New York Schools can reopen in person

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are willing to teach because the risk of infection is considerably lower.

Solve the virus spread and you solve the problems of schools (and work, and travel, and just about everything else). But most people here would rather just argue about the everything else rather than solve the real problem.

Many NOVA jurisdictions positivity rate is below 5%. Honest question, what number are you okay with? NYC’s metric to reopen is 5%— although they are lower.

DP.. what's the 7 day rolling average? Is nova/VA seeing cases go up even as the rate is below 5%? Then that's a concern. NY's rate is flat or going down. That's why they feel it's ok to re-open.

Overall, NOVA is at 5.8%, and has been declining for 6+ weeks now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are willing to teach because the risk of infection is considerably lower.

Solve the virus spread and you solve the problems of schools (and work, and travel, and just about everything else). But most people here would rather just argue about the everything else rather than solve the real problem.

Many NOVA jurisdictions positivity rate is below 5%. Honest question, what number are you okay with? NYC’s metric to reopen is 5%— although they are lower.

DP.. what's the 7 day rolling average? Is nova/VA seeing cases go up even as the rate is below 5%? Then that's a concern. NY's rate is flat or going down. That's why they feel it's ok to re-open.

DP
Alexandria, Arlington and Loudoun are all under 5%. They are between 4.7 and 4.9%. Fairfax is at 5.3%. Daily cases in the Northern Region as a whole have been in the 170-230 range since mid-June.

[Anonymous]

MD at 3.9%, MoCo at 2.4

OPEN THE SCHOOLS

[Anonymous]

NYC schools are opening, but for elementary public it's only 2 -4 days in person per two week period. And for middle and high schools it's even less. So still an extremely limited hybrid system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are willing to teach because the risk of infection is considerably lower.

Solve the virus spread and you solve the problems of schools (and work, and travel, and just about everything else). But most people here would rather just argue about the everything else rather than solve the real problem.

Many NOVA jurisdictions positivity rate is below 5%. Honest question, what number are you okay with? NYC’s metric to reopen is 5%— although they are lower.

NP
I think that’s a big barrier. Nobody has taken the lead here (I’m in NoVA) to set that metric. Everyone is looking to somebody else to set it.

I think the FCPS Superintendent said the district plans to release re-opening metrics by 8/15? Anyone else see that?

Yes. The school board directed him to do that by that date.

I have to wonder if it is best to task a superintendent of schools with that job. Should it be the health department coming up with the metrics?

I also saw that the state Department of Ed is developing a metrics dashboard guide schools.
https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/qarni-local-covid-19-dashboards-coming-to-help-leaders-decide-when-it-s-safe-to/article_30c7348c-cc93-11ea-940d-ff7c5eba089a.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Their teachers are willing to teacher. So there that.


I wouldn't assume that. I know NY teachers who are really upset about the schools reopening. But they are afraid to speak out.

Of course there will be some who are upset. My friend is a teacher in NYC. She wants to go back in person, primarily because it was impossible for her to try to teach virtually out of her tiny apartment with her two little kids there. Other teachers may have different concerns, of course. There is no solution that will work for every single teacher.

Many teachers have children who are in different school districts. School districts that are going all virtual. So to expect the teachers to come in to work while most of the neighboring school districts are going virtual - that puts a pretty great burden on these teachers. I'm not against reopening, I'm just pointing out that you do need to consider what your neighboring school districts are also doing for many reasons - including this one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are willing to teach because the risk of infection is considerably lower.

Solve the virus spread and you solve the problems of schools (and work, and travel, and just about everything else). But most people here would rather just argue about the everything else rather than solve the real problem.

Many NOVA jurisdictions positivity rate is below 5%. Honest question, what number are you okay with? NYC’s metric to reopen is 5%— although they are lower.

#8 Controlled community transmission: A demonstrated decline in new cases and hospitalizations for at least 14 days, a positive test rate of less than five percent, a transmission rate of under 1.0, and testing, contact tracing and isolation capacity in a given public health jurisdiction is necessary to move from remote instruction to in-person. A policy must be adopted that provides sick leave for educators and staff.

https://www.fcft.org/safe-reopening

[Anonymous]

Their teachers are willing to teacher. So there that.


