APS - why are teachers so terrified?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had parent teacher conferences and all four of my kids teachers seemed VERY excited to return. So … #NotAllTeachers?

Yes!

Same with us! In fact she made me feel so much better about it just by how excited she was to get to meet the kids in person. I can’t imagine if she had shared her pessimism with the kids. I don’t fault teachers for feeling scared or upset, but it’s not appropriate at all to share those thoughts with a second grader, or any student for that matter.

[Anonymous]

I think the more relevant question I would be asking (the school principal) is why this teacher felt it appropriate to unload her fears on an impressionable class of second graders rather than raising it in a more appropriate forum.

[Anonymous]

They live in fear. They can’t cope with the reality that life is about balancing risk. If you can’t handle being with the same 30 kids who have been screened prior to sitting in your classroom, in PPE and with cleaning supplies I don’t know what to say to them. Nurses r in close contact with covid patients and have continued through all last year without a vaccine. Grocery clerks who have hundreds of people walk past them daily (who did not get a temp check or may not be wearing a mask) have been at work since the start.

My question is...what makes these teachers so precious and so much better than all the other essential workers out there today? What makes these teachers more special and more prone to getting covid than the other 40+ states with schools open since last Fall? What makes these teachers so essential, that it’s ok to send unvaccinated subs to take their place?

If you fear being around kids this much you have made a wrong career choice and this is the perfect time to reevaluate your career plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They live in fear. They can’t cope with the reality that life is about balancing risk. If you can’t handle being with the same 30 kids who have been screened prior to sitting in your classroom, in PPE and with cleaning supplies I don’t know what to say to them. Nurses r in close contact with covid patients and have continued through all last year without a vaccine. Grocery clerks who have hundreds of people walk past them daily (who did not get a temp check or may not be wearing a mask) have been at work since the start.

My question is...what makes these teachers so precious and so much better than all the other essential workers out there today? What makes these teachers more special and more prone to getting covid than the other 40+ states with schools open since last Fall? What makes these teachers so essential, that it’s ok to send unvaccinated subs to take their place?

If you fear being around kids this much you have made a wrong career choice and this is the perfect time to reevaluate your career plans.

Dear lord. Calm it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of you are not going into the office for the foreseeable future. I work in person. Not a teacher. Vaccinated. But I understand their hesitation. If you weren’t loaded with protective survival instinct reactions you might have done empathy. All of the classrooms need more ventilation and open doors. The kids need to go in, but if student families are offered the choice or virtual or hybrid it follows the instructor should as well. The vaccine isn’t 100%. It will be safer than not having it, but it’s not a negligible risk we’re all about to join in on. To not allow this onto our thought process underserved us all.

That said. We’re in hybrid. And while our 5 year old has a new teacher, we’re thankful for the opportunity. I do hope their teacher isn’t there under duress, we’ll do everything we can to not deepen that. Masks on.

I work for a covid vaccine company. Our researchers working on covid have been in person the whole time and vaccinated employees are 100% expected to be back in the office with masks. It's literally a company run by scientists.

By the time you multiple the APS measures with the vaccine, the risk really is negligible. That's where you're wrong.

Except that your staff is entirely vaccinated. These children aren’t. And our parents are not keeping the kids apart. And most of the kids aren’t wearing masks when they’re together outside of school. it’s not the same situation.

Also I’m not saying that they shouldn’t be in. Who can work and feels confident in the situation should absolutely be in.

Can we please stop talking about how people feel and start looking at data? You can't feel covid. I see posts on other boards and people say things like "I went to the indoor trampoline park and it was a little crowded, but I felt safe" or "Disney was great and felt so safe" or "I go to yoga every week and it totally feels safe." Total hogwash. You can't feel covid. It's the same with teachers. They "feel" unsafe without any data to back that up. You can't feel covid. The vaccine data is great. That's what we need to be looking at.

Awesome, sign up to be a classroom assistant. They need them

Yup. Get in there, champ! Enjoy that sweet, sweet $15 an hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand, either. I don't understand why a parent, after hearing one young, inexperienced teacher talk to one 2nd grade class in APS, would assume that ALL APS teachers are "terrified."

If you have a complaint about this teacher scaring 2nd graders, take it up with the AP or principal. But FFS, do not assume that all teachers are in agreement with this teacher.

Have you seen the social media posts and the teachers speaking at school board meetings? It may not be all, but there is a large cohort who expects significant numbers of teachers and their family members to die within a week of reopening.

It’s like the same five people.

They aren't really afraid of dying within a week of reopening. They just don't want to deal with the hassle of actually leaving their houses and getting to their places of employment.

It’s going to be such a bummer for you when this is all over and your gripes will need to get more creative.

I know, right? They are going to be so sad when they can no longer say "HURR DURR HIDE IN UR BASEMENT IF YUR AFRAID!!!"

Imbeciles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They live in fear. They can’t cope with the reality that life is about balancing risk. If you can’t handle being with the same 30 kids who have been screened prior to sitting in your classroom, in PPE and with cleaning supplies I don’t know what to say to them. Nurses r in close contact with covid patients and have continued through all last year without a vaccine. Grocery clerks who have hundreds of people walk past them daily (who did not get a temp check or may not be wearing a mask) have been at work since the start.

