School next year......

[ang79]

Curious to see if anyone has started thinking about how to handle school next year. We got an email from our local high school with a survey about our preference for classes for next year (my oldest daughter will be going into 9th grade). They are starting to plan out how to schedule classes so that everyone gets what they need for graduation requirements. They gave the option of fully in school, fully cyber, or a mix (which I don't think was an option this year, but I'm not sure since I didn't have a kid in the high school this year). I'm pretty sure they use block scheduling. They stated that mask and social distancing policies will still most likely be needed for at least part of the school year. My kids have been doing the cyber program so far this year, though DD1 keeps asking if she can go back to in person school for the 4th marking period. While we have not had a ton of cases within the schools, they are happening because community spread has been high, especially since Thanksgiving. They have had at least one positive case identified almost every day since returning from Thanksgiving break, usually there are multiple cases spread across the 8 buildings in the district. If the cases get to a certain (low) number schools have to close down for several days to clean and contact trace and every school has been close at least once, some several times. And lots of her friends have had to quarantine due to possible exposure at school, so the kids use the cyber program during that time. To me, it feels like a lot of back and forth at last minute notice, which is why we chose the cyber program from the get-go. I know she would love to do the full in person option next year, but said she would also be OK with the mixed option. I was just curious if anyone else has started thinking about this yet, especially if your kid was doing cyber this year. I'm also not sure what to do for my younger daughter who will be entering 7th grade and the middle school. She loves being at home, but I feel like her current school is handling the cyber option much better than the middle school (she has one teacher who is only teaching the cyber program and the same classmates all day long, whereas at the middle school each teacher teaches one period a day for the cyber kids and the rest of the day to in-school kids, so it feels like they have not fully learned the best way to teach to cyber students and often have tech and audio issues, stand in front of the board while writing on it so students can't see, etc.). We've done so well trying to avoid getting Covid, I'd like to keep it that way until we are all safely vaxed! I don't worry that one of us would die, but I do worry about unknown long-term effects even from mild covid.

[georgiegirl]

So the university I work for (as an adjunct) has told professors that next fall will have the same delivery options as this spring...in-person, hybrid, or online. It seems like they don’t anticipate everyone being vaccinated by then, especially young college students.

Currently all three of mine are 100% online even though our district offers 100% in person as well. I’m pretty sure we will send DD, who will be in 10th grade, back in person. She really wants to go back. I assume I’ll be vaccinated by then. DS1 (7th grade next year) never wants to go back in person, so if there’s a good online option, I’ll consider it for him. Ds2, who will be in 2nd, probably needs to go back in person. So long as the teacher he’s supposed to get will be in person, we will go in person.

Our district hasn’t said anything yet, but our governor has forced all schools to have a 100% in person option. And guess what, we are third to last as a state when it comes to vaccinating our population. So [emoji2368]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[niccig]

I’m hoping DS can go in person. 100% in person because hybrid isn’t great for anyone. If they only offer hybrid, then that’s what he’ll do. He will not want distance learning. I’m hoping I’ll be able to be back in person 100%. Hybrid will be a nightmare for my job, so I hope we don’t have to do that


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[bcafe]

We’ve been back 100% in person since Sept.2. There is an option for full online but this does not work for my family.

[KrisM]

We had the same options we have every year - fully online, fully in person, or a mix. We took this year to try some online classes and DD has 1 and DS2 has 2. It's awful for DS2 and he can not wait to never have an online class again! So, he'll be full in person next fall for sure. DD is doing way better than I imagined and likes it and is considering doing 1 or 2 next year as well. She likes that online is flexible and she can skip day or two if she has a busy night with other things.

Our schools have had cases, but only 2 that were connected (in October). They've done a great job this year. The state closed the high schools for a month and then they were remote. Not ideal and none of mine really like remote learning, but they lived with it. Hopefully next year will have the masks, distancing, etc, but fewer closings and remote teaching days.

[elbert]

We’re in a heavily impacted area, but our schools have done a good job in minimizing in-school transmission (middle and high schools are hybrid with no more than 50% in the building at a time, elementary schools are in-person with remote option - but they do have classrooms quarantine more frequently).

The only thing we do is have DD attend school. DH and I work entirely from home and we only do curbside pickups and deliveries. Every few months, we see our parents for a couple of hours in a park sitting about 12 feet apart and wearing masks. We have made a commitment to DD that in the absence of a pattern of transmission in the schools, we will send her whenever she is given the option to go. It’s important for her to see people aside from the two of us and I know she’s more engaged in school when she’s in the building (currently 2 days a week).

She’ll start high school next year and the course selections just came out here, too. They aren’t addressing the elephant in the room yet, but I know they want to have kids in the building to the extent allowed by the state. We’ll likely follow our current family model and have her attend in-person when given the opportunity.


Sent from my iPad using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[jgenie]

We’ve been very lucky to be full time in person since September. Our school hasn’t released any information on next year but I believe it will be mostly the same as this year. Masks, social distancing, hand washing. We have virtual available when kids are sick so they don’t miss out on anything.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I have no reservations about full time in person. We haven't even gone back partially since last March though so our district is on the very cautious end. Luckily ds2 is doing fine. Fingers crossed that hybrid starts as planned in the 3rd quarter. He misses people.

[MSWR0319]

DS1 is going into 7th grade and wants to go back. I will let him as long as they continue to mandate masks. I really don't think he realizes how much less his anxiety is when he's home, but if he needs to go back I'm ok with that given current circumstances. Now, if the variants take off and we're running rampant again, I may change my mind. He is signed up for the covid vaccine trial, if he would get into it and get the shot then I see no reason at the moment that we would keep him home.

DS2 I am strongly considering keeping him home. Both of my kids are doing Connections Academy this year and I think they are both getting more out of it than what they do at school. DS needs pushed academically. His school won't do it. But in CA, he can take take gifted classes. Next year he can take gifted math which is 3rd and 4th grade math combined, as well as gifted science and ELA. He does well at home, and I think would do even better with DS1 out of the house, as they distract each other often.

[Myira]

Our schools have had the in person option since oct-nov along with virtual and they have been doing a great job of enforcing safety guidelines. My kids though will stay virtual this year and are doing well. We plan to go. In person for next year since although academically they are doing fine, the social aspect of school is absent right now.
Our school hasn’t officially asked us to select options yet but they have been actively preparing and planning overall for what they call future ready schools.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[ChicagoNDMom]

Wow. My DH is at a private HS that has been in person throughout. No significant issues (1 staff member had a positive test once and quarantined with no additional cases). And we are in a relatively high impact geographic issue. This is not a rich school. They operate month-to-month and have navigated this with minimal investment/additional equipment/supplies. He and all the faculty and staff of all area schools are receiving their first vaccine dose starting this week.

I could not imagine doing anything but 100% in person next fall. If my local public school did not offer, I would do whatever it took to pay for a private school offering 100% in person.

We have already seen the beginning of the long-term fall out of the lack of normal social interaction for tweens/teen. Friendships/socialization is oxygen for these kids, when you remove that, the long-term results are horrible.

Sorry, but I live in Chicago where the teacher’s union has already announced they will not return even after all faculty and staff are vaccinated. Kids are failing and totally disengaged. Low income and POC are being disproportionately affected.

Parents need to hold their school boards and teachers unions accountable to do their job and offer 100% in person schooling. Period.

[gymnbomb]

In our district this year most kids are in school 2 days a week, with 1 class per grade (at elementary level at least) of higher risk students in school 4 days a week and one class full distance learning. We opted for full distance learning for my first grader this year, partly for health reasons and partly for consistency reasons. His school has had probably 1-5 cases reported each week since November or December. Not sure if there were actually none before that or if they just weren't informing us.

We'll send him to whatever in person option there is next year, whether it's full in person or hybrid. My parents will live here by then so it won't be a big deal if we need to do hybrid, but I know he misses his friends and we've promised him he would be back at his school for second grade. I'm glad we made the decision to keep him home this year and he's doing just fine, but I wouldn't want to do it for another year.

The university I work at hasn't made any announcements about next fall yet. The blanket waiver allowing anyone to teach anything online ends after this semester, so I submitted the paperwork to get another one of my classes approved to be taught online this summer. I always only teach online during the summer and have had other classes approved for that, just picking up a different one this year since a friend who usually teaches it doesn't want to this time. I'm assuming they'll want most classes back in person in the fall. I'm not particularly worried about teaching my 20-30 student classes in person. But I'm hoping they allow me to teach my big 150 student lecture class online. It is one that's already approved to be taught online, but usually we teach it face to face fall and spring and online during summer and January term.

[smilequeen]

I know it's a different situation with private schools, but mine have been full time in person since August. We do have the option of full virtual, and that makes it really nice for when they've had cold symptoms and can still work but shouldn't be in school. Our pre-6 school is very small and have only had ONE case all year. Our 6-12 school is more like 850 students and they've had cases, but NO spread at school. No one at either school has gotten covid at school and we've not had issues with lack of subs (no teachers have had covid at the smaller school and very very few at the larger school). It's been extremely successful and my kids are much happier. We'll stay this way unless something changes drastically.

[westwoodmom04]

I have one kid going 5 days a week and the other four. Their teachers will all be getting second shots over the next two weeks or so. My high school student has had modified sports with a few games each season with lots of precautions. The most recent quarantine for either kid’s school at their grade levels was October. No in school transmission at either school. I would be shocked if remote remains an option in the fall. Maybe at the public schools which are just beginning in person hybrid next month.

Vaccinations are already have a positive affect on new cases numbers. I think once the majority of adults are vaccinated, which should be this summer, the overall covid numbers will be significantly less next fall than last.

[mmsmom]

Our public schools are going back part time in a couple weeks. They have had two prior dates delayed but our Governor just passed something saying schools should open. This was based on Duke study showing schools could operate safely with distancing and masks. So I do think it will happen this time and that they will also go at least part time in the Fall. There will continue to be a virtual option (there has been for many years).

