topic Re: Whispers about school in Community Chat

Whispers about school

songbird — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 10:58:58 GMT

I currently work from home. Obviously our university has been closed down for the rest of Spring semester. Now there is talk....well not so far as our school, but general academic talk that schools won't reopen in person classes for fall semester and not until 2021. I've head nothing from our school. They text us with any announcements. CNN has an article about schools (universities) not reopening as in person schools. Here I had hope it would reopen for summer session.

The only school that has announced no in person summer session & and a possible fall is Boston University. But it's still early days. The Spring semester ends on May 12. Anyway, now I'm thinking it's unrealistic to open up in the summer as in person school..

I have no idea what will happen with public primary & secondary schools. It may be public schools will open in a stagger shift kind of way. In California, schools are open all year. With different semester shifts for groups of children. The warm weather permits this. And most public schools have central air. Something will have to be done either way.

Re: Whispers about school

Harpa — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 11:31:57 GMT

@songbird

Hmm...I was suspecting that for fall classes. We haven't gotten word to that effect, though. But my summer session was already slated for on-line.

Re: Whispers about school

songbird — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 11:48:05 GMT

@Harpa wrote:
@songbird
Hmm...I was suspecting that for fall classes. We haven't gotten word to that effect, though. But my summer session was already slated for on-line.

I think it's still online for summer. They had offered online for summer before, but many students didn't take it. The shorter course in the summer is difficult. More intense. But you get through school faster....This is going to be tough for students slated to graduate in May. Especially with no lab work. The will have to scrounge around to finish their credits. I once tried a summer course. It lasted two days. My teacher thought it would be wiser for me not to stay.

Re: Whispers about school

Bri369 — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 11:51:49 GMT

I'm not sure what's going to happen.

My daughter's college graduation has been postponed, and she's supposed to start grad school in August. A lot of uncertainty right now...

Re: Whispers about school

Peaches McPhee — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 11:55:37 GMT

I think we all need to remember that just because someone says it, it not necessarily true. Most of this is conjecture and worst case scenario. Close schools for another entire year? How can anyone project that far in advance.

This is partially why people are so upset and stressed. They hear this doom and somehow it becomes real.

Re: Whispers about school

Snowpuppy — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 13:10:24 GMT

I think it would be a disservice to college students to let them enroll for Fall Semester telling them all is well, knowing in advance it would likely be virtual or canceled all together. Typically, students register for Fall before they head home for the summer.

I cant imagine cramming kids into dorm rooms/residence halls any time in the near future.

Bravo to Boston College for announcing their plans and being transparent.

Re: Whispers about school

songbird — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:06:24 GMT

@Snowpuppy wrote:
I think it would be a disservice to college students to let them enroll for Fall Semester telling them all is well, knowing in advance it would likely be virtual or canceled all together. Typically, students register for Fall before they head home for the summer.

I cant imagine cramming kids into dorm rooms/residence halls any time in the near future.

Bravo to Boston College for announcing their plans and being transparent.

Actually it's Boston University which is a so called private second tier ivy league school. Boston College is a private college independent of Boston University. Both are very expensive and difficult to get in to. And lol....only 3 miles apart.

Re: Whispers about school

WenGirl42 — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:23:41 GMT

The public uni I graduated from, in OH, has 4 summer class sessions. They've already moved 3 of them (scheduled to begin in May and June) online, but they have not yet made a decision about the fourth (scheduled to begin mid-July).

Re: Whispers about school

ScrapHappy — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:43:39 GMT

The 2 stories circulating in my area (public school/daughter in 8th grade) are:

1. Starting the 2020-2021 school year early

2. Holding back kids/not promoting to next grade.

This has been on the local TV news. The botton line they say is that they're not leaving anything on the table. No news if they'll even open for the 2020-2021 school year which is early August for us. Too much unknown right now. I can see parents being nervous about sending their kids to a new school year with all this uncertainty of the virus.

Re: Whispers about school

Pandalady — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:58:16 GMT

I teach in a public school. In my district, they are making summer provisions for students to receive summer school if needed. Unless a child was already considered for retention, all will move forward.

The first part of the year (about 6 weeks) will be devoted to teaching the standards missed this last part of the year. For example, I teach 1st grade so for the first 6 weeks, I will teach the final Kindergarten standards to my students so we try and close the gaps.

We're still scheduled to start on time but our governor said it's too soon to know since our peak hasn't happened yet.

Spring graduations will happen this summer.

Not all decisions have been made but at least this plan is a start.

Re: Whispers about school

Sushismom — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 16:10:00 GMT

My nephew teaches at a community college and is teaching his classes online.

His wife is a nurse and says it's interesting watching him teach!

Kudos to both of them.

Re: Whispers about school

ninjawife — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 16:35:40 GMT

I am a speech/language pathologist in the public school system. I work with preschool students. My cat has been fascinated when I do teletherapy sessions. I have incorporated her into many lessons.

@Sushismom wrote:
My nephew teaches at a community college and is teaching his classes online.

His wife is a nurse and says it's interesting watching him teach!

Kudos to both of them.

Re: Whispers about school

hopi — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 16:41:49 GMT

@ScrapHappy wrote:
The 2 stories circulating in my area (public school/daughter in 8th grade) are:

1. Starting the 2020-2021 school year early
2. Holding back kids/not promoting to next grade.

This has been on the local TV news. The botton line they say is that they're not leaving anything on the table. No news if they'll even open for the 2020-2021 school year which is early August for us. Too much unknown right now. I can see parents being nervous about sending their kids to a new school year with all this uncertainty of the virus.

Considering the school year was almost over for every state, after spring break comes standarized state testing. The statment about non promoting sounds like propaganda to scare parents and kids. It seems now that 80 % of most news is just talking points with no real substance or fact behind it.

Re: Whispers about school

Tadaki — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 18:22:54 GMT

The big problem I see for colleges and boarding schools is dorm living. I don't know how they get around that close contact. Then there is the dining hall, which could be staggered. But dorm living, I can't imagine how they solve that.