Would surveillance testing get us back full-time? (APS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think that ventilation is more important. Let's keep it from spreading in schools. For the fall we should be prepared to open windows in classrooms that have them, have extra air filters in the classrooms that don't, and have all meals outside regardless of weather (i.e., we'll need tents).

APS addressed ventilation, but yes, outdoor lunch, masks and 3 feet distancing with surveillance testing should get us back full time.

According to those who are obsessed with the issue, ventilation is improved but not good enough for 3' distancing. We should continue to work on ventilation until it is uniformly good.

For surveillance testing I've heard of having everyone spit into a bucket (not literally, but using a safe system) and then collectively running a test on a bulk sample. This makes more sense to me than spot testing.

I’m a teacher and my classroom is about 850 sf. I have one air cleaner in my room which is rated for a 550sf room. So far I’ve brought my own directional window fans blowing out that I prop in the windows (my school has awning type windows that push out from the bottom with no screens). I also need an extension cord for the filter because it is only about 2 feet from the wall and the cord is a hazard as it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be a goal for fall probably but there’s 3 months left this school year. They’re already planning for next year . At this point, riding out this school year is the best we can do. Nothing massive can change between now and June.

Seeing as it took almost an entire year to figure out how to get the kids in-school 2 days/week, we need to start planning for the fall if anyone wants full-time. Pressure needs to be on to figure this out now.

First of all there’s no “we.” You aren’t planning anything. Second of all, I literally said the schools are already planning for fall. Which is why not much energy is going to be expended making drastic shifts for the next 3 months to finish out this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really think that ventilation is more important. Let's keep it from spreading in schools. For the fall we should be prepared to open windows in classrooms that have them, have extra air filters in the classrooms that don't, and have all meals outside regardless of weather (i.e., we'll need tents).

APS addressed ventilation, but yes, outdoor lunch, masks and 3 feet distancing with surveillance testing should get us back full time.

According to those who are obsessed with the issue, ventilation is improved but not good enough for 3' distancing. We should continue to work on ventilation until it is uniformly good.

For surveillance testing I've heard of having everyone spit into a bucket (not literally, but using a safe system) and then collectively running a test on a bulk sample. This makes more sense to me than spot testing.

I’m a teacher and my classroom is about 850 sf. I have one air cleaner in my room which is rated for a 550sf room. So far I’ve brought my own directional window fans blowing out that I prop in the windows (my school has awning type windows that push out from the bottom with no screens). I also need an extension cord for the filter because it is only about 2 feet from the wall and the cord is a hazard as it is.

See I’m just not doing this. Do what you feel is right but my opinion is it is not my job to make these schools safer than they made themselves. If they didn’t give you fans and extra cords and higher power air filters, why do this? I’m vaccinated. The schools have provided what they believe is sufficient for safety. I’m not running my own army corps of engineers program to do this work for the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m hopeful for the fall. However this would take lots of logistical planning because the number of students in person vs hybrid would greatly increase and I don’t know that 3 ft distancing is possible with full schools as they are now.

I think in normal times, kids are able to stay 3-feet apart, no? (aside of lunch, which I'm assuming will normally be outside)

No. Have you never been in a school?

+1

Some of these schools are terribly overcrowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be a goal for fall probably but there’s 3 months left this school year. They’re already planning for next year . At this point, riding out this school year is the best we can do. Nothing massive can change between now and June.

Seeing as it took almost an entire year to figure out how to get the kids in-school 2 days/week, we need to start planning for the fall if anyone wants full-time. Pressure needs to be on to figure this out now.

That’s not what happened. Recap for those out of touch with reality:
There was a pandemic.
Numbers climbed.
We opened bars & gyms.
APS played it safe in the fall.
There was a winter surge.
Vaccines approved!
Numbers declined.
We started hybrid.

As the numbers continue to decline, we can look towards more in-person days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be a goal for fall probably but there’s 3 months left this school year. They’re already planning for next year . At this point, riding out this school year is the best we can do. Nothing massive can change between now and June.

Seeing as it took almost an entire year to figure out how to get the kids in-school 2 days/week, we need to start planning for the fall if anyone wants full-time. Pressure needs to be on to figure this out now.

That’s not what happened. Recap for those out of touch with reality:
There was a pandemic.
Numbers climbed.
We opened bars & gyms.
APS played it safe in the fall.
There was a winter surge.
Vaccines approved!
Numbers declined.
We started hybrid.

As the numbers continue to decline, we can look towards more in-person days.

We need to make this assumption and plan ahead. Be proactive, not reactive. We need to figure out how to live with some measure of COVID for an indefinite amount of time. This cannot and should not mean our kids' education can continue legging behind. This past year has been a waste in so many ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are they getting the money for tests?

