Why are most teachers too scared to return to in person teaching, but most parents want schools open

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, the funniest part is that at my school we still have close to 10-15% of content teacher positions unfilled. Secondary. Yeah, we're laughing all the way to the bank. And so will you when your kid is being taught by a long-term sub with only 2 years of college and it isn't in the subject matter being taught.

Don't stress about it. "Content teacher positions" can be adequately filled by anyone with a HS diploma. You have vacancies because we pay teachers too little for any true professionals to take the position. We need to pay more and then expect more. Stop hiring blow-average slackers and paying them peanuts.

Why do you want schools to open, if not for your children to work with trained educators? It’s clear that so many of you with low opinions of teachers are really struggling to parent your children and are desperate for time away from them. It would be much easier to respect you if you would just admit to it.

And people like you will always scream it’s too unsafe to reopen schools, no matter how good the numbers are, because you just want to stay on the couch and get paid.

You don't know anything about me. I would happily go back to school with PPE, ventilation reports, and proof that all staff and students have been tested for COVID prior to opening. If schools can't or won't put those things in place, then they shouldn't open. Period.

It’s crazy that we’ve had all of these months and still don’t have widespread rapid testing. That would help so much- even if you could test all kids/teachers at the start of each week. Even if they are not 100% accurate you’d still catch a lot more and have a reasonable path forward. If we could get a good testing strategy down, I would go back (in this area, where numbers are good) without question.

I don’t think it’s realistic to expect to be provided hospital-grade PPE in schools. Plenty of people out there working to keep society going in cloth and surgical masks. Of my numerous family members in essential positions, the only ones being provided fitted N95s are a police officer and those working in hospitals (and even then they get one per shift). Who doesn’t have a proper supply of masks by now anyway? Have y’all been sitting at home since March?

Speaking as a self contained special education teacher, yes, we do need hospital grade PPE. We have students who bite and spit. We have been told our kids don’t have to wear masks. My kids need help blowing their noses, toileting, tying shoes, etc. so we have no choice but to be hands on with them. I’m not wearing a cloth mask to physically assist a student like that. Teachers should not be begging friends and family for money for PPE to fund an unsafe school opening, and I refuse to do that. I agree that gen ed teachers of older students don’t need N95s, face shields, etc.

Yet they’re good enough for the grocery store workers who need to deal with hundreds of people per day, including beligerant ones. Got it.

I just laughed when I read that. You spelled belligerent wrong. And grocery store workers don't assist customers in the bathroom, blow their noses, hold them when they cry, tie their shoes, or physically touch them in any way. They stand behind plexiglass and you have a 2 minute interaction with them. They can also throw out customers who aren't wearing masks. Give me a plexiglass barrier to stand behind, limit my interaction with students to 2 minutes, prevent me from having to touch them, and sure! I'll wear a cloth mask.
That is the worst analogy I've ever seen.

Yeah I laughed too- a SPED teacher is more analogous to a nursing home worker. Give teachers the same PPE as nursing home staff and then we can talk. Until then, the safest place for those kids and teachers is at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, this is a golden opportunity for us to make fundamental, desperately needed changes to the public school system. With any luck, about half of the current PS teachers will resign/be fired. We need to downsize the size of the PS system- eliminate all of the social work type nonsense. Focus on actually educating kids. Provide vouchers so that those that want to escape can, allowing smaller staffs to handle their students. Make it more difficult to become a PS teacher, and start paying more to those that are actually qualified.

If we don't make a change now, our schools will be lost for good.

I'm not understanding- you want to eliminate funding by giving out more vouchers, then somehow have smaller class sizes?

THere will be smaller class sizes due to the exodus of people choosing better options through vouchers. Eliminating expenditures on non-educational programs will help with funding. If taxes need to be raised beyond that, so be it. People need to realize having a decent PS system is worth paying for. The problem is, we are at the present paying for but not receiving quality service from our schools. And whether you want to admit it or not, a large part of that problem is that the quality of teachers at the PS level is atrocious.

You want to raise taxes to provide vouchers for private schools? I’m sorry that the public school system is not working out for you, but you should pay for private school yourself. So entitled.

