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A Preliminary Fall-Spring 2020-2021 COVID-19 Sympathy Thread

Fiddytree

Fiddytree

Neocon Elitist
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We all know that the decisions that are being made now and will continue to be made over the next several months are going to be incredibly hard for everyone and everyone's needs.

I'm expressing my sympathies for everyone: those of you who are teaching or in administration, those of you with kids, those of you with kids who are working full or part time, and those of you with potential economic, physical, or mental health struggles ahead. Likewise, those of you in higher education, whether you are teaching, administration, staff, or a student.

I don't exactly have a particular outlook with this thread other than saying this **** is ****ed up.

I do, however, feel worried when things sound like they haven't finalized a plan or haven't figured out how to deal with how/when they will make a determination to change the delivery of instruction or expectations for instruction.

Below will just be a collection of videos, articles, and the occasional news updates via Twitter discussing different angles of the probable cluster**** on the horizon. Feel free to add your own.



Colleges and the coronavirus: Amherst College orders tents for possible outdoor classes during fall semester - masslive.com

Can Faculty Be Forced Back on Campus? - The Chronicle of Higher Education

5 Takeaways From My Covid-19 Remote Teaching - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Low-Income Students Are Disproportionately Hurt by the Pandemic. Here’s a Glimpse of the Toll. - The Chronicle of Higher Education

https://twitter.com/rorycooper/status/1275593239920365570

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l74XJ34jjks

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/t...ng-for-parents-of-children-with-special-needs

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/05/07/teachers-at-higher-risk-for-covid-19-worry.html

https://www.freep.com/story/news/ed...avirus-teachers-retiring-michigan/5310546002/
 
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We could have contained it. Now, so many will die.
 
I wonder how many staff will refuse to come back until there's a vaccine?

My coworkers and I have been talking and filling out purchase orders to get cleaning supplies, masks, ways to make sure the kids are using individual supplies instead of everyone touching everything. I can't even imagine a kindergarten or a 1st grader keeping a mask on all day. There's gonna be snot all over it.
 
Josie said:
I wonder how many staff will refuse to come back until there's a vaccine?

My coworkers and I have been talking and filling out purchase orders to get cleaning supplies, masks, ways to make sure the kids are using individual supplies instead of everyone touching everything. I can't even imagine a kindergarten or a 1st grader keeping a mask on all day. There's gonna be snot all over it.
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Jesus, yes. My nephew starts kindergarten this August. Germ city, anti-mask wearing 5 year old.

Have you folks been supported by district administration and been given reasonable guidance?

I was going to post a few twitter posts from professors who are getting pissed off that they are continually being told to design multiple classes equally (like at least 3 designs per course), go with the flow, and some sort of pitiful “we’re all in this together.”


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Fiddytree said:
Have you folks been supported by district administration?

I was going to post a few twitter posts from professors who are getting pissed off that they are continually being told to design multiple classes equally (like at least 3 designs per course), go with the flow, and some sort of pitiful “we’re all in this together.”

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Our principal is very good at helping us out and listening to us. We haven't really had a meeting discussing what it's going to be like when we go back but once we do I'll come back to this thread and let you know (if I remember :p). I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to teach kids from 6 feet away. I mean - I'm always down with them on the floor, right beside them at their desk, right in front of them when working one-on-one or giving an individual assessment, touching what they are touching, etc. It's going to be …. interesting.
 
I had the cush dual credit role my last twelve years, meaning the best of the HS crop without their parents in my face.

Students did it my way or hit the walk-way. They now are doctors, professors, engineers of all kinds, nurse practicioners, PAs, more than a hundred public school teachers (that I know of); they have worked on the Danube Locks, for heaven's sakes.

I was blessed and now am retired fairly early.

Honestly, I do not know if I could have handled what is coming this fall term.
 
Josie said:
Our principal is very good at helping us out and listening to us. We haven't really had a meeting discussing what it's going to be like when we go back but once we do I'll come back to this thread and let you know (if I remember :p). I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to teach kids from 6 feet away. I mean - I'm always down with them on the floor, right beside them at their desk, right in front of them when working one-on-one or giving an individual assessment, touching what they are touching, etc. It's going to be …. interesting.
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Are you feeling the pressure to become traditional and boring to reduce contact with and between people and surfaces?

Of course that doesn’t do much with one-on-one situations and paper contact and whatnot.


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Fiddytree said:
Are you feeling the pressure to become traditional and boring to reduce contact with and between people and surfaces?

Of course that doesn’t do much with one-on-one situations and paper contact and whatnot.

