Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the face of everybody in the world, it seems, doing everything they can to keep the schools open, it’s not enough for you. You still have to come on here and complain. So many of you are so damned selfish, thinking only of how the pandemic affects you and your family and no one else. It’s really sad.

+1000

There is a big risk to kids and adults why have underlying issues. Letting Covid spread unmitigated is a disaster even if it is fine for your family. Health care workers are burned out and hospitals are in crisis mode. Same for schools and teachers.

+ 1 million

It’s disheartening how little you care about kids like my daughter, with a rare disease the compromises her immune system. She has these big beautiful eyes that light up the sky. Letting a pandemic rip through schools that her brother could bring home could kill her. Does she deserve to die because you can’t be bothered? Think about what happens to a community when there are no guardrails.

Keep kids in school but do it safely.

I have a friend with three kids one of whom is extremely vulnerable to Covid. She is homeschooling all three this year. She isn’t going around demanding that everyone keep their kids home too or that schools meet some impossible standard of safety to accommodate her individual situation.

You guys are horrible. She never said anything about going virtual for an extended time. Omicron will pass through quickly. All she is saying is that 2 weeks virtual in early January might be prudent. But you are too selfish to inconvenience yourself even a smidgen.

No, you have this completely backwards. The people who are selfish are the ones who have special circumstances and expect the whole system to conform to their needs. If you really think about the collective of kids, schools should not shut down even for two weeks. For the vast majority of children, the disruption and the additional lost learning of those two weeks (after 1.5 years of closed schools!) is worse than the risk of catching Covid at school, which can and will happen at some point anyway, and not necessarily at school. Also, many parents have run out of leave and will have to find alternative childcare, which is another reason shutting schools is also not going to make a dent into the potential problem of overburdened hospitals.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A reality check for those of you who don't follow the news:

1. Omicron cases in places like South Africa are plummeting

2. All the available evidence indicates that Omicron is far less dangerous than Delta

3. The FDA just approved a new pill that reduces the risk of hospitalization or death in people with COVID by a whopping 90 percent.

Get vaccinated, and you will be fine. And there is absolutely zero reason to keep kids out of school.

This

Anonymous wrote:A reality check for those of you who don't follow the news:

1. Omicron cases in places like South Africa are plummeting

2. All the available evidence indicates that Omicron is far less dangerous than Delta

3. The FDA just approved a new pill that reduces the risk of hospitalization or death in people with COVID by a whopping 90 percent.

Get vaccinated, and you will be fine. And there is absolutely zero reason to keep kids out of school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that this is likely something we will all (or most of us) catch and that other mitigating efforts (indoor eating, bars, etc) would do more to slow the spread than virtual learning.

That being said, I do have concerns about the mental health challenge the timing of this wave does to our teachers, staff, and students- not to mention society as a whole. Everyone is in desperate need of a break, needs to see family/friends, needs to just rest. And now, a good portion of our teachers and staff will spend their holidays isolated and/or sick. That worries me. Schools were already dealing with staff shortages. Teachers and school staff rely on those breaks to recharge and rest... if a large quantity miss that time...

I fear that this wave will impact schools far worse in this regard- as compared to the actual sickness.

But
This is the point that most people seem to be missing. I'm a teacher, and this week has been horrendously stressful. Covid cases reported daily - students pulled out of classes when covid results from asymptomatic testing on Monday came in mid-day Tuesday. Multiple teachers sent home in the middle of the day (by other teachers forcing the point - the principal "didn't think the symptoms were severe enough to require leave"). I've been on edge all week, and that comes out as less patience for students, and less ability to put together well-planned lessons. It's hard to do ANY job well when you are in a constant state of stress. It's even harder when you are trying to figure out how to support the students in the classroom and at home. I'll keep going in, but I'm also sure that the quality of education that I'll be able to provide is declining. You can all tell me to quit - I'm trying to push through, but definitely considering it - but that won't solve the issue of your child's education. There is NO ONE to replace me, even if I gave a month's notice before I quit. What is the solution? If the goal is to just have kids in a building to see their friends and let their parents go to work (which is definitely a reasonable purpose for school), then the answer is easy - keep the schools open regardless of what happens. If you want actual learning to happen for the next few months, however, the answer is much more difficult, because driving your teachers into the ground is not the way to go.

