Anonymous
Source: Santa Barbara Unified School District
The Santa Barbara Unified School board voted unanimously on Tuesday to bring students back to campus in person via a hybrid learning model on January 19, 2021, if the county has reached the Orange “moderate transmission” tier.
The decision means elementary and secondary students would remain in distance learning until January 19, which is the beginning of the second semester.
More than 700 people attended the board meeting, with 21 community members speaking during public comment.
In the coming weeks, families will be receiving more detail about Hybrid learning at each grade level. Then, each family will be asked to officially select a program of choice.
As designed, Hybrid learning involves:
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2 days in-person learning
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3 days of at-home distance learning which will include a combination of online learning and independent learning activities.
Board trustees were asked to consider two possible reopening dates for the elementary grades: November 9 or January 19. Their unanimous vote landed on January 19 as it gives staff more time to design and communicate plan details, and fill needed positions to accommodate smaller class sizes.
In anticipation of increased staffing needs, recruiting efforts are underway for the following positions via the district website: sbunified.org:
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playground supervisors
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paraeducators
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custodians
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substitute teachers
Superintendent Hilda Maldonado said the board’s decision allows district staff to move forward in a methodical fashion with time to engage and inform families and staff.
“I’m pleased to have the board’s support, along with the teacher’s commitment and our parent’s understanding, that returning on January 19 is the best course forward for our students,” Superintendent Maldonado said. “We look forward to implementing a rigorous Hybrid learning model. We know that the best educational model is one that involves students learning in person with their teacher. We now need to all continue to do our part to reduce the rates of COVID in our community so we can move forward and bring our students back in person on January 19.”
To review staff’s presentation, please reference the following links:
- Board Report #8 10.13.2020.pdf
- Board Report #8 Appendix_Poll Details.pdf
- [Español] Board Report #8.pdf
No surprise. Orange? Good luck. They’re prob hoping too that a fall-winter rise in cases will let them off the hook and be done teaching in person for the rest of the year.
Good luck at being orange in January. The period since March to now will pale in comparison with the deaths and rise in cases. Another 200,000 deaths between now and February. In fact, as a country we are over the 50,000 positive tests a day. I do hope our county will be spared and in good shape by the 19th.
The majority of people speaking at the meeting last night who were AGAINST reopening were teachers. That matches the poll results. (71% of teachers want to wait until Jan 19). I fear the constant moving of the goalposts. Honestly, if you told me today that they would not reopen in January, I would enroll my children in private school ASAP. Or try and rent an apartment in Montecito. Or Santa Ynez.
I would assume “they” = teacher union, any teacher who prefers Zoom vs in person teaching, people that think the risk of getting CV and getting sick > the risk of human suffrage related to society being locked down, people who are concerned that in school learning will jeopardize government handouts they are getting and require them to go back to work, people who do not have kids living in Santa Barbara County that attend public schools
I would use a different word than “methodical” to explain the necessity for 14 weeks to move forward…
If teachers/school admin were asked to take a pay reduction related to not doing in person teaching, then what would the response rate be. To many (not all) teachers this Zoom teaching is a perk that they want to get as long as possible. Did private schools ask their teachers when they would like kids to come back? Heck no. Where is all of the news about kids/teachers getting hospitalized with CV in other parts of the country where kids are back in school? So what is really going on? Democrats want more voters who rely on the government = less educated people = no in person learning. They can not control private schools and realize these kids will get educated and never be voter puppets – so they (the government) prey on public school kids. Same with charter schools which typically do a better job at educating kids.
Well then maybe neither of you have kids or watch any meetings from your kids schools. I watched the board at our school all state how they wish they could be back in the classroom. The principal read letters to some of the members at our school from conspiracy theorist far-right parents questioning their agenda. The letters wre disgusting, unilaterally the teachers wished more than anything to be back in the classroom. Keep pushing propaganda.
Most freaking idiotic thing I’ve heard all day. Not hearing that from any teacher I know. What is your agenda here? Do you even have kids in school in town or are you one of the trolls that no longer lives here but visits the site to spew propaganda?