My DC are at a private school and have been doing 1/2 time since August. There have been about 50 cases since then (1600 students/staff) but only 1 that MAY have transmitted at school. I am very hopeful they will be back full time in the Fall. Our teachers should be vaccinated by then... they are in next vaccine group after 65+ which they are on now.

[gatorsmom]

Wow. My DH is at a private HS that has been in person throughout. No significant issues (1 staff member had a positive test once and quarantined with no additional cases). And we are in a relatively high impact geographic issue. This is not a rich school. They operate month-to-month and have navigated this with minimal investment/additional equipment/supplies. He and all the faculty and staff of all area schools are receiving their first vaccine dose starting this week.

I could not imagine doing anything but 100% in person next fall. If my local public school did not offer, I would do whatever it took to pay for a private school offering 100% in person.

We have already seen the beginning of the long-term fall out of the lack of normal social interaction for tweens/teen. Friendships/socialization is oxygen for these kids, when you remove that, the long-term results are horrible.


This is exactly us, word for word. Our difference is that Dh is immunocompromised so we opted for all our kids to virtual learn. It’s been very difficult (and yet the kids and I have learned some valuable lessons. Also, we have invited our kids’ friends to hangoutside at our house each weekend so they get weekly friend time at least). But not seeing their friends daily has taken a toll. We are praying and it looks positive that Dh and I can get the vaccine before September so we promised the kids they could go back in person. In case we do NOT get the vaccine, they can still go back in person because the positive student cases at the school are from community spread. The friends who were positive reportedly got their cases from friends and family, not classmates in school. We have some other ideas in place to help prevent Dh and I from catching it from the kids if they do bring it home from schools.

Hopefully more stats will be published about how many kids under 16 get long-term covid. Right now the number seems low and I’m willing to gamble with those odds in order for the kids to be back at in-person school.

ETA- the reports from pp who have had kids in school in-person since September are encouraging. It really does seem like a low risk possibility.

[ang79]

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately vaccine roll out in PA has not been great. Teachers are in the second wave but who knows when that will be, things are moving so slowly. The elem. and intermediate schools have done a pretty good job of maintaining small cohorts, and the middle school to some extent, but I've heard from a friend who has a current 9th grader that due to their classes and scheduling, that wasn't possible in the high school. Her son said other than mask wearing, everything else is the same (crowded hallways, mixes of kids in every class, etc.) School sports are still happening, unless a school is shut down for too many cases. Overall, the cases have not been bad in school, but there are still frequent disruptions with quarantines and closures. My kids are doing well academically with the cyber option (and my 6th grader says she never wants to go back to in person school, lol). But DD1 does miss the social aspect. I just emailed the assistant principal at the high school to see if he can give me a better picture of what the combined schedule option may look like.

On the parent end, it is way easier having us all home! No running back and forth and waiting in car lines (even if they do go back to school next year, I think I will still drive them, at least until students are starting to get vaccinated). And DD1 has had way less friend drama and has been nicer to the rest of us at home (she picks up more attitude when around friends everyday and then brings it home). But I know she needs and craves those friendships as well.

[carolinamama]

DS2 (6th grade) and DD (4th grade) are back in person full time. They attend a private school that offers either full in-person or full virtual. We did full in the fall and saw how well they handled everything. There are 2 cases - one was staff and the other a student but no in-school transmission. Strict screening, masking, distancing and cohorting. They will return to school full time in the fall again.

DS1 (9th grade) is fully virtual this year. Surprisingly, our high school students are returning in a 3-cohort hybrid model week after next. I didn't expect the high school to see the inside of a building this year and I hope it goes okay for the teachers, staff and students that return. Our state hasn't vaccinated teachers unless they are in a smaller county. I hear mixed reports about when it will realistically happen locally, but probably nowhere near as soon as teachers want. When this decision came out, my friends that teach were upset about the lack of vaccinations and safety provisions, especially in K-3, who will be back full time. As for next year, I would like DS1 to be back in-person. He has excellent grades in virtual but his social skills have slid. He's playing soccer on the high school team now so there's some improvement but these are important years for development.

[erosenst]

DD is a junior. Hybrid this year and has worked well. HS is huge (5400 kids and most attending), but < 25 cases a week most weeks which is way less than community stats. Teachers and staff report for the whole district so I don't have good denominator - but *appears* to be well less than community spread rate as well.

Nothing out for next year yet - we'll send DD to as much as is available. She would actually love to remain hybrid - for a number of reasons it's the ideal for her. I go back and forth on what I think will actually happen. Once again - no easy answers for anyone here.

[PZMommy]

I’m hoping DS can go in person. 100% in person because hybrid isn’t great for anyone. If they only offer hybrid, then that’s what he’ll do. He will not want distance learning. I’m hoping I’ll be able to be back in person 100%. Hybrid will be a nightmare for my job, so I hope we don’t have to do that


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

It sounds like the district is planning for 100% in person. Did you see the news that they want to add 10 extra days and have us start Aug 3. Parents are livid!

[AnnieW625]

The plan is that my kids will be back in school in the fall or as soon as they are allowed to open this spring. Dd1 is a freshman at a Catholic high school and Dd2 is in 4th grade at Catholic elementary. Dd2’s waiver was supposedly approved in November but then rescinded a week later when the county decided to stop approving waivers due to increased numbers. They have not approved waivers for high schools in our region at all. Dd1’s school has maybe 600 kids, but I think it is closer to 500 kids so there is space to go back. Dd2’s school is about 300 pk-8 and the principal thinks that it will be less than 300 that go back full time when school opens and they have space; which was one of the reasons we chose the school because we figured they would be able to open and easily practice social distance policies. Both schools are diocesan supported so the local diocese is our school district.

Dd1 is doing fine with online learning and Dd2 is getting better, but it isn’t ideal for either one. We moved here in August and both girls still feel like they have no friends. Other than a few girls Dd1 has met through sports conditioning she doesn’t have any friends. She feels odd texting her old friends “because they have nothing in common now” because they don’t go to the same high schools.Some days my nerves are fried and the smallest thing sets me off (missing assignment notification because DD2 didn’t take a photo of it and turn it in) or DD2 parading through the kitchen when I am on the phone after school or having phone calls back up between 2 and 2:30 when Dd2 has music class (saxophone) because I can’t answer the phone. I am just tired and this needs to end now.

I am insanely jealous of those of you who have been in school all year. It just doesn’t seem fair. Sorry for the mini b!tch here but I am done with home school.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[marinkitty]

My kids will all go in person to the maximum extent allowed. Right now all of them are in hybrid learning. It is my sincere hope that kids will be fully back in September, but even if they aren't fully back, I believe it will be more time in person than they are getting now (currently, 40% for high schoolers and 50% for middle schooler). Our middle school has already announced that they will be merging the hybrid pods and extending the in-person instruction in March, but still not having kids eat lunch on campus, so there will still be some remote instruction but it should drop to 30% or less. The high school is also exploring how to get more kids into the building - they just bumped from 25%-50% on campus and have been doing weekly mandatory saliva testing that has been amazing for keeping case counts low. Both administrations are determined to get more kids learning at school.

My DD will be in college and we aren't seriously considering any schools that didn't have kids on campus this past year, so even if some of the learning is remote, she should be living on campus and attending some (hopefully most) classes in person.

[MaiseyDog]

My kids have been fully in the classroom since fall. I live in Mississippi and honestly virtual schooling is just a luxury that we can't accomplish. There are kids in our schools that don't always have electricity, much less internet. The high school has closed twice due to cases, but honestly it wasn't the schools fault, it was the parents in both situations. Someone felt bad about the kids missing homecoming and threw a big fake homecoming party and lots of kids got sick. The second was a Holiday party cause the school canceled the dance. Again a bunch of kids got sick and things had to shut down. The middle school and elementary schools have remained open the whole time with very few cases. The school does a good job of enforcing masks and limiting contact when possible and I really can't complain about how things have been handled.

[lizzywednesday]

DD struggles with transitions, so if the schedule will still be an alternating-day, 50% cohort hybrid model in middle school, I think we will continue to keep her fully remote for at least the first marking period.

Community infection numbers here are falling, but I'm still feeling a lot of frustration & distrust for other families in town.

[AngB]

We have been in person since August. (Hybrid Aug-Oct). It has been a mixed success. They've had issues with staffing and had to shut middle schools and high schools down to virtual learning for Nov and Dec but they've been fully back now. (Our community spread has always been pretty high but dropping lately. I think around 14% positivity rate but it's been easily double that. ) Each of my kids has been quarantined from school exposures once and then we had the whole fiasco with DS2 getting a cold during his "modified quarantine"( where they still attend school) and being presumed positive (but negative) so then everyone got quarantined again from that ridiculousness plus their classmates because DS1 and DS3 also got his cold and became presumed positives. Anyway aside from the cold= covid crap, our school has only had one close contact that ended up with covid despite pretty high community numbers and even with the "modified quarantine' stuff. I'm really on board with it doesn't spread easily between kids theory. (DS1's (9) quarantine was from a classmate who sat at his table facing him, they ate lunch and snack and water breaks facing each other...he didn't get it as far as we know. They do wear masks but obviously didn't through eating,etc. and they don't social distance for lunch because there isn't space.) Even though we have had rotten luck with quarantines, I have friends who have had kids in our same school district throughout this and haven't had any. I don't think either is uncommon.

With our numbers dropping, people getting vaccinated, etc. I'm comfortable sending my kids back next year and hopefully it will go much more smoothly than this year. My kid that does virtual learning the best definitely wants to go in person. And with the worst I would probably pay for a private option if public wasn't an option because it's hours of fighting to get him to do anything at all.

