What do you think school will be like in the fall? UPDATE page 29 for Mass.

[anniemae]

I think parents will probably have to do whatever they did this spring?

The problem is that many parents are back to work now that we have things opening up. If the schools do a hybrid model in the fall, many parents can't stay home like did when everything was shut down in March.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I definitely realize that. That is why I think it would be smarter to spend money on some the internet infrastructure. At least it is planning for the future instead of putting a band aid on things which is what schools are basically trying to do. And that usually winds up costing more in the long run.

I guess I’m saying if there was ever a year to start making those investments, this would be the one to do it.

It's not the schools paying for that infrastructure though. I mean you can have schools spend money on iPads and the like but they are not the ones ensuring the homes their students live in have internet access. Telecommunications companies in many areas that don't have the internet connection or reliable don't because there's not enough profit in there potentially because not enough people live there or they live far apart (they are relying more on subsidies or investments from the governments to do it) or there's issues with topography, etc.

I don't disagree with you but this isn't an issue the schools can do much about. 10mins from my house you have virtually no cell signal and the internet is soooooo expensive it's ridiculous and they don't have the ability to have the speeds we can. That's in suburbia just 1-2 miles from my house is the country. I can't imagine how the really rural parts of my state are like.

exactly! It’s not within the schools’ ability to create this infrastructure. They can invest from the school standpoint, but it will still fail for a lot of students at home.

I think parents will probably have to do whatever they did this spring?

I think many people were furloughed or able to wfh and they struggled with keeping up with their kids and their work. As more people go back to work and companies expect employees have gotten in the stride of wfh, the whole nobody gets anything meaningful accomplished that so many slid by on in the spring will not work for anybody in the fall.

Things were sort of paused this spring

 

[texaslover]

Our district is going to have a Virtual Academy and in person learning. Parents have to decide by July 10 which one they want to enroll their student in and they can't switch back and forth. Teachers are going to be told whether they are teaching in person or distance learning based on the enrollment. We don't know when we will be given that information. We did get to fill out a survey asking if we wanted to teach distance learning if needed. More specialized in school teaching positions like mine (dyslexia, speech, ESL, instructional coaches, SPED, etc.) are totally up in the air, we have no idea how our job will look.

I do think that we will probably be shut down again at some point. The good news for our district is we will already have a strong virtual academy that is being planned and implemented by teachers from the beginning so the in person teachers can join in and be given support to transition.

 

[Colleen27]

I think parents will probably have to do whatever they did this spring?

Except that this spring, a lot more was closed down and the stimulus and unemployment supplement helped families bridge the financial gap. We're not likely to see any more help for families, so telling them they have to do the same thing they did this spring - that is, not go to work because the kids will be at home all day - is going to create a great deal more hardship than it did at the end of last school year.

 

[HeatherC]

Except that this spring, a lot more was closed down and the stimulus and unemployment supplement helped families bridge the financial gap. We're not likely to see any more help for families, so telling them they have to do the same thing they did this spring - that is, not go to work because the kids will be at home all day - is going to create a great deal more hardship than it did at the end of last school year.

If things get bad enough they may also be locked down again and not have a choice.

And I agree with you, it will definitely cause more hardship.

 

[HeatherC]

Not the news we want to hear regarding schools even though this is a college. 143 people at University of Georgia are positive. Uggh.

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news...29-20-intl/h_dac61f4eaffad35f3a241c6691dc10c5

 

[Colleen27]

Michigan's plan dropped today. As of right now, in person school can resume with a ton of restrictions, including middle and high school students having to wear masks at all times except when eating lunch. And it is mandatory, based on the state's reopening zones and phases, so no latitude for smaller or private schools to set their own rules. For the first time, I'm really thinking about whether online schooling might be the better plan for fall - DD11 is pretty uncomfortable wearing a mask even for an hour to go clothes shopping or get groceries in an air-conditioned store. I can't imagine how hard it is going to be for the kids to be masked for 7+ hours, only taking it off for their half-hour lunch, with as warm as our classrooms usually are when we go back in August.

