AISD's (and other districts) Plans for Schools Starting August 18

[hayden_horn 11362]

11 minutes ago, Gene Parmesan said:

The zoom sessions were nothing more than show and tell for my kids.  Any actual concepts being taught were done through youtube or some other online video.  My kids would watch and me or the wife would have to explain it to them.  Why weren't the teachers just doing that via zoom?

i'm with you on your question, but i'm also willing to give a bit of a pass for being caught out in the spring. what i'm increasingly frustrated by is the being caught out again in the fall. look, you've already closed up schools once for this thing. you might have should have already had a plan in place for mass remote learning, but whatever, you didn't. but you should have one now, and that's what i do not understand. i could probably spend a couple of hours mapping out a workable school week for remote students. hell, i took a shot at it in five minutes above. i mean, my kids basically had two classes a day, for four days a week in the spring - that's a joke. but i get it.

first period, 9am - 9:50am. 

second period 10am - 10:50am

third period 11am - 11:50am 

and so on. mix in mandatory one-on-ones in afternoons so kids can show their work or ask questions about it, so i don't have to fucking google every goddamn thing and even then, guess how you want the work to be done. i'm willing to help and support, and my wife is a teacher, but it's been ages since i was in middle school.

use zoom (or whatever) for instruction, with teachers who have been trained to use the platform to its full potential and using blend to distribute remote schoolwork. map it out and show us what it looks like. it can be done. why is it not yet done?

[RexWilson 1346]

Round Rock said they got about 25k parent surveys returned. It was close to a 50/50 split on would send kids to school or do virtual. Google classroom wont be the main platform now. Schoology will be the new thing.

[atomheartbevo 89656]

1 hour ago, Samson's Wig said:

I don't blame them for their take, and it may well be the right thing to do, but Education Austin doesn't really have any influence at all, do they?

No influence on this.  It's school board/TEA.

[Samson's Wig 3192]

Those of you thinking Zoom is the answer must have older kids or the rare kid who just takes to it.  For most elementary aged kids, 180 minutes per day (TEA's requirement for attendance) on a Zoom call will never fucking happen.  It's a complete shit show for the most part, regardless of duration, with kids barely paying attention, some kids causing perpetual distractions, and the teachers just kind of holding on and hoping for the best.  There is no way to functionally convey a lesson to 20+ young kids on a zoom call.  I can see where it might work for middle and high school.  

Expecting elementary kids to sit in front of that crap for 3+ hours a day is not going to work.  And what are the schools going to do if they're not present for those three hours?  Send truancy officers to your house?  My daughter with visual disabilities and dyslexia can barely handle a half hour on zoom before she loses her shit.   I won't force her to do so.  My son is clever (too clever for his own good) enough to recognize it for the waste of time it is, so he won't be on zoom calls for three hours a day unless my wife or I are sitting right there making him do it.  I don't want to force him to waste his time on something that he derives zero benefit from either.   It's an insane way to approach this for younger kids. 

 

[Red Six 131]

45 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

Those of you thinking Zoom is the answer must have older kids or the rare kid who just takes to it.  For most elementary aged kids, 180 minutes per day (TEA's requirement for attendance) on a Zoom call will never fucking happen.  It's a complete shit show for the most part, regardless of duration, with kids barely paying attention, some kids causing perpetual distractions, and the teachers just kind of holding on and hoping for the best.  There is no way to functionally convey a lesson to 20+ young kids on a zoom call.  I can see where it might work for middle and high school.  

Expecting elementary kids to sit in front of that crap for 3+ hours a day is not going to work.  And what are the schools going to do if they're not present for those three hours?  Send truancy officers to your house?  My daughter with visual disabilities and dyslexia can barely handle a half hour on zoom before she loses her shit.   I won't force her to do so.  My son is clever (too clever for his own good) enough to recognize it for the waste of time it is, so he won't be on zoom calls for three hours a day unless my wife or I are sitting right there making him do it.  I don't want to force him to waste his time on something that he derives zero benefit from either.   It's an insane way to approach this for younger kids. 

 

This is a BIG issue that's kind of been lost in all of this. How do you implement 504/IDEA/whatever plans when there is distance learning? I don't know what kind of accommodation your daughter receives, but I can guess that she's not getting it. Does every kid receiving special services need an ARD for distance learning? It's a logistical nightmare.

