The prospect of kids not going back to school until 2021

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A friend of mine confessed that she doesn’t want schools to resume regular in-school classes because she won’t have the “excuse” (her words) to work from home. She’s actually hoping schools stay closed.

Teacher living down the street basically said the same thing to me the other day; she enjoys working from home which isn’t something she’s been able to do over the course of her teaching career.

I suspect a lot of these people rallying for schools not to open - or floating this idea as fact - are like friend and nieghbor.

Where are the teachers that love teaching and can’t wait for school to start back normally? This forum makes me sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sooner people accept this new reality the better. Schools in this area will look very different this fall. Kids will likely only be in the classroom one or two days a week. Smart parents are preparing for this new reality. You will not have school as your childcare. If that doesn’t work for you, it’s time to consider relocating to a more rural part of the US. Or, plan to homeschool.

Which do you prefer, kids staying home by themselves unsafely (or going to work with their parents unsafely), or kids going to school? Those are your choices.

Not really. That may be what some people decide, but others will come up with different solutions. What is clear is that most kids will not be going M-F from 8-3 with before and after care. The sooner everyone accepts this, the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know what I want to happen. I’m scared of the impact of losing a quarter of this school year’s in-classroom learning. I can’t imagine how serious the impact would be if we have distance learning for a significant chunk of next school year. It’s a dire situation. At the same time, our schools are too overcrowded to return to school as we knew it. Social distancing would be impossible at secondary schools if all students return. Even if 20% of kids were kept home, I think it would still be difficult to social distance. We’re going to have to choose between 2 bad options. More risk averse people whose kids have always been top students will want schools closed, as long as lack of childcare isn’t a dealbreaker. People who are less risk averse, people whose children are really struggling with online learning and/or with the absence of their usual special services, and people who can’t keep their jobs without childcare will want schools open. Everyone else is probably feeling at least somewhat conflicted.

In other words, most people want schools open. Kids need to go to school.

1) Schools need to be open
2) Having students return to secondary schools is not compatible with social distancing
3) Lack of social distancing could lead to large outbreaks

What is your solution?

That’s my point. There’s no way to have everything we want. We want in-person school. We don’t want big coronavirus outbreaks. What’s the solution for secondary schools?

The same is true for elementary schools, too. Or for every societal function that involves groups of people. Which ones do you plan to keep closed until there's a vaccine, if there ever is one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sooner people accept this new reality the better. Schools in this area will look very different this fall. Kids will likely only be in the classroom one or two days a week. Smart parents are preparing for this new reality. You will not have school as your childcare. If that doesn’t work for you, it’s time to consider relocating to a more rural part of the US. Or, plan to homeschool.

Which do you prefer, kids staying home by themselves unsafely (or going to work with their parents unsafely), or kids going to school? Those are your choices.

Not really. That may be what some people decide, but others will come up with different solutions. What is clear is that most kids will not be going M-F from 8-3 with before and after care. The sooner everyone accepts this, the better.

Calling this a "decision" suggests that you really have no understanding of what many people are up against. As though people are going to sit around thinking, "Well, I could use good childcare, or I could leave my child at home in danger while I work to keep a roof over our heads. You know what? I think I'll decide to keep my child at home in danger!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know what I want to happen. I’m scared of the impact of losing a quarter of this school year’s in-classroom learning. I can’t imagine how serious the impact would be if we have distance learning for a significant chunk of next school year. It’s a dire situation. At the same time, our schools are too overcrowded to return to school as we knew it. Social distancing would be impossible at secondary schools if all students return. Even if 20% of kids were kept home, I think it would still be difficult to social distance. We’re going to have to choose between 2 bad options. More risk averse people whose kids have always been top students will want schools closed, as long as lack of childcare isn’t a dealbreaker. People who are less risk averse, people whose children are really struggling with online learning and/or with the absence of their usual special services, and people who can’t keep their jobs without childcare will want schools open. Everyone else is probably feeling at least somewhat conflicted.

In other words, most people want schools open. Kids need to go to school.

