K-12 Schools & COVID

[Uncle Rico]

So nothing about February 2011 insurrection on Madison, Wisconsin??  Ohhhh, mostly peaceful, just peeing and crapping on the steps...that would be called bio hazardous eyna?  We are seeing within one year where the beliefs of many of you here got us...into a big chit hole that is far from temporary, affecting mostly those who cannot afford to bale out. hitler is blushing down there

10 of 10

Bravo, sent this to the alumni association

[tower912]

Were they armed?  Did they plant pipe bombs?   Did they storm the barricades and threaten legislators and the vice president?

[Galway Eagle]

So nothing about February 2011 insurrection on Madison, Wisconsin??  Ohhhh, mostly peaceful, just peeing and crapping on the steps...that would be called bio hazardous eyna?  We are seeing within one year where the beliefs of many of you here got us...into a big chit hole that is far from temporary, affecting mostly those who cannot afford to bale out. hitler is blushing down there

Both are bad. One is considerably worse. Every country has race inequality riots. Only third world countries are breaking down barricades chanting to kill politicians and storming democratic buildings. (Twice mind you, everybody's forgotten that it happened at a state building in Michigan as well)

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Fan, I'd like you comments on the whole LGBTQ issue. My daughter is a Middle school teacher and this is one of her biggest frustrations. She is perfectly fine respecting students as they are or want to be. But she feels the schools have put student's feelings as the top priority with teaching becoming secondary.

Just wondering how your wife is dealing with this in school.

I don't know if this answers your questions?
 
My wife's high school added "Gender Neutral" bathrooms.  They converted two of the teacher only restrooms.  She said the students for the most part are good with it and actually treat them more as "anyone can use these bathrooms."  At the beginning of the school year a few idiot kids left obscene graffiti.  (They were caught and punished.)  The schools are trying to make it welcoming and learning place for all.
My wife has shared some LGBTQ student stories she has heard.

Student feelings question - Every kid seems to be diagnosed with something (somewhat exaggeration) and in the last 5 years every other kid (also somewhat exaggeration) now has an "anxiety".  The diagnosis is probably correct, but the issue is the parents terribly let the kids use "the diagnosis" as a crutch and excuse.  "Sorry the assignment is late, but my kid is too anxious over COVID and couldn't finish on time."  (What student ISN'T these days?)  The teachers are stuck, because of the diagnosis they have to allow more time and then they find themselves correcting and older assignment after they've already moved on to the next topic. 

[Pakuni]

A survey of 663 school districts in Illinois found that 88 percent have a shortage of full-time teachers and 96 percent are short on subs.
Combined, they have more than 2,000 vacant teaching positions, twice as many as a year ago.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20220118/our-schools-need-help-most-districts-in-illinois-face-a-worsening-teacher-shortage

[mu_hilltopper]

My wife's district has now hired two "building" subs, full time positions.   I think that trend will expand.   

Thinking of subs as an on-demand, cheap labor source is coming to an end.  Of course, that puts more downward pressure on regular teacher salaries.

It'll be interesting with inflation in the 5-6-7% range what'll happen with teachers (and all) unions who have been enduring 1-2% salary increases.  My guess for Wisconsin .. the state legislature will decline to add funds, more teachers will resign, rinse, repeat.

[Lennys Tap]

My wife's district has now hired two "building" subs, full time positions.   I think that trend will expand.   

Thinking of subs as an on-demand, cheap labor source is coming to an end.  Of course, that puts more downward pressure on regular teacher salaries.

It'll be interesting with inflation in the 5-6-7% range what'll happen with teachers (and all) unions who have been enduring 1-2% salary increases.  My guess for Wisconsin .. the state legislature will decline to add funds, more teachers will resign, rinse, repeat.

I thought they were all going to quit (except at the Catholic schools).

[mu_hilltopper]

I thought they were all going to quit (except at the Catholic schools).

I'd posted earlier the typical year, 8% of teachers resign .. next year, it's estimated at 25%.

