The prospect of kids not going back to school until 2021

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Wait. You don’t believe I work outside the home? Don’t most of us? I think every family will find a different solution. I hope some kind of childcare will be available, especially for first responders and essential employees. I am one of the lucky ones. I can do most of my work at home. My DH is working from home as well. I realize how very fortunate we are. If the schools offer solid distance learning, we will go with that. Otherwise, we will look at the k-12 option. We also have the ability to move back home to our rural hometown if we have to. Not ideal. But none of this is.

It doesn’t help to attack me for being realistic about next year. My feelings are as valid as yours. We don’t have to agree with each other to be kind to each other.

Yes, for example:

-leave the child in an unsafe situation

Or:

-give up paid employment and experience the consequences of increased financial insecurity

This isn't about your feelings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sooner people accept this new reality the better. Schools in this area will look very different this fall. Kids will likely only be in the classroom one or two days a week. Smart parents are preparing for this new reality. You will not have school as your childcare. If that doesn’t work for you, it’s time to consider relocating to a more rural part of the US. Or, plan to homeschool.

This whole school is not childcare argument is so unbelievably insulting to teachers. And you don’t even get that.

That and it’s insulting to parents, particularly those that value education and invest time, energy, and what money we have in it AND also have to work.

[Anonymous]

I live in downtown SS and still hear a lot more ambulances than normal so I expect that we have a ways to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sooner people accept this new reality the better. Schools in this area will look very different this fall. Kids will likely only be in the classroom one or two days a week. Smart parents are preparing for this new reality. You will not have school as your childcare. If that doesn’t work for you, it’s time to consider relocating to a more rural part of the US. Or, plan to homeschool.

This whole school is not childcare argument is so unbelievably insulting to teachers. And you don’t even get that.

That and it’s insulting to parents, particularly those that value education and invest time, energy, and what money we have in it AND also have to work.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all universities are closed for the fall. Some are still making plans. Some are having students arrive on campus a few weeks early, and ending the fall semester at Thanksgiving.

Exactly

They'll change their tune. Classes aren't the only thing to worry about. You have high density dorm rooms, and older faculty/staff are more at risk. A single death of a staff person who contracts it from a student will open up the university to massive liability. Wife works at a university. If she contracted the virus from a student and died because the university was stubborn and opened up, I'd sue the pants off of them.

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine confessed that she doesn’t want schools to resume regular in-school classes because she won’t have the “excuse” (her words) to work from home. She’s actually hoping schools stay closed.

Teacher living down the street basically said the same thing to me the other day; she enjoys working from home which isn’t something she’s been able to do over the course of her teaching career.

I suspect a lot of these people rallying for schools not to open - or floating this idea as fact - are like friend and nieghbor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A friend of mine confessed that she doesn’t want schools to resume regular in-school classes because she won’t have the “excuse” (her words) to work from home. She’s actually hoping schools stay closed.

Teacher living down the street basically said the same thing to me the other day; she enjoys working from home which isn’t something she’s been able to do over the course of her teaching career.

I suspect a lot of these people rallying for schools not to open - or floating this idea as fact - are like friend and nieghbor.

I’m the PP who thinks school we be very different next year. I would LOVE to be wrong. I desperately want life to return to normal.

[Anonymous]

I don’t even know what I want to happen. I’m scared of the impact of losing a quarter of this school year’s in-classroom learning. I can’t imagine how serious the impact would be if we have distance learning for a significant chunk of next school year. It’s a dire situation. At the same time, our schools are too overcrowded to return to school as we knew it. Social distancing would be impossible at secondary schools if all students return. Even if 20% of kids were kept home, I think it would still be difficult to social distance. We’re going to have to choose between 2 bad options. More risk averse people whose kids have always been top students will want schools closed, as long as lack of childcare isn’t a dealbreaker. People who are less risk averse, people whose children are really struggling with online learning and/or with the absence of their usual special services, and people who can’t keep their jobs without childcare will want schools open. Everyone else is probably feeling at least somewhat conflicted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all universities are closed for the fall. Some are still making plans. Some are having students arrive on campus a few weeks early, and ending the fall semester at Thanksgiving.

Exactly

They'll change their tune. Classes aren't the only thing to worry about. You have high density dorm rooms, and older faculty/staff are more at risk. A single death of a staff person who contracts it from a student will open up the university to massive liability. Wife works at a university. If she contracted the virus from a student and died because the university was stubborn and opened up, I'd sue the pants off of them.

Then you’re the problem.

The vaccine won’t cut out COVID entirely and even once it is developed it will take time to fully immunize most of the population.
You’re talking years. Universities can do the sensible thing by making students take precautions and also having students and families sign waivers - as many already do. Universities are starting to furlough, lay off, and will start rolling back pensions, etc.

