DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Covid and schools going back full time

If this should go under the Covid thread, feel free to move it, but I wanted to specifically hear peoples thoughts on students going back full time.

Currently, where my son is going they have A and B days where half the school goes one day, the other half the other. He is at a highschool with about 2000 students. They are talking about going back full-time on March 15th which I am currently against. I don't see the point in taking the risk for 2 months of going back.

The school board had a Zoom meeting for the community last week and they gave some compelling arguments for going back. The numbers shown for schools that have gone back are not any different than ones going "A and B days", depression in students is way up (though I don't attribute this to not going to school, but rather just Covid in general. It sucks), e-learning - especially for younger students - is not optimal and grades are suffering, and parents not being able to work as they normally would.

My son was lucky that his district was setup pretty well for this from the beginning. He has been using an Ipad since 6th grade for all of his tests/homework so the technology was already in place for remote learning.

I'm still on the side of just keeping it as A and B days for the rest of the year, but the numbers I saw for schools that have gone back coupled with some of the arguments are possibly swaying me the other way. All of the teachers (if they chose to do so) will be vaccinated by the return date as well. I just keep going back to students bringing the virus home and affecting others outside of the school.

Just curious on what other DTer's opinions are on this?

Our district is very similar in size to your son's school district.

My kids, 6th and 7th grade, have been back in school full time since late August. There was an option to opt-out of in-person learning and opt-in for remote learning in our district. Each grading period, parents were/are given the option to remain in-person learning or opt to remote learning.

The superintendent of our school district notifies parents of children in the school system via email anytime there is a positive covid test result and privately notifies any close contact.

To date, there have been 0 kids in K-4 that have tested positive, 1 had to quarantine for close contact outside of school. There has been 1 positive test at grades 5 and 6, I believe 3-4 positives at 7th and 8th grade and 8-9 positives at high school. These numbers include staff members as well. A couple of the positives were from kids in the remote learning program.

Not a single case has been traced back to being transmitted in school and all have come from a contact outside the classroom.

Personally, I am thrilled our district is back full time and there was terrific planning by our district. The social aspect of school is as important as the educational, imo.

Had we been remote only, my wife and I, along with a few other families, had already vetted and had agreements in-place with a few teachers to teach our kids privately as none of us were confident that our kids would receive the same quality of education remotely as they would in the classroom. This would also keep them academically competitive with other students in other regions that had returned in person full time. Obviously, we never had to exercise this option.

Here is an article/opinion piece I read this morning on the subject by an epidemiologist and father of three girls.

https://www.vox.com/2021/2/15/22280763/kids-covid-vaccine-teachers-unions-schools-reopening-cdc

Thanks for the reply! All of the things you stated were basically said in the zoom meeting by the superintendent. As I've researched this more today I'm starting to lean towards going back. My son is a senior so his year is pretty much trashed already which really sucks for him.

My daughter is also setup like that blue/green. They are also talking about mid-March. For the two months that would be left, I want her to finish this year like it is. And then go full time for next year.

My daughter has also been using ipad, chromebook, laptops for many years, she has had nobproblems with the virtual learning 3 days, and in school 2 days a week. She really likes it that way. She is tied for first in her sophomore class. For her being on the college fast track, she has had an early look at how college will be for her. She’s already taking online college classes now, will take two over the summer, both online.

She could graduate this summer from high school, after her sophomore year. But won’t because then she has to pay for college, as long as she is still in high school and passes the class, college is free for her.

My grandkids from 2 of my 4 children brought covid home from school, for it to go through the families. My son then caught it a second time (one of the variants I think) at work in a factory. He gave it to his wife (second time) and the one son who didn't test positive the first round. And all the experts are saying that reinfections are rare... I don't think so.

As an added bonus, the second round was way worse for my son and daughter-in-law. The both lost smell and taste, had headaches, body aches, fever for a few days, and she had to go get breathing treatments at the ER. They also gave her an IV with some medicine in it, not sure what.

The grandson that tested negative the first round was sick with the same symptoms the first time as the second, but his test was positive this time. On of the med posters can explain that because I can't.

Personally I say finish this year on a hybrid/homeschooling program and reboot next year. By the beginning of next school year in August, most of America should have been vaccinated.

We kept my boys home to home school them because of concerns with covid. My oldest has high functioning autism and we finally got to the point that he needed to go back or we were going to kill him (not really, but boy needed to go back)

He was back for two days last week and has been coughing with fever all weekend... dunno if it was school but sure feels like it.