See a therapist. They can help you cope with your burnout, fears, and anxiety— and it’s within your control to do so. That alone is a stress relief.

I’m a different poster who’s a DCPS teacher, and I already have a therapist that I’ve worked with to see that I can have a fulfilling career supporting students that doesn’t involve working in the chaos that is a mismanaged district during covid. I put my notice in and won’t be returning after break. So yes, I encourage all of my colleagues to see a therapist too. The mental toll of working through the pandemic in a classroom is too much when your district doesn’t care about its staff.

Thanks for leaving your students in the dust.

Teaching is just a job and like other jobs they’re permitted to quit. The work they leave behind is not their responsibility once they leave. One thing I won’t miss is the manipulation insinuating that I’m expected to sacrifice my physical and mental health to do a job. My school had fewer than 60 students Wednesday, DCPS cancelled covid testing, cohorts were combined because of staffing shortages, and students were pulled out all day because they got positive test results or were close contacts. If you were the parent of one of my students I’d question why you’re willing to send your child to a place where safety is so disregarded.

I agree with most of what you say. However, you need to understand that parents are dealing with a lack of transparency on the part of school admin. The situation you describe is basically unknown to most parents because the school system does not tell us what is going on. We have to pry it out of our kids. This is not your doing or your responsibility but at least you know what is happening which is more than can be said for parents.

I agree that this is a problem, and the times I’ve had covid information that I’m not allowed to tell parents contributed to my decision to leave. I wanted to call parents yesterday and tell them we were going to combine cohorts before we did it to give them the option to pick up before it happened but was told no. Now some students are close contacts that wouldn’t have been otherwise. Teachers post concerns here and are trashed. It’s such a toxic environment and I hate it for everyone. I just can’t do it anymore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A reality check for those of you who don't follow the news:

1. Omicron cases in places like South Africa are plummeting

2. All the available evidence indicates that Omicron is far less dangerous than Delta

3. The FDA just approved a new pill that reduces the risk of hospitalization or death in people with COVID by a whopping 90 percent.

Get vaccinated, and you will be fine. And there is absolutely zero reason to keep kids out of school.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our chance to eradicate the virus stopped a long time ago. I’m normally conservative, and fine with even a week or two of virtual in January if that made sense somehow. But staff being out is a huge issue. There are no subs. Teachers are having to double up—their workloads are already maxed out this year especially. I’m hoping test to stay and the vaccine mandate for kids will bring a new set of rules so schools can function again. (Or dysfunction bc DCPS.)

There are more than enough Central aoffice employees to cover. Time for them to start earning their lofty management salaries.

That’s not going to happen, but feel free to get in there and do it yourself, Mama Bear, since nothing is more important (including your high paying job) than having your precious babies inside the walls of school buildings. Enjoy!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that this is likely something we will all (or most of us) catch and that other mitigating efforts (indoor eating, bars, etc) would do more to slow the spread than virtual learning.

That being said, I do have concerns about the mental health challenge the timing of this wave does to our teachers, staff, and students- not to mention society as a whole. Everyone is in desperate need of a break, needs to see family/friends, needs to just rest. And now, a good portion of our teachers and staff will spend their holidays isolated and/or sick. That worries me. Schools were already dealing with staff shortages. Teachers and school staff rely on those breaks to recharge and rest... if a large quantity miss that time...

I fear that this wave will impact schools far worse in this regard- as compared to the actual sickness.

But
This is the point that most people seem to be missing. I'm a teacher, and this week has been horrendously stressful. Covid cases reported daily - students pulled out of classes when covid results from asymptomatic testing on Monday came in mid-day Tuesday. Multiple teachers sent home in the middle of the day (by other teachers forcing the point - the principal "didn't think the symptoms were severe enough to require leave"). I've been on edge all week, and that comes out as less patience for students, and less ability to put together well-planned lessons. It's hard to do ANY job well when you are in a constant state of stress. It's even harder when you are trying to figure out how to support the students in the classroom and at home. I'll keep going in, but I'm also sure that the quality of education that I'll be able to provide is declining. You can all tell me to quit - I'm trying to push through, but definitely considering it - but that won't solve the issue of your child's education. There is NO ONE to replace me, even if I gave a month's notice before I quit. What is the solution? If the goal is to just have kids in a building to see their friends and let their parents go to work (which is definitely a reasonable purpose for school), then the answer is easy - keep the schools open regardless of what happens. If you want actual learning to happen for the next few months, however, the answer is much more difficult, because driving your teachers into the ground is not the way to go.

