Why are you demanding 5 day in-person school now that the pandemic is getting more dangerous?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sense I get is that the teachers union is just trying to run out the clock on this school year. They're not really interested in what is best for the children or their families.

They want tp get to their summer vacations. Now that they are all vaccinated and well rested from being in their homes, they are all set to travel.

I’m an APS teacher. None of us are “well rested” this year. What a stupid, ignorant remark. This year has been hell on earth. I wake up at 6, and work until 8 or 9 every night. I have my own family and kids to take care of on top of it. If this wasn’t temporary, I would leave my chosen profession, because a job that was already demanding is now off the charts. And then there’s people like you. I am so glad that my students’ parents have been supportive. You should be ashamed of yourself. I am definitely looking forward to summer, which means I will have survived this, and can go back to a normal fall. This concurrent stuff is not remotely fun for us, and we are really trying our best.

SO disparaging, to imagine anyone could think like this.

They don’t have a clue. Probably don’t even work themselves or have an easy WFH job so they assume everyone’s job is easy if it’s WFH. I have never felt lower and more defeated than teaching online at home between November / January. Like, I was looking for other jobs. That’s how awful it was. If we ever go DL again I don’t think I can stay. It was awful. And they think we were chillin at home and well rested lmao. I will teach all day in person with unvaccinated kids before I ever do DL again .

Well that’s all anyone is asking. Full time in person school for those who want it. That’s it. I’m sorry that people are calling it a “vacation” for teachers, I know that’s largely not true. But there are definitely some vocal teachers who are putting in the bare minimum and getting used to the lazy Covid lifestyle and really advocating AGAINST returning. So that’s where some of this criticism is coming from. If it doesn’t apply to you don’t take it personally.

Republican talking points that don’t even make any sense in VA. Lame.

Full time in person school is a Republican talking point now? That’s sad. I remember when Democrats were the party of supporting public schools. Do you?

The local Democrat platform is essentially keep everybody home and strive for equitable mediocrity.

Blue Virginia recently summarized part of it's interview with VA Secretary of Education Atif Qarni as being about "Republicans’ “irresponsible” demands for an immediate return to five-days-a-week in-person learning; "
(https://bluevirginia.us/2021/03/va-secretary-of-education-atif-qarni-on-trumpism-being-largely-responsible-for-anti-asian-attacks-modern-day-school-segregation-governors-schools-ralph-northam-as-most-consequential-governo)

What Qarni actually said was that he was hopeful every district would have 5 days in the fall and districts should try and get as many kids in the building as they safely can, but somehow this got summarized as only Republicans irresponsibly wanting kids in-person five days.

I'd say it's a segment of Democrats who seem to be pushing the narrative that in-person school is a Republican talking point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sense I get is that the teachers union is just trying to run out the clock on this school year. They're not really interested in what is best for the children or their families.

They want tp get to their summer vacations. Now that they are all vaccinated and well rested from being in their homes, they are all set to travel.

I’m an APS teacher. None of us are “well rested” this year. What a stupid, ignorant remark. This year has been hell on earth. I wake up at 6, and work until 8 or 9 every night. I have my own family and kids to take care of on top of it. If this wasn’t temporary, I would leave my chosen profession, because a job that was already demanding is now off the charts. And then there’s people like you. I am so glad that my students’ parents have been supportive. You should be ashamed of yourself. I am definitely looking forward to summer, which means I will have survived this, and can go back to a normal fall. This concurrent stuff is not remotely fun for us, and we are really trying our best.

SO disparaging, to imagine anyone could think like this.

They don’t have a clue. Probably don’t even work themselves or have an easy WFH job so they assume everyone’s job is easy if it’s WFH. I have never felt lower and more defeated than teaching online at home between November / January. Like, I was looking for other jobs. That’s how awful it was. If we ever go DL again I don’t think I can stay. It was awful. And they think we were chillin at home and well rested lmao. I will teach all day in person with unvaccinated kids before I ever do DL again .