1) Schools need to be open
2) Having students return to secondary schools is not compatible with social distancing
3) Lack of social distancing could lead to large outbreaks

What is your solution?

That’s my point. There’s no way to have everything we want. We want in-person school. We don’t want big coronavirus outbreaks. What’s the solution for secondary schools?

Except the countries that are opening are seeing that schools are not contributing to large outbreaks. That’s what you’re missing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sooner people accept this new reality the better. Schools in this area will look very different this fall. Kids will likely only be in the classroom one or two days a week. Smart parents are preparing for this new reality. You will not have school as your childcare. If that doesn’t work for you, it’s time to consider relocating to a more rural part of the US. Or, plan to homeschool.

Which do you prefer, kids staying home by themselves unsafely (or going to work with their parents unsafely), or kids going to school? Those are your choices.

Not really. That may be what some people decide, but others will come up with different solutions. What is clear is that most kids will not be going M-F from 8-3 with before and after care. The sooner everyone accepts this, the better.

Calling this a "decision" suggests that you really have no understanding of what many people are up against. As though people are going to sit around thinking, "Well, I could use good childcare, or I could leave my child at home in danger while I work to keep a roof over our heads. You know what? I think I'll decide to keep my child at home in danger!"

Let’s not pretend this a new issue. Until now, we have been perfectly fine letting the poor and marginalized struggle and slip through the cracks. What did everyone think was going to happen when we completely dismantled any type of safety net?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know what I want to happen. I’m scared of the impact of losing a quarter of this school year’s in-classroom learning. I can’t imagine how serious the impact would be if we have distance learning for a significant chunk of next school year. It’s a dire situation. At the same time, our schools are too overcrowded to return to school as we knew it. Social distancing would be impossible at secondary schools if all students return. Even if 20% of kids were kept home, I think it would still be difficult to social distance. We’re going to have to choose between 2 bad options. More risk averse people whose kids have always been top students will want schools closed, as long as lack of childcare isn’t a dealbreaker. People who are less risk averse, people whose children are really struggling with online learning and/or with the absence of their usual special services, and people who can’t keep their jobs without childcare will want schools open. Everyone else is probably feeling at least somewhat conflicted.

In other words, most people want schools open. Kids need to go to school.

1) Schools need to be open
2) Having students return to secondary schools is not compatible with social distancing
3) Lack of social distancing could lead to large outbreaks

What is your solution?

That’s my point. There’s no way to have everything we want. We want in-person school. We don’t want big coronavirus outbreaks. What’s the solution for secondary schools?

Except the countries that are opening are seeing that schools are not contributing to large outbreaks. That’s what you’re missing.

How many countries that had massive outbreaks have reopened with as little testing and contact tracing as we have? Hopefully, out testing and contact tracing will be much more robust by late August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sooner people accept this new reality the better. Schools in this area will look very different this fall. Kids will likely only be in the classroom one or two days a week. Smart parents are preparing for this new reality. You will not have school as your childcare. If that doesn’t work for you, it’s time to consider relocating to a more rural part of the US. Or, plan to homeschool.

Which do you prefer, kids staying home by themselves unsafely (or going to work with their parents unsafely), or kids going to school? Those are your choices.

Not really. That may be what some people decide, but others will come up with different solutions. What is clear is that most kids will not be going M-F from 8-3 with before and after care. The sooner everyone accepts this, the better.

Calling this a "decision" suggests that you really have no understanding of what many people are up against. As though people are going to sit around thinking, "Well, I could use good childcare, or I could leave my child at home in danger while I work to keep a roof over our heads. You know what? I think I'll decide to keep my child at home in danger!"

Let’s not pretend this a new issue. Until now, we have been perfectly fine letting the poor and marginalized struggle and slip through the cracks. What did everyone think was going to happen when we completely dismantled any type of safety net?

Yes. So let's try not to do it even more of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sooner people accept this new reality the better. Schools in this area will look very different this fall. Kids will likely only be in the classroom one or two days a week. Smart parents are preparing for this new reality. You will not have school as your childcare. If that doesn’t work for you, it’s time to consider relocating to a more rural part of the US. Or, plan to homeschool.

