Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The timing of collective bargaining starting May 1 is unfortunate, because it gives AEA a lot of incentive to take a very hard line right now. They’re worried that any inch they gone now will affect the contract they can negotiate in the spring, so they’re not going to give an inch on reopening until their contract is done.
? - But they don’t have any real power now. Plus, they really don’t speak for all teachers.
They don’t have the legal authority to set policy, but they absolutely have power. If AEA came to its members and said they believed schools could open safely now if APS did X,Y, and Z, you would see a lot more teachers getting on board with the idea (and indicating a willingness to return to in-school education). Instead, what we have right now is AEA insisting there’s no way school could be safely reopened at any time this year and demanding that APS make the decision now to stay virtual the entire year, and encouraging their members to take the same approaching by instead indicating that they do not want to return to in-school learning (hence the concerns about adequate staffing). AEA is worried that any compromise they agree to now will be a foregone conclusion in contract negotiations, and that they’ll have to negotiate off that compromise point rather than the extreme position they’re taking now.
From a pure negotiating standpoint, it’s the right strategy for them, but no one should be under any illusion that their position on reopening is considering student needs. It’s all about contract negotiation.
Ah, well. Unfortunately, we live in the land of self interest. Can you blame them? Well, I guess a lot of folks do. I don’t. How else are they going to survive in a country where greedy men take all that they can? Mothers, teachers, social workers, nurses - all those people who give and give and give — have to stand up for themselves. I guess you can either decide to oppress them even more or throw them the few bones they are asking for. If you need them this much, then why are people being so gosh darn stingy about giving them their vaccines, their air filters, and their hazard pay. Show them they are worth something other than the crap you scrape off your shoes. You think they already have cushy jobs? Try volunteering in a classroom for one week before you make that judgment.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The timing of collective bargaining starting May 1 is unfortunate, because it gives AEA a lot of incentive to take a very hard line right now. They’re worried that any inch they gone now will affect the contract they can negotiate in the spring, so they’re not going to give an inch on reopening until their contract is done.
? - But they don’t have any real power now. Plus, they really don’t speak for all teachers.
They don’t have the legal authority to set policy, but they absolutely have power. If AEA came to its members and said they believed schools could open safely now if APS did X,Y, and Z, you would see a lot more teachers getting on board with the idea (and indicating a willingness to return to in-school education). Instead, what we have right now is AEA insisting there’s no way school could be safely reopened at any time this year and demanding that APS make the decision now to stay virtual the entire year, and encouraging their members to take the same approaching by instead indicating that they do not want to return to in-school learning (hence the concerns about adequate staffing). AEA is worried that any compromise they agree to now will be a foregone conclusion in contract negotiations, and that they’ll have to negotiate off that compromise point rather than the extreme position they’re taking now.
From a pure negotiating standpoint, it’s the right strategy for them, but no one should be under any illusion that their position on reopening is considering student needs. It’s all about contract negotiation.
Ah, well. Unfortunately, we live in the land of self interest. Can you blame them? Well, I guess a lot of folks do. I don’t. How else are they going to survive in a country where greedy men take all that they can? Mothers, teachers, social workers, nurses - all those people who give and give and give — have to stand up for themselves. I guess you can either decide to oppress them even more or throw them the few bones they are asking for. If you need them this much, then why are people being so gosh darn stingy about giving them their vaccines, their air filters, and their hazard pay. Show them they are worth something other than the crap you scrape off your shoes. You think they already have cushy jobs? Try volunteering in a classroom for one week before you make that judgment.
Anonymous wrote:Wow.. I just took a deeper look at the APE website. It's very impressive how much the group is advocating for a safe return to school.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The timing of collective bargaining starting May 1 is unfortunate, because it gives AEA a lot of incentive to take a very hard line right now. They’re worried that any inch they gone now will affect the contract they can negotiate in the spring, so they’re not going to give an inch on reopening until their contract is done.
? - But they don’t have any real power now. Plus, they really don’t speak for all teachers.
They don’t have the legal authority to set policy, but they absolutely have power. If AEA came to its members and said they believed schools could open safely now if APS did X,Y, and Z, you would see a lot more teachers getting on board with the idea (and indicating a willingness to return to in-school education). Instead, what we have right now is AEA insisting there’s no way school could be safely reopened at any time this year and demanding that APS make the decision now to stay virtual the entire year, and encouraging their members to take the same approaching by instead indicating that they do not want to return to in-school learning (hence the concerns about adequate staffing). AEA is worried that any compromise they agree to now will be a foregone conclusion in contract negotiations, and that they’ll have to negotiate off that compromise point rather than the extreme position they’re taking now.