If your wife contracted some other communicable disease that floats around universities (and offices and school, for that matter) would you sue them, too?

You may change your tune once your wife’s job is on the line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know what I want to happen. I’m scared of the impact of losing a quarter of this school year’s in-classroom learning. I can’t imagine how serious the impact would be if we have distance learning for a significant chunk of next school year. It’s a dire situation. At the same time, our schools are too overcrowded to return to school as we knew it. Social distancing would be impossible at secondary schools if all students return. Even if 20% of kids were kept home, I think it would still be difficult to social distance. We’re going to have to choose between 2 bad options. More risk averse people whose kids have always been top students will want schools closed, as long as lack of childcare isn’t a dealbreaker. People who are less risk averse, people whose children are really struggling with online learning and/or with the absence of their usual special services, and people who can’t keep their jobs without childcare will want schools open. Everyone else is probably feeling at least somewhat conflicted.

You do realize that people who fall into this category - less at risk, want/need the better quality of in-school instruction, and cannot continue to work from home - are the VAST MAJORITY of people, right? Please tell me you realize that most of the country, if not the entire world, falls into this category.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in downtown SS and still hear a lot more ambulances than normal so I expect that we have a ways to go.

That’s definitely a reliable metric.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know what I want to happen. I’m scared of the impact of losing a quarter of this school year’s in-classroom learning. I can’t imagine how serious the impact would be if we have distance learning for a significant chunk of next school year. It’s a dire situation. At the same time, our schools are too overcrowded to return to school as we knew it. Social distancing would be impossible at secondary schools if all students return. Even if 20% of kids were kept home, I think it would still be difficult to social distance. We’re going to have to choose between 2 bad options. More risk averse people whose kids have always been top students will want schools closed, as long as lack of childcare isn’t a dealbreaker. People who are less risk averse, people whose children are really struggling with online learning and/or with the absence of their usual special services, and people who can’t keep their jobs without childcare will want schools open. Everyone else is probably feeling at least somewhat conflicted.

You do realize that people who fall into this category - less at risk, want/need the better quality of in-school instruction, and cannot continue to work from home - are the VAST MAJORITY of people, right? Please tell me you realize that most of the country, if not the entire world, falls into this category.

I can easily believe it’s the majority of MCPS parents, but I’m not sure it’s the “vast” majority of MCPS parents who have political sway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all universities are closed for the fall. Some are still making plans. Some are having students arrive on campus a few weeks early, and ending the fall semester at Thanksgiving.

Exactly

They'll change their tune. Classes aren't the only thing to worry about. You have high density dorm rooms, and older faculty/staff are more at risk. A single death of a staff person who contracts it from a student will open up the university to massive liability. Wife works at a university. If she contracted the virus from a student and died because the university was stubborn and opened up, I'd sue the pants off of them.

How would you prove where she caught it? What about all of the other workers that have died - should they be suing the pants off of their employers or is your wife more special than them? Do you think your wife is required to work there if she thinks it’s not safe?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know what I want to happen. I’m scared of the impact of losing a quarter of this school year’s in-classroom learning. I can’t imagine how serious the impact would be if we have distance learning for a significant chunk of next school year. It’s a dire situation. At the same time, our schools are too overcrowded to return to school as we knew it. Social distancing would be impossible at secondary schools if all students return. Even if 20% of kids were kept home, I think it would still be difficult to social distance. We’re going to have to choose between 2 bad options. More risk averse people whose kids have always been top students will want schools closed, as long as lack of childcare isn’t a dealbreaker. People who are less risk averse, people whose children are really struggling with online learning and/or with the absence of their usual special services, and people who can’t keep their jobs without childcare will want schools open. Everyone else is probably feeling at least somewhat conflicted.

In other words, most people want schools open. Kids need to go to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know what I want to happen. I’m scared of the impact of losing a quarter of this school year’s in-classroom learning. I can’t imagine how serious the impact would be if we have distance learning for a significant chunk of next school year. It’s a dire situation. At the same time, our schools are too overcrowded to return to school as we knew it. Social distancing would be impossible at secondary schools if all students return. Even if 20% of kids were kept home, I think it would still be difficult to social distance. We’re going to have to choose between 2 bad options. More risk averse people whose kids have always been top students will want schools closed, as long as lack of childcare isn’t a dealbreaker. People who are less risk averse, people whose children are really struggling with online learning and/or with the absence of their usual special services, and people who can’t keep their jobs without childcare will want schools open. Everyone else is probably feeling at least somewhat conflicted.

In other words, most people want schools open. Kids need to go to school.

1) Schools need to be open
2) Having students return to secondary schools is not compatible with social distancing
3) Lack of social distancing could lead to large outbreaks

What is your solution?

That’s my point. There’s no way to have everything we want. We want in-person school. We don’t want big coronavirus outbreaks. What’s the solution for secondary schools?