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With school reopening- I want all teachers to know that I do not blame them for what will come.
Also; to the kids. Please do your best to be responsible and careful at school. But you are also not to blame if you or your family gets sick in the coming months.
I love you all and you should not be used as a sacrifice like you are.
Please stay strong.
Lastly: FUCK BETSY DEVOS!!
My country is fucked, my state (Texas) is fucked, y'all I'm so worried about going to work in a school for the fall, and my husband going back to work in a school in the fall. I'm literally making us sit down and write individual and joint wills, excluding AND including our unborn baby (because pregnant women have caught COVID and unborn child was saved but mom died 🙃). I had him ask his brother last night if they would take our kid in the event that we both died.
I'm also over here begging my friends on facebook to let us pay them to babysit our baby at home during the day rather than having to send him to a daycare when I have to go back to work 6 weeks after he is born (because LOL at US maternity leave). A 6 month old in another Texas city just died TODAY from COVID, despite the lie politicians are telling you that kids will be fine.
This is such bullshit. School employees/teachers are NOT here to pick up society's slack. We are NOT here to risk our lives and our family's lives in order to provide childcare for 25+ students because our government only gives a flying fuck about the economy.
Is it safe to send my kids to school. I’m American. Please answer pls.
Hello Dear Friend.
No. Presently it is not imo, but it can be.
What needs to happen is that a school opening plan of action model needs to be presented to the American people .
Not by Mr. Trump (and his yes sir men ) , but by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention ) and other qualified medical professionals.
The CDC has sound guidelines for school openings that requires smaller class sizes (at the time of this writing).
This would mean an alternative schedule (groups of students attend on-site /online instruction on alternate days )
Masks need to be required , and provided by our government. Hand sanitizer, gloves , also should be provided .
(Parents are coming to the office requesting masks for their children . This breaks my heart) .
A National video presenting what this school model would look like is greatly needed.
The video should include how our children should properly wear a mask (and alternatives for our kiddos with respiratory/other health related issues ) , wash hands , play , and still have fun at school😊.
This would give school districts a definitive model of what an effective COVID-19 school environment should look like .
The problem at this moment, is that there is NO cohesion in our country , or leadership .
This divide hurts our children.
Various states and even school districts within those states have a totally different school opening models plans .
Some are wonderful , others are not .
No one knows what to do . This is understandable.
Many teachers are complaining that essential items such as masks , soap , hand sanitizer, etc are not provided , and/or available on their school site .
As a parent you need to understand that educators and school custodians generally buy these items for their school out of their pocket NOT the school districts or local , state governments.
The inaccessibility of this essential items makes educators uneasy about returning to their classrooms.
That is why what I feel a national school opening plan is vital.
Opening school without a plan is a plan to fail.
To be clear , children need to go to school . Teachers want and miss their students.
Please call your school district and directly ask what their school model opening plans looks like .
Discuss :
1. How the school will enforce social distancing
2. The availability of masks , cleaning supplies , etc .
3. Inquire of their school model (is instruction an alternative onsite /online model , exclusively online or completely onsite )
We are at a critical time and need more leaders and everyday people willing to step up.
Ask what your children’s school /school districts needs , and form committees to assist.
Inquire how your local government is providing assistance to your school district to provide a safe environment for our kids.
There is strength in unity .
Even if you do not have children , this is an important topic for all of us .
Unprotected kiddos pass germs 🦠 to their parents , who unknowingly pass it on to others .
Let us work collectively (wherever we live) to get this done for our children’s safety and education .
Best Wishes💫
Hopes for the Future
Hopes for the Future
I originally wrote this post for Labor Day weekend, but it has come and gone. I held my tongue and never published my thoughts, waiting to see what would unfold… Still today, we are looking at many schools that have not reopened. I cannot believe that we have abandoned so many children, and are failing at educating them properly. Some more fortunate children have parents who have time to teach…
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Immigration and Melania Trump, the new Einstein
Immigration and Melania Trump, the new Einstein
Florida is a true immigrant melting pot. My grandfather moved to Miami in the 70s and one of the first things he did was learn Spanish (not hard since he was a French immigrant himself).
President Trump’s always counted on Florida’s electoral votes; that’s why he recently moved his official residence to that state. But a CNN poll shows him behind Biden, 51-38, a real problem for Trump.
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Something to think about.
I’m a educator I tried to dm you but wasn’t allowed . I work in a rural area and we are forced back to work . The kids aren’t required to wear mask , there is no protection for us . We were told it is business as usual . Should I speak to my doctor and try to get short term disability? I really do not want to teach at that school. Please please to do post is I am not anonymous. Thank you .
Hello Dear Friend.
No worries. You are anonymous.
I am hearing stories like this continuously. Digital learning is not an option for many school systems , because laptops are not available for each student .
The pandemic has really highlighted the cracks in our education. There is not enough funding .❌
I cannot discuss your short term disability options. Please speak with your teacher union rep (in regards to your personal safety rights ) and physician (about the short term disability).
Positively, if your school is opening you can ;
•secure your own mask . (Speak with your school admin, faculty, and parents in regards to strategies to provide them for everyone).
•suggest outside learning for your school with CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines.
Teaching does not have to take place in the classroom💡.
Children would love outside learning . Small breaks allowing students time to stretch and play are great motivators for time on task . (If you have iPads , students may be able to utilize those during outside learning. )
Utilize team teaching.
