Parents, will you send your kids back to school in the fall?

[YadaYadaYada]

@natasha-cupcake, I'm so sorry, it really is a nightmare and Lamont stinks as an authority figure. He just can't stick to anything he says. Embarrassing really.

 

[Slickk]

We are awaiting our district’s reopening plan to be released today.

 

[asscherisme]

My daughter's school district announced they will open and do in person classes. Meanwhile the school districts around us have announced online learning. So our school district just announced they will delay the opening of school for at least 2 weeks- no online learning, just already chopping 2 weeks off the school year while they "fine tune" plans. So, the kids are already losing two weeks of learning.

I have a friend on the school board who told me that 80 teachers and staff members at my daughter's school are refusing to work in person and that is causing chaos right now.

I hope they go with online because cases are rising fast where I live. I am sure if my daughter goes back in person she and I will get Covid. I have a pre-existing health condition that means if I get it, I am more likely to have severe consequences. She gets sick easily even though she is healthy. She gets the flu every year even with a flu shot.

I am going to update my will next week prior to sending my daughter to school.

Meanwhile, my son is suppose to leave in two weeks for the dorms for his freshman year of college. I am not thrilled about it. He is scared too but he is going.

I feel so bad for teachers and school staff.

This is such a mess.

 

[LLJsmom]

My high schooler will be learning remotely fall semester. My college student has also elected to learn remotely for the fall.

 

[LemonMoonLex]

I've always NOT wanted kids but I've never been happier that I didn't have kids.

I read that many are now foregoing kids because of C19.
Good idea!

Ive actually noticed the opposite in that it seems like "doing the dirty laundry" has become everyone's favorite covid hobby


Hence all of the new baby products and onsies titled "Well played corona virus, well played..."

Also I feel privileged to have children during this time whom I can choose to stay home with and teach.

Staying home with her is a gift and I'm not the only one teaching, children are great teachers as well. Humility, patience, compassion, & empathy are only a few that caring for a little one can bring.

I wouldn't have it any other way & will feel incredibly blessed when I get to carry another.

A sense of family and purpose during hard times can make all the difference & for me it does.

 

[rainydaze]

My kids will learn remotely. Our school is offering remote or in-person. The board has been working their tails off to try and address every little nuance of in-person procedures, with a bit less focus on remote. They are short-sightedly trying to hold on to "doing what they do best, in-person learning", placing much greater focus on how to accomplish that. I hate to say it, but I think it will all be moot in a very short amount of time.

Despite all of their incredible efforts, all I see for the upcoming year is turbulence regardless of which option is chosen. We are trying to enroll our kids in a virtual program. I believe it will offer more stability. To me, that offers more benefits during this time than sending them in would offer.

I think the benefits of in-person learning will be greatly reduced by the worry about exposure, all of the changes, and varying viewpoints causing who-knows-what discord amongst the parents, staff, and students. These things will inevitably lead to stress, anxiety, distraction, etc. for both students and teachers. That is not an optimum learning environment; it's time to stop holding that up as the goal.

I realize we are fortunate to be able to choose a remote option. I feel for anyone who wants to choose remote but cannot, and I understand these needs must be addressed. I wish the focus were more on a comprehensive remote program for anyone who can (regardless of if they want to or not), and a viable option for those that need to send their children in, whether it is because their child has needs that cannot be met with remote learning or because they cannot be home with their child.

 

[Slickk]

We are going back hybrid because we just don’t have the footprint to social distance otherwise. I am still trying to process the plan and digest... The plan is ~67 pages long!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@rainydaze, our kids will be remote as well. I plan to supplement our six year old's work with paper and pencil work. He needs more actual writing practice not moving things around with his finger on an IPad.

I agree that even if kids start out the year in person it will probably be short lived.

 

[collier]

My kids school is doing elearning, either at home or for those who chose in person. So if you send your kid to school they sit at a desk with their mask on and a plexiglass surround working on a computer. All instruction is online.

