Covid and public schools update

[mstateglfr]

So this applies to my state and not MS where many are, but its worth mentioning.
School districts have been begging for health guidelines so they can plan for next year and the state Dept of Ed alongside the Dept of Health finally released their recommendations.

No masks are recommended.
No social distancing is recommended.
No temperatures before school are recommended.
No temperatures by family before school are even recommended.
Bus transportation is not recommended to be limited.
Sports and activities will be played as usual.
School days will be normal- not staggered every other day or every other week.

This is straight up shocking to superintendents and school districts. They will now all be left without helpful guidance and will need to figure out plans on their own. School districts right next to each other will have different rules and policies.


This is shocking.
Perhaps the state knows best and we are good to go.
-or-
Perhaps the recommendations were run thru the governor's office before being released and most everything was cut since the what was released was only a page and a half long.


I absolutely hate that I cant trust either side to lead in a way that puts citizens first. I see every decision by governors and state departments as politically motivated to prove the other side wrong.

 

[HailStout]

What state?

 

[Hump4Hoops]

I don't envy those that have to make, or enforce, school policy on COVID

I watched a video earlier of a city council public forum (in CA, no less) with people going absolutely ballistic regarding any sort of regulations. Spewing the craziest, vilest things simply because of a policy to wear a mask in public. Can you imagine the bible belt Karens that are going to flip the 17 out if they're told their kids will be required to wear masks?

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Come on over to the cynical middle...

 

[G-Dawg]

I sat with our principal and counselor in his office on TUE when Dr. Dobbs and Dr. Carey had a zoom conference and it looks like the MDE will certainly be adopting some of the MDH suggestions that don't look ANYTHING like what your state is doing. They're telling us that if we have an outbreak, we should shut schools down for a minimum of 14 days.

 

[RocketDawg]

Sounds like they're recommending business as usual, as if there is not and never was a pandemic. Kinda nuts.

I suspect you're going to see a lot more home-schooled kids this fall, regardless of whether the parents are capable of teaching them.

 

[PineGroveBully]

My high school baseball coach is one of my best friends and is retiring from being a superintendent June 30th, I’ve told him multiple times he sure picked the right year. Unfortunately for another of my best friends, he is taking over July 1.

At least the retiring superintendent would have had some goodwill built up for his tough decisions. These decisions will be the latter’s first tough calls in that roll.

 

[RocketDawg]

I sat with our principal and counselor in his office on TUE when Dr. Dobbs and Dr. Carey had a zoom conference and it looks like the MDE will certainly be adopting some of the MDH suggestions that don't look ANYTHING like what your state is doing. They're telling us that if we have an outbreak, we should shut schools down for a minimum of 14 days.

Were all three of you in the same office wearing masks?

 

[thatsbaseball]

I heard an interesting/kinda disturbing take (second hand) from a mid-level administrator at a mid-south university in another state. His take was basically that hardly any school officials feel the fall session will be long-lived but they needed the fees so badly they're keeping a straight face and "giving it a try".

 

[msualohadog]

Two of the largest counties in Georgia, Cobb and Gwinnett, announced today families will have the choice for in-person or digital learning. Families will decide in early July.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Everybody ain’t got good Internets in Mississippi to do online school....**

 

[jethreauxdawg]

They will have to

I suspect you're going to see a lot more home-schooled kids this fall, regardless of whether the parents are capable of teaching them.

Most of the plans I’ve heard mentioned from MS involve some classroom time but equal or more online learning. Most kids do not live in a home where one of the parents are home all day. That means mom and/or dad will have to be a school teacher after they come home from a full day of work. Most Kids that are old enough to be home alone are not going to study at home by themselves and for the younger ones, daycares are not going to work through the curriculum with the kids (daycares are allowed to operate at normal capacity but not schools). That’s going to be disastrous for everyone involved. I don’t see any good outcomes from the potential limited school opening approach.

 

[mstateglfr]

What state?

Oh, I thought my location showed. Good question.
Iowa.

The state Medical Director, Dr Pedati, answered dozens of questions for superintendents today. Ill sum up all the questions that were answered and unanswered, in a very biased but not exactly inaccurate recreation-
Q- what the 17 is happening here, how are there no recommended restrictions?!?!
A- everything will work out well because we want it to. I cant go into more detail because it isnt a defensible answer and the Gov doesnt want me to say more.

 

[RocketDawg]

Yes, I think you're right. My two grandkids will be in school in metro Atlanta (Kennesaw), but I'm not sure what their system's plans are.

