K-12 Schools & COVID

[The Sultan]

The 3rd largest school district in the country voting 88% to strike is anecdotal now?

Rico saying that his family is full of teachers and he understands is anecdotal.   

You are right.  Anecdotal is the wrong word to use.

But using one example and globalizing the problem is not really a smart thing to do.  And also labelling their action as "not wanting to teach" is problematic as well.

[GB Warrior]

If that's the case then it was never about the kids for those that walk away from it.

Look man, we're all fcking exhausted. You know who is the most exhausted? The people that have spent 2 years trying to do right by everyone around them. That includes parents who have done everything to keep their kids safe but educated. That includes teachers. That includes healthcare workers. Do physicians not want to heal people? Or are they just sick of being run into the ground and exhausted of working with people who will do everything in their power to make sure this drags on in perpetuity?

The people that seem to be doing ok are the people with ignorant or willful disregard for the people around them or society writ large. All I want is for the consequences of those decisions to be bourn by those people and exclusively those people.

I would not be nearly exhausted if everyone around me was committed to doing the right thing as my family unit. In fact, I'm confident we would be in a post-pandemic state of being.

[tower912]

Amen. 

[pacearrow02]

Look man, we're all fcking exhausted. You know who is the most exhausted? The people that have spent 2 years trying to do right by everyone around them. That includes parents who have done everything to keep their kids safe but educated. That includes teachers. That includes healthcare workers. Do physicians not want to heal people? Or are they just sick of being run into the ground and exhausted of working with people who will do everything in their power to make sure this drags on in perpetuity?

The people that seem to be doing ok are the people with ignorant or willful disregard for the people around them or society writ large. All I want is for the consequences of those decisions to be bourn by those people and exclusively those people.

I would not be nearly exhausted if everyone around me was committed to doing the right thing as my family unit. In fact, I'm confident we would be in a post-pandemic state of being.

Cute rant.  If we all could be as perfect as you and your family GBW.

I agree in that everyone is exhausted.  A lot (vast majority) of school districts did/have done everything possible in communication with parents to keep kids in school and to do it safely, my district included as previously noted.  Unfortunately other districts haven't and the predictable handful of posters on here who agree with the policy of shutting down schools even after learning how harmful that policy is especially for underserved communities by should be called out for their tunneled vision ignorance. 

We know how to keep kids and teachers safe.  Federal govt has allotted hundreds of billions of dollars to help implement measures to prepare for what we're facing today.  So for Chicago to say f it we're staying home, families figure it out is inexcusable.

https://mobile.twitter.com/BenjaminLinas/status/1478705175430893570

[pacearrow02]

Sad but informative thread by One of MU82s favorite NYT writers.

https://mobile.twitter.com/DLeonhardt/status/1478351892463984641

[The Sultan]

Sad but informative thread by One of MU82s favorite NYT writers.

https://mobile.twitter.com/DLeonhardt/status/1478351892463984641

I read this yesterday.  It is very good.

[Pakuni]

Unfortunately other districts haven't and the predictable handful of posters on here who agree with the policy of shutting down schools even after learning how harmful that policy is especially for underserved communities by should be called out for their tunneled vision ignorance. 

Who here is calling for schools to be shut down?

[mu_hilltopper]

It's amusing how people think teachers are like soldiers in the Army, where you can order them to take the hill, and they'll go and take the hill or die trying.

I mean, you /can/ order teachers to 'storm the castle,' but in the era of the Great Resignation, the flood of teachers quitting is going to be simply catastrophic in September 2022. -- It probably is going to be anyhow, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Good luck, society.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Why are you guys still giving the constantly lying disinformation spreading troll any oxygen?

[tower912]

Why are you guys still giving the constantly lying disinformation spreading troll any oxygen?

'Ignore' for months.   

[Hards Alumni]

It's amusing how people think teachers are like soldiers in the Army, where you can order them to take the hill, and they'll go and take the hill or die trying.

I mean, you /can/ order teachers to 'storm the castle,' but in the era of the Great Resignation, the flood of teachers quitting is going to be simply catastrophic in September 2022. -- It probably is going to be anyhow, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Good luck, society.

Exactly.  I typed this up a few hours ago, then decided not to send it... but eff it.


"Shut up and work" doesn't work.  If you didn't feel safe at work, you wouldn't go either.  I applaud these teachers for standing up for themselves.

Weren't more than a few people here harping that cloth masks do nothing???  What should we do with the millions of students that do not have access to hospital grade masks?  Teachers, too?  Provide them?  Great.  Let's do that.  But we aren't, so let's consider a pause for two weeks while we are at the apex of this wave.  Kids and their families went through this last year, so they're prepared.  How many teachers should get sick and be out before this decision is made?  If a teacher gets sick and has to be out for a week or two, who picks up those students?  I promise you, there are no substitutes to be found anywhere.  National Guard?  They're busy at hospitals filling in.  And should they be asked to do this for the PEANUTS we compensate them with?