Eanes' original plan basically said, "We're going to do F2F and online, but we're going to socially distance the school. We're giving F2F priority to kids who need it, like those with in-person accommodations, low SES, ESL, and children of our staff. May not be enough room for your kids. Sorry, Chad and Karen." So you weren't necessarily stuck with having to decide to send your kids to an overcrowded petri dish or not receive services. I do think that a district like Eanes (well-to-do, single high school, loses a lot to recapture) may have the clout to tell TEA to pound sand, and maybe they will follow through with their original plan.

[Hefeweizen 5320]

7 hours ago, Anastasis said:

They gonna bus brown kids from demographics with lowest ses and highest covid rates into casis and bryker woods? Popcorn. 

Yes please.  Can’t wait.gif

 

My wife and I talked about it and decided to go with the remote for both our high schoolers.  We’re lucky because she taught and can supplement and/or teach them and I can work on Calculus, Chem, and physics with them.  I just think schools are going to be a shit show.  We’re in Eanes.

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

4 hours ago, Gene Parmesan said:

The zoom sessions were nothing more than show and tell for my kids.  Any actual concepts being taught were done through youtube or some other online video.  My kids would watch and me or the wife would have to explain it to them.  Why weren't the teachers just doing that via zoom?

It's a pain in the ass keeping 25 kids attention when you are in the room with them walking around and can see if they are watching or on their phone or whatever.  It's not any easier when all you see is their face on a 1 inch square (assuming they turn their camera on). I know because Ive been on a ton of video conferences and am always goofing off.

[CooterBrown 18007]

Talked to a friend at AISD today. The plan if a kid tests positive is that there’s no plan and there’s zero direction from TEA. TEA suggested they move them into a separate room with a teacher. The joke is that the principal gets to “condemn” a teacher as dead man walking.

TEA actually asked for a copy of AISD’s plan to use as a blueprint since they don’t have one of their own.

[Guest Lobo]

I mean, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway are opening up schools.  Why can't we model their plan?  We have fewer new cases/deaths per day than they do.  Why is this do difficult? 

[gsoda3 3256]

PfISD just sent out an email to admin, they're providing teachers and staff with 1 reusable mask. Students have to provide their own. For the entire year.

[XYZ 2154]

The ineptitude of government bureaucrats is comical and tragic at the same time.

[irishtexan 11518]

1 hour ago, XYZ said:

The ineptitude of government bureaucrats is comical and tragic at the same time.

What would you do? Serious question.  I think this has been handled poorly but at the same time how do you prepare for something when the variables are constantly shifting? What are the answers? I’d love to hear the strategic plans from all the armchair epidemiologists that protect both the student and the teachers. 

[ZB'Tejas 593]

10 hours ago, irishtexan said:

What would you do? Serious question.  I think this has been handled poorly but at the same time how do you prepare for something when the variables are constantly shifting? What are the answers? I’d love to hear the strategic plans from all the armchair epidemiologists that protect both the student and the teachers. 

I normally just turn on Disney+ in Spanish to feel better about the learning opportunity I'm providing.

 

In all seriousness though I'm not sure how you can adequately navigate the current situation. I'm not for kids missing out on a year of proper education and instead trying to unnaturally force things to happen online but I totally understand the risks of putting kids in classes to parents, teachers and friends. I really don't think (especially at the younger grades) limiting capacity will do that much good since kids are inherently nasty and will spread this things to each other, then they will take it home. And if you are not allowing them to be in class M-F then the days they are home their will be even more exposure since they are going to team up with a different set of kids in learning pods or go to some other child care situation.

Edited July 9, 2020 by ZB'Tejas

[Fuck Tim Beck 3815]

Killeen ISD is still having their principals and assistant principals academy next week in person.  Over 300 people at the convention center. Masks are "recommended" and they are not screening temps before entry. 

[mdmost 43001]

Dallas ISD might push back the school start date to September. Smart as I never knew why going to school when it's 100 degrees was a good idea to begin with. Also the Superintendent is saying high school football is doubtful for the fall. 

