Maryland Recovery Plan for Education has been posted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send the kids back. Done. Teachers have choice early retire or FMLA if don’t like it. Hire new young teachers who are cheaper fresh out of school or recent graduates who are low risk to replace older or teachers with existing medical conditions.

The teachers over 50 cost a fortune with pensions and medical and higher salaries. Replace them with 21-29 year warranty or healthy teachers

This is about sending kids back to school for an education, not about sending kids back to school for supervision by the cheapest warm bodies available.

No, it's actually about the latter. We can pretend it's for the sake of education, but really it's for the sake of free childcare.

(This is not my view at all--I think we need to keep the health of students and staff as the priority--but this is the view of pretty much everyone on DCUM and people I know IRL as well. They don't actually care who is teaching their kids when it comes down to it, although they sure have an opinion on their kids' teachers in normal times. But given the choice between distance learning and school being taught by unqualified warm bodies acting as babysitters, they'll pick the latter and then complain about the poor quality education their kids are getting.)

Given the choice between distance learning and school with warm bodies, I'll pick school with teachers, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents just need to understand this in context. Teachers have spent many years underpaid and disrespected, and now fear that they will also be asked to double their workload and risk their health, in order to allow higher earning workers than themselves to get back to work. Try to imagine yourself in the same situation.

I am considering simply quitting if asked to do some of the things I’ve read in the report. Like many teachers, my husband is the main breadwinner. And we live with an elderly family member we don’t want to infect.

I am a teacher and work with 100% of kids who are working class or poor. I think schools need to go back in session 100% of the day, every day in order to support working class families not higher earners. The high earners have no difficulty working from home. I have students whose parents are grocery store workers. If a cashier can go to work everyday then it is only fair teachers go back. The are underpaid and disrespected every day yet still show up to work.
Selfishly it is really easy for me to stay home with my own kids but working class families are really gong to suffe long term as soon as the extra $600 in unemployment goes away, which I think may be July.

Finally!! Thank you teacher. I love you!

+1
Someone I’d be proud to have teach my kids.

So you would be okay with a plan that says that only the working class could send their kids back to school? Say, an income cap? It would really help to keep density in schools down. And everyone else does distance learning? I really doubt that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents just need to understand this in context. Teachers have spent many years underpaid and disrespected, and now fear that they will also be asked to double their workload and risk their health, in order to allow higher earning workers than themselves to get back to work. Try to imagine yourself in the same situation.

I am considering simply quitting if asked to do some of the things I’ve read in the report. Like many teachers, my husband is the main breadwinner. And we live with an elderly family member we don’t want to infect.

I am a teacher and work with 100% of kids who are working class or poor. I think schools need to go back in session 100% of the day, every day in order to support working class families not higher earners. The high earners have no difficulty working from home. I have students whose parents are grocery store workers. If a cashier can go to work everyday then it is only fair teachers go back. The are underpaid and disrespected every day yet still show up to work.
Selfishly it is really easy for me to stay home with my own kids but working class families are really gong to suffe long term as soon as the extra $600 in unemployment goes away, which I think may be July.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I keep trying to get people to recognize this. Many people argue that they HAVE to have two working parents in order to survive, but for many families, the second parent does not bring in much after taxes and other costs involved in working (commute, restaurants, work clothes, etc.) Many more families could stay home if they realized how little they actually make, and that cutting back is possible.

For many families, "cutting back" means giving up their home and doubling up with another family. So when one person brings coronavirus home from their public-facing, low-wage, essential job, twice as many people get sick. How does that sound to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How will they have the staff to cover lunches in classrooms and enough teachers to cover smaller classes spread out using MS space?

Teachers will have to give up their lunches.

Teachers will not give up their lunches. Sometimes that is the only time during the seven hours while we're at school that I can use the bathroom. I am not allowed to look at my cell phone (you get written up), open my laptop (even for work-we're expected to be "engaged" with the kids at all times), or leave the room for any reason (to wash hands, to fill a water bottle, to pee, etc) at school. The only time I can do these things is during my lunch period, or during a prep. Before COVID, we frequently lost our preps because of IEP meetings (in our own class or others that run over time), teacher absences (which will definitely only increase in frequency now), special events (like school-wide celebrations) and various other reasons. I am also not working all day with no break and no prep and going home to create lessons. Our pay is already abysmal for masters level professionals.