Here we go again. In reviewing the survey results I can’t help but be perplexed. To the roughly 40% of parents and 70% of staff that selected returning in January, can you please explain this reasoning?What is different between starting in November vs January? The rates are going to rise and fall for the foreseeable future, there is no denying this. Can we stop pretending like if we just wait until next month things will change? We need to deal with school under the conditions we have now. If it’s lack of a plan and resources, then we should all be appalled with district leadership for not having this in place now. Nothing has changed in months. Nothing will change in months. If you’re paranoid and don’t want to school all together… fine. But, if you are willing to do a hybrid than why wait? This makes no sense to me. I see no logic in being ok with hybrid but continuing to kick the can down the road. Can we please stop playing this game?
Is anyone really surprised by this outcome? This board operates by one rule: cover your a$$. The elephant in the room is the 2021/22 budget. It is a *very* bad time to be employed by a public education entity (SBUSD, GUSD, UCSB, etc). Good luck to all.
Article said it would give them time to plan appropriately. Do you not see the need for this? Or do you feel it won’t take that long?
One would almost have thought or hoped that the school board and district would have been anticipating these things. Many schools opened a month ago. I get that they cant vote and start school tomorrow…but everyone saw the writing on the wall months ago…thus the constant agitation with why the school board pushing forward and planning. A couple of us posted multiple times (OK OK, in my case literally HUNDREDS OF TIMES) about how schools need to be planning and working towards opening with the understanding it would take 2 months to figure out. That two month clock should have started 1 month ago and we should be going back in November. Thanks SCHOOL BOARD!!!
Literally had this argument with you Pitmix a month ago. We should have been planning for this months ago and been able to start in November. You and a few others were grateful for the school board to be ignoring the Health board and Not starting to plan the resumption of school. Which brings us to now… school board deciding to start planning and needing 14 weeks.
You will have the option to zoom with your kids forever if you want… so hooray. But the fact that the school board squandered the last few months and can’t open now till January is not a health stance/issue but a Direct and withering condemnation of their leadership abilities.
LAUSD teachers unions demanded the shutdown. So why are they now complaining it will reduce tax dollars that support their school funding? Sacramento guaranteed their full compensation and positions until June 2021 – regardless. They have little to worry about now or anytime they retain the current super-majority of legislators in Sacramento. CTA is the most powerful political entity in this state. Worry not about the “teachers” – they own the entire system.
School board incumbents finally got the message parents want classroom education for their children; not solar panels. SBUSD school board incumbents were remarkably tone deaf.
Thanks LETMEGO: That list summarizes this debate perfectly. I see two themes. Either “I feel icky about school, I can’t tell you why, but it scares me, ask me again next month” and “the school doesn’t have a plan even through they’ve had more than 5 months to prepare”.
I want classroom education AND solar panels.
Our school board is a joke. To vote in favor of reopening in January, when they have had months to plan for a hybrid model. As much as school officials say they wants kids to return, no they do not! They have proven once again that they are dragging their feet & have no interest in returning to hybrid model when clearly enough time has passed to come up with one. Schools around us have opened & there has been no increase in cases. Santa Ynez school district just moved up their return date to Nov 9th. I’m so over this game that SBUSD is playing!
So we can’t open public schools yet because the exorbitant amount of planning it will take to re-open, (they should have been planning since March!), safety and science BUT, if you have a lot of money come on down to a private school because it’s safe, the science is right and we we’ve been ready to open since day one. I can’t stand Maldonado and already can’t wait to see her leave or retire.
What would Mother Teresa do? If you are getting paid to stay home, then stay home. If you are feeling forced to go to teach and don’t like it…Quit
Be glad bombs aren’t raining down on you.
Mother Teresa would teach outside.
420722 – Not only “should have been planning,” they boasted all summer about how hard they were working to implement the hybrid model for this fall! It was supposedly already planned! They said we were going hybrid and then Newsom shut them down. If they were telling the truth, there should be nothing left to plan now. This is unacceptable.
PITMIX – why do they need to plan? They told us ALL SUMMER that they were working toward, and then were ready and set up for, the hybrid model in the fall. Why can’t they just do as they planned ALREADY?
Face it folks, our kids are not going back even in January. They had a chance to open now and deal with the inevitable holiday spike, but they punted. Mark my words, come January, we will be back in a lock down and back in the purple zone after everyone goes and spreads COVID during the holidays. BUT….. we can beat them at their own game. STAY HOME, wear a mask, don’t be stupid and spread the virus and then they’ll have no excuses. If we really want the kids back in school, we’ll do whatever it takes to keep our numbers down. Wear a mask, wash your hands and stay away from crowds! Don’t give them the excuse they’re looking for!
