I'm so tired of the "think of the teachers and administrators" rhetoric on every thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

They’re not missing, it’s just different. And, yes, after hearing stories of how COVID has affected people and not being able to fully grasp the long term damage it can do, I prefer we find options to keep everyone healthy. Schools will close again if they open as normal in the fall as soon as teachers & students start getting sick... better to plan on and improve distance learning than have people get very sick and potentially die.

No, they're missing.

COVID is not the only health or public-health outcome, and "no school" is not an option that keeps everyone healthy.

How are they missing or having ‘no school’ if they’re doing distance learning? I am no longer in MCPS, so maybe I am just not understanding how awful your last quarter was. Where we moved out of state, they put elearning in place last school year to use for snow days. Teachers were already adept at providing online lessons, so we switched right over when in person school stopped. Daily zooms were added, and though it wasn’t perfect, I feel like it can keep being improved upon and replace in person school for fall & winter quarters this coming school year.

Just stop.

You're not here

You don't understand

It was a disaster for many of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Keep in mind those people are a small (yet vocal) minority. All the teachers that I know IRL want to go back into the classroom. (Of course, my friends and I are in the 25 to 50 year old set.)

I really hope that's the case.

Another teacher. I want to go back. I actually love my job and want to work

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Keep in mind those people are a small (yet vocal) minority. All the teachers that I know IRL want to go back into the classroom. (Of course, my friends and I are in the 25 to 50 year old set.)

I really hope that's the case.

Another teacher. I want to go back. I actually love my job and want to work

I want to go back. I love my job. I love teaching so much that I switched careers to do it, taking a big lifestyle hit. I want to work. I need to work. But I also love my DH and don’t want to bring home something that might kill him. I hate that I’m vilified on this site for want to both teach and keep my family safe. MCPS screwed over BOTH teachers and students by imposing insane restrictions on instruction. Left to their own devices, most teachers would have figured out better systems within a week. I fear teachers and students will be screwed over again if we go back to the classrooms because we won’t have proper precautions in place. Even if no students get physically ill, many familiar faces will start disappearing as the adults leave from illness or fear. In early March, we had one adult in our building go home with a fever and coughing, it turned out that he had the flu, but the next day, there were 14 staff members out and only two subs showed. Coincidence? Maybe, but it did not instill confidence in the rest of us who had to do coverage for all those classes. And it made students nervous, especially the ALT 1 students that staff member worked with. Rumors can derail an instructional program. Luckily, he shared an email that he just had flu. People came back and the kids settled down. Of course, the official announcement of COVID here came and riled the students up again.Rolling shutdowns will not be a good situation for families or staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Keep in mind those people are a small (yet vocal) minority. All the teachers that I know IRL want to go back into the classroom. (Of course, my friends and I are in the 25 to 50 year old set.)

I really hope that's the case.

Another teacher. I want to go back. I actually love my job and want to work

I want to go back. I love my job. I love teaching so much that I switched careers to do it, taking a big lifestyle hit. I want to work. I need to work. But I also love my DH and don’t want to bring home something that might kill him. I hate that I’m vilified on this site for want to both teach and keep my family safe. MCPS screwed over BOTH teachers and students by imposing insane restrictions on instruction. Left to their own devices, most teachers would have figured out better systems within a week. I fear teachers and students will be screwed over again if we go back to the classrooms because we won’t have proper precautions in place. Even if no students get physically ill, many familiar faces will start disappearing as the adults leave from illness or fear. In early March, we had one adult in our building go home with a fever and coughing, it turned out that he had the flu, but the next day, there were 14 staff members out and only two subs showed. Coincidence? Maybe, but it did not instill confidence in the rest of us who had to do coverage for all those classes. And it made students nervous, especially the ALT 1 students that staff member worked with. Rumors can derail an instructional program. Luckily, he shared an email that he just had flu. People came back and the kids settled down. Of course, the official announcement of COVID here came and riled the students up again.Rolling shutdowns will not be a good situation for families or staff.

There need to be reasonable accommodations to reduce exposure for people who are at high risk or who have high-risk people in their household.

Everybody else needs to be back in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Keep in mind those people are a small (yet vocal) minority. All the teachers that I know IRL want to go back into the classroom. (Of course, my friends and I are in the 25 to 50 year old set.)

I really hope that's the case.