Furthermore, it's illegal for us to work all day without a break. If you work for more than 6 hours you are entitled to a minimum of 30 minutes for lucnh. I am absolutely not working all day without washing my hands even once (even before eating). I am absolutely not monitoring students when I need a break myself. I am not a robot and I deserve to do all the things you take for granted at work-call my doctor, text my husband, read the news for a few minutes, walk down the block and grab a coffee, eat lunch without having to break up a fight. We fought long and hard for our lunch break to be included in our contract, we are not giving it up now. Maybe parents can volunteer to come in and watch the kids! Each parent can come in once a month and if they can't cover the shift then they have to find another parent to do it in their absence. Parents are pushing for schools to open? Then make it feasible.

You sound charming. I’m a big teacher advocate but what exactly are you doing for your students now? If you hate teaching so much, leave it.

Working without a break has absolutely nothing to do with teaching. You are not a "big teacher advocate" if you think it's appropriate for us to give up our only break in the day. It's an extremely basic labor protection that is not specific to our profession-if you work for 6 hours, you get a 30 minute lunch break. I'm not going to be constantly fighting off kidney infections so I can babysit your children without pause. Get real. It has nothing to do with what I'm willing to "do for my students"-it would make administrators' lives easier, sure. You don't get to guilt me into saying that I'm fine being trapped in a room for seven hours without using the bathroom, checking my phone, or taking care of myself in the smallest way.

I’m not saying you should not have a break. Of course you should. But your anger seems to go way beyond that. I hope you’re nowhere near my kid.

Same here. My kids teachers are so sad abiut the year being canceled that they are trying to offer meeting kids in parking lots for distant hangouts etc. This person should just not be teaching.

That would never be allowed in most schools. That’s why the drive by teacher parades had to stop. Central office put a stop to all that. If your kids’ teachers teach in MCPS then they’re just plain dumb for offering to meet kids in parking lots. That’s the mark of an idiotic teacher who doesn’t understand boundaries , not a good one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send the kids back. Done. Teachers have choice early retire or FMLA if don’t like it. Hire new young teachers who are cheaper fresh out of school or recent graduates who are low risk to replace older or teachers with existing medical conditions.

The teachers over 50 cost a fortune with pensions and medical and higher salaries. Replace them with 21-29 year warranty or healthy teachers

This is about sending kids back to school for an education, not about sending kids back to school for supervision by the cheapest warm bodies available.

No, it's actually about the latter. We can pretend it's for the sake of education, but really it's for the sake of free childcare.

(This is not my view at all--I think we need to keep the health of students and staff as the priority--but this is the view of pretty much everyone on DCUM and people I know IRL as well. They don't actually care who is teaching their kids when it comes down to it, although they sure have an opinion on their kids' teachers in normal times. But given the choice between distance learning and school being taught by unqualified warm bodies acting as babysitters, they'll pick the latter and then complain about the poor quality education their kids are getting.)

Given the choice between distance learning and school with warm bodies, I'll pick school with teachers, please.

I don’t think you understand the options you’re choosing from. Your choice wasn’t one of the options.

[Anonymous]

I've never seen a bigger bunch of whiners than teachers. In IT we worked nights and weekends sometimes until 2 and 3 AM to roll out updates so they didn't effect active users.
No unions. No boohoos. We did it because that was the job that needed to be done at the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How will they have the staff to cover lunches in classrooms and enough teachers to cover smaller classes spread out using MS space?

Teachers will have to give up their lunches.

