AnonymousBy Rosanne Crawford of Santa Barbara
Continuing remote only learning is hurting children and families in our community.
On Tuesday 7/21/2020 the Santa Barbara School District will discuss remaining in virtual learning only operation at this time for the fall. Please encourage them to prepare to possibly shift to a hybrid model split between on campus and virtual learning when our county falls off the monitoring list.
To participate by Zoom go to https://www.sbunified.org/board/board-meetings/
Select date of meeting 7/21/20 and open agenda. The agenda has a” link” complete this form with cut off at noon Tuesday to register to receive an email for a participation link.
The Governor’s Order
The new mandate states our county has to meet its metrics established by our Public Health Department to get off the “hit list” to open schools. Our County was placed on the State monitoring list based on several factors that include hospitalizations, hospital capacity and the number of new cases. See the data they are monitoring here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/CountyMonitoringDataStep1.aspx. Santa Barbara is currently measuring at 244.1 cases per 100,000 in the last 14 days, above the state threshold of 100 per 100,000 or less.
The Public Health Department, County and City of Santa Barbara have been doing a great job of outreach promoting physical distancing, face masks, washing hands and discouraging large groups and multiple family gatherings during this pandemic. Cases have dropped down in the last few days.
We could have a whole different picture as early as mid August if the promising trend continues. People get the message.
The collateral damage of keeping schools closed
· Stress related increase of mental illness including depression
· Learning regression, hardest hit are English learners
· Low income and working parents struggling with inequity of technology access interrupting learning
· Student remote fatigue, parent fatigue juggling supervision and providing mid day lunches
· Deprivation of socialization and emotional learning, hardest hit younger children
· Economic hardship, parent’s need to go back to work.
· Families making choices to leave the district for small home school programs having further economic impacts to district in loss of funds
California has no road map for this novel situation with it’s over reaching politics.
Let’s look to Denmark who was the first country in Europe to shut down. According to Reuters World News, re-opening schools did not worsen outbreaks following a one- month lock down in Denmark. Children between two to 12 years were allowed back in day cares and schools on April 15th. Their data health authorities for the first time say the move did not make the virus proliferate. Finland had similar findings. A top official there announced similar findings, which nothing so far suggested the corona virus had spread faster since their school opened in mid May. This was backed up by infectious disease specialists in both countries who saw no negative effects from reopening schools.
Back in the school saddle as well is Britain, urged to open when 1500 Pediatricians warned failure to let children back into the classroom will risk “scaring the life chances” of a generation. France moved forward last month calling it a “social emergency” and worried about economic consequences. Germany is already sitting for exams.
How can we open school safely?
The State has released extensive guidelines for opening schools that meet compliance. They include criteria for minimizing risk with measures that include teacher’s use of protective face coverings as well as the known top three recommendations that continue to mitigate the spread of the pandemic.
Maximize use of outdoor space on campuses
Our schools have an abundance of outdoor space. Athletic fields, playgrounds, auditoriums, gyms and cafeterias can be set up for distancing. Collaboration would be helpful with the Goleta district. They have already done site visits, measurements and assessments of physical spaces in preparing to get back on campus with their resourceful staff.
There is growing evidence that studies seem to suggest children play a less active role in transmission spread however the high cost of these continued restrictions with remote only learning is hurting children and families. The World Health Organization does not currently see clear answers in the data that have been collected to date around transmission by children. Let’s bring teaching outside and keep things safe.
Let your voice and opinions be heard. We can do this!
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The parents who want to open can offer to teach classes themselves and risk their own lives. No teacher who is uncomfortable should be forced to do this. Those who had children chose to have children. No matter what happens in this world they are your responsibility.
Yeah, let’s completely ignore science and send kids back to school where they will learn things… like science.
We recommend that parent’s enroll their kids in Olive Grove charter. Also, hire a PT tutor with classmates to share the expense (standard rates are $50 an hour plus $5/hour for each add’l kid). It’s going to work well for our family and our kids will not miss a beat in such a hybrid environment. As forreal says, no matter what happens, supporting our children is each parent’s responsibility.
SIMPLETON – you may or may not be aware, but not all parents can afford charter school and a PT tutor. Nice that it will work for you, but please don’t insinuate, as you are, that those who don’t pay for this type of schooling are not fulfilling their parental responsibility.
The children who don’t die will learn the important that their parents are fools.
Insert “lesson”.
Science says it is safe for both children and adults to return to school. Backed also by leading pediatric associations who are committed to re-opening schools too. The science is comfortable with this decision. Yes, let’s do teach children about science, because too many adults missed those lessons when they were in school. Not sure what “science” you are referring to that claims just the opposite, GC.