 

Edited July 9, 2020 by mdmost

[Gardner Barnes 1562]

Dallas ISD might push back the school start date to September. Smart as I never knew why going to school when it's 100 degrees was a good idea to begin with. Also the Superintendent is saying high school football is doubtful for the fall. 
 

The start delay is smart. Unfortunately The people in power in this state will make sure that HS football is the very last thing cut.

[mchookem 16330]

i have never been more grateful that i don't have school-aged children. all of you parents and educators and spouses of educators have my deepest sympathies...i can't imagine what this must be like.

i'm so sorry y'all are having to navigate this dangerous minefield. i don't even have any idea on how this could be made better 😕😞 good luck and godspeed ❤

[atomheartbevo 89656]

11 hours ago, irishtexan said:

What would you do? Serious question.  I think this has been handled poorly but at the same time how do you prepare for something when the variables are constantly shifting? What are the answers? I’d love to hear the strategic plans from all the armchair epidemiologists that protect both the student and the teachers. 

They have to come up with something fast.  The Secretary of Education stated this week that this is all fearmongering, and she and the President are publicly threatening to withhold money from schools and states that don’t open the way they want them to open.  Why they are doing this, and whether they can, that is for CR, but it’s adding another dimension to how this is going to happen.

A lot of districts are still waiting on their survey data as well.    It’s a lot easier knowing how many parents are keeping kids home.  I hear some districts are hiring teachers just for online stuff - if they can figure out what experience they need for that, will improve the online stuff a lot.

Speaking of online, a lot of districts are still solidifying what online platform they are going to use.  We saw different schools in AISD using different platforms, and that was rough as they figured out what was best.    

The only good is that it’s the summer, and not say Christmas break where they are resetting and figuring things out.   

[Samson's Wig 3192]

They really need to do a new survey, as the last one went out when things were still looking fairly rosy.  Since that last survey, everything has gone to shit again.  There's no way they get the same response if they do it again now.  I believe in AISD it was roughly 50/50 on stay home and go to school (although their survey included "Go to school but with conditions" as a yes).  I'll bet the would only get around 25% responding that they want their kids in school if they polled again now.   And that would go a long way towards planning.  I believe they are planning to survey again a couple of weeks before school starts, which makes sense, but given how much has changed on the ground since the original survey it makes sense to retake the pulse of parents again now, in my opinion. 

The state, and those unnamed federal forces influencing their decision making, can eat a bag of dicks.  Morath, et al, have shown that money and politics are at the forefront of their decision making rather than what's best for the kids, teachers, and parents.  Holding districts to arbitrary online attendance standards by way of holding funding hostage should be criminal in a crisis like this.  And the STAAR test insistence is nothing more than ensuring the money keeps flowing to ETS so that bureaucrats and politicians get their cut.   The whole thing is disgusting, and if a sizable amount of teachers quit before school starts (or even at winter break), you could see Texas public education crumble from being one of the worst in the country to being the absolute worst really quickly and for a long time.  Inexperienced emergency certified teachers trying to make things work in this environment would be a disaster, especially if it's in large numbers.  If those in charge disagree with the pressure being put on them from above (I doubt this and think they're happily in lockstep), then then they need to stand up for what's right and publicly disagree.  The long term consequences of missteps here are huge.  

[used2b 249]

TEA has told districts they won't fund students who choose remote learning who have transferred in from private or homeschooling. This isn't a district rule.

TEA has told districts they MUST accommodate students who want to come 5 days a week, effectively making schools create 3 separate tracks if they want to do a hybrid, which is very tough from a staffing/workload perspective and safe spacing.

They are pretty mum on closure protocols for infections in a school. Not sure if they waiting for CDC/Health Department.

The state has procured and allocated PPE to all districts. You can find that here: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/covid/covid19 20-21 PPE LEA Allotment_updated 6-18-20.xlsx

It's not just teachers who will be quitting if forced to go back with rates like this and the uncertainty, but also support staff, admin, food service, etc, with institutional knowledge.

There won't be subs so if your in-person teacher goes down, the class doesn't get taught. School becomes a babysitter.

Morath talks to supers in an hour. We will see what is said after Tuesday's shitshow announcements.

