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

[meremac]

A few days ago, the CDC released some guidelines about what schools need to do to reopen/stay open. Looking at that, I'm confident that schools here in Michigan (at least in some of the bigger counties) will almost certainly be looking at a minimum of a hybrid situation (some distance learning and some in-person learning) in the fall.

 

[EveDallas]

And if you don’t like the way things are going, become a licensed, certified teacher. This seems to be ALL you want to harp on in any thread regarding education. How unfair it is that you think teachers are getting special treatment.

If you don't like my opinion, don't read it. Easy enough.

 

[EveDallas]

Actually, it is NOT safe for daycares, but people need childcare. Don't know what the solution is.

Also, daycares tend to have younger workers. Schools have A LOT of teachers and administrators over 55. Honestly, we may see a bunch retire. We already have a huge shortage in our town. It is going to be ugly.

And kids need to be taught. In school. - not by watching a computer screen. For every kid doing great work online learning, there's another that isn't.

 

[HeatherC]

And kids need to be taught. In school. - not by watching a computer screen. For every kid doing great work online learning, there's another that isn't.

I don’t think anyone is disagreeing with you on this. We all want schools open and life back to normal. It is just going to be a process for everything to get back to normal. There is no rhyme or reason for a lot of things reopening.

 

[choirfarm]

And kids need to be taught. In school. - not by watching a computer screen. For every kid doing great work online learning, there's another that isn't.

Oh, I agree. But the children and the teachers need to be safe. Same for daycares.

 

[DopeyDame]

There are at least two private schools in our area that have already announced they are closing. One was on its last legs anyway, so not a total surprise, and I don't really know much about the second school.
But there's definite concerns among the smaller/less endowed private schools that some families are going to go to their public schools next year, either because of financial need or because they don't see it as worth their money for distance learning. My gut feeling is that more kids will move TO public schools than out of them, but who really knows...

 

[monsterkitty]

If it's safe enough for for daycare workers to be exposed, it's safe enough for teachers. Period. If you don't want to go to work, then you should lose your job. It's annoying to hear how dangerous it is to expose teachers but apparently it's ok for other people.

We want to be in school with our kids. We don't want to be sitting behind a screen teaching. That's not what we signed up for when we entered the profession. However, just like all professions, there are some school staff members, both teachers and support staff, who are high risk. They can't be fired due to health. Pretty sure that's true in every profession. They can take a leave of absence and depending on the state or district they work in that could mean paid or non-paid.

And kids need to be taught. In school. - not by watching a computer screen. For every kid doing great work online learning, there's another that isn't.

I agree that some do great learning remotely while others do not. It's funny to see those in our classes who are thriving - they're the ones who are the most social and rarely turn in work at school. Several students like this have actually gone back and done missing assignments from first semester! Then there are the others who have not done well at all. It's very concerning to all of us.

Schools are not going to be the ones who make the final decisions. They are going to do what the local officials require. Right now it looks like it's going to be a hybrid system in my area for all districts. The teachers will be in the buildings every day but students will not as they will be on a rotation of some sort. We will also be offering 100% remote for those students who are high risk or those whose parents do not want them back in the schools until later.

 

[EveDallas]

Another person to add to my ignore list

 

[barkley]

These aren’t the 15 kids in a one room schoolhouse from the days of yore.

my 23 and 25 year old are going to get a kick out of hearing that they went to school in the 'days of yore'. yup, there are still one room school houses. mine both went from 1st-8th grade.

 

[hereyago]

I have no idea. A city almost an hour idea has thrown out some ideas of what it may look like.

My dgd’s school system has honestly done a great job during this stuff. She will be in Kindergarten next school year and I can’t see how that would work with class size, they touch things all day long.

 

[Shsmith341]

If it's safe enough for for daycare workers to be exposed, it's safe enough for teachers. Period. If you don't want to go to work, then you should lose your job. It's annoying to hear how dangerous it is to expose teachers but apparently it's ok for other people.

As a teacher myself, I am very surprised to hear that teachers are complaining about exposure come September. I teach in Westchester County, N Y. It's a suburb of NYC where most parents work in the city. I honestly do not know any teacher hoping to continue distance learning in the fall. My friends and I all hope to go back sooner than later. If these teacher complaints are based on heresay, shame on anyone for repeating a rumor that puts teachers in a bad light. If it came directly from a teacher's mouth, then that teacher can be quoted. If multiple teachers are complaining then the number of teachers can be counted and that number exposed. I would bet money that more teachers hope to return to the classroom. I would never lump an entire profession into a rumor. As someone mentioned, it is not up to many districts when schools can open facilities. Cuomo will make that decision in NY. Another poster mentioned cutting teacher's salaries. Would anyone have the nerve to say this directly to their child's teacher. I know that many educators, including myself, are working tirelessly to provide our students with as much as we possibly can. My husband is an essential worker that has been working this entire time. This means that I am on my own teaching my children as well as my students. I am up all hours of the night using screencastify to record, planning and posting assignments and grading everything turned in. If you live in a district that isn't providing enough distance learning opportunities then that is something you can discuss with your administrators, superintendent and BOE. My son had a virtual opthalmologist appointment that in no way provided the care, exam and expertise that would normally be provided. I would never suggest that this doctor should lower his charges. I understood because like most, I'm sure this wasn't something taught in college! I just held parent-teacher conferences and thankfully the parents of my students were very appreciative and supportive. In fact, they were surprised to see so much growth with their children. I teach first grade and trust me when I say that distance learning is not ideal at this age and would never be able to compete with experiences in the classroom. Fingers crossed we can all have some sense of normalcy soon! Please think of ALL teachers and essential workers and what they might be going through. You don't know what types of losses they may be dealing with while trying to keep a brave face for your children.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

