APS makes the right decision. (They didn't really have a choice, thanks to teachers.)

[keopeli]

Albuquerque Public Schools students will continue learning virtually, although the board Wednesday night cleared the way to expand in-person learning slightly to include additional small groups of students, possibly those at risk of failing or seniors who need the additional help.

The Board of Education voted 6-1 to allow limited in-person groups, but otherwise remain in remote schooling.

Wednesday night’s decision almost certainly ends any hope for APS’ 13 high schools to participate in the four fall sports: football, soccer, volleyball and cross-country. Because of the pandemic, fall sports had to be pushed into the second semester.

According to APS data, about half of parents are ready to get their children back to school and half aren’t on board.

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A teacher at the meetings said that teachers are eager to come back, but they want to do so safely. Amen!



https://www.abqjournal.com/2360888/aps-stays-virtual-but-allows-some-small-groups-ex-decision-effectively-ends-hope-for-any-of-the-four-fall-sports.html

[Desert grandma]

1. We are in the APS district

I do wonder why we are not prioritizing teachers for vaccinations. I believe teachers would be far more agreeable to going back to in person learning if they were able to get vaccinated. Private schools seem to be doing fine with in person learning here. I think some people are frustrated when our President prioritizes teachers for the vaccine yet our governor has not yet done so. I am hopeful that new vaccine approval for Jonson & Johnson will improve the situation. Our twin granddaughters live with us. They are high school seniors and we are hoping that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be approved before they begin college in the fall.

[keopeli]

2. I really appreciate our Governor, but this one is a head-scratcher.

My only guess is that she's playing politics to appease our rather large constituency of ex-Texans in the Southeast. The decision, however, rests with the APS board. I know that our most recent teacher survey (for my middle school) had 9 teachers willing to return today, 23 teachers who will retire/quit if they have to come back now, and 45 teachers (including myself) who will happily return AFTER we have been fully vaccinated. This ratio is pretty much the same district-wide.

You would think, with all the sturm und drang about getting kids back to in-person teaching, that the state would prioritize teachers for being vaccinated. The large majority of teachers have yet to be vaccinated. If they had poked us first, we could already be back in school.

I will never understand the cavalier attitude of many about this deadly virus. Many teachers are 50+ years old in this state. The selfishness of conservative parents (and even some liberal ones that I know) is astonishing. We spend more time with their kids than most of them do, yet they treat us like minimum wage babysitters.

I remain hopeful, as you do, that they'll kick this vaccination process into high gear swiftly, before these mutations start to take hold and throw our whole recovery plan out of whack. How blessed you are to have your granddaughters with you! I feel horrible that their senior year will be so messed up. I know that we are doing all we can to try and mimic some degree of normalcy for our wonderful and deserving graduating students. I just wish we could do more.