Our school district just announced it would be 100% online in the fall.

[MichealKnight]

I am envious

I don't think anyone has monopoly on loving their kids, or caring about the public good. I don't think anyone wants 'less' for kids or even society and we all have out opinions.

I for one, *applaud* all entities - especially schools who are wiling to take the lump and shut down but for online instruction.

I fear my district will give a "choice" - between 100% online, 100% in-person and 50-50. My beef with that is - if one doesn't go 100%..... their kids would be somewhat behind academically and socially versus peers. I feel like I have to choose between letting them fall behind - OR exposing them to the virus and I get frustrated. If someone starts a rumor on 'Facebook' or somewhere about a potential shooter - these schools shut down and send kids home. And now - we HAVE a proven shooter - a virus- yet districts wanna dabble in live instruction. Funny - some towns will shut down bars and restaurants ( I support)....yet somehow they feel they can control 10-12 kids for 6 hours in a row during school.

My dream: SHUT IT DOWN. Depending on grade level - ok I'd do online learning but if it means REPEATED the year...*gasp*...yes....*wasting a year*..... maybe we in Instant-Coffee-Point-and-Click-Prime-Delivery America can learn to slow down. God forbid it would be a lesson our. kids have rarely been exposed to.

*Many households - both work. That is nothing but honorable and I understand they need school as a daycare. Fine - raise my taxes if needed and keep school open in *that* capacity if you must.

*School meals - some families depend on school for kid's meals. Again - I sympathize and want. NO hiccups. Our district has kid meals available for pick-up - I'm all for it and would support bolstering it .

My daughter starts middle-school this year. There is already trepidation about 'sitting in', and cliques, and mean girls, etc. I fear that if I elect to keep her home - or even do 50-50 - - then she's not going to fit in with the girls who have already formed school-bus friends or lunch-time friends, etc. Also my wife has asthma so we've been 100% quarantine since March. I fear my kids bring it home - and let's pretend kids live thru it fine - but what of my wife?

As of now - I'm not willing to risk "ok, so a child died. But at least she got socialization". I'm not willing to say "ok, so a child lost her or his Mom or Dad....but hey, at least he is caught up on Algebra".

Not worth it.

I'm seriously leaning towards skipping the year, doing the online thing - and if we feel behind socially/academically - I'll just have to enroll in a private school and stay back a grade to get parity.

Yes, let's say there's only a 0.5% chance of a kid dying from Covid in school.

In a district with say - 10,000 kids - that's only 50 dead plus many more parents exposed and potentially recovered kids having health problems later on.

Only 50 dead.

One man's opinion: It's nuts.

Take a timeout be it 3 months, 6 months or even a year.

My 8 year old special-needs son has been home all this time..... funny the things he's picked up from CNBC, from playing monopoly. Both kids have been doing home- book reports, oral speaking, etc - they may not be learning core stuff - but it's hardly been a waste of time.

Best of luck to all families.

My vote: Stay the heck home.

 

[eytonxav]

I wish there was some meaningful way we could compare the negative impact of increased CORONA-19 infection rates with the health and welfare impact of having the economy crippled for a long period of time.

I know we can print money as needed. But eventually, if too much capacity for producing food, medicine, transportation, utilities, etc., is significantly hampered, there have to be some negative consequences to the overall well being of our society.

There doesn't seem to be any consensus regarding where the "sweet spot" is between:

1. No CORONA-19 restrictions and a fully open economy

2. Heavy CORONA-19 restrictions and a substantially shutdown economy

+1 as well as understanding the impacts on mental health and non-Covid diseases due to covid restrictions. Trying to balance the virus and the economy certainly will set anyone up for extreme criticism when attempting to manage both.

 

[harllee]

Just read an article in my local paper about a study done on S. Korea about whether children can pass on Covid-19 to other people. The study found that children under age 10 who had Covid were less likely than adults to infect other people. On the other hand, children age 10 and over who had Covid were infectious at the same rate as adults. If the statistics from this study are correct, then maybe it would be acceptable for children under age 10 to go to school in person (I guess that would be K-4th grade?) but all other children should stay home and have online classes this Fall.

 

[explanade]

John Oliver showed a montage of all these parents begging the schools to take their kids away.

They said they wanted their days back.

It's a difficult situation.