 

[asscherisme]

Update and good news: My daughter's school district emailed this morning to say that they are reversing course on in person learning due to increasing Covid cases in my area and school will start online.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Sorry, have to vent a little.
Just floored and I admit, disgusted.
I know that this has already been said, but I have to say it again.
Some neighbors having a birthday party for one of the toddler grandkids...there have to be at least twenty cars/trucks up and down the street of extended family/friends; bouncy houses and the works in the back yard and NO MASKS.
How are we going to open school safely when so many are unwilling to continue to social distance in my town? What's the point of wearing the mask in school when they're likely being infected at home and bringing it in with them?
I don't see how this is going to work when not everyone will sacrifice for the greater good. My district is allowing a choice between in person/online instruction. We as a family have the luxury of opting for online instruction.
What of all the children who must return for in person instruction because of circumstance? What of them? They deserve to be safe in school as well. I am so angry that these kids are being put at more risk than is already present. These are our kids! ALL of them!

 

[Babyblue033]

My district finally released their plans for Sept. For most, they'll do a hybrid, 2-3 days alternating in person and remote, but parents have the option to do full remote if they choose. But the kindergarten, which is where my son will be, will be in class every day. Again, option to do remote if they choose, but I'm not sure if that actually is providing options at all. I get that remote learning with kids that young that are starting school for the first time is nearly impossible, but I feel totally conflicted about it.

At least, masks will be mandatory, with physical barriers in class and "mask breaks" so that kids don't have to wear them all day. Again, conflicted.

 

[OdetteOdile]

One of my friends just showed me this link from the NY Times. You can put in your county and it will estimate how many infected people are likely to arrive if school started today.

The Risk That Students Could Arrive at School With the Coronavirus (Published 2020)

New estimates show that large parts of the country would likely see infected students if classrooms opened now.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Slickk]

You know...if the school administration can’t even meet in person to discuss reopening (even with the entire district of buildings available for use) then we should not be going back! Talk about hypocritical.

My colleagues are purchasing N95 masks, surgical gowns, shields and gloves. We have no AC is the classrooms. How will this work?! It gets very hot in my 3rd floor classroom and there is no air circulation.

What if I am exposed to Covid by a student or colleague and have to quarantine, am I using my own sick days that I have been conscientiously and carefully accumulating for retirement?!

What about regular run-of-the-mill illnesses? Will I be forced to stay home for the cold that I inevitably get every September because it could be Covid?

\rant

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@Slick1 what grades do you teach?

Off topic but I'm shocked there is no AC. In my day (hehe a zillion years ago) we didn't have AC but I thought every school had them these days because you cannot allow all the precious pookums to get hot. I'm pretty sure it's all part of the government funding to install AC.

Mind you we are in Australia and it's VERY hot so may just be a climate thing.

 

[Slickk]

@mellowyellowgirl I teach 7th graders in NY. The only classrooms with AC are the ones with students that medically require them. I’m hoping one of mine will need it!! But then again, doesn’t AC and closed spaces spread it?The windows are useless.

 

[Arcadian]

Even more so I feel for educators. Gosh, I want tosocially distance e-hug them all right now. Some of my neighbors have interrated how much they miss seeing their kids and in person teaching.

And unfortunately there's so many kids that need in person instruction for a number of reasons. Hate to say it but some school districts have not set up their distance learning to be ADA Compliant with ADA Title II and Section 504, which can cause some to fall further behind.

I'm not all the way familar with zoom, but seems to me in more ways than one it does not pass the sniff test.

Districts should be using something way more secure. Yes I'm going to say it, they should be using Microsoft Teams, which will cover ADA Compliance as well as be more secure for students.

Again, I don't think there's any one answer to this as there are lots of counties struggling with this. Covid is a huge moving target.

 

[Matata]

Something lighthearted. Gotta love this guy.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Here is a new twist, something I didn't think we would have to worry about.

Our older son is friends with a girl and he has been texting her throughout the summer, they both enjoy Pokémon and they have driven by and we've had some socially distanced visits. She is on the spectrum and high functioning, I only mention this to possibly explain the following behavior.

She has been texting our son almost to the point of harassment since she found out he is distance learning. Apparently her mother called the school to have certain students in her cohort and our son and another girl were her top choices but both are distance learning. Her mother has offered to drive our son back and forth to school. However transportation is not the issue, she knows that, he has told her "my parents don't want me going back to school" and she ignores him. Today alone she sent a huge four paragraph text making another push for him to go and asking him to get back to her. Then she sent another text and another..."have you talked to your parents yet?" "My mom wants to know".

