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

[Wulaw Horn 19,069]

13 minutes ago, mdmost said:

It buys time. Time to see if the numbers are going down and not making our kids a bunch of lab rats and Covid carriers. If the numbers are going down, it gives DISD a better idea to see if in-person is feasible. If they are still high, we go virtual for another month. 

Plus Abbott weighed in that he's going to give districts more time.

 

As soon as it opens though you still have the same unworkable problems that John said. They have al kicked it around and it’s not workable. 3 weeks doesn’t solve that. I don’t think the extra three weeks is a bad thing by the way, just don’t think it will yield a solution. 

[Murfdogg21 4,412]

1 hour ago, WBT said:

If it's good enough for scaffolders at the plant in July, it's good enough for Mason and Ava.

Not sure if you’re familiar with Rice’s recruiting and admissions targets the past 10 years. 

[atomheartbevo 89,652]

Abbott backing down after more schools joined in.

https://abc13.com/education/abbott-says-tea-to-extend-online-only-option-for-districts/6317436/

Quote

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday told 13 Investigates that districts can expect more time to offer online-only learning when the 2020-21 school year starts this fall.

Quote

In the Houston area, both Fort Bend ISD and Alief ISD have said they are starting out the school year 100 percent online. Alief said it asked the TEA for an extension to the three-week transition period.

Quote

When 13 Investigates' Ted Oberg asked the governor about whether or not that extension will be granted, Abbott said "superintendents can expect to hear something along those lines from (TEA) Commissioner Mike Morath in the next few days."

Quote

"(Morath) is expected to announce a longer period of time for online learning at the beginning of the school year and flexibility at the local level. This is going to have to be a local level decision, but there will be great latitude and flexibility provided at the local level," Abbott said Tuesday.

Houston joined in on the letter.

Quote

A letter on Monday signed by school board presidents from 10 Texas school districts, including Houston and Aldine districts, asks Abbott to offer more flexibility regarding how they can re-open schools.
Among their requests, the school board presidents are asking Abbott to "make decisions as to whether or not campuses will be open or available at any time during the school year .... To say we are required to have in-class instruction - no matter what the situation is - is not only reckless but unsafe for our students and our staff," according to the letter, posted to Houston ISD School Board President Sue Deigaard's Twitter.

 

 

[atomheartbevo 89,652]

Those thinking private schools would escape, nope.

https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2020-07-14/aisd-announces-start-of-school-year-will-be-online/

Quote

UPDATED 8:14pm: The Health Authority for Austin-Travis County has issued orders forbidding in-person instruction at all public and private schools offering instruction to students in one or more grades, pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and any independent school districts within Austin-Travis County.

“This order includes appropriate control measures based on the higher risk for spread of COVID-19 in schools due to the necessity of large groups gathering in indoor spaces and the difficulty for children to follow social distancing and hygiene guidelines,” said Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott in a statement.

The following restrictions are effective immediately:

• • School systems shall not re-open schools for on-campus, face-to-face instruction until after September 7, 2020; 
• • Virtual instruction shall be permitted as per a school system’s own plan; 
• • Extracurricular sports and activities shall not take place until school systems re-open for on-campus instruction; 
• • At least two weeks prior to re-opening for on-campus instruction and on-campus activities, the school or district shall develop a plan to be submitted to the Austin/Travis County Health Authority for re-opening on-campus activities and instruction and make the plan available for parents and general public.

[Chet Steadman 940]

I wonder if that includes private daycare services at the K-12 schools (e.g. St. Theresa's, Andrews, Hyde Park, etc) as well?

[CooterBrown 18,006]

I wonder if that includes private daycare services at the K-12 schools (e.g. St. Theresa's, Andrews, Hyde Park, etc) as well?

At least in Hyde Park’s case, the daycare is a completely separate business ran by completely different staff. They only share a building.

[ZB'Tejas 593]

13 hours ago, Chet Steadman said:

I wonder if that includes private daycare services at the K-12 schools (e.g. St. Theresa's, Andrews, Hyde Park, etc) as well?