See a therapist. They can help you cope with your burnout, fears, and anxiety— and it’s within your control to do so. That alone is a stress relief.

I’m a different poster who’s a DCPS teacher, and I already have a therapist that I’ve worked with to see that I can have a fulfilling career supporting students that doesn’t involve working in the chaos that is a mismanaged district during covid. I put my notice in and won’t be returning after break. So yes, I encourage all of my colleagues to see a therapist too. The mental toll of working through the pandemic in a classroom is too much when your district doesn’t care about its staff.

Thanks for leaving your students in the dust.

Teaching is just a job and like other jobs they’re permitted to quit. The work they leave behind is not their responsibility once they leave. One thing I won’t miss is the manipulation insinuating that I’m expected to sacrifice my physical and mental health to do a job. My school had fewer than 60 students Wednesday, DCPS cancelled covid testing, cohorts were combined because of staffing shortages, and students were pulled out all day because they got positive test results or were close contacts. If you were the parent of one of my students I’d question why you’re willing to send your child to a place where safety is so disregarded.

I agree with most of what you say. However, you need to understand that parents are dealing with a lack of transparency on the part of school admin. The situation you describe is basically unknown to most parents because the school system does not tell us what is going on. We have to pry it out of our kids. This is not your doing or your responsibility but at least you know what is happening which is more than can be said for parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that this is likely something we will all (or most of us) catch and that other mitigating efforts (indoor eating, bars, etc) would do more to slow the spread than virtual learning.

That being said, I do have concerns about the mental health challenge the timing of this wave does to our teachers, staff, and students- not to mention society as a whole. Everyone is in desperate need of a break, needs to see family/friends, needs to just rest. And now, a good portion of our teachers and staff will spend their holidays isolated and/or sick. That worries me. Schools were already dealing with staff shortages. Teachers and school staff rely on those breaks to recharge and rest... if a large quantity miss that time...

I fear that this wave will impact schools far worse in this regard- as compared to the actual sickness.

But
This is the point that most people seem to be missing. I'm a teacher, and this week has been horrendously stressful. Covid cases reported daily - students pulled out of classes when covid results from asymptomatic testing on Monday came in mid-day Tuesday. Multiple teachers sent home in the middle of the day (by other teachers forcing the point - the principal "didn't think the symptoms were severe enough to require leave"). I've been on edge all week, and that comes out as less patience for students, and less ability to put together well-planned lessons. It's hard to do ANY job well when you are in a constant state of stress. It's even harder when you are trying to figure out how to support the students in the classroom and at home. I'll keep going in, but I'm also sure that the quality of education that I'll be able to provide is declining. You can all tell me to quit - I'm trying to push through, but definitely considering it - but that won't solve the issue of your child's education. There is NO ONE to replace me, even if I gave a month's notice before I quit. What is the solution? If the goal is to just have kids in a building to see their friends and let their parents go to work (which is definitely a reasonable purpose for school), then the answer is easy - keep the schools open regardless of what happens. If you want actual learning to happen for the next few months, however, the answer is much more difficult, because driving your teachers into the ground is not the way to go.

See a therapist. They can help you cope with your burnout, fears, and anxiety— and it’s within your control to do so. That alone is a stress relief.

I’m a different poster who’s a DCPS teacher, and I already have a therapist that I’ve worked with to see that I can have a fulfilling career supporting students that doesn’t involve working in the chaos that is a mismanaged district during covid. I put my notice in and won’t be returning after break. So yes, I encourage all of my colleagues to see a therapist too. The mental toll of working through the pandemic in a classroom is too much when your district doesn’t care about its staff.

