How to push back against people who want to close schools AGAIN

[Anonymous]

Last year our child's Title 1 DCPS elementary did not open at all thanks to a small group of parents and teachers who claimed they were worried about kids. We have homeless kids at the school, kids in foster care and kids across the spectrum who would have been better off in school. But parents who wanted school to be in person had no voice in the matter. The most vocal parents keeping schools closed are high-income and have the means to pay for learning pods or stay at home with their kids. I am beyond outraged that they are attempting this coup for another year. Delta should raise everyone's vigilance, but with vaccines or weekly testing now mandated for all DC govt. staff, including all those who work at schools, there should not be any more roadblocks to safe in-person school for every child.

Here's an article by respected journalist and advocate Judd Legum that you can share in your communities to push back:

https://popular.info/p/how-to-keep-kids-in-school

[Anonymous]

Can you name your school?

[Anonymous]

Plus a million. Closing schools was and is distratous for poor and underprivileged children particularly (it is for everyone, but at least wealthy people can mitigate somewhat).

[Anonymous]

All, the mayor is very focused on opening schools. I think the risk becomes what happens when multiplve cases are identified at a school. I think pressure to create a sensible set of polices that go into the details that DCPS so far has not is where I would place my efforts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All, the mayor is very focused on opening schools. I think the risk becomes what happens when multiplve cases are identified at a school. I think pressure to create a sensible set of polices that go into the details that DCPS so far has not is where I would place my efforts.

This. There is not going to be closing of an entire school district or even entire schools in this area. That is just not going to happen. Schools will be open, and if there are cases, those students will have to quarantine or in some cases a classroom may have to be closed. This is exactly what private schools and daycares have been doing since the start of the pandemic. The idea of entire districts or schools closing should not even be discussed.

[Anonymous]

No one wants schools closed.


We want to keep schools open at all costs, and to that end, we want:

1. Updated information from schools and workplaces regarding masking, type of masks allowed, vaccine requirements, distancing, opening windows, outdoor lunch, etc.

2. Contingency planning when students or staff are positive. Information on contact tracing, quarantines, etc.


As much as we don't want to have to think about it, we recognize that the devil is in the details, and we need to be extremely careful how we implement which precautions, because Delta can infect unmasked individuals in a few minutes. Cloth masks are not very protective. Under 12s are not vaccinated. We need to increase all our precautions otherwise schools will close.


If you don't want to help plan, get out of the way, otherwise it will be YOUR fault that schools close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year our child's Title 1 DCPS elementary did not open at all thanks to a small group of parents and teachers who claimed they were worried about kids. We have homeless kids at the school, kids in foster care and kids across the spectrum who would have been better off in school. But parents who wanted school to be in person had no voice in the matter. The most vocal parents keeping schools closed are high-income and have the means to pay for learning pods or stay at home with their kids. I am beyond outraged that they are attempting this coup for another year. Delta should raise everyone's vigilance, but with vaccines or weekly testing now mandated for all DC govt. staff, including all those who work at schools, there should not be any more roadblocks to safe in-person school for every child.

Here's an article by respected journalist and advocate Judd Legum that you can share in your communities to push back:

https://popular.info/p/how-to-keep-kids-in-school

Not sure where you heard about testing but that isn't true. Vaccinated staff will never be tested under DCPS' plan and no plan has been released regarding testing students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year our child's Title 1 DCPS elementary did not open at all thanks to a small group of parents and teachers who claimed they were worried about kids. We have homeless kids at the school, kids in foster care and kids across the spectrum who would have been better off in school. But parents who wanted school to be in person had no voice in the matter. The most vocal parents keeping schools closed are high-income and have the means to pay for learning pods or stay at home with their kids. I am beyond outraged that they are attempting this coup for another year. Delta should raise everyone's vigilance, but with vaccines or weekly testing now mandated for all DC govt. staff, including all those who work at schools, there should not be any more roadblocks to safe in-person school for every child.

Here's an article by respected journalist and advocate Judd Legum that you can share in your communities to push back:

https://popular.info/p/how-to-keep-kids-in-school

Not sure where you heard about testing but that isn't true. Vaccinated staff will never be tested under DCPS' plan and no plan has been released regarding testing students.

Testing issues are the biggest talking point I hear from anti full reopening folks. I realize its expensive but we know vaccinated people can spread COVID.

I do fear that the Chancellor is nervous about numerous asymptomatic positive results and what that could mean not just for coverage issues but also optics.

[Anonymous]

It's not about pushing back against people who don't agree with what you want.
It's about making the wisest choice for the greatest number of people. Decisions must change as circumstances do.

FYI My school is offering in person AND virtual and I think that's the way to go.

[Anonymous]

I find it outrageous that we are thinking of putting students in close proximity indoors while eating lunch. So no, not on your side here at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No one wants schools closed.


We want to keep schools open at all costs, and to that end, we want:

1. Updated information from schools and workplaces regarding masking, type of masks allowed, vaccine requirements, distancing, opening windows, outdoor lunch, etc.

2. Contingency planning when students or staff are positive. Information on contact tracing, quarantines, etc.


As much as we don't want to have to think about it, we recognize that the devil is in the details, and we need to be extremely careful how we implement which precautions, because Delta can infect unmasked individuals in a few minutes. Cloth masks are not very protective. Under 12s are not vaccinated. We need to increase all our precautions otherwise schools will close.


If you don't want to help plan, get out of the way, otherwise it will be YOUR fault that schools close.

I'd rather listen to public health experts than parents, frankly, who may be acting of out exaggerated fears rather than rational analysis.

[Anonymous]

No one wants schools closed again. NO ONE. Lots of people are really concerned about lunch and quarantines and DCPS’ plan in general. That doesn’t mean you want schools closed. Two things can be true at once. Do you realize that?

[Anonymous]

I'm with you, OP. The reality is that covid isn't going anywhere, and we need to learn to live with it rather than deprive kids of education. I agree with pushing vaccinations and masking, as well as other mitigation methods. But in the end we have to accept that we aren't ever going to get to zero risk of covid.

[Anonymous]

But OP, what are parents doing at your school? For clarification, are parents demanding that schools close, or are they arguing for impossible-to-meet risk mitigation, or what?

[Anonymous]

I agree that there may not be a complete shift to distance learning as a result of Delta.

But what may happen is that spread may be fueled by indoor unmasked eating, unvaccinated barely masked middle and high schoolers transitioning among classes, unvaccinated indifferently masked middle and high schoolers and middle schoolers sitting thirty in a classroom. Especially since many of these high school and middle school students will be traveling to and from school by public transportation.

Minimal contact tracing and asymptomatic testing won’t help brake the spread.

Anyway, it’s one thing to say we’ve got to get kids back to school. But when we minimize the need for safety measures, we may be setting the stage for the whole “Back to school” undertaking to collapse, one quarantine case at a time. Then another.

Anyway, as a DCUM poster on another thread memorable observed: I suspect we’ll find out soon enough how Corona Delta defines “close contact.” Hopefully, Corona Delta can’t be bothered to transmit itself to a new host more than three feet away (if possible).

My child is vaccinated, and I don’t have a job, so I can hold up my end, come what may.