Which do you prefer, kids staying home by themselves unsafely (or going to work with their parents unsafely), or kids going to school? Those are your choices.

Not really. That may be what some people decide, but others will come up with different solutions. What is clear is that most kids will not be going M-F from 8-3 with before and after care. The sooner everyone accepts this, the better.

Calling this a "decision" suggests that you really have no understanding of what many people are up against. As though people are going to sit around thinking, "Well, I could use good childcare, or I could leave my child at home in danger while I work to keep a roof over our heads. You know what? I think I'll decide to keep my child at home in danger!"

Let’s not pretend this a new issue. Until now, we have been perfectly fine letting the poor and marginalized struggle and slip through the cracks. What did everyone think was going to happen when we completely dismantled any type of safety net?

Yes. So let's try not to do it even more of it.

We should give people money. Not send kids to school in a pandemic because they need food and childcare.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe that I'm arguing with an anonymous poster on the internet about whether children should go to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all universities are closed for the fall. Some are still making plans. Some are having students arrive on campus a few weeks early, and ending the fall semester at Thanksgiving.

Exactly

They'll change their tune. Classes aren't the only thing to worry about. You have high density dorm rooms, and older faculty/staff are more at risk. A single death of a staff person who contracts it from a student will open up the university to massive liability. Wife works at a university. If she contracted the virus from a student and died because the university was stubborn and opened up, I'd sue the pants off of them.

How would you prove where she caught it? What about all of the other workers that have died - should they be suing the pants off of their employers or is your wife more special than them? Do you think your wife is required to work there if she thinks it’s not safe?

agreed. you'll never be able to prove where she got it. I work in workman's compensation and all the covid claims are being denied. no one can prove where they got infected. it could have been work. it could have been the gas pump you used last tuesday. it could have been an errant viral particle you encountered when walking your dog

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know what I want to happen. I’m scared of the impact of losing a quarter of this school year’s in-classroom learning. I can’t imagine how serious the impact would be if we have distance learning for a significant chunk of next school year. It’s a dire situation. At the same time, our schools are too overcrowded to return to school as we knew it. Social distancing would be impossible at secondary schools if all students return. Even if 20% of kids were kept home, I think it would still be difficult to social distance. We’re going to have to choose between 2 bad options. More risk averse people whose kids have always been top students will want schools closed, as long as lack of childcare isn’t a dealbreaker. People who are less risk averse, people whose children are really struggling with online learning and/or with the absence of their usual special services, and people who can’t keep their jobs without childcare will want schools open. Everyone else is probably feeling at least somewhat conflicted.

You do realize that people who fall into this category - less at risk, want/need the better quality of in-school instruction, and cannot continue to work from home - are the VAST MAJORITY of people, right? Please tell me you realize that most of the country, if not the entire world, falls into this category.

I can easily believe it’s the majority of MCPS parents, but I’m not sure it’s the “vast” majority of MCPS parents who have political sway.

I hope for its sake and the sake of our county, MCPS does the right thing for the majority of students and families. Meaning, reopening with some modifications to reduce crowding and improve sanitation.

As for those who hold political sway, businesses hold political sway and even those who are in relatively lucrative careers - law, finance, consulting, and certainly sales in some industries, are seeing pipelines dry up and business wane. Keeping the economy on ice - which is what happens when people can't count on in-school education - isn't going to last long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sooner people accept this new reality the better. Schools in this area will look very different this fall. Kids will likely only be in the classroom one or two days a week. Smart parents are preparing for this new reality. You will not have school as your childcare. If that doesn’t work for you, it’s time to consider relocating to a more rural part of the US. Or, plan to homeschool.

Which do you prefer, kids staying home by themselves unsafely (or going to work with their parents unsafely), or kids going to school? Those are your choices.

Not really. That may be what some people decide, but others will come up with different solutions. What is clear is that most kids will not be going M-F from 8-3 with before and after care. The sooner everyone accepts this, the better.