Teachers will not give up their lunches. Sometimes that is the only time during the seven hours while we're at school that I can use the bathroom. I am not allowed to look at my cell phone (you get written up), open my laptop (even for work-we're expected to be "engaged" with the kids at all times), or leave the room for any reason (to wash hands, to fill a water bottle, to pee, etc) at school. The only time I can do these things is during my lunch period, or during a prep. Before COVID, we frequently lost our preps because of IEP meetings (in our own class or others that run over time), teacher absences (which will definitely only increase in frequency now), special events (like school-wide celebrations) and various other reasons. I am also not working all day with no break and no prep and going home to create lessons. Our pay is already abysmal for masters level professionals.

Furthermore, it's illegal for us to work all day without a break. If you work for more than 6 hours you are entitled to a minimum of 30 minutes for lucnh. I am absolutely not working all day without washing my hands even once (even before eating). I am absolutely not monitoring students when I need a break myself. I am not a robot and I deserve to do all the things you take for granted at work-call my doctor, text my husband, read the news for a few minutes, walk down the block and grab a coffee, eat lunch without having to break up a fight. We fought long and hard for our lunch break to be included in our contract, we are not giving it up now. Maybe parents can volunteer to come in and watch the kids! Each parent can come in once a month and if they can't cover the shift then they have to find another parent to do it in their absence. Parents are pushing for schools to open? Then make it feasible.

You sound charming. I’m a big teacher advocate but what exactly are you doing for your students now? If you hate teaching so much, leave it.

Working without a break has absolutely nothing to do with teaching. You are not a "big teacher advocate" if you think it's appropriate for us to give up our only break in the day. It's an extremely basic labor protection that is not specific to our profession-if you work for 6 hours, you get a 30 minute lunch break. I'm not going to be constantly fighting off kidney infections so I can babysit your children without pause. Get real. It has nothing to do with what I'm willing to "do for my students"-it would make administrators' lives easier, sure. You don't get to guilt me into saying that I'm fine being trapped in a room for seven hours without using the bathroom, checking my phone, or taking care of myself in the smallest way.

I’m not saying you should not have a break. Of course you should. But your anger seems to go way beyond that. I hope you’re nowhere near my kid.

Same here. My kids teachers are so sad abiut the year being canceled that they are trying to offer meeting kids in parking lots for distant hangouts etc. This person should just not be teaching.

That would never be allowed in most schools. That’s why the drive by teacher parades had to stop. Central office put a stop to all that. If your kids’ teachers teach in MCPS then they’re just plain dumb for offering to meet kids in parking lots. That’s the mark of an idiotic teacher who doesn’t understand boundaries , not a good one.

NP. I would certainly prefer a sincere teacher over you who understand the boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because we are shrugging our shoulders at the increasing cases all around the country (except for the coasts, which took significant mitigation measures and are reopening cautiously), we're going to have a massive problem by the fall. I think schools will wind up doing the hybrid model but the virus will causes closures. Half the people here are in denial about that and some are the other end of the spectrum and are convinced it's all shut down until the mythical vaccine. Neither is probably what happens.

But it's not going to be a normal year by any stretch of the imagination.

I'm a teacher and there's no way I can teach in a mask all day. And there's no way kids keep them on (and I teach HIGH SCHOOL). Forget about it at the ES level.

Why is it that in other countries students AND teachers manage to keep masks on?

[Anonymous]

We are a household of two healthcare workers, we have been staggering our schedules where husband work s6 am to 2:30 and I work 330 to 12. I don’t know how much longer I can keep up, I get home at 1, only to get up at 7 with the kids. If schools don’t reopen, we will sell our house and move into an apartment so that one of us can quit our job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I keep trying to get people to recognize this. Many people argue that they HAVE to have two working parents in order to survive, but for many families, the second parent does not bring in much after taxes and other costs involved in working (commute, restaurants, work clothes, etc.) Many more families could stay home if they realized how little they actually make, and that cutting back is possible.

For many families, "cutting back" means giving up their home and doubling up with another family. So when one person brings coronavirus home from their public-facing, low-wage, essential job, twice as many people get sick. How does that sound to you?

I know a lot of families who double up on appartments to save money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How will they have the staff to cover lunches in classrooms and enough teachers to cover smaller classes spread out using MS space?

Teachers will have to give up their lunches.

