What makes you believe distant learning will be better in the fall?

[Anonymous]

Some of you can just keep whining and having tantrums, insisting that it has to be in-person learning or nothing. THAT is your CHOICE.

I'm going to focus on doing what I can to make DL more effective.

And on finding other ways to use this time as a way to teach my children important life skills. And have more fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher and I just wanted to hop on to say I’m not convinced in person is really going to be that much better from DL. The social distancing factor alone takes a lot of classroom “best practices” out of play — like collaborative learning opportunities and group work, small group station work, etc. It’s kind of an eerie scene to think about, tbh. I’m not quite sure I can wrap my mind around what my own classroom would look like in person! (Lecture, notes, individual assessments, ick!)

Thanks for sharing your perspective--I can completely see how it could eerie.

I'll say, though, that my young elementary kids have adapted well to the modifications their camps have put in place. I absolutely know it's not the same, but they've come up with creative ways to still engage with their peers even with masks, at a distance, etc. And the improvement in their moods from when we were doing DL this Spring is staggering. I appreciate your sharing around the lack of best practices for academics and learning, and agree on that, but from a social interaction perspective, in person with modifications, for many if not most kids, is likely to be far better than DL. And for the elementary kids in particular, I think that matters hugely.

Also for the middle school kids and high school kids. Everyone needs social interaction.

Of course they do, but that's not the point. This is a pandemic. We need to figure out priorities right now, and social interaction isn't first on the list. Ease up on screen time. Let your kids socialize online.

Kids need in-person social interaction. Elementary school kids, middle school kids, high school kids. And I don't know what your opinion is, but my opinion is that kids' needs are always a priority, including right now.

I would argue that our children's health is the number one priority.

+1. And it's disgusting just how many parents keep bleating about "socialization" during a pandemic. Yes, that would be lovely, if things were like they were in 2019. They are not. Your kids will get socialization in school when it is SAFE to do so. It is not safe to do so now. So be a parent, get creative and find some 2020 ways to connect and engage them, instead of demanding they be warehoused in schools vastly prematurely to become community infection centers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher and I just wanted to hop on to say I’m not convinced in person is really going to be that much better from DL. The social distancing factor alone takes a lot of classroom “best practices” out of play — like collaborative learning opportunities and group work, small group station work, etc. It’s kind of an eerie scene to think about, tbh. I’m not quite sure I can wrap my mind around what my own classroom would look like in person! (Lecture, notes, individual assessments, ick!)

Thanks for sharing your perspective--I can completely see how it could eerie.

I'll say, though, that my young elementary kids have adapted well to the modifications their camps have put in place. I absolutely know it's not the same, but they've come up with creative ways to still engage with their peers even with masks, at a distance, etc. And the improvement in their moods from when we were doing DL this Spring is staggering. I appreciate your sharing around the lack of best practices for academics and learning, and agree on that, but from a social interaction perspective, in person with modifications, for many if not most kids, is likely to be far better than DL. And for the elementary kids in particular, I think that matters hugely.

Also for the middle school kids and high school kids. Everyone needs social interaction.

Of course they do, but that's not the point. This is a pandemic. We need to figure out priorities right now, and social interaction isn't first on the list. Ease up on screen time. Let your kids socialize online.

Kids need in-person social interaction. Elementary school kids, middle school kids, high school kids. And I don't know what your opinion is, but my opinion is that kids' needs are always a priority, including right now.

I would argue that our children's health is the number one priority.

Exactly, and our children require in-personal social interaction for their health.

I agree in person social interaction once it can be done safely like when there's a vaccine but until then herding kids into overcrowded schools with poor ventilation seems like a bad idea.

Says the person who doesn't understand that mental health is also health.

The (conservative estimate) over 14,000 kids who would die of COVID-19 nationally if all schools were ignorant enough to open full-time in-person would disagree with you, as in order to have "socialization" and mental health, it first requires one to be ALIVE. I say we open them up, as long as you're willing to sign on the dotted line that you agree that at least one of those 14,000 will be your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you can just keep whining and having tantrums, insisting that it has to be in-person learning or nothing. THAT is your CHOICE.

I'm going to focus on doing what I can to make DL more effective.

And on finding other ways to use this time as a way to teach my children important life skills. And have more fun!

Nobody is insisting that.

If you just want to accept that kids won't get to go to school this year, THAT is your CHOICE. Others of us have not yet given up hope on advocating for a school option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

+1. And it's disgusting just how many parents keep bleating about "socialization" during a pandemic. Yes, that would be lovely, if things were like they were in 2019. They are not. Your kids will get socialization in school when it is SAFE to do so. It is not safe to do so now. So be a parent, get creative and find some 2020 ways to connect and engage them, instead of demanding they be warehoused in schools vastly prematurely to become community infection centers.

