Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[Colleen27]

There are honestly so many sides to this.

After weeks of hearing on the news that “schools have to open” for all the reasons given related to parents and work, my district is starting F2F on Wednesday. Parents were given the choice between full virtual and F2F. The district had estimated that it would probably shake out 80/20 with the majority in person based on surveys. But as the day approaches, scheduling has become a nightmare. This past week had parents calling nonstop to change to virtual. My elementary is now about 55/45. I haven’t heard final district numbers but it was such a flood that they have pushed high school start back a week and a half to regroup and figure out scheduling.

All that to say that yes, while many parents NEED school to open, many with open schools, here At least, are choosing to keep their kids home.

What's happening here is that the parents with more ability to keep their kids home, whether because they have a SAH (or laid off) parent in the household or a parent that is working from home or can arrange/afford a "pod" style arrangement or in-home caregiver, are keeping their kids home. Parents who are struggling, who have to go into work every day, who don't have support systems to lean on, who can't get home internet, are opting for in-person. But that's how our district wanted it to work out, because the parents who opt for distance learning are allowing better distancing and protective measures for those students who will be attending in person by reducing the number of students in the classroom. Our state didn't mandate social distancing in classrooms because it is impossible within the physical and economic constrains most schools operate under, but by given parents the option of distance learning, public schools are finding they can reduce their in-classroom populations by anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2, which then does allow for wider spacing between desks, better divisions at meal time, etc.

 

[Anna Sofia]

Also a Floridian (Clearwater)-keeping my kids home for now. if our numbers get better in the next few months, I will consider sending them back. But even that seems undesirable given the necessary safety protocol. they are happy learning at home for now, so it seems like the safest option

 

[MomOfDisneyPrincess]

I plan to do remote learning for my daughter for several reasons. Our district, after getting input from parents, is offering in person and online options. However, in person will turn to hybrid or online as cases increase. We don't go back until Sept 8th, three weeks later than usual, but if we were starting now, the in person people would be starting in the hybrid model (2 days in person and 3 online), since we are yellow right now. Approximately 70% of students are enrolled as in person and 30% online.

I am a single mom and cannot work from home. I have a unique situation, in that I have worked for my boss for 17 years, we are a small office of only 4 and his children were home schooled. I discussed options with him and we came up with a plan to set up a student desk in our large, filing room. DD is starting 9th grade, so she will be able to log in and work through her school day rather autonomously. I am able to be sure she is sitting down and logging on, on time and is present and participating for the duration of the day. I still get to work my 40 hours with no impact to my income.

So, that's the plan for 1st semester, anyway.

 

[quandrea]

I plan to do remote learning for my daughter for several reasons. Our district, after getting input from parents, is offering in person and online options. However, in person will turn to hybrid or online as cases increase. We don't go back until Sept 8th, three weeks later than usual, but if we were starting now, the in person people would be starting in the hybrid model (2 days in person and 3 online), since we are yellow right now. Approximately 70% of students are enrolled as in person and 30% online.

I am a single mom and cannot work from home. I have a unique situation, in that I have worked for my boss for 17 years, we are a small office of only 4 and his children were home schooled. I discussed options with him and we came up with a plan to set up a student desk in our large, filing room. DD is starting 9th grade, so she will be able to log in and work through her school day rather autonomously. I am able to be sure she is sitting down and logging on, on time and is present and participating for the duration of the day. I still get to work my 40 hours with no impact to my income.

So, that's the plan for 1st semester, anyway.

Great, out of the box thinking.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

To everyone who has quoted my response - my context was the push that parents are making to send kids to school because they need the kids looked after while they go to work, basically a need for babysitting. I hope parents turn to their places of employment and push for support to take care of their kids there, if your area goes remote or not. Set up friend "pods" to share childcare (we're doing that for our friends down the street) etc. As Colleen27 stated, this is new to all of us. But taking care of each other shouldn't be.

I think the issue for me is you can't have it all ways here.

You can't IMO say you have the issue that school is viewed as babysitting from what comments you've seen but then be okay with someone else watching the kids so long as it's random people and called friend pods--one is a school building the other is people both serve the purpose of babysitting if that's the viewpoint held.

