Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Agree that they should have done some sort of summer training. I do say that my district was pretty good doing all online except the few things I complained about.
My grandson was sent home with an emergency packet plus his chrome book. We didn't use the emergency packet.
At one time the teacher wanted input on daily assignments or all at once. Thankfully daily won. There's no way my grandson would have done an all at once. The kindergarten weekly packet was hard to do with him last year. We had to force him to sit down every day to do one sheet. He's very good at math, it was all way too easy and boring to him. Same with a lot of this years math. He knows it and is ready for his times table because he gets it when I explain it.
And this is where the big issue is, differentiation of instruction. Your grandson is probably not legally required to have it done (IEP) but for kids identified as SPED it's going to put nearly every school system in the country out of compliance. From modified lessons to extra time to one on one aides which are not now there with the kid.
As a note. I am, or rather was, certified as an online instructor. Had to go through some incredibly miserable training to get it so I actually know what I'm talking about.
I retired 6 years ago, but keep in touch with colleagues.
Right now, with conflicting signals coming from federal, state and local levels, there's no clear message on how things will be handled, so it's pretty much a confused mess here.
I think that any parent, student or faculty/staff member who isn't concerned is simply not paying attention.
My fear is that, like the premature re-opening that's resulted in the virus once again running rampant, premature opening of schools will further accelerate the spread and exacerbate the already dire consequences.
Listen to the medical and epidemiological experts, not the frantic politicians looking at November.
My daughter just told me that my granddaughter's father who has custody is sending her back to head start next week. I asked my daughter how they're going to keep her safe. She said there will only be 2 kids in her class. We'll see. This is his big eff us because my daughter needed today and tomorrow off for a doctor appointment almost 3 hours away. She was going to take a train to her dad's town with him picking her up to take her to the actual appointment in Newark, then home on the train tomorrow. She canceled it due to him. I will not watch both kids myself being disabled.
We've had my granddaughter 5 days a week since March plus every other weekend over night. I don't know how he could find fault with needing 2 days off. Heck it's her weekend so she would get her at some point tomorrow. He only has custody because he did her wrong when she gave birth. She failed her depression test right after birth. I wasn't worried CPS would take my grandson.
Now we have to worry about her infecting us with our bad immune systems.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
And this is where the big issue is, differentiation of instruction. Your grandson is probably not legally required to have it done (IEP) but for kids identified as SPED it's going to put nearly every school system in the country out of compliance. From modified lessons to extra time to one on one aides which are not now there with the kid.
As a note. I am, or rather was, certified as an online instructor. Had to go through some incredibly miserable training to get it so I actually know what I'm talking about.
I'm familiar with IEP's from his mother. He will probably need one at some point too. I'll be shocked if he doesn't. I started fighting for one when she was in 3rd grade but it didn't happen until 5th. I still have the Wrightslaw book for her but it's probably out of date
I am amazed that our district has not mandated any kind of training for online teaching over the summer. The plan for the fall will be issued on the 17th, so perhaps they are including that in the back-to-school PDs. At the very least, training on using Zoom, Google Classroom, and Canvas should be provided for the teachers who want to use those platforms.
When school shut down, I switched to Google classroom because my home computer tower had no camera and microphone. Fortunately, I had taken a lot of training for Google Suite several years ago. Our school's monthly PD also had individual teachers share the apps that they use in class, including Google and Edgenuity, so that could have helped some of the teachers who had no training.
In order to prepare for teaching from home, I am turning my spare bedroom into an online classroom. After much searching for a quality webcam, I finally found one that should do the job. They are nearly sold out from all the suppliers I checked--Office Depot and Best Buy had none, but I found a reseller on Amazon with what I was looking for.
My classroom is already infected with black mold and staph, and I have gotten sick a few times with lung and skin infections, so I don't have much faith that the school will be sanitized appropriately. I have a shipment of face shields coming in just in case they become in short supply. Because I teach a foreign language, it will be useful to be able to show my students the mouth positions that the language requires. I haven't decided yet whether I will brave the classroom. That will depend on the district's plans.
I joke sometimes that in our district we already have a shortage of incompetent teachers--people who are willing but unable to do the job. There are very few competent people who take the job. Our district has few takers for the $5,000 signing bonus it offers. Likewise, our list of subs is short. Hardly anyone wants to do the work for the low pay and poor working conditions. Many, if not most, of the teachers in the district are older with underlying health conditions that put them at risk for complications if they get COVID-19. So now I expect that the shortage of people willing to come in under the expected conditions will be exacerbated. As the time approaches with no clear indication of what is coming next, my anxiety grows.
I don't see a satisfactory path out of this lose-lose dilemma.
and if a school system does bypass the bid process and get the lowest bidder then pain in the ass residents, let's call them bldsooners, will raise holy hell at every school board meeting going forward.
I used to work in the schools. Not anymore for a while & I don't have little kids, thank God! I'm really nervous & worried for everyone out there too since school's about to start up again.
I honestly think everyone staying at home doing remote learning is the best. There are TONS of concerns if they had everyone commuting to school again...way too many to list here, from before the day starts to the end of the day & the younger the kids are, the harder it is to keep up w/ doing all the precautions. For example, starting w/... when kids get on the school bus, you can't do 6 ft social distancing on there unless there are just maybe 3-4 kids on each bus.