[basil]

If my public elementary doesn’t go back to full time in person learning by September 2021, I’ll send my kids to private school. We’ve been in hybrid since September 2020 and it’s ok but not great. My 1st grader goes 4 days/week and my 3rd grader 2 days/week. By fall, all the teachers and grandparents and parents who want the vaccine will have it, and there won’t be anymore excuses.

[AngB]

The plan is that my kids will be back in school in the fall or as soon as they are allowed to open this spring. Dd1 is a freshman at a Catholic high school and Dd2 is in 4th grade at Catholic elementary. Dd2’s waiver was supposedly approved in November but then rescinded a week later when the county decided to stop approving waivers due to increased numbers. They have not approved waivers for high schools in our region at all. Dd1’s school has maybe 600 kids, but I think it is closer to 500 kids so there is space to go back. Dd2’s school is about 300 pk-8 and the principal thinks that it will be less than 300 that go back full time when school opens and they have space; which was one of the reasons we chose the school because we figured they would be able to open and easily practice social distance policies. Both schools are diocesan supported so the local diocese is our school district.

Dd1 is doing fine with online learning and Dd2 is getting better, but it isn’t ideal for either one. We moved here in August and both girls still feel like they have no friends. Other than a few girls Dd1 has met through sports conditioning she doesn’t have any friends. She feels odd texting her old friends “because they have nothing in common now” because they don’t go to the same high schools.Some days my nerves are fried and the smallest thing sets me off (missing assignment notification because DD2 didn’t take a photo of it and turn it in) or DD2 parading through the kitchen when I am on the phone after school or having phone calls back up between 2 and 2:30 when Dd2 has music class (saxophone) because I can’t answer the phone. I am just tired and this needs to end now.

I am insanely jealous of those of you who have been in school all year. It just doesn’t seem fair. Sorry for the mini b!tch here but I am done with home school.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am sorry. My stance on this has changed drastically as I have seen it done and work out (although I still feel strongly that we got lucky and it easily could have been a disaster.) I hope your kids get to go back in person soon. I don't blame anyone for being over it!

[bisous]

I anticipate that I'll send my kids. I know this is optimistic but I'm hoping DS1 and maybe even DS2 will have the shot by then. I can't see how my littles (ages 9 and 7) will have that chance. But I think that in person school will be good for them, that numbers will be down because of vaccinations, and that we can use some of the skills we've learned during these past few months to get them back into the classroom. My littles will be at reduced risk for bad viral complications. I REALLY don't want them to catch it but I think I'm willing to risk it if schools are well managed and community spread is down!

[carolinacool]

I haven't heard of any plans for next year. Our school system is still trying to get kids back in school for this school year. K-2 started back full time in November, 3-5 returned full time in January (DS is in fifth and went back). Middle and high school are supposed to start on a hybrid schedule later this month after being pushed from a later January start.

I do know that the virtual school that launched this year is supposed to remain permanent. A lot of parents balked at that because they wanted their kids to remain attached to their home school with a virtual option, so the board added that late in the fall. I wouldn't be surprised if that went away, though. It's a lot of extra work for the schools and teachers. I'm sure parents won't be happy, but eventually I imagine the board will stop trying to make everyone happy. We don't have enough resources.

[Kindra178]

Wow. My DH is at a private HS that has been in person throughout. No significant issues (1 staff member had a positive test once and quarantined with no additional cases). And we are in a relatively high impact geographic issue. This is not a rich school. They operate month-to-month and have navigated this with minimal investment/additional equipment/supplies. He and all the faculty and staff of all area schools are receiving their first vaccine dose starting this week.

I could not imagine doing anything but 100% in person next fall. If my local public school did not offer, I would do whatever it took to pay for a private school offering 100% in person.

We have already seen the beginning of the long-term fall out of the lack of normal social interaction for tweens/teen. Friendships/socialization is oxygen for these kids, when you remove that, the long-term results are horrible.

Sorry, but I live in Chicago where the teacher’s union has already announced they will not return even after all faculty and staff are vaccinated. Kids are failing and totally disengaged. Low income and POC are being disproportionately affected.

Parents need to hold their school boards and teachers unions accountable to do their job and offer 100% in person schooling. Period.

Yes to this.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[doberbrat]

Our district has about 5k students. About 15-20% are IP hybrid. We've had 117 cases from in person - 142 remote. Pretty sure we're NOT coming back full time next year.

[niccig]

It sounds like the district is planning for 100% in person. Did you see the news that they want to add 10 extra days and have us start Aug 3. Parents are livid!

The other option I saw was a week earlier so August 10 and then only 2 weeks for Winter Break. What’s 2 weeks extra going to do?? We haven’t had contact with some students for months!

I am over everything. I know being back in person will be different- difficult to do speech therapy with masks on. We’re all feeling done in my house.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[Kestrel]

6th grader/middle school, and all of our schools have been fully remote since March. Just last week they started bringing in younger grades in hybrid to see how it goes. (Am I the only one who thinks experimenting with kinders like this is crazy?) Though the school thinks they will bring back middle & high school for hybrid in April for the 4th quarter, we will remain remote for this school year.

We haven't been given any info on next year yet - I think it will depend on how it will look. If we can have dedicated remote teachers, we may stay remote. Rumor is that they are planning to mike up the teachers and just have a camera in the back of the room while teaching in person kids, to discourage the choice of remote. I hope it remains rumor - that would suck.

So much could (and hopefully, should!) look better by fall, it's hard to guess what it will be like. I think asking people now to choose for fall is hard.

[gatorsmom]

So much could (and hopefully, should!) look better by fall, it's hard to guess what it will be like. I think asking people now to choose for fall is hard.

I agree but our private school has already sent out registration forms for next year’s enrollment. Time to make some decisions.

[bisous]

It sounds like the district is planning for 100% in person. Did you see the news that they want to add 10 extra days and have us start Aug 3. Parents are livid!

What is funny is that my school district is pushing BACK the start date of school--hoping that they can adapt to any last minute regulations that might be imposed for the start of the year, lol.

For context, we are a charter school with families of fairly high SES so our population might not have been as disadvantaged as some of the schools in LAUSD.

I actually see some value in trying to add extra days to the calendar for the next couple of years. I do think there has been some learning loss and I think there is some value in something being done to address that! This is probably a post for its own thread but it is something I've thought about a lot!

[niccig]

What is funny is that my school district is pushing BACK the start date of school--hoping that they can adapt to any last minute regulations that might be imposed for the start of the year, lol.

For context, we are a charter school with families of fairly high SES so our population might not have been as disadvantaged as some of the schools in LAUSD.

I actually see some value in trying to add extra days to the calendar for the next couple of years. I do think there has been some learning loss and I think there is some value in something being done to address that! This is probably a post for its own thread but it is something I've thought about a lot!

They’re talking about only one year of extra school days. I’ve also heard some extra funding has to be used by certain time. To add days every school year would be costly.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[ett]

Our school district has not released plans for next year yet, but I'm doubtful that everyone will be back full time. They are bringing K-2 back full time starting in March (M, Tues, Thurs, Fri.; Wed. is still remote). I think remote only will still be an option. DS2 will be entering high school and would probably be the last group of kids they bring back full time.

[ett]

Our district has about 5k students. About 15-20% are IP hybrid. We've had 117 cases from in person - 142 remote. Pretty sure we're NOT coming back full time next year.


Were those cases from in school transmission? Our school district is also around 5K students and has had almost 200 cases (including teachers/staff) but most were not from in school transmission.

[bisous]

They’re talking about only one year of extra school days. I’ve also heard some extra funding has to be used by certain time. To add days every school year would be costly.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

Oh I know it will be costly! I just think if done well it could be a good use of money! I am imagining a kind of fun, enriching summer school for kids who are struggling in any way (IEP, low SES, etc.) It could be a boon to struggling families too.

[wendibird22]

My 5th grader has been fully in person this entire academic year, and 8th grader has been hybrid. I anticipate next school year with either remain the same or 7-12 will go back to fully in person.

[legaleagle]

Our large suburban district (160k students) has not even announced any in person real plan for this spring, much less next year. None of us are high risk - assuming overall community spread is significantly down we would do as much in person as possible in the fall. The news out about the UK variant and increased transmissibility in children is very alarming though.

[jgenie]

Wow. My DH is at a private HS that has been in person throughout. No significant issues (1 staff member had a positive test once and quarantined with no additional cases). And we are in a relatively high impact geographic issue. This is not a rich school. They operate month-to-month and have navigated this with minimal investment/additional equipment/supplies. He and all the faculty and staff of all area schools are receiving their first vaccine dose starting this week.

I could not imagine doing anything but 100% in person next fall. If my local public school did not offer, I would do whatever it took to pay for a private school offering 100% in person.

We have already seen the beginning of the long-term fall out of the lack of normal social interaction for tweens/teen. Friendships/socialization is oxygen for these kids, when you remove that, the long-term results are horrible.

Sorry, but I live in Chicago where the teacher’s union has already announced they will not return even after all faculty and staff are vaccinated. Kids are failing and totally disengaged. Low income and POC are being disproportionately affected.

Parents need to hold their school boards and teachers unions accountable to do their job and offer 100% in person schooling. Period.

I haven’t kept up with the news on your area. What are the teachers / staff not going back after being vaccinated? I agree with you in that kids should be in school. My kids are in private school and have been in person from the beginning. They would both love to stay home but as long as our school continues to be on top of procedures they will continue to attend in person. It’s easier for them to be home but the6 really do need that social interaction from other kids and adults.

[JBaxter]

We have inperson option since August the first marking period many it was about 75-25 inperson a LOT of kids came back after the Christmas break and a county wide notice that any child failing or near failing would be required to be inperson or switch to the FVS program. The Zoom in option wouldn't be an option for them anymore. I cant see next year being any different except for less restrictions may be optional masks?