Sorry to keep ranting, but can we also address the fact that 25% of the union staff didn’t even complete the survey. If you had survey about the future of your job environment wouldn’t it be critical that every employee participates?
Depends if she had pre-existing conditions or was in a high risk group. You seem very willing to risk the lives of teachers because it is inconvenient to you. Luckily you are not the boss of them.
Sacjon, where was this statement posted that they would be ready in the fall? I’d like to see it. My recollection was that they didn’t have the teachers on board so they didn’t have to prepare.
PITMIX – check your emails from SBUSD over the summer. Here’s part of one from July 27: “The presentation to the board included our commitment to plan for three potential scenarios: 100% distance learning, hybrid-model of learning and 100% back at school learning. We recognize that given the Governor’s guidance for reopening, our plans will need to be fluid. To mitigate a changing landscape, we have teams working to prepare guidance for all three scenarios.” Another one, from DPHS on July 17: ” I want to assure you that we’ve been planning for this possibility at the same time we have been developing our hybrid plan to bring students to campus as soon as we are given the green light.”
There’s more too, but you can read your own emails from the district, right?
Here’s the june 29 GUSD email (for those who don’t want to read it all, 73% parents wanted kids back)
GUSD Reopening Status Update // la Planificación de Reapertura del GUSD
Dear GUSD Community,
I hope this message finds you doing well and enjoying your summer vacation. It is time to provide a status update about the school reopening planning process here in GUSD.
Our Cabinet has been meeting at least twice per week since schools closed on March 16, 2020 to work on this initiative. On May 24, 2020, we began weekly meetings with a reopening work group including our Cabinet, two teachers/union leaders, two classified employees/union leaders. We expanded the group to include two principals and a school nurse. We have held four meetings to date.
We sent out a parent survey on June 2, 2020 and received 1,673 responses. Parents were asked:
If school were to reopen with Monday through Friday in-person instruction in August, would your children be returning to school? YES – 73%
If school were to reopen with a blended model of partial in-person and partial remote learning, would your children be returning to school? YES – 70%
Would you prefer school to open virtually in the fall, with only remote learning? YES – 17.4%
If an option for Independent Study were available, would you request such an option for your children? YES – 16.4%
What are your concerns over school reopening? Various open-ended responses.
We used the parent input to shape the following three options:
Option A, Five (5) day/week whole class cohort model:
Reduced student numbers for social-distancing (approximately 20:1 in all classes), a shortened student instructional day. Students arrive, dismiss, and go to recess on a staggered schedule to support social-distancing. Teachers will provide supplemental instructional practice and feedback through asynchronous remote learning. Specialist time (art, music, technology, & physical education) will be offered as a portion of the students’ asynchronous remote learning hours. This model optimizes access to in-person instruction for all students with approximately 20 hours per week of in-person academic instruction. The modified student day allows for the implementation of safety measures and protocols. The reduced class size will remain in place throughout the 2020-2021 school year. If social-distancing guidelines are lifted by the Public Health Department, the students’ instructional day may be expanded.
Option B, Hybrid 2 day/week half-class cohort model:
Half of the regularly assigned class attends full day M-Tu and the other half of the class attends full day Th-F to support reduced numbers and social distancing (e.g. Upper grade class of 28 students in regularly assigned class would result in 14 students M-Tu and the other 14 students on Th-F). Teachers will provide substantial remote learning for the students’ other 3 days of learning/week (activities assigned support approximately 10-14 hours/week depending on grade level) that will include new learning through asynchronous activities (e.g. instructional videos, assignments, feedback). Specialist time (art, music, technology, & physical education) will be offered as a portion of the students’ asynchronous remote learning hours. If social-distancing guidelines are lifted by the Public Health Department, the students’ number of in-person days may be expanded. This model provides students some access to in-person instruction in two distinct half-class cohorts with approximately 10 hours/week of in-person academic instruction.