Well that’s all anyone is asking. Full time in person school for those who want it. That’s it. I’m sorry that people are calling it a “vacation” for teachers, I know that’s largely not true. But there are definitely some vocal teachers who are putting in the bare minimum and getting used to the lazy Covid lifestyle and really advocating AGAINST returning. So that’s where some of this criticism is coming from. If it doesn’t apply to you don’t take it personally.

Some of you need to understand that a handful of loud whiny teachers doesn’t represent us all and quit denigrating an entire profession by painting us all with the same wide brush . Yeah, everyone worked hard this year. I’m not special in that sense. But very few other professions besides teachers have been derided for a YEAR for “not working” or “being on vacation” or “not teaching” or “being lazy” or “not caring about kids” while busting their a** the way other working parents trying to juggle it all have been.

That’s really kind of you. I think I worked a lot harder than my Arlington WFH neighbors this year. A hell of a lot harder.

Oh here we go another whiner that is going to her imaginary gold in the misery Olympics.

You are not educating anyone. And your crybaby peers speak for you since you seem to be mute on the topic in the public platform. Parents who care are going behind you picking up slack. You simply cannot effectively do your job from behind a computer screen . I don't care how much you spin your tires. If any kid gets educated this year it's because of parents who are not only full time working, but full time.educating.

I don’t think you’re speaking for most parents. The pandemic will end. But you will always be asshole.

If a few teachers spoke up you'd have the respect you claim to deserve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sense I get is that the teachers union is just trying to run out the clock on this school year. They're not really interested in what is best for the children or their families.

They want tp get to their summer vacations. Now that they are all vaccinated and well rested from being in their homes, they are all set to travel.

I’m an APS teacher. None of us are “well rested” this year. What a stupid, ignorant remark. This year has been hell on earth. I wake up at 6, and work until 8 or 9 every night. I have my own family and kids to take care of on top of it. If this wasn’t temporary, I would leave my chosen profession, because a job that was already demanding is now off the charts. And then there’s people like you. I am so glad that my students’ parents have been supportive. You should be ashamed of yourself. I am definitely looking forward to summer, which means I will have survived this, and can go back to a normal fall. This concurrent stuff is not remotely fun for us, and we are really trying our best.

SO disparaging, to imagine anyone could think like this.

They don’t have a clue. Probably don’t even work themselves or have an easy WFH job so they assume everyone’s job is easy if it’s WFH. I have never felt lower and more defeated than teaching online at home between November / January. Like, I was looking for other jobs. That’s how awful it was. If we ever go DL again I don’t think I can stay. It was awful. And they think we were chillin at home and well rested lmao. I will teach all day in person with unvaccinated kids before I ever do DL again .

Well that’s all anyone is asking. Full time in person school for those who want it. That’s it. I’m sorry that people are calling it a “vacation” for teachers, I know that’s largely not true. But there are definitely some vocal teachers who are putting in the bare minimum and getting used to the lazy Covid lifestyle and really advocating AGAINST returning. So that’s where some of this criticism is coming from. If it doesn’t apply to you don’t take it personally.

Some of you need to understand that a handful of loud whiny teachers doesn’t represent us all and quit denigrating an entire profession by painting us all with the same wide brush . Yeah, everyone worked hard this year. I’m not special in that sense. But very few other professions besides teachers have been derided for a YEAR for “not working” or “being on vacation” or “not teaching” or “being lazy” or “not caring about kids” while busting their a** the way other working parents trying to juggle it all have been.

That’s really kind of you. I think I worked a lot harder than my Arlington WFH neighbors this year. A hell of a lot harder.

Oh here we go another whiner that is going to her imaginary gold in the misery Olympics.

You are not educating anyone. And your crybaby peers speak for you since you seem to be mute on the topic in the public platform. Parents who care are going behind you picking up slack. You simply cannot effectively do your job from behind a computer screen . I don't care how much you spin your tires. If any kid gets educated this year it's because of parents who are not only full time working, but full time.educating.

I don’t think you’re speaking for most parents. The pandemic will end. But you will always be asshole.