Lol. Entitled is paying for public schools that are failing my children?? And then paying for a better alternative, while also being forced to pay for failing PS?? Right. True "entitlement" is people like you thinking you are entitled to my money and labor. Sorry. The time for failures like you living off of others is coming to end.

We have truly jumped the shark on the whole "entitled" thing, particularly when stupid people like yourself have no idea what it means but continue to toss it out for every scenario.

You are being taxed to provide a public service to all students. If the public school option does not work for you, yes, you pay to put your child into private. You don't get to take your tax money back because the general solution does not work in your specific case. If that's true, then I want my tax money back that was spent on the highways and traffic lights and hospitals in your part of town because I don't use them and they don't benefit me. I can't use the local roads, so I want my tax money back to use the toll road to bypass the local roads.

Taxes are based on applying services to public need, regardless of where you live or whether you use the services. Every parent who has their children in private schools, still pays taxes to support public schools. You don't get out of the taxes because you choose to opt out of the public option.

Uh I don't think you understand how vouchers work.

Money for vouchers is typically paid from the money that states allocate to schools. So, the state determines how much money is given per child to each school district. If you pull your child out of public school and are given a voucher to go to parochial or private school, the tax money that would normally go to the school is reduced by the amount normally assigned per student and that money is given to the voucher instead. Since the person receiving the voucher is typically a property owner whose property taxes went to support the school system, that means that they are essentially being given back some of the money they paid in property tax to support the school and that money is deducted from the school, thereby reducing the funds that the school will get. Vouchers hurt the local public schools which will get less money and will have that much less money to provide services, teaching aids, and resources to the students that remain. If there is a mass exodus of children, then schools will be left with significant shortfall of financial resources to accommodate the remaining children.

You are always welcome to take your child out of public school, if the public option does not work for you. You just don't deserve a voucher of the school's money to do that. You would then be paying tax money to support the school that you don't use much like tax payers without children, or tax payers supporting road, police, health and other infrastructures in parts of the state that they never visit or use.

Oh thank you for allowing me to take my own children out of your failing PS. I'm just not sure why you think I should not be allowed to have a voucher while others are? Is it because as a black person I am supposed to be forced to stay in my neighborhood? The argument that "vouchers hurt the public school system" stopped having meaning when the PS system continued to be non-responsive and a trap for children like mine. So if it hurts the PS system, I don't care in the least.

So move to a state/county that hands out vouchers like candy. They exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, the funniest part is that at my school we still have close to 10-15% of content teacher positions unfilled. Secondary. Yeah, we're laughing all the way to the bank. And so will you when your kid is being taught by a long-term sub with only 2 years of college and it isn't in the subject matter being taught.

Don't stress about it. "Content teacher positions" can be adequately filled by anyone with a HS diploma. You have vacancies because we pay teachers too little for any true professionals to take the position. We need to pay more and then expect more. Stop hiring blow-average slackers and paying them peanuts.

Why do you want schools to open, if not for your children to work with trained educators? It’s clear that so many of you with low opinions of teachers are really struggling to parent your children and are desperate for time away from them. It would be much easier to respect you if you would just admit to it.

And people like you will always scream it’s too unsafe to reopen schools, no matter how good the numbers are, because you just want to stay on the couch and get paid.

You don't know anything about me. I would happily go back to school with PPE, ventilation reports, and proof that all staff and students have been tested for COVID prior to opening. If schools can't or won't put those things in place, then they shouldn't open. Period.

Companies have been open for months now without any of that. Time to grow up and get back to work.

All of this.

This is FAR from universally true and you know it. Plus, many federal agencies are still closed or have limited onsite hours. Including those agencies of people in my own family.

Stop lying.

One of the reasons that federal agencies remain remote is that schools are closed and workers don’t have another option. We can never get fully back to work until schools are open.

100% untrue. Stop with with the Bullshit. I have firsthand knowledge of this. This is not a reason. It's not.

Uh yes it is. And almost everyone on here has firsthand knowledge of this lol. I swear, the left has regressed so much in the last few years. Where do they keep finding you ignorant people?