Teachers will not give up their lunches. Sometimes that is the only time during the seven hours while we're at school that I can use the bathroom. I am not allowed to look at my cell phone (you get written up), open my laptop (even for work-we're expected to be "engaged" with the kids at all times), or leave the room for any reason (to wash hands, to fill a water bottle, to pee, etc) at school. The only time I can do these things is during my lunch period, or during a prep. Before COVID, we frequently lost our preps because of IEP meetings (in our own class or others that run over time), teacher absences (which will definitely only increase in frequency now), special events (like school-wide celebrations) and various other reasons. I am also not working all day with no break and no prep and going home to create lessons. Our pay is already abysmal for masters level professionals.

Furthermore, it's illegal for us to work all day without a break. If you work for more than 6 hours you are entitled to a minimum of 30 minutes for lucnh. I am absolutely not working all day without washing my hands even once (even before eating). I am absolutely not monitoring students when I need a break myself. I am not a robot and I deserve to do all the things you take for granted at work-call my doctor, text my husband, read the news for a few minutes, walk down the block and grab a coffee, eat lunch without having to break up a fight. We fought long and hard for our lunch break to be included in our contract, we are not giving it up now. Maybe parents can volunteer to come in and watch the kids! Each parent can come in once a month and if they can't cover the shift then they have to find another parent to do it in their absence. Parents are pushing for schools to open? Then make it feasible.

You sound charming. I’m a big teacher advocate but what exactly are you doing for your students now? If you hate teaching so much, leave it.

Working without a break has absolutely nothing to do with teaching. You are not a "big teacher advocate" if you think it's appropriate for us to give up our only break in the day. It's an extremely basic labor protection that is not specific to our profession-if you work for 6 hours, you get a 30 minute lunch break. I'm not going to be constantly fighting off kidney infections so I can babysit your children without pause. Get real. It has nothing to do with what I'm willing to "do for my students"-it would make administrators' lives easier, sure. You don't get to guilt me into saying that I'm fine being trapped in a room for seven hours without using the bathroom, checking my phone, or taking care of myself in the smallest way.

I’m not saying you should not have a break. Of course you should. But your anger seems to go way beyond that. I hope you’re nowhere near my kid.

Same here. My kids teachers are so sad abiut the year being canceled that they are trying to offer meeting kids in parking lots for distant hangouts etc. This person should just not be teaching.

That would never be allowed in most schools. That’s why the drive by teacher parades had to stop. Central office put a stop to all that. If your kids’ teachers teach in MCPS then they’re just plain dumb for offering to meet kids in parking lots. That’s the mark of an idiotic teacher who doesn’t understand boundaries , not a good one.

NP. I would certainly prefer a sincere teacher over you who understand the boundaries.

I can sincerely miss my students and not want to risk my health to hang out with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send the kids back. Done. Teachers have choice early retire or FMLA if don’t like it. Hire new young teachers who are cheaper fresh out of school or recent graduates who are low risk to replace older or teachers with existing medical conditions.

The teachers over 50 cost a fortune with pensions and medical and higher salaries. Replace them with 21-29 year warranty or healthy teachers

This is about sending kids back to school for an education, not about sending kids back to school for supervision by the cheapest warm bodies available.

No, it's actually about the latter. We can pretend it's for the sake of education, but really it's for the sake of free childcare.

(This is not my view at all--I think we need to keep the health of students and staff as the priority--but this is the view of pretty much everyone on DCUM and people I know IRL as well. They don't actually care who is teaching their kids when it comes down to it, although they sure have an opinion on their kids' teachers in normal times. But given the choice between distance learning and school being taught by unqualified warm bodies acting as babysitters, they'll pick the latter and then complain about the poor quality education their kids are getting.)

Given the choice between distance learning and school with warm bodies, I'll pick school with teachers, please.

I don’t think you understand the options you’re choosing from. Your choice wasn’t one of the options.

It needs to be one of the options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send the kids back. Done. Teachers have choice early retire or FMLA if don’t like it. Hire new young teachers who are cheaper fresh out of school or recent graduates who are low risk to replace older or teachers with existing medical conditions.