If a few teachers spoke up you'd have the respect you claim to deserve.

I don’t think it matters how many teachers speak up and how many are eager to go back in person and be done with DL/concurrent/other garbage, because people focus on the loudest ones who seem to want to stay out of school indefinitely. The key is shoving those voices to the far edges, not giving them a real seat at the table with the adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sense I get is that the teachers union is just trying to run out the clock on this school year. They're not really interested in what is best for the children or their families.

They want tp get to their summer vacations. Now that they are all vaccinated and well rested from being in their homes, they are all set to travel.

I’m an APS teacher. None of us are “well rested” this year. What a stupid, ignorant remark. This year has been hell on earth. I wake up at 6, and work until 8 or 9 every night. I have my own family and kids to take care of on top of it. If this wasn’t temporary, I would leave my chosen profession, because a job that was already demanding is now off the charts. And then there’s people like you. I am so glad that my students’ parents have been supportive. You should be ashamed of yourself. I am definitely looking forward to summer, which means I will have survived this, and can go back to a normal fall. This concurrent stuff is not remotely fun for us, and we are really trying our best.

SO disparaging, to imagine anyone could think like this.

They don’t have a clue. Probably don’t even work themselves or have an easy WFH job so they assume everyone’s job is easy if it’s WFH. I have never felt lower and more defeated than teaching online at home between November / January. Like, I was looking for other jobs. That’s how awful it was. If we ever go DL again I don’t think I can stay. It was awful. And they think we were chillin at home and well rested lmao. I will teach all day in person with unvaccinated kids before I ever do DL again .

Well that’s all anyone is asking. Full time in person school for those who want it. That’s it. I’m sorry that people are calling it a “vacation” for teachers, I know that’s largely not true. But there are definitely some vocal teachers who are putting in the bare minimum and getting used to the lazy Covid lifestyle and really advocating AGAINST returning. So that’s where some of this criticism is coming from. If it doesn’t apply to you don’t take it personally.

Some of you need to understand that a handful of loud whiny teachers doesn’t represent us all and quit denigrating an entire profession by painting us all with the same wide brush . Yeah, everyone worked hard this year. I’m not special in that sense. But very few other professions besides teachers have been derided for a YEAR for “not working” or “being on vacation” or “not teaching” or “being lazy” or “not caring about kids” while busting their a** the way other working parents trying to juggle it all have been.

That’s really kind of you. I think I worked a lot harder than my Arlington WFH neighbors this year. A hell of a lot harder.

Oh here we go another whiner that is going to her imaginary gold in the misery Olympics.

You are not educating anyone. And your crybaby peers speak for you since you seem to be mute on the topic in the public platform. Parents who care are going behind you picking up slack. You simply cannot effectively do your job from behind a computer screen . I don't care how much you spin your tires. If any kid gets educated this year it's because of parents who are not only full time working, but full time.educating.

I don’t think you’re speaking for most parents. The pandemic will end. But you will always be asshole.

If a few teachers spoke up you'd have the respect you claim to deserve.

I don’t think it matters how many teachers speak up and how many are eager to go back in person and be done with DL/concurrent/other garbage, because people focus on the loudest ones who seem to want to stay out of school indefinitely. The key is shoving those voices to the far edges, not giving them a real seat at the table with the adults.

Well no teachers are speaking up to support a return to school. Their silence speaks volumes.

[Anonymous]

What person wants to go back to work when they can get paid to sit at home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What person wants to go back to work when they can get paid to sit at home?

Very true. Teachers are not special.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What person wants to go back to work when they can get paid to sit at home?

What is wrong with you that you have to be so nasty to your free babysitters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, these arguments are pointless. They simply don't care about COVID or the impact on others. They need their needs met. Move on.

Disagree. I think OP's premise is wrong. That doesn't mean that I don't care about covid or the impact on my family, your family, and other families.

BTW, all people need their needs met. If that's your argument, then you're arguing for schools to reopen too. Balancing needs includes looking at covid risks (it's not getting more dangerous) and other risks.