Require vaccinations for students and teachers, provide proper PPE for all, and continue to work on facility upgrades that improve ventilation.  When that sort of stuff happens, I'm sure the teachers would feel safe enough to resume teaching.

[pacearrow02]

Exactly.  I typed this up a few hours ago, then decided not to send it... but eff it.


"Shut up and work" doesn't work.  If you didn't feel safe at work, you wouldn't go either.  I applaud these teachers for standing up for themselves.

Weren't more than a few people here harping that cloth masks do nothing???  What should we do with the millions of students that do not have access to hospital grade masks?  Teachers, too?  Provide them?  Great.  Let's do that.  But we aren't, so let's consider a pause for two weeks while we are at the apex of this wave.  Kids and their families went through this last year, so they're prepared.  How many teachers should get sick and be out before this decision is made?  If a teacher gets sick and has to be out for a week or two, who picks up those students?  I promise you, there are no substitutes to be found anywhere.  National Guard?  They're busy at hospitals filling in.  And should they be asked to do this for the PEANUTS we compensate them with?

Require vaccinations for students and teachers, provide proper PPE for all, and continue to work on facility upgrades that improve ventilation.  When that sort of stuff happens, I'm sure the teachers would feel safe enough to resume teaching.

I like a lot of what you said.  One small thing to consider....if 99% of professions didn't show up to work cause they didn't feel safe they would be fired.  Proper PPE is great idea as the cloth stuff makes no sense.  Hundreds of billions of dollars have been given to schools for improved ventilation etc many months ago at the demand of teachers otherwise they wouldn't go back to the classroom this past fall, did that not happen?  If not where did the money go?

As far as requiring vaccinations.  Teachers union successfully lobbied for their teachers to not have a mandate on them out in place for them but from what I remember 90%+ are already so not sure a mandate would move the needle.

I'd also add that 95% of schools districts went back this week and teachers/kids aren't dropping like flies. 

[pacearrow02]

https://mobile.twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/1478864638137802753

I agree on absolutely zero with this guy but he's asking the right question at least.

[Jockey]

Look man, we're all fcking exhausted. You know who is the most exhausted? The people that have spent 2 years trying to do right by everyone around them. That includes parents who have done everything to keep their kids safe but educated. That includes teachers. That includes healthcare workers. Do physicians not want to heal people? Or are they just sick of being run into the ground and exhausted of working with people who will do everything in their power to make sure this drags on in perpetuity?

The people that seem to be doing ok are the people with ignorant or willful disregard for the people around them or society writ large. All I want is for the consequences of those decisions to be bourn by those people and exclusively those people.

I would not be nearly exhausted if everyone around me was committed to doing the right thing as my family unit. In fact, I'm confident we would be in a post-pandemic state of being.

Nailed it!!

[🏀]

Nm

[GB Warrior]

I like a lot of what you said.  One small thing to consider....if 99% of professions didn't show up to work cause they didn't feel safe they would be fired.  Proper PPE is great idea as the cloth stuff makes no sense.  Hundreds of billions of dollars have been given to schools for improved ventilation etc many months ago at the demand of teachers otherwise they wouldn't go back to the classroom this past fall, did that not happen?  If not where did the money go?

As far as requiring vaccinations.  Teachers union successfully lobbied for their teachers to not have a mandate on them out in place for them but from what I remember 90%+ are already so not sure a mandate would move the needle.

I'd also add that 95% of schools districts went back this week and teachers/kids aren't dropping like flies.

When asking where the money has gone, we might also ask which state legislatures (led by people that rhyme with Goblin Moss) are playing repeated politics with federal money allocation.

[pacearrow02]

When asking where the money has gone, we might also ask which state legislatures (led by people that rhyme with Goblin Moss) are playing repeated politics with federal money allocation.

Is that true?  I haven't heard that but if you have a link or something saying Wisconsin's share of federal relive as part of the c19 relief packages is being distributed because if republicans holding it up then that's definitely a problem. 

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Is that true?  I haven't heard that but if you have a link or something saying Wisconsin's share of federal relive as part of the c19 relief packages is being distributed because if republicans holding it up then that's definitely a problem.

[Lennys Tap]

"Shut up and work" doesn't work.  If you didn't feel safe at work, you wouldn't go either.  I applaud these teachers for standing up for themselves.

It's worked for every essential worker we have from firemen to health care workers to policemen to meat packers to grocery clerks to etc., etc., etc. - but I guess educating our children and looking out for their mental health/well being isn't considered essential any more. Sad what these teachers have done. Incomprehensible that there are people applauding them for doing it.

[jficke13]

Why are you guys still giving the constantly lying disinformation spreading troll any oxygen?

