How few coronavirus cases before schools reopen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't have schools that open and stay open unless they can be open without cases and transmission. That's just the hard truth. So I would say if you have community spread (meaning they can't trace and contain each outbreak) and an infection rate more than 2% or so, you won't be able to have schools that STAY open. Because they'll just be closing all the time for quarantine as they find out about positives among students and teachers.

There are a lot of countries that achieved that goal, but we're not among them. We have community spread and high infection rates everywhere.

There's also a scenario where we could have rapid, widely available testing and so if you had a positive case in a school you could test everyone else, isolate the positives, and move on. But this is America and so don't hold your breath. With a week turnaround on testing, there's no way you could keep a school open when you had cases. It's not like you could say sure, just keep coming to school while we wait for your tests.

But it’s totally cool for bars and gyms and farmers markets to be open?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of all the people who have ever had coronavirus in DC, since this all began, only four percent have been children.

I’ve never understood why we have such extreme policies regarding that four percent — ie closing schools — and so much looser policies towards the 96 percent. Why are gyms open and not schools? It’s like we’re focusing on the wrong thing.

Pretty much

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There aren’t that many people in DC who have coronavirus. The numbers actually look pretty good. How low does the caseload have to go before in-person schooling begins full time? Has the city said?

Why do you keep posting this? The numbers are getting worse. Why is that so hard to understand?

No reopening anywhere until we've had 36 months of no new cases AND everyone in the country has been vaccinated, including every last homesteader in rural Alaska. To suggest anything less means you're OK with killing your kids and teachers!

That’s obviously absurd. Grocery stores are open. Are you killing grocery store workers so you can buy paper towels?

Fine, maybe teachers could eventually comprise at 30 months of no new cases nationwide instead of 36. But only if you triple our salaries and profusely thank us for our selfless dedication. (And boy, you must really hate your kids for asking us to return to our jobs.)

[Anonymous]

I'm so sick of this narrative about teachers and teachers unions. If this thread becomes more teacher bashing, I WILL ask for it to be deleted like other threads.

Please keep your conspiracy theory ideas and the 'lazy teacher' narrative to yourself!

Now back to the real question, the rate of transmission will have to be super low and mostly traceable.

I think we have a long way until we are ever back to full time in person school, unless the federal government starts handling things differently and prioritizing public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of all the people who have ever had coronavirus in DC, since this all began, only four percent have been children.

I’ve never understood why we have such extreme policies regarding that four percent — ie closing schools — and so much looser policies towards the 96 percent. Why are gyms open and not schools? It’s like we’re focusing on the wrong thing.

If I had symptoms I would go get a qtip shoved up my nose to find out if I have it. If my kid had symptoms, he wouldn't get tested unless he was bad enough to need to see a doctor. I don't think your 4 percent is capturing reality. And, just as importantly, it's so low because kids can have been staying home, as soon as schools open, that changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm so sick of this narrative about teachers and teachers unions. If this thread becomes more teacher bashing, I WILL ask for it to be deleted like other threads.

Please keep your conspiracy theory ideas and the 'lazy teacher' narrative to yourself!

Now back to the real question, the rate of transmission will have to be super low and mostly traceable.

I think we have a long way until we are ever back to full time in person school, unless the federal government starts handling things differently and prioritizing public schools.

To be honest it seems pointless to keep debating what is a "safe" level. There just seems to be a fundamental disagreement and people are not going to change their views. For example, rates in the DMV have actually been pretty low, so we really missed a chance to reopen this fall on a 1-2 day hybrid basis with additional cleaning protocols and other safeguards. But to your point about the teachers, unfortunately it is *not* a conspiracy that they shot down any suggestion of reopening, no matter how modest the compromise, because nothing short of 100% was "safe" enough for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There aren’t that many people in DC who have coronavirus. The numbers actually look pretty good. How low does the caseload have to go before in-person schooling begins full time? Has the city said?

Why do you keep posting this? The numbers are getting worse. Why is that so hard to understand?

This. We would need a decline or low plateau. I don't know the right number but the trend matters a lot.

Man you dont sound bright.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm so sick of this narrative about teachers and teachers unions. If this thread becomes more teacher bashing, I WILL ask for it to be deleted like other threads.

Please keep your conspiracy theory ideas and the 'lazy teacher' narrative to yourself!

Now back to the real question, the rate of transmission will have to be super low and mostly traceable.

I think we have a long way until we are ever back to full time in person school, unless the federal government starts handling things differently and prioritizing public schools.

To be honest it seems pointless to keep debating what is a "safe" level. There just seems to be a fundamental disagreement and people are not going to change their views. For example, rates in the DMV have actually been pretty low, so we really missed a chance to reopen this fall on a 1-2 day hybrid basis with additional cleaning protocols and other safeguards. But to your point about the teachers, unfortunately it is *not* a conspiracy that they shot down any suggestion of reopening, no matter how modest the compromise, because nothing short of 100% was "safe" enough for them.

Were you at any of these meetings? Have you seen the list of demands the WTU specifically is asking for?
It is reasonable and DCPS actually said they WILL DO IT. However they WILL NOT put it in writing.

So again, stop with the conspiracy theories.

[Anonymous]

People blaming teachers, stop. If you hate public school teachers so much go private or charter.

Oh wait charters are doing DL too and there's no union.

Absolutely ridiculous. And honestly if the case was teachers only want DL for the next 10 years what will you do? Be b*tching about how horrid they are on this forum??

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/city-desk/article/21141013/unions-representing-school-workers-say-they-were-not-invited-to-the-table-to-talk-about-possible-return-to-inperson-learning

[Anonymous]

I do blame teachers, in part. Private school teachers are going back. I know, I know, they don’t trust DCPS, blah, blah, blah... but then OP is right: what # will ever be enough? And why do they work for DCPS if they don’t trust them?

I also blame the city for absolutely prioritizing the wrong things. Why are indoor dining and gyms open if we’re looking at raw numbers to decide on schools? Shut everything down. Get kids in schools. It’s too important.

[Anonymous]

my prediction: KIPP will re-open first and after proving it’s safe, dcps will follow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do blame teachers, in part. Private school teachers are going back. I know, I know, they don’t trust DCPS, blah, blah, blah... but then OP is right: what # will ever be enough? And why do they work for DCPS if they don’t trust them?

I also blame the city for absolutely prioritizing the wrong things. Why are indoor dining and gyms open if we’re looking at raw numbers to decide on schools? Shut everything down. Get kids in schools. It’s too important.

Well if you blame the teachers and the teachers union, please also blame the administrators union (comprised of principals and assistant principals). They also do not want in person learning at this time.

[Anonymous]

Also, the union (WTU) is admitting their asks included hazard pay. I actually don’t necessarily object, but let’s not pretend this is all about safety. This is a money grab too. Also every time someone says we could send K-2 back in person but not older grades, because that wouldn’t be fair to teachers.... Why not? And why does it matter if it’s “fair”? It would be safer (which the union claims is the priority) and it is only asking K-2 teachers to do the job they actually signed up for. If it’s all about safety only, why would it matter that some other teachers are getting a “sweeter” deal? Serious questions.

[Anonymous]

An effective vaccine. Of course, at that point teachers with ADA RAs will realize flu is a threat to their health and demand a cure before it's safe to return