And all of a sudden the "daycares" that classified themselves as Pre K school are probably rethinking that right now

[WBT 20,562]

I've always wondered what the difference between day care and pre-K was supposed to be.

[atomheartbevo 89,652]

4 minutes ago, WBT said:

I've always wondered what the difference between day care and pre-K was supposed to be.

From our experience, pre-K is prepping the kids for kindergarten - actual lessons like learning your numbers and the alphabet, writing letters and numbers, etc.

[CooterBrown 18,006]

1 minute ago, atomheartbevo said:

From our experience, pre-K is prepping the kids for kindergarten - actual lessons like learning your numbers and the alphabet, writing letters and numbers, etc.

From a Pre-K teacher, it's mostly about kids learning structure, how to sit and listen, how to respond, how to wait your turn, how to follow direction, etc.  After that, the remaining 10% is learning.

 

[CleverNickname 1,308]

What are folks thinking re extracurriculars? My kids have been doing piano lessons by zoom. But latest Travis County guidance is no gatherings > 10. I guess that means no soccer, scouts, etc.

May try to find tennis lessons or something.  Is there such a thing a cross country practice/clubs for 5th grader?

[ZB'Tejas 593]

13 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

From a Pre-K teacher, it's mostly about kids learning structure, how to sit and listen, how to respond, how to wait your turn, how to follow direction, etc.  After that, the remaining 10% is learning.

 

I get that the curriculum may differ a bit but what other than that distuinguishes Daycares from Private School that would fall under the new Abbot / county orders?

[CleverNickname 1,308]

Just now, ZB'Tejas said:

I get that the curriculum may differ a bit but what other than that distuinguishes Daycares from Private School that would fall under the new Abbot / county orders?

Licensing?

[Amos Moses 795]

Houston ISD will be virtual only for the first 9 weeks.

[atomheartbevo 89,652]

35 minutes ago, CleverNickname said:

What are folks thinking re extracurriculars? My kids have been doing piano lessons by zoom. But latest Travis County guidance is no gatherings > 10. I guess that means no soccer, scouts, etc.

May try to find tennis lessons or something.  Is there such a thing a cross country practice/clubs for 5th grader?

We were doing Soccer Shots on the weekend, and they were keeping the classes small, and with the new order shutting off park access, we switched to Zoom, which is odd.

If you are a YMCA member, you can sign up and take your kids to one of the YMCA facilities that has an appropriate swimming pool, and they can swim for 45 minutes. You have a mask on, do a temperature check when you enter, you proceed directly to the instructional pool (or whatever they have set aside), remove your mask then, you rinse off in the shower, go to your pool, you stay on your side of the divider, you do your 45 minutes, then you shower, don your mask, and you leave.  There is no restroom or locker room access.  We do it three times a week.

I don't want to even think about scouts in the fall.  Our Lexington trip is out, we are unsure of our normal camping spots/parks, etc.

[Anastasis 23,469]

43 minutes ago, CleverNickname said:

What are folks thinking re extracurriculars? My kids have been doing piano lessons by zoom. But latest Travis County guidance is no gatherings > 10. I guess that means no soccer, scouts, etc.

May try to find tennis lessons or something.  Is there such a thing a cross country practice/clubs for 5th grader?

Recreational sports for children are excluded from the orders.  Our kids have been doing 3x3 soccer.   

[mdmost 43,001]

 

[Js1 85,313]

 

[Hefeweizen 5,311]

Good.  I’m glad local leadership has listened to its constituents.  If the 35 percent who want in person do their pods or whatever else they want I think they should be able to as well.  

[dingleberryswitzer 2,724]

2 hours ago, WBT said:

I've always wondered what the difference between day care and pre-K was supposed to be.

PreK is tought by certified teachers.  Day care is taught by anyone that passes a background check and gets for certified.  But from my experience with kids in each a good daycare will do all the same shit.  

