Be careful: The same people who are weaponizing school opening are also blocking safe opening

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, there’s a simple solution now isn’t there? OPEN THE BLOODY SCHOOLS.

This. I don’t care one bit about the politics of it at this point. Open the schools.

[Anonymous]

Ok so let me see if I understand this. Republicans are horrible because they want schools open. Republicans are horrible because in states they control schools are largely open. Republicans are horrible (in the DMV) b/c they are fighting against the necessary measures that are required to open schools?

I am not sure if I want to laugh or cry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like the republicans have found a winner winner chicken dinner. I will vote for anyone who is pro-5 day a week school. Single issue voter now.

+1. If a politico doesn’t say open the schools or tries to obfuscate the issue, they’ll get less than zero support from me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like the republicans have found a winner winner chicken dinner. I will vote for anyone who is pro-5 day a week school. Single issue voter now.

+1. If a politico doesn’t say open the schools or tries to obfuscate the issue, they’ll get less than zero support from me.

+2

[Anonymous]

The graphs in this thread are really off. Hardly any kids in OR and WA are in in-person school. A tiny portion in Seattle & Portland & Northern Cal. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/us/schools-reopening-west-coast.html?fbclid=IwAR2GHdYPw-PN8RVPrUbaztdukfjRtApmCnsaWkmzxdH6pTbd5VrMJQQZ-rU

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The key is avoiding politicization.

What drives me a little crazy is that when I talk to parents in DCPS, they mostly want similar things. They're mostly reasonable. Most parents are keeping their kids home, and those who are sending them into school have a higher risk tolerance and support older or at-risk teachers staying home.

And both groups are very very happy teachers are being vaccinated. The people who are most pushing back against the WTU are, in my world, the media and in-person, hardcore political partisans.

We don't want that! We want this de-politicized. But if you want to depoliticize it, we have to understand first who is politicizing it, and why. Once I read these articles a lot more about school reopenings became clear to me.

it is politicized because of the blue states and their absolute disregard for children.



there is absolutely no reason schools should still be closed in blue states when its going fine in red ones. its insanity.

apparently pointing that out is a republican talking point, so we have to pretend kids everywhere aren't in school

This can't be right. Only 4.99 in MD? The only counties that are open/hybrid are the small ones, like Ann Arundel, they can't account for 95% of Maryland schoolchildren.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone wants schools back in session. Safely. If you can’t do it safely - either due to lack of funds or lack of willpower - the teachers will not come back.

Here’s what you need:
1. 100% masking
2. Social distancing - 6 feet radius. This means you to reduce class sizes and setup new physical spaces.
3. Ventilation - fresh air in every room, plus enhanced circulation
4. Hand washing & disinfecting
5. Vaccines for teachers

Do this and you can open schools. Cant do this? You’ll be in distance learning until your kids are vaccinated.

If you’re pushing against these safety measure or won’t fund them, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.

It’s really that simple.

Actually it’s not. States that have full time regular old school are doing just as well as hysterical jurisdictions covid-wise. See FL vs CA. NPR did a whole story about it.

Can confirm. My elementary schooler has been back full time since Oct (public school). It is mostly normal school with masks. Some additional distancing measures (particularly at pickup, drop off, hall management etc- main objective is to avoid mixing of classroom cohorts). No 6ft radius in the classroom. Increased use of sanitizer and hand washing yes. No special ventilation. All teachers who want vax have now received first dose but obviously that is recent.

400 kids back in person since October, 4 cases total (all unrelated- not even in same class) and we are in an area of high community spread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The key is avoiding politicization.

What drives me a little crazy is that when I talk to parents in DCPS, they mostly want similar things. They're mostly reasonable. Most parents are keeping their kids home, and those who are sending them into school have a higher risk tolerance and support older or at-risk teachers staying home.

And both groups are very very happy teachers are being vaccinated. The people who are most pushing back against the WTU are, in my world, the media and in-person, hardcore political partisans.

We don't want that! We want this de-politicized. But if you want to depoliticize it, we have to understand first who is politicizing it, and why. Once I read these articles a lot more about school reopenings became clear to me.

it is politicized because of the blue states and their absolute disregard for children.



there is absolutely no reason schools should still be closed in blue states when its going fine in red ones. its insanity.

apparently pointing that out is a republican talking point, so we have to pretend kids everywhere aren't in school

This can't be right. Only 4.99 in MD? The only counties that are open/hybrid are the small ones, like Ann Arundel, they can't account for 95% of Maryland schoolchildren.

This isn’t saying 5% of MD students are in DL school, but that they represent 5% of the total number of kids who are in DL. I think the bar chart above is more useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, there’s a simple solution now isn’t there? OPEN THE BLOODY SCHOOLS.

