Disagreements over how/when to reopen schools

[Sunstone]

I think the trade-off is between giving the kids an adequate education, on the one hand, and placing them at risk of contracting a virus that could potentially leave them scarred for life -- and even shorten their life spans, on the other hand.

 

[tytlyf]

I think the trade-off is between giving the kids an adequate education, on the one hand, and placing them at risk of contracting a virus that could potentially leave them scarred for life -- and even shorten their life spans, on the other hand.

Ignore what reasoning republicans are using to go back to school. The agenda is to get kid$ back in the private charter schools all over the country. They don't give a ratz behind about public schools.
The crooked capitalists and their corporate schools need money.

 

[Polymath257]

Well if it makes you feel any better I read that asthma is NOT a major risk factor for COVID. One of my relatives friends got the virus while in her 90s with major health problems and survived. While obviously a serious virus, even people in the high risk categories survive the majority of the time. But in any case, if you don't feel comfortable teaching face to face you should have every right to make your classes online even if the university is going FTF. Everyone should be given a choice to do what they feel is safest for them.

I've also been told by my allergist that there may be a protective effect from asthma in terms of getting infected. It seems asthmatics don't produce as many of the target cells that the virus attaches to.

Nonetheless, the lung scarring and organ damage can happen even in those that survive and even in some that have 'minor' symptoms otherwise.

 

[Polymath257]

I think the trade-off is between giving the kids an adequate education, on the one hand, and placing them at risk of contracting a virus that could potentially leave them scarred for life -- and even shorten their life spans, on the other hand.

Not to mention the adults teaching, or cleaning, or otherwise running those schools. Not to mention the parents and grandparents of the children.

 

[Twilight Hue]

That's irrelevant.
They can easily get infected and pass the virus on to people far more at risk.

Why is this so hard to understand?
We healthy, low risk folks, are hugely inconveniencing ourselves for the sake of people like my mother-in-law.
Tom

I'm high risk and I honestly don't want the world to revolve and destroy their lives just because of somebody like me.

 

[columbus]

I'm high risk and I honestly don't want the world to revolve and destroy their lives just because of somebody like me.

Nevertheless, if all us low risk people took medically recommended precautions reliably, the problem for high risk people would be hugely reduced. Lots of things could reopen and life become more normal.

But not all of us will. Shortsightedly selfish people simply don't care enough or know enough and so the virus remains a big threat. We could be far further along towards normalcy if it weren't for the idiots.
Tom

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Coronavirus spike jeopardizes opening of schools, L.A. County's top health official warns

As COVID-19 pandemic continues, opinions differ in debate over reopening of schools



Arizona has now become the new hot spot, and it seems clear that they reopened too early. I was sort of hoping that the summer heat would slow things down a bit, but that was not to be.

Meanwhile, Trump and his Education Secretary are insisting that the schools open, and they're even threatening to cut off federal aid to schools that fail to reopen.



I don't know if it's true that schools in Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have schools open with no problems. The article mentions that schools have reopened in some countries, but there's debate over what conclusions can be drawn.



But there's also widespread agreement that these long-term school closures are harming students academically and psychologically.



Parents who aren't equipped to homeschool their children are becoming exasperated. I can see where it can be a hardship, especially for families who can't afford computers or internet. I'm not sure what they're going to do.



Other suggestions include having sprawling schedules so that they would have fewer students at any one time and easier to enforce social distancing.

I think it's too early to reopen the schools. They reopened in Arizona too early, and now we're paying the price. It's unbelievable that they're talking about withholding funding to schools which don't reopen.

Maybe hybrid. In VA we're slowly opening up but I don't see opening up as disregarding the threat of the virus. Unless people want all the businesses, schools, etc closed until they "find a cure", it does more harm to the economy than good. We can't control everything; so, reopening is fine just got to do extra things to keep everyone safe like we've been doing.

Reopening doesn't mean "go back to where we were before." Viruses don't just poof from thin air; It's not going anywhere. So, the longer the hold, the worse off we will be in the long run. Trying to find short term solutions while ignoring the long term problems-as if we can control death. It's a balance. I rather we reopen everything and keep the masks and other protection things in place then keep everything close, harm the economy, and "hope" to find a cure as if we can control death. Something's got to give.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Coronavirus spike jeopardizes opening of schools, L.A. County's top health official warns

As COVID-19 pandemic continues, opinions differ in debate over reopening of schools



Arizona has now become the new hot spot, and it seems clear that they reopened too early. I was sort of hoping that the summer heat would slow things down a bit, but that was not to be.