[XYZ 2,154]

4 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

PreK is tought by certified teachers.  Day care is taught by anyone that passes a background check and gets for certified.  But from my experience with kids in each a good daycare will do all the same shit.  

username does not check out

[atomheartbevo 89,652]

21 minutes ago, Js1 said:

I'm still shocked that they backed down, even with the larger districts publicly telling them to fuck off.  I'm guessing the polls got their attention. Or the thought of some kids getting it and dying - if you want to set the soccer moms/Karens off, have that happen.  Plus, this might keep the state from having to do further measures.

At least this will provide some certainty/stability for parents and districts who are in the areas that are flaring up.  The thought of having to start school, and then quickly shut down a few weeks later when the kids spread it around some more was not good.  

This is going to be a rough fall no matter what.  I'm wanting my kids to get into school with their classmates, but given that the heat has done nothing to slow this thing down.

[dingleberryswitzer 2,724]

33 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

Day care is taught by anyone that passes a background check and gets for certified

Can't edit, but meant to say "CPR " certified.

[Horns99 155]

Gauntlet being thrown down or line crossed or something.
https://www.kxan.com/news/coronavirus/health-authority-in-person-teaching-could-lead-to-between-40-and-1370-student-deaths-in-travis-county/

Tuesday, Austin Public Health Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott told Travis County Commissioners that Austin area schools should not start until Sept. 8 unless they can offer online-only classes.
Escott said we worked with the superintendents of Travis County districts to decide to recommend delaying or going completely online for the start of school.

Escott said doing so before a vaccine becomes available and before schools are able to put in place more protective measures would put Travis County’s 192,000 students in jeopardy — especially those between the ages of 10 to 19 years old.
“Somewhere in the neighborhood of 70% of students could be infected over the course of this disease,” Escott said, “which in that .03% to 1.02%, for Travis County, would equate to between 40 and 1,370 deaths in that age group.”

Escott based that on the current fatality rate estimates for that age group. He said the situation could be worse for teachers and staff.

Escott also said schools should consider a “default position of virtual instruction” for the entire fall semester so that districts don’t have to go through the process of opening then closing then opening back up again.

Escott said he would be meeting with the City of Austin attorney and the Travis County attorney Tuesday to discuss these recommendations further.

 


Where in the hell are they getting those projected death #’s for kids? I know damn sure it’s not 1%. Trying to scare all the parents.

Last number I saw was 12 kids under the age of 14 had died from / with Covid. There are approx 60,000,000 kids under the age 14. Never mind the facts are showing kids don’t get as easily, aren’t effected by it as easily, & don’t spread as easily either.

[Guest Lobo]

And that "immunity" rate transfers to the 100 or so adults at the average public school campus, does it?  Gonna be real fun every time a fat 65 year old secretary or janitor gets it and we have to shut down over and over again.  

I admittedly did not grow up in Texas, but it seems like y'all were educated by 25 year old triathletes and not by the morbidly obese septuagenarians I see on every public school campus I serve.  

Edited July 15, 2020 by Lobo

[bad_teammate 13,195]

26 minutes ago, Horns99 said:

Last number I saw was 12 kids under the age of 14 had died from / with Covid. There are approx 60,000,000 kids under the age 14. Never mind the facts are showing kids don’t get as easily, aren’t effected by it as easily, & don’t spread as easily either.

Speaking of facts, where have the vast majority of those 60M kids been since Spring Break?

(Not in schools, but in quarantine instead)

[smoky 840]

2 hours ago, Horns99 said:

 


Where in the hell are they getting those projected death #’s for kids? I know damn sure it’s not 1%. Trying to scare all the parents.

Last number I saw was 12 kids under the age of 14 had died from / with Covid. There are approx 60,000,000 kids under the age 14. Never mind the facts are showing kids don’t get as easily, aren’t effected by it as easily, & don’t spread as easily either.

Yeah, I checked the CDC website after reading that from Escott.

Since February, only 28 kids aged 5-14 have died of Covid (through 7/4) in the entire United States.

