WaPo Opinion by a brave teacher!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give teachers vaccine and then send back kids full time- no hybrid. If teachers are vaccinated kids can be in school full-time without distancing.

No they can’t. Then kids will get sick. Or bring home to families who aren’t yet vaccinated. We still need masks and distancing at school.

Then those families can/should continue with distance learning (e.g., Virtual Virginia). That option still exists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes very brave to write this when a return to school plan returning kids in weeks in every system in this region has already been approved . So brave.

I think you're right. Coming on an anonymous forum and making a rude, sarcastic comment is so much braver.

She’s saying “we need to open!!” Only now that she knows opening is happening. That’s not bravery.

Yep. I too have unbuckled my seatbelt while taxiing to the gate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give teachers vaccine and then send back kids full time- no hybrid. If teachers are vaccinated kids can be in school full-time without distancing.

No they can’t. Then kids will get sick. Or bring home to families who aren’t yet vaccinated. We still need masks and distancing at school.

I agree with this 100%. The "kids can't die" crowd forgets that parents can & grandparents can after catching it from kids. Let the vaccinations work their course -- we've come so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“The Fairfax County School Board and elected leaders in Virginia need to start listening to science and start listening to all of the teachers, not just one special interest group claiming to represent us.

It’s time to return to the classroom.”

Funny. Not that long ago I was called a bully on this forum for asking teachers to speak up for kids and against FEA if it did not reflect their views. Hmmm... so...why now? Is it finally OK to speak up in the WaPo after the new admin makes it a 100 day priority to get kids back in person?

Don’t get me wrong, I love the article. It is awesome, in fact. It’s just that it seems these from words from this source (a teacher) appears to have been actively suppressed, at least publicly, for A LONG TIME.

Just goes to show. Politics is king in this town.

What happened? Teachers are now getting vaccinated. That goes a LONG way to making a lot of them (I assume, I am not a teacher) feel better about going back to work in person. Teaching remotely doesn't seem like much fun to me, but I have a 2nd grader and I watch every day as my kid's FCPS struggles to keep the kids focused. More than half don't even turn their cameras on anymore. And these are 8-year-olds.

The struggle is real.

Grade 3 teacher.

[Anonymous]

I’m in Massachusetts and my 6th grade niece who I reside with and help raise has opted to stay home on DL despite a hybrid option. She knows what the in person requirements are at her school and they effectively remove all opportunities for normal social interaction with her friends and classmates, so she doesn’t want the stress involved in all the precautions when she won’t get much benefit of social interaction. She’s staying in touch with her friends via apps and games and she’s doing well in DL, loving math this year and getting all As.

Some kids are doing well on DL so I don’t think it’s fair to say it’s just across the board terrible. We are working class with working class resources.

DL isn’t ideal but we are in the middle of a pandemic with the highest daily death rate happening right now. When I read here I am often appalled by the lack of patience and the sense of entitlement. Is seems like many of you - and your children - would never have endured the Great Depression or the routine deprivations of WWII. Your kids are meant to be the future leaders of our country?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in Massachusetts and my 6th grade niece who I reside with and help raise has opted to stay home on DL despite a hybrid option. She knows what the in person requirements are at her school and they effectively remove all opportunities for normal social interaction with her friends and classmates, so she doesn’t want the stress involved in all the precautions when she won’t get much benefit of social interaction. She’s staying in touch with her friends via apps and games and she’s doing well in DL, loving math this year and getting all As.

Some kids are doing well on DL so I don’t think it’s fair to say it’s just across the board terrible. We are working class with working class resources.

DL isn’t ideal but we are in the middle of a pandemic with the highest daily death rate happening right now. When I read here I am often appalled by the lack of patience and the sense of entitlement. Is seems like many of you - and your children - would never have endured the Great Depression or the routine deprivations of WWII. Your kids are meant to be the future leaders of our country?