Another teacher. I want to go back. I actually love my job and want to work

I want to go back. I love my job. I love teaching so much that I switched careers to do it, taking a big lifestyle hit. I want to work. I need to work. But I also love my DH and don’t want to bring home something that might kill him. I hate that I’m vilified on this site for want to both teach and keep my family safe. MCPS screwed over BOTH teachers and students by imposing insane restrictions on instruction. Left to their own devices, most teachers would have figured out better systems within a week. I fear teachers and students will be screwed over again if we go back to the classrooms because we won’t have proper precautions in place. Even if no students get physically ill, many familiar faces will start disappearing as the adults leave from illness or fear. In early March, we had one adult in our building go home with a fever and coughing, it turned out that he had the flu, but the next day, there were 14 staff members out and only two subs showed. Coincidence? Maybe, but it did not instill confidence in the rest of us who had to do coverage for all those classes. And it made students nervous, especially the ALT 1 students that staff member worked with. Rumors can derail an instructional program. Luckily, he shared an email that he just had flu. People came back and the kids settled down. Of course, the official announcement of COVID here came and riled the students up again.Rolling shutdowns will not be a good situation for families or staff.

There need to be reasonable accommodations to reduce exposure for people who are at high risk or who have high-risk people in their household.

Everybody else needs to be back in school.

Actually, there need to be reasonable measures to reduce exposure for all people if we are back in school. It isn't as simply as keeping high risk peole away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Keep in mind those people are a small (yet vocal) minority. All the teachers that I know IRL want to go back into the classroom. (Of course, my friends and I are in the 25 to 50 year old set.)

I really hope that's the case.

Another teacher. I want to go back. I actually love my job and want to work

I want to go back. I love my job. I love teaching so much that I switched careers to do it, taking a big lifestyle hit. I want to work. I need to work. But I also love my DH and don’t want to bring home something that might kill him. I hate that I’m vilified on this site for want to both teach and keep my family safe. MCPS screwed over BOTH teachers and students by imposing insane restrictions on instruction. Left to their own devices, most teachers would have figured out better systems within a week. I fear teachers and students will be screwed over again if we go back to the classrooms because we won’t have proper precautions in place. Even if no students get physically ill, many familiar faces will start disappearing as the adults leave from illness or fear. In early March, we had one adult in our building go home with a fever and coughing, it turned out that he had the flu, but the next day, there were 14 staff members out and only two subs showed. Coincidence? Maybe, but it did not instill confidence in the rest of us who had to do coverage for all those classes. And it made students nervous, especially the ALT 1 students that staff member worked with. Rumors can derail an instructional program. Luckily, he shared an email that he just had flu. People came back and the kids settled down. Of course, the official announcement of COVID here came and riled the students up again.Rolling shutdowns will not be a good situation for families or staff.

There need to be reasonable accommodations to reduce exposure for people who are at high risk or who have high-risk people in their household.

Everybody else needs to be back in school.

Actually, there need to be reasonable measures to reduce exposure for all people if we are back in school. It isn't as simply as keeping high risk peole away.

Yes, there also need to be reasonable measures to reduce exposure for everybody, consistent with everybody else being back in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Keep in mind those people are a small (yet vocal) minority. All the teachers that I know IRL want to go back into the classroom. (Of course, my friends and I are in the 25 to 50 year old set.)

I really hope that's the case.

Another teacher. I want to go back. I actually love my job and want to work

I want to go back. I love my job. I love teaching so much that I switched careers to do it, taking a big lifestyle hit. I want to work. I need to work. But I also love my DH and don’t want to bring home something that might kill him. I hate that I’m vilified on this site for want to both teach and keep my family safe. MCPS screwed over BOTH teachers and students by imposing insane restrictions on instruction. Left to their own devices, most teachers would have figured out better systems within a week. I fear teachers and students will be screwed over again if we go back to the classrooms because we won’t have proper precautions in place. Even if no students get physically ill, many familiar faces will start disappearing as the adults leave from illness or fear. In early March, we had one adult in our building go home with a fever and coughing, it turned out that he had the flu, but the next day, there were 14 staff members out and only two subs showed. Coincidence? Maybe, but it did not instill confidence in the rest of us who had to do coverage for all those classes. And it made students nervous, especially the ALT 1 students that staff member worked with. Rumors can derail an instructional program. Luckily, he shared an email that he just had flu. People came back and the kids settled down. Of course, the official announcement of COVID here came and riled the students up again.Rolling shutdowns will not be a good situation for families or staff.

We cannot let people's irrational fears guide our decision-making and keep kids out of school. If this situation happened in the fall, this staff member should have been tested instantly to avoid a panic reaction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Keep in mind those people are a small (yet vocal) minority. All the teachers that I know IRL want to go back into the classroom. (Of course, my friends and I are in the 25 to 50 year old set.)

I really hope that's the case.