 

[HeatherC]

Michigan's plan dropped today. As of right now, in person school can resume with a ton of restrictions, including middle and high school students having to wear masks at all times except when eating lunch. And it is mandatory, based on the state's reopening zones and phases, so no latitude for smaller or private schools to set their own rules. For the first time, I'm really thinking about whether online schooling might be the better plan for fall - DD11 is pretty uncomfortable wearing a mask even for an hour to go clothes shopping or get groceries in an air-conditioned store. I can't imagine how hard it is going to be for the kids to be masked for 7+ hours, only taking it off for their half-hour lunch, with as warm as our classrooms usually are when we go back in August.

Wearing a mask all day is definitely going to be difficult to implement and for kids and staff to do. I know people in the medical field have to wear them for extended periods of time, but that is way different than mandating a 7 year old do it. Plus they are adults choosing a field they know they will have to wear one.

MA guidelines are saying that everyone from second grade and up will be required to wear one. That is literally 7 year olds.
I highly doubt they have ever set foot in a second grade classroom.

I also find it funny that they now are saying well..three feet apart will be ok and not the six feet we have been having pounded into us all along. All of a sudden three feet is fine? The only reason for that is because there is absolutely no way to fit kids six feet apart. I don’t even think three feet will be possible in some cities or towns.

‘The school my daughter teaches in (city) utilizes every square inch of real estate. There is no gym or cafeteria or art or music rooms. The numbers are so high they have to use these rooms as classrooms. In addition, several rooms don’t even have windows. How can that be safe with ventilation systems constantly breaking. Most of last year her ac and heat was broken and she was in a room with no windows. This can’t be safe going forward this fall.

 

[anniemae]

Wearing a mask all day is definitely going to be difficult to implement and for kids and staff to do. I know people in the medical field have to wear them for extended periods of time, but that is way different than mandating a 7 year old do it. Plus they are adults choosing a field they know they will have to wear one.

I also find it funny that they now are saying well..three feet apart will be ok and not the six feet we have been having pounded into us all along. All of a sudden three feet is fine? The only reason for that is because there is absolutely no way to fit kids six feet apart. I don’t even think three feet will be possible in some cities or towns.\

I read this about the three feet, I think on this thread, and it left me scratching my head too. What the heck? Now since they realized there is no way to fit 20-25 kids in a classroom and keep the 6 ft. between desks, it's suddenly okay to be 3 ft. apart. I had read this would be if they went back with no virtual learning, so that would mean everybody back to school at the same time. No "week on week off" or half day in classroom, half day at home option.

 

[HeatherC]

I read this about the three feet, I think on this thread, and it left me scratching my head too. What the heck? Now since they realized there is no way to fit 20-25 kids in a classroom and keep the 6 ft. between desks, it's suddenly okay to be 3 ft. apart. I had read this would be if they went back with no virtual learning, so that would mean everybody back to school at the same time. No "week on week off" or half day in classroom, half day at home option.

Even with half days or week on/week off, some schools still don’t have that space due to the sheer numbers of enrolled students. Going to be tricky for sure. I’m guessing a lot of districts across the country are kind of hoping a good portion of parents will decide to homeschool or do virtual learning if it is an option. That would certainly help with the numbers.

‘The bussing is another area they have yet to address and won’t be releasing those guidelines until August. Not sure how districts are going to figure that out at such a late date either.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Florida says they will open at "full capacity" in a few weeks.

 

[monsterkitty]

My announced a few weeks ago that it would be in-person every day or you could choose to do online school with a program we've had for years. Parents had until yesterday to decide which option they want for their children.

I still have 3 family members who are at one of each of the middle schools in our district. As of yesterday the numbers were not even close to what we thought they would be. My sister's school, where she is the principal, they have around 700 enrolled in a normal year, she has 13 so far that have picked online. My niece is at another school that is going k-8 this year with around 400 students. They have 6 kids going online. My DH's school, which is where I also taught, usually has around 600-625, has 11 parents opt for online.

I have no idea what the high school or elementary numbers are. I assume they will be similar.