Option C, Hybrid every other week cohort model:
Half of the regularly assigned class attends full day M-Th one week and the other half of the class attends full day the next week to support reduced numbers and social distancing (e.g. Upper grade class of 28 students in regularly assigned class would result in 14 students M-Th one week and the other 14 students M-Th the next week). Teachers will provide substantial remote learning for the students’ other 6 days of learning/every 2 weeks (activities assigned support approximately 20-28 hours/2 weeks depending on grade level) that will include new learning through asynchronous activities (e.g. instructional videos, assignments, feedback). Specialist time (art, music, technology, & physical education) will be offered as a portion of the students’ asynchronous remote learning hours. If social-distancing guidelines are lifted by the Public Health Department, the students’ number of in-person days may be expanded. This model provides students some access to in-person instruction in two distinct half-class cohorts with approximately 20 hours/every 2 weeks of in-person academic instruction.
On June 23, 2020, we sent a survey of the three options to all GUSD employees requesting they give input to which model would provide the greatest success for student learning and safety for all. The survey results for first choice are:
Option A – 69%
Option B – 17%
Option C – 4%
10% of respondents listed a choice of “other.”
Next steps:
One of these options, along with a comprehensive reopening plan that describes our safety measures and more, will be presented to GUSD Trustees formally for approval at our regular Board meeting on July 15, 2020. The agenda will be available to the public the afternoon of July 10, 2020.
Please keep in mind that the prevalence of COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County in August 2020 will determine which specific instructional options will be employed when school begins on August 19, 2020. If we move back into Stage 1 we will have remote instruction, in Stage 2 we will use a model that accommodates a hybrid of in-person and remote instruction, and then when social distancing requirements are eased, we may return to full time instruction on campus.
Dealing with the pandemic has been difficult for all our GUSD community. I want you to know we are working our hardest to bring our students back to campus safely and reunited with their teachers and classmates. I will send you a notice after our July 15, 2020 Board meeting to let you know which option is approved. Until then, be well.
Phew dodged a bullet glad I pulled my kids out of the public school system and into private. Not that I could afford it since my business has been closed 7 months, but were making it work. My children are happy and healthy with only a few children in the classes that are mostly outdoor.
Public health says we should open… and that’s even with Lompoc and Santa Maria included. That the district has taken millions of dollars in emergency funds designed for schools to open but not actually done anything to prepare is crazy and just a true condemnation on everyone involved.
Yes Sacjon! I have so many emails from even before school started how hard they have been working to make it happen. I’m done and over this. I’ve already transitioned into doing my own lessons to supplement what the teachers aren’t providing. Getting real close to home or private school options.
Good move!
Good choice!
We are a long time SBUSD family and we pulled our children out of the district this summer when we began to see the writing on the wall. Looking back, it’s probably one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. At the time it was a difficult decision because we’ve made many friends over the years though our children’s schools and we were involved in their school communities.
We are in love with the private school we moved them to. The attitude and competence of the leadership is night and day different from what we experienced at SBUSD schools.
Reopening was very complex for their private school. It would have been much easier to remain closed. But of course the school is accountable to the families and because their leadership is competent, the staff felt their reopening plan was safe and robust.
In the end my children will be in person in small cohorts for potentially an entire school year more than their public school friends and that’s a gift we’re fortunate we’re able to give them. Seeing articles like this reaffirms that we absolutely made the right choice.
Same here, we pulled out. Really unimpressed even before covid though with the district’s work – a lot of unprofesionlaism and “coasting” with salary/benefits happening, I believe. As a classroom volunteer over several years I was amazed at the lack of teaching happening, and finally just stopped because I was irritating my wife complaining about what I saw every time I saw class in person. And we were at a highly regarded school. Hey, everyone has to judge for themselves. But it’s ironic that the district’s pitch is constantly all about bringing up the bottom and guess what the bottom is sinking out even faster now because the teachers haven’t figured out how to handle this. I hope they can get their act together.
And what ever happened to encouraging high achievement in our public school schools? If they (current administration) have it their way they’ll completely ditch GATE and AP, and maybe even grades. Just give everyone A’s right?
Sorry, off topic.
So, correct me if I am wrong, but the health authorities have said that it is safe for the schools to reopen with the recommended guidelines, BUT the school board is overriding the Scientific recommendations and refusing to reopen until January 19 anyway,
The following day, January 20, just coincidentally happens to be Inauguration Day.
So it’s pretty much a given that if Trump is re-elected, the kids are going to be at home 100% distance learning in the Spring.
