How Schools Should Look in the Fall -- CDC Guidelines and your opinions

The CDC has released their guidelines for what they think schools should look like in the fall if they reopen.

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html

What say you? (I have to go clean out my classroom today - I'll respond later!)
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Early on when everyone was following social distancing, they predicted 70,000 dead in America. Now that's up to 130,000 dead.

I hope 60000 dead is worth it.

Josie said:

The CDC has released their guidelines for what they think schools should look like in the fall if they reopen.

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html

What say you? (I have to go clean out my classroom today - I'll respond later!)
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Click to expand...

Josie:

If there is no vaccine by the Fall of 2020, then schools should open for six days a week and offer traditional classes at half the size for three days a week or classes of a third the size twice a week, staggering tranches of students throughout the week. The shortfall of class time can be made up through online learning and independent study strategies. Teachers must be compensated for the additional work they have to do. One class which should be mandatory is how to learn online using virtual classroom technologies. Schools and the state should provide cheap but reliable laptop computers or means-tested subsidies to ensure that each and every student can participate in an online learning environment properly and productively.

School lunches and recesses should be staggered throughout the middle of the school day and out door classes for physical education should be offered if possible. Students should eat outside if weather permits or if not, within their classrooms or a large cafeteria if space allows proper protective distancing.

Students should travel on school buses operating at between one-half to one-third capacity. Students should be masked with full eye protection while in school and commuting on buses.

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

swing_voter said:

Early on when everyone was following social distancing, they predicted 70,000 dead in America. Now that's up to 130,000 dead.

I hope 60000 dead is worth it.

Click to expand...

"worth it"? And do you have a comment about the CDC guidelines for schools?

Evilroddy said:

Josie:

If there is no vaccine by the Fall of 2020, then schools should open for six days a week and offer traditional classes at half the size for three days a week or classes of a third the size twice a week, staggering tranches of students throughout the week. The shortfall of class time can be made up through online learning and independent study strategies. Teachers must be compensated for the additional work they have to do. One class which should be mandatory is how to learn online using virtual classroom technologies. Schools and the state should provide cheap but reliable laptop computers or means-tested subsidies to ensure that each and every student can participate in an online learning environment properly and productively.

School lunches and recesses should be staggered throughout the middle of the school day and out door classes for physical education should be offered if possible. Students should eat outside if weather permits or if not, within their classrooms or a large cafeteria if space allows proper protective distancing.

Students should travel on school buses operating at between one-half to one-third capacity. Students should be masked with full eye protection while in school and commuting on buses.

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

Click to expand...

I don't think public schools will move to 6 days a week. I do think there will definitely be more health-related guidelines in place including washing hands regularly and possibly wearing masks. However, I can't see little kindergarteners and 1st graders doing well with having a mask over their noses and mouths all day.

There's no way my school could have desks 6 feet apart and still have all of the kids in class so the classes would have to be chopped in half. My coworkers and I were wondering if we'd have half the class 2 days a week, the other half the other 2 days and then at-home learning on Fridays? That would be a nightmare to schedule with siblings, parent's schedules, etc. And only having half the desks in class means that two kids will be sharing the same desk so everything would have to be fully sanitized every day.

I think cafeterias will be all the kids facing one way. I don't think it's necessary to eat in the classrooms. I'm not at all sure how recess will work -- they NEED recess.

One of the major problems with the CDC guidelines is saying that kids should stay with one teacher all day. That's legally impossible for students with IEPs who have to, by law, have a special education teacher for part of the day. Plus, there are kids who get speech, social work, Title 1, occupational therapy... And what about PE, art and music? And if those specials are in their classroom with the PE, art and music teacher teaching through Zoom, when does the classroom teacher have any quiet time to plan, call parents, etc.?

It's gonna be different, for sure.

Josie said:

The CDC has released their guidelines for what they think schools should look like in the fall if they reopen.

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html

What say you? (I have to go clean out my classroom today - I'll respond later!)
[/FONT]

Click to expand...