But there are many older teachers who've said they would retire rather than go back to in-class instruction right now.

There's talk that children don't get infected or infect others at the same rates as adults.

Also talk that most of the fatalities or severe cases are for people over 70 and 80.

But if you're a fifty something teacher, would you take a chance?

Especially if say you have some savings for retirement or you're able to take a pension early.

Do teachers get pensions?

 

[Golden sunsets]

I don't think anyone has monopoly on loving their kids, or caring about the public good. I don't think anyone wants 'less' for kids or even society and we all have out opinions.

I for one, *applaud* all entities - especially schools who are wiling to take the lump and shut down but for online instruction.

I fear my district will give a "choice" - between 100% online, 100% in-person and 50-50. My beef with that is - if one doesn't go 100%..... their kids would be somewhat behind academically and socially versus peers. I feel like I have to choose between letting them fall behind - OR exposing them to the virus and I get frustrated. If someone starts a rumor on 'Facebook' or somewhere about a potential shooter - these schools shut down and send kids home. And now - we HAVE a proven shooter - a virus- yet districts wanna dabble in live instruction. Funny - some towns will shut down bars and restaurants ( I support)....yet somehow they feel they can control 10-12 kids for 6 hours in a row during school.

My dream: SHUT IT DOWN. Depending on grade level - ok I'd do online learning but if it means REPEATED the year...*gasp*...yes....*wasting a year*..... maybe we in Instant-Coffee-Point-and-Click-Prime-Delivery America can learn to slow down. God forbid it would be a lesson our. kids have rarely been exposed to.

*Many households - both work. That is nothing but honorable and I understand they need school as a daycare. Fine - raise my taxes if needed and keep school open in *that* capacity if you must.

*School meals - some families depend on school for kid's meals. Again - I sympathize and want. NO hiccups. Our district has kid meals available for pick-up - I'm all for it and would support bolstering it .

My daughter starts middle-school this year. There is already trepidation about 'sitting in', and cliques, and mean girls, etc. I fear that if I elect to keep her home - or even do 50-50 - - then she's not going to fit in with the girls who have already formed school-bus friends or lunch-time friends, etc. Also my wife has asthma so we've been 100% quarantine since March. I fear my kids bring it home - and let's pretend kids live thru it fine - but what of my wife?

As of now - I'm not willing to risk "ok, so a child died. But at least she got socialization". I'm not willing to say "ok, so a child lost her or his Mom or Dad....but hey, at least he is caught up on Algebra".

Not worth it.

I'm seriously leaning towards skipping the year, doing the online thing - and if we feel behind socially/academically - I'll just have to enroll in a private school and stay back a grade to get parity.

Yes, let's say there's only a 0.5% chance of a kid dying from Covid in school.

In a district with say - 10,000 kids - that's only 50 dead plus many more parents exposed and potentially recovered kids having health problems later on.

Only 50 dead.

One man's opinion: It's nuts.

Take a timeout be it 3 months, 6 months or even a year.

My 8 year old special-needs son has been home all this time..... funny the things he's picked up from CNBC, from playing monopoly. Both kids have been doing home- book reports, oral speaking, etc - they may not be learning core stuff - but it's hardly been a waste of time.

Best of luck to all families.

My vote: Stay the heck home.

I like your thought process Michael. Well thought out.

I no longer have kids in the school system and can't imagine what I would do, but see the real time dilemma of what to do based on your thoughts.

 

[harllee]

There just does not seem to be a good answer on schools. And we are running out of time with many schools starting mid-August. I just hope my state's Covid numbers are looking better by then. What a terrible horrible mess we are in.

 

[travelover]

......... What a terrible horrible mess we are in.

That's the crux of it. We have been slow to really admit we are in an unprecedented crisis and act accordingly.

 

[Sue J]

Yes, the world has changed. School administrators should realize it’s all different now. School has always been Aug-May, but couldn’t it change for at least this year? They could consider a modified year until the pandemic is past its worst months.

Put it all on hold for Aug, maybe Sept, maybe longer. Or make all learning online from home and do the best you can for the time needed.

My older son would have loved home schooling. He always felt like the time spent in school interfered with his real learning. The younger one liked the structure of school and being with his friends.

I’m glad they are both in their 30s now!