[ett]

I haven’t kept up with the news on your area. What are the teachers / staff not going back after being vaccinated? I agree with you in that kids should be in school. My kids are in private school and have been in person from the beginning. They would both love to stay home but as long as our school continues to be on top of procedures they will continue to attend in person. It’s easier for them to be home but the6 really do need that social interaction from other kids and adults.

Not specifically about Chicago but I read that some school districts were saying they wouldn't go back until all the kids are vaccinated. Which is just crazy since it could take years for all the kids to be vaccinated!

https://www.wired.com/story/the-ethics-of-vaccinating-teachers-and-keeping-schools-closed/

[SnuggleBuggles]

The school district unofficial parent facebook page requires frequent moderation because the parents are deeply divided on what should be going on. The school is 100% virtual and recently surveyed parents about what their preference is for quarter 3. 30% felt darned sure of virtual only. 30% felt darned sure about in person. The rest were a bit less sure but equally split. No one is willing to find a common ground or agree with the other side. At this point it just isn't in the parents' hands. There are private schools that are in person. As I remind them, many of the private schools offer generous scholarships so they should at least explore the option instead of just whining. They might not like their choices but there are choices. It gets frustrating. I wish schools were open but I understand why they aren't.

[Snow mom]

I've definitely been thinking about what school is likely to look like next year. This year my kids are both attending when they can. DS is in elementary (and will be again next year) and attends every day. I imagine this option will exist again next year. Next year he will be in a grade where the teachers are currently teaching both in-person and remote at the same time, so that will be a change. DD is in middle school which is hybrid (will be at a different school next year but also hybrid this year). I'm hoping they might be able to go back to full attendance with the children wearing masks? I imagine either masks and/or social distancing will be necessary in the fall depending on vaccination rates and amounts of community spread. I'm honestly not sure whether I expect masks or social distancing to be the first to go. My guess is on the distancing just because masks seem like a less cumbersome restriction. I know a lot of decisions haven't exactly been based on science during the pandemic so it's hard for me to predict what decision makers might do. Both my kids will attend in person to the extent they are allowed. DS was a hot mess doing remote school. DD does fine with remote but would rather be there.

[ang79]

The assistant principal called me to share what the combined choice means. HS uses block scheduling, so 4 courses for each semester, with 90 min. classes. He said that it really depends on which classes your child is interested in/should take, but some parents were able to work it out this year to only be at the school for 1/2 the day (do 2 periods in the morning, then go home and do afternoon classes virtually or the opposite). I'm guessing that means those students wouldn't have to do lunch at school. Which I know is great for socialization, but I'm pretty sure that there is no way to socially distance/group in cohorts in the HS cafeteria. Our high school is also in the beginning stages of renovating (they have plans but have not started yet), because the building is so old, so I'm guessing ventilation is not great (a problem that a lot of schools seem to have and is a sticking point for some of the unions fighting returns to in-person schooling). Our school district put out that the Dept. of Health has already told schools that masks and social distancing will be required for at least part of the year. I'm guessing how long depends on community transmission and how quickly they get kids vaccinated.

[KrisM]

The assistant principal called me to share what the combined choice means. HS uses block scheduling, so 4 courses for each semester, with 90 min. classes. He said that it really depends on which classes your child is interested in/should take, but some parents were able to work it out this year to only be at the school for 1/2 the day (do 2 periods in the morning, then go home and do afternoon classes virtually or the opposite). I'm guessing that means those students wouldn't have to do lunch at school. Which I know is great for socialization, but I'm pretty sure that there is no way to socially distance/group in cohorts in the HS cafeteria. Our high school is also in the beginning stages of renovating (they have plans but have not started yet), because the building is so old, so I'm guessing ventilation is not great (a problem that a lot of schools seem to have and is a sticking point for some of the unions fighting returns to in-person schooling). Our school district put out that the Dept. of Health has already told schools that masks and social distancing will be required for at least part of the year. I'm guessing how long depends on community transmission and how quickly they get kids vaccinated.


Our high school uses the cafeteria, gym, hallway, band room and media center for lunches. They have an X taped on seats that have to stay open. No assigned seats though. My kids have been able to find friends in their lunches and they sit "together" yet spaced 6' or more apart. Our middle school uses the cafeteria and gym for lunch and they have assigned seats. They have been able to select new seats a couple times, but not often. But they are also spaced apart.

Our district is about 7000 kids and we've had a total of 66 student and 14 staff cases in the district this year. Two were found to be transmitted at a school.

[ciw]

The assistant principal called me to share what the combined choice means. HS uses block scheduling, so 4 courses for each semester, with 90 min. classes. He said that it really depends on which classes your child is interested in/should take, but some parents were able to work it out this year to only be at the school for 1/2 the day (do 2 periods in the morning, then go home and do afternoon classes virtually or the opposite). I'm guessing that means those students wouldn't have to do lunch at school. Which I know is great for socialization, but I'm pretty sure that there is no way to socially distance/group in cohorts in the HS cafeteria. Our high school is also in the beginning stages of renovating (they have plans but have not started yet), because the building is so old, so I'm guessing ventilation is not great (a problem that a lot of schools seem to have and is a sticking point for some of the unions fighting returns to in-person schooling). Our school district put out that the Dept. of Health has already told schools that masks and social distancing will be required for at least part of the year. I'm guessing how long depends on community transmission and how quickly they get kids vaccinated.

We tried the half in person, half remote option this year in order to avoid lunch at school. It did not go well.

Before school started, I spent an absolutely insane amount of time trying to align the class times for in-person courses (and our school started the year hybrid, so that was only two days per week) with the class times for virtual courses and include drive time. It took a tremendous amount of back and forth with the school to work out a schedule. Two weeks into the school year, the virtual teachers (who made their own schedules) decided to change the times for their synchronous classes and office hours. This meant that the virtual classes overlapped with the in-person classes. We had to make a choice -- either all in for the hybrid model or all out save for a single class. Based on that experience, if you are considering a schedule that is a combination of in-person and virtual, I would strongly recommend receiving assurances from both the school and the teachers involved that class times will not change once the school year starts.

Since you have an incoming high schooler, I would also ask which classes will be offered online and how they will be weighted. Our district does not offer the same selection of classes to remote learners (particularly when it comes to AP and honors courses), and at the high school level, the remote classes are not weighted the same as the in-person classes.

[doberbrat]

Were those cases from in school transmission? Our school district is also around 5K students and has had almost 200 cases (including teachers/staff) but most were not from in school transmission.

I don't know the exact numbers b/c we're not told that. I do know that there have been a few. Mostly related to people not following protocols. Teachers (unmasked) eating with kids and staff eating lunch together were 2 specific cases the nurse told me when our 1 student turned up positive after day 2 of being in school. ..... so our protocols do seem to work BUT that means that 100% back in school cant happen. We dont have the space. Already, with most teachers being back in the building to teach, we're having issues of where to go for planning time, lunch, and meetings. All meetings are virtual but they're normally held during the teacher's planning time (specials) Specials & lunch are now held in the classroom so kids arent moving around the building and mixing but then where does the classroom teacher go for their meetings, lunch etc? We already have a few people teaching from the cafe & the library...

Also, I'm currently in a classroom with 3 kids. The kids do not leave the classroom except to go to the bathroom. Any services are done via computer in the classroom so that the specialists minimize who they come into contact with and how many kids they could potentially infect.. So picture this - 3 kids, 2 adults. 1 meeting online with classroom teacher and a remote student. 1 in speech (online) 1 with me doing a different assignment online with other remote students. 5 people and 3 different meetings in 1 room = chaos.

I'm not saying that kids shouldnt be back in school. I'm saying 100% in person in already crowded schools before most people are vaccinated is unlikely in our district.

[mmsmom]

I wanted to come back and post the link to the study I mentioned in PP that was published in JAMA. https://today.duke.edu/2021/01/duke-study-when-schools-take-covid-safety-measures-viral-transmissions-person-schooling-are

A PP mentions cases in virtual students being higher than in person students which aligns with this study.

IMO, the negative affects of kids being home is now much greater than the risk of being at school. For some districts like my local one which is very large and overcrowded the distancing is the issue. But I feel there is no excuse for any school not offering a partial in person option for Fall.

[basil]

I don't know the exact numbers b/c we're not told that. I do know that there have been a few. Mostly related to people not following protocols. Teachers (unmasked) eating with kids and staff eating lunch together were 2 specific cases the nurse told me when our 1 student turned up positive after day 2 of being in school. ..... so our protocols do seem to work BUT that means that 100% back in school cant happen. We dont have the space. Already, with most teachers being back in the building to teach, we're having issues of where to go for planning time, lunch, and meetings. All meetings are virtual but they're normally held during the teacher's planning time (specials) Specials & lunch are now held in the classroom so kids arent moving around the building and mixing but then where does the classroom teacher go for their meetings, lunch etc? We already have a few people teaching from the cafe & the library...

Also, I'm currently in a classroom with 3 kids. The kids do not leave the classroom except to go to the bathroom. Any services are done via computer in the classroom so that the specialists minimize who they come into contact with and how many kids they could potentially infect.. So picture this - 3 kids, 2 adults. 1 meeting online with classroom teacher and a remote student. 1 in speech (online) 1 with me doing a different assignment online with other remote students. 5 people and 3 different meetings in 1 room = chaos.

I'm not saying that kids shouldnt be back in school. I'm saying 100% in person in already crowded schools before most people are vaccinated is unlikely in our district.

We have had cases in our office with staff eating together unmasked and in close proximity as well. Must be prohibited.

However, what you are doing now seems insane. As many have posted, schools in so many places are open, places with high community spread. Still with extremely low morbidity/even lower mortality in kids. With vaccines for the teachers/grandparents/parents, I really fail to see the risk. I'm in your state, and although our schools are not crowded at baseline, they are doing hybrid for maintaining 6 ft distance for snacks/meals. Once adults are vaccinated, I see no point in this. There was never a goal of protecting the students. It was ALWAYS about protecting the teachers and grandparents. It is SO frustrating to me to see us sacrifice our kids' education and well being. You prob know this, but the MTA president said that sending teachers back to school without vaccines was like "being fed to the wolves". Me, my husband, multiple friends, my mother who is a retired teacher's impression - "why TF are you a teacher if you are comparing children to wolves?"

