I get the risk of Covid but it's maddening to see BTS pictures from across the US on Facebook/Insta

[Anonymous]

The pressure to reopen schools will build very quickly as cases and deaths continue to fall across the country. The evidence is piling up that this virus is getting less deadly, and that schools can reopen safely. At the same time kids are falling further and further behind, academically and psychologically. Right now, the "lockdown forever" crew is still hanging on to the narrative, but people do see schools opening safely, and whole countries in normal states (Sweden, the bane of pro-lockdown people). The narrative won't hold for much longer. It'll happen--give it a few weeks.

I hope so... and I am (was?) relatively pro-closure. But I agree that the vast majority of schools in, let's say, "average" states (I.e. neither FL on the one hand, nor VT on the other), are probably going to be OK. For whatever reasons, political or legitimate, teachers (and to some extent) parents here are reluctant to return. I'm not sure that anything short of a couple months of functioning schools in other jurisdictions will be proof enough that in-person is possible. (And I agree with the PP that said the actual school decision--all virtual--was less concerning than the utter lack of uniform standards or metrics for reopening. The only standard for in-person appears to be "feels safe"--so I can only hope that we get "evidence" of this from elsewhere...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an RN married to an MD and work with Covid patients. I get the risk. My husband had a long-standing patient in his 50's (no pre-existing conditions) die of the virus this week. It's not a joke.

BUT my Facebook and Instagram is littered with pictures from across the country of kids going back to school: Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, South Carolina, North Carolina, Utah.
I have dozens of friends whose kids are back in school.
Public and private.

It's maddening that we have between 25-50% of their rates of infection here in DC and our kids are home interminably. I have no read hope that anyone will go back in 20-21.

I'm so torn. I get the risk. I am jealous beyond belief that much of the rest of the country is just sending their kids in 9-3pm each day.

I'm not jealous at all. I'm so grateful that I don't have send my kids in. The thought that they'd catch covid and be on a vent is a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And many of those schools are already having outbreaks and having to revert back to remote learning, a week or two weeks into the school year. This looks like success to you? That's pretty sad.

Nope. We’ve been in person since July 20 (out of state private) and have had one case where one 4th grade class had to quarantine and go virtual for two weeks (and no one else got sick anyways!). Otherwise we’ve followed a ton of precautions and all has been good so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The pressure to reopen schools will build very quickly as cases and deaths continue to fall across the country. The evidence is piling up that this virus is getting less deadly, and that schools can reopen safely. At the same time kids are falling further and further behind, academically and psychologically. Right now, the "lockdown forever" crew is still hanging on to the narrative, but people do see schools opening safely, and whole countries in normal states (Sweden, the bane of pro-lockdown people). The narrative won't hold for much longer. It'll happen--give it a few weeks.

I hope so... and I am (was?) relatively pro-closure. But I agree that the vast majority of schools in, let's say, "average" states (I.e. neither FL on the one hand, nor VT on the other), are probably going to be OK. For whatever reasons, political or legitimate, teachers (and to some extent) parents here are reluctant to return. I'm not sure that anything short of a couple months of functioning schools in other jurisdictions will be proof enough that in-person is possible. (And I agree with the PP that said the actual school decision--all virtual--was less concerning than the utter lack of uniform standards or metrics for reopening. The only standard for in-person appears to be "feels safe"--so I can only hope that we get "evidence" of this from elsewhere...)

Agree with this. I have heard anecdotes of districts in “good” areas (MA, NY) that were initially planning on hybrid but reversed course and are going virtual. I hope we have enough examples of schools that are opening successfully and that someone is tracking the data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is an elementary school teacher in the Midwest, and school is in session. So glad she did not return to the DMV after graduation.

Well, as someone who grew up in the Midwest and still spends a lot of time there with family and friends, I would not want my kids to live there as adults.

[Anonymous]

I thought this was a KPop thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The pressure to reopen schools will build very quickly as cases and deaths continue to fall across the country. The evidence is piling up that this virus is getting less deadly, and that schools can reopen safely. At the same time kids are falling further and further behind, academically and psychologically. Right now, the "lockdown forever" crew is still hanging on to the narrative, but people do see schools opening safely, and whole countries in normal states (Sweden, the bane of pro-lockdown people). The narrative won't hold for much longer. It'll happen--give it a few weeks.