We’re mostly monitoring what OSEP would do for guidance on issues like students with chronic illnesses (many of whom would be OHI), and how schools are required to navigate the provision of related services, especially if the student or all students are at home.

The spring was more loose, because it was so close to the end of the year. But come fall....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Josie said:

I don't think public schools will move to 6 days a week. I do think there will definitely be more health-related guidelines in place including washing hands regularly and possibly wearing masks. However, I can't see little kindergarteners and 1st graders doing well with having a mask over their noses and mouths all day.

There's no way my school could have desks 6 feet apart and still have all of the kids in class so the classes would have to be chopped in half. My coworkers and I were wondering if we'd have half the class 2 days a week, the other half the other 2 days and then at-home learning on Fridays? That would be a nightmare to schedule with siblings, parent's schedules, etc. And only having half the desks in class means that two kids will be sharing the same desk so everything would have to be fully sanitized every day.

I think cafeterias will be all the kids facing one way. I don't think it's necessary to eat in the classrooms. I'm not at all sure how recess will work -- they NEED recess.

One of the major problems with the CDC guidelines is saying that kids should stay with one teacher all day. That's legally impossible for students with IEPs who have to, by law, have a special education teacher for part of the day. Plus, there are kids who get speech, social work, Title 1, occupational therapy... And what about PE, art and music? And if those specials are in their classroom with the PE, art and music teacher teaching through Zoom, when does the classroom teacher have any quiet time to plan, call parents, etc.?

It's gonna be different, for sure.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Josie, for some very real commentary from a teacher's perspective, especially to acknowledge some of the VERY specific requirements for "special" ed kids (504/IEP/etc). I am sooo worried legal matters will stymie what's best for most.

I think the CDC guidelines, in general, seem more than reasonable...I just don't think they're doable in most public school settings. Mostly because, while I'm not a teacher, I have spent countless hours in and around classrooms as a volunteer at our childrens' schools. Six foot distancing will not work.

I think we are ALL in a no-win situation. People (teachers/students) will get infected. Some may die. And those are incredibly difficult words to even type, much less think.

Our school system is considering a hybrid (split shift in/out physically of school) and an all-virtual option. No one, again...teachers, students, parents....like those options. We all want what we had. But those days are gone.

That said, you've asked for what "I" think school should look like and I'm tired of the PC talking points. For now, for the interim, I think...schools need to put a *&%& camera in the classroom and broadcast it and leverage whatever group/zoom/meetup plus school portal software (like Schoology) they have to give that teacher online access to the students. AND, if they can figure out how to get some kids "in" there, then do that. Call it a "studio" audience. No masks, no gloves, no hyper cleaning/sanitizing modes for the ones who agree to be in "the group." But smart practices, all the stuff we've been teaching our kids: cough into your elbow (Batman!), wash your hands....don't touch your face!

I know that stinks the most for the youngest kids. I can't tell you how many times I've watched a relationship between a teacher and student blossom...with simple things like a "hug" (which sadly is forbidden by rule but ignored by almost all) or an 'up in their face'....you can do this!.

I would really like to know some of your suggestions....so that I can make better suggestions to our school system.

I'd like to add this very interesting article (and podcast) to this thread: reopening-school-what-it-might-look-like

Definitely some food for thought there...particularly for schools to have a plan to quickly (immediately?) shift back to 100% virtual should the need arise. What I do know, however, is the way our local schools systems tried to do "virtual" this Spring was an abject failure and I feel they have wasted months of valuable time in upping their game.

I get it that some teachers just didn't sign up for "virtual" teaching. But that's what we've got and where a lot of education is headed for a variety of reasons. I hope the teaching programs also get with the time and incorporate virtual teaching as much as virtual learning.

My continued hats-off to the teachers who are, once again it seems, being asked to reinvent themselves and their craft.

I also hope many parents who, perhaps in the past, were not as involved in their child's learning become way more invested in it, regardless of if it's in-person or virtual.