I wouldn't assume that. I know NY teachers who are really upset about the schools reopening. But they are afraid to speak out.


Of course there will be some who are upset. My friend is a teacher in NYC. She wants to go back in person, primarily because it was impossible for her to try to teach virtually out of her tiny apartment with her two little kids there. Other teachers may have different concerns, of course. There is no solution that will work for every single teacher.


Many teachers have children who are in different school districts. School districts that are going all virtual. So to expect the teachers to come in to work while most of the neighboring school districts are going virtual - that puts a pretty great burden on these teachers. I'm not against reopening, I'm just pointing out that you do need to consider what your neighboring school districts are also doing for many reasons - including this one.

I would imagine that would be relatively uncommon in a district as large as NYC. However, I could see if being more of an issue in other parts of the state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many teachers have children who are in different school districts. School districts that are going all virtual. So to expect the teachers to come in to work while most of the neighboring school districts are going virtual - that puts a pretty great burden on these teachers. I'm not against reopening, I'm just pointing out that you do need to consider what your neighboring school districts are also doing for many reasons - including this one.

I would imagine that would be relatively uncommon in a district as large as NYC. However, I could see if being more of an issue in other parts of the state.

It is a challenge in much of NYS. My children were first in MCPS, then we bought in FCPS. When we moved up to NY I was stunned that districts were so small. Each town might have its own school district. Many band together across a region as part of a BOCES district with a shared calendar—but that is all out the window now. My district is hybrid either MT or ThF, the neighboring district is MW/TTh hybrid, and my boyfriend’s kids go 3days on, 3 days off. So many teachers teach out of district. Coordinate childcare is going to be difficult for ALL working parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NYC schools are opening, but for elementary public it's only 2 -4 days in person per two week period. And for middle and high schools it's even less. So still an extremely limited hybrid system.

ah.. then OP's statement is misleading.

I'm in McpS, and the hybrid model is ridiculous. There's less live instruction with the hybrid model than with the 100 % DL, and the schedule is convoluted. Based on the plan put forward, 100% DL is better than their hybrid model (for HS).

[Anonymous]

MoCo numbers are 2.5% and are declining. Schools ...closed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Their teachers are willing to teacher. So there that.

The NY teacher union might be the strongest in the country. If there was a public health angle out of this, they would use it.

There isn't that angle. Because New Yorkers and their government have actually managed this thing.

This!

[Anonymous]

I'm a NYC teacher. We are talking about striking. Teachers are willing to teach under safe conditions only. The current plans that the city submitted to the state are not acceptable. There were parent and teacher protests at DOE headquarters this week.
The conditions that we stayed open under in March were horrific-the city claimed that there were twice weekly "deep cleanings" happening (no) and that there were cleaning supplies delivered to all schools (never materialized) and that we were amping up hand washing (we had no soap or hot water). When teachers were calling the health department to report positive COVID cases, the department refused to shut the schools down (as they had promised to do) and questioned the validity of the tests. Teachers were standing outside schools telling parents that their children were not safe and turning them away, risking their own jobs. We will not go back to that.

[Anonymous]

NYC teacher again-I'll also add that we are going back to "blended" learning, where kids will be at school between one and three days a week (not four or five days). They will be remote the rest of the time. At some schools the day(s) they are going in are not consistent, so good luck finding childcare on that schedule. The kids have to sit at their desks from 8:30-2, eating lunch in their seat while we continue to teach (I guess to prevent the kids from trying to talk to each other). They can't share materials. There is no recess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are willing to teach because the risk of infection is considerably lower.

Solve the virus spread and you solve the problems of schools (and work, and travel, and just about everything else). But most people here would rather just argue about the everything else rather than solve the real problem.

Many NOVA jurisdictions positivity rate is below 5%. Honest question, what number are you okay with? NYC’s metric to reopen is 5%— although they are lower.

NP
I think that’s a big barrier. Nobody has taken the lead here (I’m in NoVA) to set that metric. Everyone is looking to somebody else to set it.

Same in MD. Cuomo, for all of his flaws, is actually taking responsibility and leading.