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I'm not really feeling any pressure, per se, at the moment because we have a couple of months left. My mind is already kinda spinning, though.
 
It sounds like we're going to have half of our students in the building at one time and the two groups will switch off and on throughout the week in some sort of pattern. The kids aren't going to be moving around the building at all - all specials and lunch in the classrooms. It's going to be ……………….. a very weird year.
 
Josie said:
It sounds like we're going to have half of our students in the building at one time and the two groups will switch off and on throughout the week in some sort of pattern. The kids aren't going to be moving around the building at all - all specials and lunch in the classrooms. It's going to be ……………….. a very weird year.
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Has the district had much discussion about grading scales?
 
Fiddytree said:
Has the district had much discussion about grading scales?
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Not that I'm aware of. I think they're just in the beginning stages of making decisions on the year.
 
Josie said:
Not that I'm aware of. I think they're just in the beginning stages of making decisions on the year.
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Same here--a number of districts have probably started their deliberations this past week.
 
Next week my Governor's office is releasing their preliminary guidance document. Districts will be using that document to produce its own plans.

This is the middle of July, school is going to be in full swing in one month. Cases are hitting record highs.

Fun stuff.
 
A few videos on the subject that have been released over the last week, including a hearing in Congress with higher education representatives:







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Some Education Week Articles. I apologize for the paywall, but even with the paywall, you can get a sense for what are going to be emerging issues.

Teachers' Unions Are Wary of Reopening Schools. Here's What They're Saying - Teaching Now - Education Week Teacher

Idaho schools get OK to open to students this fall - Education Week

Getting Students With Disabilities Back to Class - Education Week

Coronavirus roundup: More universities announce plans for largely online fall terms

What Harvard and Your Local Commuter College Now Have in Common - The New York Times
 
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This is a really good thread discussing what researchers at the University of Connecticut discovered about how students will interact with campus policies regarding COVID-19.

https://twitter.com/drsherrypagoto/status/1282038048751071237?s=21

1) Pre-semester quarantine idea pushed by administration is a bad idea and will fail. Perhaps do two week online instruction instead.

2) Symptom and contact tracing programs need to overcome stigma of testing positive. They need to address undergraduates who underage drink or engage in vices against university policies. They need to keep in mind that students have pre-existing conditions or disabilities. They also need to seamlessly address academic requirements placed on students through the course of the semester and not incidentally penalize students for being forthcoming about their symptoms.

3) Students want socialization, but have an especial preference for outdoor activities to the extent possible.

4) Masks need to be widely available.

5) Student body needs to be widely informed about these policies and why they matter. If students are confused or unaware about policies or best practices in this environment, students will be unable to act consistently or with best practices in mind. Inducing “compliance” should be done through rewards (prizes, extra credit, etc.) rather than punishment.


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This is making the rounds.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/israe...ckdown-gains?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4

In Israel, 47% of June's COVID-19 positive cases could be attributed to schools. Whether it was adults or children spreading the disease, it's everywhere in Israel now. While many are rightfully concerned about the habits of really young children, there is much reason to believe teenage rebelliousness greatly contributed to community spread.
 
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Our state government decided to punt on developing a thorough planning process. All of the brain power is supposed to be found and expended at the district level.

Seriously. Rural, urban...doesn’t matter. Everything is “let us know what you’re going to do” and nothing about how you should probably do it.


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Brass balls, American colleges have.


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Josie said:
I wonder how many staff will refuse to come back until there's a vaccine?

My coworkers and I have been talking and filling out purchase orders to get cleaning supplies, masks, ways to make sure the kids are using individual supplies instead of everyone touching everything. I can't even imagine a kindergarten or a 1st grader keeping a mask on all day. There's gonna be snot all over it.
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I have heard that pretty much anybody who can retire is retiring out of our local school system.
 
Drawdown said:
I have heard that pretty much anybody who can retire is retiring out of our local school system.
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One of my favorite teacher friends is pretty close. She's not going anywhere yet.
 
Josie said:
One of my favorite teacher friends is pretty close. She's not going anywhere yet.
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Our school system is doing a switch up that some people just are not liking. Lunch will be served in the classroom. K-3 will have 4 days in class and 1 day "remote learning". 4-12 will do 2 days in person and 3 days online. HS is cut to 4 classes per semester. All students will be divided into two groups of 8 with part of their in class time spent with teachers and other times with staff and the groups would alternate which days they are in class and which days they are remote learning. So half the school might be Monday Tuesday live and half Thursday-Friday live with Wednesdays as no classroom days in the 4-12 grades. It is going to be a logistical nightmare.
 
 
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