Are you sending your kids to school next month?

[Colleen27]

We're just over two weeks past our first positive student case of covid. No subsequent student cases other than the original student's younger sibling, who tested negative on the day of the older's positive but apparently caught it at home and tested positive the next week (but since she was already out of school by then, no additional classroom exposure). And my daughter came home last week to tell me that all of our teachers have now had their first dose; educators are eligible now according to the state timeline but there hasn't been enough supply to start vaccinating them in my county, so I'm guessing the Archdiocese must have offered a regional opportunity to get it.

 

[neverlandsky]

Kids are back to school tomorrow 2 days a week. Tuesday/Fridays 4.5 hours each day. District already called off this Friday and making it a remote day so staff can get vax. Yet we get 4.5 hours of no kids after almost 11 months of them home. They're excited. We're excited. Some sense of normal.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Another large school district in my county voted to bring students back in-person again middle and high school students being the primary ones that would be returning and they are presently hybrid right now, elementary have largely been in-person.

The large difference is the district my house is in will return March 1st (of course always subject to change as they warn), this other district won't return until March 23rd. They also advised the return March 23rd would occur so long as the gating criteria reflected that; right now the gating criteria is extremely close. If looking at incident rate they aren't quite there (which is the primary metric), if looking at positivity rate they are already there and are very close to being green.

It should be noted that they advised gating criteria would need to show yellow or green for this particular school district. If they stuck with yellow they would stay hybrid but they are advising they would go in-person. The gating criteria is sorta 50/50 on whether they've followed it to the letter (like right now they should be remote but they are hybrid) so I believe their point is really community transmission needs to be low enough rather than hard and fast rules but that's just been my impression over the time. School districts here have the option of following the county's gating criteria, the state's or do their own. I believe this district for March 23rd is doing their own gating criteria with a mixture of following the state's.

Now to see if the 3rd large district follows suit. They all often run together though they deviate at times.

Hopefully vaccinations continue in the area and the cases continue to decrease without the UK variant being too much of a factor (fingers crossed)

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

You guys crack me up with how nuts your states are and how seriously you take their red blue green or whatever labels they have going. Lord. Just send the damn kids to school already. We’ve been on since summer and no problems. It’s not the plague.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You guys crack me up with how nuts your states are and how seriously you take their red blue green or whatever labels they have going. Lord. Just send the damn kids to school already. We’ve been on since summer and no problems. It’s not the plague.

Around me elementary has been full time in-person for the school districts in my county for the most part, it's usually the middle and high school they are talking about. And the gating criteria is not usually followed to the letter especially when it came to fall and winter sports. There haven't been largely problems within the schools. It's the community transmission which causes the school concerns plus staff shortages leading to remote largely due to quaranting protocols or exposure related. They are very clear in my county the issue is the community not the schools but this will drive the response how prevalent it is in the community. Parents have no choice but to take the gating criteria seriously it's not in their hands. The only thing they can do and what they have done in my area is protest, and go to school board meetings to state their case.

In my area I have an entire metro between two states that we all affect one another.

But with all due respect based on your post on the vaccine thread you don't plan on getting one so you may not be on the same viewpoint on the seriousness of covid.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Around me elementary has been full time in-person for the school districts in my county for the most part, it's usually the middle and high school they are talking about. And the gating criteria is not usually followed to the letter especially when it came to fall and winter sports. There haven't been largely problems within the schools. It's the community transmission which causes the school concerns plus staff shortages leading to remote largely due to quaranting protocols or exposure related. They are very clear in my county the issue is the community not the schools but this will drive the response how prevalent it is in the community. Parents have no choice but to take the gating criteria seriously it's not in their hands. The only thing they can do and what they have done in my area is protest, and go to school board meetings to state their case.

In my area I have an entire metro between two states that we all affect one another.

But with all due respect based on your post on the vaccine thread you don't plan on getting one so you may not be on the same viewpoint on the seriousness of covid.