Working collaboratively with special area teachers . You could divide students between teachers . High achievers and our slower learners would have the opportunity for specialized small group instruction.
Groups of students could remain outside with one teacher , while the other teacher is inside the classroom with another group (where school supplies , and hopefully a Promethean board and /or think pads are available)
Also work with you PTA and see what funds are available to you. Do you have a school business partner ? Are you a Title 1 school?
I understand very well , you are concerned for your health , safety , and well-being . You should be.
Many educators are quitting , retiring, or going out on medical leave for this reason .
Meanwhile, I worry for our children .
Child abuse reports are down . Primarily because teachers and schools are our front line defense . Many children also receive their only meals while in school. School is important . We have to create strategies to reach our kiddos .
I feel that there is a solution for every problem .
Whatever you decide to do personally, suggest outside learning to your admin.
There is no guidelines or school opening format from our government. For this reason community teamwork is important. Have open communication with you parents , colleagues, and community.
Together find a way.
Best Wishes💫
*side note, please discuss digital citizenship with your students.
OOC-Covid-19 and the Reopening of schools
((Again, I know a lot of us come to tumblr for escapism and just to mellow out and we all need that right now because everything is just total shit. But I still need to say this.
Reopening schools in the fall is not, absolutely not, a good plan. Here in Maine, nearly all of our schools have been closed since mid April. Our Covid cases are low, are death rates are low but only in comparison to more populated states. Businesses are closed, or if they’re not they’re requiring masks and social distancing. I work in one such business that has signs posted “requiring” masks to shop but no one’s enforces it, no one’s going to kick you out if you come in without one. Two weeks ago, employees were told that we would be written up or worse if we were caught on the sales floor without a masks. That hasn’t happened. Rules are neither being followed or enforced. We’re all adults fully capable of following and adhering to rules. There’s no excuse for this other than ignorance, negligence or just plain being an asshole. What is medical practice should never fall so low to be a political statement and yet it has.
Now let’s talk about the kids. Not just my kids, though I’ll get there, but kids in general. As I said, most of them have been out of school since April. I would hazard the guess that most were kept safe at home, or that hopefully their parents are taking this as seriously as they should be and took proper precautions. Of course, I can’t know this for certain, but it’s what I hope. That boils down to: no school, no store, no other heavily populated/close quarters areas. Hence less spread of germs- in general but also Covid- between children and then up the chain to families. Any parent can tell you, if one child in the household gets sick, everyone in the household gets sick. Colds, regular flues, stomach bugs: kid has it, you have it and now everyone you work with has it too. Let’s not forget the teachers in that and they’ve got the immune systems of the Gods because they’re in constant contact with dozens of tiny germ factories.
So things have been more or less alright now because children aren’t in contact with each other. If schools reopen in the fall that is going to change. Some of these kids haven’t seen their friends since April, some of them have had no contact with friends at all. The school closures weren’t like leaving for the summer, there wasn’t time to say goodbye to friends or teachers. For mine, they went to school on a Friday and we got a call Sunday night saying schools were closed and at that time, no one knew for how long.
All that said, we can make an educated guess of what start of school in the fall might bring. Frenzied contact, re-connection, visits to friend’s houses in abundance. Social distancing in schools is not going to happen, there’s simply not enough space and have you ever tried to explain “personal space” to five year old? They just don’t have concept of it. Older children might just not care. Apathy is just part of being a teenager and we’ve all been there. Again, I’ll speak of the teachers. Classrooms with an average of 20-25 students each, no or lackluster supplies and I’m not even talking about PPE. Schools in general are so underfunded for basic supplies and now we’ve got to tack that stuff on too. And, this doesn’t even take into account students with special needs. That’s an issue I can’t begin to speak on. Bottom line, we ARE NOT prepared and we DO NOT have the equipment or resources we need to get there. The focus, at this point, needs to be on distance learning. The spring showed us that our schools are capable of this much, so let’s pour some more energy, focus and currency into that.
Now, let me speak personally for a moment, just to offer a little perspective. I have two children, 10 and 11, both in public school. The 10 year old has and IEP in school, that’s individualized education plan, or in laymen’s terms, special education. Her returning to school in the fall for all the extra help she needs is ideal. The 11 year old is a social butterfly with no concept of a space bubble despite countless efforts to teach her. She misses her friends, she misses spending time with people not us. I feel for her, I would love to let her go back to school. But I won’t be. Given the option, both my kids will do the online distance learning.
Let me explain why. Both kids were born premature by a month. The 10 year old needed oxygen for a few days, the 11 year spent months in the ICU after she caught a staph infection. I’ve already nearly lost my babies and I’m not willing to do it again. As it is, I’m waiting for a call from a cardiologist for the 10 year old. My parents, who we see every single day for childcare and just because we’re all close-knit, are in their sixties, both are in relative good health but they do have risk factors. I’m 30 and I smoke like a chimney. My dad and I work at the same business, we assist customers 8 hours a day, five days a week. Customers that aren’t wearing masks and some associates aren’t either. Going to the store once a week is a bunch of the same. Every day is a possible risk and that’s just us.
Now... now think of 20-25 children in a classroom. You don’t know their health history, the health history of the family, what precautions their families are taking if any. Same for the teacher and their family. Going back in the fall is not the way to do things, the risks for too many people are too high and I’m no more willing to risk another family than I am my own.