NP here. I understand you disagree, but what do you disagree with? Numbers? Facts? What part?

The variants aren't "more dangerous". The virus is not "getting more dangerous".

It's a pandemic. OP thinks that suddenly means something different now than last March or last September, but it doesn't.

Schools should have reopened with mitigation then. They should reopen with mitigation now. Mitigation is not 2 days or fear. It's masks, which all kids can do (even if some adults cannot), and ventilation.

This is the correct answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you disagree and think that the pandemic is getting less dangerous? If so, are you actively monitoring epidemiology and drawing conclusions that are different from me?
Do you agree that the pandemic is getting more dangerous but think it only affects other people, not you / your loved ones?
Or do you agree that the pandemic is getting more dangerous even for you / your loved ones, but it's still worth the risk for the benefits of in-person 5 days school?

Here's why I think things are taking a turn towards the worse:

* the compilation of prediction models (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/forecasting-us.html) predicts 2700 - 9600 deaths a week. Yes, the highest prediction is still way lower than during the last surge (24000 deaths a week at its peak) but it's still higher than last August. More importantly, if you look at the underlying assumptions of these models, they aren't changing the level of transmission, beyond tying it to mobility of a population or weather. (https://github.com/cdcepi/COVID-19-Forecasts/blob/master/COVID-19_Forecast_Model_Descriptions.md). However, there's a reasonable chance that transmission rates in 2021 are not going to be the way they were in 2020.

* we are finding out that several covid variants are more transmissible -- specifically, "UK" B.1.1.7 (59% - 74% more contagious) (https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/03/03/science.abg3055) "South Africa" B.1.351 (50% more) (https://www.newscientist.com/definition/south-african-covid-19-variant/) and "Brazil" P.1 (200% more contagious) (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-brazilvariant/contagious-brazil-covid-19-variant-evades-immunity-scientists-warn-idUSKBN2AU22B).

* P.1 re-infects 25%-60% of people. Vaccines are much less effective against P.1 and B.1.351

* P.1 has been reported in 22 states, B.1.351 has been reported in 30 states, and B.1.1.7 is everywhere in the U.S. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant-cases.html)

* Younger people are dying at much higher rates where P.1 is endemic - 3x case fatality rates for ages 20-29, 2x for 30-39, 40-49, 50-59. (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.24.21254046v1)

I'm not saying that I'm certain that all hell is going to break loose....but I am saying that I don't understand how the "open schools now" crowd is so absolutely certain that this isn't a likely outcome.

I am certain that children whose parents die are 10 bazillion times more likely to suffer a learning gap than children whose parents don't die.

Note: I have no formal medical education so I'm in the same boat as the rest of us, trying to figure this out the best I can

Pfizer actual does a good job protecting against B.1.351.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/04/01/pfizer-covid-vaccine-over-90-effective-least-6-months-study/4830501001/

https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-confirm-high-efficacy-and-no-serious

I'm not a rabid open schools supporter, I don't even live in DC. I was very concerned about B117 in January. But so far it is not the catastrophe I feared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, these arguments are pointless. They simply don't care about COVID or the impact on others. They need their needs met. Move on.

Disagree. I think OP's premise is wrong. That doesn't mean that I don't care about covid or the impact on my family, your family, and other families.

BTW, all people need their needs met. If that's your argument, then you're arguing for schools to reopen too. Balancing needs includes looking at covid risks (it's not getting more dangerous) and other risks.

NP here. I understand you disagree, but what do you disagree with? Numbers? Facts? What part?

The variants aren't "more dangerous". The virus is not "getting more dangerous".

It's a pandemic. OP thinks that suddenly means something different now than last March or last September, but it doesn't.

Schools should have reopened with mitigation then. They should reopen with mitigation now. Mitigation is not 2 days or fear. It's masks, which all kids can do (even if some adults cannot), and ventilation.

This is the correct answer.