No reason to insert unfounded fears into this discussion. If some teachers can feel safe in the open classroom setting, they need to stop teaching in person and find other forms of employment – online education is a growth field today.. But they cannot shut down classrooms for everyone else.
Thank you for highlighting the Olive Grove charter school option. Many do not know about the options within the current system for alternate education settings. The shared costs among a grouo of parents makes this an affordable option. Additionally, there are many local education foundations that can possibly work with this too, including local scholarship options. This town very much supports education which is why there is so much interest in getting it restarted again for the vast majority of local students. Education is one of the largest local employers- this is a “college town”. UCSB, SBCC, Westmont, Fieldings, Antioch, Cottage Hospital, various professional-level training programs, etc all strong higher ed options right in our own local area.
A turning point is taking place. People are now starting to say yes, let’s get back to normal as much as we can. And no longer saying no, let’s run away and hide in total fear. Stay strong, Santa Barbara. Yes, plan effectively to get students back in school.
If you don’t care that some children, and more adults, will die.
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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-covid-affect-kids-science-gaps.html
SIMPLETON – I’ve been reading more and more about the doing tutor “pods” -aka microschooling – instead of this shoddily-implemented distance learning situation. A “pod” is several families who hire a tutor or tutors to teach their kids. This is being discussed alot on facebook and online
@2:04PM, that’s why some people advocate for a school voucher program, to help offset the cost of a private/charter school.
A non medical person giving medical opinions. Wow.
2:21 – please cite the “science” you mentioned.
Right 3:05? I am kind of sick of hearing everyone site “science” when they don’t agree with you. Science works in many ways.
My granddaughter in New Mexico will be going back to school two days a week, with half her class. Half the class will meet Monday and Tuesday, the other half will meet Thursday and Friday. On Wednesdays, school will be closed for deep cleaning each week. During the at-home days, there will be remote teaching. Not all the teachers are comfortable with the plan, but distancing and masks will be well enforced. Not all the parents are comfortable, either! Who in the world is comfortable right now? I would prefer that schools stay physically shut until there is a reliably good treatment available, if not a vaccine. But I also know that kids need to be with other kids, need the interaction with teachers one-on-one in the classroom. It’s a no-win situation, really. This generation of kids will be affected by this all their lives, no doubt. If they are taught well and see good models of adult behavior in response to this very challenging period, it can make them stronger, with more concern and care for others. However they end up being taught, in school or at home, it’s up to adults to model what they want the kids to learn. Selfishness or what we used to call “civic virtue”–it’s up to adults to choose what they pass on to the children in their orbit–not just the parents, but all adults. We have a responsibility to the future, and kids are the future.
Cite request: Please view the UCSF July 9, 2020 Grand Rounds – Hour and half video presentation on the topic of covid, schools and young people. ….”Compared with adults, children express fewer nasal ACE2 receptors, which serve as the entry point for the virus into cells, according to a May 20 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. That may help to explain why children could be less likely to get and transmit COVID-19, Naomi Bardach, an associated professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a UCSF Medical Grand Rounds presentation on July 9…..” Joint statement additionally issued by AAP – American Academy of Pediatrics, along with input from the AFT and NEA – found on the AAP website. Re-opening schools is the option now grounded in science.
Anyone who has spent any time around children knows for a fact that children spread every infectious disease known to man. Any parent who claims that their child never brought a cold (another coronavirus) home is lying to themselves. There is no evidence that children can not spread corvid 19.
MTNDRIVER – Bravo!
My wife is a teacher, and I won’t let her go back. It isn’t safe.
3:05 pm. Science would include the just released studies that say children 10 and over transmit COVID-19 just as do adults.
The author must have hastily written this article and missed the study that shows that older kids transmit the virus just as much as adults do.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/18/health/coronavirus-children-schools.html
Again – why should anyone take medical advice from a community member writing an opinion piece. Logic dictates if you need to have a ZOOM meeting about whether or not to re-open schools, then you shouldn’t re-open schools.
Betsy Devos will be tarred and feathered after Trump is off his throne.
Olive Grove is a free charter school. No tuition. And it has always been online, so they are very adept at provide online curriculum. Our kids have generally had a good education locally in public schools. But we all saw more than enough last spring to know that our local K12 public schools are ill prepared for online only education. And yes, a private tutor to augment education (from whatever source, online or in person) costs money. For us, in person education is preferred but hybrid (with a tutor) is way better than online only. We all need to make our own choices and I won’t ever apologize for giving my kids the best opportunity I can afford. I hope that you can do the same. This whole situation sucks for all of our kids.