 

[REWahoo]

Yes, the world has changed. School administrators should realize it’s all different now. School has always been Aug-May, but couldn’t it change for at least this year? They could consider a modified year until the pandemic is past its worst months.

You need to look beyond school administration. At a recent school board meeting where a proposal to modify the school calendar was being discussed, parents voiced strong and heated objections. The reason? Too late to change vacation, Holiday and Spring Break plans and reservations.

 

[audreyh1]

That's the crux of it. We have been slow to really admit we are in an unprecedented crisis and act accordingly.

I think after the initial lockdowns, officials thought we had all summer to get the virus under some level of control enough so that school reopenings could be managed. It totally didn’t work out that way.

 

[Sue J]

Well, our elementary schools will be open and I will be at my corner with my STOP sign, my reflective vest and wearing my mask.

 

[W2R]

Schools in our suburb just announced today that while we remain in Phase 2 or move ahead to phase 3, parents of K-12 kids may opt for either regular school or online learning. If we go back to Phase 1, it's online learning only.

All employees and students will have daily temperature checks, must wear face coverings, maintain social distancing and wash hands frequently. Schools will also have increased cleaning and disinfecting.

Right. I'd be out of my mind with worry if I was the parent of a 5-year-old right now, especially since we learned that kids catch this virus too.

Classes begin three weeks from Wednesday.

 

[rodi]

Yes, the world has changed. School administrators should realize it’s all different now. School has always been Aug-May, but couldn’t it change for at least this year? They could consider a modified year until the pandemic is past its worst months.

Put it all on hold for Aug, maybe Sept, maybe longer. Or make all learning online from home and do the best you can for the time needed.

That's kind of what our district is doing. San Diego unified, mentioned in the first post. They are starting virtual.... But have no set time to switch back to in person. They have said it won't be in the first three weeks

My sister, retired teacher, has speculated that part of the issue is that the district has significantly cut maintenance and janitorial staff over the years. So the district has no staff to do any covid retrofitting of classrooms until the teachers are back for the fall. Cynical, but probably true. One more extra job for the teachers.

 

[MissMolly]

Was just announced in our county that all schools would be NTI (non traditional learning) for now. The cases in our state have risen from a 10-day average of 167 cases/day from June 13 - June 22 to a 10-day average of 515 cases/day for July 13 to July 22.

 

[gerntz]

The kids education comes first to me. And those from low income & single parent families will suffer most from non in-person schooling. And this includes food, health, & safety. Net, have to go back imo.

FWIW, grandkids (Not low income) are going back full-tme as is their junior high principal mother. DIL agrees with this decision. Risk is quite small for everyone not over 60 nor a poor health. Make accommodations for them.

 

[Montecfo]

Glad to hear schools opening for in person classes in so many areas of the country. That is best for the kids. Sounds like schools here in Northern Virginia, private schools are opening for in person classes and are bulging at the seams. The public schools on the other hand, are staying closed, sadly.

 

[Badger]

Glad to hear schools opening for in person classes in so many areas of the country. That is best for the kids. Sounds like schools here in Northern Virginia, private schools are opening for in person classes and are bulging at the seams. The public schools on the other hand, are staying closed, sadly.

It would appear that the private schools are concerned about their survival and sees the closure of public schools as an opportunity. Sounds more like a business decision than a concern for the children's education. I bet these children also come from an advantaged family to afford private schools. I wonder what paperwork the parents have to sign so the school will not be held liable when children become infected and take the virus home. Sad for the children who have no say in the matter.



Cheers!

 

[sheehs1]

I have had a hard time reading this thread and so, have not posted until now. Along with others, my heart breaks for all the parents and children. The Virginia public school system for my daughters district just announced all virtual learning at the start of the school year. My grandchildren are 6 (going into 1st grade), 4 (pre-school) and 1 1/2 (will obviously be home). We were expecting the "virtual" learning model.

Prior to this and because my daughter was an Elementary Ed teacher, she was and is still seriously considering home schooling the upcoming 1st grader. The 4 year old will go to every day pre-school (10 children per class and also so she can help the 1st grader and take care of the 1 1/2 year old too). However, she may also elect to do the virtual public school program so the 1 st grader at least has a concept of going to school (at home), have a "teacher" (although virtual), be part of a virtual "class", etc. all of which I think are important. My daughter is fortunate in that she has been able to stay home as she had 3 children. As a teacher, it would not have paid her to pay for day care for 3. Many are not this fortunate to be able to have a choice.