I am just really annoyed at this but I'm trying to be cognizant that this girl obviously is concerned about not having friends at school, that's understandable. However her mother is another thing. I'm on unemployment because I am high risk due to my weight, DH is overweight, high blood pressure and diabetic, this is not a choice for us.

Sorry, maybe this is a cent more than anything but is anyone else dealing with peer pressure like this? As if we don't have enough to worry about

 

[Tartansparkles]

Our kids have been back for two weeks now. They both settled remarkably well back into the school routine. They are at secondary school and instead of 45min lessons they are doubling up with 90min lessons which cuts down on movement across the school. They use hand sanitizer on entry and exit of each class. They are given wipes to clean the their desk before the class starts. The classroom windows are kept open. At lunchtime each group is given a designated area to minimise mixing. One problem has been movement along corridors and stairwells so masks will be mandatory from Monday, but only in communal areas, not classrooms. So far, so good. There have been instances of covid in schools and in those cases they are isolating on a class by class basis. Our situation re virus numbers is obviously different at the moment but hopefully this offers some hope that the situation can improve.

@YadaYadaYada sorry you are experiencing problems with your son's friend. My own daughter has high functioning autism so I can understand the intensity of the attention your son is receiving.

 

[lissyflo]

Our kids have been back for two weeks now. They both settled remarkably well back into the school routine. They are at secondary school and instead of 45min lessons they are doubling up with 90min lessons which cuts down on movement across the school. They use hand sanitizer on entry and exit of each class. They are given wipes to clean the their desk before the class starts. The classroom windows are kept open. At lunchtime each group is given a designated area to minimise mixing. One problem has been movement along corridors and stairwells so masks will be mandatory from Monday, but only in communal areas, not classrooms. So far, so good. There have been instances of covid in schools and in those cases they are isolating on a class by class basis. Our situation re virus numbers is obviously different at the moment but hopefully this offers some hope that the situation can improve.

@YadaYadaYada sorry you are experiencing problems with your son's friend. My own daughter has high functioning autism so I can understand the intensity of the attention your son is receiving.

I'm glad everything is going well with the return to school in Scotland @Tartansparkles . The set-up sounds very similar to what our school is planning for return next week, with the exception of the dining hall being in use by only one year group at a time and sanitised in between each group (my son is the slowest eater ever and will have the shock of his life about how little time they'll have to turn around lunch!) . And a big thank you to Nicola Sturgeon for bumping BoJo into making masks compulsory in corridors. One way systems around the school site are all well and good, but masks on whilst manoeuvring it are even better.

How is your son feeling about the attention @YadaYadaYada ? As long as he's okay, I'd be tempted to send a non-committal reply along the lines that his decision is committed now and he understands your family's reasoning and is comfortable with the decision but will miss seeing his friend in person.

 

[Slickk]

My NYC suburb district just went remote until late September to the chagrin of the parents.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@Tartansparkles, yes she is a little intense, that's a good way of putting it and you know, I get it, both her and my son were bullied relentlessly. I'm sure she is panicked that her actual friends won't be there to help her. I'm sure it is very scary to go back to that environment.

@lissyflo, he doesn't seem bothered but is hard to tell with a 13 year old boy, they are not the best at expressing themselves. I told him to just address it one more time and then tell her you don't want to talk about it anymore. Then move on to fun stuff, I think tomorrow there is a big Pokémon event so maybe that will be a good distraction.

@Slick1, I'm so glad that at least buys you some time. Maybe when they see an uptick in cases in our neighboring state after being open a few weeks they will extend it. Fingers crossed! We are remote until January at least.

 

[alene]

I was all set on sending my kids back to school, but the school just decided to do a gradual phase in, so that PreK will be starting first, then K a week later and so on, with middle and high school not starting till October. Even when they go back, it’ll be two days a. week only, the rest will be remote. I feel pretty confident that the school will be able to minimize the risk, the kids will be in groups of 12, with no interaction between classes and social distancing maintained within the class. The younger grades have plastic shields installed around each desk. As long as the infection rate stays very low, to me it’s the risk I’m willing to take for the sake of their mental health. Now most of my friends with kids in public schools here (NYC) are opting for remote learning only. I would’ve likely done the same as it sounds like they simply don’t have clear plans or resources for the hybrid model.