3:54, would you feel the same if your wife was a grocery clerk instead of a teacher? I’m genuinely curious.
SIMPLETON – I never said you need to apologize, just recognize that some parents can’t even afford to split a private tutor. I was just making sure you’re not insinuating that those who can’t are not being responsible.
Science doesn’t say it’s safe to go back to school. Fox says that and a lot of Betsy Devos boot licker say it. But science does not.
Nothing hurts like a dead child.
RHS – exactly why I made that comment. This “science” that republicans claim says is OK to go to school is inconsistent with all the actual science I’ve seen come out lately.
Here’s a bulletin point for you:
THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE FROM KEEPING SCHOOLS OPEN
Dead people filling morgues and refrigerator trucks.
This morning I visited the S.B Zoo with my daughter and Granddaughter. We all wore our masks and social distanced as required. I was so surprised to see Summer Camp groups at the Zoo. Most children and their leaders were in fact wearing masks, but the social distancing was out the window. I totally get these children needing some normalcy in their lives (we all do), but I don’t get the double standard. If these children can attend camp (which by the way is not inexpensive), why aren’t the schools able to open for the education they deserve?
I would love an answer from Governor Newsom, and our County Public health department. Hello?? If children can attend summer camp, they can go to school.
Or maybe the camps should be shut down ASAP
NATIVEOFSB – yes EXACTLY! There are soccer camps going on too. Anything short of one person drills for that sport would violate distancing guidelines so I’m assuming they are limited. Nevertheless, if summer camps and contact sports are permitted, why can’t they go to school with masks, distancing, and other modifications?
Do you really think that a $50 tutor will be “germ free?” You”ll either need to hire them for extended hours to make it worth their time & money. At $50 dollars, a tutor may need to work 8 to 10 jobs with 4-10 kids. A tutor may see 35 to 100 kids in a week, probably no mask or COVID protocols in place. Washington Post has an article on pods. A parent should expect to pay $800-$1,300 per month in tutor fees and memberships to online tools the tutor may need, new hands on educational material weekly, cleaning supplies, and “safe” field trips. Would you have a back up tutor on standby if a your main tutor got COVID, or would you allow them to teach online? Would you allowed to re-register for school if they reopen for in-person learning mid year? What happens if a pod family drop out?
Zoo Camp is probably not unionized. Schools are. That is your difference. Teachers unions have dug in and demand no schools are to re-open until we pour vast sums of more money into them, and meet their long string of often totally unrelated demands. Doubt is Zoo Camp was as highly organized and resistant. Teachers unions in the state are a highly organized and well funded force of nature.. What they want, Governor Newsom delivers. And they do not want to go back into the classrooms.
It is not about science – it is about probability theory. Pre CV every kid going to school has a probability of something bad happening, however, the majority of parents go with the flow – even allowing kids to ride orange school busses with no seat belts driven by some person the parent does not know. Kids are walking germ factories and need interaction to build up an immune system which will carry them through life. The probability of a kid getting CV and dying is a low as countless other aspect of going through life. So, why is there so much hysteria? Well the takers, like GT, want the paranoia to continue in order to keep getting free handouts from the government. The same reason a blind person should not cross a busy intersection with no help – is the same reason a person with poor health should not go to a crowded bar/church with a bunch of mask haters. For the other 99.9% of people life should just go on.
For the pseudo science people. No medical opinions given in this article, only facts and where to find information that has been stated by professionals in their fields.
The link shows the health department numbers in case people want facts and numbers. encouraging they are trending down.
Nothing is without risk , do people think about getting into a accident or death every time they get in their car?
I don’t know where you are getting your info from, but we are at and above the 10% threshold. We do not meet the metric for reopening schools yet. I’m so glad I do not have children! I’ve never been more glad about it.
GENERALTREE – how dare you? Do you even have kids? You are saying both parents working is putting their careers before their kids? WTH? Do you think working parents are doing so just to advance themselves? No! We’re both working so we can afford to live in a beautiful town with great schools and opportunities for kids! Parents work FOR THE KIDS! You have no idea the sacrifice some of us working parents have had to give in order for our kids to grow up in a wonderful place like this. THAT is taking care of your kids. Doing whatever it takes to give your children the schooling and environment that we have. You’re awful for saying MM1970 is putting their career before their kid just because they’re a working parent. Shame on you.
EXACTLY! And teach kids a healthy respect for our outdoor environment while we are at it. Respecting nature, not littering, caring for our wild neighbors, etc…. NOW is the time! Get to it!
EXACTLY! Take care of your kids! They should be priority number one. Raise good humans, ffs.
BIGUGLY – you have no kids, so kindly see the door out before talking down to hard working parents.