No, it is serious, but only for a very, very small percentage of the population. It has a lower death rate than a serious flu— that is cdc data, and they admit their Covid data is inflated. Look at the actual data, not as presented by the media. Also look at the data between open states and closed states. The media tries to skew it and act like open states are in a much worse situation, but it is the exact opposite. Open states have lower death rates than closed states. The audacity of dim- witted public officials who keep things closed for their own political agenda is suffocating. These silly categories based on manipulated data are a joke. All the doctors I know say open everything up, just like with the flu.

And to add— I’ve had it. I had a stronger case of it and it was like bronchitis (that is what doc said), which I have never had before. More than 50% of the people I know have had it. Dh had more than half of the people on his office floor with it a few weeks ago. Notes sent home every other day from my kid’s high school letting us know, 6 more people have it at school, 5 more, 2 more , 8 more etc. At this point I am pretty sure all 3000 kids at his high school have had it or been exposed to it. No one hospitalized. No teachers hospitalized. Free testing at the school if you want it. Not mandatory like in other oppressive states. Most people don’t even go to a doctor. IT IS A COLD. People don’t seem to get that because they have been brainwashed. If you have pre existing conditions, which I do, it is a serious cold and can develop into pneumonia if you do not go get a steroid/antibiotic combination. Colds and flu can be very serious for the elderly or people with other illnesses. That’s just life. And yes, I am not interested in getting a vaccine when I have already had it and it is a new vaccine with untested methodology. If it was the plague, I’d get it, but it is a very minor illness on the big list of possible illnesses you could get. Give me an untested rna vaccine for cancer. I am in.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

No, it is serious, but only for a very, very small percentage of the population. It has a lower death rate than a serious flu— that is cdc data, and they admit their Covid data is inflated. Look at the actual data, not as presented by the media. Also look at the data between open states and closed states. The media tries to skew it and act like open states are in a much worse situation, but it is the exact opposite. Open states have lower death rates than closed states. The audacity of dim- witted public officials who keep things closed for their own political agenda is suffocating. These silly categories based on manipulated data are a joke. All the doctors I know say open everything up, just like with the flu.

And to add— I’ve had it. I had a stronger case of it and it was like bronchitis (that is what doc said), which I have never had before. More than 50% of the people I know have had it. Dh had more than half of the people on his office floor with it a few weeks ago. Notes sent home every other day from my kid’s high school letting us know, 6 more people have it at school, 5 more, 2 more , 8 more etc. At this point I am pretty sure all 3000 kids at his high school have had it or been exposed to it. No one hospitalized. No teachers hospitalized. Free testing at the school if you want it. Not mandatory like in other oppressive states. Most people don’t even go to a doctor. IT IS A COLD. People don’t seem to get that because they have been brainwashed. If you have pre existing conditions, which I do, it is a serious cold and can develop into pneumonia if you do not go get a steroid/antibiotic combination. Colds and flu can be very serious for the elderly or people with other illnesses. That’s just life. And yes, I am not interested in getting a vaccine when I have already had it and it is a new vaccine with untested methodology. If it was the plague, I’d get it, but it is a very minor illness on the big list of possible illnesses you could get. Give me an untested rna vaccine for cancer. I am in.

Yeah...not going to touch this. I wish you the best of luck

 

[hereyago]

So the other day, our Governor(Virginia) announced he wants kids to be back in school by March. Taking precautions etc.

Yesterday we get the phone call and email about the return to learn plan( there have been 2 previous start dates then got squashed.
My granddaughter is in Kindergarten and honestly the virtual zoom sometimes has issues.
The plan NOW is smaller kids start first 4 days a week half day then go home and do virtual for a couple classes. They will have one day of home independent learning.
Parents can decide to keep their kids virtual if they choose and classes will still go on.
The school board is having a meeting tomorrow and it should be interesting, because parents have been blowing g up the fb page.

 

[EACarlson]

So the other day, our Governor(Virginia) announced he wants kids to be back in school by March. Taking precautions etc.