Yeah I don’t know what agency PP claims to have firsthand knowledge of, but availability of childcare/schools is absolutely a factor in the reopening plans at mine. The first round of people they were gearing up to bring back was minimal, but it was pretty much out on hold indefinitely once local school plans were released.

Non-telework agencies have been slow to eliminate the weekly rotations in part because of this too.

I can attest to this as well. The head of the agency and HR both have said everyone with kids will have the option to telework as long as schools are closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, this is a golden opportunity for us to make fundamental, desperately needed changes to the public school system. With any luck, about half of the current PS teachers will resign/be fired. We need to downsize the size of the PS system- eliminate all of the social work type nonsense. Focus on actually educating kids. Provide vouchers so that those that want to escape can, allowing smaller staffs to handle their students. Make it more difficult to become a PS teacher, and start paying more to those that are actually qualified.

If we don't make a change now, our schools will be lost for good.

I'm not understanding- you want to eliminate funding by giving out more vouchers, then somehow have smaller class sizes?

THere will be smaller class sizes due to the exodus of people choosing better options through vouchers. Eliminating expenditures on non-educational programs will help with funding. If taxes need to be raised beyond that, so be it. People need to realize having a decent PS system is worth paying for. The problem is, we are at the present paying for but not receiving quality service from our schools. And whether you want to admit it or not, a large part of that problem is that the quality of teachers at the PS level is atrocious.

You want to raise taxes to provide vouchers for private schools? I’m sorry that the public school system is not working out for you, but you should pay for private school yourself. So entitled.

Lol. Entitled is paying for public schools that are failing my children?? And then paying for a better alternative, while also being forced to pay for failing PS?? Right. True "entitlement" is people like you thinking you are entitled to my money and labor. Sorry. The time for failures like you living off of others is coming to end.

We have truly jumped the shark on the whole "entitled" thing, particularly when stupid people like yourself have no idea what it means but continue to toss it out for every scenario.

You are being taxed to provide a public service to all students. If the public school option does not work for you, yes, you pay to put your child into private. You don't get to take your tax money back because the general solution does not work in your specific case. If that's true, then I want my tax money back that was spent on the highways and traffic lights and hospitals in your part of town because I don't use them and they don't benefit me. I can't use the local roads, so I want my tax money back to use the toll road to bypass the local roads.

Taxes are based on applying services to public need, regardless of where you live or whether you use the services. Every parent who has their children in private schools, still pays taxes to support public schools. You don't get out of the taxes because you choose to opt out of the public option.

Uh I don't think you understand how vouchers work.

Money for vouchers is typically paid from the money that states allocate to schools. So, the state determines how much money is given per child to each school district. If you pull your child out of public school and are given a voucher to go to parochial or private school, the tax money that would normally go to the school is reduced by the amount normally assigned per student and that money is given to the voucher instead. Since the person receiving the voucher is typically a property owner whose property taxes went to support the school system, that means that they are essentially being given back some of the money they paid in property tax to support the school and that money is deducted from the school, thereby reducing the funds that the school will get. Vouchers hurt the local public schools which will get less money and will have that much less money to provide services, teaching aids, and resources to the students that remain. If there is a mass exodus of children, then schools will be left with significant shortfall of financial resources to accommodate the remaining children.

You are always welcome to take your child out of public school, if the public option does not work for you. You just don't deserve a voucher of the school's money to do that. You would then be paying tax money to support the school that you don't use much like tax payers without children, or tax payers supporting road, police, health and other infrastructures in parts of the state that they never visit or use.

Oh thank you for allowing me to take my own children out of your failing PS. I'm just not sure why you think I should not be allowed to have a voucher while others are? Is it because as a black person I am supposed to be forced to stay in my neighborhood? The argument that "vouchers hurt the public school system" stopped having meaning when the PS system continued to be non-responsive and a trap for children like mine. So if it hurts the PS system, I don't care in the least.

Look at what happened on DC. Charters were supposed to be a magic bullet that saved education but instead you have a few top tier ones and the rest are as mediocre or as bad.