Meanwhile, Trump and his Education Secretary are insisting that the schools open, and they're even threatening to cut off federal aid to schools that fail to reopen.



I don't know if it's true that schools in Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have schools open with no problems. The article mentions that schools have reopened in some countries, but there's debate over what conclusions can be drawn.



But there's also widespread agreement that these long-term school closures are harming students academically and psychologically.



Parents who aren't equipped to homeschool their children are becoming exasperated. I can see where it can be a hardship, especially for families who can't afford computers or internet. I'm not sure what they're going to do.



Other suggestions include having sprawling schedules so that they would have fewer students at any one time and easier to enforce social distancing.

I think it's too early to reopen the schools. They reopened in Arizona too early, and now we're paying the price. It's unbelievable that they're talking about withholding funding to schools which don't reopen.

We have schools re-opened in some parts of the country.
Whilst appearing to not be a transmission source, they have enabled substantial community transmission on a couple of occassions, and caused problems in Melbourne (now back to remote schooling).

 

[Rational Agnostic]

I've also been told by my allergist that there may be a protective effect from asthma in terms of getting infected. It seems asthmatics don't produce as many of the target cells that the virus attaches to.

Nonetheless, the lung scarring and organ damage can happen even in those that survive and even in some that have 'minor' symptoms otherwise.

Yeah, definitely something to be careful with. I hope everything goes well for you. I thought I had asthma at one point a couple years ago because I couldn't breathe well and felt like I was suffocating. I went into the doctor and had 100% oxygen levels and everything was working perfectly. I tried an inhaler and it didn't do anything. Apparently it was all in my imagination, which is still impressive to me because it shows just how powerful the imagination is. But anyway...I guess I'm a bit off topic.

 

[Polymath257]

Yeah, definitely something to be careful with. I hope everything goes well for you. I thought I had asthma at one point a couple years ago because I couldn't breathe well and felt like I was suffocating. I went into the doctor and had 100% oxygen levels and everything was working perfectly. I tried an inhaler and it didn't do anything. Apparently it was all in my imagination, which is still impressive to me because it shows just how powerful the imagination is. But anyway...I guess I'm a bit off topic.

And i almost died from it three times before I was 12 years old. And a couple of times since.

One time I went to my allergist. At the beginning of the visit, they always do a breathing test (where they measure how much and fast you can blow). Anyway, when the allergist came in, she was relieved to see it was me because the results were so bad that if it had been anyone else, she would have been worried. For me, it is my normal state. At best, I have 37% capacity in my small airways.

So, yes, it is a concern for me whether the school I teach at opens up or not.

Also, I would really, really like to travel by airplane again at some point. Unless people can start wearing masks, cleaning hands, and practicing social distancing, that won't happen for quite a while.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Parents who aren't equipped to homeschool their children are becoming exasperated. I can see where it can be a hardship, especially for families who can't afford computers or internet. I'm not sure what they're going to do.

Considering the lack of governmental leadership here, this is very understandable.

The federal and state governments have the power to provide financial supports so that people can afford to stay home with their kids. This hasn't happened; I hope the voters remember their governments' inaction in November.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

And i almost died from it three times before I was 12 years old. And a couple of times since.

One time I went to my allergist. At the beginning of the visit, they always do a breathing test (where they measure how much and fast you can blow). Anyway, when the allergist came in, she was relieved to see it was me because the results were so bad that if it had been anyone else, she would have been worried. For me, it is my normal state. At best, I have 37% capacity in my small airways.

So, yes, it is a concern for me whether the school I teach at opens up or not.

Also, I would really, really like to travel by airplane again at some point. Unless people can start wearing masks, cleaning hands, and practicing social distancing, that won't happen for quite a while.

Oh, wow. Well, I certainlly hope you stay well and are doing better now. I'd avoid a college campus if I were you, too.