The teachers over 50 cost a fortune with pensions and medical and higher salaries. Replace them with 21-29 year warranty or healthy teachers

This is about sending kids back to school for an education, not about sending kids back to school for supervision by the cheapest warm bodies available.

No, it's actually about the latter. We can pretend it's for the sake of education, but really it's for the sake of free childcare.

(This is not my view at all--I think we need to keep the health of students and staff as the priority--but this is the view of pretty much everyone on DCUM and people I know IRL as well. They don't actually care who is teaching their kids when it comes down to it, although they sure have an opinion on their kids' teachers in normal times. But given the choice between distance learning and school being taught by unqualified warm bodies acting as babysitters, they'll pick the latter and then complain about the poor quality education their kids are getting.)

Given the choice between distance learning and school with warm bodies, I'll pick school with teachers, please.

I don’t think you understand the options you’re choosing from. Your choice wasn’t one of the options.

It needs to be one of the options.

Right-then parents need to get serious about supporting teachers in ensuring school is a safe place for all. Not just demanding that things go back to “normal” which is not happening any time soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How will they have the staff to cover lunches in classrooms and enough teachers to cover smaller classes spread out using MS space?

Teachers will have to give up their lunches.

Teachers will not give up their lunches. Sometimes that is the only time during the seven hours while we're at school that I can use the bathroom. I am not allowed to look at my cell phone (you get written up), open my laptop (even for work-we're expected to be "engaged" with the kids at all times), or leave the room for any reason (to wash hands, to fill a water bottle, to pee, etc) at school. The only time I can do these things is during my lunch period, or during a prep. Before COVID, we frequently lost our preps because of IEP meetings (in our own class or others that run over time), teacher absences (which will definitely only increase in frequency now), special events (like school-wide celebrations) and various other reasons. I am also not working all day with no break and no prep and going home to create lessons. Our pay is already abysmal for masters level professionals.

Furthermore, it's illegal for us to work all day without a break. If you work for more than 6 hours you are entitled to a minimum of 30 minutes for lucnh. I am absolutely not working all day without washing my hands even once (even before eating). I am absolutely not monitoring students when I need a break myself. I am not a robot and I deserve to do all the things you take for granted at work-call my doctor, text my husband, read the news for a few minutes, walk down the block and grab a coffee, eat lunch without having to break up a fight. We fought long and hard for our lunch break to be included in our contract, we are not giving it up now. Maybe parents can volunteer to come in and watch the kids! Each parent can come in once a month and if they can't cover the shift then they have to find another parent to do it in their absence. Parents are pushing for schools to open? Then make it feasible.

You sound charming. I’m a big teacher advocate but what exactly are you doing for your students now? If you hate teaching so much, leave it.

Working without a break has absolutely nothing to do with teaching. You are not a "big teacher advocate" if you think it's appropriate for us to give up our only break in the day. It's an extremely basic labor protection that is not specific to our profession-if you work for 6 hours, you get a 30 minute lunch break. I'm not going to be constantly fighting off kidney infections so I can babysit your children without pause. Get real. It has nothing to do with what I'm willing to "do for my students"-it would make administrators' lives easier, sure. You don't get to guilt me into saying that I'm fine being trapped in a room for seven hours without using the bathroom, checking my phone, or taking care of myself in the smallest way.

I’m not saying you should not have a break. Of course you should. But your anger seems to go way beyond that. I hope you’re nowhere near my kid.

Same here. My kids teachers are so sad abiut the year being canceled that they are trying to offer meeting kids in parking lots for distant hangouts etc. This person should just not be teaching.

That would never be allowed in most schools. That’s why the drive by teacher parades had to stop. Central office put a stop to all that. If your kids’ teachers teach in MCPS then they’re just plain dumb for offering to meet kids in parking lots. That’s the mark of an idiotic teacher who doesn’t understand boundaries , not a good one.

NP. I would certainly prefer a sincere teacher over you who understand the boundaries.

+1
It's kindhearted, and by no means required. The kids are 5.