[Anonymous]

I think parents are more likely to believe that meaningful safeguards have been put in place, whereas teachers know that they haven't, and "making it work" always falls to them. This time, it's finally too big an ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think parents are more likely to believe that meaningful safeguards have been put in place, whereas teachers know that they haven't, and "making it work" always falls to them. This time, it's finally too big an ask.

This.

it's just so much cognitive dissonance over being told over and over again on the internet that teachers are selfish and don't do anything when so often they are spending so much of their own money to provide basic supplies for their students.

If your district isn't going to provide enough cleaning supplies, if you can't actually enforce students wearing masks then how can you actually say that you're following CDC guidelines?

[Anonymous]

I'm really frustrated the loudest voices seem to be the "Corona virus is a hoax" types and "stay home until the vaccine" people. There are safe and cautious ways to ways to reopen if we listen to the epidemiologists and public health experts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm really frustrated the loudest voices seem to be the "Corona virus is a hoax" types and "stay home until the vaccine" people. There are safe and cautious ways to ways to reopen if we listen to the epidemiologists and public health experts.

+1. The vast majority of people I know fall on a spectrum somewhere between these two extremes.

I appreciate Emily Oster's work on school re-opening. She's an economist, but she relies on data from public health experts. It's a shame (one of so many!) that the U.S. has not done a great job so far with comprehensive data collection.

The U.K. just published a very comprehensive report on COVID infection and transmission in school settings when schools re-opened in June and July. The take away is that infection rates were surprisingly low, particularly for students (0.008%), but even for staff as well (0.02%). Less surprisingly, there was a correlation between infection and transmission rates in schools and the incidence of COVID in the local community. It's an interesting read.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sars-cov-2-infection-and-transmission-in-educational-settings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm really frustrated the loudest voices seem to be the "Corona virus is a hoax" types and "stay home until the vaccine" people. There are safe and cautious ways to ways to reopen if we listen to the epidemiologists and public health experts.

+1. The vast majority of people I know fall on a spectrum somewhere between these two extremes.

I appreciate Emily Oster's work on school re-opening. She's an economist, but she relies on data from public health experts. It's a shame (one of so many!) that the U.S. has not done a great job so far with comprehensive data collection.

The U.K. just published a very comprehensive report on COVID infection and transmission in school settings when schools re-opened in June and July. The take away is that infection rates were surprisingly low, particularly for students (0.008%), but even for staff as well (0.02%). Less surprisingly, there was a correlation between infection and transmission rates in schools and the incidence of COVID in the local community. It's an interesting read.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sars-cov-2-infection-and-transmission-in-educational-settings

Agreed- and it kind of drives home how backwards we have it here. The states with high community transmission are largely resuming in-person school when they probably shouldn't be, whereas the opposite is occurring in areas where community transmission is low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm really frustrated the loudest voices seem to be the "Corona virus is a hoax" types and "stay home until the vaccine" people. There are safe and cautious ways to ways to reopen if we listen to the epidemiologists and public health experts.

+1. The vast majority of people I know fall on a spectrum somewhere between these two extremes.

I appreciate Emily Oster's work on school re-opening. She's an economist, but she relies on data from public health experts. It's a shame (one of so many!) that the U.S. has not done a great job so far with comprehensive data collection.

The U.K. just published a very comprehensive report on COVID infection and transmission in school settings when schools re-opened in June and July. The take away is that infection rates were surprisingly low, particularly for students (0.008%), but even for staff as well (0.02%). Less surprisingly, there was a correlation between infection and transmission rates in schools and the incidence of COVID in the local community. It's an interesting read.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sars-cov-2-infection-and-transmission-in-educational-settings

Agreed- and it kind of drives home how backwards we have it here. The states with high community transmission are largely resuming in-person school when they probably shouldn't be, whereas the opposite is occurring in areas where community transmission is low.

I mean high community spread correlates with communities that fail to wear masks and social distance.

the other issue is that in the DC area basically nobody is willing to actually say what is an acceptable level of community spread to open school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, the funniest part is that at my school we still have close to 10-15% of content teacher positions unfilled. Secondary. Yeah, we're laughing all the way to the bank. And so will you when your kid is being taught by a long-term sub with only 2 years of college and it isn't in the subject matter being taught.