 

[L4Dawg]

So this applies to my state and not MS where many are, but its worth mentioning.
School districts have been begging for health guidelines so they can plan for next year and the state Dept of Ed alongside the Dept of Health finally released their recommendations.

No masks are recommended.
No social distancing is recommended.
No temperatures before school are recommended.
No temperatures by family before school are even recommended.
Bus transportation is not recommended to be limited.
Sports and activities will be played as usual.
School days will be normal- not staggered every other day or every other week.

This is straight up shocking to superintendents and school districts. They will now all be left without helpful guidance and will need to figure out plans on their own. School districts right next to each other will have different rules and policies.


This is shocking.
Perhaps the state knows best and we are good to go.
-or-
Perhaps the recommendations were run thru the governor's office before being released and most everything was cut since the what was released was only a page and a half long.


I absolutely hate that I cant trust either side to lead in a way that puts citizens first. I see every decision by governors and state departments as politically motivated to prove the other side wrong.

From what I'm hearing it will be VERY different in Mississippi.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

One of the High School coaches started mowing yards on the side during lockdown in March... he is mowing my yard this summer... I asked him what he thought about return to School this fall... his comment “I don’t care either way, I got a contract so I get paid regardless”.

 

[Xenomorph]

Are you kidding? Superintendents would LOVE those guidelines. You don’t have to listen to everybody ***** and if half the student body gets it in the first week... double birds in the air! I did what you said!

Don’t assign your outrage to others.

Oh... and you shouldn’t have moved from MS if you’re worried about schools and the Rona. It’s about be to a lot different here, chief.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

I sat with our principal and counselor in his office on TUE when Dr. Dobbs and Dr. Carey had a zoom conference and it looks like the MDE will certainly be adopting some of the MDH suggestions that don't look ANYTHING like what your state is doing. They're telling us that if we have an outbreak, we should shut schools down for a minimum of 14 days.

The 14 day shutdown thing is the protocol as of today. And with cases going up regularly, I don’t see it changing. What that tells me is that I will be teaching from home most of the year. Thats a shut down if anyone in the building gets sick. Lunch lady, sro, receptionist, bus driver, anyone. And I seriously doubt we see football. Schools will be shutting down left and right. How will you have a season when one school getting sick will affect at least two other schools (their next two opponents). What if your school doesn’t get a single case but everyone on your schedule shuts down the week you play them? This school year is going to be a wash. Prepare your anus.

 

[o_Native Son]

My school (private, Arkansas), is getting ready to temp check every kid, every day, before they get out of their cars. Parents don't get out of car. Masks on students and teachers required all day. Students spread apart in classrooms as best they can. Lots of wipedowns - door handles, desks, etc. No cafeteria - bring your own lunch maybe all first semester, eating distanced in advisory teacher's classroom. Grade levels stay together - divided up at recess. No shared balls/frisbees/etc. for now at recess. Daily chapel/assembly will take place online, watch by advisory groups in advisory teacher's classroom. Mixed grade classes may have to stay divided somehow (study hall some days alternating?). No common pencils, markers, books. Sports practice is taking part already, with marked out areas in the gym and on the football field where they exercise, practice, separate from each other. No early student arrivals or staying late. This is all worst-case but in-school scenarios. New cameras to share full view of room all class for those who have to stay home sick or in quarantine. Teachers have to be ready to teach their courses in-person with all students, with some in-person and some at home, or with all students at home. No idea how this can work...

 

[turkish]

the bible belt Karens

Not offensive or culturally insensitive a’tall.

 

[mstateglfr]

Are you kidding? Superintendents would LOVE those guidelines. You don’t have to listen to everybody ***** and if half the student body gets it in the first week... double birds in the air! I did what you said!

Don’t assign your outrage to others.

Oh... and you shouldn’t have moved from MS if you’re worried about schools and the Rona. It’s about be to a lot different here, chief.

The superintendents who were firing questions and sure seemed outraged are the ones who are outraged.
It appears they want guidance from experts because they care. They also want guidance from experts so they can in theory manage the shitshow better than they think they would on their own without expert guidance.

Don't assign your misunderstanding of who is outraged to me...or something like that.

 

[Xenomorph]

So they got guidance but they’re frustrated by not getting guidance? Ok

 

[patdog]

This is my concern with college football as well. I've yet to see any answer to what do you do when players test positive during the season. And players WILL test positive.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Tell them to get 8 hrs of sleep per night

This is my concern with college football as well. I've yet to see any answer to what do you do when players test positive during the season. And players WILL test positive.

And drink a lot of water. Other than that, carry on as normal. They are in peak physical condition. That’s the only way we get back to normal life.