Edited July 9, 2020 by used2b

[4th&Five 41527]

just got this from Eanes:

Eanes ISD continues to make plans for fall 2020 and remains committed to implementing the Ready to Re-Engage (R2R) plan that protects staff and students while also providing an effective instructional program both in-building and remote. Over the past four months, our team has worked tirelessly to construct a flexible strategy that gives employees and families options. Due to the need for planning, staffing and building master schedules, we did not have time to wait for the Texas Education Agency’s guidance, which has been intermittent and sometimes inconsistent with counsel from other organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
 
Tuesday’s announcement from the TEA is disappointing because it does not balance student needs with staff concerns as well as constraints placed on the local school district. Nonetheless, as we have done since the beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to adjust and move forward with the best solution possible. We have repeatedly said, the parameters which we are given are the parameters under which we will operate.

In recommending “on-campus instruction must be offered for all grades served by the campus every day for every student whose parents want them to access on-campus instruction,” TEA fails to acknowledge the wishes of both staff and community, nor does it recognize how essentially eliminating social distancing in classrooms could profoundly affect the health of adults in our schools. This guideline disregards teachers and staff, who may prefer to work remotely in the fall, and jeopardizes the health and safety of those who choose to work in the building.
 
Our efforts to collect staff and families’ choices for the fall were not in vain. After the options application closed Wednesday at 5 p.m., we began analyzing the data, particularly for staff responses and their willingness and ability to return to the building. While we intend to provide in-building instruction for any student selecting that option, TEA’s decision may have a significant effect on our ability to provide adequate staffing and manage class sizes, which eliminates any efforts to control social distancing.

As more information is released and we have time to analyze responses to the options application, we will keep families informed of any changes or adjustments to our R2R plan. We appreciate patience and understanding; we are doing the best we can in an ever-changing environment. We want schools to reopen – that is our job and our passion - but we must also be mindful of many variables, while keeping the health and safety of students, teachers and staff at the heart of everything we do.

[drt 638]

Goddamn. 

[Gardner Barnes 1562]

just got this from Eanes:

Eanes ISD continues to make plans for fall 2020 and remains committed to implementing the Ready to Re-Engage (R2R) plan that protects staff and students while also providing an effective instructional program both in-building and remote. Over the past four months, our team has worked tirelessly to construct a flexible strategy that gives employees and families options. Due to the need for planning, staffing and building master schedules, we did not have time to wait for the Texas Education Agency’s guidance, which has been intermittent and sometimes inconsistent with counsel from other organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

 

Tuesday’s announcement from the TEA is disappointing because it does not balance student needs with staff concerns as well as constraints placed on the local school district. Nonetheless, as we have done since the beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to adjust and move forward with the best solution possible. We have repeatedly said, the parameters which we are given are the parameters under which we will operate.

In recommending “on-campus instruction must be offered for all grades served by the campus every day for every student whose parents want them to access on-campus instruction,” TEA fails to acknowledge the wishes of both staff and community, nor does it recognize how essentially eliminating social distancing in classrooms could profoundly affect the health of adults in our schools. This guideline disregards teachers and staff, who may prefer to work remotely in the fall, and jeopardizes the health and safety of those who choose to work in the building.

 

Our efforts to collect staff and families’ choices for the fall were not in vain. After the options application closed Wednesday at 5 p.m., we began analyzing the data, particularly for staff responses and their willingness and ability to return to the building. While we intend to provide in-building instruction for any student selecting that option, TEA’s decision may have a significant effect on our ability to provide adequate staffing and manage class sizes, which eliminates any efforts to control social distancing.

As more information is released and we have time to analyze responses to the options application, we will keep families informed of any changes or adjustments to our R2R plan. We appreciate patience and understanding; we are doing the best we can in an ever-changing environment. We want schools to reopen – that is our job and our passion - but we must also be mindful of many variables, while keeping the health and safety of students, teachers and staff at the heart of everything we do.

 

 

There will be staffing shortages if they are forced to go down this path. And there are very few qualified replacements out there at this point in the year.

 

I hope the parents bitching on next door and Facebook are prepared for that.

[austingirl 2191]

On 7/7/2020 at 11:03 PM, DaysOff said:

On 7/7/2020 at 10:33 PM, gsoda3 said:

they're allowed with the distinctions that collective bargaining and striking are not allowed. 

Then that's not a real union recognized by any labor relations board. There are no real teachers unions here.