As a teacher myself, I am very surprised to hear that teachers are complaining about exposure come September. I teach in Westchester County, N Y. It's a suburb of NYC where most parents work in the city. I honestly do not know any teacher hoping to continue distance learning in the fall. My friends and I all hope to go back sooner than later. If these teacher complaints are based on heresay, shame on anyone for repeating a rumor that puts teachers in a bad light. If it came directly from a teacher's mouth, then that teacher can be quoted. If multiple teachers are complaining then the number of teachers can be counted and that number exposed. I would bet money that more teachers hope to return to the classroom. I would never lump an entire profession into a rumor. As someone mentioned, it is not up to many districts when schools can open facilities. Cuomo will make that decision in NY. Another poster mentioned cutting teacher's salaries. Would anyone have the nerve to say this directly to their child's teacher. I know that many educators, including myself, are working tirelessly to provide our students with as much as we possibly can. My husband is an essential worker that has been working this entire time. This means that I am on my own teaching my children as well as my students. I am up all hours of the night using screencastify to record, planning and posting assignments and grading everything turned in. If you live in a district that isn't providing enough distance learning opportunities then that is something you can discuss with your administrators, superintendent and BOE. My son had a virtual opthalmologist appointment that in no way provided the care, exam and expertise that would normally be provided. I would never suggest that this doctor should lower his charges. I understood because like most, I'm sure this wasn't something taught in college! I just held parent-teacher conferences and thankfully the parents of my students were very appreciative and supportive. In fact, they were surprised to see so much growth with their children. I teach first grade and trust me when I say that distance learning is not ideal at this age and would never be able to compete with experiences in the classroom. Fingers crossed we can all have some sense of normalcy soon! Please think of ALL teachers and essential workers and what they might be going through. You don't know what types of losses they may be dealing with while trying to keep a brave face for your children.

On the flip side, don't assume that all students are getting quality education - or any at this point. There are amazing teachers out there who are working their tails off during this - DS's is one. Each of my high schoolers have 1 or 2. The rest aren't holding up their end of this. My YDD (3rd grade) was handed some packets to do and a loose lesson plan for March -the end of school. Zero zooms. Zero check ins. We're not even turning in this work. I love her teacher and he's retiring this year, so I'm giving him the pass on not wanting to learn this entire new way, but if he wasn't, I would be terribly disappointed in him. The other 3rd grade teacher is not retiring and has done the same. I love her, but I am disappointed in her.

As for teachers questioning coming back in the Fall? Yes it is happening. I see it on social media. They are concerned about their age & health. They are concerned about being able to keep kids apart in the classroom. Do I blame them for being concerned? No. But are they saying it? Yes. And not for one minute did I say all teachers. But it certainly isn't hearsay. And for you to assume we're spreading rumors isn't fair. Just because you don't see in NY, doesn't mean it's not happening elsewhere. The country is very large.

 

[Shsmith341]

On the flip side, don't assume that all students are getting quality education - or any at this point. There are amazing teachers out there who are working their tails off during this - DS's is one. Each of my high schoolers have 1 or 2. The rest aren't holding up their end of this. My YDD (3rd grade) was handed some packets to do and a loose lesson plan for March -the end of school. Zero zooms. Zero check ins. We're not even turning in this work. I love her teacher and he's retiring this year, so I'm giving him the pass on not wanting to learn this entire new way, but if he wasn't, I would be terribly disappointed in him. The other 3rd grade teacher is not retiring and has done the same. I love her, but I am disappointed in her.

As for teachers questioning coming back in the Fall? Yes it is happening. I see it on social media. They are concerned about their age & health. They are concerned about being able to keep kids apart in the classroom. Do I blame them for being concerned? No. But are they saying it? Yes. And not for one minute did I say all teachers. But it certainly isn't hearsay. And for you to assume we're spreading rumors isn't fair. Just because you don't see in NY, doesn't mean it's not happening elsewhere. The country is very large.

Not once did I assume that all children are getting a quality education. I stated, "If you live in a district that isn't providing enough distance learning opportunities then that is something you can discuss with your administrators, superintendent and BOE.". I understand that distance learning isn't comparable to in classroom experiences. In fact, I stated that.

 

[CarolAnn856]

If it's safe enough for for daycare workers to be exposed, it's safe enough for teachers. Period. If you don't want to go to work, then you should lose your job. It's annoying to hear how dangerous it is to expose teachers but apparently it's ok for other people.