Wasn't your comment that you shouldn't have kids unless you plan on taking care of them? In the modern era kids go to school. Largely that's away from home in a building with other children (private or public) but there's also or home schooled, or online schooling. Those who have chosen home schooled or online schooling pre-COVID did so because they had the means to do so whether that was income, supervision, age-related, skills of their child,etc. That was then, this is now. I don't think a parent saying "well shoot what am I supposed to do now" amounts to IMO a lack of parental responsibility. I think there are people who aren't exactly parents of the year but that's unrelated to this whole mess we've got going on.

I do however think it's a good idea to share ideas with each other, even knowing that for some it won't work out regardless, but in a more positive, supportive, uplifting way. I *think* you had different intentions than what came out in your comment basing off of your last sentence of "taking care of each other" part. Your other comments came off to me more about tearing each other down for choices made at conception and I'm not sure now that you were meaning to come off that way

 

[sk!mom]

What's happening here is that the parents with more ability to keep their kids home, whether because they have a SAH (or laid off) parent in the household or a parent that is working from home or can arrange/afford a "pod" style arrangement or in-home caregiver, are keeping their kids home. Parents who are struggling, who have to go into work every day, who don't have support systems to lean on, who can't get home internet, are opting for in-person. But that's how our district wanted it to work out, because the parents who opt for distance learning are allowing better distancing and protective measures for those students who will be attending in person by reducing the number of students in the classroom. Our state didn't mandate social distancing in classrooms because it is impossible within the physical and economic constrains most schools operate under, but by given parents the option of distance learning, public schools are finding they can reduce their in-classroom populations by anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2, which then does allow for wider spacing between desks, better divisions at meal time, etc.

This week was quite surprising for my school. It’s a Title I school. Some families do have one parent at home, some are multigenerational but no one is hiring tutors or starting pods.

My district is scrambling because they contracted with an existing online platform to do the virtual. They did not plan on paying for 40% to choose that option.

 

[VandVsmama]

Feeling a little sad this evening. We got word from school today that it looks like in person instruction might not begin the day after Labor Day like they had originally planned. The state health department & the governor's office recently published new guidelines that they're urging schools to follow when deciding when to reopen to in person instruction.

So 3 criteria have to be met (in quotes below because I took it directly from the email announcement):
"1. 14-day rolling average of the positivity rate
Two full prior weeks of less than 5% positivity; this may be less than 7% in certain areas, in consultation with county health officials.

2. 14-day rolling average of the incident rate
A rate of new cases that falls below 100 per 100,000 persons for two full, consecutive weeks. This may also be attained through two consecutive weeks of decline in the rate, if the rate is very close to 100 per 100,000, in consultation with county health officials.

3. Test return rate
An average test return rate of less than 72 hours, which is necessary in order for us to maintain operations effectively and to allow for contact tracing."

School will give us a 2 week advance notice of when in person instruction will begin. My kids really miss their friends.

 

[quandrea]

Feeling a little sad this evening. We got word from school today that it looks like in person instruction might not begin the day after Labor Day like they had originally planned. The state health department & the governor's office recently published new guidelines that they're urging schools to follow when deciding when to reopen to in person instruction.

So 3 criteria have to be met (in quotes below because I took it directly from the email announcement):
"1. 14-day rolling average of the positivity rate
Two full prior weeks of less than 5% positivity; this may be less than 7% in certain areas, in consultation with county health officials.

2. 14-day rolling average of the incident rate
A rate of new cases that falls below 100 per 100,000 persons for two full, consecutive weeks. This may also be attained through two consecutive weeks of decline in the rate, if the rate is very close to 100 per 100,000, in consultation with county health officials.

3. Test return rate
An average test return rate of less than 72 hours, which is necessary in order for us to maintain operations effectively and to allow for contact tracing."

School will give us a 2 week advance notice of when in person instruction will begin. My kids really miss their friends.

These are sound guidelines. Going back without meeting these benchmarks would be foolish.

 

[DopeyDame]

Feeling a little sad this evening. We got word from school today that it looks like in person instruction might not begin the day after Labor Day like they had originally planned. The state health department & the governor's office recently published new guidelines that they're urging schools to follow when deciding when to reopen to in person instruction.