 

[mstateglfr]

So they got guidance but they’re frustrated by not getting guidance? Ok

I started the thread because I found the lack of helpful guidance to be interesting/unfortunate/surprising.

Add 'helpful' before guidance.
I am confident there's been plenty of times in life where someone gave you guidance and you considered it to be worthless and unhelpful because they didn't actually give you any good info or insight.
Apply that here...or continue to be obtuse for whatever reason.

 

[L4Dawg]

This is my concern with college football as well. I've yet to see any answer to what do you do when players test positive during the season. And players WILL test positive.

It absolutely SUCKS, but condider any college or high school sports you see this next school year to be a bonus It's MUCH easier to isolate the pros, and we are seeing cases there.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Desoto County is planning on regular school “within guidelines”. They want to do regular in classroom settings but may change a few things.

 

[patdog]

Whether that's the right answer or the wrong answer (and it's probably somewhere in between), that's not going to be an acceptable answer.

 

[G-Dawg]

Yes. And we were 6 ft, 1 and 3/4 inches apart from each other. I even left the room to cough into my sleeve and scratch my balls. Any other info you'd like to know?

 

[HailStout]

A question I want answered is what are the schools plans once a student is diagnosed with COVID. It is inevitable that it happens. Are they going to quarantine everyone that is exposed to them? If they don’t they are risking it spreading across the school like wildfire. While the students most likely will be just fine, the ones who have older parents, grandparents who take care of them, or people at home with Comorbidities are problematic. I am not saying I have an answer. It is a really difficult situation to be in for school administrators.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

It would help if we were given complete info. Has there been cases of it transferring via asymptotic kids to their parents? If so, what were the effects. Are the effects different than when passed from symptomatic adults? Surely we have had enough confirmed, not probable, cases to develop real trends. I think we need to take our chances and get through it. It’s never going to end if we don’t.

 

[RocketDawg]

Did you change shirts after you coughed into your sleeve? **

 

[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

Yes, I think you're right. My two grandkids will be in school in metro Atlanta (Kennesaw), but I'm not sure what their system's plans are.

I am not in Kennesaw, but close. The initial plan we got included starting the school year with parent’s option of in person or online. If a kid in class tests positive in class, then 14 day isolation at home. Depending on how the numbers go, they may eventually require all students go either digital or in person. They were vague on specific case numbers that will drive all digital or all in person.

 

[mstateglfr]

as a follow up...

- the depth of health was rightfully ripped into for the absurd position it took. They then decided to send out some 'clarifying points' since the original recommendations were so utterly worthless and so obviously manipulated by the republican governor's office.

- all school districts had to submit their return to learn plan to the state by July 1.

- DMPS, des moines publis schools which is the largest district in the state, gave a hearty 17off to the health dept's recommendations and announced their plans for the fall.
- kids have the option to learn 100% remotely or a hybrid of remote and in person.
- all students, teachers, and staff must wear masks while in school.
- kids who choose to attend school will be in class 2 of theb5 days each week. They will either attend on Monday and Tuesday or they will attend on Thursday and Friday. None attend on Wednesdays as that day is reserved for cleaning.

One of my kids was supposed to attend two schools this coming year. The optional school announced they will be 100% virtual learning which sucks, but makes sense since all students would be coming from other schools for half a day and it would be a bumch of bussing back and forth which increases exposure.

It'll be interesting to see how other school districts handle the total lack of leadership and assistance provided by the state government's health experts.
I could see a situation where many rural districts decide to meet in person every day due to the lack of concern for virus spread(due to location) and the lack of high speed internet access(due to lack of location).

 

[Irondawg]

Look there are no "good" answers to how to do this but in reality there are only 2 real ways to do this:

1) 100% remote learning - shut the schools down

2) Open up as normal as possible with everyone taking on acceptable risk until # of serious infections goes up inside the school. (still trying some distancing as possible). Option to do full online learning as well for those who choose it.

Anything in-between is going to be nightmare for parents, kids, teachers and administrators

 

[GloryDawg]

I talked to a Brandon School Zone Principle and the Rankin Country School are looking at three options with all three starting in first week of August. If they are at the school they will have to wear mask.

 

[CookieMonster.sixpack]

Not offensive or culturally insensitive a’tall.

Turkish, you must’ve missed the memo. Religious bigotry is fine if aimed at the “right” target.***

 

[mstateglfr]

Turkish, you must’ve missed the memo. Religious bigotry is fine if aimed at the “right” target.***

Yeah, cuz agnostics/atheists have never had to deal with **** from the religious right.***
Add in Muslims to that too.