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

[Larry T. Spider 1746]

My school turned into a covid mess with students and teachers testing positive. I felt very safe most of the semester but when the cases started topping 400 a day in Travis county it became inevitable that it would find its way into the school. We were VERY lucky that the teachers that got sick were on the younger side.

Getting people back to work in a mindset where they can do quality work is going to be difficult. 

If TEA is only going to count virtual minutes as half then going all virtual isn’t an option. It has to be a full closure then tack on the days at the end of the year. Or power through and deal with the covid shit show that ensues. Scared teachers, entire grade levels shut down, positive students and teachers, parents pissed that their  kid got covid, parents pissed about having the class shut down, parents pissed we can’t give out medical info about other students, etc. We have all now seen that it can spread in school, even with all the precautions, which ramps up the fear factor even more.

[Knoxtnhorn 5971]

2 hours ago, Larry T. Spider said:

My school turned into a covid mess with students and teachers testing positive. I felt very safe most of the semester but when the cases started topping 400 a day in Travis county it became inevitable that it would find its way into the school. We were VERY lucky that the teachers that got sick were on the younger side.

Getting people back to work in a mindset where they can do quality work is going to be difficult. 

If TEA is only going to count virtual minutes as half then going all virtual isn’t an option. It has to be a full closure then tack on the days at the end of the year. Or power through and deal with the covid shit show that ensues. Scared teachers, entire grade levels shut down, positive students and teachers, parents pissed that their  kid got covid, parents pissed about having the class shut down, parents pissed we can’t give out medical info about other students, etc. We have all now seen that it can spread in school, even with all the precautions, which ramps up the fear factor even more.

Sounds exactly like my school/district (suburb of Dallas).  I'll add the new fun thing is parents and families hiding their childs' symptoms because they don't want to have a 10-day quarantine.  I understand as not everyone can easily find a suitable spot for a quarantined kid; however, it's turned into somewhat of a game now. 

I had one parent call the district office on our nurse because her q'd daughter "Wouldn't get to attend the Polar Express/PJ day" the last week of school.

[ballrific 215]

It's running through 2nd and 3rd grade classes along with teachers at our school. That extra week off after turkey day did jack shit as families kept going to each other's homes to hang out, playdates,etc... "No idea how we got it b/c we're safe, we're not traveling and surely their family doesnt have it!" Idiots

[Goodman 3273]

This is one wild virus we should fear and hide from. 

 

[jimmyjazz 45891]

In related news, scientists in New Zealand tested a cannoli and it was positive, too.

[jimmyjazz 45891]

McCallum HS has shut down all JV soccer but it proceeding with varsity soccer if allowed.  I'm not really following the logic.

[HornOnTheBayou 8919]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

McCallum HS has shut down all JV soccer but it proceeding with varsity soccer if allowed.  I'm not really following the logic.

Pflugerville ISD is shutting down all JV athletics, but still allowing varsity teams to play. I guess when you make varsity, you become automatically immune.

[Larry T. Spider 1746]

I’m at the elementary level so I don’t deal with this at all so it’s just a guess. I think it has to do with the risk/reward ratio. This is the last shot at organized sports for many seniors and some are competing for scholarships. JV kids have another opportunity next year so it’s less devastating of a loss. 

I’m on the side of taking covid very seriously but I would have been crushed for years if I lost my senior year of football. Jv....not so much.
 

 

[ChuckNorrisActionJeans 2663]

So what is the TEA's stated rationale for only funding all-remote (which is a temporary measure anyway) at 50%? I get they want schools open but there has to be some reason given beyond just being punitive?? What good is having "independent" school districts with no discretion based on community conditions or ability to access our own tax dollars to fully fund short-term remote learning when covid numbers are skyrocketing?

Sorry...I think I know the answer is just "fuck you my freedumb economy eagle flag hurr durr open" etc. but this is madness.

[atomheartbevo 89629]

45 minutes ago, ChuckNorrisActionJeans said:

I get they want schools open but there has to be some reason given beyond just being punitive??