Don't stress about it. "Content teacher positions" can be adequately filled by anyone with a HS diploma. You have vacancies because we pay teachers too little for any true professionals to take the position. We need to pay more and then expect more. Stop hiring blow-average slackers and paying them peanuts.

Why do you want schools to open, if not for your children to work with trained educators? It’s clear that so many of you with low opinions of teachers are really struggling to parent your children and are desperate for time away from them. It would be much easier to respect you if you would just admit to it.

And people like you will always scream it’s too unsafe to reopen schools, no matter how good the numbers are, because you just want to stay on the couch and get paid.

You don't know anything about me. I would happily go back to school with PPE, ventilation reports, and proof that all staff and students have been tested for COVID prior to opening. If schools can't or won't put those things in place, then they shouldn't open. Period.

It’s crazy that we’ve had all of these months and still don’t have widespread rapid testing. That would help so much- even if you could test all kids/teachers at the start of each week. Even if they are not 100% accurate you’d still catch a lot more and have a reasonable path forward. If we could get a good testing strategy down, I would go back (in this area, where numbers are good) without question.

I don’t think it’s realistic to expect to be provided hospital-grade PPE in schools. Plenty of people out there working to keep society going in cloth and surgical masks. Of my numerous family members in essential positions, the only ones being provided fitted N95s are a police officer and those working in hospitals (and even then they get one per shift). Who doesn’t have a proper supply of masks by now anyway? Have y’all been sitting at home since March?

Speaking as a self contained special education teacher, yes, we do need hospital grade PPE. We have students who bite and spit. We have been told our kids don’t have to wear masks. My kids need help blowing their noses, toileting, tying shoes, etc. so we have no choice but to be hands on with them. I’m not wearing a cloth mask to physically assist a student like that. Teachers should not be begging friends and family for money for PPE to fund an unsafe school opening, and I refuse to do that. I agree that gen ed teachers of older students don’t need N95s, face shields, etc.

Yet they’re good enough for the grocery store workers who need to deal with hundreds of people per day, including beligerant ones. Got it.

I just laughed when I read that. You spelled belligerent wrong. And grocery store workers don't assist customers in the bathroom, blow their noses, hold them when they cry, tie their shoes, or physically touch them in any way. They stand behind plexiglass and you have a 2 minute interaction with them. They can also throw out customers who aren't wearing masks. Give me a plexiglass barrier to stand behind, limit my interaction with students to 2 minutes, prevent me from having to touch them, and sure! I'll wear a cloth mask.
That is the worst analogy I've ever seen.

Yeah I laughed too- a SPED teacher is more analogous to a nursing home worker. Give teachers the same PPE as nursing home staff and then we can talk. Until then, the safest place for those kids and teachers is at home.

NP. I don’t work in a nursing home but I work in a hospital. We’re given one surgical mask for the whole day. One flimsy eyeglass that’s supposed to be one time used but are supposed to reuse it unless it breaks. We’re given N95s only if we need to go in a covid+ or PUI(person under investigation) room. And that’s only one N95 and one face shield per day. We do have enough hand sanitizers and hand washing stations with soap. We also have carefully regulated wipes to clean.

I think we should push for in-person learning for young kids who cannot benefit from DL. Super high risk kids should do DL, and parents should have an option for distance learning. We should push for budgeting that allows enough sanitizers and hand washing stations. Kids can and will wear masks. My 2year old will wear a mask if asked. Kids get used to it. Again, for higher risk kids needing accommodation, DL should be an option.

I don’t know how we can make totally fair, but I am more than willing to donate money and supplies for school. I am sure a lot of parents would prioritize this for in person learning versus spending money on other luxuries.

Hospitalizations has been a lot lower than what we saw a few months ago. Healthcare providers have learned a great deal in how to manage these patients. Not to minimize the gravity of what this virus can do to people.

The vaccines that are supposed to come out have cut so many corners in safety and efficacy studies. It takes years to develop effective and safe vaccines, not mere months. We can be sure that when and if it comes out, it won’t be this big end all be all of covid 19.