 

On 7/7/2020 at 11:07 PM, RexWilson said:

Correct. They do not negotiate wages/benefits. They are just professional associations really. Your dues get you legal coverage and lobbyists for education issues with the state.

Ok yeah, this was my understanding - my husband's a teacher and is in one of these but it has never functioned as more than a standard professional organization. That's why I was confused.

 

[gsoda3 3256]

Ok yeah, this was my understanding - my husband's a teacher and is in one of these but it has never functioned as more than a standard professional organization. That's why I was confused.
 

They call themselves unions even if they don't fulfill all the traditional roles. That's why I was saying it really depends on the intent behind the question.

[CleverNickname 1308]

Funny thing about Eanes putting TEA on blast is that I bet many of the TEA and gubmint mucky-mucks have kids attending Eanes. 

[Red Six 131]

23 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

just got this from Eanes:

Eanes ISD continues to make plans for fall 2020 and remains committed to implementing the Ready to Re-Engage (R2R) plan that protects staff and students while also providing an effective instructional program both in-building and remote. Over the past four months, our team has worked tirelessly to construct a flexible strategy that gives employees and families options. Due to the need for planning, staffing and building master schedules, we did not have time to wait for the Texas Education Agency’s guidance, which has been intermittent and sometimes inconsistent with counsel from other organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
 
Tuesday’s announcement from the TEA is disappointing because it does not balance student needs with staff concerns as well as constraints placed on the local school district. Nonetheless, as we have done since the beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to adjust and move forward with the best solution possible. We have repeatedly said, the parameters which we are given are the parameters under which we will operate.

In recommending “on-campus instruction must be offered for all grades served by the campus every day for every student whose parents want them to access on-campus instruction,” TEA fails to acknowledge the wishes of both staff and community, nor does it recognize how essentially eliminating social distancing in classrooms could profoundly affect the health of adults in our schools. This guideline disregards teachers and staff, who may prefer to work remotely in the fall, and jeopardizes the health and safety of those who choose to work in the building.
 
Our efforts to collect staff and families’ choices for the fall were not in vain. After the options application closed Wednesday at 5 p.m., we began analyzing the data, particularly for staff responses and their willingness and ability to return to the building. While we intend to provide in-building instruction for any student selecting that option, TEA’s decision may have a significant effect on our ability to provide adequate staffing and manage class sizes, which eliminates any efforts to control social distancing.

As more information is released and we have time to analyze responses to the options application, we will keep families informed of any changes or adjustments to our R2R plan. We appreciate patience and understanding; we are doing the best we can in an ever-changing environment. We want schools to reopen – that is our job and our passion - but we must also be mindful of many variables, while keeping the health and safety of students, teachers and staff at the heart of everything we do.

Fort Bend ISD released a similar statement the other day.

Abbott should direct TEA to do what he did with regards to mask requirements -- allow districts to choose based upon their community's situation. Wink High School can probably handle going in-person without becoming a virus hotspot. Westlake High School... not so much.

El Paso ISD has said that their first three weeks are going to be entirely virtual, which puts them in the three-week onboarding grace period that TEA laid out.

Someone is going to have to be the first shoe that drops and tells TEA to eat it, and they are going to do what's best for their students, staff, and community. Like I said upthread, Eanes is a good candidate for that, especially in light of the fact that they already had a sound plan.

[Red Six 131]

6 minutes ago, CleverNickname said:

Funny thing about Eanes putting TEA on blast is that I bet many of the TEA and gubmint mucky-mucks have kids attending Eanes. 

Maybe mid-management. The real mucky-mucks' kids attend Regents and St. Andrews.

[used2b 249]

Good for Eanes. If they are concerned you can imagine how districts with fewer resources feel.

[atomheartbevo 89656]

1 hour ago, used2b said:

TEA has told districts they MUST accommodate students who want to come 5 days a week, effectively making schools create 3 separate tracks if they want to do a hybrid, which is very tough from a staffing/workload perspective and safe spacing.

Honestly, if your kid is going to be in school, and I am including my kids that we intend on sending back, I'd prefer they do 5 days a week.  The alternative, is that they are in school for 2-3 days a week, and then a shitload of kids are going to be dumped into daycares the other 2-3 days, meaning they are going to be exposed to a bunch of other kids, making them an amazing effective bridge for spreading covid.

