Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[Mrs. Ciz]

I'm a teacher in elementary school in FL (rural area), and I'm looking forward to getting back into the classroom.
The district had its meetings and submitted their plans.... some I agree with, some not, but nothing drastic enough for me to rethink my career.
(no masks for K-2, no temperature check for anyone, no social distancing/smaller classes to make it possible)

The one thing I'm not happy about, and I think many parents don't realize, is what the health department representative explained at the last two meetings.
When someone tests positive, his/her identity may not be revealed for privacy reasons unless that person/or parent chooses to make it public. However, the health department will do their best to find out who the individual has been in close contact with and send out letters to those people. Everyone receiving the letter will be asked to quarantine for 10/14 days, but they are not mandated to do so.
Even worse: the individual who is tested positive cannot even be refused entry into the school unless they have 100.4 or higher fever! The schools may only mandate that students who they measured a fever with are to stay home for 48 hours. Technically the rule is that a student needs to be free of a fever for 48 hours, but in reality, we do not know what happens at home, so it's 48 hours from the moment that the school itself identified the fever.

This might be different in your state, but I would double-check.

I expect the teachers unions will have something to say about this soon. Totally crazy that they can’t/won’t keep someone who tests positive out of the school!!!! I don’t see this going well at all!

Im a teacher and it would totally make me rethink my career. We’ve already had several teachers at my little school quit over less this past week.

 

[mom2rtk]

Once there is a vaccine, NYC students will be required to get it before coming back to school..

Of course they're going to require it. And they're going to have to require it of teachers as well. The education of America's kids has come to a stop. This is no time for anti-vaxxers to hem and haw about it. If this is a serious enough national health crisis to close schools, then it's a serious enough health crisis to require mandatory vaccination (except for true medical contraindication).

I thoroughly expect it to be required of my college age daughter as well.

 

[HeatherC]

Heather, just curious, when did this student start school?? A lot of articles people post I can't read all the way thru because of my ad blocker. Again, I'm interested on how quick a student shows symptoms, gets a test and then has the results???

I do appreciate when you keep us DISers on top of things!

Heather, just curious, when did this student start school?? A lot of articles people post I can't read all the way thru because of my ad blocker. Again, I'm interested on how quick a student shows symptoms, gets a test and then has the results???

I do appreciate when you keep us DISers on top of things!

It just said it was during the first week of school which was this week. I am assuming that means it was this past week that he tested positive.

 

[lifesavacation]

Of course they're going to require it. And they're going to have to require it of teachers as well. The education of America's kids has come to a stop. This is no time for anti-vaxxers to hem and haw about it. If this is a serious enough national health crisis to close schools, then it's a serious enough health crisis to require mandatory vaccination (except for true medical contraindication).

I thoroughly expect it to be required of my college age daughter as well.

I agree. It’s no different than asking the students who haven’t had an MMR shot to stay home when there’s a measles outbreak. We had this happen in our area last year.

 

[Mango7100]

I'm in Tennessee so they pretty much do!

I was born and raised in California and have the progressive attitude to prove it.

TN here too...we live in one of the larger cities with a university and a national lab so that helps, but it can be very...interesting...here

 

[pigletto]

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.pbs...-covid-19-after-4-days-at-a-georgia-ymca-camp I’m sure we can all point out the differences between a return to school and a summer camp for children but I think it’s the similarities that concern me more . I feel like we are about to conduct a very dangerous experiment with school reopenings.

 

[MrsBooch]

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.pbs...-covid-19-after-4-days-at-a-georgia-ymca-campI’m sure we can all point out the differences between a return to school and a summer camp for children but I think it’s the similarities that concern me more . I feel like we are about to conduct a very dangerous experiment with school reopenings.

"The camp followed disinfecting rules and required staff to wear masks, but campers didn’t have to wear face coverings."

 

[Southernmiss]

It just said it was during the first week of school which was this week. I am assuming that means it was this past week that he tested positive.

Yes, school started Monday and by Friday a student had tested positive. The Daily Corinthian is the local newspaper.

We are 6 hours south of there. All of our local schools are supposed to start by the 6th this week. Some districts have pushed back start dates, some are all virtual. Our school district has 15,000 students was supposed to be all in person until a parent group got in touch with state representatives who pushed for virtual option for anyone who wants it. But the kids of any grade have to be tuned in for the full day of 330 minutes on their own personal device consistently with breaks at the same time their classroom would take a break. Crazy!

Our state is at the height of new cases so far.

Opening school is very political in the state now.

My kids are college age. Not easy to send them back, but their college seems to be doing much more than our K-12 schools.

I am glad our youngest graduated in May. Not sure what we would do.

 

[Disneylover99]

"The camp followed disinfecting rules and required staff to wear masks, but campers didn’t have to wear face coverings."

That about sums up what my experience with my class will be like in September.

 

[MrsBooch]

That about sums up what my experience with my class will be like in September.

Well then - that's not good.

 

[disneychrista]

"The camp followed disinfecting rules and required staff to wear masks, but campers didn’t have to wear face coverings."