I hope so... and I am (was?) relatively pro-closure. But I agree that the vast majority of schools in, let's say, "average" states (I.e. neither FL on the one hand, nor VT on the other), are probably going to be OK. For whatever reasons, political or legitimate, teachers (and to some extent) parents here are reluctant to return. I'm not sure that anything short of a couple months of functioning schools in other jurisdictions will be proof enough that in-person is possible. (And I agree with the PP that said the actual school decision--all virtual--was less concerning than the utter lack of uniform standards or metrics for reopening. The only standard for in-person appears to be "feels safe"--so I can only hope that we get "evidence" of this from elsewhere...)

Agree with this. I have heard anecdotes of districts in “good” areas (MA, NY) that were initially planning on hybrid but reversed course and are going virtual. I hope we have enough examples of schools that are opening successfully and that someone is tracking the data.

I think those districts realized what a nightmare planning hybrid schedules would be, along with coordinating which teachers would take leave. They just switched to virtual because it’s easier to plan. I think that’s part of why DCPS didn’t do hybrid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And many of those schools are already having outbreaks and having to revert back to remote learning, a week or two weeks into the school year. This looks like success to you? That's pretty sad.

No, they’re not. At all.

You need to break out of your liberal, blue state bubble. This is what we get for living in an area that is driven by elitist politics first, humans second. I absolutely have always hated it, but now there are real consequences. And the price is our children's education and future. I hope everybody starts really understanding the dangerous game your politicians are playing.

FFS

Montgomery county is not the only place to virtual learning. It's all over the country.

We're already seeing schools that did not adequately prepare for hybrid or face-to-face education are having to do a revolving door of quarantine because the students and teachers are getting sick.

The decision to have face-to-face education is just as much driven by politics

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I've seen FB friends with kids going back to school in TX and Fla, which seems insane to me. I MIGHT consider sending my kids back in the DMV, if the option existed, but no chance in those states.

I have friends in those states and they have chosen DL or homeschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an RN married to an MD and work with Covid patients. I get the risk. My husband had a long-standing patient in his 50's (no pre-existing conditions) die of the virus this week. It's not a joke.

BUT my Facebook and Instagram is littered with pictures from across the country of kids going back to school: Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, South Carolina, North Carolina, Utah.
I have dozens of friends whose kids are back in school.
Public and private.

It's maddening that we have between 25-50% of their rates of infection here in DC and our kids are home interminably. I have no read hope that anyone will go back in 20-21.

I'm so torn. I get the risk. I am jealous beyond belief that much of the rest of the country is just sending their kids in 9-3pm each day.

Troll. Anyone in the medical community understands why we are not in school. Those other places you mentioned are Trumper's or Trumpland how ever you want to spin it. We will go back, no one wants this but we know the score.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For everyone who says that schools are not experiencing outbreaks or closures, here is a database:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQSD9mm5HTXhxAiHabZA6BPUByWBlP5HZ2jfOPEeGZkMB0ZFsmFBL5orqjIq22mjFNZ7n-11ObCylGn/pubhtml?fbclid=IwAR2tJ8yDVehGpxoP97Cco5HYAxoN014opwwm6uYt4s3E2xDr_8u9KF_LlgI&_ga=2.134010894.1896452270.1598377751-430072279.1598377751#
Seems like you are misinformed.

This compilation is great but it doesn't say how many kids/staff in each district OR (as far as I can tell) if there are unaffected schools/districts.
NOTHING is risk-free. It doesn't mean a lot to say that district X had 5 cases (or 1 or 10 or...) if you don't know how long they've been open, under what conditions (masks, distancing, etc), and how many total students and staff there are.

[Anonymous]

CHILL!! BTS is da bomb!!

- ARMY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I saw your title I thought you were talking about the Korean pop group "BTS", and was wondering if you are annoyed because you see their pictures all over the place for some reason.

LOL me too! I clicked on this to read about the K pop band!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought this was a KPop thread.

Thank you!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For everyone who says that schools are not experiencing outbreaks or closures, here is a database:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQSD9mm5HTXhxAiHabZA6BPUByWBlP5HZ2jfOPEeGZkMB0ZFsmFBL5orqjIq22mjFNZ7n-11ObCylGn/pubhtml?fbclid=IwAR2tJ8yDVehGpxoP97Cco5HYAxoN014opwwm6uYt4s3E2xDr_8u9KF_LlgI&_ga=2.134010894.1896452270.1598377751-430072279.1598377751#
Seems like you are misinformed.

One of the deaths in Georgia is a former principal who retired in 2017 and passed away in July, before schools opened. Reviewing this spreadsheet makes me think we should be open even more than I did before.