 

[Shaul]

I think online schooling is doable as long as the schools provide computers for each child in every family.

From this comment I can deduce that you are not a teacher.

Speaking from my own experience as a teacher during the recent instantaneous pandemic forced switch from in person to virtual instruction, I can tell you this. While it may be “doable” it is no small job. And there is a huge price involved! That price will be paid most grievously by the students. Just to “provide computers for each child” as the answer is simplistic and insufficient.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Reopening schools in france has been, shall we say interesting. The government decreed that some junior schools can open over 2 months ago, depending on a/ the area and b/ the assessment of the local mayor. We are in a green area so the first hurdle was no problem. Our mayor asked the parents by sending out a simple questionnaire, "should our village school re-open?"

Around 30% replied yes, 30% replied no and 40% of parents did not respond. The school remained closed

It was reopened at the beginning of july with small classes split morning / afternoon.

Senior schools were not to open in may but would open in june. Same arrangement with half the students attending in the morning and half in the afternoon.

Colleges and universities will not open until at least September, if there is any sign of a second wave then not even then

Colleges in California will be online only for this fall semester.

 

[Shaul]

Ignore what reasoning republicans are using to go back to school. The agenda is to get kid$ back in the private charter schools all over the country. They don't give a ratz behind about public schools.
The crooked capitalists and their corporate schools need money.

Says you. Locally around here the charter schools are delaying opening while the public schools are the ones rushing to open to get the $.

If “the republicans”[sic] were acting out of money interest then they would be keeping the schools closed. Since opening the schools would give far more money to anti-Republicans, such as the Teacher unions, than the charter schools would get. Even ignoring the dubious assumption that charter school owners are mostly Republicans.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

From this comment I can deduce that you are not a teacher.

Speaking from my own experience as a teacher during the recent instantaneous pandemic forced switch from in person to virtual instruction, I can tell you this. While it may be “doable” it is no small job. And there is a huge price involved! That price will be paid most grievously by the students. Just to “provide computers for each child” as the answer is simplistic and insufficient.

I went to high school online--wasn't too much of an issue for me or the teachers, because they were trained to be online teachers.

 

[Shaul]

The schools will be reopening, the pertinent questions are how soon and under what constraints.

As usual everybody and their brother has an opinion, and usually an axe to grind, on how the schools should work. “Oh, Great!”

Meanwhile we teachers and, tragically, the students will be political footballs.

Here’s what I think. As usual the majority of teachers will step up and make the best of whatever comes. They are professionals. It will also cost them in stress and burn out. The students will struggle and have another undue burden. People will blame their favorite whipping boy for this. The truth is the actual “blame” should go to a virus. But that won’t make any difference to the blame game players. The students’ education will take a short term hit.

It would help if there was less needless alarmism and hysteria. But I’m doubting that will happen.

I could add more, but right now I have to go migrate another couple of hundred lessons from an in person to virtual instruction format. They shouldn’t take more than an hour each. “Thanks, COVID-19.”

Oh, and next time someone talks about how easy teachers have it with summers off, tell them how teachers like me spend their summers in preparations without being paid for it.

 

[Shaul]

I went to high school online--wasn't too much of an issue for me or the teachers, because they were trained to be online teachers.

And? You’re talking apples and oranges. We are being asked to teach both online and in person simultaneously. Literally simultaneously. And not just classes well suited for online. ALL classes, even those not practical for being taught online.

Yeah, I have taught online classes longer than I care to admit for fear of being called a dinosaur. What is happening now isn’t “just” doing it online. It is so much more. It’s teaching online and teaching live and doubling the lesson plans and preparation needed (both formats need their own materials) and dealing with continuously changing policies and dealing with health issues and not having the needed tools such as enough computer resources. And many other things.

Oh, and what about all the teachers that haven’t been trained to teach online? Got a magic wand to train all those teachers in the next couple of weeks?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Colleges in California will be online only for this fall semester.

Might as well be from Phoenix.

Hi I'm Mike, I attended online college.

That'll always look impressive to an employer.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Might as well be from Phoenix.

Hi I'm Mike, I attended online college.

That'll always look impressive to an employer.

Pheonix online is crap. A distance learning course from CSU is still CSU and isn't frowned upon like an online college.