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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]Do not compare teachers with grocers and servers. Federal employees, contractors, and most other workers in just about every workplace- lawyers, insurance agents, human resources professionals, bankers, IT
workers, engineers, architects, designers, librarians, everyone - are working virtually to avoid contact with others. Even veterinarians are taking the pets from the cars- no people.[/quote]

No, many Federal employees are not working virtually.  TSA screeners are screening people, special agents are conducing surveillance and performing law enforcement duties, Federal scientists are performing work in labs, Postal workers are processing and delivering mail and working at Post Office counters.

I do agree that teachers face a health risk, but the manner in which you minimize the risks that other occupations are facing is ridiculous.

[quote]	
Post 12/12/2020 01:15     Subject: Howard County remote until April 2021.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

You didn't win here- you bailed and are helping to put everyone's lives at risk. Let's not debate this any further, as I am just tired of this nonsense. If you need validation (!), you know where to go for that. Just express your opinion on one of a few local FB sites, I'm sure you know which ones, and the same 25 people will pile on to pat you on the back. You are likely their hero/heroine, sweetheart. Don't waste your time with me.

NP.

Please, please don't try to insult someone using childish phrases like "sweetheart." I am supportive of fully DL right now for most schools, but your cringeworthy and condescending rhetoric fully turns people off to your point. I haven't seen anyone actually engage with the actual science and policy recommendations that are being put forward but rather just snipe at one another.

If anyone is interested in engaging in thoughtful consideration (on their own), a good place to start is AFT's blueprint that was referenced above.

https://www.aft.org/reopen-schools

I assure you that the cringeworthy rhetoric is entirely sourced at the feet of those who feel it is time to discuss school opening when Md has a COVID death total over 5,000. 50 deaths since yesterday. Over 9,000 cases in Howard County alone.

AFT is a union, but it seems you have a problem with unions (?) isn't that correct? There's not going to be any acceptable metric, your favorite word, that allows for that type of risk. What you want is some quantitative rationalization that allows you to send your kid to school when the situation is actually qualitative in nature. There isn't one. We can do that for stores and restaurants because participation is voluntary. It isn't for schools. Everyone has to go.
Additionally, how will the schools be staffed? Teachers will apply for ADA waivers, they may quit en masse as in a neighboring county, they may refuse to go and just sue for their right to workin safe conditions. How will schools function when there has to be a medical leave (no substitute will come, it was hard to keep classrooms supplied with subs before this!), or an incidence which causes a large quarantine. People seem to think it's just so easy to open the doors, but it's the details that no one has thought through. What about law suits front those infected? Workman's Comp issues? The $$ is better spent reinforcing a tangible answer to the crisis now....DL.

You may have no idea what is involved in opening a school in a pandemic, which is understandable, but the answers aren't in your metric algorithm.

No one seems to understand that teachers DO NOT want to put their lives and the lives of their family members in danger for your convenience. They are working as well. They have children in school as well. They are extremely inconvenienced as well. That isn't about metrics. It's about ethics, "sweetheart." Yes, I hope you are cringing. That was my intent

As I said when noting I am a NP (which stands for new poster), I am not the person you have been going back and forth with. I also noted I am fully supportive of DL right now. And yes, of course I know AFT is a union, which is one of the reasons I think their blueprint is so important to consider.

I did say, however, that it is important to engage with the scientific studies and policy proposals being put forward as events continue to unfold in the months ahead. I stand by that, though won’t engage with someone who seems to come from such an angry place.

I do want to remind you of one thing: Participation in stores and dining is not voluntary for the workers are forced to come back to make a living, unable to work from home and outrageously, inadequately supported in unemployment.

Agree. However, those workers can work or not. They can work in other jobs. Stores also have strict population limits, hours were/are limited, etc. Yes, pandemics illuminate equity issues.

Teachers would literally have to leave
their career, not a wage grade job, that is comprised of a built tenure, years of expensive education for which many are still paying off loans for, and certification. Their certification would then be pulled by the state. There is only a limited time to resign each year before the next year's contract kicks in... a few weeks. After that, they are in violation of the contract- and certification is pulled so they can't work elsewhere. They would have to start over at some other time on a beginning salary scale, losing years towards their retirement. They would also lose their health insurance.[/quote]

I mean, what are you saying?  A person who is stuck working behind the counter at Chipolte can leave the job, sure, but then they would be unemployed and unable to pay their bills (and be ineligible for unemployment).  Clearly that person is in a worse situation than teachers.   Presumably, their option would be working in another similar restaurant, which is what they would be qualified to do.  They have no option to work remotely, they are exposed to hundreds of people moving through each day.[/quote]

What? Restaurant employees are not leaving a career. They should be receiving unemployment.  If they aren't  because of how  this was handled,  badly,  that doesn't mean that teachers need to also "step up" and put themselves at risk. Thousands upon thousands of people will be out of work  because of this virus. Many businesses will close.  People will be out of work. In fact, unemployment was cut off!Yes, there are some federal employees working in person, as the nature of their  job requires such, of course, but  millions of them, and contractors alike, and  all those  mentioned  above ...are not working in person.  You know that. There  are those  that  have to do their job in person and those  that do not. Teachers,  and  staff, and children do not have to put each other at risk. Your logic makes  zero sense. Teachers  don't  have to serve you, because no one is paying a Chipotle server. That's an issue  with the gov't.  It costs money  to host a pandemic.

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