What happens when the schools open this month? Could be horrible.

[Hamlette]

Michael Lewis wrote The Premonition about a group of people who were "on" the pandemic in the early days and their hair was on fire.

The book recounts the story of a teenager who asked her father, a scientist, for help her with a science project about the spread of a virus. They conducted research and ran computer models to predict how to slow the spread. What would happen if everyone wore masks? The spread slowed a bit. What if we socially distance? The spread slowed a bit. What if we closed the schools? The spread plummeted. It was the single thing that did the most to stop the spread.

I'm haunted by that part of the book. The GOP has drawn a line in the sand. No masks at school, no vaccine requirement for anything, just ignore it. Over the next few weeks all our kids will be back in school. With the Delta variant raging and the Lambda variant on its way and which may be worse, I'm worried.

So I posted this so you would worry too.

[PortTack]

1. In AR where one district had already opened, there were 730 kids and employees needing to be

Quarantined due to a covid outbreak. The gqp gov there is “sorry” he signed a bill into law banning a mask mandate for schools.

This going to repeat itself across the country

[Hamlette]

2. I think so

Last edited Thu Aug 5, 2021, 04:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Earlier this year I thought it would be over when school started. We were planning a family trip at Christmastime.

My worry is changing to anger.

[Chainfire]

3. One thing is certain

Sending teachers and children into the schools will do nothing to mitigate the spread of the virus.

I can see problems developing outside of the actual medical concerns among those parents who want their kids masked and those who don't. I live in Florida, my kids are grown, but if I had faced with the current situation when they were in school, my wife and I would have home-schooled. For many parents, that will not be an option when two parents have to work to keep a roof over their heads.

Our governor has done everything in his power to cause trouble. I suppose that when it develops, he will then mount his white horse and come to the rescue. It is as if our government is run by people who suffer from Munchhausen by Proxy.

[roamer65]

4. Not could be...will be horrible.

If schools go in-person it WILL be horrible.

It’s as contagious as chickenpox.

[Dorian Gray]

15. Schools were in person

most of last year, and that didn't happen.

There is a difference between schools not taking precautions, of course. But with proper precautions, most schools will be fine.

[roamer65]

21. A delta infectee has over 1000 times the viral load over a Wuhan original strain one.

[Dorian Gray]

24. I know

and still schools should not be shut down. They should prioritize our children and make schools as safe as possible. While there are stunning stories coming out of southern states about 900 children quarantining right now (and that indeed sucks), they didn't wear masks in those schools. And the adult population hasn't vaccinated in large numbers. That is stupid.

If I were running a school system I would 1) mandate vaccines for all adults who work in the system, 2) Require masks, 3) upgrade HVAC, 4) Air Purifiers in every room, 5) Open windows in every Room, 6) cleaning supplies in every room, 7) mandate frequent hand washing, 8) provide frequent community testing.

Fighting to shut schools completely is just as damaging to our kids as refusing to do all the steps above and opening schools.

[Meowmee]

5. It will spread even more obviously

[spinbaby]

6. I'm not sure masking and distancing will work

There seem to be a lot of people appearing on TV who seem to feel that school will be fine with masking and social distancing. Have they never been around children? The children I know are grubby little things who are terrible at disease prevention measures.

[Hamlette]

10. that's why the models show school is so dangerous in a pandemic

kids don't respect each other's "space". And while they have not been, up until now, vulnerable to Covid 19 they are little carriers. Like the fleas and the plague.

I've not heard of any schools planning to close, or not open, this year. Have any of you?

[Dorian Gray]

16. Good Lord

people are acting like a whole school year didn't just happen. NYC had schools in person for the majority of last year. With mitigation efforts, there weren't many cases of community spread.


Children NEED to be back in person. Too many kids, especially from underserved areas, have suffered the brunt of closures.

Encourage people to get vaccinated and mask up. But another year of remote school is not an option anymore.

[Bluethroughu]

7. I am very worried.

Vaccination or no in school class.

[MichMan]

8. Best thing now is probably to shut them down completely for the year

hold everyone back a year. I don't think it's fair to move everyone up a grade if they aren't learning all the material

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. No, if we shut down the schools, everyone is automatically promoted, ...

... just like last year.

A few, with intelligent, interested, capable, available parents, will learn the material, just like last year. Others, not so much, just like last year.

[Dorian Gray]

17. Best thing for WHO?

This thread is KILLING me.

I work with kids in underserved communities in Brooklyn. We are already preparing to fight for services for Trauma suffered over the last year. Literacy is down. Another year out of school would be DEVASTATING for many of these kids who chose remote learning rather than being back in person for the last year.

I have seen independent schools, catholic schools and many public schools successfully navigate covid while eliminating community spread.

I plan to work in person with children. All the adults in our building are vaccinated. I think it's the right thing to do, and these kids need to be back in person and have social interactions with adults and children in their lives. They lost so much this year, and seeing threads encouraging taking more away is infuriating me.

Encourage adults and kids over 12 to get vaccinated. Encourage mask wearing. Encourage social distancing. But school can not grind to a half for a whole other year and we expect our kids to come out of this unscathed. There is already a year and a half of trauma inflicted upon them.

[Ace Rothstein]

18. That is a complete loser politically.

Anyone who suggests holding kids back for a year will get crushed during midterms.

