TEACHERS- what reasonable accommodations would you like for IN PERSON school?

[Anonymous]

OK this is asinine really. Teachers are not the people who need to be making these recommendations. Teachers and students are the ones most affected by the recommendations and standards that should be filled.
If you aren’t a virologist, healthcare workers or sanitation specialist it doesn’t matter what the teacher wants because the teacher may not know what may be best practice and safest.
just give it up already, we are not going back to school face-to-face right now, get over it.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Let's start a civil list of obtainable accommodations that parents can help with to get our kids in school in person (whether hybrid or full time) anytime between now and next year. (Aside from basic cdc guidelines which seem to not be enough to all)
Reasonable
parents sending in extra masks with kids
parent volunteer list to clean between classes/ on off days where there may not be custodial help.
Be NICE to teachers- we need you!

Unreasonable

New ventilation system

[/quote]

I love your idea. However, I feel like the federal and state government are the only ones that can really get me what I want.

1. testing (<48 hour turn around) and contact tracing
2. reasonably low community spread (<5% positivity rate)
3. improved ventilation in my classroom OR party tent to teach outside OR windows that open (and I bring in fan)
4. leave and substitutes (or switch to online) if I test positive and reasonable quarantine for students who test positive.
5. Students who are sick do NOT come to school (paid leave for parents to take care of their sick children)
6. Supplies for students = desks, books, paper, pencils, hand soap, tissues, markers, etc. Before you laugh at this: My brother works for MCPS and has these things. I work for a different area where I do not have them.

If parents want to get their kids back in school then they should support reform that will fund the above.

Parents can give me masks and come help clean and monitor hand washing. However, at some point, with no sick leave for covid, I might get sick. I will have to take unpaid time to quarantine and/or recover and may have lingering effects. Who will take care of my children and my dog while I recover? Who will cover my classes while I am out? I am lucky because I am low risk and not as worried about being in the ICU or dying, but I do worry about these other things.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Let's start a civil list of obtainable accommodations that parents can help with to get our kids in school in person (whether hybrid or full time) anytime between now and next year. (Aside from basic cdc guidelines which seem to not be enough to all)

I'll start.

Reasonable


parents sending in extra masks with kids
parent volunteer list to clean between classes/ on off days where there may not be custodial help.
Be NICE to teachers- we need you!

Unreasonable

New ventilation system

For any proponents of 100% DL/ families of high risk or immunocompromised persons etc. This thread is not for you.

Please lets stick to the topic and not run this thread down. I think we can make some great suggestions!

How can we help? Can we help?

~signed mcps 5 and 8 y.o mom
[/quote]

I feel the most helpful accommodation would be a vaccine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK this is asinine really. Teachers are not the people who need to be making these recommendations. Teachers and students are the ones most affected by the recommendations and standards that should be filled.
If you aren’t a virologist, healthcare workers or sanitation specialist it doesn’t matter what the teacher wants because the teacher may not know what may be best practice and safest.
just give it up already, we are not going back to school face-to-face right now, get over it.

Like I said earlier, everyone should stay in their lane.

Op isn’t a virologist. Not a teacher. Not a sanitation specialist. Definitely not an indoor air quality specialist. Also clearly not a lawyer, given the thinly veiled discriminatory animus towards the elderly, people with health conditions, families with infants or grandparents in the home, etc.

Yet op arrogantly thinks he/she can get everyone back in-person in a pandemic with a dcum thread and the infinite wisdom he/she possesses on all these topics.

Op, go for a run. I know you are frustrated. But you are out of your depth.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

For any proponents of 100% DL/ families of high risk or immunocompromised persons etc. This thread is not for you.
[/quote]

One thing that would make a huge difference to me would be if parents who are seeking more time in school didn’t discount members of our community in this way. As a teacher, what I want is for our whole community to be together. Those people you are so eager to dismiss are my students, my colleagues, my family members, my loved ones. One of the reasons I support 100% DL is because I hope that we can get to the point where we are all together, and our community is complete.

Any parent who would post what you wrote isn’t coming from the same place as me, ant that makes me worried that you wouldn’t make the choices I need to trust you to make, such as keeping your family out of risky situations and keeping them home with any symptoms.
[/quote]

Hi! Op here- sorry if that "not for you" came off the wrong way. I only posted to help stop so many negative comments from posters who were not interested in returning to school in the next few months. The negative comments are frustrating!

