Scholarship table
My wife just got her district's teaching plan.Break students into 2 groups alphabetically (so family members are together). Group 1 goes Mon Tues and online remainder.Group 2 goes Thur Fri and online remainder.Wednesday is sanitize the building day and online all.
What does she teach? So will she have to do simultaneous in-class and virtual?
The way I understood a lot of the push to open schools was related to the economy, and the difficulty of child care forcing people to not work. I don't see how 2-day a week school helps that matter. Also, sanitizing the building for an entire day is really a feel good measure. It doesn't live that long on surfaces, and they would be exposed to dirty surfaces the 2 days they are at school. Not sure how these types of plans, which are very common, are actually helping.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Bogs4NY/status/1291759750242344961What is he thinking!?!? 🤬🤬
This is our district's schedule as well, plus a full virtual option for families who want to stay home.It confounds me to think of the virtual end results. I know what it was like in April .. pre-made videos, occasional live sessions. It is absolutely bonkers to think that you can mount a camera in the ceiling and have a teacher give a lecture to kids on the internet. The audio and video quality will likely be crap unless you have someone running the camera, etc.
What do you mean by a "routine testing plan?"
Randomly testing a predetermined percentage of the students and staff, with or without symptoms.Ideally, it would be periodically testing everyone, but the cost would be astronomical. But testing before/without symptoms is the only way to have a chance to keep a small outbreak from becoming a huge one...especially since many of the kids would be asymptomatic, but could still be spreading the virus.
Florida state authorities told schools they would need health department approval to keep classrooms closed.Then they ordered health departmentsnot to give it.https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20200807/health-directors-told-to-keep-quiet-as-fla-leaders-pressed-to-reopen-classrooms
My understanding from talking with some public health people is that sentinel testing like this is largely a waste of money when you have community spread. So you test someone, it's negative (assuming they get a quick turnaround), but then they go home and catch it from a family member. Or you test five of 20 people in a classroom, but it's two that you didn't test who have it.I'm not saying it doesn't have some benefit, but I would argue that resources would be better spent elsewhere.
Either I'm having a serious case of deja vu or someone posted this earlier...
That is a fair point...but the cost/benefit really depends on factors like the state's current prevalence and positivity rate. For example, if the positivity rate is higher, you'd have a better chance of 'stumbling' on a case at random.So consider the south and west. Currently, every state (except LA) from SC to AZ/NV currently has a positivity rate between 12.3% to 20.9%...so you wouldn't have to run many tests before you'd stumble on a case and have a chance to cut off the spread. I'd use random testing in every one, plus any other state over 10%.In contrast, where positivity rates are low (maybe <5%), there's a much better argument that it's a waste of money. So for example, places like VT (0.6%), CT (0.7%), ME (0.7%), NY (1.0%), NJ (1.6%), DC (2.0%), NH (2.1%), MI (2.5%), MA (2.7%), WV (2.9%), IL (4.0%), MN (4.6%) and MT (4.6%) can probably feel OK without random tests.In between 5% and 10% it gets a little fuzzy, so I could see going either way. And of course, it gets more granular within states, which is where I see the benefit to local involvement.Just my 0.02.
My apologies
So I agree with you that sentinel testing is a good, overall public health strategy. I just don't think its a wise investment for a K-12 education system or a college / university which only have so much resources to spend.
Yossarian would have loved this.
Hillsboro county (Tampa, Fl) was just denied the ability to go virtual by the gov. Lawsuits when the first person be it teacher, child, or parent, dies.
Questions for both of you (and others as their plans roll out):1. Are masks 100% mandatory for all students and staff?2. Is there a routine testing plan?3. If a student or teacher tests positive, are all close contacts tested and quarantined?And for any of those questions - if not, why not?