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Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,329
Registered: ‎02-07-2011

Re: Are children ever going back to school ?


@Alter Ego wrote:
For those commenting about strikes and unions - are you in Chicago or someplace else? Mayor was just on saying she lost all patience with CTU. One of their demands is for all teachers to get the vaccine before everyone else that is currently eligible (they are currently eligible; they just don’t want to wait and want it before other eligible elderly and essential workers.) Like others said, catholic schools have been in session and I haven’t heard of any issues. I don’t have kids but feel sorry for them. They were just on strike a year or so ago - maybe the year before Covid? Sad for the kids.

Yes, I'm in Chicago.  Don't have any children or grandchildren.  But as I said in a previous post it should be up to the parents, NOT the union to decide.  The kids have been out of school for almost a year and now the teachers are threatening a strike.  It's nuts.  Teachers--take precautions, keep the windows open, do whatever it takes to stay safe but return to teaching in the schools.

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,725
Registered: ‎10-01-2013

Re: Are children ever going back to school ?

@caroln242, you sound like a caring grandmother and I wish your grandson the best. Repeating the year is a good idea IMHO. Otherwise, once they are behind they never catch up.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,401
Registered: ‎07-15-2016

Re: Are children ever going back to school ?

NYC ....

 

From what I don't see (kids and crossing guards) - it appears the local public intermediate school is not in session.

 

Catholic schools are open and I just got an email from my college (Catholic) alumni assn. that school is open.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,018
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Are children ever going back to school ?


@kaydee50 wrote:

@Alter Ego wrote:
For those commenting about strikes and unions - are you in Chicago or someplace else? Mayor was just on saying she lost all patience with CTU. One of their demands is for all teachers to get the vaccine before everyone else that is currently eligible (they are currently eligible; they just don’t want to wait and want it before other eligible elderly and essential workers.) Like others said, catholic schools have been in session and I haven’t heard of any issues. I don’t have kids but feel sorry for them. They were just on strike a year or so ago - maybe the year before Covid? Sad for the kids.

Yes, I'm in Chicago.  Don't have any children or grandchildren.  But as I said in a previous post it should be up to the parents, NOT the union to decide.  The kids have been out of school for almost a year and now the teachers are threatening a strike.  It's nuts.  Teachers--take precautions, keep the windows open, do whatever it takes to stay safe but return to teaching in the schools.

 


Is this a good idea considering the frigid temperatures Chicago is experiencing right now?  Wouldn't the cost to heat classrooms be prohibitive?

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,764
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Are children ever going back to school ?

[ Edited ]

@caroln242 wrote:

@RetRN wrote:

I don't know the answer to that question, but I sure hope so. Many children are so far behind that I don't realistically see them catching up. This is much more serious than most people realize. Can't even imagine if nurses and grocery store workers refused to go to work. 


My grandson has just recently returned to the classroom 2 days a week.  The other days he is remote "learning".  I put that in parenthesis because I'm not convinced he's learning anything from home.  My daughter says there's too many distractions, he has a short attention span to begin with, and some days he's at his father's house (my daugher is divorced) where any schooling is iffy at best.  My thought is, if the schools open full time, it wouldn't hurt for my grandson to take the whole year over again.  He needs the structure of a classroom and a teacher who is physically, not virtually, there.  I'm just wondering what the long term effects are from what they missed learning this year?


@caroln242 , The earlier a child repeats a grade, the better.  Not sure the age of your grandson but if your daughter is interested in this, why not start a dialog with her son's teachers?   She has a few months to finalize the decision and in the meantime she could be gathering info on her child's strengths and weaknesses and evaluations could be done by staff.

 

In primary years (most often K), if it's a simple case of him being young for his school year (like a summer birthday close to cut off) and his attention span is short due to that, retention can be a game-changer in future success in school.  If he's one of the older students in his class and struggling, there could be other reasons that might call for certain intervention programs. 

 

Students in older elem grades are generally not considered to be good candidates for retention for many reasons. But that was pre-pandemic.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,114
Registered: ‎08-21-2014

Re: Are children ever going back to school ?

This is all dependent on where you live. Our schools have been in session for months. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,574
Registered: ‎06-19-2010

Re: Are children ever going back to school ?

[ Edited ]

I'm in Arizona and the teachers want to get their vaccine first. Then when that wasn't good enough they want more money for everything, then they want the school to have new stuff, then the teachers want yet another raise, then the want to have the kids get their shots before they go back. It's one demand after another. It isn't about the kids, it's about them.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,522
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Re: Are children ever going back to school ?

The majority of WV schools opened in September for in person learning.   Many students who chose the remote learning option for first semester are in the classroom for second semester.   

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,373
Registered: ‎04-04-2015

Re: Are children ever going back to school ?

Here, the teachers got to go to the front of the line to be vaccinated and then - after demanding and receiving that priority - the union president said they would not be "safe" until all the students - even kindergartners - had also been vaccinated so - no deal as to reopening schools.

 

The school board just decided to reopen in phases - (which would apparently mean - at most - maybe half the kids - in phases - would get to attend actual school 2 days a week and continue online (despite some kids not being able to do that for a variety of reasons) 2 days a week -  but so far no word from the union president - so I guess we will see what happens.

 

The failure rate for kids - especially minority kids (so much for the school board's emphasis on "equity")  has skyrocketed, but we are still being told that online learning has been "successful" overall.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,379
Registered: ‎06-14-2011

Re: Are children ever going back to school ?

@on the bay I have to respectfully disagree with you.  Literally from the beginning it was and has been recommended that simply washing your hands with soap and water, and when not available using sanitizer worked and one mask was fine.  Many places have been successfully open for quite a while now.  And as people are replying they have schools that have been successfully fully open for a while now. 

    Children are so low on the scale of this that there is no and will not be a vaccine for them.  IF a teacher is a risk-elderly or immune suppressed the school board can address their individual issues.  Otherwise people have been working through this.  Yes there are kids that test positive but that's it unless they have severe underlying conditions these kids get through this with very little if any issues.   IF they are living with grandparents then it's on the family to decide the risk and see if online might be better for them still.  

       The biggest thing here is now even the CDC says it's ok for the kids to get back to school.  You might not feel safe but it really is ok for them to be back in school.  If a parent is still iffy about it, they need to just check with their family doctor and decide if it's ok.  But in all reality these kids need to be back.  I'm sure there are alot of older people who know other older people or those in a higher risk bracket that have passed and it makes them nervous, but these kids should not be nervous.  Careful yes, but nervous no.  Again there are no plans for a vaccine for them because they are at an almost zero risk of this.  

    These unions are pushing that these teachers are far more essential and should be far more protected than the average store check out clerk.  Good grief.  Please. The check out employees are dealing with a more diverse, higher risk and  far larger revolving door of people than these teachers will ever come in contact with and the kids are at the lowest risk catagory.   If they are essential then get back in the classroom.  Every other essential work has been on the job.