I do feel for all the kids that are seniors this year and were last year. That's a real bummer.

In the end, everyone is trying to what is best and everyone's situation is different. It can be a tough decision.

This has been my biggest concern. We've been drilled for a year "no large gatherings" and now they are going to put 2k kids in a building. Sure they are in classrooms with 20-30 students, but it still just doesn't make sense to me with all of the class changing 100's of kids per class room per day touching the desks. Sure the "disinfect" between classes, but how well is that being done in 4-5 minutes? The "bringing it home" is the thing that scares me the most.

On the flip side, the numbers they show and that I've found tell that doesn't happen. I've been one to believe in the numbers that they've shown throughout the pandemic and the going back to school ones show there is little chance of Covid being contracted in school.

I read that Vox article as well. I think the 'send them/don't send them' is a much more nuanced decision. I think the science seems to support being able to get kids back to school as long as people are responsible and take the proper precautions. Those precautions need to be clearly communicated and strictly enforced, understood by kids and parents and followed.

My main takeaway from that article is that we finally have a working base of data to make informed decisions regarding getting our lives going again.

IMO, those that want to act like we're still in the same status as 1 year ago plus are either selectively ignoring what the data/experts are now saying, are allowing fear to paralyze their brain, or live among a bunch of mouth-breathers and legit can't trust those around them.

And I just got a notification this morning that someone in one of my sons classes tested positive for COVID. This does not help with my trepidation of a full return to school.

This is what happenss in between classes when the schools return to full schedule. Pic is from a local school. Your worries are unfounded.

I don't think there's a one size fits all answer to your questions. There are some pretty common sense guidelines that are easier for some schools to keep while making it nearly impossible for other schools to keep.

The "one half goes one day and the other half goes the next day" makes social distancing pretty easy. You only have half as many students in school on any given day. Going back full time would mean you have full classrooms every day which most certainly complicates the issue. That's certainly one thing to consider.

My biggest question about how the testing for full time students verses day A and B students would be how it actually works? You see, if they are only testing students who are showing symptoms, you really have no idea how many cases of covid have been spread throughout the school. The vast majority of children never actually show symptoms yet carry and spread the virus.

Some districts have newer schools with smaller class sizes. That would mean that social distancing and proper ventilation are better and would be easier to achieve. Some have older schools with large class sizes which would make those situations far more difficult to reach.

On a personal level I don't think teachers should be required to enter the classroom without being vaccinated.

I fully understand that the situation regarding Covid is different from place to place. I'm sure that the results vary from place to place. So I'm very sure that what is being experienced in my area isn't representative of the entire country.

But here in Tennessee the push to go back to school has been being pushed for quite some time now. I still have one granddaughter left in college and one grandson left in high school. Our school district for the most part is pretty well funded. There are a lot of newer schools in the district. Here it's been full time school for quite some time. The results haven't been what I would call positive. A school will be open for a month and then have to close for two weeks. Then they open for a month and have to close again.

And I do know they only test children who show symptoms so you have to wonder just how much the virus is actually being spread throughout the school that they are unaware of. But I mean if you only test children who have symptoms it will sure make the numbers look better, right?

All I will say to you on this is, we live in Ohio. If you think the parents of all those kids (in Ohio) are responsible enough to not only follow but enforce the conditions necessary to keep it safe, then support it. But since I feel like only about half the population is literate enough to even understand the situation, I won't be out there pushing kids into that environment. I mean you see the same ignorance I see every day, would you trust those people with your life? Or your kids' lives? Or the lives of your other loved ones you still have contact with? Nope, not me.

And I'm not scared or overreacting, I'm simply being pragmatic about the situation. A few more months of hybrid education is not going to kill as many as covid will while we slowly immunize. How many lives lost are reasonable and acceptable to get little Johnny and Suzie some adolescent socialization over the next few months vs. just rebooting next school year when it is much safer? How much of it is them needing that environment vs. parents needing a break or businesses needing it to happen?

My own experience in my family (nobody has died) tells me it's irresponsible at best and for all the wrong reasons at worst that we have seen this push to get kids back in school since early last year. I'd go so far as to call it idiocy based on greed and emotion myself. Our biggest responsibility as parents is keeping our kids safe and healthy, taking care of ourselves and families, and doing what's right in our communities... I've heard the horrible stories of children commiting suicide as a 'pro' back to school argument and I can see how this is especially hard on them. But we've also seen how this thing spreads and how devastating it can be when idiocy rules the day.