My question is...what makes these teachers so precious and so much better than all the other essential workers out there today? What makes these teachers more special and more prone to getting covid than the other 40+ states with schools open since last Fall? What makes these teachers so essential, that it’s ok to send unvaccinated subs to take their place?

If you fear being around kids this much you have made a wrong career choice and this is the perfect time to reevaluate your career plans.

Who have been screened? LOLOLOL. Oh, right, you mean their selfish, entitled parents, who demand their childcare and dismiss any symptoms convenently as "allergies," because God forbid they have to keep their kid home when "OMG I have a meeting!!!" "certified" (lied) on a daily screener? The same parents who routinely dope up their kids with Tylenol and send them to school even before COVID (and if you don't think they'll keep doing that now because they'll "take COVID seriously," a second LOLOL)? You mean the kids with no required routine testing of the asymptomatic? "Who have been screened?"

I can't with you people. Just say you want your kids out of your house and jammed into buildings and you don't give a damn about anything or anyone else. At least then it would be honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They live in fear. They can’t cope with the reality that life is about balancing risk. If you can’t handle being with the same 30 kids who have been screened prior to sitting in your classroom, in PPE and with cleaning supplies I don’t know what to say to them. Nurses r in close contact with covid patients and have continued through all last year without a vaccine. Grocery clerks who have hundreds of people walk past them daily (who did not get a temp check or may not be wearing a mask) have been at work since the start.

My question is...what makes these teachers so precious and so much better than all the other essential workers out there today? What makes these teachers more special and more prone to getting covid than the other 40+ states with schools open since last Fall? What makes these teachers so essential, that it’s ok to send unvaccinated subs to take their place?

If you fear being around kids this much you have made a wrong career choice and this is the perfect time to reevaluate your career plans.

Who have been screened? LOLOLOL. Oh, right, you mean their selfish, entitled parents, who demand their childcare and dismiss any symptoms convenently as "allergies," because God forbid they have to keep their kid home when "OMG I have a meeting!!!" "certified" (lied) on a daily screener? The same parents who routinely dope up their kids with Tylenol and send them to school even before COVID (and if you don't think they'll keep doing that now because they'll "take COVID seriously," a second LOLOL)? You mean the kids with no required routine testing of the asymptomatic? "Who have been screened?"

I can't with you people. Just say you want your kids out of your house and jammed into buildings and you don't give a damn about anything or anyone else. At least then it would be honest.

Oh, and please, please don't tell us that by "screened," you mean temp checks, because if you don't understand a year into this that those are nothing but meaningless pandemic theatre to create a false sense of security in any population -- but ESPECIALLY in children, who are rarely symptomatic and even more rarely have fevers when positive with COVID -- you're too dumb to bother engaging with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They live in fear. They can’t cope with the reality that life is about balancing risk. If you can’t handle being with the same 30 kids who have been screened prior to sitting in your classroom, in PPE and with cleaning supplies I don’t know what to say to them. Nurses r in close contact with covid patients and have continued through all last year without a vaccine. Grocery clerks who have hundreds of people walk past them daily (who did not get a temp check or may not be wearing a mask) have been at work since the start.

My question is...what makes these teachers so precious and so much better than all the other essential workers out there today? What makes these teachers more special and more prone to getting covid than the other 40+ states with schools open since last Fall? What makes these teachers so essential, that it’s ok to send unvaccinated subs to take their place?

If you fear being around kids this much you have made a wrong career choice and this is the perfect time to reevaluate your career plans.

Who have been screened? LOLOLOL. Oh, right, you mean their selfish, entitled parents, who demand their childcare and dismiss any symptoms convenently as "allergies," because God forbid they have to keep their kid home when "OMG I have a meeting!!!" "certified" (lied) on a daily screener? The same parents who routinely dope up their kids with Tylenol and send them to school even before COVID (and if you don't think they'll keep doing that now because they'll "take COVID seriously," a second LOLOL)? You mean the kids with no required routine testing of the asymptomatic? "Who have been screened?"

I can't with you people. Just say you want your kids out of your house and jammed into buildings and you don't give a damn about anything or anyone else. At least then it would be honest.

Oh, and please, please don't tell us that by "screened," you mean temp checks, because if you don't understand a year into this that those are nothing but meaningless pandemic theatre to create a false sense of security in any population -- but ESPECIALLY in children, who are rarely symptomatic and even more rarely have fevers when positive with COVID -- you're too dumb to bother engaging with.

You seem triggered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are afraid because opening schools is a political move dictated by irate parents, and the administration always sides with parents over teachers so when you mask non compliance they know it won’t be handled in their favor.

Also, she may been reading about B117 which they believe spreads more easily among children and is more deadly.

ridiculous post - irate parents?? it's been almost a year for this poor 2nd grade student to not set foot in a classroom. get a clue.