Tell that to the parents of the three MCPS students who killed themselves this spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The (conservative estimate) over 14,000 kids who would die of COVID-19 nationally if all schools were ignorant enough to open full-time in-person would disagree with you, as in order to have "socialization" and mental health, it first requires one to be ALIVE. I say we open them up, as long as you're willing to sign on the dotted line that you agree that at least one of those 14,000 will be your kid.

Who has estimated that 14,000 kids will die if schools open as appropriate (Montgomery County yes, Jacksonville no) with appropriate risk-mitigation measures?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People pushing us to go back to in-person because of their kids’ mental health are ridiculous. Yes, total isolation is bad for kids, but we aren’t talking about whether kids should be on house arrest for next year. We are taking about whether schools can provide adequately safe environments for groups of kids. If your kid is sad and isolated to the point that you are worried about their mental health, then you as a parent need to find a few friends they can spend time with in person. Having a pod of 2-3 families to meet their social needs is much safer than insisting on reopening schools.

So, it's ok for kids to be out and about, hanging out with each other, having social interactions, infecting each other (assuming that you're a person who believes that kids infect each other) - just as long as they're not doing it in school buildings? That makes no sense.

By the way, my kids are in high school, and from what they see on their social media, there are plenty of kids who are doing exactly that. Also the idea of me, as a parent, finding friends for my high school kids to hang out with...? Well. No.

Hanging out outdoors with one or two other friends consistently is infinitely safer than in an enclosed space with a dozen other kids. I’m not sure how you are even arguing with that. And as for whether your teens would need help finding a friend or two, no obviously they have their own friends (just like little kids do), but you could reach out to the parents of their close friends and try to team up with another family or two that have similar risk levels and then then your kids hang out either outdoors or in a well-ventilated space.

Sure, or, you know, let them go to Rehoboth and come home with covid. That's fine, but school? Impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The (conservative estimate) over 14,000 kids who would die of COVID-19 nationally if all schools were ignorant enough to open full-time in-person would disagree with you, as in order to have "socialization" and mental health, it first requires one to be ALIVE. I say we open them up, as long as you're willing to sign on the dotted line that you agree that at least one of those 14,000 will be your kid.

Who has estimated that 14,000 kids will die if schools open as appropriate (Montgomery County yes, Jacksonville no) with appropriate risk-mitigation measures?

Dunno. Children are at least risk of the virus. THey'd have to have significant underlying health problems. The data is very clear on this.

How many school kids are there? A quick google shows 56 million American school kids. 14,000 is an awful lot but it's also losing perspective. DL should be available for the compromised and kids of compromised families but the rest should have options to go back to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you can just keep whining and having tantrums, insisting that it has to be in-person learning or nothing. THAT is your CHOICE.

I'm going to focus on doing what I can to make DL more effective.

And on finding other ways to use this time as a way to teach my children important life skills. And have more fun!

Nobody is insisting that.

If you just want to accept that kids won't get to go to school this year, THAT is your CHOICE. Others of us have not yet given up hope on advocating for a school option.

I hope we can open up during this school year. I just don't think it looks likely for this fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you can just keep whining and having tantrums, insisting that it has to be in-person learning or nothing. THAT is your CHOICE.

I'm going to focus on doing what I can to make DL more effective.

And on finding other ways to use this time as a way to teach my children important life skills. And have more fun!

Nobody is insisting that.

If you just want to accept that kids won't get to go to school this year, THAT is your CHOICE. Others of us have not yet given up hope on advocating for a school option.

I hope we can open up during this school year. I just don't think it looks likely for this fall.

Having had no school in the fall, do you really think they'll say, "OK, now let's have school this spring!"? I don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you can just keep whining and having tantrums, insisting that it has to be in-person learning or nothing. THAT is your CHOICE.

I'm going to focus on doing what I can to make DL more effective.

And on finding other ways to use this time as a way to teach my children important life skills. And have more fun!

Nobody is insisting that.

If you just want to accept that kids won't get to go to school this year, THAT is your CHOICE. Others of us have not yet given up hope on advocating for a school option.

I hope we can open up during this school year. I just don't think it looks likely for this fall.

Having had no school in the fall, do you really think they'll say, "OK, now let's have school this spring!"? I don't.

Okay, so you are saying schools have to open even though several hundred people are still being diagnosed daily in the state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you can just keep whining and having tantrums, insisting that it has to be in-person learning or nothing. THAT is your CHOICE.

I'm going to focus on doing what I can to make DL more effective.