Anyway, our little elementary school hasn't had more than 2 cases in a week. As cases go and community spread go down throughout the spring and summer, we'll get more on board that school in person makes the most sense. Ashish Jha thinks there will be vaccines for kids in the summer.

https://twitter.com/ashishkjha/status/1357669053213659136

Kids'll go back. Respect for teachers...will take longer.

[PZMommy]

I don’t know how you think kids will be vaccinated this summer. Fauci said he hopes that 12-17 will be vaccinated by late summer/early fall, and that they won’t even start studies on under 12 for awhile yet. He is predicting they won’t get vaccinated until some point in 2022. Vaccinating kids is not a condition to returning to schools, but I don’t think young kids will be vaccinated by this calendar year.

It is important for teachers to get vaccinated here if they want schools open as we have ancient HVAC systems and our classrooms do not have windows that open. We do not meet the CDC guidelines to open. The CDC had a big IF in their statement about schools opening. They said community spread must be low (it isn’t here), and that strict mitigation guidelines must be followed and ventilation is one of them. Since we can’t meet that one, teachers being vaccinated is a big deal and my district superintendent is requiring it, but the city moved us down the priority list again, so it will just prolong us going back. If they really wanted us back, they would give us the vaccination. The other issue is only 12 kids can be in a pod, yet we have 4th and 5th grade classes with 38 kids, and middle and high school well over 40 students. Any hybrid model will need three different co-horts. With a district of 650K students, that travel from all across the city as many do not attend neighborhood schools, this is a huge schedule undertaking.

In the fall, school offices were open and teachers were allowed to teach from classrooms if need be. The district had to shut that down, because there was spread among office staff and teachers who were on campus. With such a limited amount of people on campus and there were still issues, it doesn’t give me much faith in what will happen when it is open to a wider number of people (if we even get to that point this school year)

We are having a huge issue with getting people vaccinated here, just not enough supply. Hopefully that will improve in the future, but at this rate it will take until June just to get the over 65 population vaccinated.

Widespread testing in our district is showing 1 in 3 kids being tested in our hard hit communities are testing positive. Some parts of our city have multiple generations of families living in a 1 bedroom apartment. It is still spreading like crazy in these communities, and they are not getting their vaccinations, because it is such a nightmare of a system out here with such a limited supply. Brown and black communities are being hit hardest, and that is who makes up the majority of our district.

We are hearing we will have some in person schooling by the fall, but it will be hybrid with masks and social distancing. Parents hoping that by fall everything will be back to normal are going to be disappointed.

[scrooks]

We are in a small, suburban public school district. My kids went online for the first 5 weeks of school and then have been in-person since October (although grades 7-12 did do the first 2 weeks after Christmas remote). I was super nervous when they started but the district (and neighboring school districts) have handled things really well. DD (7th grade) got quarantined once this fall for 14 days due to a potential exposure at school (likely a desk was 4 feet away versus 6 or something) and its happened to other friends too but I haven't heard of any quarantined kid actually ending up getting covid. Also, our teachers were vaccinated yesterday : ) We live in Ohio and they are making sure teachers get priority getting vaccinated which I am so grateful for. I expect we will be in person next fall as well!

[SnuggleBuggles]

The CDC is giving new guidance on Monday.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[JustMe]

This is very interesting. Our district is nowhere near ready to think about the fall. They are just beginning to get teachers vaccinated and we have been online only since March 2020. They are planning to bring elementary students back using a hybrid March and hope to slowly work their way up to having all students have the option to have hybrid by the end of April this year. They are making sure that teachers and other school staff have the option to be vaccinated before going back to in person. They will continue to offer online learning to those who want it, which will be us for at least the end of this year, although it's not clear what that will look like.

[nfceagles]

I haven’t read the whole thread, just the initial post.

We will be choosing full in person next year if we have to make the choice and I think we’re about as cautious as 90% of people. We haven’t traveled or eaten out since March 2020 (minus flying to move home from UK in June). Haven’t seen family except right after our 14 day strict quarantine upon returning to the US. My kids haven’t been allowed indoors at others’ houses nor anyone allowed in our house. We let DS do soccer in the fall, but said no to masked indoor soccer for the winter. School is really our only risk except for occasional errands that can’t be avoided like the post office or pharmacy (I do curbside for groceries). My kids are 7th and 10th grade. I was very worried about school and would have preferred online before this year started but I felt my kids were old enough that I needed them to be on board with that for it to work. And having just made my kids move away from their school and friends for a year to go to London, I felt bad forcing them to miss another year. I live in a very blue state with a fairly careful government, but my kids have been full in person since early October (hybrid before that) and it has been fine. I have become convinced that school is worth the risk for us. We get occasional cases in the district and people get quarantined (we haven’t yet) but there’s been no sign of the quarantined having caught the virus as far as I can tell.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[niccig]

I don’t know how you think kids will be vaccinated this summer. Fauci said he hopes that 12-17 will be vaccinated by late summer/early fall, and that they won’t even start studies on under 12 for awhile yet. He is predicting they won’t get vaccinated until some point in 2022. Vaccinating kids is not a condition to returning to schools, but I don’t think young kids will be vaccinated by this calendar year.

It is important for teachers to get vaccinated here if they want schools open as we have ancient HVAC systems and our classrooms do not have windows that open. We do not meet the CDC guidelines to open. The CDC had a big IF in their statement about schools opening. They said community spread must be low (it isn’t here), and that strict mitigation guidelines must be followed and ventilation is one of them. Since we can’t meet that one, teachers being vaccinated is a big deal and my district superintendent is requiring it, but the city moved us down the priority list again, so it will just prolong us going back. If they really wanted us back, they would give us the vaccination. The other issue is only 12 kids can be in a pod, yet we have 4th and 5th grade classes with 38 kids, and middle and high school well over 40 students. Any hybrid model will need three different co-horts. With a district of 650K students, that travel from all across the city as many do not attend neighborhood schools, this is a huge schedule undertaking.

In the fall, school offices were open and teachers were allowed to teach from classrooms if need be. The district had to shut that down, because there was spread among office staff and teachers who were on campus. With such a limited amount of people on campus and there were still issues, it doesn’t give me much faith in what will happen when it is open to a wider number of people (if we even get to that point this school year)

We are having a huge issue with getting people vaccinated here, just not enough supply. Hopefully that will improve in the future, but at this rate it will take until June just to get the over 65 population vaccinated.

Widespread testing in our district is showing 1 in 3 kids being tested in our hard hit communities are testing positive. Some parts of our city have multiple generations of families living in a 1 bedroom apartment. It is still spreading like crazy in these communities, and they are not getting their vaccinations, because it is such a nightmare of a system out here with such a limited supply. Brown and black communities are being hit hardest, and that is who makes up the majority of our district.

We are hearing we will have some in person schooling by the fall, but it will be hybrid with masks and social distancing. Parents hoping that by fall everything will be back to normal are going to be disappointed.

We can’t compare us to other school districts. We’re 100x the size of some districts mentioned here, and we’re in the hottest of hotspots. I had a parent contact me to say her child would miss speech sessions this week as they had 3 funerals in the family. In one family!!

I want to be back but it’s not safe for my students and their families


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[hwin708]

We've been in-person the entire school year, have every plan to be in-person next school year. There has not been a single case of in-school spread in the large lower or upper school. Students and teachers have, of course, gotten COVID. But not a single account of it spreading to those near them in the school. The primary source of infections outside of school have been the high schoolers partying and the teachers lives outside of school. The lower school cases have pretty much all been due to parents.

My state's rollout has been pretty good. Typically in the top 20, sometimes in the top 10 of the states. It is very clear the bottleneck is the vaccine supply itself. My city has done an amazing job in the last week in particular of opening so many locations and manning the phones that appointments have been quite easy for those eligible to get one. Some of those appointments are two weeks out as, again, the issue is supply, but as more doses start coming in to the pharmacy chains, which are separate from the state allotment, I expect to see more people snagging earlier appointments, just like happened the previous weeks as more and more doses started flowing in. There is still clearly such a disheartening amount of vaccine distrust, which I think is also fueling the the speed and ease. Right now, there just isn't anything close to 70% of the eligible population choosing to get the vaccine. I hope that will change with time, as people are more likely to trust the vaccines as they see no side effects. They have seen that with the hospital staffs. Regardless, I do actually think we will work our way through the tiers relatively quickly, and those who want one now are just a few months away from that. And then hopefully some of the vaccine-passers can start trickling in.

[dogmom]

I’m sure it’s an occupational hazard, but this thread actually made me laugh out loud.

I’m thinking what we all though about school at the beginning of summer last year. We have seven months for vaccinations to get in arms. We also have seven months for the virus to change even more. I do think kids will be back in some form, because we can’t lose another school year. I’m hoping we all just let go of the idea of returning to “normal” and getting around to crafting a new normal.

[ang79]

I’m sure it’s an occupational hazard, but this thread actually made me laugh out loud.

I’m thinking what we all though about school at the beginning of summer last year. We have seven months for vaccinations to get in arms. We also have seven months for the virus to change even more. I do think kids will be back in some form, because we can’t lose another school year. I’m hoping we all just let go of the idea of returning to “normal” and getting around to crafting a new normal.

