Teachers are Vital Public Servants and Should Act Like It

[Anonymous]

My sister is a 4th grade teacher. She cries at 4 pm every day because she can't be there in person for her kids.

I highly doubt that, and if true, she should seek professional help. My sister is a special education teacher and loves and misses her kids, and is highly concerned about not being there to help them, but she's not "crying every day at 4pm (or any other time) about it." Why would you say such a ridiculously extreme thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts and opinion pieces do no one any good. Good teachers are working hard, if not harder and doing their best. What we see is students and parents not doing their part. Today is the last day of the marking period. My kids have been dismissed from all their classes as their work is done to allow other kids to get their outstanding work done vs. failing them like they should. It takes parents teaming with teachers to make DL work. Everyone expects teachers to do everything but they cannot and as a parent you are either part of the problem or solution.

It's almost like...parents have JOBS. That they also have to do. To feed, clothe, and shelter children.

Ok, so you NEED child care. Pay or it or apply for a voucher or other low cost child care. The school is there to educate, not for child care. Child care has been an added bonus but not during a pandemic. You paid for day care when your kids were 0-5, so you pay for it now.

Child care places will not necessarily help the kids adequately with DL. That is the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts and opinion pieces do no one any good. Good teachers are working hard, if not harder and doing their best. What we see is students and parents not doing their part. Today is the last day of the marking period. My kids have been dismissed from all their classes as their work is done to allow other kids to get their outstanding work done vs. failing them like they should. It takes parents teaming with teachers to make DL work. Everyone expects teachers to do everything but they cannot and as a parent you are either part of the problem or solution.

It's almost like...parents have JOBS. That they also have to do. To feed, clothe, and shelter children.

Ok, so you NEED child care. Pay or it or apply for a voucher or other low cost child care. The school is there to educate, not for child care. Child care has been an added bonus but not during a pandemic. You paid for day care when your kids were 0-5, so you pay for it now.

I do pay for my daughter to go to in person K and I really feel sorry for those who want that but can’t afford it or didn’t realize like I did - how bad K DL was going to be in advance.

[Anonymous]

Among my students, all of those returning are White and wealthy, except two students that are Asian and wealthy. The rest are staying in DL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amen. They are acting like vital public servants in most areas of the country. Just not here for some reason.

And they are dying because of it. And their parts of the country don't care. And if you lived in those parts of the country, and your child or spouse dies of Covid, they won't care either. I know, I've lived there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My sister is a 4th grade teacher. She cries at 4 pm every day because she can't be there in person for her kids.

I highly doubt that, and if true, she should seek professional help. My sister is a special education teacher and loves and misses her kids, and is highly concerned about not being there to help them, but she's not "crying every day at 4pm (or any other time) about it." Why would you say such a ridiculously extreme thing?

yeah nurses and doctors who cried every day at the end of their shift were also ridiculously extreme

its a pandemic you jerk - people have to cry, people are sad for the things they can't have right now because its a pandemic and requires extreme behavior

but you do you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really wish I could tell whether this article is wise advice or just another UMC professional working from home who is sick of having his children underfoot (I googled — he has two children). In this debate it is so hard to separate the message from the messenger. People are more than happy to embrace risk when it’s not a risk to them personally.

Well said. Does it occur to people that teachers have families, children, and personal problems of their own?

Does it occur to people that many teachers too, have to be caretakers financially and physically of loved ones who have Covid.

Smh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers unions and, in some places teachers themselves, are the biggest obstacle to children returning to school. While the fear is understandable, the unwillingness to do right by children is not.

100% virtual is far better than this idiotic two day a week concurrent model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Couldn't agree with this more. Its time to step up and help out the students who have been out of the classroom for almost a year now.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/01/25/teachers-are-vital-public-servants-time-them-start-acting-like-it/

Sure. How are we doing on air cleaners, PPE, contact tracing, testing, and safe lunch plans? Last I checked, teachers weren't capable of implementing those things.

If you make it SAFE, they will COME.