From a pure negotiating standpoint, it’s the right strategy for them, but no one should be under any illusion that their position on reopening is considering student needs. It’s all about contract negotiation.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The timing of collective bargaining starting May 1 is unfortunate, because it gives AEA a lot of incentive to take a very hard line right now. They’re worried that any inch they gone now will affect the contract they can negotiate in the spring, so they’re not going to give an inch on reopening until their contract is done.
? - But they don’t have any real power now. Plus, they really don’t speak for all teachers.
Anonymous wrote:The timing of collective bargaining starting May 1 is unfortunate, because it gives AEA a lot of incentive to take a very hard line right now. They’re worried that any inch they gone now will affect the contract they can negotiate in the spring, so they’re not going to give an inch on reopening until their contract is done.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Wow. 19 cases in a preschool. That IS significant. How can that be if they are staying 6 feet and wearing masks?
THEY ARENT, welcome to what teachers have been saying for months. Mitigation does not work once you have too many kids to meaningfully monitor it constantly.
pretty sure our elementary teachers aren't changing diapers and putting our kids down for naps, etc...
Nope, we will be in close proximity to help with a math problem, help with the proper way to hold a pencil or scissors, or view an unknown word from a book, just to name a few.
DP. But you’ve already told us you won’t be, that hybrid will be a terrible environment specifically because you won’t be allowed to do those things. Which is it?
Different teacher. I’m not elementary but I can say 100-% I’m not going to a kids desk and they’re not coming to mine in school. I’m not breaking that 6 feet because if I do and later get CoVID, they’ll claim I couldn’t have gotten it at school since the 6 foot protocol exists.
+1 As a parent I applaud that. I don't think you should go within 6' of any student and I think that every student should have a mask on 100% of the time. I cannot believe teachers will be asked/voluntold to return to school when it is still so unsafe.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Look you need to stop looking at a Facebook parent group as if they have any power, they can’t make up any conditions of employment but to answer your question, no I do not trust all my fellow staff to be safe and wear masks faithfully. Plenty of teachers are living life as usual, traveling, lax with masks. They’re the ones least worried about going back but yeah we all have to work with them even when we are really careful.
Correct. I teach with a team of much younger teachers and they are taking risks with travel and going out that make me extremely uncomfortable. I don’t feel lie I can work closely with them with their behavior and doing so puts mr at risk. Not to mention the kids aspect.
I'm a parent and I don't trust the other families. So many are traveling, allowing kids into each others homes to hang out unmasked. These are the ones who will be in school. Assume the careful ones will stay virtual.
I do think this is true. Anecdotally, the families I know who are skiing in Colorado or at Disney or the Caribbean chose hybrid. Everyone I know who chose DL stayed home. I’m sure that’s not universal. But it was among the people I know.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Wow. 19 cases in a preschool. That IS significant. How can that be if they are staying 6 feet and wearing masks?
THEY ARENT, welcome to what teachers have been saying for months. Mitigation does not work once you have too many kids to meaningfully monitor it constantly.
pretty sure our elementary teachers aren't changing diapers and putting our kids down for naps, etc...
Nope, we will be in close proximity to help with a math problem, help with the proper way to hold a pencil or scissors, or view an unknown word from a book, just to name a few.
DP. But you’ve already told us you won’t be, that hybrid will be a terrible environment specifically because you won’t be allowed to do those things. Which is it?
Different teacher. I’m not elementary but I can say 100-% I’m not going to a kids desk and they’re not coming to mine in school. I’m not breaking that 6 feet because if I do and later get CoVID, they’ll claim I couldn’t have gotten it at school since the 6 foot protocol exists.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Look you need to stop looking at a Facebook parent group as if they have any power, they can’t make up any conditions of employment but to answer your question, no I do not trust all my fellow staff to be safe and wear masks faithfully. Plenty of teachers are living life as usual, traveling, lax with masks. They’re the ones least worried about going back but yeah we all have to work with them even when we are really careful.
Correct. I teach with a team of much younger teachers and they are taking risks with travel and going out that make me extremely uncomfortable. I don’t feel lie I can work closely with them with their behavior and doing so puts mr at risk. Not to mention the kids aspect.
I'm a parent and I don't trust the other families. So many are traveling, allowing kids into each others homes to hang out unmasked. These are the ones who will be in school. Assume the careful ones will stay virtual.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Wow. 19 cases in a preschool. That IS significant. How can that be if they are staying 6 feet and wearing masks?
Sigh. Because "six feet and masks" HELPS, but is far from 100%. They are not a magic wand.
Prolonged indoor gatherings are unsafe, period.