined with lower revenue for many jurisdictions that won't tick back up fully if parents can't get back to work. There's probably a solution where there's regular pay for teachers in the classroom and reduced pay for DL or not teaching (ie disability retirements dont pay full salaries now), but it wouldn't be popular and unions would try to wreck the system before giving in even though many in the private sector are also dealing with lower pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So three adults shared a space and spread the virus among each other.

This has nothing to do with schools.

+1 there people could’ve been hospital workers, fire, police, factory, grocery store employees.

All the whining from/about teachers is getting old. No one is physically forcing you into the room, just like no one is forcing any of the other workers to go. It’s a choice.

This kind of bass ackwards thinking is exactly the opposite kind of approach that needs to be taken during a public health crisis, much less a pandemic. It's not about individual choices whatsoever, it needs to be about public good and weighing risks with rewards. Calling a teacher a whiner who is concerned about their life is beyond the pale.

Then we have to agree to disagree. Teachers are essential to a functioning society, just like the guy checking out your groceries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So three adults shared a space and spread the virus among each other.

This has nothing to do with schools.

+1 there people could’ve been hospital workers, fire, police, factory, grocery store employees.

All the whining from/about teachers is getting old. No one is physically forcing you into the room, just like no one is forcing any of the other workers to go. It’s a choice.

This kind of bass ackwards thinking is exactly the opposite kind of approach that needs to be taken during a public health crisis, much less a pandemic. It's not about individual choices whatsoever, it needs to be about public good and weighing risks with rewards. Calling a teacher a whiner who is concerned about their life is beyond the pale.

Then we have to agree to disagree. Teachers are essential to a functioning society, just like the guy checking out your groceries.

There is a difference in that the dude checking your groceries in interacting with any one person for less time and is doing so with a plexiglass guard in front of him. So, it logically follows, that the solution here is to provide proper PPE for teachers as well as physically setting up classrooms to be more protective.

And yes, people and teachers will still contract covid, but if we can provide better equipment, we can certainly minimize it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So three adults shared a space and spread the virus among each other.

This has nothing to do with schools.

+1 there people could’ve been hospital workers, fire, police, factory, grocery store employees.

All the whining from/about teachers is getting old. No one is physically forcing you into the room, just like no one is forcing any of the other workers to go. It’s a choice.

This kind of bass ackwards thinking is exactly the opposite kind of approach that needs to be taken during a public health crisis, much less a pandemic. It's not about individual choices whatsoever, it needs to be about public good and weighing risks with rewards. Calling a teacher a whiner who is concerned about their life is beyond the pale.

Then we have to agree to disagree. Teachers are essential to a functioning society, just like the guy checking out your groceries.

Only in America is the discussion predominately revolving around rhetoric such as: "no one is forcing you to go back to work. It's a choice." Do you really not get that this piecemeal kind of thinking never gets us out of this situation? Grocery store workers are vital, teachers are vital. And government policies greatly shape how those two populations are affected by Covid-19. Far fewer grocery store workers died in countries that had stricter lockdowns and enforced six feet distancing in outside of store lines. And far fewer teachers feel thrown to the wolves in other countries because they were never asked to keep teaching in conditions where virus was surging with no real metrics to ensure their safety. You don't just say "you have to go back to work, or you should quit, it's your choice, because my child needs an education". That's truly asinine. I don't need my Ivy League degree in education policy to know this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So three adults shared a space and spread the virus among each other.

This has nothing to do with schools.

+1 there people could’ve been hospital workers, fire, police, factory, grocery store employees.

All the whining from/about teachers is getting old. No one is physically forcing you into the room, just like no one is forcing any of the other workers to go. It’s a choice.

This kind of bass ackwards thinking is exactly the opposite kind of approach that needs to be taken during a public health crisis, much less a pandemic. It's not about individual choices whatsoever, it needs to be about public good and weighing risks with rewards. Calling a teacher a whiner who is concerned about their life is beyond the pale.

Then we have to agree to disagree. Teachers are essential to a functioning society, just like the guy checking out your groceries.

Only in America is the discussion predominately revolving around rhetoric such as: "no one is forcing you to go back to work. It's a choice." Do you really not get that this piecemeal kind of thinking never gets us out of this situation? Grocery store workers are vital, teachers are vital. And government policies greatly shape how those two populations are affected by Covid-19. Far fewer grocery store workers died in countries that had stricter lockdowns and enforced six feet distancing in outside of store lines. And far fewer teachers feel thrown to the wolves in other countries because they were never asked to keep teaching in conditions where virus was surging with no real metrics to ensure their safety. You don't just say "you have to go back to work, or you should quit, it's your choice, because my child needs an education". That's truly asinine. I don't need my Ivy League degree in education policy to know this.

“Don’t whine about wanting your kids to have an education!” - says the poster with an Ivy League education. Good lord. Aren’t you glad you had teachers and got to go to school when you were younger?

[Anonymous]

Wow. That poster was super harsh. I have shared a classroom for the past four years because our school is at 190% capacity. This year I will share a room with three of us. We are dividing a room in half with some portable divider. Hopefully they won’t fight us if one cohort comes down with the virus. The other side of the room also needs to leave school. We will be sharing the same stale air. There are talks that teachers teach from school if we do DL again this year. Um, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is absolutely infuriating. So now that a 61-year-old retired teacher with asthma and multiple health conditions died because she didn't take precautions to protect herself--while claiming that she took them in the classroom (but please, why oh why did the need to be in the same classroom?), people will use this as another reason for not returning to school? This has nothing to do at all with the precautions they took in the classroom. It is very clear that she and her family were not that careful. Plus, she's 61, obese, with asthma. She should have been more responsible. She seemed like a lovely person who was very much loved by her family, so I understand this is very sad. But she didn't take personal responsibility for her own health. And now you nuts all want to prevent healthy children from getting an education over this example? It's so frustrating!

Monster.

At least she speaks the truth and doesn’t dance around reality as a way to protect everyone delicate feelings. Sometimes the truth needs to be faced head on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So three adults shared a space and spread the virus among each other.

This has nothing to do with schools.

+1 there people could’ve been hospital workers, fire, police, factory, grocery store employees.

All the whining from/about teachers is getting old. No one is physically forcing you into the room, just like no one is forcing any of the other workers to go. It’s a choice.

This kind of bass ackwards thinking is exactly the opposite kind of approach that needs to be taken during a public health crisis, much less a pandemic. It's not about individual choices whatsoever, it needs to be about public good and weighing risks with rewards. Calling a teacher a whiner who is concerned about their life is beyond the pale.

Then we have to agree to disagree. Teachers are essential to a functioning society, just like the guy checking out your groceries.

Only in America is the discussion predominately revolving around rhetoric such as: "no one is forcing you to go back to work. It's a choice." Do you really not get that this piecemeal kind of thinking never gets us out of this situation? Grocery store workers are vital, teachers are vital. And government policies greatly shape how those two populations are affected by Covid-19. Far fewer grocery store workers died in countries that had stricter lockdowns and enforced six feet distancing in outside of store lines. And far fewer teachers feel thrown to the wolves in other countries because they were never asked to keep teaching in conditions where virus was surging with no real metrics to ensure their safety. You don't just say "you have to go back to work, or you should quit, it's your choice, because my child needs an education". That's truly asinine. I don't need my Ivy League degree in education policy to know this.

“Don’t whine about wanting your kids to have an education!” - says the poster with an Ivy League education. Good lord. Aren’t you glad you had teachers and got to go to school when you were younger?

She had to throw in the ‘Ivy League’ education. So myopic.