I certainly wouldn't be thinking about next August yet except I am supposed to fill out a school survey. I know there will be a lot of change between now and it is hard to guess what the situation will be like (will the majority of adults be vaccinated then? will the variants cause more spread?). And my question really was aimed more at parents that chose virtual learning this year, what are your considerations for returning in school next year. My kids have done OK with virtual. Its not ideal, but they are smart kids and we can support them. Cases in our high school are higher than elementary schools and previous studies show more transmission and symptoms in teens than younger children. And while some HS may be vaccinated by fall, not all will due to age and availability of the vaccine. So those are my considerations for now. I think I may go into it choosing the combined placement that is offered and see if the classes she needs will work (the assistant principal said they start scheduling in July). I am fully aware that may not work out, and if it doesn't, we will go with all in person for the social reasons. Teachers can't change their class times, as they are doing a combo of teaching some periods to in school kids and some periods virtually, so the school schedules and times for classes stay the same. I have lots more time to consider what to do with my rising 7th grader. She really does enjoy the virtual learning this year, but I have been less than impressed with how the middle school has done it with my current 8th grader.

[PZMommy]

We can’t compare us to other school districts. We’re 100x the size of some districts mentioned here, and we’re in the hottest of hotspots. I had a parent contact me to say her child would miss speech sessions this week as they had 3 funerals in the family. In one family!!

I want to be back but it’s not safe for my students and their families


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

Exactly! I don't think people fully understand what we are dealing with here when they scream that all schools need to be open right now.

[westwoodmom04]

Exactly! I don't think people fully understand what we are dealing with here when they scream that all schools need to be open right now.

I know there a lot of emotions tied into this, but a growing body of scientific evidence actually shows that schools aren’t a source of community spread. There really isn’t a reason for schools anywhere to remain closed for in person learning, especially with covid numbers in decline across most of the country, including California.

[JBaxter]

I know there a lot of emotions tied into this, but a growing body of scientific evidence actually shows that schools aren’t a source of community spread. There really isn’t a reason for schools anywhere to remain closed for in person learning, especially with covid numbers in decline across most of the country, including California.

Florida has managed to keep schools open all year. Kids wear masks but 80% go in person. They have a distance learning option ( basically you zoom into ever class) DS4 Middle school of 1250 ish has had 35 cases of student covid and 8 staff. DS 4 school has 1950 ish and 46 cases 11 staff. It is VERY possible to have kids or the majority of kids attend in person. Florida had proved that. Kids wear masks and the health dept tracks positive cases and kids who are close contact are contact traced they are out for 10 days or 7 with a PCR test. Those kids do the zoom distance classes. Yes they had to scramble to get enough subs some teachers took a leave of absence but schools are open and functioning.

[bcafe]

I know there a lot of emotions tied into this, but a growing body of scientific evidence actually shows that schools aren’t a source of community spread. There really isn’t a reason for schools anywhere to remain closed for in person learning, especially with covid numbers in decline across most of the country, including California.
Yes. There has also been a great deal of fear mongering (not saying PZ is), just look at Chicago. Large school districts have handled this well and not all of these have a lot of $$. Stats show that teachers are just not catching this from students like what was once the fear. Kids need to be in school and studies have shown irreparable harm. Las Vegas has shown that the student suicide rate was cause for getting those kids back into school.

[niccig]

Yes. There has also been a great deal of fear mongering (not saying PZ is), just look at Chicago. Large school districts have handled this well and not all of these have a lot of $$. Stats show that teachers are just not catching this from students like what was once the fear. Kids need to be in school and studies have shown irreparable harm. Las Vegas has shown that the student suicide rate was cause for getting those kids back into school.

Our school district has been testing students and their families for months. In December, 1 in 3 children tested in some areas of LA tested positive but were asymptomatic. Other areas of the city had much lower positive numbers. I’m not talking about other parts of CA. I’m specifically talking about certain LA areas that have many more cases. There’s been a 1000% increase in Hispanic deaths from Covid. Not all parts of CA or even LA are the same. A survey by the school district about return, had 2/3 say they want to stay remote. My schools are in one of the hardest hit areas, and parents have told me they don’t want to be back in person. I’m vaccinated through my part-time hospital job, and I’d like to see some in person students when allowed, but my families are telling me it’s not safe. Many have had multiple deaths in their family from Covid. I’m about 45 mins away and my neighborhood is not experiencing numbers like this

Not sure if this is behind a paywall

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/30/los-angeles-coronavirus-latino-deaths-increase-1000


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[California]

I don't know what I'd pick. Last spring, I picked "all online" on our district survey because I thought my local schools needed to invest in that option the most. Now I might pick hybrid- even though it's far from optimal- in hopes that the district would invest in both in person and virtual teaching.

This is so regional. Bcafe and JBaxter, to give you another perspective on what SoCal districts are dealing with- a friend of mine is currently the admin at a SoCal school in a very low income neighborhood close to the border. At her campus they briefly tried hybrid and had to stop because the case #'s were so high. They have been all online since. Four parents have died since the school year started, and they've lost count of how many grandparents/aunts/uncles students have lost. In the past week alone, they had six students test positive. Six in one week! It would not make any sense for them to reopen at this point. The community rate is just too high. Everybody would be in and out of quarantine. At the same time, just as it wouldn't make sense to reopen this SoCal school based on the numbers in a county in Florida, it wouldn't make any sense to close another county's school based on a school in SoCal. I think we all have to look at local community rates.

At my school we are also all online. Compared to my friend's school, my campus is in an upper middle class neighborhood, a much higher percentage of parents are able to work from home, and the case numbers are lower in the school's zip code. JBaxters' schools, if I'm doing my estimates right, have had around 2% of students test positive. Our community rate is much higher. In November, December, and January, I had a different student test positive each month (these are only the ones I know - the families aren't required to tell me.) In addition, I know of two close contacts (parents tested positive/child never tested.) If we'd been in person, I would have had to quarantine three times. At 14 days each quarantine (the current rule for our district), that's close to a month and a half of quarantine. I don't have that much sick leave. And, we have a sub shortage. Students who were in close contact would have had to quarantine too. As hard as online teaching is, I am grateful that it's been consistent and I haven't thrown my family into the additional stress and worry of three quarantines.

[essnce629]

LA here too. My DS2's charter middle school is only about 350 students. Even though the school is technically k-8th grade, the elementary and middle schools are on two different campuses with much different demographics. The middle school has a much higher percentage of low income hispanic students. The week after my grandma died of Covid, the mom of a 7th grader at our school also died of Covid. And yes, she was hispanic.

The demographics definitely affect the risks, infection rates, death rates, etc. DS1 goes to an extremely affluent private high school just a few miles from DS2's middle school. The families at his school are not being affected by Covid in the same way as most are living in giant multi million dollar homes, with parents working from home, eating excellent diets and have excellent health care and little pre existing conditions.

All that being said, both my kids have been 100% virtual since March 13th, 2020 with no other option. If given the choice, I would 100% send them in person. But I do understand other families in different positions who are hesitant and think they should have the option to continue virtually if they think it's what is best for their family. DS2's school sent out a survey 2 weeks ago and I indicated that I would send him in person, as long as masking and distancing protocols were followed.

Sent from my SM-A515U1 using Tapatalk

[dogmom]

Yes. There has also been a great deal of fear mongering (not saying PZ is), just look at Chicago. Large school districts have handled this well and not all of these have a lot of $$. Stats show that teachers are just not catching this from students like what was once the fear. Kids need to be in school and studies have shown irreparable harm. Las Vegas has shown that the student suicide rate was cause for getting those kids back into school.

First off, the reason many large urban districts aren’t going back is many parents are very wary of their kids going back, especially minority parents. They are already dying at higher rates and have a lot more up close and personal experience than most people on this board have. Additional these communities have a long history of mistrust around the area of public health for good reasons. They are also reluctant to be the first ones vaccinated due to generations of lived experience. So please be careful about labeling it fear mongering because that comes from a place of privilege.

There has been a cluster of suicides in Las Vegas and like suicide clusters in the past, it is unclear what the cause is. There has not been good stats to sat the suicide rate amongst teens has gone up in statistically significant way in the past year that we can link to school shutdowns. I’m not saying it’s not bad. I’m not saying there isn’t a mental health crisis. But it could all just as easily balance out if kids aren’t gong to school, since many suicides are driven by social forces in school, and parents being able to keep eyes on their kids. We don’t know yet, so you are engaging in the same thing you are accusing those school districts are doing.

You also can’t make statements like “stats show that teachers just aren’t catching if from students like once feared.” No, it’s not an plague ship, but there are documented cases of teachers getting it from school and dying. Once again, disproportionately in less white districts in less white teachers. I encourage everyone to listen to this podcast about how the media is covering this whole issue what we are all getting wrong about it.

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/why-press-gets-school-transmission-so-wrong-on-the-media


We all are stressed. We all are having problems processing information. I am strictly agnostic on the school thing. I just don’t like when anyone talks about it with a level of certainty that is not justified. I mean, how can you say there is irreparable harm if we haven’t even started on the mitigation of the harm yet? By definitions it means we tried to fix it and we couldn’t! That might be your opinion, but it is not a fact. What will probably happen is the kids that were being injured already by society will continued to be harmed more by this. I think we have historical enough data to say that.

[westwoodmom04]

First off, the reason many large urban districts aren’t going back is many parents are very wary of their kids going back, especially minority parents. They are already dying at higher rates and have a lot more up close and personal experience than most people on this board have. Additional these communities have a long history of mistrust around the area of public health for good reasons. They are also reluctant to be the first ones vaccinated due to generations of lived experience. So please be careful about labeling it fear mongering because that comes from a place of privilege.

There has been a cluster of suicides in Las Vegas and like suicide clusters in the past, it is unclear what the cause is. There has not been good stats to sat the suicide rate amongst teens has gone up in statistically significant way in the past year that we can link to school shutdowns. I’m not saying it’s not bad. I’m not saying there isn’t a mental health crisis. But it could all just as easily balance out if kids aren’t gong to school, since many suicides are driven by social forces in school, and parents being able to keep eyes on their kids. We don’t know yet, so you are engaging in the same thing you are accusing those school districts are doing.