Exactly right.
It’s just an ad for K12.com. Thanks to Edhat for the free advertising!
Thank you for posting what is a common sense answer. Yes, probably one parent HAS to be home with the children they bore and love. Maybe the parent will learn what it is to REALLY love their own children. It will probably be the best time of their lives all around.
COMMENT1 – so you are saying that parents who both have to work and are unable to be stay at home parents do not “REALLY love their own children?”
It only takes one online teacher to teach each grade level students in the entire district, or in the entire state. This will result in a huge savings, since K-12 now takes up 50% of all general fund revenues under the Prop 98 guarantee. Where should this saved Prop 98 money go? This is a major fiscal windfall, right when the state can use it most. Assemblywoman Monique Limon, we need your input. Where do we apply K-12 savings after going to full online education – single source instruction now covering the entire state. The day has finally come. Now truly no child will be left behind due to getting stuck with a bad teacher, and the annual dance of the lemons.
2 or 3 days of outside school should be quite easy to implement… that the district and the teachers union cant make that happen is an indictment of them both.
I love my kids and honestly think 7 hours of school 5 days a week was too much…5 hours is more than enough if it’s a bit more thought out. That being said, I need them out of the house for 12 to 15 hours per week so we can work. So…let’s get a little creative and get 3 days per week going or how about giving me some of my property tax money back so I don’t have to work as many hours.
“I didn’t sign up for homeschooling my kids.” also “We’re both working so we can afford to live in a beautiful town with great schools and opportunities for kids! Parents work FOR THE KIDS! You have no idea the sacrifice some of us working parents have had to give in order for our kids to grow up in a wonderful place like this. ” Your kids are YOUR responsibility. Teachers are not babysitters. Those of you complaining because You are sacrificing so that YOU can live in a beautiful town- Not for your kids. Future opportunities for your kids are not good here. Where will they live? They would have been happier having more available, less stressed out parents and growing up somewhere else that isn’t so expensive, also with great schools (most likely better). But they’ll never know it because this is all they know.
Actually teachers literally are babysitters. That is the definition of their job. To spend X number of hours with our kids for X amount of dollars.
5:00 – The ocean, the mountains, top rated high schools and university. Yeah, there may be better (ie, cheaper) places to raise a family, but they don’t have all this. And no, I’m not expecting teachers to babysit, I’m just saying it’s crappy to talk down to working parents and “lecture” them about not being “responsible.” You either live in Hope Ranch or have no kids, clearly.
I wish the district would stop calling it “Distance Learning.” It is really just home schooling with the parents taking the bulk of the teaching duties. The Zoom stuff is comically ineffective.
If I was a teacher in a high risk group, I would be cautious too. They have more experience than anyone about how fast a virus can spread through a classroom. Unless you are one of them, and will suffer the consequences, then your anti-union opinion is not helpful.
Difference between the US and Denmark is testing availability and contact tracing. When we match them on this, then we can think about following their model.
Im sorry but ” Student remote fatigue, parent fatigue juggling supervision and providing mid day lunches”
you are a parent! this is your duty! heaven forbid you provide supervision and a midday lunch
A-1595280063 – false, more than a few articles have come out recently stating that children are at just as much risk, and can spread it just as easily.
The statistics and science do not support closed schools. In fact they reinforce opening schools looking at the stats of failed businesses, unemployment, child suicide rates, etc…
Active Cases 274 down from over 400.
Active Cases have remained stable throughout this time.
Hospitalization remains stable, two people are no longer in ICU, and deaths have remained steady. Hospitals are 62% capacity including non Covid. Out of area hospitals want to send their patients here because we have had room throughout this time.
Despite 4th of July and “family BBQs” & tourists, despite Memorial Day Weekend, Despite LA & Ventura beach closings, despite the two hot weekends in the beginning of May.
So how many “holidays” do we need to get through with a steady Active Case rate before we go to the next phase?
Why is SB closed?
Since March 4,991 positive cases out of 445,000 residents 1.12%
32 deaths out of 445,000 people.
64,908 tests given.
7.6% positive testing rate. Below the 10% threshold
Why are the schools closed? Science and statistics do not support the closures.
Really shows how the importance of parenting have gone down in our country. Can’t even help their kids with a few lessons and make snacks during the day without blowing a gasket.
PSTARSR – Before you come down on parents, remember – not everyone is a stay at home mom/dad. Most of us are working parents that relied on schools during the school year to teach our kids. Working from home (or office) and also supervising our kids is not easy. Feeding them shouldn’t be a problem though, not sure how that was an issue with anyone. But, sometimes we’re on conference calls at the same time our kids need assistance with their zoom meeting/classwork/homework/fighting with their siblings, etc… It’s not all fun and games with mom packing bento box lunches everyday. The reality is well, real!
