OT: For the Parents & Educators: What is Happening in the Fall?

[mavic1010]

So with one going into Jr HS and another entering HS, we’ve decided to send the Jr HS one to purely online schooling, partially because of COVID, but more so for other reasons. The HS one will have the option of Hybrid (2 days at school, 3 days online), or strictly online. The Jr HS is a private school, and the HS is a public school.

The more frightening thing is the OC Board of Ed will not be requiring masks as its not based on science and could be potentially harmful, in addition, social distancing being deemed as “unacceptable”.

We were strongly moving towards a hybrid model for the older one, but without enforcement of masks and the school unable to enforce due to the board’s recommendations, we may have to do the online option which I didn’t want to do since this will be her freshman year.

[akelman]

I worry that, as so often happens, we inverted our priorities. Rather than focusing on opening schools safely in the fall, we decided to open restaurants and bars and gyms and other crowded, indoor facilities where people either can't or won't wear masks. Now, the rate of infection is through the roof in many parts of the country that were, as recently as a month ago, in relatively decent shape. I'm not sure we can put that genie back in the bottle. I sure hope so, because kids, particularly kids from lower-income backgrounds, really need to be in school for social and pedagogical reasons (and for a host of other reasons as well).

[paredown]

^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^

Friends who teach at Pace are telling me that the administrators are planning to reopen for on-campus teaching for Fall, but there is much confusion and pushback--Deans and faculty in particular are not happy with the plans being for forward--not least because of the problem of suitable classrooms once you try to distance.

There was a very early Op-Ed article (2 months ago?) in the NYTimes from the President of Brown University calling for return for the fall--and a great counter article from someone who teaches at CUNY, essentially pointing out that a good part of the imaginings of the Brown Prez would not work/are not feasible on an older/poorer campus (which many of the CUNYs are) with antique air handling, old fashioned locking doors, small classrooms etc.

And where the rubber meets the road is--can we expect hormonal adolescents to observe reasonable precautions regarding distancing and hygiene--and having witnessed up close and personal, my answer would he a hard no.

I'm glad I'm no longer in the game...

[David in Maine]

I'm an elementary music teacher here in Maine. Maine is doing pretty well lately, but the steady growth of tourism might change that. Our students ended the year a week early, so teachers could have some technology training and make plans. We had to plan for 3 scenarios--in person, distance, and hybrid. The state DOE will make a decision for the whole state, but individual districts will work out the details. Recent comments from the commissioner leave me feeling pessimistic about in-person school--the cost of PPE, extra busses and staff etc. to do safe instruction might be too much (expecting federal aid seems hopeless) for the state to manage. As a music teacher for little kids, virtual instruction has been pretty difficult to pull off in a meaningful way. It's been a depressing time. I don't know if and when group singing can return and that is especially troubling. Glad I got my new Seven in the Fall before all of this!

David

This teacher on F-book puts words to many of my feelings: https://www.facebook.com/notes/mitch...7250583027621/

[unterhausen]

Penn State seems to be going with the model of "business as usual until Thanksgiving." I think that might work, except PSU is a drinking school with a football problem. If they manage to close down gyms and bars, it will be a lot better. The bars here were the first thing to reopen though.

Penn State pays bars to stay closed on State Paddy's day and Saint Patrick's day. So paying bars to be closed is possible.

They would also have to ban frat parties, which they should do anyway.

Like the rest of higher ed, Penn State has moved rapidly to huge classes. And even then the classrooms are overcrowded. So that's not good. OTOH, online is not all that much worse than a class with 150 people in it where the prof can't see the people in the back.

[twolve]

2nd grade teacher at a private school in California here. Right now, we are planning for the three scenarios listed above, all at home, all on campus, and a hybrid model. So far, all our planning has been for on all on campus learning, and we will start thinking of hybrid next (which is the most tricky for me to plan). I'm fortunate that I am young and don't have a lot of the risk factors, but it will be a lot of sacrifice not being able to visit my elderly grandma or relatives. I certainly feel for public school teachers mandated to be back; as teachers we sign up to make sacrifices, but not martyrs. I also certainly agree that the biggest benefits of schools are being together and developing a healthy social life, so whatever we can do to get kids on campus together is good. I think my school is going to split classes into groups of about 12-16. I'll have group 1 on Monday and Wednesday, group 2 on Tuesday and Thursday, while a subject teacher has them on the opposite days. Classes will predominately be held outside, if not solely outside. I am all planning my curriculum in regards to what is best for learning at school, and what works best at home, as I am fairly certain at least some of our school be distance learning this year.

I'm also watching the news and rising cases and deaths, and becoming very saddened and disheartened.

[pdmtong]

As important as the opening plans will be the response plan when the inevitable occurs.

I have scene the basic three scenario proposals but no mention of the response when a student or faculty member tests positive. The unfortunate individual goes into two week quarantine?

[Bruce K]

I think this could have been discussed without the political stuff

Too many unknowns and it is very much a fluid situation.

We should be able to discuss the OPs question from a family/educator/administrator standpoint.

Thanks

BK

[unterhausen]

Penn State has a large hotel that they are going to use for quarantine. The thing that I am somewhat concerned about is testing. No indication thus far that they are planning an extensive testing regimen, which is certainly a necessity.