So 3 criteria have to be met (in quotes below because I took it directly from the email announcement):
"1. 14-day rolling average of the positivity rate
Two full prior weeks of less than 5% positivity; this may be less than 7% in certain areas, in consultation with county health officials.

2. 14-day rolling average of the incident rate
A rate of new cases that falls below 100 per 100,000 persons for two full, consecutive weeks. This may also be attained through two consecutive weeks of decline in the rate, if the rate is very close to 100 per 100,000, in consultation with county health officials.

3. Test return rate
An average test return rate of less than 72 hours, which is necessary in order for us to maintain operations effectively and to allow for contact tracing."

School will give us a 2 week advance notice of when in person instruction will begin. My kids really miss their friends.

I understand your disappointment, but I am SOOOO impressed by these publically available, very measurable public health metrics! Our district and local health department have both flat-out said they have no measurable metrics they are using to make the decisions. So basically, they're just using their gut and emotion. Not cool.
Right now, all of first semester is virtual, and they "hope" to have some guidelines for reopening by the end of August.

 

[VandVsmama]

These are sound guidelines. Going back without meeting these benchmarks would be foolish.

I agree with the guidelines. I'm just feeling really bummed today over it. I'm so tired of 2020.

 

[mjkacmom]

Just learned that our superintendent is going to ask permission for school to be virtual until at least November, and it will be granted.

 

[mjkacmom]

I plan to do remote learning for my daughter for several reasons. Our district, after getting input from parents, is offering in person and online options. However, in person will turn to hybrid or online as cases increase. We don't go back until Sept 8th, three weeks later than usual, but if we were starting now, the in person people would be starting in the hybrid model (2 days in person and 3 online), since we are yellow right now. Approximately 70% of students are enrolled as in person and 30% online.

I am a single mom and cannot work from home. I have a unique situation, in that I have worked for my boss for 17 years, we are a small office of only 4 and his children were home schooled. I discussed options with him and we came up with a plan to set up a student desk in our large, filing room. DD is starting 9th grade, so she will be able to log in and work through her school day rather autonomously. I am able to be sure she is sitting down and logging on, on time and is present and participating for the duration of the day. I still get to work my 40 hours with no impact to my income.

So, that's the plan for 1st semester, anyway.

Is your work close to home so she can go there when she’s done with school? I don’t expect my seniors to spend more that a few hours a day in school.

 

[Meglen]

Our city is doing 2 in person days rest on the computer. Mon+Tues (half students absed on last name) Wed all kids on pc Thur+Fri other half. This is to keep the school clean between shifts. My son is going into middle school and this school is doing construction, so they made make shift rooms in the old cafe and library.. It makes me super nervous. I told him the moment he notices the situation is not safe he calls me and comes home.

 

[quandrea]

I agree with the guidelines. I'm just feeling really bummed today over it. I'm so tired of 2020.

I hear you.

 

[barkley]

Feeling a little sad this evening. We got word from school today that it looks like in person instruction might not begin the day after Labor Day like they had originally planned. The state health department & the governor's office recently published new guidelines that they're urging schools to follow when deciding when to reopen to in person instruction.

So 3 criteria have to be met (in quotes below because I took it directly from the email announcement):
"1. 14-day rolling average of the positivity rate
Two full prior weeks of less than 5% positivity; this may be less than 7% in certain areas, in consultation with county health officials.

2. 14-day rolling average of the incident rate
A rate of new cases that falls below 100 per 100,000 persons for two full, consecutive weeks. This may also be attained through two consecutive weeks of decline in the rate, if the rate is very close to 100 per 100,000, in consultation with county health officials.

3. Test return rate
An average test return rate of less than 72 hours, which is necessary in order for us to maintain operations effectively and to allow for contact tracing."

School will give us a 2 week advance notice of when in person instruction will begin. My kids really miss their friends.

our state's guidelines have the per 100,000 rate at 75 for 2 weeks. my county doesn't meet that criteria but it's up to the individual school districts to make a decision (at this point-the governor could close them all down again just like he did in the spring).

i feel for the parents/kids/teachers, some of the master plans these districts have come up with are crazy confusing-one has a 6 stage plan that makes no sense (some grades move from in person to distance mid steps and then back again ).