Thanks for leaving your students in the dust.

Teaching is just a job and like other jobs they’re permitted to quit. The work they leave behind is not their responsibility once they leave. One thing I won’t miss is the manipulation insinuating that I’m expected to sacrifice my physical and mental health to do a job. My school had fewer than 60 students Wednesday, DCPS cancelled covid testing, cohorts were combined because of staffing shortages, and students were pulled out all day because they got positive test results or were close contacts. If you were the parent of one of my students I’d question why you’re willing to send your child to a place where safety is so disregarded.

I agree with most of what you say. However, you need to understand that parents are dealing with a lack of transparency on the part of school admin. The situation you describe is basically unknown to most parents because the school system does not tell us what is going on. We have to pry it out of our kids. This is not your doing or your responsibility but at least you know what is happening which is more than can be said for parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that this is likely something we will all (or most of us) catch and that other mitigating efforts (indoor eating, bars, etc) would do more to slow the spread than virtual learning.

That being said, I do have concerns about the mental health challenge the timing of this wave does to our teachers, staff, and students- not to mention society as a whole. Everyone is in desperate need of a break, needs to see family/friends, needs to just rest. And now, a good portion of our teachers and staff will spend their holidays isolated and/or sick. That worries me. Schools were already dealing with staff shortages. Teachers and school staff rely on those breaks to recharge and rest... if a large quantity miss that time...

I fear that this wave will impact schools far worse in this regard- as compared to the actual sickness.

But
This is the point that most people seem to be missing. I'm a teacher, and this week has been horrendously stressful. Covid cases reported daily - students pulled out of classes when covid results from asymptomatic testing on Monday came in mid-day Tuesday. Multiple teachers sent home in the middle of the day (by other teachers forcing the point - the principal "didn't think the symptoms were severe enough to require leave"). I've been on edge all week, and that comes out as less patience for students, and less ability to put together well-planned lessons. It's hard to do ANY job well when you are in a constant state of stress. It's even harder when you are trying to figure out how to support the students in the classroom and at home. I'll keep going in, but I'm also sure that the quality of education that I'll be able to provide is declining. You can all tell me to quit - I'm trying to push through, but definitely considering it - but that won't solve the issue of your child's education. There is NO ONE to replace me, even if I gave a month's notice before I quit. What is the solution? If the goal is to just have kids in a building to see their friends and let their parents go to work (which is definitely a reasonable purpose for school), then the answer is easy - keep the schools open regardless of what happens. If you want actual learning to happen for the next few months, however, the answer is much more difficult, because driving your teachers into the ground is not the way to go.

See a therapist. They can help you cope with your burnout, fears, and anxiety— and it’s within your control to do so. That alone is a stress relief.

I’m a different poster who’s a DCPS teacher, and I already have a therapist that I’ve worked with to see that I can have a fulfilling career supporting students that doesn’t involve working in the chaos that is a mismanaged district during covid. I put my notice in and won’t be returning after break. So yes, I encourage all of my colleagues to see a therapist too. The mental toll of working through the pandemic in a classroom is too much when your district doesn’t care about its staff.

Thanks for leaving your students in the dust.

Teaching is just a job and like other jobs they’re permitted to quit. The work they leave behind is not their responsibility once they leave. One thing I won’t miss is the manipulation insinuating that I’m expected to sacrifice my physical and mental health to do a job. My school had fewer than 60 students Wednesday, DCPS cancelled covid testing, cohorts were combined because of staffing shortages, and students were pulled out all day because they got positive test results or were close contacts. If you were the parent of one of my students I’d question why you’re willing to send your child to a place where safety is so disregarded.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the face of everybody in the world, it seems, doing everything they can to keep the schools open, it’s not enough for you. You still have to come on here and complain. So many of you are so damned selfish, thinking only of how the pandemic affects you and your family and no one else. It’s really sad.

I actually think the schools-open-at-any-cost folks are the selfish ones. Totally ignoring that large swaths of our city are still unvaccinated, that immunocompromised folks exist, that hospital workers are at their breaking point and that schools have proven to be a major source of infection in our city. But we can’t possibly close school for three days!!!