Our small kids are growing so fast and they are missing these important years where they learn about living in a community, following rules, be good citizens. At some point we have to take some risk so we don’t lock our kids inside our houses for years. This may very well last at least 2-4 years.

Can we all come together and come up with solutions instead of hiding and just saying nope can’t be done?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, the funniest part is that at my school we still have close to 10-15% of content teacher positions unfilled. Secondary. Yeah, we're laughing all the way to the bank. And so will you when your kid is being taught by a long-term sub with only 2 years of college and it isn't in the subject matter being taught.

Don't stress about it. "Content teacher positions" can be adequately filled by anyone with a HS diploma. You have vacancies because we pay teachers too little for any true professionals to take the position. We need to pay more and then expect more. Stop hiring blow-average slackers and paying them peanuts.

Why do you want schools to open, if not for your children to work with trained educators? It’s clear that so many of you with low opinions of teachers are really struggling to parent your children and are desperate for time away from them. It would be much easier to respect you if you would just admit to it.

And people like you will always scream it’s too unsafe to reopen schools, no matter how good the numbers are, because you just want to stay on the couch and get paid.

You don't know anything about me. I would happily go back to school with PPE, ventilation reports, and proof that all staff and students have been tested for COVID prior to opening. If schools can't or won't put those things in place, then they shouldn't open. Period.

It’s crazy that we’ve had all of these months and still don’t have widespread rapid testing. That would help so much- even if you could test all kids/teachers at the start of each week. Even if they are not 100% accurate you’d still catch a lot more and have a reasonable path forward. If we could get a good testing strategy down, I would go back (in this area, where numbers are good) without question.

I don’t think it’s realistic to expect to be provided hospital-grade PPE in schools. Plenty of people out there working to keep society going in cloth and surgical masks. Of my numerous family members in essential positions, the only ones being provided fitted N95s are a police officer and those working in hospitals (and even then they get one per shift). Who doesn’t have a proper supply of masks by now anyway? Have y’all been sitting at home since March?

Speaking as a self contained special education teacher, yes, we do need hospital grade PPE. We have students who bite and spit. We have been told our kids don’t have to wear masks. My kids need help blowing their noses, toileting, tying shoes, etc. so we have no choice but to be hands on with them. I’m not wearing a cloth mask to physically assist a student like that. Teachers should not be begging friends and family for money for PPE to fund an unsafe school opening, and I refuse to do that. I agree that gen ed teachers of older students don’t need N95s, face shields, etc.

Yet they’re good enough for the grocery store workers who need to deal with hundreds of people per day, including beligerant ones. Got it.

I just laughed when I read that. You spelled belligerent wrong. And grocery store workers don't assist customers in the bathroom, blow their noses, hold them when they cry, tie their shoes, or physically touch them in any way. They stand behind plexiglass and you have a 2 minute interaction with them. They can also throw out customers who aren't wearing masks. Give me a plexiglass barrier to stand behind, limit my interaction with students to 2 minutes, prevent me from having to touch them, and sure! I'll wear a cloth mask.
That is the worst analogy I've ever seen.

Yeah I laughed too- a SPED teacher is more analogous to a nursing home worker. Give teachers the same PPE as nursing home staff and then we can talk. Until then, the safest place for those kids and teachers is at home.

NP. I don’t work in a nursing home but I work in a hospital. We’re given one surgical mask for the whole day. One flimsy eyeglass that’s supposed to be one time used but are supposed to reuse it unless it breaks. We’re given N95s only if we need to go in a covid+ or PUI(person under investigation) room. And that’s only one N95 and one face shield per day. We do have enough hand sanitizers and hand washing stations with soap. We also have carefully regulated wipes to clean.

I think we should push for in-person learning for young kids who cannot benefit from DL. Super high risk kids should do DL, and parents should have an option for distance learning. We should push for budgeting that allows enough sanitizers and hand washing stations. Kids can and will wear masks. My 2year old will wear a mask if asked. Kids get used to it. Again, for higher risk kids needing accommodation, DL should be an option.

