Community Chat

[sandy53]

Come to my community in Iowa and see how school has been successfully in session since fall.  There were a few days between Thanksgiving and Christmas when we had virtual classes, but other than that we have been in classrooms.  Staff members were vaccinated in the last month.

I have been in classrooms supervising student teachers in my district and several surrounding districts (smaller towns) since fall.  Everyone wears masks, but there is very little (if any) social distancing.  It's working. 

Get kids to school!

[Isobel Archer]

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@JJsMom wrote:

@Isobel Archer  I don't believe for one second that you really care about these kids. You just wanted to derail the thread to slam teachers and teachers unions. I bet childrens' mental health advocacy was never on your radar before this. Don't treat us like we are stupid.

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Nope sorry to burst your bubble, but I've been concerned about how many kids we have in our system who cannot read for quite some time.  Have tried to work with the school board  and with state legislators to no avail.

And as to the other poster who says the teacher pays for supplies etc. - I'm not going to enumerae how much I have spent - in one of the richest school districts in the country  - for supplies, cloothes, food etc. etc. for poor kids who were in need.

It's ridiculous what the taxpayers spend - only to have kids take home a list of "supplies" their parents are supposed to provide that includes - I am not making this up - toilet paper.

Oh yes, we can wring our hands over diversity and equity - and spend all kinds of money renaming schools etc., - but apparently providing toilet paper in the poorer schools and actually assuring kids learn to read (if that isn't "equity", I am at a total loss as to what is) is just too hard to do.

[Isobel Archer]

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@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

@Isobel Archer What you have posted is an Opinion piece from January 25, 2021, it is not news, not factual.  The supposed link to the union's alleged position is a non-existent tweet, so we don't know what it was.  It may have been a statement by someone without knowledge.

And the Opinion is outdated.

According to the News, the schools started reopening February 16.

FCPS returns to in-person learning Feb. 16 leaves some teachers, parents hesitant

Despite some teachers not being able to receive vaccines, and some parents expressing worry over COVID outbreaks, the school board approved a return timeline.

Author: Bruce Leshan

Published: 5:40 PM EST February 3, 2021

Updated: 6:36 AM EST February 16, 2021

WASHINGTON — The Fairfax County School Board unanimously voted to start bringing students back into classrooms by Feb. 16, with every student getting a chance for at least two days a week of in-person learning. 

...

From the Washington Post News, schools are now open.

‘I’m so glad you’re here’: Students return to Fairfax County classrooms for the first time in months

Teresa Hodge, right, teaches her class of pre-schoolers at Bucknell Elementary School on Tuesday. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

By

Hannah Natanson

Feb. 16, 2021 at 7:12 p.m. EST

Bucknell Elementary School Principal LaRonda Peterson stood in the doorway of a newly reopened classroom Tuesday morning, arms folded, alert for signs of trouble.

A small boy in a blue jacket popped into view. He had just been released for a midmorning break. He took a few halting steps toward Peterson, and she backed into the hallway to maintain an appropriate social distance, her wide smile apparent even behind her mask.

“How are you doing?” she asked the boy. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m going to take a picture and send it to your mom, so she can see you’re safe and learning.”

,,,

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Yes, I think we are back for 2 days a week - but mostly with non teacher "classroom monitors." as I explained before.  And the teachers union position is still that schools should NOT reopen.

From recent press coverage this week:

Fairfax County drew national coverage this past week when some students returned to school, while teachers — 90 percent of whom have either received the first shot of the vaccine or made appointments to do so — remained home. In their place, the county hired more than 800 “classroom monitors” to supervise students receiving remote instruction from their school desks. The job description for the role says nothing  about requiring a vaccination to work in schools. 

Dunnavant said students doing virtual education while sitting in a classroom “does not meet the definition of in-person, and does not address the issues of learning loss.”

In January, the Fairfax Education Association said local schools can’t reopen safely until there is “adequate PPE, testing and vaccines for all students, families, and staff.”

[Deree]

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@stevieb wrote:

@Isobel Archer  To further elucidate the matter of the county you've referenced. Two of my 91 year old mother's neighbors are teachers, one of them retired... Both have had the first vaccine dose and have appointments for the second. Meanwhile, my mother, a priority based on age and health status, is still waiting to be scheduled at all... Changing horses midstream doesn't sit especially well with me, particularly when it becomes personal...

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@stevieb  Agree and this is a huge issue where I live. That is, adding more and more eligible groups (restaurant workers, cab drivers, and now all ages with underlying medical conditions) before the initial eligibles (seniors) are taken care of.  Now these vulnerable seniors have to compete for a vaccine with all these new groups.  That's 10 million(!) people competing for 300,000 doses per week.

Yes it's very personal indeed.

[Trinity11]

Thank you @JJsMom for your truthful, factual contributions to this thread. You are truly a breath of fresh air here.