This. I don’t care one bit about the politics of it at this point. Open the schools.

And I'm not even from here and do not give two hoots about your glorious bi-partisan system but it's a damn shame that schools in this, supposedly, first-world country have been closed for a year. Crying shame and a disgrace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok so let me see if I understand this. Republicans are horrible because they want schools open. Republicans are horrible because in states they control schools are largely open. Republicans are horrible (in the DMV) b/c they are fighting against the necessary measures that are required to open schools?

I am not sure if I want to laugh or cry.

Republicans are horrible because they are screaming about opening schools but don’t want to provide testing, ventilation, masking, vaccines, or do anything about the pandemic.

Instead, they are screaming about opening schools merely to harm public schools and teachers unions and they don’t care who gets sick or hurt. They don’t care about you, just their political agenda.

In other countries, schools are given money and testing and help reopening.

[Anonymous]

Luckily, we have a new Democratic president who is fixing the vaccine situation and bringing down cases so we will be able to open schools safely. Win win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok so let me see if I understand this. Republicans are horrible because they want schools open. Republicans are horrible because in states they control schools are largely open. Republicans are horrible (in the DMV) b/c they are fighting against the necessary measures that are required to open schools?

I am not sure if I want to laugh or cry.

Republicans are horrible because they are screaming about opening schools but don’t want to provide testing, ventilation, masking, vaccines, or do anything about the pandemic.

Instead, they are screaming about opening schools merely to harm public schools and teachers unions and they don’t care who gets sick or hurt. They don’t care about you, just their political agenda.

In other countries, schools are given money and testing and help reopening.

Oh. Do you really believe this? Or are you just typing this out of some sense of partisan duty?

[Anonymous]

Why didn’t VA supply some of the PPE as other states did? We have a 700
million dollar surplus. Or the county? There was no political Will on behalf of the union, BOE and Dems in this area initially. I don’t think they were totally in the wrong- it is easy to look back and say school should have opened in Sept.

However to now try to spin the story to blame Republicans are to blame?!?! When most Republican states are predominantly open and here in the woke DMV they have the political will to keep them shut to turn people away from Democratic Party is just ridiculous.
Just own it and move on to get the work done!
Righ here, right now- everyone wants kids back in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The key is avoiding politicization.

What drives me a little crazy is that when I talk to parents in DCPS, they mostly want similar things. They're mostly reasonable. Most parents are keeping their kids home, and those who are sending them into school have a higher risk tolerance and support older or at-risk teachers staying home.

And both groups are very very happy teachers are being vaccinated. The people who are most pushing back against the WTU are, in my world, the media and in-person, hardcore political partisans.

We don't want that! We want this de-politicized. But if you want to depoliticize it, we have to understand first who is politicizing it, and why. Once I read these articles a lot more about school reopenings became clear to me.

it is politicized because of the blue states and their absolute disregard for children.



there is absolutely no reason schools should still be closed in blue states when its going fine in red ones. its insanity.

Wow, I knew that other states had opened schools but I didn’t realize how low the numbers are for all-virtual.

These kids could be in school as little as one day per week.

One day a week isn’t a perfect solution, but it’s a start, and I’d take it.

We were offered 2 days a week for 2.5 hrs a day. That’s about as bad a plan—for everyone—that I can imagine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone wants schools back in session. Safely. If you can’t do it safely - either due to lack of funds or lack of willpower - the teachers will not come back.

Here’s what you need:
1. 100% masking
2. Social distancing - 6 feet radius. This means you to reduce class sizes and setup new physical spaces.
3. Ventilation - fresh air in every room, plus enhanced circulation
4. Hand washing & disinfecting
5. Vaccines for teachers

Do this and you can open schools. Cant do this? You’ll be in distance learning until your kids are vaccinated.

If you’re pushing against these safety measure or won’t fund them, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.

It’s really that simple.

Actually it’s not. States that have full time regular old school are doing just as well as hysterical jurisdictions covid-wise. See FL vs CA. NPR did a whole story about it.

Can confirm. My elementary schooler has been back full time since Oct (public school). It is mostly normal school with masks. Some additional distancing measures (particularly at pickup, drop off, hall management etc- main objective is to avoid mixing of classroom cohorts). No 6ft radius in the classroom. Increased use of sanitizer and hand washing yes. No special ventilation. All teachers who want vax have now received first dose but obviously that is recent.

400 kids back in person since October, 4 cases total (all unrelated- not even in same class) and we are in an area of high community spread.

And yet teachers & some parents are acting like they are marching into a death sentence.