I think when higher risk students do choose return to school that special accommodations should be made for them. For example- why cant all teachers or students with documentation medical conditions have a plexiglass cubicle like in stores? Just a random thought.

And for the record I work with covid+ patients sometimes and have been since march. That in itself is a risky situation. You will never know what ANY family is truly doing or who denied the vaccine and who didnt. If you "need me" to make the "choices" that "you trust me to make" then respectfully possibly in person school now (or anytime in the near future? ) is not for you. There are just some things that are out of your control and that includes anyone's decision for their family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Mandatory masks for grades 3 and up. If students are not willing or cannot wear masks then they are assigned to online learning.

2. A holding room for students who get sent to school sick. Too many parents give their sick kids fever reducing medication so we don't know they are sick until lunchtime. Then they won't pick up their sick child. We need a "sick room" where these kids can be sent until the end of the day.

3. Free testing available at schools for students and parents as well as teachers. School nurses can easily be trained to perform the test. That way students with fevers are tested if they want to return within 14 days.

I would eagerly go back to teaching if these were in place.

#3 is great! They have mobile vans in parking lots that can do this..or travel from school to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS will never allow effective consequences for kids unmasking.

Sad- this seems be something most people want across the board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. Mandatory masks for grades 3 and up. If students are not willing or cannot wear masks then they are assigned to online learning.

2. A holding room for students who get sent to school sick. Too many parents give their sick kids fever reducing medication so we don't know they are sick until lunchtime. Then they won't pick up their sick child. We need a "sick room" where these kids can be sent until the end of the day.

3. Free testing available at schools for students and parents as well as teachers. School nurses can easily be trained to perform the test. That way students with fevers are tested if they want to return within 14 days.

I would eagerly go back to teaching if these were in place.

#3 is great! They have mobile vans in parking lots that can do this..or travel from school to school.

Who’s gonna pay for these mobile test Vans?

[Anonymous]

How do you know the school nurses can easily be trained to perform the test? Do you know what these tests involve do you know the training necessary to perform these test the accuracy do the school nurse is needed???
When does this testing training take place

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. Mandatory masks for grades 3 and up. If students are not willing or cannot wear masks then they are assigned to online learning.

2. A holding room for students who get sent to school sick. Too many parents give their sick kids fever reducing medication so we don't know they are sick until lunchtime. Then they won't pick up their sick child. We need a "sick room" where these kids can be sent until the end of the day.

3. Free testing available at schools for students and parents as well as teachers. School nurses can easily be trained to perform the test. That way students with fevers are tested if they want to return within 14 days.

I would eagerly go back to teaching if these were in place.

#3 is great! They have mobile vans in parking lots that can do this..or travel from school to school.

Who’s gonna pay for these mobile test Vans?

That would be a good place for the federal government to step in with stimulus funds

[Anonymous]

I want N 95 mask’s. I cannot find them anywhere.
In my district, it does not seem that it is required for students to wear masks. They are saying encourage. I do not want to be mandated to be in a room with anyone without a mask. If the student has legitimate medical needs that prohibit them from wearing a mask for some reason, there needs to be another alternative for them that is not putting everyone else at risk. I do not care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents cleaning classrooms instead of professionals is going to result in potential liability for schools.

The first two of your suggestions are great for people who have resources. They are not things that can be expected from parents who have to work and who don't have extra money to buy masks. So, if you are relying on parental donations, that only works where there are enough parents to actually pitch in. The school system is going to open as a whole or stay distance learning as a whole.
This means that your suggestions do not fall within the reasonable category.

Teachers aren’t professional cleaners. Neither are my 11 year old students.

DP
Who supervises the parent? Does the teacher tell them, if they were not thorough enough? And you'll retain enough volunteers with that?

Just what would help in a pandemic... bringing in tons more adults who could spread covid while they clean a classroom with zero expertise in sanitation protocols.

Ventilation system upgrade is critical.

So op is basically a moron.

Op here- thank you for your kind comments.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

For any proponents of 100% DL/ families of high risk or immunocompromised persons etc. This thread is not for you.
[/quote]

One thing that would make a huge difference to me would be if parents who are seeking more time in school didn’t discount members of our community in this way. As a teacher, what I want is for our whole community to be together. Those people you are so eager to dismiss are my students, my colleagues, my family members, my loved ones. One of the reasons I support 100% DL is because I hope that we can get to the point where we are all together, and our community is complete.

