[Beyond The Wall]

If your waiting for a vaccine to live life again you might be waiting for a long time. Still waiting for HIV ,which Dr Fauci leads, since 1986.

The danger in in opening schools is to the at risk teachers. If you are a teacher with health issues, might be a good time to consider retiring.

[Cheapbas]

All of us went through this when our kids were small, they were germ factories then and it’s not going to work now. Which one of you would want to see your grandkids forced back into classrooms by someone who’s agenda isn’t their education.

Think ahead now how you are going to feel to the moment you find out one of your grandkid has passed. And add to it it was because some clown who doesn’t know what he is doing made them do it.

They are not ready for this and need one more semester of on-line Class rooms and alternative learning. Many states opened too early, how’d that go?

[asianthree]

Children are falling behind, Parents can only do so much, after all teaching is not their profession. Some students just don’t do well with online classes.

If we choose to not open this generation May have many issues down the road.

Plus think of how many children rely on their meals while they’re in school. Sometimes there’s just no food at their home.

Also think about the uptick in abuse from children being at home 24/7. We could be doing children a great harm by not opening up the schoolS

[trichard]

Yes

[La lamy]

I was always so fearful of getting sick when I taught (compromised lungs). There was always someone sick in the room, coughing, sneezing, and because there wasn't windows that opened in our school, all the air was recycled. They said the air was filtered, but all of us always got sick many times a year. I can't imagine ever wanting to go back to teaching in those circumstances with a deadly virus floating around.

[allsport]

NO not the way this gov is doing it. You have to test everyday, plenty of hand washing stations, 12 kids per classroom, masks mandatory for everyone, temp checks every morning and afternoon. Do it right and you can do it, wrong and end up like the church camp in Missouri, 84 sick people.

[Nucky]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

What is your personal opinion on schools opening? Is it safe for children? Teachers? Staff? Will it further spread Covid-19? How safe/dangerous is it?

Safe for children, teachers, administrators staff? That was the real question.

I think a person's answer will depend if they have any skin in the game. For me, it's homeschool till the Vaccination is released and we find out that it works. Nobody is going to die from staying home for a while longer. Toughen up Buttercups!

Too many things have to go perfectly for school to work out properly. Not willing to risk anyone for $$ Money $$.

As long as everyone is alive all feeding and parenting issues can be figured out.

[allsport]

Is that based on science, no, be better.

[Nucky]

Originally Posted by allsport

Is that based on science, no, be better.

The OP'S question was not based on science.

What does Be Better mean exactly?

[Dana1963]

It’s all about childcare and to get people back to work. In today’s conditions who would be willing to leave the BUBBLE and assist taking care of grandchildren so parents could go back to work. And assist in home schooling. I rather doubt it.

[toeser]

I am "up North" for the summer. Here, there is zero social distancing by kids. They are playing football, basketball, soccer, softball, etc. There is little league baseball going on. The beach is wall to wall kids, all about 3" apart. For the kids, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by not reopening schools. The issue is will teachers and staff be safe?

Some parents can't go to work if their kids are not in school. I have heard child psychologists talk about how destructive it is for kids not to have a school environment. We have to try to find ways to mitigate the risk for teachers, but go ahead with reopening. We have no idea when and how this pandemic will end. We can't stay closed forever.

[kenoc7]

Originally Posted by Gulfcoast

Frontline workers have been going into work from the get go. Just think about all of the workers in retail, food service, police, EMTs, healthcare, transportation, etc that are already out there in the trenches.

I think that it's fine for the vast majority of kids (and school employees) to go back to work. Distance learning will be available for those who prefer it just as it was available this past spring.

If kids can go to the mall, the beach, pool parties with friends, church camps, summer jobs, team sports etc they can go back to school.

"If kids can go to the mall, the beach, pool parties with friends, church camps, summer jobs, team sports etc they can go back to school."

In states with increasing cases and hospitalizations, kids clearly shouldn't be doing those things.