Not really.  Look at the makeup of the board.

[Fuck Tim Beck 3815]

^^ TEA is at least as useless as politicians. If not more so. And TEA is still working from home. Fuck them. 

 

[Larry T. Spider 1746]

School as normal starting next week

[Bevo Num1 1011]

School as normal starting next week

Wife just got the email from her principal. She's really upset about it.

[XYZ 2154]

On 12/26/2020 at 6:45 PM, Fuck Tim Beck said:

And TEA is still working from home. Fuck them.

This.

[Larry T. Spider 1746]

1 hour ago, Bevo Num1 said:

1 hour ago, Larry T. Spider said:

School as normal starting next week

Wife just got the email from her principal. She's really upset about it.

Yep, managing the emotions of working in this environment is the toughest part of the job right now. We had students and staff test positive in December so there is a lot of fear/anxiety about going back. 

[BrazilHorn 6586]

Shocked that school is opening up next week. Glad but shocked. No sports for my middle school boy this year though. All non varsity extra curricular activities are canceled. He was starting hoops practice next week, but that will obviously be put on hold or canceled altogether

[rpspeed 1363]

School as well as everything else going on as normal in NE Texas. My 10th grader has had soccer practice all week.

[Horn_Spanker 524]

TEA does suck cock by choice!

AISD sucking up for the State dollar regardless of how many will die.

[Bevo Num1 1011]

TEA does suck cock by choice!
AISD sucking up for the State dollar regardless of how many will die.

Yet, AISD is the largest contributor to the state recapture program. Shit is fucked up all around.

[swraith 345]

Our 2 kids will headed back in-person come Monday.

[GRHorn 105]

9 hours ago, Bevo Num1 said:

9 hours ago, Larry T. Spider said:

School as normal starting next week

Wife just got the email from her principal. She's really upset about it.

Upset about what? Going back to work?

[Bevo Num1 1011]

Upset about what? Going back to work?

Yes, but with these increased numbers.

[Horns99 155]

Yes, but with these increased numbers.

How many cases have they had in their school ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GRHorn 105]

7 minutes ago, Bevo Num1 said:

26 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

Upset about what? Going back to work?

Yes, but with these increased numbers.

What increased numbers? In the community? Unless there’s a crazy outbreak in one campus it seems like you have to err on the side of keeping the schools open. 

[Bevo Num1 1011]

What increased numbers? In the community? Unless there’s a crazy outbreak in one campus it seems like you have to err on the side of keeping the schools open. 

Dude I'm not going to debate this with you. It's how she feels.

[Bevo Num1 1011]

How many cases have they had in their school ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I believe 10.

[Larry T. Spider 1746]

1 hour ago, GRHorn said:

What increased numbers? In the community? Unless there’s a crazy outbreak in one campus it seems like you have to err on the side of keeping the schools open. 

Those community numbers become impossible to keep out of the school at a certain point. Up until December we were doing well. When the Travis county numbers got over 300 a day it became common for community members we knew to have it. When it got over 400 it was in the school with students and staff testing positive. It’s over 500 most days now. 

[GRHorn 105]

2 hours ago, Larry T. Spider said:

Those community numbers become impossible to keep out of the school at a certain point. Up until December we were doing well. When the Travis county numbers got over 300 a day it became common for community members we knew to have it. When it got over 400 it was in the school with students and staff testing positive. It’s over 500 most days now. 

I don’t discount the risk. There’s risk everywhere we look today. But it’s a risk/reward calculation. At this point it’s pretty clear that the harm done to kids remote learning, especially from families with lower incomes, is substantial. Like way more substantial than the harm to a 30 something teacher getting Covid. And the risk of a young teacher getting really sick from Covid from a student is really low.
 

The harm that is inflicted on an entire population of kids doing remote learning is widespread and definite.
 

[Larry T. Spider 1746]

If only my staff was made up of 30 year old teachers with no health conditions and healthy families that they go home to. I promise you teachers are looking at that risk/reward calculation as well. I know this because they come into my office and resign. 