Another teacher. I want to go back. I actually love my job and want to work

I want to go back. I love my job. I love teaching so much that I switched careers to do it, taking a big lifestyle hit. I want to work. I need to work. But I also love my DH and don’t want to bring home something that might kill him. I hate that I’m vilified on this site for want to both teach and keep my family safe. MCPS screwed over BOTH teachers and students by imposing insane restrictions on instruction. Left to their own devices, most teachers would have figured out better systems within a week. I fear teachers and students will be screwed over again if we go back to the classrooms because we won’t have proper precautions in place. Even if no students get physically ill, many familiar faces will start disappearing as the adults leave from illness or fear. In early March, we had one adult in our building go home with a fever and coughing, it turned out that he had the flu, but the next day, there were 14 staff members out and only two subs showed. Coincidence? Maybe, but it did not instill confidence in the rest of us who had to do coverage for all those classes. And it made students nervous, especially the ALT 1 students that staff member worked with. Rumors can derail an instructional program. Luckily, he shared an email that he just had flu. People came back and the kids settled down. Of course, the official announcement of COVID here came and riled the students up again.Rolling shutdowns will not be a good situation for families or staff.

We cannot let people's irrational fears guide our decision-making and keep kids out of school. If this situation happened in the fall, this staff member should have been tested instantly to avoid a panic reaction.

It is unclear that schools will have sufficient soap come Fall, but you think there will be instant tests available to soothe staff and student panic.

You obviously haven’t taught adolescents. All it takes is a single cough and that person will have the Rona as far as the kids are concerned. Subs won’t want to risk their lives for the daily rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I hate my kids and I want them gone. Make it happen or I shouldn't have to pay taxes on the house that I chose to purchase, knowing what the taxes would be. If I don't like something, I demand that people to lose their jobs. Teaching is easy and fun, but being home with my one child is impossible and terrible. The children are being sacrificed to save a bunch of old people who should just die already! Also child abuse is your fault because you should be able to prevent people from hitting their kids in their own homes." - parents

+1. Excellent summary, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I hate my kids and I want them gone. Make it happen or I shouldn't have to pay taxes on the house that I chose to purchase, knowing what the taxes would be. If I don't like something, I demand that people to lose their jobs. Teaching is easy and fun, but being home with my one child is impossible and terrible. The children are being sacrificed to save a bunch of old people who should just die already! Also child abuse is your fault because you should be able to prevent people from hitting their kids in their own homes." - parents

"I love my kids and want them, and all of the other kids, to be in school learning, so that we don't ruin their future."

-parents

Oh, please! I love my kids and I prefer their teachers & our family stay healthy. Their future will not be ruined by a few more months of distance learning.

I don't know about your kids, but the other kids in MCPS already missed more than 1/4 of last year. Now you're saying that it's ok for them to miss another 1/4 of next year - half a year of school? Or more? I don't think that's ok at all.

If you are the same poster who can't let anything go, maybe the future of your children would be better if you chilled a little bit? My children's future isn't ruined, but I would guess that your children can sense your anxiety which is not healthy for them. Read a book with them or take a hike and chill. You can help them learn at home now instead of spending your day complaining.

+1000. Dear God, someone with some common sense. It's sad that parents are actually making this worse for their kids, and also that parents can't teach their kids that learning can take place outside of a damn classroom. If there were no books and no internet, maybe I could believe it, but come on already. The mind set from educated people is unbelieveable. My kids have learned OUTSIDE the classroom much more than they ever learned INSIDE the classroom. All it takes is teaching them that it's possible. Stop letting kids sleep all day, play video games and talk to their friends all night, and maybe this country wouldn't be in such a damn mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We get it they are "scared" they didn't "sign up for this".

It's BS. Kids have never been germ free. If you are that scared and fragile you shouldn't have ever chosen to work directly with kids from the get go.

Once my company returns to the office we don't get to say we don't feel safe. You either come back or you get a new job. Simple.

If your job now feels unsafe to you then you get a new job-it's not your employers job to coddle you.

We all have to choose a level of risk we are comfortable with. And if you are not comfortable with the risk then that's a personal decision, not a decision that should effect everyone else.

I'm just so tired of it. The idea that we are looking at DL in the fall seems to be directly related to all these teachers and staff that continually go on about how they don't feel safe.

I agree, OP. I also hate the fact that you can't talk about rigor and high expectations and finding a solution without someone immediately saying - what about equity issues?! I also care about equity issues, but they need to go hand-in-hand with actually teaching these kids. I worry that the equity piece (and the Poor Teachers piece) are going to keep MoCo from implementing any kind of reasonable solution. I don't know what that solution is - I get it, it's hard - but by god we have got to try!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Keep in mind those people are a small (yet vocal) minority. All the teachers that I know IRL want to go back into the classroom. (Of course, my friends and I are in the 25 to 50 year old set.)

I really hope that's the case.