Oh? Teachers are the best judge of that? So they're not essential but they're omniscient? No wonder they're acting crazy lately.

If we as a society can provide a safe workplace, they will return.

The only crazies here are the ones pushing to open schools NOW regardless of safety.

How many studies do you need to show schools can open in a low risk way? There are new ones out every day.

That low risk way is two day a week concurrent learning, which is complete crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really wish I could tell whether this article is wise advice or just another UMC professional working from home who is sick of having his children underfoot (I googled — he has two children). In this debate it is so hard to separate the message from the messenger. People are more than happy to embrace risk when it’s not a risk to them personally.

That was my first impression. His job is writing opinions. Not really an expert on education or pandemics.

Fwiw my nurse friends feel the same way as him.

Are your nurse friends how much they are spending on childcare with schools closed and get back to us. Every parent has an agenda here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts and opinion pieces do no one any good. Good teachers are working hard, if not harder and doing their best. What we see is students and parents not doing their part. Today is the last day of the marking period. My kids have been dismissed from all their classes as their work is done to allow other kids to get their outstanding work done vs. failing them like they should. It takes parents teaming with teachers to make DL work. Everyone expects teachers to do everything but they cannot and as a parent you are either part of the problem or solution.

It's almost like...parents have JOBS. That they also have to do. To feed, clothe, and shelter children.

Ok, so you NEED child care. Pay or it or apply for a voucher or other low cost child care. The school is there to educate, not for child care. Child care has been an added bonus but not during a pandemic. You paid for day care when your kids were 0-5, so you pay for it now.

This funny argument. School is, in fact, child care for young kids. Just...stop.

Not anymore toots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amen. They are acting like vital public servants in most areas of the country. Just not here for some reason.

And they are dying because of it. And their parts of the country don't care. And if you lived in those parts of the country, and your child or spouse dies of Covid, they won't care either. I know, I've lived there.

This.

After 4 deaths, AEA calls for MPS to reevaluate COVID guidelines
https://www.al.com/news/2021/01/multiple-montgomery-schools-deaths-prompt-aea-call-for-remote-learning-sports-limits.html

[Anonymous]

Once I accepted that parents didn’t care if I lived or died, it was incredibly freeing. My guilt about not being allowed to do more vanished. I’ve started to regain a work-life balance that I haven’t had since before I switched careers to public education.

High Risk DH is interviewing for a private sector firm tomorrow. It’s a friend’s company and he’s pretty much guaranteed WFH until August. He’s sad about leaving teaching because it was a beloved choice after a military career, but it’s pretty clear that it is 100% on us to protect our health and not leave our kids orphans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posts and opinion pieces do no one any good. Good teachers are working hard, if not harder and doing their best. What we see is students and parents not doing their part. Today is the last day of the marking period. My kids have been dismissed from all their classes as their work is done to allow other kids to get their outstanding work done vs. failing them like they should. It takes parents teaming with teachers to make DL work. Everyone expects teachers to do everything but they cannot and as a parent you are either part of the problem or solution.

It's almost like...parents have JOBS. That they also have to do. To feed, clothe, and shelter children.

Ok, so you NEED child care. Pay or it or apply for a voucher or other low cost child care. The school is there to educate, not for child care. Child care has been an added bonus but not during a pandemic. You paid for day care when your kids were 0-5, so you pay for it now.

Child care places will not necessarily help the kids adequately with DL. That is the problem.

If you will not help as a parent, the child care provider will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once I accepted that parents didn’t care if I lived or died, it was incredibly freeing. My guilt about not being allowed to do more vanished. I’ve started to regain a work-life balance that I haven’t had since before I switched careers to public education.

High Risk DH is interviewing for a private sector firm tomorrow. It’s a friend’s company and he’s pretty much guaranteed WFH until August. He’s sad about leaving teaching because it was a beloved choice after a military career, but it’s pretty clear that it is 100% on us to protect our health and not leave our kids orphans.

Many of us do care and want to continue with DL. We are going to lose good teachers.