Im not arguing that schools should be closed fwiw. People just need to understand what we are asking of teachers right now in terms of health risk. I see a lot of dismissive comments on the internet. Then I go to work and see teachers that don’t see their parents for months on end so they can be there for somebody else’s kids. 

I hear the arguments about low income kids a lot and generally agree. The elementary schools in Austin that are title 1 (poor) have about 30% of their kids coming in person. The white schools are over 60% in person already or will quickly be there after the break. So, by opening schools, you  aren’t really capturing much of the demographic that needs it the most.

[Murfdogg21 4412]

On 12/25/2020 at 12:10 PM, HornOnTheBayou said:

Pflugerville ISD is shutting down all JV athletics, but still allowing varsity teams to play. I guess when you make varsity, you become automatically immune.

When you get that letterman jacket, you become bulletproof. 

[Your Mom 4805]

17 minutes ago, Murfdogg21 said:

When you get that letterman jacket, you become bulletproof. 

It's not that, it's a numbers thing.  Shutting down some sports is a logical step prior to shutting down all sports.  Just like having 50% capacity in a restaurant is a logical step prior to closing all restaurants.  And if you're going to reduce athletics, but not eliminate it all, it makes perfect sense to have the most important stuff be the last thing you shut down.  I'm a parent of a middle school athlete who just lost his season and a varsity athlete who hasn't lost his yet.  Makes sense to me.  

[CooterBrown 18004]

Yet, AISD is the largest contributor to the state recapture program. Shit is fucked up all around.

Thankfully, that Valley ISD water park that was built with AISD’s recapture money can reopen now.

[Anastasis 23463]

Glad we wasted the Christmas break not giving vaccines to teachers. 

[Bevo Num1 1011]

Thankfully, that Valley ISD water park that was built with AISD’s recapture money can reopen now.

Yeah that makes me ragey.

[atomheartbevo 89629]

If things continue getting worse (we are closing in on our worst day), no way the kids go back to school next week.

I wonder if the superintendent announced schools would be open, thinking that the city/county would be the ones to make the decision on closing them down, instead of her.  

[Larry T. Spider 1746]

Teachers left out of priority vaccinations:

HOUSTON – The Centers for Disease Control suggested teachers, first responders and other essential workers receive the COVID-19 vaccine next. However, Texas health officials seemed to disagree.

Officials announced Monday that the second phase of vaccinations, Phase 1B, will focus on people 65 and older and those with certain chronic medical conditions.

Edit: this happened a couple of weeks ago but it’s a response to people saying to get us the vaccine quickly. I’ll be first in line when it’s actually available to me. 

Edited January 1, 2021 by Larry T. Spider

[tchookem 3900]

Glad we wasted the Christmas break not giving vaccines to teachers. 

Again, when have you known Texas to make any decision with teachers' (or even students') best interests at heart?

And don't say that pay increase a couple years ago, because that shit still isn't completely funded.

[tchookem 3900]

If things continue getting worse (we are closing in on our worst day), no way the kids go back to school next week.
I wonder if the superintendent announced schools would be open, thinking that the city/county would be the ones to make the decision on closing them down, instead of her.  

It'll never happen. Precaution is a ship that sailed away long ago. The only reason schools go virtual is if too many teachers are out and there aren't enough subs.

[hayden_horn 11362]

5 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

If things continue getting worse (we are closing in on our worst day), no way the kids go back to school next week.

I wonder if the superintendent announced schools would be open, thinking that the city/county would be the ones to make the decision on closing them down, instead of her.  

she should have delayed by a week again. she has not shown out to be a particularly strong leader. i imagine she is getting a shit ton of pressure from the state level, but still.

[atomheartbevo 89629]

This is one way to help keep schools open.

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-isd-given-900-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine-for-staff-vaccinations-set-to-begin-saturday/

Quote

Austin ISD staff will begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days, the district announced on Friday evening.

The school district has partnered with Ascension Seton to make 900 doses of the vaccine available to its staff between Saturday and Tuesday.