Now we've read about the staggering of lunches/recesses, but whatever solutions there are will make for a much harder, grueling day than ever before. Kids, especially the little little ones, especially in pre-school to 3rd especially aren't going to remember to wash their hands all the time, keep their fingers out of mouths, keep masks on all day & wear them properly. The masks will fall on the ground, etc. & this & that. Just a whole lot of worries. I can picture all the extra hassles teachers will have to go through all day to keep everyone as well as themselves safe.
You must have missed the memo on that. It is official. Florida's Secretary of Education issued an executive order that all school districts statewide must offer all students 5 days per week of in-person instruction.
Yes, but my understanding is that it is not mandatory for families to send children to the school house.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deeni
I live in Florida and have two kids in elementary school. It is not official yet, but early indications are that our school district is only offering an in person option with social distancing "when feasible".
I am surprised the hear that. What district, if I may ask? In Dade County, at least, they are working on a three-option plan, it seems that private schools are mimicking the County, and I expect to have a full slate of options.
Personally I calculate that in-school attendance is a death trap, any hybrid plan is cockamamie and unworkable, and equipping and training for online instruction is less expensive - in every sense of the term - than the other two options.
Quote:
Originally Posted by djsuperfly
A few days ago the teachers had a farewell party for the principal. They posted pics on facebook. There were a group of around 30 teachers and administrators at the gathering standing shoulder to shoulder for a group photo. Only one person was wearing a mask. They were outside but there was no social distancing at all. They seem oblivious to the seriousness of the pandemic. I have no faith that they will ensure the kids take proper precautions if they themselves are not doing so.
The "guidelines" are fancy words. Adults have trouble following the "guidelines"- we all witness that with our own eyes every day - and children will definitely not follow the "guidelines" as a matter of definition, they are children.
In any case, even if they wear masks and social distance - which they will not for more than 15 seconds at best, unless we terrorize them - virus-laden micro droplets in a poorly ventilated indoor room are airborne even for hours, for as many hours as children sit in classrooms. I don't buy the argument that children are less susceptible to the virus, because some are and all of them will pass it on to adults, one in five of whom are very susceptible which is a HUGE risk, very, very poor odds. One-hundred-percent probability that there will be serious illnesses and deaths among children, school staff, parents, and other care givers. 100% mathematical guarantee that it will happen.
It would take a lot longer and cost a lot more to restructure all school buildings such that they have anti-viral ventilation than to equip schools with distance learning infrastructure and train staff.
That is what all this technology is for, isn't it? Less traffic, less pollution, less time and energy wasted on commuting from here to there, more time to focus on real productive work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by djsuperfly
I am starting to research online options and my husband and I are discussing the very hard decision to maybe have one of us quit our jobs to homeschool. It is not ideal and I never wanted to homeschool but I feel as though I am not being given any other feasible options.
I am sorry that you have to go through this against your will. Most people are not skilled as teachers. Professional teachers are valuable, highly valuable, well, the good ones anyway (there are duds in all professions).
Fortunately I am in a position where I work from home (since 1995) and, if local authorities deprive families of options and force them to send children to classrooms (aka poorly ventilated death traps), then I will seek an alternative professional online school.
I think that people should forget about going to schools for the next two or three years, unless a viable vaccine comes about sooner.
A considerable number of daycare facilities are being hit hard now, and youth does not guarantee a favorable outcome or a lack of permanent disability.
Nope - it is time to get back to living, it is time for schools to re-open, so that daycares can re-open, so that parents can get back to work. It is time to improvise, adapt and overcome the situation rather than hiding in our houses until a vaccine comes along---- which may never happen.
Nope - it is time to get back to living, it is time for schools to re-open, so that daycares can re-open, so that parents can get back to work. It is time to improvise, adapt and overcome the situation rather than hiding in our houses until a vaccine comes along---- which may never happen.
I desperately hope that the outbreak happening in our southern state of Victoria does not spread here and affect schools in NSW. They had 288 cases today so things are not looking good. They have extended their school two week break by another week for most kids.
Our schools successfully went back to face to face full-time for six weeks before the current two week school holidays with some rules. Parents are not allowed to enter the school in normal circumstances and must drop off and collect kids at the gate. If possible, kids should walk or be driven to school rather than use public transport. Assemblies are limited and there are some restrictions on sport. Food should not be shared (most kids take a picnic type lunch here) Some private schools take temperatures daily.
Having spent weeks supervising the five year old in Kindergarten I think schooling from home is possibly effective for about 20% of kids. It is better than nothing for another 50% and a disaster for the remaining 30 %, who may be in abusive homes, or homes where English is not spoken or homes where there is nobody competent with IT.
My strongest memories of helping three of the grandkids are of having to help the 6 year old “redesign” Perth Zoo, of having to sit through online French lessons with a painfully incompetent specialist teacher, and of the news sessions with the kindy child, who would get bored and just click off his iPad before I could stop him.
The thought of going back to it is totally depressing, as it is to the parents, who are working longer and harder than ever because of the virus.
Living, as we do, in the most expensive city in the country, most parents do not have the luxury of being in single income families even if they want to.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So, anybody nervous about the new school year?