I hate Trump. I do not want him to win. But I resent the injection of ideology into this decision to reopen schools. I have a kid in middle school in Goleta, and I can tell you that distance learning sucks. It is inferior. She is falling behind her peers in private schools, which are reopening.
I don’t have the means to send my kid to private school.
If grocery checkout workers can deal with dozens of consumers each hour, I don’t see why teachers can’t hold in-class lessons, wearing masks, with social distancing.
Teaching is an essential service. Shame on those teachers who are refusing to step up and do their jobs. You don’t belong in this profession.
You can’t walk into a grocery store without wearing a mask. Why would it be any different in a school?
They’re “vectors is disease” is potentially a valid analysis of preschools… and yet they’ve All been open in sb county since May/June. It’s an odd emphasis the school board (and X number of Edhatters) have attached to The dangers of primary school… makes one think those in charge (And those notable commentators) have different thoughts, considerations and motivations than the common good.
Last night Jackie Reid stated they had no plan in place for reopening despite COVID bring 7 months old.
Wendy Sims Moten stated she does not understand the hybrid model as she laughed.
We’ve been in lock down for 7 months. The district has had plenty of time to prepare.
Laura Capps keeps stating they’re watching the science and data.
Science and data allowed schools to file a waiver to open over a month ago. Our board did nothing. Other schools filed and opened, full time.
Science and data, we moved into the Red Tier. Schools could reopen full time yesterday without a waiver. Our board did nothing.
We went into last night with the board staying they’d open part time “IF” we moved into the Orange tier.
Last night they poorly explained hybrid is 2 days in school with a teacher and 3 days at home without a teacher online schooling.
Seriously? Kids are supposed to self teach for 3 days? WTF.
Zoom with a teacher is hard enough. Now they offer online with no teacher.
I thought trying to hold down a job and babysit my kids online was hard enough, now they tell me I have to do the teaching 3 days/week.
How about docking their pay and pay me to teach my kids.
So the parents said NO, we want FULL TIME in person school.
The district has had 7 months to date. Waiting 2 more months, will they be prepared?
Doesn’t sound like it.
IMHO if the teachers union has their way we won’t be back in school until Sept 2021.
The teachers union blames high school students who don’t want to go to school & just screw around.
Since when did children dictate their schooling? Who’s the adult?
In the end science and data has allowed our schools to be open for over a month.
And the board still has zero plan, zero leadership.
In July the CDC expressed the importance opening schools and the low positive case and transmittal rates amongst children and families. Go check it out on the cdc website, it still states that same message from 3 months ago.
The board complains about funds, but the teachers union just gave Laura Capps $20,000 towards her political campaign. Not to the children for schooling.
I am so disappointed that the board is using our children for political gain or they blatantly do not care about the children’s health and well being and education.
Ah, let’s loo at their actions and track record. $20,000 spent in political campaigns.
50% literacy rate with zero improvement in four years and that answers that.
Guess politics win there.
My understanding is that pre-schoolers don’t exhale a significant amount of viral particles, so they are unlikely to infect teachers. The older the kids are, the more significant the viral load. But this can be mitigated by mask wearing and social distancing, so there is no valid excuse for endlessly postponing the opening of schools.
Santa Barbara County K-12 Schools Get Green Light to Reopen In-Person Classes
Jackie Reid stated the SBUSD has no plan in place. Why?
https://www.noozhawk.com/article/public_health_allows_all_k_12_schools_to_reopen_in_person_one_additional_co
Disappointing but not at all surprising. Such a disgrace. They’ve had 6 months to come up with a plan…that really is simple. Masks, wash hands and distance when possible. I feel it will take an act of God or some sort of government order to get schools back…we’ll be playing this game indefinitely. 3 more months just to go back 2 days a week. DISGRACEFUL! Pay cuts and funding cuts should start ASAP
The yells come from the the stadium full, but only the matador faces the bull. And from what I’ve been reading there’s sure a whole lot of bull… Find a leader you can trust to solve this dilemma. One who can make the complex simple.
PITMIX – You’re wrong, the “majority” of voters in SB WANT their kids back in school now that’s it’s been deemed safe by the scientists and officials to do so. Not sure were you’re getting your info, but our polls and the teachers I know personally have all said the majority of teachers and parents want to be back in the classroom.