 

[Colleen27]

Wearing a mask all day is definitely going to be difficult to implement and for kids and staff to do. I know people in the medical field have to wear them for extended periods of time, but that is way different than mandating a 7 year old do it. Plus they are adults choosing a field they know they will have to wear one.

MA guidelines are saying that everyone from second grade and up will be required to wear one. That is literally 7 year olds.
I highly doubt they have ever set foot in a second grade classroom.

I also find it funny that they now are saying well..three feet apart will be ok and not the six feet we have been having pounded into us all along. All of a sudden three feet is fine? The only reason for that is because there is absolutely no way to fit kids six feet apart. I don’t even think three feet will be possible in some cities or towns.

‘The school my daughter teaches in (city) utilizes every square inch of real estate. There is no gym or cafeteria or art or music rooms. The numbers are so high they have to use these rooms as classrooms. In addition, several rooms don’t even have windows. How can that be safe with ventilation systems constantly breaking. Most of last year her ac and heat was broken and she was in a room with no windows. This can’t be safe going forward this fall.

Michigan is only requiring them all day for 6-12. Kids in K-5 are to wear them in hallways and common spaces and when moving around, but not when at their own desks and appropriately distanced. I wish our middle school had the same flexibility - DD11 only has four kids in her class for fall, but even with being able to space more than 6', they'll have to be masked all day long.

I think the three feet is a nod to necessity. There's no way for most schools to accommodate 6', even with A/B shifts, but 3' might be doable. Of course, there are bound to be some that can't manage any additional distance at all and I really wish they were offering more guidance for how to handle those situations, particularly since many of those places also have the greatest challenges to distance learning and are therefore reluctant to go the online/hybrid route.

 

[TJA]

The latest word on our school is that we can open as normal except masks will need to be worn in the halls and in classes that can't spread out 6 feet between desks. My kids will be fine in most classes because they will be seniors and mainly have just AP classes which are generally small in size. Touchless hand sanitizing stations will be installed so kids wash hands going into and coming out of each class. I am not sure what our elementary school is planning....

Unfortunately, this plan can be shot down if our governor makes our whole state stick to the same plan. We are hoping he'll allow each district to make their own plans based on population, location, etc. We are a very small rural community in the State of New York with about 6 active covid cases and no hospitalizations, so praying he will let our kids go back to school.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Our district hasn’t notified us of a plan but I suspect some kind of hybrid schedule. 3 days one week in class. Two days the next. Who knows.

 

[DLgal]

Our district just sent out an email about face coverings and said they have not decided yet whether to require face coverings for students BUT regardless, they have procured enough cloth masks and face shields for every student and staff member and they are working to procure an additional 140,000 disposable masks.

 

[godisney14]

Michigan is only requiring them all day for 6-12. Kids in K-5 are to wear them in hallways and common spaces and when moving around, but not when at their own desks and appropriately distanced. I wish our middle school had the same flexibility - DD11 only has four kids in her class for fall, but even with being able to space more than 6', they'll have to be masked all day long.

I think the three feet is a nod to necessity. There's no way for most schools to accommodate 6', even with A/B shifts, but 3' might be doable. Of course, there are bound to be some that can't manage any additional distance at all and I really wish they were offering more guidance for how to handle those situations, particularly since many of those places also have the greatest challenges to distance learning and are therefore reluctant to go the online/hybrid route.

Maybe MI schools/classrooms are different. Are all the desks there touching each other?
At my kids schools, 3 feet is pretty much approximately what the standard distance between students in their chair has always been?

 

[siren0119]

Maybe MI schools/classrooms are different. Are all the desks there touching each other?
At my kids schools, 3 feet is pretty much approximately what the standard distance between students in their chair has always been?

Our elementary kids were set up at 2 person tables, definitely less than 3 feet between seats at a single table.

In the middle school they had individual desks, and the distance between students in any one of the four directions around a desk was about 2 feet (the width of the desk area attached to the chair, and a 2ft aisle between rows)

 

[Kittyblue]

We have several elementary school districts where I live. One is letting parents vote on full time/part time/distance. One has said they will do full time or distance for parents that request that, and one is planning on a part time schedule with a distance learning option. They are supposed to make final decisions later this month.