Another teacher. I want to go back. I actually love my job and want to work

I want to go back. I love my job. I love teaching so much that I switched careers to do it, taking a big lifestyle hit. I want to work. I need to work. But I also love my DH and don’t want to bring home something that might kill him. I hate that I’m vilified on this site for want to both teach and keep my family safe. MCPS screwed over BOTH teachers and students by imposing insane restrictions on instruction. Left to their own devices, most teachers would have figured out better systems within a week. I fear teachers and students will be screwed over again if we go back to the classrooms because we won’t have proper precautions in place. Even if no students get physically ill, many familiar faces will start disappearing as the adults leave from illness or fear. In early March, we had one adult in our building go home with a fever and coughing, it turned out that he had the flu, but the next day, there were 14 staff members out and only two subs showed. Coincidence? Maybe, but it did not instill confidence in the rest of us who had to do coverage for all those classes. And it made students nervous, especially the ALT 1 students that staff member worked with. Rumors can derail an instructional program. Luckily, he shared an email that he just had flu. People came back and the kids settled down. Of course, the official announcement of COVID here came and riled the students up again.Rolling shutdowns will not be a good situation for families or staff.

There need to be reasonable accommodations to reduce exposure for people who are at high risk or who have high-risk people in their household.

Everybody else needs to be back in school.[b]

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I hate my kids and I want them gone. Make it happen or I shouldn't have to pay taxes on the house that I chose to purchase, knowing what the taxes would be. If I don't like something, I demand that people to lose their jobs. Teaching is easy and fun, but being home with my one child is impossible and terrible. The children are being sacrificed to save a bunch of old people who should just die already! Also child abuse is your fault because you should be able to prevent people from hitting their kids in their own homes." - parents

"I love my kids and want them, and all of the other kids, to be in school learning, so that we don't ruin their future."

-parents

Oh, please! I love my kids and I prefer their teachers & our family stay healthy. Their future will not be ruined by a few more months of distance learning.

I don't know about your kids, but the other kids in MCPS already missed more than 1/4 of last year. Now you're saying that it's ok for them to miss another 1/4 of next year - half a year of school? Or more? I don't think that's ok at all.

If you are the same poster who can't let anything go, maybe the future of your children would be better if you chilled a little bit? My children's future isn't ruined, but I would guess that your children can sense your anxiety which is not healthy for them. Read a book with them or take a hike and chill. You can help them learn at home now instead of spending your day complaining.

+1000. Dear God, someone with some common sense. It's sad that parents are actually making this worse for their kids, and also that parents can't teach their kids that learning can take place outside of a damn classroom. If there were no books and no internet, maybe I could believe it, but come on already. The mind set from educated people is unbelieveable. My kids have learned OUTSIDE the classroom much more than they ever learned INSIDE the classroom. All it takes is teaching them that it's possible. Stop letting kids sleep all day, play video games and talk to their friends all night, and maybe this country wouldn't be in such a damn mess.

Ah yes, the old “it’s so easy for me, why can’t everyone do it” argument.

Get off your privileged high horse.

[Anonymous]

Howard County has also jumped on equity as a reason for being unable to do anything. Its delightful.

(and I'm pro equity) The level of incompetence and lack of creativity is stunning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I hate my kids and I want them gone. Make it happen or I shouldn't have to pay taxes on the house that I chose to purchase, knowing what the taxes would be. If I don't like something, I demand that people to lose their jobs. Teaching is easy and fun, but being home with my one child is impossible and terrible. The children are being sacrificed to save a bunch of old people who should just die already! Also child abuse is your fault because you should be able to prevent people from hitting their kids in their own homes." - parents

"I love my kids and want them, and all of the other kids, to be in school learning, so that we don't ruin their future."

-parents

Oh, please! I love my kids and I prefer their teachers & our family stay healthy. Their future will not be ruined by a few more months of distance learning.

I don't know about your kids, but the other kids in MCPS already missed more than 1/4 of last year. Now you're saying that it's ok for them to miss another 1/4 of next year - half a year of school? Or more? I don't think that's ok at all.

If you are the same poster who can't let anything go, maybe the future of your children would be better if you chilled a little bit? My children's future isn't ruined, but I would guess that your children can sense your anxiety which is not healthy for them. Read a book with them or take a hike and chill. You can help them learn at home now instead of spending your day complaining.

+1000. Dear God, someone with some common sense. It's sad that parents are actually making this worse for their kids, and also that parents can't teach their kids that learning can take place outside of a damn classroom. If there were no books and no internet, maybe I could believe it, but come on already. The mind set from educated people is unbelieveable. My kids have learned OUTSIDE the classroom much more than they ever learned INSIDE the classroom. All it takes is teaching them that it's possible. Stop letting kids sleep all day, play video games and talk to their friends all night, and maybe this country wouldn't be in such a damn mess.

Ah yes, the old “it’s so easy for me, why can’t everyone do it” argument.

Get off your privileged high horse.

Also "talking to their friends all night and sleeping all day" pp is clearly the parent of a middle schooler or older and has no idea how hard this is on younger elementary kids.