Also, you asked for the statements re: hybrid planning for the fall. I posted some, but you seemed to have forgotten to respond. Did you look at your emails from SBUSD?
Uh, that date was chosen because it’s the start of second term for high schools (so all the students will be starting new classes).
” the “majority” of voters in SB WANT their kids back in school now that’s it’s been deemed safe by the scientists and officials to do so. ”
SACJON, this is not the case. The poll results from SBUNIFIED parents showed that fewer than half (43%) of the parents want to start now (meaning November 9). 57% prefer to wait until Jan 19 or later.
USA IN RUINS , DUKEMUNSON, and BOSCO you are ALL correct and I concur. Mother Teresa WOULD be teaching outside. If families don’t like schools having in-person sessions, then homeschool or do hybrid yourself. If teachers don’t like the job of teaching students, they should pick a new career. I’m in the education field and work with teachers all day every day. It’s the LEADERSHIP that failed our community! I lost two teachers when the pandemic hit. It was fine with me if they stayed home. Other teachers gladly took their positions. Now I’m employing about 7 more people than we were in March because our enrollment EXPLODED! Students CAN and SHOULD be in CLASS in SCHOOL with their TEACHERS. Period!
Worked and volunteered for both GUSD and SBUSD, in non union support as well as credentialed faculty roles, for over 20 years. Amazed that the districts won’t open classrooms now that they have the green light to do so. This will only increase the flight to private schools for those that can, and the degradation of the educational experience for those that can’t. A disaster in the making.
This thread is a bunch of like minded people screaming into an echo chamber. I hope it makes you feel better because you are not changing a thing and don’t represent a majority of the voters in SB.
I watched that whole thing and still don’t know what the “plan” is. Apparently several board members don’t, either. Apalling lack of communication skills by the new super and her subordinants.
Kathy Ireland had a great opinion piece in Noozhawk
https://www.noozhawk.com/article/kathy_ireland_teen_talk_curriculum_teaching_wrong_lessons_20201011
You are right Pitmix… because people like you On both sides will Forever vote the party line… no matter what. School board members unable to competently or coherently even say what the plan is… perfect, re-elect them!! Board members seemingly shocked that we can open and now need to scramble to start planning (when that’s obviously been the trajectory for 2+ months)… that’s true leadership, re-elect!! You are the exact same as the Trump fanatics… just the other side of the coin… and like the opposite side truly are the problem with this country… incompetence and failure is accepted as long as it’s your side in charge. It’s embarrassing…
SBUSD is an organization run by partisan political activists, not champions for academic excellence. The district spent the spring and summer concerning itself with green energy, ethnic studies courses that aren’t currently required by the state of CA, a controversial sex Ed curriculum, meeting BLM student demands and serving hot meals to anyone who drove up rather than coming up with a solid plan to get children back to the classroom. It’s no wonder most of the students in the district aren’t meeting state standards! By January, children in SBUSD will have gone 9 months without having stepped foot into a classroom. This shouldn’t be acceptable to any parent or community member.
“Great” is a generous opinion. I found her opinion to be aligned with many of the Fox News pundits that I detest.
Just more politics. It is not a coincidence that they choose the last day of the presidential term to allow reopening of schools.
Just as “Q” prophesied?
Kathy is a whacko….
Scroll back to Dodobird. Well said! if you want truth its the best post. If you want change and our kids back in school vote Elrawd Maclearn, Brian Campbell and Moni de Wit.
Time to run the stepford board sisters out! The same group lead the search with Capps at the helm and bragged about bringing in the new superintendant and what a good fit she was. Loosers love company, our tax payer’s dollars at work. Maldanado has never been a superintendant with a 250 Thousand dollar anual salary not including benefits.
She is in way over her head , out of touch with what local parents want and incapable of managing this district. The school board brought her in from the failing LA school district, one of the worst in the nation where she was assistant superintendent, a very different role. She is too busy taking surveys to try to understand what to do next?
Private schools have been back over a month! The health department lined out opening guidlines months ago there is no new info on protocal and yet our kids remain in virtual prison suffering futher damage every day. This whole board has to go ! make your vote count for the change our kids and community deserve! This is a community crisis. Put kids educatoin before politics.
Because, of course, every problem has a simple solution if you know nothing about it.
There are no coincidences, only deep state conspiracies. Luckily I’m wearing my tin hat and mask.