At least if they are in school 5 days a week, they can be somewhat confined to being around a fairly small group (even if it's 10-15) and a limited environment, versus being around twice that number of kids (or more).

1 hour ago, used2b said:

They are pretty mum on closure protocols for infections in a school. Not sure if they waiting for CDC/Health Department.

Most likely they are trying to put this on the local/state health authorities which, arguably, is where it belongs.

[atomheartbevo 89656]

58 minutes ago, Gardner Barnes said:

I hope the parents bitching on next door and Facebook are prepared for that.

Many parents/Karens have not been prepared at all, based on the spring.  They honestly had no clue just how much effort is required dealing with their kids from 7:30 - 3:30 on the weekdays.  And the weekends, they probably left their kids to their devices in their rooms, or were trotting them around to various activities/sports.

[Gene Parmesan 4006]

2 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Honestly, if your kid is going to be in school, and I am including my kids that we intend on sending back, I'd prefer they do 5 days a week.  The alternative, is that they are in school for 2-3 days a week, and then a shitload of kids are going to be dumped into daycares the other 2-3 days, meaning they are going to be exposed to a bunch of other kids, making them an amazing effective bridge for spreading covid.

At least if they are in school 5 days a week, they can be somewhat confined to being around a fairly small group (even if it's 10-15) and a limited environment, versus being around twice that number of kids (or more).

Most likely they are trying to put this on the local/state health authorities which, arguably, is where it belongs.

Daycares don't have unlimited capacity.  I don't even think daycare would be an option for a lot even if the parents could afford it.

[atomheartbevo 89656]

1 minute ago, Gene Parmesan said:

Daycares don't have unlimited capacity.  I don't even think daycare would be an option for a lot even if the parents could afford it.

My point is that they are still a completely different group of individuals that the kids would be exposed to.

Kids go to school on Monday/Wednesday/Friday, and are around Kids 1-10 on those days, in Environment A, and in contact with Adult Caregivers 1-3.

Kids go to some kind of daycare on Tuesday/Thursday, and are around Kids 11-20 on those days, in Environment B, and in contact with Adult Caregivers 4-6.

And even if those numbers are reduced, they are still in contact with a lot more kids.

[used2b 249]

This issue with forcing daily on campus is the safety/spacing concerns for students and staff as referenced in the Eanes letter above.

[RexWilson 1346]

Round Rock sent out the employee survey. Your options were

1. Will be returning to campus

2. I am requesting a medical accommodation because of medically diagnosis that puts me at high risk.

3. I am requesting leave under FFCRA

4. I am requesting leave under FMLA

5. I am resigning

[atomheartbevo 89656]

UT's assessment of what the clusters will look like - and they think there will be kids showing up positive on the first day of school.

https://www.kxan.com/news/education/austins-top-doctor-expect-schools-to-have-covid-19-clusters-when-they-reopen/

 

[Fudge Nuggets 19190]

On 7/8/2020 at 1:27 PM, Samson's Wig said:

Those of you thinking Zoom is the answer must have older kids or the rare kid who just takes to it.  For most elementary aged kids, 180 minutes per day (TEA's requirement for attendance) on a Zoom call will never fucking happen.  It's a complete shit show for the most part, regardless of duration, with kids barely paying attention, some kids causing perpetual distractions, and the teachers just kind of holding on and hoping for the best.  There is no way to functionally convey a lesson to 20+ young kids on a zoom call.  I can see where it might work for middle and high school.  

Expecting elementary kids to sit in front of that crap for 3+ hours a day is not going to work.  And what are the schools going to do if they're not present for those three hours?  Send truancy officers to your house?  My daughter with visual disabilities and dyslexia can barely handle a half hour on zoom before she loses her shit.   I won't force her to do so.  My son is clever (too clever for his own good) enough to recognize it for the waste of time it is, so he won't be on zoom calls for three hours a day unless my wife or I are sitting right there making him do it.  I don't want to force him to waste his time on something that he derives zero benefit from either.   It's an insane way to approach this for younger kids. 

 

I waste several hours every day in useless Teams meetings so I know where you’re coming from.  Fortunately I can turn off the web cam, half ass listen in to the discussion and fuck off on here during most of that time.