Over the same time period, same age group 4,000 kids have died of other things.

Not saying it's not deadly. Not saying death is the worst thing that can happen.   And not saying it's not a dangerous virus, but for Dr Escott to claim that up to 1,400 kids in Travis County might die is a bit disingenuous.

[Gardner Barnes 1,562]

Yeah, I checked the CDC website after reading that from Escott.
Since February, only 28 kids aged 5-14 have died of Covid (through 7/4) in the entire United States.
Over the same time period, same age group 4,000 kids have died of other things.
Not saying it's not deadly. Not saying death is the worst thing that can happen.   And not saying it's not a dangerous virus, but for Dr Escott to claim that up to 1,400 kids in Travis County might die is a bit disingenuous.

Ya. But what if it is his low end of 40? I think that is close to the amount of high schools in the Central Texas (I just counted 50)

Would you be cool sending your kid to campus knowing that he or she or one of thier classmates are going to die this school year as a direct result of being in school?

[Horns99 155]

Actually yes, I’m planning on sending mine. I’m referring to little kids here - they can’t learn via zoom, they need in class instruction. There aren’t any great answers here. Question, what do those of y’all that say kids should not back in school tell single parents or both parents work? It’s either be a bad worker or be bad teacher / parent .

Not to go CR on this, but it’s going to hit a certain demographic of our population harder than others & it’s going to possibly keep them behind for years, those that need the in class instruction the most


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gardner Barnes 1,562]

Educators aren’t babysitters.

[mdmost 43,001]

15 minutes ago, Horns99 said:

Actually yes, I’m planning on sending mine. I’m referring to little kids here - they can’t learn via zoom, they need in class instruction. There aren’t any great answers here. Question, what do those of y’all that say kids should not back in school tell single parents or both parents work? It’s either be a bad worker or be bad teacher / parent .

What are they doing right now when there's no school and they have to go to work?

Teachers do not get paid enough nor will they have what they need paid for them to make it safe to go back to schools. Until we can ensure that we aren't making teachers sacrificial lambs for the economy, schools shouldn't be opening. 

[GRHorn 105]

2 minutes ago, mdmost said:

What are they doing right now when there's no school and they have to go to work?

Teachers do not get paid enough nor will they have what they need paid for them to make it safe to go back to schools. Until we can ensure that we aren't making teachers sacrificial lambs for the economy, schools shouldn't be opening. 

We can’t ensure anything with this, but it’s their job. 
 

Do gas station employees get paid enough? What about grocery store clerks? Are they sacrificial lambs for the economy?  You could make a case as more evidence is coming out that those occupations are more at risk than teachers. Especially if older ones are doing distance learning for kids and families that want it. 
 

I’m just kind of surprised by the woe is me outpouring from teachers. How are they above having to do what so many others are doing? Outside of health care, nobody signed up for this. We all have our roles to play. Get precautions in place, make allowances for more at risk teachers and open up elementary schools at least. 
 

I expect to be hated for that post by some, but so be it. 

[Deej 76,759]

HEB employees to teachers: "Hold my beer!"

[Deej 76,759]

 

[smoky 840]

1 hour ago, Gardner Barnes said:

 

 

Ya. But what if it is his low end of 40? I think that is close to the amount of high schools in the Central Texas (I just counted 50)

Would you be cool sending your kid to campus knowing that he or she or one of thier classmates are going to die this school year as a direct result of being in school?

 

 

I think his low end is still absurdly high.  But even if it's accurate,  40 out of 192,000 is a risk I'm willing to take for my three kids.  

We make calculated risks with our kids all the time.  If the chances of them dying basically approach zero, I'm okay with that decision.

Letting them play baseball, swimming at a friends house, or us driving long distance for a vacation are all probably riskier activities.  

My wife, who's a teacher in an AISD elementary school, is a different math problem.

 

But that's not the arrow that Dr Escott reached for.

 

[utee94 15,812]

51 minutes ago, mdmost said:

What are they doing right now when there's no school and they have to go to work?