Probably belongs to Praise for People.
Duke, is that why your dictator is likely to be deposed on Nov 3, unless he can convince the military to keep him in office? But they hate him too because of how he has treated the generals. If he knew anything about history, he would have known you have to buy the generals’ loyalty first if you want to stay in power.
That’s right Pitmix…only teachers are busy and have to work…only teachers…
The teachers don’t feel classrooms are safe, but that very decision leaves them with no childcare. So what do they do? They put their own children in classrooms to do “remote” learning. The irony and hypocrisy here should not be lost on anyone.
Then join an union and get some protections so you have the same privileges. This is exactly what unions are for, to make sure you get child care if they force you to work in a pandemic. If they just extended the vacations and pensions and child care that public unions get to everyone in private industry, then we could stop complaining. But we might not be able to spend $1Trillion a year on defense and homeland agencies.
PiTMix, the market is perfectly capable of making key jobs competitive with appropriate benefits that attract and keep the best employees, without paying a union boss $1000 a year as teachers union members do every year. Plus taking over school boards so the unions effecitvely sit on both sides of the bargaining table. This allows the teachers unions to protect their inferior work product while keeping full pay and benefits jobs safe from any down-sizing or accountability. Indeed, only the public sector unions today somehow get taxpayers to keep funding these scams against their own self-interests. Unions are good at marketing which is why they convinced voters to hand them this much power – but there needs to be a place for the competitive marketplace in K-12 education now that more parents have learned the value of non-government schools during this teacher union shutdown.
Well said @ 4:37
Let’s see, if teachers are busy teaching school, online or virtual, then their kids have to be in school or day care because their parents aren’t around to supervise. Does that seem really hard to understand?
Everyone whos has an employer that provides on-site remote learning education please raise your hand……………………………
Highly laudatory reports from parents who transferred their children to private schools, since the local government schools failed to serve them, should send chills through the SBUSD board members and the local government school teachers unions. School choice takes on a far deeper meaning today because it is no longer theoretical.
That is what I’m doing, should have done it sooner. What’s crazy is the tuition is about half what the school district receives per pupil from the state each year. If this year doesn’t shine a bright spotlight on how our state public school system doesn’t have our kids best interests at heart I don’t know what will.
An aside: all the professionals are predicting that November, December and January will be truly horrible in Covid cases. So you just might want to wait until January before sending your kids out there.
Do you remember the doomsday call they were making back in March too? I believe I recall something like “the worst week of our lives”, something to that effect. They cometely overcalled it, so it’s hard to believe you. Not saying we don’t keep wearing masks and distancing, of course we do. But kids should be back in public schools now, and our public health officials have said so. Anything COULD happen this winter, but let’s try and deal in reality Teacher Lady. Thanks.
TEACHER LADY – that’s one of my bigger concerns. They’s said “IF” we are in the Orange Tier, the kids can finally go back to school. If we were to open now, as I understand, then even if our numbers went up again, the schools wouldn’t shut down. But, by pushing the goalpost to January, we are at risk of our numbers raising (during the holidays) and then giving them another excuse to delay the re-opening of our kids’ schools. Unless we miraculously start taking this more seriously, the numbers WILL go up over the holidays, thereby preventing our kids, once again, from getting the education they deserve.
Thousands of local kids are back or going back to school this month (private schools, MUSD, Hope District, etc). How is it that they are at any less risk than public school kids?
Keep in mind that when we were at our worst back in July the hospitals were managing well within their resources. They have yet to need a single bed in an overflow emergency COVID unit and that was when the infection rates were 4-5 times worse than now. If it gets bad, close the schools. Until then, let’s get some semblance of real instruction.
By the way, the professionals you reference (i.e. State and Local Public Health officials) are also the ones that have approved opening schools right now.
Teacher, those same experts said millions would die this year in California. Those experts were wrong. We may have a surge in cases but number of cases should have never mattered. Mortality rates and hospital capacity is what we need to follow.
NYC schools testing thousands of retuning schools kids and school personnel – virturally zero students tested positive – single digits, a few more adult staffers. Out of thousands of tests. See the news story for the actual numbers.
Best evidence yet we need to open schools. Expect to see more of this type of data over the next year. https://www.npr.org/2020/10/21/925794511/were-the-risks-of-reopening-schools-exaggerated