I'm glad I don't have to make this decision as mine are all raised. The grandparent in me wants to slap the people pushing parents to send their kids back instead of leaving the decision to them.

IMO sending kids to school right now is just asinine. Why in the hell does anybody think sending kids to school (1k to 3 k students packed in like sardines) is a good idea??? Hell they don't even teach regular math, and reading and writing anymore. Somebody must be getting their palm grease somewhere in this mess.

I think it's more to free up mom and dad so they can be more "productive".

I believe we are both 50 percent correct.

I have no answer to the original poster.

Our local schools have been in person, 100%. 1 school did, however, cancel in person for 2 weeks after Christmas break. No schools around here, as of now, have had outbreaks.

Sure, my cousin that is a 2nd grade teacher had - I forget the numbers.....I think 14 of her 19 students that had to quarantine for 2 weeks. That left her teaching the 5 students in class, yet having to do online for the others. Only 1 of them had it. The rest were just quarantined due to being in the same class.

The son of some good friends has been quarantined 3 different times, for 2 weeks at a time. Once, cause someone on the basketball team had it. He went back to school for a day, then got notified that on that day, he sat beside someone that had it. And the third time, his dad had it.

This whole virus ..............some people get it and die. Some people get it and feel poorly for a few days or weeks, some people get it and don't even know it.

Just like with the vaccine: I know some that have no side effects, some that had a sore arm and tiredness for a day or so, and a couple that went to the e.r.

We're in the process of trying to decide if our church should open up the youth program again. Plans were presented to 2 different county health departments, and each okayed them.

Everything is up in the air, in all aspects of this virus.

Remember, a year ago we needed 2 weeks to flatten the curve. We are now on 52 weeks.

Every school I know of locally has had out breaks. From friends I know who are on the school board, are teachers, or are staff (janitor, or office worker)



OK I am refusing to ignore the sore arm thing again (this is not directed at you arch) Move your freaking arm and the soreness will go away, Man of man is everybody on this earth such wimps these dAYS.

Thanks everyone, the school board is voting on this on the 22nd - I've already sent my disagreement for going back prior to the Zoom meeting they had last week. I'm a logic and numbers person, and logically it just doesn't make sense to go back for only 2 months - wait until next year after the vaccination has been rolled out to more of the population.

On the numbers side, there are all kinds of examples where going back full time seems to work, which logically doesn't make sense as we've had it drilled into our heads that gatherings of more than 10 or so people are bad.

I agree with OCD that it is a "productivity" thing and GM that there is some sort of political palm greasing thing going on - not sure what that might be, but putting 2k kids in an enclosed space logically doesn't jive with what we've been told for over a year.

Common sense says just wait until next year.

Our area of Florida has been student/parent choice.

They can attend in-person or do online, and some schools, mostly the charter schools, are doing a mix.

We have some advantages in that we don't have closed in schools, our schools are all open hallways (outdoors). The air conditioning systems are all fitted with UV filters and run full time (helps reduce mold and mildew build up). Downside is that most do not have windows that open, so the best they can do for fresh air is leave the classroom door open.

Whichever way your school district decides to go, hopefully, they give the parents the option of remaining in remote learning and not force everyone back even if they decide to return full time.

The school year is nearly over anyway.

They are not. They had an option at the beginning of the year to do on-line only and that cannot be changed now. With 2 months left I’m inclined to say wait until next year.

Our system had the same option at the beginning of the year and it could not be changed, they started back this week on a part-time basis, which is the dumbest thing ever.

I also know of two different kids who chose the option that they would go back if/when things opened up. Their parents saw the way the re-open was going to happen, thought it was stupid, called and got it changed. Everything can be changed if you are willing to complain loud enough to the right people.

Our school district, south-western just announced nothing changes til at least April 2nd, with an update around March 22nd. Hopefully it stays blended seeing how there would be less than two months of the year left.

We had the option of blended or all online. Really thought about the year long online, but there would have been NO advanced classes, which is basically all she takes.

Changing now would be hard. The online classes are way different than the in school ones, transitioning for.a few months would be a challenge for my son I think if I could even convince them to do it.

My son goes to Hilliard, but I live in Southwestern so I’ve seen a lot about it. At least it seems they are waiting until after spring break to make a decision. At that point hopefully rationality will take hold since the year is almost over.

I’ve emailed the board and the principal multiple times voicing my displeasure. No responses, but I will continue.