[staboner 4969]

21 hours ago, irishtexan said:

What would you do? Serious question.  I think this has been handled poorly but at the same time how do you prepare for something when the variables are constantly shifting? What are the answers? I’d love to hear the strategic plans from all the armchair epidemiologists that protect both the student and the teachers. 

you need a wartime-like effort IMO. been calling for one down here where I live now for months now. But of course I am an armchair internet general ce'st la vie

Its been obv for months kids getting back to school would be the number one way to get the economy up and running, while also being obv for months its a disaster waiting to happen in its current state. I think you start an entirely new education wing and do some kind of repositioning of the workforce. Get service folks from here to there, look at class size coming down, look at outdoor spaces, look at curriculum etc. There are shitloads of the problems but there is always a solution. Instead everyone is hoping for the best and just sitting here with our dicks in our hands reading the news - 80+ new cases from one open school. Well no fucking shit. 

Western countries are failing because our leaders are not leaders. They have no vision and no balls. No CR either. I am talking about all of em from top to bottom (acknowledging that locally they are stronger than state/nationally)

Down here we just had a huge outbreak at a private school. Hi - its March telling you this was obviously what was going to happen.

Lets just hope for the fucking best. Thats leadership at its finest. 

*end rant transmission*

Edited July 10, 2020 by staboner

[staboner 4969]

Just now, staboner said:

you need a wartime-like effort IMO. been calling for one down here where I live now for months now. But of course I am an armchair internet general ce'st la vie

Its been obv for months kids getting back to school would be the number one way to get the economy up and running, while also being obv for months its a disaster waiting to happen in its current state. I think you start an entirely new education wing and do some kind of repositioning of the workforce. Get service folks from here to there, look at class size coming down, look at outdoor spaces, look at curriculum etc. There are shitloads of the problems but there is always a solution. Instead everyone is hoping for the best and just sitting here with our dicks in our hands reading the news - 80+ new cases from one open school. Well no fucking shit. 

Western countries are failing because our leaders are not leaders. They have no vision and no balls. No CR either. I am talking about all of em from top to bottom (acknowledging that locally they are stronger than state/nationally)

Down here we just had a huge outbreak at a private school. Hi - its March telling you this was obviously what was going to happen.

Lets just hope for the fucking best. Thats leadership at its finest. 

*end rant transmission*

if you could even get the kids out the house for 2 days a week it would be a victory. Just two fucking days. Every parent would take it.

[msucolt45 4059]

As a spouse of an NEISD (San Antonio) teacher, I look forward to the “normal” days of Fall. She’s willing to go back - in person or at school more so than doing all of her stuff online, so only time will tell.

This COVID stuff needs to see/find an end so we can get back to “normal”. I referee football too and of course that is in question. For all the kid’s sake, I hope this crap can end by July.

[drt 638]

End by July? "Normal" days in the Fall?

[Anastasis 23469]

lol, football isn't happening. schools are going to be a total shit show. normalcy, whatever that really looks like, is 3-4Q2021 at best. 

[Texas Jeff 1945]

This idea of "hey let's get the kids back in the classroom" followed by six weeks later "oh crap the school is full of COVID shut it down" followed by six weeks later of "hey let's get the kids back in the classroom" followed by six weeks later of "we are out of teachers a lot of them are really sick, everyone go to the gym and work on busy work" followed by "thank god the holidays are here" is going to really really suck.

We had the perfect setup to control this and we failed.  This thing cranked up right before spring break, which was easy to extend.  Most of the important stuff for the year was already done so we had some time to learn how to learn online.  Then we had summer break to polish ideas about how to handle this and maybe have a little less corona with the heat.

And we have squandered ALL of that.  The plan seems to be try to go back to normal with some PPE and hand washing and see what happens.

[Anastasis 23469]

3 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

This idea of "hey let's get the kids back in the classroom" followed by six weeks later "oh crap the school is full of COVID shut it down" followed by six weeks later of "hey let's get the kids back in the classroom" followed by six weeks later of "we are out of teachers a lot of them are really sick, everyone go to the gym and work on busy work" followed by "thank god the holidays are here" is going to really really suck.