[toeser]

Originally Posted by blueash

You posted a link from april on the school experience in Australia, a country that has had a tiny fraction of the disease compared to here. Somehow you missed all the newer stories about Australian schools being closed down due to Covid cases.

Virus sets off new school closures in Australia
After 181 cases in a city of 5 million, what did they do in Australia just this week?

Apparently the government of Australia does not believe in keeping the schools open with an incidence of COVID of 181/5,000,000 The population of Florida is about 20 million so that would mean shutting down with 725 positive tests in the state. Do you really want to tell me about how we should be doing what Australia is doing? The study you linked looked at 9 children. I wouldn't draw any conclusions from that tiny bit of data.

The point you seem unable to grasp is that the pandemic here is not matched by the experience in any other country except Brazil which is run by a maniac IMO. You want to talk percentages? We are under 5% of the world population but have 25% of the cases and 25% of the world deaths. We are not Europe, they have it under control. We are not Australia, they have it under control. We are not China or South Korea they have it under control. We are Brazil. Except Brazil has its schools closed in the major cities.

A responsible planning consideration for opening schools has been issued by the AAP.

The fact is that on a population adjusted basis, looking at deaths, the U.S. is not doing worse than much of Europe. Maybe we will pass them in time, but so far there are still several countries in Europe that have more deaths per million people than the U.S. Also, New York, if it was a country, would be the worst country on earth for COVID-19. Their nursing home policies were a complete and utter disaster. New York's experience has dragged down results for the entire U.S.

[kenoc7]

Originally Posted by davem4616

Wow, talk about a $50K question...

It has to be tough being a parent with school age kids right now...you aren't sure if you should be buying back to school things, or just more wine

I spoke with an elementary principal yesterday...all 12 of the custodians at her school are currently out for 14 days due to one of them testing positive earlier in the week for the virus....although the custodians have been working for awhile, there's no way the building will be ready to open for the deadline.

At least one teacher is in quarantine as are a couple of aids

Do I personally think it's safe...to a degree yes, but this is not a yes or no question. It's a no for anyone (young of old) with a health issue.

It's critical that kids education continue...and they need to get out of the house and socialize with their friends...

IMHO there are too many open questions for those of us that are "beyond arm's length" to make an informed decision on this. I do believe that the adults will be the ones that will be most at risk though, as kids bounce back quickly.

So what happens when a significant number of teachers and aids in a school test positive? Or there's an outbreak among the bus drivers or the custodians? or the cafeteria staff?
Is there a contingency plan...most likely not.

If a teacher tests positive...does the whole class go into quarantine? If the teachers all share a lunch/break room, how many peers would have to go into quarantine?

If someone refuses to wear a mask because this is a free country...what's the school's position?

Are teachers, staff and students going to be screened upon entry daily, will they all wear masks? and will those that show signs of the virus be sent home? (or quarantined somewhere in the school until a parent can come for them)

What's the deal with meal programs? Many families depend upon the school meal program...will the school cafeteria practice social distancing?

Are the classrooms large enough so that the desks can be arranged in a social distancing pattern...or do class sizes need to be smaller?

Will every school have someone empowered to make the right call on all of the above?

We can't continue to 'give up' teaching the arts, history, geography, shop, home economics and gym...these are important too

It's time that a 'new model' for learning is introduced at all levels in the system....a blend of f2f and virtual most likely needs to be embraced. There should be enough folks in the higher ranks in the educational hierarchy to focus on designing a new approach for learning. Universities have done it...no reason that public school systems can't.

The younger generation has grown up with technology...it's the old adults that will have the most challenge making any shift from the traditional f2f format

"If someone refuses to wear a mask because this is a free country...what's the school's position?"

Wearing a mask has - or should - have nothing to do with being a free country. It is about public health, the common good and protecting others, and others protecting us.

[erojohn]

The schools need to be open. Life is not safe. Present the facts the opportunity and the choice to go or not. If the stay at homes can do the assignment. Grade and pass fail as the case may be. If the stay at home parent can help with instructions great if not too bad. Sink or swim. Kinda cold I know. Life isn’t easy.