The story on the news also mentioned group singing and chanting. Not smart on the camps (or the parents) part to allow the children to be unmasked.

 

[pigletto]

The story on the news also mentioned group singing and chanting. Not smart on the camps (or the parents) part to allow the children to be unmasked.

So we think the masks are the key ? Because honestly I just don’t see it being the only thing standing between those numbers and no transmission. There will be too much opportunity.

 

[MrsBooch]

The story on the news also mentioned group singing and chanting. Not smart on the camps (or the parents) part to allow the children to be unmasked.

Yeah and really - I mean - I'm all about being non judgmental to parenting choices but there are a lot of questionable judgement calls going on in this scenario.

So we think the masks are the key ? Because honestly I just don’t see it being the only thing standing between those numbers and no transmission. There will be too much opportunity.

I think masks are PART of it. I mean do we know how the kids were being regulated if at all, regarding social distancing? Or was the thought process "well we are outside most of the time so who cares"?
That's part of it too.

How often were they reminded to wash their hands, or provided with hand sanitizer, hand washing stations?

Recreational activities - were they responsibly handled? Socially distant? Or "well we're outside so who cares anyway".

I'm guessing they didnt SLEEP outside - so how was that setup?

What exactly was the ratio of kids to teachers/counselors? How many kids hung out with each other? Did counselors properly and effectively mask up? Wash up? Create responsible mask free zones?

 

[greg9x]

Our schools decided on all virtual learning to start the year, feel it was a good decision. See how things go once fall hits and if every thing gets out of control...especially when flu season ramps up, got a feeling everyone is going to lose their minds.

 

[disneychrista]

So we think the masks are the key ? Because honestly I just don’t see it being the only thing standing between those numbers and no transmission. There will be too much opportunity.

Masks, as well as distancing, are a keys to reducing the transmission not eliminating it.

 

[insideguy]

When Ivanka sends her kids back to school I will consider sending mine back. Watch what they do not what they say.

 

[godisney14]

Our schools decided on all virtual learning to start the year, feel it was a good decision. See how things go once fall hits and if every thing gets out of control...especially when flu season ramps up, got a feeling everyone is going to lose their minds.

Im picturing in my head the Fall and Winter season when people cannot tell the difference between this coronavirus and the seasonal cold/flu. Everyone is going to be suspicious of each other; Doctor’s offices will be booked with people trying to get a note; Diagnostic tests being backed up even more than the one to two weeks that we have in places now.

 

[Bambi1942]

MY district sent the plans to the governor July 31. I will be sending my kids to school. We have one of the lowest transmission rates in the nation less than 1%.

The district plans to have K-6 going full 5 days a week. Grades 7-12 will be going every other day based on last name. A-M mon/wed and L-Z tues/thurs with alternating fridays. The rest of the days are remote. This ensures 50% capacity in school buildings. They are also putting plexi glass between desks in classes where they can’t fit desk 6ft apart. The plans were very extensive and I feel totally comfortable sending my kids back to school. I have a kindergartner and 7th grader. I’m relieved that the 5 year old will be going to school everyday. There is no way he or I would be able to sit in front of a computer all day on top of helping my 7th grader the days he would be home. I think we would strangle each other by weeks end.

Of course anyone who do not feel comfortable can sign up for full remote in all grades. With the transmission rates so low I’ll take my chances. It’s doing more harm than good for my kids to be sitting at home all day.

 

[insideguy]

MY district sent the plans to the governor July 31. I will be sending my kids to school. We have one of the lowest transmission rates in the nation less than 1%.

The district plans to have K-6 going full 5 days a week. Grades 7-12 will be going every other day based on last name. A-M mon/wed and L-Z tues/thurs with alternating fridays. The rest of the days are remote. This ensures 50% capacity in school buildings. They are also putting plexi glass between desks in classes where they can’t fit desk 6ft apart. The plans were very extensive and I feel totally comfortable sending my kids back to school. I have a kindergartner and 7th grader. I’m relieved that the 5 year old will be going to school everyday. There is no way he or I would be able to sit in front of a computer all day on top of helping my 7th grader the days he would be home. I think we would strangle each other by weeks end.

Of course anyone who do not feel comfortable can sign up for full remote in all grades. With the transmission rates so low I’ll take my chances. It’s doing more harm than good for my kids to be sitting at home all day.

Ummm I don't want to be a jerk but what the heck do you mean when you say lowest transmission rate less than 1 percent? How the heck does one measure transmission rates? Do you mean positive test rates? And where would this be?

 

[Bambi1942]

Ummm I don't want to be a jerk but what the heck do you mean when you say lowest transmission rate less than 1 percent? How the heck does one measure transmission rates? Do you mean positive test rates? And where would this be?

Positive transmission rates. Our governor does the
daily briefings and outlines the daily positive rates, daily hospitalization admissions and how many are in ICU in each county. His guidelines are such that if the positives rates go over 9% all schools in the state have to shut down. So as of right now the positive rate in my county is less than 1%. Schools don’t start till after Labor Day so a lot can happen in August. If the the positive rates remain low the kids will be back in school based upon the plan placed by the school district they reside in.