While my daughter went to private school all thru K-12, it is out of reach for them, especially with 3 children. Private school tuition in our state (all?) has skyrocketed the last 10 to 15 years. Even if I helped some financially, it would be out of reach.

 

[Rianne]

We don't have children. I feel blessed not to have to make this decision. My niece and nephew who live close by are sending their school aged kids back to school. My decision is whether DH/me will share a meal with them in the near future, possibly late future. We've not seen them since March.

Currently I treat everyone as though they are positive. Not in a rude way. I know my grand niece and nephew love to laugh, sing, shout and play. I picture a classroom of 10 yr olds in masks, sitting 6 feet away from each other quietly reading and studying. They'll keep their distance at recess. They'll keep their masks on and not touch each other. Seriously? I think of this as torture.

 

[KarlH]

My DW has worked many years as a school nurse, and has repeatedly dealt with parents who drop kids with high fevers back at school everyday to get a couple hours in at work. With COVID, our local districts have suggested daily temperature checks, but logistically it involves those same parents saying that their child doesn't have a fever.

They just announced that our DD will be 100% remote learning starting in 1 month, and depending on what I can figure out with health insurance this may be the impetus for FIREing myself. We are just up the road from Lake Zurich, and seeing how their sports camps worked out, in person schooling, band camp, and some of the ongoing sports activities are only going to lead to more local cases. I'm ready to stay home and be a full time tutor.

 

[sheehs1]

Currently I treat everyone as though they are positive. Not in a rude way. I know my grand niece and nephew love to laugh, sing, shout and play. I picture a classroom of 10 yr olds in masks, sitting 6 feet away from each other quietly reading and studying. They'll keep their distance at recess. They'll keep their masks on and not touch each other. Seriously? I think of this as torture.

Rianne: I think of it as torture too! The parents of these children do as well. All the logistics with masks, social distancing (like that was really going to happen!), possible no recess or outdoor exercise and sharing of equipment were all a big part of the reason my daughter was considering home schooling. I can't imagine what all does to the brains and psychs of our children to have to go to school like this!

 

[mpeirce]

There is some interesting innovation going on where schools are not reopening.

Look up "pod schools" or "micro schools" as one direction.

Lots of families are looking into alternatives to public schools: traditional private and parochial schools that are opening, but also a lot more home schooling and new types pf schooling formed by parents banding together to provide education for their kids.

There's a real shake up going on in many places.

 

[MichaelB]

My daughter has two children in YMCA summer camp. Her school district has announced in person classes but a good friend who’s DH works for the school district says they are considering starting the school year with online classes.

The YMCA announced it will provide facilities and tutors to care for some children. Guide them through the online classes, help and supervise homework, and once completed, supervise play. It’s limited enrollment, so DD signed up her two. I think it’s a creative idea other community organizations should consider.

 

[tmm99]

My daughter has two children in YMCA summer camp. Her school district has announced in person classes but a good friend who’s DH works for the school district says they are considering starting the school year with online classes.

The YMCA announced it will provide facilities and tutors to care for some children. Guide them through the online classes, help and supervise homework, and once completed, supervise play. It’s limited enrollment, so DD signed up her two. I think it’s a creative idea other community organizations should consider.

That's great your local YMCA is picking up the gap to help out. Not sure if our YMCAs are doing that, but they did start day camps (all outdoors) recently.

 

[pacergal]

Such a heart wrenching decision for families.
DD and SIL have newbaby at home and upcoming eighth grader, trying to decide what to do ahead of time. The school district has not even made any decisions yet. Luckily, she is a SAHM and has early childhood education degree, and could guide the teen in some work, but not all. He had a very difficult time getting online work done at the end of the year and barely passed his grade.
DS is a teacher and just told me this morning, "I know I will get Covid this year, I am just resigned to it". I have purchased some KN95 masks for him and he has tons of hand sanitizer, but still.....
There are no easy answers. With a novel virus, new information comes out every day. We don't know what we don't know. I have told my family, unfortunately, we have to learn how to live with this virus and protect ourselves the best way we can. Herd immunity is a long way off. A vaccine, if successful, is probably at least a year away to the general public. We don't even know if you have immunity after positive testing, or how long it may last.
Take care, my fellow forum members!