 

[TJA]

Our (New York) school is still on track to do the same plan submitted to our governor a couple weeks ago. It's in-school every other day and remote on the other days. Our district is VERY organized. Classrooms are set up and ready (high school classroom is 16 desks maximum with the 6-foot distance), barriers also added throughout school and also classrooms. Handwashing stations everywhere. Masks are mandated while walking in, out, and around the school. Our State is used to wearing masks everywhere, so it won't be much of a difference. While seated in classrooms, teachers will use discretion on letting kids remove the masks while seated.

Lunch will be spread out - cafeteria has very large round tables with attached seating that will accommodate several. A separate room is also being made into another cafeteria to spread out kids. Ultra-large tents were donated for outside eating and also classes.

Our particular town/village has zero Covid cases(!) and our entire County has 4 active cases all feeling fine and at home quarantining. Obviously, we all realize that can change. But we're going ahead with school with all of the above precautions. UNLESS something happens between now and September 8.....if we do have an outbreak, then we will go to entirely remote. The little outbreaks we had over the summer were due to college kids that were home and partying on the lake. They now are back at college or getting ready to go back to college, so we are suspecting things will calm back down. We had a mini spike of about 10 positive cases in the younger generation, but they sure recovered quickly.

 

[Mango7100]

We have started the virtual option when her private school started 2 weeks ago, and at first I was worried about if she would fall behind in 2nd grade by doing virtual. We have the weekly schedule for the class (same course work for inperson and virtual) as well as the daily schedule the inperson kids go by. She has a live meeting with the inperson class for an hour in the morning and then we also have recorded lessons. We can get all our work done for the day in a morning pretty easily (and my kid is academically above average but is not some gifted genius). The teacher has to spend so much time correcting kids, getting them organized and keeping on task, transitioning them from one activity to another, and now having to tell kids to wash hands, pull mask up, put on face shield, etc. They have 20 minute allotted for bathroom, washing hands, plus 1 1/2 hrs for lunch and recess. We are so much more efficient at home!

We may return sometime this semester but I wanted to give a couple weeks of her school being in session. The public county schools start next week, so I also want to see how that goes and if a large spike in child cases occurs. Unfortunately, we have no published metrics as to what will lead to closures. Out county has about 125 cases per day for a 450,000 population. Out positivity rate has been about 8% though and we have had 45 of our 49 deaths in the last 6 weeks.

 

[Colleen27]

Feeling a little sad this evening. We got word from school today that it looks like in person instruction might not begin the day after Labor Day like they had originally planned. The state health department & the governor's office recently published new guidelines that they're urging schools to follow when deciding when to reopen to in person instruction.

So 3 criteria have to be met (in quotes below because I took it directly from the email announcement):
"1. 14-day rolling average of the positivity rate
Two full prior weeks of less than 5% positivity; this may be less than 7% in certain areas, in consultation with county health officials.

2. 14-day rolling average of the incident rate
A rate of new cases that falls below 100 per 100,000 persons for two full, consecutive weeks. This may also be attained through two consecutive weeks of decline in the rate, if the rate is very close to 100 per 100,000, in consultation with county health officials.

3. Test return rate
An average test return rate of less than 72 hours, which is necessary in order for us to maintain operations effectively and to allow for contact tracing."

School will give us a 2 week advance notice of when in person instruction will begin. My kids really miss their friends.

That third one is rough. Around me, testing results times are fluctuating wildly but 72 hours is about the best it ever was and it certainly isn't there now. I doubt the *average* was ever there - there were always outliers that took longer, but other than inpatient hospital testing I haven't heard of any taking less. Which leaves me torn between really impressed that your state is using measurable and published metrics and fear that our state could adopt something similar that would keep us closed even though we have a positivity rate that is steady just at/under 3% and about 25 cases per 100K as our countywide rolling average. Last I heard, results from the drive-through testing events were taking about a week.

 

[Simba's Mom]

So my granddaughters started school today. I really hope and pray that all goes well for them. I'm sure it'll be an interesting day.

 

[RamblingMad]

Here comes all of the articles of kids not wearing masks and social distancing. I expect to see a lot of these over the next couple of weeks. The outbreak articles should start hitting in Sept.