I imagine the $1.9T relief package will include funds/support for schools to open full-time.

People don't seem to realize that most of the money in the "relief" package for schools is to be spent 2023 and later. There is a chunk that comes available in 2022, but that's the earliest. Doesn't help fall one bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m hopeful for the fall. However this would take lots of logistical planning because the number of students in person vs hybrid would greatly increase and I don’t know that 3 ft distancing is possible with full schools as they are now.

I think in normal times, kids are able to stay 3-feet apart, no? (aside of lunch, which I'm assuming will normally be outside)

Not in our elem. they share tables and are much closer than 3 ft. Maybe they could configure 24 desks 3 ft apart but I think it will be a wall to wall situation.

School only happens if distance requirements are abolished and we only have masks or less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It should be a goal for fall probably but there’s 3 months left this school year. They’re already planning for next year . At this point, riding out this school year is the best we can do. Nothing massive can change between now and June.

If they are planning for next year, what are they thinking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be a goal for fall probably but there’s 3 months left this school year. They’re already planning for next year . At this point, riding out this school year is the best we can do. Nothing massive can change between now and June.

If they are planning for next year, what are they thinking?

Exactly.. I've heard nothing but silence regarding planning for the fall. The SB can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are they getting the money for tests?

I imagine the $1.9T relief package will include funds/support for schools to open full-time.

People don't seem to realize that most of the money in the "relief" package for schools is to be spent 2023 and later. There is a chunk that comes available in 2022, but that's the earliest. Doesn't help fall one bit.

APS did have a line in the budget for random testing in the budget update.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be a goal for fall probably but there’s 3 months left this school year. They’re already planning for next year . At this point, riding out this school year is the best we can do. Nothing massive can change between now and June.

If they are planning for next year, what are they thinking?

Exactly.. I've heard nothing but silence regarding planning for the fall. The SB can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

+1. APS isn't planning for the fall. They're just trying to get through reopening this month.

From what I can tell, most actual planning seems to happen at the school level anyways. Our principal has told us that her plan is to open normally in the fall, so nothing needs to be done now.

APS will worry about fall reopening in August, then delay the start of school because they aren't prepared. #theAPSway

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be a goal for fall probably but there’s 3 months left this school year. They’re already planning for next year . At this point, riding out this school year is the best we can do. Nothing massive can change between now and June.

If they are planning for next year, what are they thinking?

Exactly.. I've heard nothing but silence regarding planning for the fall. The SB can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

+1. APS isn't planning for the fall. They're just trying to get through reopening this month.

From what I can tell, most actual planning seems to happen at the school level anyways. Our principal has told us that her plan is to open normally in the fall, so nothing needs to be done now.

APS will worry about fall reopening in August, then delay the start of school because they aren't prepared. #theAPSway

Yup.. We need to put pressure now for them to figure this out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be a goal for fall probably but there’s 3 months left this school year. They’re already planning for next year . At this point, riding out this school year is the best we can do. Nothing massive can change between now and June.

Seeing as it took almost an entire year to figure out how to get the kids in-school 2 days/week, we need to start planning for the fall if anyone wants full-time. Pressure needs to be on to figure this out now.

That’s not what happened. Recap for those out of touch with reality:
There was a pandemic.
Numbers climbed.
We opened bars & gyms.
APS played it safe in the fall.
There was a winter surge.
Vaccines approved!
Numbers declined.
We started hybrid.

As the numbers continue to decline, we can look towards more in-person days.

We need to make this assumption and plan ahead. Be proactive, not reactive. We need to figure out how to live with some measure of COVID for an indefinite amount of time. This cannot and should not mean our kids' education can continue legging behind. This past year has been a waste in so many ways.

Yes, we need to continue to resolve/mitigate ventilation issues. Address outdoor lunch.

I do think surveillance testing (even pooled samples) would help us cut down on outbreaks and minimize closures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be a goal for fall probably but there’s 3 months left this school year. They’re already planning for next year . At this point, riding out this school year is the best we can do. Nothing massive can change between now and June.

If they are planning for next year, what are they thinking?

Exactly.. I've heard nothing but silence regarding planning for the fall. The SB can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

+1. APS isn't planning for the fall. They're just trying to get through reopening this month.

From what I can tell, most actual planning seems to happen at the school level anyways. Our principal has told us that her plan is to open normally in the fall, so nothing needs to be done now.

APS will worry about fall reopening in August, then delay the start of school because they aren't prepared. #theAPSway

Yup.. We need to put pressure now for them to figure this out.

Great - so you are advocating re: ventilation issues, outdoor lunch, and surveillance testing?