I don’t know how we can make totally fair, but I am more than willing to donate money and supplies for school. I am sure a lot of parents would prioritize this for in person learning versus spending money on other luxuries.

Hospitalizations has been a lot lower than what we saw a few months ago. Healthcare providers have learned a great deal in how to manage these patients. Not to minimize the gravity of what this virus can do to people.

The vaccines that are supposed to come out have cut so many corners in safety and efficacy studies. It takes years to develop effective and safe vaccines, not mere months. We can be sure that when and if it comes out, it won’t be this big end all be all of covid 19.

Our small kids are growing so fast and they are missing these important years where they learn about living in a community, following rules, be good citizens. At some point we have to take some risk so we don’t lock our kids inside our houses for years. This may very well last at least 2-4 years.

Can we all come together and come up with solutions instead of hiding and just saying nope can’t be done?

I’m not sure what to tell you. As a teacher, I don’t have a chance to wash my hands for four hours at a time. My workplace is not clean. My students are NOT wearing masks, because it has been deemed “developmentally inappropriate” for them to do so. My students come in sick and then their parents refuse to pick them up, so they sit in my class coughing all day (this continued to happen even mid March right before schools were closed, after COVID had been declared a pandemic). If my students WERE wearing masks, I had access to basic hygiene, there was a zero tolerance policy regarding sick students, and our schools were cleaned regularly then I think it would be fine. Because none of this is the case and there is no funding to do so, I don’t think we should. We can’t rely on parent donations. I work in a Title I school and we don’t receive any parent donations, which would mean that schools in wealthier neighborhoods would be significantly safer than mine. That’s immoral and wrong.

[Anonymous]

Teacher's refusal to go back to work, highlighted by their latest attacks on Gov. Hogan, will be the lasting legacy of this entire mess. How embarrassing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, the funniest part is that at my school we still have close to 10-15% of content teacher positions unfilled. Secondary. Yeah, we're laughing all the way to the bank. And so will you when your kid is being taught by a long-term sub with only 2 years of college and it isn't in the subject matter being taught.

Don't stress about it. "Content teacher positions" can be adequately filled by anyone with a HS diploma. You have vacancies because we pay teachers too little for any true professionals to take the position. We need to pay more and then expect more. Stop hiring blow-average slackers and paying them peanuts.

Why do you want schools to open, if not for your children to work with trained educators? It’s clear that so many of you with low opinions of teachers are really struggling to parent your children and are desperate for time away from them. It would be much easier to respect you if you would just admit to it.

And people like you will always scream it’s too unsafe to reopen schools, no matter how good the numbers are, because you just want to stay on the couch and get paid.

You don't know anything about me. I would happily go back to school with PPE, ventilation reports, and proof that all staff and students have been tested for COVID prior to opening. If schools can't or won't put those things in place, then they shouldn't open. Period.

It’s crazy that we’ve had all of these months and still don’t have widespread rapid testing. That would help so much- even if you could test all kids/teachers at the start of each week. Even if they are not 100% accurate you’d still catch a lot more and have a reasonable path forward. If we could get a good testing strategy down, I would go back (in this area, where numbers are good) without question.

I don’t think it’s realistic to expect to be provided hospital-grade PPE in schools. Plenty of people out there working to keep society going in cloth and surgical masks. Of my numerous family members in essential positions, the only ones being provided fitted N95s are a police officer and those working in hospitals (and even then they get one per shift). Who doesn’t have a proper supply of masks by now anyway? Have y’all been sitting at home since March?

Speaking as a self contained special education teacher, yes, we do need hospital grade PPE. We have students who bite and spit. We have been told our kids don’t have to wear masks. My kids need help blowing their noses, toileting, tying shoes, etc. so we have no choice but to be hands on with them. I’m not wearing a cloth mask to physically assist a student like that. Teachers should not be begging friends and family for money for PPE to fund an unsafe school opening, and I refuse to do that. I agree that gen ed teachers of older students don’t need N95s, face shields, etc.

Yet they’re good enough for the grocery store workers who need to deal with hundreds of people per day, including beligerant ones. Got it.