And on finding other ways to use this time as a way to teach my children important life skills. And have more fun!

Nobody is insisting that.

If you just want to accept that kids won't get to go to school this year, THAT is your CHOICE. Others of us have not yet given up hope on advocating for a school option.

I hope we can open up during this school year. I just don't think it looks likely for this fall.

Having had no school in the fall, do you really think they'll say, "OK, now let's have school this spring!"? I don't.

Okay, so you are saying schools have to open even though several hundred people are still being diagnosed daily in the state.

I don't know how to tell you this, other than to say: people are not staying home anymore in Maryland. People are going to work, shopping, hanging out, eating out, having parties, going to the beach...all that is ok, but school isn't?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is NOT going to be a vaccine. That’s a pipe dream. It’s an RNA virus and it’s take forever to get this approved for kids.

What do we do for the next year? DL learning only?

This is our new reality and we have to work around it. Waiting for an elusive vaccine is not productive.

So? There are lots of vaccines for RNA viruses.

The problem won't be developing a vaccine. The problem will be getting the vaccine to the people who need it. There's no reason to assume our vaccine strategy in the US will be any more effective than any of our other covid strategies.

This is basic public health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you can just keep whining and having tantrums, insisting that it has to be in-person learning or nothing. THAT is your CHOICE.

I'm going to focus on doing what I can to make DL more effective.

And on finding other ways to use this time as a way to teach my children important life skills. And have more fun!

Nobody is insisting that.

If you just want to accept that kids won't get to go to school this year, THAT is your CHOICE. Others of us have not yet given up hope on advocating for a school option.

I hope we can open up during this school year. I just don't think it looks likely for this fall.

Having had no school in the fall, do you really think they'll say, "OK, now let's have school this spring!"? I don't.

Okay, so you are saying schools have to open even though several hundred people are still being diagnosed daily in the state.

I don't know how to tell you this, other than to say: people are not staying home anymore in Maryland. People are going to work, shopping, hanging out, eating out, having parties, going to the beach...all that is ok, but school isn't?

No, those things are not OK. That’s why cases are starting to creep up again, and why many people are concerned about the possibility of all that outdoor activity being brought indoors.

If we (state and federal governments) had had given sufficient financial support to businesses and individuals affected by the stay-at-home orders, instead of opening “to save the economy,” we’d be much better positioned going into the fall. Failing that, if MD would institute and enforce a quarantine order for travel to/from hotspot states, I’d feel better about our chances for the coming months. But every idiot who can’t pass up a chance for shorter lines at Disney this month, or takes advantage of travel “deals,” increases the odds that even those to phased-in hybrid days can happen.

Look at the infection rates in the places where schools have opened—and stayed open—and really drill down into the details of their operating plans. In many places, their school doesn’t look all that much different from the hybrid model and masks-and-distancing rules that MCPS is proposing, and their numbers were lower even than MD’s when they fully implemented their plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you can just keep whining and having tantrums, insisting that it has to be in-person learning or nothing. THAT is your CHOICE.

I'm going to focus on doing what I can to make DL more effective.

And on finding other ways to use this time as a way to teach my children important life skills. And have more fun!

Nobody is insisting that.

If you just want to accept that kids won't get to go to school this year, THAT is your CHOICE. Others of us have not yet given up hope on advocating for a school option.

I hope we can open up during this school year. I just don't think it looks likely for this fall.

Having had no school in the fall, do you really think they'll say, "OK, now let's have school this spring!"? I don't.

Okay, so you are saying schools have to open even though several hundred people are still being diagnosed daily in the state.

I don't know how to tell you this, other than to say: people are not staying home anymore in Maryland. People are going to work, shopping, hanging out, eating out, having parties, going to the beach...all that is ok, but school isn't?

No, those things are not OK. That’s why cases are starting to creep up again, and why many people are concerned about the possibility of all that outdoor activity being brought indoors.

If we (state and federal governments) had had given sufficient financial support to businesses and individuals affected by the stay-at-home orders, instead of opening “to save the economy,” we’d be much better positioned going into the fall. Failing that, if MD would institute and enforce a quarantine order for travel to/from hotspot states, I’d feel better about our chances for the coming months. But every idiot who can’t pass up a chance for shorter lines at Disney this month, or takes advantage of travel “deals,” increases the odds that even those to phased-in hybrid days can happen.

Look at the infection rates in the places where schools have opened—and stayed open—and really drill down into the details of their operating plans. In many places, their school doesn’t look all that much different from the hybrid model and masks-and-distancing rules that MCPS is proposing, and their numbers were lower even than MD’s when they fully implemented their plans.

[[Sorry—“two” phased-in days...]]