 

[atomheartbevo 89656]

1 hour ago, staboner said:

if you could even get the kids out the house for 2 days a week it would be a victory. Just two fucking days. Every parent would take it.

[atomheartbevo 89656]

51 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

This idea of "hey let's get the kids back in the classroom" followed by six weeks later "oh crap the school is full of COVID shut it down"

It's not going to take 6 weeks.   There's over a thousand cases in our daycare system right now between kids and the adults.

This is what UT thinks is going to happen:

https://www.kxan.com/news/education/austins-top-doctor-expect-schools-to-have-covid-19-clusters-when-they-reopen/

UT Austin COVID-19 Modeling Consortium.

Quote

In the above bar graph, Dr. Lauren Ancel Meyers explains the x-axis illustrates three different scenarios. The y-axis is for the number of students who would show up the first week of school already infected with COVID-19. 

The first group of three bars (green, orange and purple bars on the left hand side) looks at what would happen if we opened schools today, Meyers explained.

Quote

“The middle [group of green, orange and purple bars] is imagine that the virus continues to spread at the rate that it is spreading today, and we do not slow transmission at all… and we open schools on August 18,” Meyers said.

The last set of green, orange and purple bars on the right shows what would happen if the city enacted strict measures like the full stay-home order it had in March and April. 

Quote

Each color represents school sizes:

• Green: schools with 100 students
• Orange: schools with 500 students
• Purple: schools with 1,000 students

Quote

According to the graph, if nothing is done to slow the transmission of the virus, for a school that has 500 students, you’ll likely see 15 to 20 of them show up infected that first week of school.

However, if people stayed home for the month leading up to back-to-school, you’d only see three students show up with the virus.

Quote

For a school that has 1,000 kids, no slowdown of the virus transmission would mean more than 30 students showing up already infected. In the third scenario, that number would be fewer than 10. 

Quote

Another reason to aim to have the lowest number possible is to avoid disruptions in learning.

Meyers told KXAN, “Schools might put in place rules where they’re going to ask a class to quarantine for a couple weeks or a grade or even they may even get to the point where they close the entire school for some period of time.”

 

[atomheartbevo 89656]

58 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

 Then we had summer break to polish ideas about how to handle this and maybe have a little less corona with the heat.

And we have squandered ALL of that.  

If you're talking about handling covid, I agree, it's being fucked up at a lot of levels.  

If you're talking about schools, plenty of them are doing overtime trying to get platforms, policies, and procedures  ready to go from day 1.  I know my wife and all of her friends have spent a lot of time doing online webinars and Zoom/MS Team/etc. meetings about the platforms they are going to be using, and getting content ready.  Her friends are wanting class lists and to start getting in touch with parents to get a feel for the parents as far as where they are at technically and if they can help with the kids, and also where the kids are at academically.   The uncertainty is bugging the shit out of them, but they are preparing for different scenarios.

[atomheartbevo 89656]

Any of you with spouses in education, if they have any good ideas for content and the like, get them selling on TeachersPayTeachers or whatever it is.  That place is humming.  I noticed this spring that our son's teacher was using them for a lot of stuff that she had to come up with at the last minute.

 

[Your Mom 4805]

On 7/8/2020 at 11:35 AM, jimmyjazz said:

So y'all would be cool with 20% of your peers staying home "because they wanted to" but you wouldn't be allowed to do so?

You proposed it.  I'm just trying to understand what the hell you were saying.

Well yeah. What’s hard to understand about that?  It’s life, not everybody gets treated the same. Every aspect of my employment governed by seniority. There’s about to be a pretty big chunk of my company that’s going to take partial pay to stay home. Not everybody who wants that option is going to be awarded it. Some who would like to take that option are going to be forced to come to work, and be exposed and take risks they’d rather not be taking.  

Edited July 10, 2020 by Your Mom

[Your Mom 4805]

2 hours ago, msucolt45 said:

As a spouse of an NEISD (San Antonio) teacher, I look forward to the “normal” days of Fall. She’s willing to go back - in person or at school more so than doing all of her stuff online, so only time will tell.

This COVID stuff needs to see/find an end so we can get back to “normal”. I referee football too and of course that is in question. For all the kid’s sake, I hope this crap can end by July.

I doubt it will end by next July.