Re-opening Schools in the era of COVID

[Tsing Tao]

Let's take a look at a map of states which have students in the classroom currently.... Oh wait nearly all the states including ones with unions currently have some students in the classroom.

Where schools are reopening in the US
Updated February 11, 2021

According to data compiled by Education Week, most states are dealing with a wide array of approaches to kicking off the new school year. Click a state below to learn more about the state of K-12 schools reopening across the US.

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/health/coronavirus-schools-reopening/

I knew you'd bring that exact link. So predictable.

That shows New York and Illinois and New Jersey as "no order in effect". That's all that chart is - whether or not there's an order in effect.

That is not indicative of whether unions are refusing to go back to school, or go back to school full time.

to be sure, schools are opening more and more as people are ignoring the unions - but despite the unions, not because of them. Whenever you find an example of a school that refuses to open, you can bet the unions are behind the decision.

it's all about the union.

 

[gwb-trading]

I knew you'd bring that exact link. So predictable.

That shows New York and Illinois and New Jersey as "no order in effect". That's all that chart is - whether or not there's an order in effect.

That is not indicative of whether unions are refusing to go back to school, or go back to school full time.

to be sure, schools are opening more and more as people are ignoring the unions - but despite the unions, not because of them. Whenever you find an example of a school that refuses to open, you can bet the unions are behind the decision.

it's all about the union.

Go read the details for each state -- rather than only looking at the map at the top.

For further details go to the source data at https://www.edweek.org/leadership/map-where-are-schools-closed/2020/07

Fundamental I don't care... because your premise that this is all about teachers unions is false. There are many states with teachers unions where schools are open. In many states it varies by district.

The actual situation -- irrespective if the teachers are represented by a union -- is that teachers do not feel safe in classrooms. Most school districts are not following reasonable protocols for social distancing, masks, or cleaning. Many school districts have one or more dead teachers and multiple school closures due to COVID outbreaks.

If school systems followed protocols outlined by the CDC for school safety then teachers would be much more comfortable returning to the classroom. Even better if teachers were fully vaccinated then they would be even more comfortable being in a classroom.

North Carolina is taking measures to vaccinate teachers before all other essentials workers. A teacher stuck in a crowded classroom for 7 + hours per day is much more at risk than a police officer who is outside most of the day and interacts with most people for 15 minutes or less.

North Carolina has acknowledged that it is impossible to even maintain 3 feet of social distancing in classrooms when all the students are in school. They have also stated that teachers are much more environmentally at risk for COVID than other essential workers who are able to usually maintain social distancing on their jobs and interact with others generally for 15 minutes or less.

 

[Tsing Tao]

Go read the details for each state -- rather than only looking at the map at the top.

For further details go to the source data at https://www.edweek.org/leadership/map-where-are-schools-closed/2020/07

Fundamental I don't care... because your premise that this is all about teachers unions is false. There are many states with teachers unions where schools are open. In many states it varies by district.

The actual situation -- irrespective if the teachers are represented by a union -- is that teachers do not feel safe in classrooms. Most school districts are not following reasonable protocols for social distancing, masks, or cleaning. Many school districts have one or more dead teachers and multiple school closures due to COVID outbreaks.

If school systems followed protocols outlined by the CDC for school safety then teachers would be much more comfortable returning to the classroom. Even better if teachers were fully vaccinated then they would be even more comfortable being in a classroom.

North Carolina is taking measures to vaccinate teachers before all other essentials workers. A teacher stuck in a crowded classroom for 7 + hours per day is much more at risk than a police officer who is outside most of the day and interacts with most people for 15 minutes or less.

North Carolina has acknowledged that it is impossible to even maintain 3 feet of social distancing in classrooms when all the students are in school. They have also stated that teachers are much more environmentally at risk for COVID than other essential workers who are able to usually maintain social distancing on their jobs and interact with others generally for 15 minutes or less.

It's not false at all. Where unions have power, they use that power and schools have remained closed. Where municipalities have challenged them to open schools, there has been mixed success. But the Union is by far and large the deciding factor. Where unions aren't that powerful, or have no power, they were steamrolled.

Its all about the unions.

 

[Tsing Tao]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1359902175460286466

you're one of those "Karens" this user refers to, GWB.

 

[gwb-trading]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1359902175460286466

you're one of those "Karens" this user refers to, GWB.

So the best you can come up with is a kid who committed suicide in April of 2020 after being home for a mere four weeks from school at the beginning of the pandemic. Certainly a tragedy for the family -- but a significant stretch to blame it on COVID strategy --- in the state of Texas which basically has kept schools open most of the time.

 

[El OchoCinco]

Actually the Federal government has the following to do with school openings:

• The federal government in the U.S. establishes the standards via the CDC for safe school openings.
• The federal government provides funding for PPE, equipment (HVAC) and other material to enable school re-openings.
• The federal education department can withhold other funding for school systems that do not follow guidelines (even if this is unlikely - it provides a possible enforcement hammer)

Of course the local and county school boards in states make the final decisions on re-opening schools and how to do. If they decide to re-open their schools in a manner not following federal guidelines then they open themselves up for protests, unwanted media attention, and possible legal action from parents & teachers.

Again the answer alwas comes back to the local government has the power and the President does not control it... schools have been open across the country.....self made decisions.. no one is waiting for anything from CDC because guidelines to go back were out even last Fall (masks, social distancing, cleaning) and the schools that followed those guidelines opened and the ones that didnt shut down real fast after an outbreak.

You cannot tell me I am wrong and then condlue with "but yes the local and county school boards make the final decisions..." Many schools are hybrid and many are going back already now....

 

[Tsing Tao]

So the best you can come up with is a kid who committed suicide in April of 2020 after being home for a mere four weeks from school at the beginning of the pandemic. Certainly a tragedy for the family -- but a significant stretch to blame it on COVID strategy --- in the state of Texas which basically has kept schools open most of the time.

The "best I can come up with"? No, just posting an example of a tragedy. There are many, many more depression and anxiety cases. I know you don't care, you only care about your Party Line.

 

[El OchoCinco]

All about the unions.

it is not all about the unions. In my school district the BoE set the date and the unions expressed their opinions but the BoE is still going forward. You are trying to look for the villian and all on the unions. BoE and county governments and governors all play a role and in many states the unions have had a say but have not controlled it 100%.

 

[Tsing Tao]

Again the answer alwas comes back to the local government has the power and the President does not control it... schools have been open across the country.....self made decisions.. no one is waiting for anything from CDC because guidelines to go back were out even last Fall (masks, social distancing, cleaning) and the schools that followed those guidelines opened and the ones that didnt shut down real fast after an outbreak.

You cannot tell me I am wrong and then condlue with "but yes the local and county school boards make the final decisions..." Many schools are hybrid and many are going back already now....

Precisely. And in those local municipalities, where the unions have tight control, they have exerted it. Where they do not, the process flows smoothly and schools get back to session.

 

[Tsing Tao]

it is not all about the unions. In my school district the BoE set the date and the unions expressed their opinions but the BoE is still going forward. You are trying to look for the villian and all on the unions. BoE and county governments and governors all play a role and in many states the unions have had a say but have not controlled it 100%.

What town/state?