Reply to Has Duran gone mad? (APS)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Most people aren’t judging those who want to be back in the classroom. I’d love my kids to be back in the classroom. But there is still safety to consider. It’s not safe right now, even if it’s very important for your child to be back.  Just cause they should have been back in in September doesn’t mean they should be back in now. [/quote]

You are entitled to your opinion, but please know that keeping students home is not a harmless alternative.  Even beyond the learning loss for totally typical students, there are children who are now suffering from depression and engaging in self-harm.  There are suicides.  There is increased child abuse happening at home.  There are students with special needs who will age out of services this year or next who aren't getting necessary job training and other skills development, which will put them at increased risk of homelessness, substance abuse, and premature death.  So when you take that position, you are not advocating for a solution that is clearly safer overall, you have simply weighed the risks and made a value judgment about who you feel is expendable.[/quote]

So you are upset that teachers aren’t choosing themselves as the expendable ones?  Please stop with the moralizing.  If you want teachers to be happy about going back to the buildings without a vaccine, put your energies into fundraising for hazard pay and a healthy supply of N95 masks for them  That might work.  [/quote]

Why do you assume I haven’t?  Since late spring I have been advocating at the school, county and state levels for increased funding for PPE and other safety equipment to maximize our ability to reopen safely.  I have been hyper-diligent about masking, social distancing, etc., to make sure we don’t personally contribute to virus spread.  I want APS to choose the best option for this moment based on weighing the needs and risks of *everyone* involved, not just a single group.  Based on all of my own review of the available data and research, I believe that option is to reopen schools with an emphasis on safety precautions and leaving a virtual option for those who need it.  That includes teachers who need it because they are high risk.  Obviously there still need to be adults in the schools to supervise, but I’m fine with that being an aide to assist a teacher who is teaching remotely.  [/quote]

We're all glad that you're "fine" with it... it seems so long as you aren't the one putting your life on the line...  And I'm a parent responding to your post btw.  With people like you around no wonder teachers don't want to be in the buildings to teach.  I wouldn't be "fine" teaching your kids with you a parent to kids I teach either.  Yowza.[/quote]

I am an attorney who does a lot of work with clients who face barriers to remote engagement (e.g., technology for receiving, reviewing, signing and returning digital documents).  I could decline to represent such clients right now, but I don’t because I know how much they need the assistance and don’t have at alternative options.  So I meet with them in person as needed, [b]taking all reasonable safety precautions[/b], despite the risk to myself.  I am not a teacher, but I am walking the walk here.  [/quote]

OK - are you pushing for APS to implement all reasonable safety precautions?

Entrance & surveillance testing
Air filters
PPE 
[/quote]
I already said I was, and have been for months.  If you’re going to read that selectively, I can’t help you.[/quote]

How have you been advocating for that? I only hear a handful of parents pushing for these safety measures. And they aren’t the ones sh1tting on the teachers. 
[/quote]

You hear that handful of parents where? I’m guessing AEM. Newsflash: parents might be incredibly vocal advocates where it matters and not be loud on AEM. There are a handful of people that post constantly on AEM and suggest in their comments that other parents aren’t similarly committed. As if posting every thought you’ve ever had on FB was meaningful advocacy. [/quote]

Then put your money where your mouth is. APE doesn't advocate for any of these things. No safety items on its platform - just open now, it's fine! [/quote]

Seriously.  I am surprised by how many parents would prefer to fund private school tuition rather than do a grassroots fundraiser for N95 masks and a HEPA filter  for all public school teachers..  The latter requires more effort, but  it would also provide more justification for sanctimoniousness.[/quote]

Sourcing N95 masks and HEPA filters would be a fool's errand. The goal posts would just be moved again.[/quote]

excuses excuses. good luck with your lawsuit. [/quote]

So the community gets the schools masks and filters and everybody goes back? Is that what you're saying?[/quote]

That’s one component to bringing out kids back safely.

Another big one is entrance and surveillance testing.

The point is the most vocal parents are just pushing to send kids back. Not pushing to make it safe for them to go back.

“Open Schools Now”
should be 
“Make Schools Safe”
[/quote]
Is APE opposed to testing and PPE?  I didn’t see that on their website.

Also, early on in this parents did try to organized fundraisers for PPE to help schools reopen, but APS said they couldn’t accept it.  And that makes sense, because APS needs to have the money budgeted for PPE on an ongoing basis, and not count on continued donations that could dry up suddenly.[/quote]

PPE is not the issue. APS has the PPE in place. The issues are ventilation/HVAC upgrades, indoor lunch, testing.

APE sees these things are unnecessary impediments to reopening. They just want to open up now AT THE HEIGHT OF THE SURGE. They say this is fine. They seem to think masks solve everything, oh and indoor lunch without masks is fine too. They just want to open, safety is not their thing. They really don't get that without these safety measures in place, there are going to be so many quarantines that we will quickly run out of staff/teachers. There's a massage sub shortage. So they really just don't get it. Maybe Duran is going to open to call their bluff and show it all has to shut down in 2 weeks? IDK anymore. [/quote]

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