[Dorian Gray]

25. It won't happen

no parents want that, not even parents who don't send their kids in person. (Those parents will either homeschool or choose a remote option that exists somewhere.)

[Tetrachloride]

9. A post to me implied that wearing a mask is as easy as wearing trousers.

in high humidity areas, masks are no fun.

i am very relieved to get off the busses so i can enjoy a walk without a mask.

How many children will not be able to hold out all day, every day, until the school systems finally admit. well, i guess dead people is a bad thing.

The only good schools will be outside or internet.

in a previous life, i was a bus driver for disabled adults and students.

[AngryOldDem]

11. Meanwhile in Indiana...

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2021/08/04/covid-19-cases-indiana-schools/5482133001/

Just one week into the new school year and COVID-19 is already disrupting learning for Hoosier students.

Three dozen positive cases in schools were reported to the state last week and already several school districts have had to send dozens of students home to quarantine after just the first few days of class.

By Friday, just two days into the school year, Anderson Community Schools had 11 students test positive for COVID-19, resulting in 47 students and 1 staff member needing to quarantine. A district spokesperson told IndyStar that more students have tested positive this week, resulting in more students needing to quarantine but the district will not release that information until its weekly COVID tracker updates on Friday.

Sixty-one fourth-graders at an Indianapolis public school are now quarantined and e-learning because a staff member tested positive. School started Monday. We are playing with fire here with unvaccinated kids.

[Hamlette]

12. shit

that's what is freaking me out.

[Dorian Gray]

14. Always a pleasure

having people foist their anxieties on me.

(Seriously, school in highly vaccinated places where children will be required to wear masks and other mitigation efforts are taken will be mostly fine. We were in person all last year in NYC. While there were cases here or there, there was absolutely no community spread at all. Having said that, I'm grateful I am not in a city or state that isn't requiring masks for kids in schools. That is a completely different story.)

[Hamlette]

22. You mean like Florida where the law provides NO school can require masks

and, studies show schools are the worst thing for virus control. Even though the kids are not dying so much, they are like fleas on rats during the plague. Little carriers. And while many school teachers are vaccinated, not all are. So the kids pick up the virus and the it spreads quickly through the school (I think I read it takes 2 days for the whole school to be exposed) and the kids take it home to parents, siblings, grandparents etc.

[Dorian Gray]

23. No I don't mean Florida

I mean School should be a priority. We should mitigate damage and do everything we can to normalize the educational experience for children.

De Santis and Abbot are criminally negligent in the approach they're taking, and I hope that this ruins any future political aspirations both men have. When I read the TEA's Covid rules for school this year, I was horrified. It is insane. (I am NOT an open all schools without mitigation person.)

But that doesn't change the fact that school is important and we should prioritize it. We successfully did it in NYC and we will mandate masking and other mitigation efforts here. Schools across the country should take precautions. They should make it as safe as possible for our children. The US should allow school age chlldren to get vaccinated as soon as possible. And they should mandate all adults should get the vaccine in local districts. That will offer the most protection for everyone.

[Sympthsical]

19. They need to go back to school where able

Two of the nephews were living with us most of last year during lock down. They have a single mother who is a nurse (father died of cancer), so they were with us so we could make sure they did their schooling, etc. Fortunately, they're both in high school and vaccinated now. The county is demanding masks and distancing last I heard.

With those precautions, they have to go back. Last year was an educational disaster. My partner and I both work at home, and he tends to be busier than I am during the day. So, it fell on me to supervise their education much of the time.

These kids did not learn nearly as much as they should have. I know. I listened in on Zoom classes, went over their homework with them, made sure everything they needed to get done was done.

They learned almost jack and shit all year. The instruction was surface, the homework barely existent. These are bright kids and it's a good school district, but it very much felt the teachers were like, "Eh, lockdown, what can ya do? Here. Go watch these YouTube videos and write two paragraphs about it." I mean, it was almost insulting. I could not believe how little work they were given. And the teachers did not care whether or not the students were paying any attention during class. At one point, it became house policy that phones and things like the Nintendo Switch were on my desk during online classes.

And that was me home supervising. Imagine the kids who didn't have that attention or reinforcement.

There just can't be a repeat this year. As far as I'm concerned, my nephews lost a year of education.

Repeating it is unfair to them, and it will be an electoral disaster for us.

For schools where students cannot be vaccinated yet, I don't know. I'm glad I'm not in the position to have to decide. That's a very messy question.

[aocommunalpunch]

20. My anxiety is ramping up. Yay!

No idea what expecations we're looking at yet. I will be masked, air purifier on, and likely windows open (Michigan winter?). I anticipate getting sick, but will be blunt with my students about why I'm taking these precautions. If masks are optional, I will be maintaining my distance with no reluctance.

Since we're continuing to build the airplane while we're flying it, I see little reason why my anxieties will reduce. Maybe there's a way to teach the value of multiples using the pandemic? lol

[Dorian Gray]

26. Gosh I'm sorry

having to work in a district where they don't support you with mask mandates is TOUGH. I have all the sympathy for you in this upcoming year. Hopefully you'll stay healthy this year, and hopefully vaccine rates will go up enough and delta will start waning soon.

Best to you for this school year.