What an ignorant argument. Just like the people who whine about places like Hallnark stores being closed when people can still buy cards at Walmart, so they argue that the card stores should be allowed to open. But here’s the thing: the right answer to that is not to open up the card shops. The right answer is stop allowing essential stores to sell non-essential items.

 

[okeydokey]

How can people complain about things being closed and then complain about things being open? Don’t open daycares, but I really want to eat in a restaurant. Makes no sense.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

I'm going to get slammed, I just don't care anymore..... The cure is worse than the disease, between the economy, the education, the ARTS industry (which never gets the credit it deserves) etc... FLAME AWAY!!!

ETA- what I mean by 'I don't care anymore' is that I am ok with posters attacking my opinion. I absolutely do care about the virus.

I agree 100%. The goal was never to save everyone, sad to say. The goal simply to flatten the curve.

 

[Primeval Princess]

I honestly do not know any teacher hoping to continue distance learning in the fall. My friends and I all hope to go back sooner than later. If these teacher complaints are based on heresay, shame on anyone for repeating a rumor that puts teachers in a bad light. If it came directly from a teacher's mouth, then that teacher can be quoted. If multiple teachers are complaining then the number of teachers can be counted and that number exposed. I would bet money that more teachers hope to return to the classroom. I would never lump an entire profession into a rumor.

Agree 100%. As I said upthread, social media posts by the few do not equal the prevailing opinion of the many.

I'm a teacher and I'm dying to get back to the classroom, as is every other teacher who I've spoken to about this since closure.

 

[Primeval Princess]

But schools nevertheless are threatened by that kind of thinking because it carries the consequence of lost funding, which could be potentially devastating at a time when their costs are almost certain to rise and state budget shortfalls may translate into cuts to per-pupil funding amounts.

I'm a public school teacher, and also a big advocate of school choice. And unlike some politicians, when I say "school choice", I mean a choice that parents pay for themselves. If you want private school, fine. Finance it yourself and send your child there. If you want to homeschool, then carve out the time to do so and homeschool your child for as long as you're able. None of that threatens me. In fact, I've done each option myself, as I very briefly homeschooled my son when he had some special needs when younger & public school just wasn't working for him that year. As a working mom I could not do that for long, and since then I have had him in private schools. They have been great for him. Public school was great for him, too, in Kinder and first grades, but second and third were a nightmare, so finally I took him out.

My point is that kids enter and leave schools all the time, and in general, that is not a threat to public schools. Charter schools have hurt the lower performing, lower income schools in one district in my city, but that is because it took large numbers of kids out due to long term, pervasive social and educational problems at those schools. Those are not communities where homeschooling is common. Covid isnt going to make the exodus from those schools any worse than it already is.

The families who turn to homeschooling tend to be middle class, with access to fair to excellent schools depending on the local district. I've known many, as for several years I taught at a diverse charter school and we got a fair number of kids who "aged out of" homeschool as they reached the middle school years & mom couldn't really teach them everything they needed to know at home anymore. In my experience, parents who are willing to dedicate themselves to homeschooling long term tend to do so due to their ideology: either very conservative religious, or else in pusuit of a more relaxed, individualist type of schooling than is offered in a public school setting. There are non-ideological parents like me, who have homeschooled due to a child's disability, but again, that's a small number of parents and that doesn't hurt public schools. When a child is that hard to teach, it's actually easier on the school (even financially, as less support staff will be required) if parents decide to remove the child.

My bottom line is that it is a lot of work to homeschool long term, and there are multiple reasons why most parents are not inclined to do so. Parents vent, and a small minority might homeschool for a year during this Covid fiasco, but not enough to threaten the public schools in any way.

What genuinely will threaten and damage public schools as a result of closures, are the state budget shortfalls on the horizon, due to dramatically reduced sales tax and income tax revenue. That is a huge problem, and every school district is quietly worried about it.

 

[barkley]

The families who turn to homeschooling tend to be middle class, with access to fair to excellent schools depending on the local district. I've known many, as for several years I taught at a diverse charter school and we got a fair number of kids who "aged out of" homeschool as they reached the middle school years & mom couldn't really teach them everything they needed to know at home anymore. In my experience, those parents who dedicate themselves to homeschooling long term usually have an ideology: usually either very conservative religious, or else in pusuit of a more relaxed, individualist type of schooling than is offered in a public school setting.

i would have agreed with this assessment for my region a handful of years ago but in recent years we've seen a tremendous upswing in spectacular strictly academic homeschooling being done by tremendously educated and advanced degree holding parents whose spouses/partners work in high paying positions at our local private and public universities. the academic struggles/shortfalls they are seeing incoming college students who attended public and charter schools deal with is having them re-think their own children's k-12 educational options. we are seeing increasing numbers opt for homeschooling and anticipate greater numbers as the first waves of common core educated students continue to demonstrate struggles to adapt to non common core college curriculum.

 

[Primeval Princess]

we are seeing increasing numbers opt for homeschooling and anticipate greater numbers as the first waves of common core educated students continue to demonstrate struggles to adapt to non common core college curriculum.

Okay. My state doesn't use Common Core, so we have no issue with that. What is your state?