I didn’t know that virus could read calendars and knows it’s time to go. I mean our new cases at just now down to the April peak.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/arlington-virginia-covid-cases.html

See above. Teachers are vaccinated.

Not all teachers are fully vaccinated yet! Why is this so difficult for people to grasp? APS is still scheduling people for their second shots. And many have been delayed due to weather-related supply chain issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you really so surprised? We are in a serious health pandemic. How can you not be scared of it?

How? By using your brain. If you're young,healthy and VACCINATED, you are unlikely to get infected and if you still do, you'll recover quickly. Even before the vaccine,the death stats for younger people were minimsl. You are more at risk during your daily commute yo work.

If young, healthy teachers live alone or with a fully vaccinated household sure, there is not much to worry about. But I am sure many live with unvaccinated housemates or family members, and some may be medically fragile or in high risk groups. And not all teachers are YOUNG and HEALTHY. Some may themselves be medically fragile or in high risk groups.

Vaccines do greatly reduce the likelihood of transmission. As does mask.wearing, distancing, cohorting, etc. Localities are also quickly moving to vaccinate 65+ and high risk individuals. With the new J&J vaccine and increased production of Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines, these high risk individuals should be vaccinated soon.

At least for second grade, any high risk teacher is likely able to stay virtual as about 50% of teachers are staying virtual.

That may be the case in ONE grade, in YOUR school, but the vast majority of teachers will be in person. APS’s HR department has refused almost every medical claim.

[Anonymous]

NP. Here’s a potential answer to OP’s question: no testing or tracing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My only thought is that they are afraid because they have not been in a classroom for almost a year. If they had returned in the fall, and realized that elementary is a safe environment with masks, etc, it wouldn't be such a big deal now. But it's all snowballed because it's taking forever to get them back

and that was completely inappropriate for the teacher to complain to her 2nd grade class... why place her fear on innocent children that cannot wait to get back in the classroom (for the most part anyway)

I love this comment. Absolutely agree. Principal should know about this.
IMO Everyone has gotten comfortable at home. I know a few colleagues who have parties and go to the beach but are going crazy about spending time with kids in a class. The demands are endless...vaccines, purifiers, not eating with the kids, not spending too much time indoors, makes me very sad to hear my colleagues sound so stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My only thought is that they are afraid because they have not been in a classroom for almost a year. If they had returned in the fall, and realized that elementary is a safe environment with masks, etc, it wouldn't be such a big deal now. But it's all snowballed because it's taking forever to get them back

and that was completely inappropriate for the teacher to complain to her 2nd grade class... why place her fear on innocent children that cannot wait to get back in the classroom (for the most part anyway)

I love this comment. Absolutely agree. Principal should know about this.
IMO Everyone has gotten comfortable at home. I know a few colleagues who have parties and go to the beach but are going crazy about spending time with kids in a class. The demands are endless...vaccines, purifiers, not eating with the kids, not spending too much time indoors, makes me very sad to hear my colleagues sound so stupid.

This post has got to be fake. I’m excited to go back, but I most definitely think outdoors is great, am glad to have a vaccine, and have not gone to parties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They live in fear. They can’t cope with the reality that life is about balancing risk. If you can’t handle being with the same 30 kids who have been screened prior to sitting in your classroom, in PPE and with cleaning supplies I don’t know what to say to them. Nurses r in close contact with covid patients and have continued through all last year without a vaccine. Grocery clerks who have hundreds of people walk past them daily (who did not get a temp check or may not be wearing a mask) have been at work since the start.

My question is...what makes these teachers so precious and so much better than all the other essential workers out there today? What makes these teachers more special and more prone to getting covid than the other 40+ states with schools open since last Fall? What makes these teachers so essential, that it’s ok to send unvaccinated subs to take their place?

If you fear being around kids this much you have made a wrong career choice and this is the perfect time to reevaluate your career plans.

Who have been screened? LOLOLOL. Oh, right, you mean their selfish, entitled parents, who demand their childcare and dismiss any symptoms convenently as "allergies," because God forbid they have to keep their kid home when "OMG I have a meeting!!!" "certified" (lied) on a daily screener? The same parents who routinely dope up their kids with Tylenol and send them to school even before COVID (and if you don't think they'll keep doing that now because they'll "take COVID seriously," a second LOLOL)? You mean the kids with no required routine testing of the asymptomatic? "Who have been screened?"

I can't with you people. Just say you want your kids out of your house and jammed into buildings and you don't give a damn about anything or anyone else. At least then it would be honest.

Oh, and please, please don't tell us that by "screened," you mean temp checks, because if you don't understand a year into this that those are nothing but meaningless pandemic theatre to create a false sense of security in any population -- but ESPECIALLY in children, who are rarely symptomatic and even more rarely have fevers when positive with COVID -- you're too dumb to bother engaging with.

Yes, every parent is evil and needs a baby sitter. Blah blah. I’m sure most of the parent in north Arlington can just get an au pair and not be bothered by their kids if they wished. The people who are hurt the most are those who actually need to go to their workplace to make ends meet...unlike the teachers for the past 11 months.