First day of students is tomorrow. Mandatory masks, but full classes with minimal (if any) distancing, and they are using cafeterias for lunch as normal.
How long until in-person instruction has to be suspended in my district due to outbreaks? #cosoteachers
@voltronic
I don't know where you are, or what the vaccination rate is where you teach, but we're heading into week 4 of the same situation you describe, and students keep getting Covid, I keep getting letters about it, but they haven't shut down school.
I don't know if they will.
@janallmac
Well I wonder if your local health board has moved the goalposts like mine has. They have said students who were in the area around one who was infected do not need to quarantine as long as they were wearing a mask, no matter how close they were.
@janallmac
They were incredibly specific about what constituted "close contact" last year, and now it's just ridiculous.
@voltronic
"Close contact" for us, I believe, is defined as within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes.
I'm not sure they're taking masks into account.
I can say that masking seems to have an impact; per capita (not total cases) we seem to be having fewer cases than counties without mask mandates.
There's still a lot of transmission, though.
@janallmac
That was our definition last year, and they are still using it for all staff. For students, they are making a huge exception. It's especially bad for the youngest kids who have not had vaccines.
@voltronic @janallmac there are going to be some seriously pissed off parents when kids to young to be vaccinated are put in these situations, then contract it and bring it home to their families.
This makes no sense to me.
What happened to "science"
@Bemet_Or @voltronic @janallmac
it's all "science fiction" to them....
@killagator @voltronic @janallmac elementary schools are open and noone is old enough to be vaccinated.
Only high school has all of the kids old enough for the vax.
Why are we as a society suddenly sacrificing children or sending them into conditions that are no different from a year ago...
It just seems ludicrous to me. And someone is going to go postal. (I don't mean me)
@Bemet_Or @voltronic @janallmac
I swore a month or so ago that once the children starting getting it, and even tooted it here, that they would all the suddenly come to their sense....have a come to Jebus moment....but NOOO...they are doubling down and sacrificing the lives of their own kids just to own the Libs and kiss up to Q and tRump...we are all doomed!
Except I live in the land of the libs, and they're doing the same damn thing. @killagator @voltronic @janallmac
@Bemet_Or
What do you mean, WHEN kids too young to be vaccinated are put in these situations??? That's happening NOW, all over the place. Full classrooms, full activities, only 3ft distancing and that only happens "when possible". Sure they have to wear masks, but they are not "well-fitting" and are mostly single-layer cloth from what I'm seeing. Some parents are still giving their kids masks with the exhalation valve!
I feel your pain and frustration, being as you are front line. This is nuts.
@Bemet_Or
Don't forget all the parents who scream at school board meetings about how masks don't work, violate their rights, make their kids suffocate and CAUSE diseases, the board members are literal Nazis, they are in violation of the Nuremberg Code, etc.
There is a growing continent of unhinged parents who are brainwashed by conspiracy theories that likely won't change their thinking even if their own children die, because they will blame masks, vaccines... 🤬
An oldie but a goodie::: "Teh stupid....it burns" @voltronic @killagator @janallmac
I would totally support a teacher strike. @voltronic @killagator @janallmac
@Bemet_Or
As a staunch union guy, I appreciate your support ✊ but I'm fairly sure a strike wouldn't have the desired effect, and communities would lash out against the teachers. I have walked the picket line before, and it only ever works when admin has obviously screwed over staff on salary and benefits. Getting "working condition" language in teacher contracts is extremely difficult.
<sigh> so frustrating... stay as safe as you can. @voltronic @killagator @janallmac
@Bemet_Or
Thanks. I'll be fine; it's the kids, particularly the unvaccinated ones that I'm really worried about.
That really scares me, and I don't scare easily. @voltronic @killagator @janallmac
@Bemet_Or
I almost snapped a picture of an extremely crowded situation that would shock you. Now I know what the opposite of social distancing is.
Side note: I am SO appreciative that I can talk about this stuff anonymously here. Some people post this stuff on FB or whatever under their real names and it quickly gets them in hot water.
Yeah don't get yourself in trouble.. your secretwould be safe withme anyway. @voltronic @killagator @janallmac
@Bemet_Or @killagator @janallmac
Thanks all for letting me unload a bit.
You're welcome to dump that on me anytime, I'm in total agreement. @voltronic @killagator @janallmac
@voltronic @Bemet_Or @janallmac
anytime Man...well deserved!
@voltronic @Bemet_Or @killagator @janallmac That makes me so proud to know you; only good teachers say that out loud!🌹6/8 of my Grands are in school; I🙏every day for our schools to close, as well as for their parents to come to their senses. They've yet to💉; our oldest wanted FDA approval 1st; she'll said she'll get it; she's germophobic by nature & has always been extra careful around folks. Another kiddo said it's all a hoax🤬
I go from angry to incredibly sad my Grands r so unprotected😢
@voltronic
I'm sure it must be. My kids are in high school, but there's a fairly low vaccination rate even though their classmates are eligible, and the unvaccinated are just getting sick a lot.
It seems like Russian Roulette eith kid's health. And whole families are getting sick, because the vaccination status tends to cluster in families.
I don't know what they're going to do, it's not good, especially for the unvaccinated.