Any parent who would post what you wrote isn’t coming from the same place as me, ant that makes me worried that you wouldn’t make the choices I need to trust you to make, such as keeping your family out of risky situations and keeping them home with any symptoms.
[/quote]

Hi! Op here- sorry if that "not for you" came off the wrong way. I only posted to help stop so many negative comments from posters who were not interested in returning to school in the next few months. The negative comments are frustrating!

I think when higher risk students do choose return to school that special accommodations should be made for them. For example- why cant all teachers or students with documentation medical conditions have a plexiglass cubicle like in stores? Just a random thought.

And for the record I work with covid+ patients sometimes and have been since march. That in itself is a risky situation. You will never know what ANY family is truly doing or who denied the vaccine and who didnt. If you "need me" to make the "choices" that "you trust me to make" then respectfully possibly in person school now (or anytime in the near future? ) is not for you. There are just some things that are out of your control and that includes anyone's decision for their family.[/quote]

PP here. I'm a teacher and a parent. The negative comments are no where near as frustrating as hearing people state over and over that it's OK if people with disabilities die or disappear from society because the rest of us need to get back to normal. As if life with online school is less normal than life where my loved ones are dead or locked away.

You are right, we can't trust people, but you surely can understand that if you're asking me to risk my life and the life of my loved ones, that asking you to hear my concerns is a pretty reasonable trade off, and that announcing that some people should be excluded from the conversation doesn't sit well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. Mandatory masks for grades 3 and up. If students are not willing or cannot wear masks then they are assigned to online learning.

2. A holding room for students who get sent to school sick. Too many parents give their sick kids fever reducing medication so we don't know they are sick until lunchtime. Then they won't pick up their sick child. We need a "sick room" where these kids can be sent until the end of the day.

3. Free testing available at schools for students and parents as well as teachers. School nurses can easily be trained to perform the test. That way students with fevers are tested if they want to return within 14 days.

I would eagerly go back to teaching if these were in place.

#3 is great! They have mobile vans in parking lots that can do this..or travel from school to school.

Who’s gonna pay for these mobile test Vans?

Op here- not sure. Question was what would make teachers feel more comfortable to return. Budget seems to be a big issue with alot of things including ppe.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

For any proponents of 100% DL/ families of high risk or immunocompromised persons etc. This thread is not for you.
[/quote]

One thing that would make a huge difference to me would be if parents who are seeking more time in school didn’t discount members of our community in this way. As a teacher, what I want is for our whole community to be together. Those people you are so eager to dismiss are my students, my colleagues, my family members, my loved ones. One of the reasons I support 100% DL is because I hope that we can get to the point where we are all together, and our community is complete.

Any parent who would post what you wrote isn’t coming from the same place as me, ant that makes me worried that you wouldn’t make the choices I need to trust you to make, such as keeping your family out of risky situations and keeping them home with any symptoms.
[/quote]

Hi! Op here- sorry if that "not for you" came off the wrong way. I only posted to help stop so many negative comments from posters who were not interested in returning to school in the next few months. The negative comments are frustrating!

I think when higher risk students do choose return to school that special accommodations should be made for them. For example- why cant all teachers or students with documentation medical conditions have a plexiglass cubicle like in stores? Just a random thought.

And for the record I work with covid+ patients sometimes and have been since march. That in itself is a risky situation. You will never know what ANY family is truly doing or who denied the vaccine and who didnt. If you "need me" to make the "choices" that "you trust me to make" then respectfully possibly in person school now (or anytime in the near future? ) is not for you. There are just some things that are out of your control and that includes anyone's decision for their family.[/quote]

PP here. I'm a teacher and a parent. The negative comments are no where near as frustrating as hearing people state over and over that it's OK if people with disabilities die or disappear from society because the rest of us need to get back to normal. As if life with online school is less normal than life where my loved ones are dead or locked away.

You are right, we can't trust people, but you surely can understand that if you're asking me to risk my life and the life of my loved ones, that asking you to hear my concerns is a pretty reasonable trade off, and that announcing that some people should be excluded from the conversation doesn't sit well.

[/quote]

Understood. Thank you showing the another side of it!