[Lennys Tap]

I'd posted earlier the typical year, 8% of teachers resign .. next year, it's estimated at 25%.

Topper - sorry if I was glib or disrespectful. I'm sure teachers are unhappy/dissatisfied for a lot of reasons. Some are unhappy that they had to return to the classroom. Some are unhappy with parents becoming involved with curriculum. Some are unhappy that they were kept away from their classrooms for so long (or at all). And likely a much higher number than the usual 8% are just generally unhappy (which seems to be true about a whole lot of professions right now). 25% seems high to me, but time will tell. Honest question: are the estimates the same for all K-12 teachers or just public school teachers? Also, I'd be interested if the resignation estimates are the same for teachers who have been in the classroom for all or most of the pandemic as it is for those who have been remote for most or all of it.

[mu_hilltopper]

Topper - sorry if I was glib or disrespectful. I'm sure teachers are unhappy/dissatisfied for a lot of reasons. Some are unhappy that they had to return to the classroom. Some are unhappy with parents becoming involved with curriculum. Some are unhappy that they were kept away from their classrooms for so long (or at all). And likely a much higher number than the usual 8% are just generally unhappy (which seems to be true about a whole lot of professions right now). 25% seems high to me, but time will tell. Honest question: are the estimates the same for all K-12 teachers or just public school teachers? Also, I'd be interested if the resignation estimates are the same for teachers who have been in the classroom for all or most of the pandemic as it is for those who have been remote for most or all of it.

After googling this issue for the past hour .. the only thing definitive about what'll happen with teacher staffing is that the problem will be worse -- but an actual number is hard to pin.

There are surveys that say "1 in 3 will resign" .. 25% .. I think this below quote is a has more interesting numbers:

As of March '21, more than half the nation's teachers (54%) said they were considering leaving the profession in the next two years, a 20 percent increase over pre-pandemic levels. The past year has made a challenging job even more difficult—84 percent of teachers reported that their work is more stressful than before the pandemic. Thirty-seven percent of teachers said they were "somewhat" or "very unsatisfied" with their jobs, a dissatisfaction rate two and a half times higher than administrators.

There's a line in there that was important, that 54% are considering leaving, but that pre-pandemic, that was 34%.   Clearly, 34% weren't quitting every other year, that's a real number 8%.

If 8% left when the "consider leaving" was 34%, that gives us a ratio around 1:4.  So 54% would correlate to 13.5%.

That being said .. the economy is different now than 2+ years ago, in that, the country is awash in job openings.  It's never been truer than today that a teacher could quit and get a higher paid job very quickly.

As for your specific questions about the figures being for public vs. private, I know not.

I would say though, the media reported angst about teachers returning to the classrooms in the middle of a health crisis is an "old" story now.  Sure, there's a fraction of uber health sensitive teachers out there, but I think that's a tiny percent by now -- which mirrors everyone else.

I mean .. 22 months ago, we thought Covid was going to kill us all.  Now we know it's just mostly just old dentists.   

[forgetful]

Saw an interesting statistic. In Texas, only 50% of teachers are still teaching after their 10th year on the job. They see around 13% quit after their first year, and it is believed to be particularly bad since COVID.

I wonder how many other jobs have such a high triage rate.

[Lennys Tap]

I mean .. 22 months ago, we thought Covid was going to kill us all.  Now we know it's just mostly just old dentists.   

Topper

Truth be told we knew 21 months ago that Covid was lethal to a specific subset of the population. The people who finally know that now are quite a bit behind the curve.

[The Sultan]

Topper

Truth be told we knew 21 months ago that Covid was lethal to a specific subset of the population.

What "specific subset of the population" is that?  Because it seems to me that, while it is more lethal to some than others, narrowing it down to a "specific" subset doesn't seem to be possible.

[Skatastrophy]

What "specific subset of the population" is that?  Because it seems to me that, while it is more lethal to some than others, narrowing it down to a "specific" subset doesn't seem to be possible.