I remain perpetually in awe of the commitment of time and energy that he has dedicated to this troll job, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. What's the goal here? Get plaudits from the handful of like-minded posters that you're likely to never meet or otherwise interact with? Surely he can't think he's going to change any hearts and minds. He's lit so much of his finite time on this earth on fire to what, annoy people he disagrees with?

It's baffling.

[Hards Alumni]

It's worked for every essential worker we have from firemen to health care workers to policemen to meat packers to grocery clerks to etc., etc., etc. - but I guess educating our children and looking out for their mental health/well being isn't considered essential any more. Sad what these teachers have done. Incomprehensible that there are people applauding them for doing it.

I get it Lenny, the plebs should be happy with gruel.  And they should be thankful they even get gruel!  Sacrifice yourselves and your mental and physical health for the greater good of the economy!

Maybe, just maybe, we should start paying our 'essential' workers what they're worth to society and treating them with respect.  Calling them heroes, and thanking them for their service is a platitude at best, and insulting at worst. 

[The Sultan]

It's worked for every essential worker we have from firemen to health care workers to policemen to meat packers to grocery clerks to etc., etc., etc. - but I guess educating our children and looking out for their mental health/well being isn't considered essential any more. Sad what these teachers have done. Incomprehensible that there are people applauding them for doing it.

There have been upsurges in absenteeism in both health care and fire and police personnel.  This isn't limited to teachers.

Completely anecdotal, but I work with a local alderperson who shared that the municipality is seeing more and more police and fire personnel turn down overtime that was routinely taken in the past and the people overseeing those areas are saying it is due to limiting exposure.

tower and brew could chime in here too.

[forgetful]

It's worked for every essential worker we have from firemen to health care workers to policemen to meat packers to grocery clerks to etc., etc., etc. - but I guess educating our children and looking out for their mental health/well being isn't considered essential any more. Sad what these teachers have done. Incomprehensible that there are people applauding them for doing it.

Many states, including Texas and Florida, already made the bolded decision, when they established priorities for vaccination. They concluded educators were not essential workers, and moved them down the list to the same place as the average citizen.

Educators want to teach. They just don't want to sacrifice their own health, or the health of their loved ones to do son. Medical professionals can ensure that every patient is masked, that every visitor is masked. No one questions that decision. Medical and emergency responders are provided N95, or better masks, and the delivery of them are prioritized to these individuals. Teachers, cannot mandate masks, have to provide their own, and for much of the pandemic couldn't get N95 quality masks.

If you want them to be essential, and feel essential, treat them like they are essential.

Anecdotal, but I have a number of these stories regarding teachers wanting to teach, but to do so safely. I know of a teacher who has two family members they take care of. One is immunocompromised due to organ transplant, the other is immunocompromised for a number of reasons including cancer. They have taught this entire time...but now are quitting. They are in a district that refuses to do mask mandates, but mandates in person instruction.

They have requested to be allowed to mandate masks in their class...denied. They have requested an exemption from in person teaching, due to health risks to family. They were denied. In this recent Omicron surge, they asked for their class to be temporarily remote. They were denied. They requested the district provide them with N95 masks...denied.

So they quit, a couple days before school starts back up. They were sick of being treated like an expendable. The classes they teach are now in jeopardy of not being offered, because they can't find replacements.

[Lennys Tap]

40 Years.

40 years is probably about right. It coincides with woman's liberation. Women have always been the backbone of K -12 education and 40 (50,60,70) years ago opportunities for women in the work force were limited - almost non existent. Most of the best and the brightest chose teaching (or nursing) as a career because it was all that was available. Now the smartest, most creative and most driven  women have options - and the people who once were teachers can now be doctors, lawyers, business professionals, etc. - IMO the solution isn't giving our present teachers more money/greater benefits - it's raising salaries/benefits in order to attract a new generation of more qualified teachers.

[mu_hilltopper]

It's worked for every essential worker we have from firemen to health care workers to policemen to meat packers to grocery clerks to etc., etc., etc. - but I guess educating our children and looking out for their mental health/well being isn't considered essential any more. Sad what these teachers have done. Incomprehensible that there are people applauding them for doing it.

So, you're saying you haven't heard of the Great Resignation?   How the health care/meat packers/grocery industries are short staffed, reducing hours and capacity because their workforce is quitting?

You can call a job essential all you wish.  It doesn't mean those who have the job will continue doing it.

No doubt, for some teaching is a mission, calling, vocation.  It's still a J-O-B, where if the cons outweigh the pros, individuals will just quit. 

People like you, saying what they've done is "sad" only adds fuel to the inevitable reckoning. 

"What happened to all the teachers?  Can't they just endure another few decades of declining respect, declining pay, and sh1tty children?  How selfish of them!  #sad."