Disagree. Mitigation is no masks, no distancing, but a very strictly enforced KIDS STAY HOME WHEN SICK policy (yes, even the sniffles) and parents notify the school IMMEDIATELY if anyone in the household has a COVID positive test. Done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What person wants to go back to work when they can get paid to sit at home?

What is wrong with you that you have to be so nasty to your free babysitters?

Free?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What person wants to go back to work when they can get paid to sit at home?

Very true. Teachers are not special.

Except... it’s not. I’m in person four days a week, and if I work a 12 hour day, it was easy. I can’t say the same for most of the loudmouth parents bashing teachers on here. You know where you can go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, these arguments are pointless. They simply don't care about COVID or the impact on others. They need their needs met. Move on.

Disagree. I think OP's premise is wrong. That doesn't mean that I don't care about covid or the impact on my family, your family, and other families.

BTW, all people need their needs met. If that's your argument, then you're arguing for schools to reopen too. Balancing needs includes looking at covid risks (it's not getting more dangerous) and other risks.

NP here. I understand you disagree, but what do you disagree with? Numbers? Facts? What part?

The variants aren't "more dangerous". The virus is not "getting more dangerous".

It's a pandemic. OP thinks that suddenly means something different now than last March or last September, but it doesn't.

Schools should have reopened with mitigation then. They should reopen with mitigation now. Mitigation is not 2 days or fear. It's masks, which all kids can do (even if some adults cannot), and ventilation.

This is the correct answer.

Disagree. Mitigation is no masks, no distancing, but a very strictly enforced KIDS STAY HOME WHEN SICK policy (yes, even the sniffles) and parents notify the school IMMEDIATELY if anyone in the household has a COVID positive test. Done.

Yeah, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, these arguments are pointless. They simply don't care about COVID or the impact on others. They need their needs met. Move on.

Disagree. I think OP's premise is wrong. That doesn't mean that I don't care about covid or the impact on my family, your family, and other families.

BTW, all people need their needs met. If that's your argument, then you're arguing for schools to reopen too. Balancing needs includes looking at covid risks (it's not getting more dangerous) and other risks.

NP here. I understand you disagree, but what do you disagree with? Numbers? Facts? What part?

The variants aren't "more dangerous". The virus is not "getting more dangerous".

It's a pandemic. OP thinks that suddenly means something different now than last March or last September, but it doesn't.

Schools should have reopened with mitigation then. They should reopen with mitigation now. Mitigation is not 2 days or fear. It's masks, which all kids can do (even if some adults cannot), and ventilation.

This is the correct answer.

Disagree. Mitigation is no masks, no distancing, but a very strictly enforced KIDS STAY HOME WHEN SICK policy (yes, even the sniffles) and parents notify the school IMMEDIATELY if anyone in the household has a COVID positive test. Done.

Yeah, no.

Nice retort. Are you the high school debate coach?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, these arguments are pointless. They simply don't care about COVID or the impact on others. They need their needs met. Move on.

Disagree. I think OP's premise is wrong. That doesn't mean that I don't care about covid or the impact on my family, your family, and other families.

BTW, all people need their needs met. If that's your argument, then you're arguing for schools to reopen too. Balancing needs includes looking at covid risks (it's not getting more dangerous) and other risks.

NP here. I understand you disagree, but what do you disagree with? Numbers? Facts? What part?

The variants aren't "more dangerous". The virus is not "getting more dangerous".

It's a pandemic. OP thinks that suddenly means something different now than last March or last September, but it doesn't.

Schools should have reopened with mitigation then. They should reopen with mitigation now. Mitigation is not 2 days or fear. It's masks, which all kids can do (even if some adults cannot), and ventilation.

This is the correct answer.

Disagree. Mitigation is no masks, no distancing, but a very strictly enforced KIDS STAY HOME WHEN SICK policy (yes, even the sniffles) and parents notify the school IMMEDIATELY if anyone in the household has a COVID positive test. Done.

I HATE this DCUM - specific habit of people taking complex issues, reducing them to something so simple as to completely ignore the reality of the situation and then say “Done.” It’s just so damn ignorant and overly confident at the same time.