Yesterday we get the phone call and email about the return to learn plan( there have been 2 previous start dates then got squashed.
My granddaughter is in Kindergarten and honestly the virtual zoom sometimes has issues.
The plan NOW is smaller kids start first 4 days a week half day then go home and do virtual for a couple classes. They will have one day of home independent learning.
Parents can decide to keep their kids virtual if they choose and classes will still go on.
The school board is having a meeting tomorrow and it should be interesting, because parents have been blowing g up the fb page.

I would be going nuts, that is one of the more ridiculous plans I've seen. Why go half day? Then you have to find half day care or you can only work half days? At least ours is currently two full days, but one week from today it's back to school all day full time. There were 3 new positive COVID tests in my county yesterday. There is going to be a drastic change in the school board after the last 10 months.

 

[hereyago]

I would be going nuts, that is one of the more ridiculous plans I've seen. Why go half day? Then you have to find half day care or you can only work half days? At least ours is currently two full days, but one week from today it's back to school all day full time. There were 3 new positive COVID tests in my county yesterday. There is going to be a drastic change in the school board after the last 10 months.

Well the zoom meeting was an hour I can’t get back lol.
People could ask questions and most of it was contact your school lol.
My granddaughter home room teacher announced today they won’t have math next week because she is getting the classroom ready for some of them.

 

[Colleen27]

So the other day, our Governor(Virginia) announced he wants kids to be back in school by March. Taking precautions etc.

Yesterday we get the phone call and email about the return to learn plan( there have been 2 previous start dates then got squashed.
My granddaughter is in Kindergarten and honestly the virtual zoom sometimes has issues.
The plan NOW is smaller kids start first 4 days a week half day then go home and do virtual for a couple classes. They will have one day of home independent learning.
Parents can decide to keep their kids virtual if they choose and classes will still go on.
The school board is having a meeting tomorrow and it should be interesting, because parents have been blowing g up the fb page.

Wow, that's a ridiculous plan. Our school considered several part time models and dismissed them all as the worst of both worlds - the exposure risks of being in person but also the childcare concerns of being remote - but of them, half days was the one that got the strongest negative reaction because it also adds in a mid-day transportation problem. It almost seems like some of the school districts are responding to political pressure to bring kids back in person by devising the most disruptive and least convenient part-time options possible so that parents will decide to stick with remote instead.

 

[Lumpy1106]

You guys crack me up with how nuts your states are and how seriously you take their red blue green or whatever labels they have going. Lord. Just send the damn kids to school already. We’ve been on since summer and no problems. It’s not the plague.

If only it was that easy. Of note: Oregon kicked of their high school football season this week - making CA the ONLY state in the nation that has not allowed HS sports to resume (OK golf, cross country, skiing and cornhole (I kid you not), but no team sports). HS kids are rallying @ the State Capitol today. The level of effort HS football (all sports, but Football has taken the lead) has gone to to get ANY season in is both stunning and heartbreaking.

Then there's school.

I am SO GLAD I moved my 1st grader to a private school a county away (literally about 5 miles). She is elated every single day. Full days, 5 days a week. My HS kids continue to suffer away in their bedrooms though. The state is making a big deal about re-opening schools in the next couple of weeks - that's K-5, 2 HOURS A DAY ONLY, no socialization - nothing even close to "normal", no plans for Middle or High school until we reach "red" tier. We (LA County) have YET to be in red tier. Even the schools are not taking that possibility seriously.