Teachers do not get paid enough nor will they have what they need paid for them to make it safe to go back to schools. Until we can ensure that we aren't making teachers sacrificial lambs for the economy, schools shouldn't be opening. 

Online education is complete crap and isn't going to work for elementary and middle school kids.  Probably not for high school either, but it's possible they MIGHT have a portion of the tools to get through it.

So if COVID19 really is as dangerous in the in-person school environment as a lot of teachers and administrators believe, then why aren't we just canceling school for the 2020/2021 schoolyear?   

If a viable, valuable education is still a goal, then why should we go forward with the unacceptable alternative of a poor online substitute for the real thing?

Why does that not even appear to be on the table?

[mdmost 43,001]

51 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

We can’t ensure anything with this, but it’s their job. 
 

Do gas station employees get paid enough? What about grocery store clerks? Are they sacrificial lambs for the economy?  You could make a case as more evidence is coming out that those occupations are more at risk than teachers. Especially if older ones are doing distance learning for kids and families that want it. 
 

I’m just kind of surprised by the woe is me outpouring from teachers. How are they above having to do what so many others are doing? Outside of health care, nobody signed up for this. We all have our roles to play. Get precautions in place, make allowances for more at risk teachers and open up elementary schools at least. 
 

I expect to be hated for that post by some, but so be it. 

Of course grocery store and gas station workers don’t get paid enough and they absolutely were considered sacrificial lambs for the economy. It took months to get partitions and mask requirements in place at grocery stores. Kroger just finally mandated masks in their stores, 4 months after this started. 
 

And you think the state government and TEA will fund everything teachers need to keep everyone healthy? You think they’re going to fully fund PPE and other needs when teachers already have to buy their own fucking supplies? The TEA and state government went into the summer with the plan that everyone was going back and did next to nothing to prepare for online learning. They had time and like other portions of the government, they squandered it thinking things were going to turn out fine. And now they want teachers and parents to think things will be fine. 

[mdmost 43,001]

14 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Online education is complete crap and isn't going to work for elementary and middle school kids.  Probably not for high school either, but it's possible they MIGHT have a portion of the tools to get through it.

So if COVID19 really is as dangerous in the in-person school environment as a lot of teachers and administrators believe, then why aren't we just canceling school for the 2020/2021 schoolyear?   

If a viable, valuable education is still a goal, then why should we go forward with the unacceptable alternative of a poor online substitute for the real thing?

Why does that not even appear to be on the table?

Because something is better than nothing. A robust online system should’ve been readied for the possibility this was going to get worse. It should’ve been readied regardless for the fall wave that everyone was already predicting. 
 

And before any of you get bent. I was fully prepared to send my kids back to school before everyone in this state decided we had won in May and early June. But because we fucked that up I don’t feel comfortable sending my kids when they can be safer at our house. But we’re going to be a lot more diligent that their online schooling is more worthwhile this time around. We’ve already joined an online group that has plans to share the burden and support each other during the first 6 weeks back. Then we’ll decide after that if it’s safe enough to send them back. But it probably won’t happen because the stupid shitheads in this state can’t do simple things to curb the spread.

[Horns99 155]

Online education is complete crap and isn't going to work for elementary and middle school kids.  Probably not for high school either, but it's possible they MIGHT have a portion of the tools to get through it.
So if COVID19 really is as dangerous in the in-person school environment as a lot of teachers and administrators believe, then why aren't we just canceling school for the 2020/2021 schoolyear?   
If a viable, valuable education is still a goal, then why should we go forward with the unacceptable alternative of a poor online substitute for the real thing?
Why does that not even appear to be on the table?

This right here, those of y’all saying no in person school, what do you think is really going to change in 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 9 weeks, etc ... the answer is nothing - there isn’t a magic solution coming anytime in the next 6 months or more

[utee94 15,812]

1 minute ago, mdmost said:

Because something is better than nothing.

I disagree.  The something we got last spring was worse than nothing.  It was damaging and destructive and it set my children back. 