I just laughed when I read that. You spelled belligerent wrong. And grocery store workers don't assist customers in the bathroom, blow their noses, hold them when they cry, tie their shoes, or physically touch them in any way. They stand behind plexiglass and you have a 2 minute interaction with them. They can also throw out customers who aren't wearing masks. Give me a plexiglass barrier to stand behind, limit my interaction with students to 2 minutes, prevent me from having to touch them, and sure! I'll wear a cloth mask.
That is the worst analogy I've ever seen.

Yeah I laughed too- a SPED teacher is more analogous to a nursing home worker. Give teachers the same PPE as nursing home staff and then we can talk. Until then, the safest place for those kids and teachers is at home.

NP. I don’t work in a nursing home but I work in a hospital. We’re given one surgical mask for the whole day. One flimsy eyeglass that’s supposed to be one time used but are supposed to reuse it unless it breaks. We’re given N95s only if we need to go in a covid+ or PUI(person under investigation) room. And that’s only one N95 and one face shield per day. We do have enough hand sanitizers and hand washing stations with soap. We also have carefully regulated wipes to clean.

I think we should push for in-person learning for young kids who cannot benefit from DL. Super high risk kids should do DL, and parents should have an option for distance learning. We should push for budgeting that allows enough sanitizers and hand washing stations. Kids can and will wear masks. My 2year old will wear a mask if asked. Kids get used to it. Again, for higher risk kids needing accommodation, DL should be an option.

I don’t know how we can make totally fair, but I am more than willing to donate money and supplies for school. I am sure a lot of parents would prioritize this for in person learning versus spending money on other luxuries.

Hospitalizations has been a lot lower than what we saw a few months ago. Healthcare providers have learned a great deal in how to manage these patients. Not to minimize the gravity of what this virus can do to people.

The vaccines that are supposed to come out have cut so many corners in safety and efficacy studies. It takes years to develop effective and safe vaccines, not mere months. We can be sure that when and if it comes out, it won’t be this big end all be all of covid 19.

Our small kids are growing so fast and they are missing these important years where they learn about living in a community, following rules, be good citizens. At some point we have to take some risk so we don’t lock our kids inside our houses for years. This may very well last at least 2-4 years.

Can we all come together and come up with solutions instead of hiding and just saying nope can’t be done?

I’m not sure what to tell you. As a teacher, I don’t have a chance to wash my hands for four hours at a time. My workplace is not clean. My students are NOT wearing masks, because it has been deemed “developmentally inappropriate” for them to do so. My students come in sick and then their parents refuse to pick them up, so they sit in my class coughing all day (this continued to happen even mid March right before schools were closed, after COVID had been declared a pandemic). If my students WERE wearing masks, I had access to basic hygiene, there was a zero tolerance policy regarding sick students, and our schools were cleaned regularly then I think it would be fine. Because none of this is the case and there is no funding to do so, I don’t think we should. We can’t rely on parent donations. I work in a Title I school and we don’t receive any parent donations, which would mean that schools in wealthier neighborhoods would be significantly safer than mine. That’s immoral and wrong.

You really can't wash your hands for 4 hours? Ever heard of personal size hand sanitizer? It's so obvious you don't even want to try to make it work.

At least try harder the next time you come up with some BS excuse.

[Anonymous]

PP who works in the hospital. Let’s not attack our teachers. They are a huge part of the solution. Our kids will never go back to school and do not have a chance at decent growth without them. The previous teachers have legit list of problems. MCPS should come up with a plan to overcome those issues. If teachers don’t have access to hand washing for 4 hours, that reflects poorly of our whole system. Can we maybe think of a solution? Provide sanitizers in each classroom. Build a hand washing station with sink in each classroom with enough soap.

I realize that’s going to cost a lot of money. Can we prioritize our tax money for that? Can we have a in-person school benefit fundraising? As a parent, I am more than willing to give up my indulgences such as take out to support my kids’ growth.

We should hold our leaders accountable in why they cannot come up with a solution? We all know we have a problem, we do not need to hear about all our problems from our leaders. They need to come up with possible solutions. We as parents and teachers will have to support those solutions so they can be implemented well.