How anyone can look at what is going on and say, yeah, that's what is best for the kids is beyond me. I don't want to hear about the risk to kids or teachers. It has not happened in the +40 other states that have schools open. The cases discovered in the schools here have all originated outside the schools and have not spread in the schools. That alone should be enough for the state to admit they have made a terrible mistake, but no. I take no comfort in the fact that I have been right all along - the schools should have never closed. Believe it or not, the talk now is they may not open in the Fall either. No idea what we will do, but not this - we will make a move, one way or the other. I sounded crazy for suggesting it last summer, now I feel stupid for not doing it.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Wow, that's a ridiculous plan. Our school considered several part time models and dismissed them all as the worst of both worlds - the exposure risks of being in person but also the childcare concerns of being remote - but of them, half days was the one that got the strongest negative reaction because it also adds in a mid-day transportation problem. It almost seems like some of the school districts are responding to political pressure to bring kids back in person by devising the most disruptive and least convenient part-time options possible so that parents will decide to stick with remote instead.

I agree with all of this except the word "ALMOST". No, that is exactly what they are doing.

 

[Colleen27]

How anyone can look at what is going on and say, yeah, that's what is best for the kids is beyond me. I don't want to hear about the risk to kids or teachers. It has not happened in the +40 other states that have schools open. The cases discovered in the schools here have all originated outside the schools and have not spread in the schools. That alone should be enough for the state to admit they have made a terrible mistake, but no. I take no comfort in the fact that I have been right all along - the schools should have never closed. Believe it or not, the talk now is they may not open in the Fall either. No idea what we will do, but not this - we will make a move, one way or the other. I sounded crazy for suggesting it last summer, now I feel stupid for not doing it.

Is it really? I've gotten lazy about following since DD19 came home in December, but she's been really worried that colleges aren't going to be allowed to open for fall out there. Her university has been clear - if the state and county allow it, they will have their dorms and classrooms open in the fall. But if CA is talking about K-12 not opening in the fall, that "if" might be a biggie.

 

[godisney14]

A lot of school districts in CA (maybe not exactly where you live) just opened its doors for hybrid learning this week. No idea why there’s rumors from someone about CA possibly not opening schools in the Fall.

 

[lanejudy]

I would be going nuts, that is one of the more ridiculous plans I've seen. Why go half day?

My brother's school district has been half-days since school started back in September. They are hybrid, with only half the kids going in-person each day -- but the in-person time is only a half day in the mornings and then home for lunch and doing remote in the afternoon for "specials" (art, music, gym, etc.). It seems to be working for them, but I would not be fond of this plan.

 

[hereyago]

So my DD is about to go out and get some school supplies for the in school part. Can’t wait to see how long this lasts.

 

[neverlandsky]

3 days in and in-person at a neighboring high school is already shutdown and back to remote learning. Last night we also got an email from our high school we already have a positive case at school that happened on the first day back.

Seems district wants to shutdown middle and high schools in-person and just focus on keeping elementary in-person. Teens aren’t social distancing.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Is it really? I've gotten lazy about following since DD19 came home in December, but she's been really worried that colleges aren't going to be allowed to open for fall out there. Her university has been clear - if the state and county allow it, they will have their dorms and classrooms open in the fall. But if CA is talking about K-12 not opening in the fall, that "if" might be a biggie.

Yeah, that's the same internal debate my DS18 is having. Which school if you don't mind my asking? He's a '21 grad so it's bad enough that he's missing his entire Senior year. I want him to have as full of a college experience as possible. He deserves it at this point. Nothing about that is "remote". We hear back from the CA colleges next month. He's been accepted at several out-of-state schools already - some we can afford, others we can't. If that's what it takes though, I'm sure we'll find a way.

 

[Colleen27]

Yeah, that's the same internal debate my DS18 is having. Which school if you don't mind my asking? He's a '21 grad so it's bad enough that he's missing his entire Senior year. I want him to have as full of a college experience as possible. He deserves it at this point. Nothing about that is "remote". We hear back from the CA colleges next month. He's been accepted at several out-of-state schools already - some we can afford, others we can't. If that's what it takes though, I'm sure we'll find a way.

U of San Fran. So having her in off campus housing rather than in the dorms stings, financially. She's a sophomore biology major and has already had no in-person labs for 3.5 of her 4 semesters of college, so she's understandably alarmed at the possibility that they could still be full virtual with no in-person lab or field studies for her junior year too.