What I don’t get is why being home with a parent is harmful socialization for small children. If the parent is home with the children and the children are being harmed by that parents’ socialization, then that would be child abuse. Whoever does not understand that parents are the best socializers of their own children are mistaken. Why would you even have children if you are unable to socialize your own children.
If we have to tell you that there is a pandemic. . . it’s no use.
Whoever said parenting is easy? Take care of your own kids; it’s what you signed up for. Quit bawling.
The average % positive rate for the entire month of July is >10% so far. SB is closed because we don’t meet the state required metrics for opening schools. Even when we do, the requirements to remain open are pretty strict (from a standpoint of disinfecting, mask wearing, and keeping 6′ distance). We aren’t going to be back to “normal” even when we drop off the list.
I didn’t sign up to homeschool my children. We both have full time jobs, and trying to manage a 7 year old’s zoom schedule is not a welcome addition to our day. I’d have started homeschooling 10 years ago if that’s what I wanted. It’s not.
Gov Newsom and the teachers unions just signed a deal – schools don’t have to re-open and no one gets fired, while everyone still gets full pay: ………..”California teachers’ unions won a victory when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a budget trailer bill that bases school funding levels for the new school year on the attendance in the previous school year. This cheats growing charter schools, often non-union, of the revenue to educate newly enrolled students. The new law also prohibits layoffs of teachers or other school employees through June of 2021.
So even if the schools are closed, everybody gets paid.”….. (Calif Review)
Teacher union refusal to reopen schools until their long list of demands are met ………” could backfire spectacularly if frustrated parents abandon public education and take advantage of free online education options, such as those offered by K12.com, to organize new private schools or home-schooling cooperatives…”. SEE: K12.COM
MM1970 – sounds like you have both put your careers before your child. Sad.
@11:23. This makes no sense. Basically it says that parents, unhappy that schools are opening up online, are threatening to take their kids out of public schools and put them in online schools.
The lack of initiative and creativity from the School District is truly disappointing. They could have done any number of thins to wildly lower the number of kids in a single setting (classroom/outside). A combination of 2-3 days per week, putting some outside teaching options in play (tents, etc) and utilizing places like the zoo that could have opened up mornings as a spot for them. Instead…they are seemingly paralyzed. There is a pathway to 10 person classes at least twice a week…they are doing nothing to make that happen…
You are assuming that a teacher just lectures, and does not have to answer questions, or talk individually to students that don’t learn by listening to lectures, or check work, or grade assignments, or any of the thousand things that teachers do each day. But don’t let facts get in the way of an argument to get rid of our current educational system.
You are assuming AI cannot replace this function at this grade level? Just ask Alexa. Online K-6 education will be a huge break through to finally undo decades of proven educational malpractice – too many students suffering from too many substandard, tenure-protected teachers who cannot be fired.
PITMIX, the federal Dept of Educaton along business consortiums have an interest in a well educated population. Agree, let’s track down its funding source and mission. Then compare it to the funding sourcea and mission of our chronically failing government K-12 schools. How much revenue loss will teachers unions face, when current $1000 a year dues paying teachers are replaced with only a few online master teachers? Lynda.com proved how effective excellent online education can be, plus being tailored to individual needs.
MM1970 – I couldn’t have said it better myself! The people here talking down to working parents for being concerned about having to take on a teacher’s role, in addition to their parental roles of earning the money to keep their kids fed and housed, are out of touch or just plain trolling. Sure, if you’re a tech CEO or surgeon and your spouse has the luxury of being a stay at home parent, well good for you! Fact is, most of us in this town are working parents and adding this new role as zoom supervisor was not what we planned for, nor is it easy. Thank you for all you do for your kids! We’re doing the same here for ours. Parents rock!
Schools are actually doing just fine for middle class and upper class students. Educational achievement for those groups is comparable to the best systems in the world. It is only when you throw poor kids into the average that the numbers go down. No public school system can offset the effects of poverty and broken families. Face to face or online. Until you provide a solution to that, then you are just blowing smoke and it seems, anti-union.
PITMIX yep. This is why the district is trying to focus so much on the poorer children to bridge the gap. And why the Fair Education group is so up in arms. Their kids are fine and will continue to be fine and hate to see focus on someone else. One of the speakers at last night’s meeting was encouraging parents to drop out and home school or online charter because of our “failing schools”. Yeah, it was a white woman who doesn’t like “new history” or sex ed. Sorry to tell you lady, but my kids are getting a great education.