Anyone with a preexisting condition, so 100% of the elderly and ~50% of the non-elderly thanks to obesity rates.

[The Sultan]

Anyone with a preexisting condition, so 100% of the elderly and ~50% of the non-elderly thanks to obesity rates.

Right.  And obviously that's not very "specific." 

[Skatastrophy]

Right.  And obviously that's not very "specific." 

Right, but it's literally specific. The best kind of specific.

[Lennys Tap]

Anyone with a preexisting condition, so 100% of the elderly and ~50% of the non-elderly thanks to obesity rates.

Your numbers are ridiculous, nowhere near 50% of the non elderly population was ever at risk.

That said, why does anyone here care about fat people? By their own choices they drive insurance rates up for those who make good choices and clog our doctor's offices and hospitals. And they're not just more susceptible to Covid - they're dying due to their own bad decisions from a myriad of other illnesses, too. If one thinks that the non vaxxed should be ridiculed, mocked, ostracized and maybe even untreated let's be consistent and do the same for the fatties.

Of course I'm not being serious. Despite the fact that fat people, alcoholics, drug addicts, etc., etc., cause incredible pain and suffering to others in society because of their bad choices, most people would never vilify these folks for their poor decisions. But since the gloves are now off won't they be next?

[The Sultan]

Your numbers are ridiculous, nowhere near 50% of the non elderly population was ever at risk.

That said, why does anyone here care about fat people? By their own choices they drive insurance rates up for those who make good choices and clog our doctor's offices and hospitals. And they're not just more susceptible to Covid - they're dying due to their own bad decisions from a myriad of other illnesses, too. If one thinks that the non vaxxed should be ridiculed, mocked, ostracized and maybe even untreated let's be consistent and do the same for the fatties.

I can't catch obesity from "the fatties."

[Lennys Tap]

I can't catch obesity from "the fatties."

But you can catch Covid from the vaccinated - so, dumb.

[The Sultan]

But you can catch Covid from the vaccinated - so, dumb.

Omicron is spread by both but is likely spread more widely and for a longer period of time by the unvaccinated.

And you are correct. Your analogy was dumb. Really dumb.

[Lennys Tap]

Omicron is spread by both but is likely spread more widely and for a longer period of time by the unvaccinated.

Likely? LOL. Very scientific "opinion". More dumb from you.

[The Sultan]

Likely? LOL. Very scientific "opinion". More dumb from you.

No per usual your brain is misfiring and can't link key concepts together.

If the vaccinated have milder disease for a shorter time, they are going to spread it less.

[Lennys Tap]

No per usual your brain is misfiring and can't link key concepts together.

If the vaccinated have milder disease for a shorter time, they are going to spread it less.

Pedant

[reinko]

Your numbers are ridiculous, nowhere near 50% of the non elderly population was ever at risk.

That said, why does anyone here care about fat people? By their own choices they drive insurance rates up for those who make good choices and clog our doctor's offices and hospitals. And they're not just more susceptible to Covid - they're dying due to their own bad decisions from a myriad of other illnesses, too. If one thinks that the non vaxxed should be ridiculed, mocked, ostracized and maybe even untreated let's be consistent and do the same for the fatties.

Of course I'm not being serious. Despite the fact that fat people, alcoholics, drug addicts, etc., etc., cause incredible pain and suffering to others in society because of their bad choices, most people would never vilify these folks for their poor decisions. But since the gloves are now off won't they be next?

AMDG

[pbiflyer]

Teachers Are Quitting, and Companies Are Hot to Hire Them
Businesses eager to fill jobs are offering former educators better pay and more autonomy
https://www.wsj.com/articles/teachers-are-quitting-and-companies-are-hot-to-hire-them-11643634181


Burned out teachers are leaving the classroom for jobs in the private sector, where talent-hungry companies are hiring them—and often boosting their pay—to work in sales, software, healthcare and training, among other fields.