Let me clarify: that's who I meant, too.

The schools-open-at-any-cost act like there's a grand conspiracy to close the schools as quickly, extensively, and for as long as possible. Any little hint of a school closing anywhere and they go apesh*t.

Read the post at 10:01 (not mine) to understand why.

Also, some people just believe that protecting the quality of life and futures of kids in general (not just their own) is more important than prolonging the lives of the elderly. It's a philosophical difference of priorities. That combined with the fact that the data doesn't show that school closures actually have a meaningful impact on saving lives.

This isn't a zero sum game. It's not save the kids or kill grandma. How odd that you can't manage to see anything in terms that aren't that black and white.

We can do our best to make school and do our best to protect the vulnerable. Yes, that might mean that little Elspeth can't attend the pep rally at Wilson, and that you should skip the DAR Christmas luncheon. Priorities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me just be clear that I would 100% rather my kids get Covid and then give it to everyone in our house than miss any more school after spending an *entire year* virtual. I am also totally fine with teachers and staff -- all of whom have been eligible for vax/boosters for months!!! -- testing positive for covid. Just like I was previously unbothered by the idea that kids teachers or parents might catch cold or a flu at school. Time to start treating Covid like every other URI that goes around schools in the winter - stay home if you're sick or have a fever, otherwise carry on as normal.

Except we still don’t know the long lasting effects of having COVID, there are studies from Britain that suggest even a mild infection can have long-lasting sequelae, and personally I would vastly prefer to get COVID once supplies of sotrovimab are more available and the FDA has given authorization and production is underway for the Pfizer pills. And for those who are basically like “screw old people my kid needs to be in school for their mental health” I can tell you that a grandparent’s death from COVID pre-vaccines definitely also impacted my kid’s mental health, and I’m sure the mental health of many children who’ve lost parents or grandparents - 800,000 people have died thus far and they all had families and friends. No one is asking for a months long shut down of schools but if cases keep rising like this, especially after vacation travel, maybe it’s time to hit the pause button for a little bit.

Anonymous wrote:A reality check for those of you who don't follow the news:

1. Omicron cases in places like South Africa are plummeting

2. All the available evidence indicates that Omicron is far less dangerous than Delta

3. The FDA just approved a new pill that reduces the risk of hospitalization or death in people with COVID by a whopping 90 percent.

Get vaccinated, and you will be fine. And there is absolutely zero reason to keep kids out of school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that this is likely something we will all (or most of us) catch and that other mitigating efforts (indoor eating, bars, etc) would do more to slow the spread than virtual learning.

That being said, I do have concerns about the mental health challenge the timing of this wave does to our teachers, staff, and students- not to mention society as a whole. Everyone is in desperate need of a break, needs to see family/friends, needs to just rest. And now, a good portion of our teachers and staff will spend their holidays isolated and/or sick. That worries me. Schools were already dealing with staff shortages. Teachers and school staff rely on those breaks to recharge and rest... if a large quantity miss that time...

I fear that this wave will impact schools far worse in this regard- as compared to the actual sickness.

This is the point that most people seem to be missing. I'm a teacher, and this week has been horrendously stressful. Covid cases reported daily - students pulled out of classes when covid results from asymptomatic testing on Monday came in mid-day Tuesday. Multiple teachers sent home in the middle of the day (by other teachers forcing the point - the principal "didn't think the symptoms were severe enough to require leave"). I've been on edge all week, and that comes out as less patience for students, and less ability to put together well-planned lessons. It's hard to do ANY job well when you are in a constant state of stress. It's even harder when you are trying to figure out how to support the students in the classroom and at home. I'll keep going in, but I'm also sure that the quality of education that I'll be able to provide is declining. You can all tell me to quit - I'm trying to push through, but definitely considering it - but that won't solve the issue of your child's education. There is NO ONE to replace me, even if I gave a month's notice before I quit. What is the solution? If the goal is to just have kids in a building to see their friends and let their parents go to work (which is definitely a reasonable purpose for school), then the answer is easy - keep the schools open regardless of what happens. If you want actual learning to happen for the next few months, however, the answer is much more difficult, because driving your teachers into the ground is not the way to go.