Quote

Campus-based staff aged 65 and older will be first in line for the vaccine, followed by those with a qualifying condition in Group 1-B.

Those who are eligible for the vaccine will be notified by a personal phone call and email to share the process, AISD said.

 

 

[XYZ 2154]

This is where organized labor would come in handy. “We are all teaching remotely until two weeks after the vaccination. You don’t like it? Fire us all and try to hire replacements”

[tchookem 3900]

This is where organized labor would come in handy. “We are all teaching remotely until two weeks after the vaccination. You don’t like it? Fire us all and try to hire replacements”

But the teachers' union runs this shit. Or so I've been told.

[atomheartbevo 89629]

47 minutes ago, tchookem said:

1 hour ago, XYZ said:

This is where organized labor would come in handy. “We are all teaching remotely until two weeks after the vaccination. You don’t like it? Fire us all and try to hire replacements”

But the teachers' union runs this shit. Or so I've been told.

They have little power in Texas.  They can't strike.

[tchookem 3900]

They have little power in Texas.  They can't strike.

Oh, I know. I guess I need to lay the sarcasm on thicker.

[jimmyjazz 45891]

21 hours ago, GRHorn said:

I don’t discount the risk. There’s risk everywhere we look today. But it’s a risk/reward calculation. At this point it’s pretty clear that the harm done to kids remote learning, especially from families with lower incomes, is substantial. Like way more substantial than the harm to a 30 something teacher getting Covid. And the risk of a young teacher getting really sick from Covid from a student is really low.
 

The harm that is inflicted on an entire population of kids doing remote learning is widespread and definite.
 

You're out of your mind.  I don't discount the hardship imposed on many families by remote learning, but you're way off base in your assessment of some sort of permanent intellectual and/or emotional damage being inflicted on kids.  Stop buying the hysterical <can't say it here> media hype and start using your head.

Edited January 2, 2021 by jimmyjazz

[TwiceHorn 31440]

46 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

You're out of your mind.  I don't discount the hardship imposed on many families by remote learning, but you're way off base in your assessment of some sort of permanent intellectual and/or emotional damage being inflicted on kids.  Stop buying the hysterical <can't say it here> media hype and start using your head.

Don't have kids and no expert on child psychology, but this notion that kids without school for a year will be permanently damaged somehow seems severely overwrought.

[jimmyjazz 45891]

3 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Don't have kids and no expert on child psychology, but this notion that kids without school for a year will be permanently damaged somehow seems severely overwrought.

I have a sneaking suspicion the theory is rooted in studies on home-schooled kids, which is obviously a different paradigm.  I'm not even sure that's all that damaging, but at the very least, it's different.

[GRHorn 105]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

You're out of your mind.  I don't discount the hardship imposed on many families by remote learning, but you're way off base in your assessment of some sort of permanent intellectual and/or emotional damage being inflicted on kids.  Stop buying the hysterical <can't say it here> media hype and start using your head.

I’m just going off what I hear from friends and family that are teachers. And right wing rags. 

27 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I have a sneaking suspicion the theory is rooted in studies on home-schooled kids, which is obviously a different paradigm.  I'm not even sure that's all that damaging, but at the very least, it's different.

And other sciency publications.  

 

[jimmyjazz 45891]

I'm not remotely (ahem) insensitive to the disruption caused by the pandemic.  What studies like those you linked fail to assess is the broad suppression of access to college counseling, etc.  It may be amplified in low-income families, but it's not nonexistent in upper income families, either.

It's also a one-year disruption.

My mother and father lost many, many classmates to fucking WW2.  Are we there?  Really?  Sometimes life deals us shitty cards.  Call it a "learning opportunity".

[Larry T. Spider 1746]

People of a certain persuasion during normal times: public schools are left wing indoctrination camps that teach little useful information. They produce graduates that are barely functional at basic skills. 

Same people during covid: public schools are an essential function of society and kids will greatly suffer if they cannot go in person. There are risks but it’s worth it because schools are so important in social and academic development.