My only dealings nowadays are with grad students. Grad students come in if they are very sick. Hoping we can change that in our lab.

The first Penn State student died from covid this week. Hate to think of how many people he infected.

[DeBike]

In Delaware, the scheduled start for ELHI is Sept. 8th. That is in no way a definite. I believe the next 2 weeks after this 4th of July weekend is going to be critical in forthcoming decisions regarding of the starting of the school year in most areas of the USA. Here at the beach area of Delmarva, Covid has begun to spike, phase 3 of reopening has been put on hold, some businesses have been closed again, limits kept in place or increased or increased in others, and most areas now require a mask anywhere out in public.

I can ride my bike maskless in rural, uncrowded areas, but if I ride into the beach areas or state parks, I have to put a mask on. It is looking likely that more stringent restrictions are soon to follow.

[rallizes]

at this point planning for the fall is impossible

[OtayBW]

Originally Posted by akelman

I worry that, as so often happens, we inverted our priorities. Rather than focusing on opening schools safely in the fall, we decided to open restaurants and bars and gyms and other crowded, indoor facilities where people either can't or won't wear masks. Now, the rate of infection is through the roof in many parts of the country that were, as recently as a month ago, in relatively decent shape. I'm not sure we can put that genie back in the bottle. I sure hope so, because kids, particularly kids from lower-income backgrounds, really need to be in school for social and pedagogical reasons (and for a host of other reasons as well).

Good point!

[AngryScientist]

In NJ, the governor has said that in-person learning WILL be a thing, and all districts must offer some form of in-person learning.

They put out a set of mandatory guidelines that each district must figure out how to implement and meet or exceed the guidelines. Districts must submit their plans for approval at least 1 month prior to opening, which means very early August, which gives them roughly a month to pull something together.

I'm expecting to hear about a modified schedule, maybe a 3-day rotation, perhaps morning and afternoon sessions.

The governor's guidance also very specifically states that if anyone is uncomfortable going back to in-person school, they will not be required to, that goes for staff and students. The intent is to not force someone in the high risk group into a higher risk situation.

Of course that presents ALL sorts of problems for each district to manage on their own.

The larger piece of the puzzle is that many parents relied on before and after care so they could go to work and have someone to look after the kids for the full work day. those things are almost certainly going away, and modified schedules is going to present a logistics nightmare for any working parents.

I think anything done to socially distance the kids is going to wind up being largely short circuited as the before and after school activities and childcare situations are going to mingle them and expose each other, no matter how good the intent.

Everything is intermingled to some degree and there is a lot to unwrap, but none of it can be looked at in a vacuum as the knock on effects of one decision can't be ignored.

i want nothing more than to see my kids back in a good learning environment, able to play, socialize and mingle with their friends and feel safe going to school, but unfortunately under even the most optimistic views of how this is going to go, that reality is pretty far off.

[mhespenheide]

Originally Posted by akelman

I worry that, as so often happens, we inverted our priorities. Rather than focusing on opening schools safely in the fall, we decided to open restaurants and bars and gyms and other crowded, indoor facilities where people either can't or won't wear masks. Now, the rate of infection is through the roof in many parts of the country that were, as recently as a month ago, in relatively decent shape. I'm not sure we can put that genie back in the bottle. I sure hope so, because kids, particularly kids from lower-income backgrounds, really need to be in school for social and pedagogical reasons (and for a host of other reasons as well).

Exactly. That's what I was alluding to in my earlier comments. It's depressing to look abroad and see other countries have far greater success with controlling the outbreak of CoVID-19, while watching the US largely flounder.

As the author of the facebook article points out, teachers have long gotten the shaft in ways large and small up until this point. Mandating a health risk is going to push some of them past the breaking point. As a profession, we're largely made up of people who want to make a difference in the world and are tolerant of being asked to make sacrifices; I don't want to be a martyr to someone else's ideas about the importance of a haircut, or having a drink in a bar. Worse, I don't want to risk the health of my 9-month old, because he doesn't have much of an immune system yet.

My wife and I have been correspondingly careful for months, but coming back into contact with students, and then those students being in contact with their families who may or may not be being careful in the larger community, a day care provider for my son, and any contacts he or she might have with the larger community...

Let's throw some numbers out there, because I like quantitative reasoning. We'll say for the sake of argument that there's a 2% infection rate. That's a 98% that any single person is not infected. If you come in contact with two people, the chance that both of them are not infected is (0.98)(0.98). Three people? (0.98)(0.98)(0.98). And so on. But this is an exponential decay curve; you only need to be in contact with 80 people to get a 50% chance that at least one person is infected. With a small school, like mine, let's say 300 people, there's less than 1% chance that no one's infected.

Now that's a pretty simple analysis, but as a basic point it stands. Worse, I'm teaching at a small independent (read "private") school; I don't know that we'd survive, financially, opening remotely. Very few parents would want to sign up to pay for that. So the administration is pushing to open in-person at the end of August, even with the commensurate risks.

[joosttx]

My nephew and my cousin’s two kids have been diagnosed with Covid this week. The nephew’s Dad is obese in his early 60s, prediabetic, and suffers from high blood pressure. He hung out with him on Sunday. My cousins husband is a golf pro and now has to quarantine during the busiest part of his year. If infected he could lose a month out of the three months he really makes his dough. Wear a mask, social distance, wash hands.