Why is canceling the 2020/2021 schoolyear off the table?

[atomheartbevo 89,652]

1 hour ago, GRHorn said:

Do gas station employees get paid enough? What about grocery store clerks? Are they sacrificial lambs for the economy?  You could make a case as more evidence is coming out that those occupations are more at risk than teachers. Especially if older ones are doing distance learning for kids and families that want it. 
I’m just kind of surprised by the woe is me outpouring from teachers. How are they above having to do what so many others are doing? Outside of health care, nobody signed up for this. We all have our roles to play. Get precautions in place, make allowances for more at risk teachers and open up elementary schools at least.

While gas station or grocery store employees deal with plenty of adult dipshits, kids are walking Petri dishes.

I've been sick more times in the past 7 years since we started having kids, than I had been in the past 20.  Almost every single fucking time, whatever it was, my kid had it first.

[smoky 840]

I mean...  you can cancel the school year for your kids if you feel that's the best solution for you and your family

[XYZ 2,154]

6 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Why is canceling the 2020/2021 schoolyear off the table?

It's not.

[utee94 15,812]

 

3 minutes ago, smoky said:

I mean...  you can cancel the school year for your kids if you feel that's the best solution for you and your family

It's possible and even likely.  But I'm certainly not the only person that understands the online education experience is shit.

[mdmost 43,001]

No shit. You can homeschool them if you feel online is such a horrible option. It’s not great but if the TEA and districts actually took the time to carve out some decent curriculum, they could make it not suck. My hope is they’ll allow teachers more leeway to tailor the lessons as that was when my kids found value in the online portion this spring. 

[Anastasis 23,469]

Virtual is not viable without some supplementation, at least based on our experience in the Spring.  We are forming up little educational pods for two of ours, with like minded parents who take things seriously and minimize their risks as well as any of us can. We'll have some small groups, like N=3, to do school work together, have some social interaction, etc.  Putting together groups of kids that can hopefully challenge each other some. We are going to try to thread a needle managing the different risks.

 

Anybody have a good online resource for school furniture.  Thinking about ordering some school chairs/desks and basically converting the game room into a class room.  

[bad_teammate 13,195]

Extrapolating from the infection/death rates of kids while they've been in lockdown seems spurious.

 

[utee94 15,812]

19 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Virtual is not viable without some supplementation, at least based on our experience in the Spring.  We are forming up little educational pods for two of ours, with like minded parents who take things seriously and minimize their risks as well as any of us can. We'll have some small groups, like N=3, to do school work together, have some social interaction, etc.  Putting together groups of kids that can hopefully challenge each other some. We are going to try to thread a needle managing the different risks.

 

Anybody have a good online resource for school furniture.  Thinking about ordering some school chairs/desks and basically converting the game room into a class room.  

This is exactly the path we're headed down as well.  I'll let you know what we find, if you'll please do the same.  

[atomheartbevo 89,652]

59 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Anybody have a good online resource for school furniture.  Thinking about ordering some school chairs/desks and basically converting the game room into a class room.  

We got this desk for our 7 year-old when he was 5, and it's adjustable, so it's worked out well, and should last a few more years.  It's also got rubber stoppers that keep the desktop from slamming little fingers if they close it down.  We actually haven't raised it up at an angle for drawing, but it was originally a selling point for us.  Amazon sells a ton of these things under different labels, some with options like lamps, etc., but it's all basically the same.

Spoiler

You could go old school with something like this, but guess what, it's been sold out everywhere - we were going to get one for our pre-k daughter as she wanted "an actual school desk", but they've been hard to find or marked up.  Adjustable as well.  The one above has been sturdy and easy to adjust, and he likes the organizer tray that slides out.  We may just pick up the pink version of that at some point.

Spoiler

 

[Guest Lobo]

a top figure in the reopenings of schools apparently had this to say this morning, "The science should not stand in the way of this."  referring to school openings.  

So I'm feeling great about all this.  We have the top people in the top fields on top of this.