Well if it’s working for your niece, it must be fine for everyone else too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in Massachusetts and my 6th grade niece who I reside with and help raise has opted to stay home on DL despite a hybrid option. She knows what the in person requirements are at her school and they effectively remove all opportunities for normal social interaction with her friends and classmates, so she doesn’t want the stress involved in all the precautions when she won’t get much benefit of social interaction. She’s staying in touch with her friends via apps and games and she’s doing well in DL, loving math this year and getting all As.

Some kids are doing well on DL so I don’t think it’s fair to say it’s just across the board terrible. We are working class with working class resources.

DL isn’t ideal but we are in the middle of a pandemic with the highest daily death rate happening right now. When I read here I am often appalled by the lack of patience and the sense of entitlement. Is seems like many of you - and your children - would never have endured the Great Depression or the routine deprivations of WWII. Your kids are meant to be the future leaders of our country?

Is it though? When I look at the 7 day moving average for VA deaths it has gone from 39.71 on December 24 to 13.71 on the most recent update. For the Northern Region in VA it has gone from 6.43 to 1.00.

Do you see something different?

[Anonymous]

That wasn’t my point at all, but whatever.

The point is that some kids are thriving on DL, some are doing fine, some are struggling and some are failing miserably. Sounds about like the range of public school AND private school experience in regular times, amplified by the fact that we are in highly irregular times.

But here we are going through an epic human experience and y’all are demanding things be just like before, and screaming like spoiled toddlers that they aren’t. It’s just very revealing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That wasn’t my point at all, but whatever.

The point is that some kids are thriving on DL, some are doing fine, some are struggling and some are failing miserably. Sounds about like the range of public school AND private school experience in regular times, amplified by the fact that we are in highly irregular times.

But here we are going through an epic human experience and y’all are demanding things be just like before, and screaming like spoiled toddlers that they aren’t. It’s just very revealing.

I love all the people who think DL is going well telling everyone else to calm down. You have no clue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That wasn’t my point at all, but whatever.

The point is that some kids are thriving on DL, some are doing fine, some are struggling and some are failing miserably. Sounds about like the range of public school AND private school experience in regular times, amplified by the fact that we are in highly irregular times.

But here we are going through an epic human experience and y’all are demanding things be just like before, and screaming like spoiled toddlers that they aren’t. It’s just very revealing.

You are the PP who wrote,”DL isn’t ideal but we are in the middle of a pandemic with the highest daily death rate happening right now”? If so, you used a false, fear laden statement to support the necessity of DL which you state I say not “ideal”. If we are currently far from the highest daily death rate and dropping, then it shouldn’t be used as a reason to validate the perceived need to stay fully DL.

ES Teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That wasn’t my point at all, but whatever.

The point is that some kids are thriving on DL, some are doing fine, some are struggling and some are failing miserably. Sounds about like the range of public school AND private school experience in regular times, amplified by the fact that we are in highly irregular times.

But here we are going through an epic human experience and y’all are demanding things be just like before, and screaming like spoiled toddlers that they aren’t. It’s just very revealing.

You are the PP who wrote,”DL isn’t ideal but we are in the middle of a pandemic with the highest daily death rate happening right now”? If so, you used a false, fear laden statement to support the necessity of DL which you state I say not “ideal”. If we are currently far from the highest daily death rate and dropping, then it shouldn’t be used as a reason to validate the perceived need to stay fully DL.

ES Teacher

*which you say is not ideal

[Anonymous]

I agree with this 100%. The "kids can't die" crowd forgets that parents can & grandparents can after catching it from kids. Let the vaccinations work their course -- we've come so far.

Many people are choosing not to get the vaccines. I don't expect the kids to go back to school this year, but by next year, they need to be back full time, regardless of whether everyone has been vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you Ms. Downs. I appreciate hearing from a teacher that cares about her students and all students. And that understands both science and the importance of school.

Yes, b/c teachers who are concerned about the virus don't care about students.

[Anonymous]

Anyone have access to this that's not behind a paywall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give teachers vaccine and then send back kids full time- no hybrid. If teachers are vaccinated kids can be in school full-time without distancing.

No they can’t. Then kids will get sick. Or bring home to families who aren’t yet vaccinated. We still need masks and distancing at school.

People like you should stuck to virtual Virginia or homeschool.