Calling this a "decision" suggests that you really have no understanding of what many people are up against. As though people are going to sit around thinking, "Well, I could use good childcare, or I could leave my child at home in danger while I work to keep a roof over our heads. You know what? I think I'll decide to keep my child at home in danger!"

Let’s not pretend this a new issue. Until now, we have been perfectly fine letting the poor and marginalized struggle and slip through the cracks. What did everyone think was going to happen when we completely dismantled any type of safety net?

Yes. So let's try not to do it even more of it.

We should give people money. Not send kids to school in a pandemic because they need food and childcare.

Yes, and how does that work in reality? I love it - let's give people money. And then what? If this county can barely keep up with school renovations let alone build new schools because of lack of tax dollars, how would it support a majority of society? That's not realistic. Look, we've spent a couple generations dismantling safety nets, fighting universal healthcare, and telling workers their lucky to get paid anything at all while simultaneously paying senior executives more and more and more.

And now we have a middle class and working class barely hanging on a thread, we have small businesses going down every day, we have even white collar UMC incomes in danger (at my firm they're cutting exec pay and equity partners taking a hit), and our collective backs are against the wall.

Our national debt has exploded due to the GOP billionaire tax cut. Where's the money going to come from?

[Anonymous]

Wait until taxpayers have to pay for a lawsuit due to this because of mcps:


https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/health/kawasaki-disease-children-die-in-new-york-from-coronaviruslinked-syndrome/news-story/0e51dee62e03cd0d1f2dd02cb8dcb461

Kawasaki disease: Children die in New York from coronavirus-linked syndrome

Two young children and a teenager have now died in New York State from a possible complication from the coronavirus involving swollen blood vessels and heart problems.

At least 73 children in New York have been diagnosed with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease - a rare inflammatory condition in children - and toxic shock syndrome.

Most of them are toddlers and elementary-age children.

Every parents' worst nightmare ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sooner people accept this new reality the better. Schools in this area will look very different this fall. Kids will likely only be in the classroom one or two days a week. Smart parents are preparing for this new reality. You will not have school as your childcare. If that doesn’t work for you, it’s time to consider relocating to a more rural part of the US. Or, plan to homeschool.

Which do you prefer, kids staying home by themselves unsafely (or going to work with their parents unsafely), or kids going to school? Those are your choices.

Not really. That may be what some people decide, but others will come up with different solutions. What is clear is that most kids will not be going M-F from 8-3 with before and after care. The sooner everyone accepts this, the better.

Calling this a "decision" suggests that you really have no understanding of what many people are up against. As though people are going to sit around thinking, "Well, I could use good childcare, or I could leave my child at home in danger while I work to keep a roof over our heads. You know what? I think I'll decide to keep my child at home in danger!"

Let’s not pretend this a new issue. Until now, we have been perfectly fine letting the poor and marginalized struggle and slip through the cracks. What did everyone think was going to happen when we completely dismantled any type of safety net?

Yes. So let's try not to do it even more of it.

We should give people money. Not send kids to school in a pandemic because they need food and childcare.

Yes, and how does that work in reality? I love it - let's give people money. And then what? If this county can barely keep up with school renovations let alone build new schools because of lack of tax dollars, how would it support a majority of society? That's not realistic. Look, we've spent a couple generations dismantling safety nets, fighting universal healthcare, and telling workers their lucky to get paid anything at all while simultaneously paying senior executives more and more and more.

And now we have a middle class and working class barely hanging on a thread, we have small businesses going down every day, we have even white collar UMC incomes in danger (at my firm they're cutting exec pay and equity partners taking a hit), and our collective backs are against the wall.

Our national debt has exploded due to the GOP billionaire tax cut. Where's the money going to come from?

You identified it: eliminate tax cuts.

And money for school renovations come from local govt who can’t print money; payments to low income folks would come from money creation by the Fed, which is fine right now b/c we have deflation. The treasury will sell the Fed a 10 year note at 0.25%, the Fed gives govt a stack of electronic dollars, and we end up with a national debt owed to ourselves.