You also can’t make statements like “stats show that teachers just aren’t catching if from students like once feared.” No, it’s not an plague ship, but there are documented cases of teachers getting it from school and dying. Once again, disproportionately in less white districts in less white teachers. I encourage everyone to listen to this podcast about how the media is covering this whole issue what we are all getting wrong about it.

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/why-press-gets-school-transmission-so-wrong-on-the-media


We all are stressed. We all are having problems processing information. I am strictly agnostic on the school thing. I just don’t like when anyone talks about it with a level of certainty that is not justified. I mean, how can you say there is irreparable harm if we haven’t even started on the mitigation of the harm yet? By definitions it means we tried to fix it and we couldn’t! That might be your opinion, but it is not a fact. What will probably happen is the kids that were being injured already by society will continued to be harmed more by this. I think we have historical enough data to say that.

I don’t think anyone is talking about forcing families to send their kids in person, but it should be an option. Some teachers may still have medical reasons not to return and some families may chose to stay remote, but it shouldn’t be the case that there is no in person option. We’re on the third or fourth week of cases declining pretty uniformly across the country, and some schools have not been in person for nearly a year.

The CDC, even under new leadership, and WTO continue to say that schools are not a source of community spread, and should remain open for in person learning.

I think we will never again seen mass closures of schools now that people have learned how difficult it is to reopen them.

[bcafe]

Of course it can be regional, I never made an absolute with regards to every community. However, urban school children are falling through the cracks, especially as mentioned above, minority children or children of single parents. The majority of COVID transmissions just are not happening at schools, they are from community spread. There will always be an anecdote to fit ones own argument...

[niccig]

Of course it can be regional, I never made an absolute with regards to every community. However, urban school children are falling through the cracks, especially as mentioned above, minority children or children of single parents. The majority of COVID transmissions just are not happening at schools, they are from community spread. There will always be an anecdote to fit ones own argument...

Yes, children from low SES are falling through the Covid education crack, just as they fall through the poverty, no health insurance, parents can’t work from home, over-crowded housing and limited access to the vaccine cracks that are causing huge surges in Covid cases. They’re also the kids with close family members dying of Covid. I see this every week in the students I work with. Everyone talks about how their education is suffering with school buildings closed. They’re suffering in more than just education. They’re experiencing trauma from this pandemic. On Maslows hierarchy of needs, their basic needs are not being met. Education is higher up on Maslows hierarchy. They need for their family members to not get sick with Covid and die from it. So let’s focus on decreasing community transmission, and getting the vaccine to these areas.

And yes, school buildings need to open.










Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[dogmom]

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/why-press-gets-school-transmission-so-wrong-on-the-media

Here is the transcript to the podcast I mentioned earlier. It’s less than 30 minutes if you want to listen. I urge everyone to please either read or listen. We desperately need to refrain our conversation about school.

I think a recent social media thread on a high school parents group was enlightening. There are debating sending kids back to school hybrid (elementary and middle school always had that option.) Someone posted a petition from Senior citing their concerns about going back in person. One of it is since they are keeping remote option and adding hybrid the kids will be getting less FaceTime with teachers in this plan. They also expressed worry that their teachers work just almost doubled and what that means for them. They go out of hand dismissed by parents, well they can always choose remote, so clearly didn’t bother to actually listen to kids concerns. One parent said someone must have put them up to it. Another said it’s not up to the kids, jut the parents. A lot people firmly dig into their trenches and busy googling stats to support their views. I can absolute understand why parents/kids want to go back. It may be the right move for some places, but we are not talking about the things we need to be talking about. We should be talking about a 3 year plan for kids, not next three months. We should be talking about how to use this as a stress test to rework a lot of things.

I hear a lot of talk on the local area about how we need to open schools, but that’s it. It’s like, send email, go to Zoom meeting, get vote, then send kids back, done. Nothing about how can we make this happen? At the same time someone is saying we must open schools they are saying how worried their are that there was no sub for a class for two days. I’m like, of course their is no substitute! They get paid $75 a day, why would they do that? Wait until all the experiences teachers leave next year or two and there are not people there to replace them.

It is also deeply insulting when I hear people talk about these poor underprivileged kids urban areas. If we really cared we would tear down the current district based school system that hurts kids. There has been much discussion in these communities about what they need. They don’t need a bunch of mostly white women of well above social economic standing with little direct experience with Covid using their lives as justification for an agenda. (Maybe we need to all go listen to Nice White Parents.) I work with many of these women, I listen to them, I would never speak on their behalf except to tell others to just zip it.


I completely realize I’m shouting from a soap box, but I’m feel like are having the same discussion again and again. Heck, I’m can even predict how it’s time to hear how Florida is completely open. I just wish we could have a different conversion. I feel like so many of the discussion are just fooling ourselves into thinking this is just going to magically end.

[pinkmomagain]

Florida has managed to keep schools open all year. Kids wear masks but 80% go in person. They have a distance learning option ( basically you zoom into ever class) DS4 Middle school of 1250 ish has had 35 cases of student covid and 8 staff. DS 4 school has 1950 ish and 46 cases 11 staff. It is VERY possible to have kids or the majority of kids attend in person. Florida had proved that. Kids wear masks and the health dept tracks positive cases and kids who are close contact are contact traced they are out for 10 days or 7 with a PCR test. Those kids do the zoom distance classes. Yes they had to scramble to get enough subs some teachers took a leave of absence but schools are open and functioning.

Let's just keep in mind that states/regions in more mild weather zones have the ability to keep windows open and utilize outdoors (not just in school, but also for social/family gatherings, sports, etc.).

[westwoodmom04]

I live in a large, majority African American city, the school district has been among the most active in the state in trying to reopen because so many kids do not have reliable internet access. They’ve had free remote access learning centers open since September with great demand for their services, and are on track to be the first large school system to open in the state. I don’t think it is correct to say that no or few low income families interested in returning to school, and frankly, I not sure why anyone would stereotype in that way. In any case, there are kids at every socioeconomic level who are really struggling with remote, not all kids, but a sizable number. The scientific evidence, not anecdotes, tells us schools can safely be reopened, even without vaccines.

[JBaxter]

Let's just keep in mind that states/regions in more mild weather zones have the ability to keep windows open and utilize outdoors (not just in school, but also for social/family gatherings, sports, etc.).

The state schools all opened in August in person there were a few areas that didn’t open until September (i believe the Miami area) but we have managed well our schools don’t have open windows lol they run AC

[AngB]

Let's just keep in mind that states/regions in more mild weather zones have the ability to keep windows open and utilize outdoors (not just in school, but also for social/family gatherings, sports, etc.).

We're in Missouri. They aren't using outdoor spaces here, keeping windows open or socially distancing. (They did social distance until Oct but when they switched from hybrid to fully in person there isn't enough space.) The number of students exposed for cases obviously increased when they made the switch but the number of positive cases really hasn't changed at all, even with the "modified quarantine" thing where they let close contacts continue going to school (that started in Nov), the number of cases really hasn't changed much and a teeny tiny amount of them (one for our school) came from school spread. They wear masks and try to keep them in pods and that's about it as far as mitigation efforts.

[niccig]

I live in a large, majority African American city, the school district has been among the most active in the state in trying to reopen because so many kids do not have reliable internet access. They’ve had free remote access learning centers open since September with great demand for their services, and are on track to be the first large school system to open in the state. I don’t think it is correct to say that no or few low income families interested in returning to school, and frankly, I not sure why anyone would stereotype in that way. In any case, there are kids at every socioeconomic level who are really struggling with remote, not all kids, but a sizable number. The scientific evidence, not anecdotes, tells us schools can safely be reopened, even without vaccines.

I didn’t say no or few low income families want to return to school. I said “In the school district I work in” 2/3 of families said they don’t want to return. Covid is affecting communities very differently and the response needs to be different. How and when to open up is not going to be the same in all areas

Some of the families at my school have had multiple family members die from Covid. I’ve got students who have had a parent die. How many people posting here have had that happen to their family?



Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[dogmom]

I live in a large, majority African American city, the school district has been among the most active in the state in trying to reopen because so many kids do not have reliable internet access. They’ve had free remote access learning centers open since September with great demand for their services, and are on track to be the first large school system to open in the state. I don’t think it is correct to say that no or few low income families interested in returning to school, and frankly, I not sure why anyone would stereotype in that way. In any case, there are kids at every socioeconomic level who are really struggling with remote, not all kids, but a sizable number. The scientific evidence, not anecdotes, tells us schools can safely be reopened, even without vaccines.

Once again, the scientific “evidence” people keep mentioning is not as overwhelming or as strong as people think. I am not saying don’t reopen, I’m saying don’t fool ourselves that it is safer than it is. Or that all schools are created equal in their ability to reopen for many reasons. It is reasonable to say, we should reopen in X way, every kid but the most medically vulnerable should go back or be homeschooled, like before. But we need to be honest about the cost for it all.

As far as minority parents, I’m not stereotyping. I said they have more reservations than I’m hearing in my home community and they have suffered more loss in response to a poster labeling it fear mongering. I didn’t say there were no or few. I said their experience is different. There are polls to back this up. Here is a CDC report.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6949a2.htm

A summary quote:
“Compared with White parents, 62.3% of whom strongly or somewhat agreed that schools should reopen in-person for all students in the fall, a smaller percentage of Black (46.0%, p = 0.007) and Hispanic parents (50.2%, p = 0.014) agreed (Table 2). When asked about schooling preferences until a COVID-19 vaccine is available, 82.4% of Hispanic parents strongly or somewhat agreed that they would prefer to homeschool their children until a vaccine is available, compared with 69.8% of White parents (p = 0.006) and 64.7% of parents of other racial/ethnic groups (p = 0.012). Whereas two thirds (67.6%) of White parents agreed that the overall experience of being in school is more important for students, despite ongoing COVID-19 concerns, significantly fewer Hispanic parents (53.9%, p = 0.005) and parents of other racial/ethnic groups (53.4%, p = 0.044) felt this way. Reported concern about students complying with mitigation was significantly higher among parents of other racial/ethnic groups (96.9%) compared with White parents (85.2%, p = 0.025) and Hispanic parents (80.6%, p = 0.009). Similarly, a higher percentage of Black parents (91.9%) were concerned about mitigation compliance than were Hispanic parents (80.6%, p = 0.019).”

