OK to open schools?

posted by iclfan2

I dunno, should have fixed it 20 years ago. Ask your state government. But are you okay with a hundred thousand kids just not doing school at all? 

I believe I already said that it bothers me a lot that governments at every level have fucked this entire pandemic up so badly. Extend that to 17 other areas they've already fucked up in the last God knows how many decades. 

I'm not okay with kids not being educated. I'm also not okay with potentially sacrificing teachers and their loved ones by going into the school year with a bunch of unanswered questions. 

posted by Al Bundy

Being a cashier with a customer for 2 minutes is a lot different than caring for a kindergartener for 8 hours.

Personally I would rather be the teacher and interact with the same kids everyday then have as many random strangers that get in a line during a shift as a cashier

posted by sportchampps

Personally I would rather be the teacher and interact with the same kids everyday then have as many random strangers that get in a line during a shift as a cashier

I don't know what the rate is for cashiers, but we have prisons and nursing homes to look at for people with long-term interactions with the same people. Even if we ignore nursing homes because of the age, the virus spreads extremely fast in prisons (the average teacher is probably older than the average prisoner in most areas). It is just a ridiculous risk for our teachers and students when we have a much safer alternative. The reality is that most people want to use the school as a babysitting service instead of being good parents.

posted by Al Bundy

I don't know what the rate is for cashiers, but we have prisons and nursing homes to look at

posted by gut
Teachers don't have to have nearly the same risk.  Even the cashier has more exposure.  People under 18 have been shown not be good transmitters.....and most teachers can teach with at least 10 feet of social distance.

That finding was retracked. Teachers have a much greater risk. The cashier is done with that person in a couple of minutes. If the teacher is teaching young kids, there is no way that they could stay 10 feet. Every class has a kid who can't open their crayons, tie their shoes, or open their juice box. If the teacher works with older kids, they probably have approximately 150 kids (6 classes x 25) to deal with. Can a math teacher honestly help a student from 10 feet away without pulling out his binoculars to see the paper? When a teacher gives a test, how are the tests sanitized to pass out and collect? If someone tests positive, does everyone who came into contact with that person have to 14 day quarantine? Those are only a handful of the questions that don't have good answers at this time. While distance ed isn't a perfect solution, it is the logical solution when you weigh risk vs. reward.

posted by Al Bundy

The reality is that most people want to use the school as a babysitting service instead of being good parents.

posted by Al Bundy

The reality is that most people want to use the school as a babysitting service instead of being good parents.

This is the most untrue generalization I've seen on here in awhile. 

The comparison for schools shouldn't be prisons and nursing homes. It should be other schools in countries that have either resumed classes or never stopped them. Infection rates from those show that with proper practices, schools can absolutely operate safely. 

The reality is that most parents want their kids learning, socializing and getting the structure they desperately need. 

posted by iclfan2
This is the first I’ve heard that wanting to go to work to support your family is being a bad parent.

I never said that going to work is bad. I said that not taking care of your kid is being a bad parent. Reading is hard. 

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

This is the most untrue generalization I've seen on here in awhile. 

The comparison for schools shouldn't be prisons and nursing homes. It should be other schools in countries that have either resumed classes or never stopped them. Infection rates from those show that with proper practices, schools can absolutely operate safely. 

The reality is that most parents want their kids learning, socializing and getting the structure they desperately need. 

There isn't really a country to compare us to. The virus is getting worse here. Anyone who believes in science knows that the teachers are much safer teaching remotely.

Of course teachers want things back to normal, but it is impossible to do that safely under the current conditions. 

posted by Al Bundy

There isn't really a country to compare us to. The virus is getting worse here. Anyone who believes in science knows that the teachers are much safer teaching remotely.

Of course teachers want things back to normal, but it is impossible to do that safely under the current conditions. 

Funny how HS sports have been going on now since May 26th.  How many coaches, trainers and athletes have you heard of in the news that have gotten it?

Where are the news stories of whole sports teams spreading it around?

posted by Spock

Funny how HS sports have been going on now since May 26th.  How many coaches, trainers and athletes have you heard of in the news that have gotten it?

Where are the news stories of whole sports teams spreading it around?

Plenty of them https://www.wftv.com/news/local/33-central-florida-high-school-football-players-5-coaches-quarantined-after-2-players-test-positive-covid-19/ROCVRXKJ2BCUROJOI4IEVOBYVE/

My wife is the Superintendent’s secretary and at board meeting last night he introduced the entire going back to school plan. Did a really fine job too I might say.

Wife was just home for lunch and said 3 parents called this morning about the online option but then followed with....can they still play sports? (football/soccer) Can’t day I follow what their thoughts are on all of this.

posted by Al Bundy

That finding was retracked. Teachers have a much greater risk.

posted by geeblock

Plenty of them https://www.wftv.com/news/local/33-central-florida-high-school-football-players-5-coaches-quarantined-after-2-players-test-positive-covid-19/ROCVRXKJ2BCUROJOI4IEVOBYVE/

Well that's not good if a Ohio team will be playing a Florida team.  How about we keep this in state.

But no school? 🤔

posted by iclfan2

But no school? 🤔

WTF?????  Just send them to school.

posted by Spock

Well that's not good if a Ohio team will be playing a Florida team.  How about we keep this in state.

How many would you like me to post? .. a quick google search has several pages of Ohio cases 

I have a legitimate question for those against opening up schools.  In order for schools to reopen, what needs to happen/what do you need to see in order for you to be fine with schools reopeing? 

posted by like_that

I have a legitimate question for those against opening up schools.  In order for schools to reopen, what needs to happen/what do you need to see in order for you to be fine with schools reopeing? 

 

I’m not against reopening necessarily but Fab does have a good point in what’s the policy for someone testing positive? Because it’s not a if but a when. Is that teacher automatically out for 14 days? What about anyone they came into contact with? Will the testing be sufficient and quick enough? 

I feel like these questions are hard to answer in a way that’s safe but also practical. I mentioned on the other thread about restaurants closing down for two weeks when employees test positive. So what happens if another employee tests positive immediately after they reopen. Do they close down again for another two weeks? 

posted by Al Bundy

There isn't really a country to compare us to. The virus is getting worse here. Anyone who believes in science knows that the teachers are much safer teaching remotely.

Of course teachers want things back to normal, but it is impossible to do that safely under the current conditions. 

With a 99.99% survival rate, I am not sure what the issue is.  The teachers have a greater risk of getting into a serious car accident on the way to school.