The experience of non-white/non-Hispanic children in school is very different than whites and the calculation of it being a net positive experience is different. In general I think their voices have been missing from the nationwide and media conversation and it is not my place to make decisions for them.

[mom2binsd]

I'm in Central IL, most school districts around us are full time in school, have been most of the year, with no major issues. They aren't opening windows etc, just wearing masks. Our district is hybrid 2x a week, and Wed seems to be a lost day, it's terrible for the kids as they aren't getting near the instruction they need and teachers are trying to do both. Our cases here are low, positivity back down to 3% ( it was under 2% until Sept when it spiked, but hospitals never over run etc). There is hope we will be back 5 x a week soon, our K-5 is now 5 x week. My two high schoolers are chopping at the bit to get back full time. Around here people wear masks in public, but most social activities are pretty much back to normal. My kids have a few kids they hang out with, in the summer mostly outdoors, but indoors sometimes too. DS has been playing hockey with no transmission (he got COVID from my x husband who likely got it at work at Lowe's). DD and I did not get COVID from him and he isolated at his dad's once he tested positive.

I know it's real, I work in a nursing home, but after all these months, I see the fear in people, and yes, people die, but I will also tell you, I have seen about 60 of our residents get COVID, most are over 80, have multiple health conditions (most are diabetic/COPD/A - FIB/kidney disease) and most have had mild cough/headaches, very very minimal symptoms or none at all. The deaths we have experienced were tragic, but all were very very ill prior to getting COVID. Not that any death is OK, but I know quite a few people who IRL are so fearful of going out at all, missing a doctor appointment etc, and I think it's hard to watch people be so fearful. I know you can't predict who will die and who won't, but like someone mentioned earlier there is a lot of fear mongering going on.

[dogmom]

Florida has managed to keep schools open all year. Kids wear masks but 80% go in person. They have a distance learning option ( basically you zoom into ever class) DS4 Middle school of 1250 ish has had 35 cases of student covid and 8 staff. DS 4 school has 1950 ish and 46 cases 11 staff. It is VERY possible to have kids or the majority of kids attend in person. Florida had proved that. Kids wear masks and the health dept tracks positive cases and kids who are close contact are contact traced they are out for 10 days or 7 with a PCR test. Those kids do the zoom distance classes. Yes they had to scramble to get enough subs some teachers took a leave of absence but schools are open and functioning.

Yeah...I wouldn’t be so quick to cheer the Florida model as whole.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/ukvariant-coronavirus-us-spread/2021/02/07/a197dbc2-680a-11eb-8468-21bc48f07fe5_story.html


“Florida stands out as the state with the highest prevalence of the variant. The new report estimated the doubling time of B.1.1.7 prevalence in positive test results at 9.1 days.
Florida also leads the nation in reported cases involving B.1.1.7, with 187 infections as of Thursday, followed by much-more-populous California with 145 infections, according to the CDC.”

Then there is a whole lot of questions about how up front Florida is being with their numbers, which would concern me if I lived there. Although I generally agree we need to come up with a good strategy and implement it. There needs to be a wrap around support in the community to reduce spread, which isn’t the case in Florida.

[bcafe]

Dogmom, since you keep referring back to my choice of words (fear mongering) I feel the need to point out that I was referencing the use with regards to teachers, and most especially, Chicago union teachers. Before you point out how I must be biased against teachers, many, many of my relatives are educators and POC. Hard to believe, I know, cuz, you know, privilege. At this point I must bow out.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Yeah...I wouldn’t be so quick to cheer the Florida model as whole.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/ukvariant-coronavirus-us-spread/2021/02/07/a197dbc2-680a-11eb-8468-21bc48f07fe5_story.html


“Florida stands out as the state with the highest prevalence of the variant. The new report estimated the doubling time of B.1.1.7 prevalence in positive test results at 9.1 days.
Florida also leads the nation in reported cases involving B.1.1.7, with 187 infections as of Thursday, followed by much-more-populous California with 145 infections, according to the CDC.”

Then there is a whole lot of questions about how up front Florida is being with their numbers, which would concern me if I lived there. Although I generally agree we need to come up with a good strategy and implement it. There needs to be a wrap around support in the community to reduce spread, which isn’t the case in Florida.

That's how I feel whenever someone from FL says things are going well. I wouldn't be quick to trust the data.

[westwoodmom04]

Yeah...I wouldn’t be so quick to cheer the Florida model as whole.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/ukvariant-coronavirus-us-spread/2021/02/07/a197dbc2-680a-11eb-8468-21bc48f07fe5_story.html


“Florida stands out as the state with the highest prevalence of the variant. The new report estimated the doubling time of B.1.1.7 prevalence in positive test results at 9.1 days.
Florida also leads the nation in reported cases involving B.1.1.7, with 187 infections as of Thursday, followed by much-more-populous California with 145 infections, according to the CDC.”

Then there is a whole lot of questions about how up front Florida is being with their numbers, which would concern me if I lived there. Although I generally agree we need to come up with a good strategy and implement it. There needs to be a wrap around support in the community to reduce spread, which isn’t the case in Florida.

A bit of a straw man argument. There is data from all,over this country and the world, at this point.

[legaleagle]

A bit of a straw man argument. There is data from all,over this country and the world, at this point.

And many European countries have now closed their schools after having them open in the fall.

[Globetrotter]

CA Bay Area here.. Our HS is mostly synchronous online and it's working out pretty well, but they have been doing in-person for at risk kids. I feel focusing on high risk kids was the right thing, as most kids here seem to be managing ok, not optimally by any means and some barely scraping by, but they have the resources to get extra tutoring if needed and will manage ok. Fortunately my HS senior is thriving and still prefers virtual learning, but he has been VERY engaged with a few virtual team activities so is by no means alone. He and two friends have been meeting outside with masks and distancing once a week, though they stopped doing that during the winter shelter in place and just restarted. I think even that little in person social interaction makes a difference, and we are so fortunate to have a moderate climate that makes this easier.
I am just thankful to not have small kids.. I especially feel for parents who are WFH and have to juggle that.. no matter how well they do in school, even in the BEST case a kindergartner needs supervision to navigate online.
Although the school pretends to be considering opening, I know from behind the scenes it's not happening. I assume they will be in person next year and teachers should be vaccinated. I don't know, though.. maybe there will be virtual options.

I'm a little concerned to hear that some colleges may be virtual next year.. I kind of assumed college students and staff would be required to get the vaccine before going back (for the most part they will be over 18)
I think Berkeley is considering still doing some virtual.. perhaps the smaller colleges will be able to pull it off more easily?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'm a little concerned to hear that some colleges may be virtual next year.. I kind of assumed college students and staff would be required to get the vaccine before going back (for the most part they will be over 18)
I think Berkeley is considering still doing some virtual.. perhaps the smaller colleges will be able to pull it off more easily?

Ugh. Ds1 is doing fine with synchronous virtual classes but I know he wants to be in a classroom.

[essnce629]

I'm a little concerned to hear that some colleges may be virtual next year.. I kind of assumed college students and staff would be required to get the vaccine before going back (for the most part they will be over 18)
I think Berkeley is considering still doing some virtual.. perhaps the smaller colleges will be able to pull it off more easily?

A lot of the small colleges were already open with hybrid and in person classes this year and were successful. I know that several of the schools that DS1 is considering have all managed in person classes with less than 20 positive cases overall. These are all schools with under 3000 students. DS1 has zero interest in doing Zoom college so this is very important to him when making his final decision.

[SnuggleBuggles]

A lot of the small colleges were already open with hybrid and in person classes this year and were successful. I know that several of the schools that DS1 is considering have all managed in person classes with less than 20 positive cases overall. These are all schools with under 3000 students. DS1 has zero interest in doing Zoom college so this is very important to him when making his final decision.

That’s true. My friend’s dd started each semester this year off with a 2 week isolation in their dorms. Food was delivered to them and they got some time outside each day. Like prison. [emoji6] But they went on to have a successful semester of in person instruction and very, very few cases.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)

[billysmommy]

DS was originally looking at big schools but because many of the smaller schools were successfully able to have in person classes this fall he switched his search. It’s funny because I’ve always pictured him at a small school and at first he didn’t even want to look at them. He made a list of 5-6 and we were able to do in person tours at all but one. He also reached out to the XC coach at 2 of the schools and got some interest. He decided on his top choice and got his acceptance just before Christmas. He’s kept in contact with the coach and team and they have tryouts in August for all but returning captains. Funnily enough he’s ended up at the same school DH and I went to. We’ve thought for awhile he would be a great fit there but tried hard not to influence his choice. Once he decided it was his top choice and really wanted to go there we talked it up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gatorsmom]

DS was originally looking at big schools but because many of the smaller schools were successfully able to have in person classes this fall he switched his search. It’s funny because I’ve always pictured him at a small school and at first he didn’t even want to look at them. He made a list of 5-6 and we were able to do in person tours at all but one. He also reached out to the XC coach at 2 of the schools and got some interest. He decided on his top choice and got his acceptance just before Christmas. He’s kept in contact with the coach and team and they have tryouts in August for all but returning captains. Funnily enough he’s ended up at the same school DH and I went to. We’ve thought for awhile he would be a great fit there but tried hard not to influence his choice. Once he decided it was his top choice and really wanted to go there we talked it up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Off topic but I love to hear these stories of kids successfully and happily figuring out where they are going after high school. I hope we get Covid19 figured out soon so all college kids can have a reasonably normal college experience.