And you just don't know why?
Reopening Schools
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Last: 5 yr ago by AustinAg2K
Anybody here anything from the Spring Branch ISD meeting tonight? They were supposed to release the results from the survey on different schedule preferences.
Too many plans are trying to set some sort of spacing requirement between kids all day long.
Just seems so short-sighted.
After school care also getting zero ****s given and that could be the hardest problem of all.
Also nearly nothing being said about how to handle testing lags, positive kids, or kids with exposure.
Just not seeing how this happens without pulling the rip cord and hoping for the best.
Just seems so short-sighted.
After school care also getting zero ****s given and that could be the hardest problem of all.
Also nearly nothing being said about how to handle testing lags, positive kids, or kids with exposure.
Just not seeing how this happens without pulling the rip cord and hoping for the best.
A few larger districts in dfw came out today and stated that kids will either choose to be at school daily or at home daily for the next school year. No hybrid model. Hopefully this picks up some steam else where.
EdmondsWay said:
A few larger districts in dfw came out today and stated that kids will either choose to be at school daily or at home daily for the next school year. No hybrid model. Hopefully this picks up some steam else where.
That's been the way most are going. For big districts that seems about as much as you can hope for. Not sure who evaluates these kids if they even see any evaluation, but whatever. Not clear how many will take them up on it.
Our schools are going back. Normal schedule with some added flex days.
Bunch of nervous Nellies on Facebook want an "at home" option provided. Many folks have responded (correctly) that they are free to keep their kids out of school and home school them. They have always had this option and Covid does not influence it. Most school districts even have recommended curriculum companies they recommend.
Bunch of nervous Nellies on Facebook want an "at home" option provided. Many folks have responded (correctly) that they are free to keep their kids out of school and home school them. They have always had this option and Covid does not influence it. Most school districts even have recommended curriculum companies they recommend.
The complexity and Nuance is if those "nervous nellies" stay home your district doesn't get state or federal funding for those kids because it is attendance based.
The call you've read about in these threads with the TEA commissioner and superintendents was to cover how funding will be handled with hybrid models.
Budgets are set, teacher contracts are signed and districts have no way to model attendance based funding other than guessing what "nervous nellies" are going to do.
This is not information from a friend of a friend this is from a close relative in leadership at the state level. This is not cut and dried.
For the record I'm sending my kids back to school but can't discount the fact that 25% of parents in our district are not yet comfortable doing so.
It doesn't matter if I think they are "nervous nellies". Without a model to fund based on distance learning or not giving that option because by God you can home school your kids if you don't like it will leave ISDs with massive budget shortfalls.
Never mind the added complexity that districts (esp. in smaller communities) are often the largest employers.
The call you've read about in these threads with the TEA commissioner and superintendents was to cover how funding will be handled with hybrid models.
Budgets are set, teacher contracts are signed and districts have no way to model attendance based funding other than guessing what "nervous nellies" are going to do.
This is not information from a friend of a friend this is from a close relative in leadership at the state level. This is not cut and dried.
For the record I'm sending my kids back to school but can't discount the fact that 25% of parents in our district are not yet comfortable doing so.
It doesn't matter if I think they are "nervous nellies". Without a model to fund based on distance learning or not giving that option because by God you can home school your kids if you don't like it will leave ISDs with massive budget shortfalls.
Never mind the added complexity that districts (esp. in smaller communities) are often the largest employers.
And the complexity of handling quarantines when needed due to exposure and substitute staffing when this happens.
My daughter in law works in HR for a manufacturing company in the metroplex. They recently had this first workers who had to quarantine due to wifes who were positive. The temp company who sent in a subsitutute worker, guess what. That subsitute worker just tested positive from exposure at his or her previous job.
In large districts sub teachers are hard to get to begin with and the ones who do it for their actual job may be at a different campus every day of the week. Now imagine that sub testing positive and all the students they would have exposed in one week.
Hopefully none of my students will bring the virus to school. Hopefully none of the over two thousand kids and 300 or so teachers and staffers will get it. But schools not only have to decide what instruction and safety measures will be in place since TEA which I actively dislike won't set standards. Then districts have to figure out how to fund all of this, then districts have to have a plan on how a campus will operate once there is confirmed exposure.
And to be honest for most teachers, how will we survive financially if we have to do the 14 day quarantine thing multiple times. Most younger teachers don't have an abundance of time built up.
My daughter in law works in HR for a manufacturing company in the metroplex. They recently had this first workers who had to quarantine due to wifes who were positive. The temp company who sent in a subsitutute worker, guess what. That subsitute worker just tested positive from exposure at his or her previous job.
In large districts sub teachers are hard to get to begin with and the ones who do it for their actual job may be at a different campus every day of the week. Now imagine that sub testing positive and all the students they would have exposed in one week.
Hopefully none of my students will bring the virus to school. Hopefully none of the over two thousand kids and 300 or so teachers and staffers will get it. But schools not only have to decide what instruction and safety measures will be in place since TEA which I actively dislike won't set standards. Then districts have to figure out how to fund all of this, then districts have to have a plan on how a campus will operate once there is confirmed exposure.
And to be honest for most teachers, how will we survive financially if we have to do the 14 day quarantine thing multiple times. Most younger teachers don't have an abundance of time built up.
I 100% understand that school is different and there is definitely not a one-size fits all solution...but...in my mind I would think if someone in a class gets sick, the entire class quarantines for 14 days (including teacher) but during that time they utilize a remote learning period to avoid any interruptions. Obviously if anyone is too sick to learn or teach that is different but I would think after this past year we know how to handle a little bit of remote learning when necessary...just not for an entire semester...
This is quasi how my work is doing it...anyone gets sick they quarantine and so do those around them. Everyone around must submit a negative test to return. Continue working from home w/o having to take sick pay unless you are actually sick
This is quasi how my work is doing it...anyone gets sick they quarantine and so do those around them. Everyone around must submit a negative test to return. Continue working from home w/o having to take sick pay unless you are actually sick
These are protocols we are trying to figure out.
Right. I think by the time kids get in school a lot of large companies and industries will have worked through some of these issues. Hopefully the schools can look around and take some best practices. I think you can avoid major interruptions even when an entire class has to quarantine at home...
Our district is able to adjust to synchronous at home learning at any given moment. Unfortunately that is not the case for many districts. Especially the case for your large urban districts. Even some of your larger suburban districts like CFB, Frisco, Plano and so on aren't fully equipped to transition from one to other quickly.
Fair points. I am not exactly sure how that works but I felt like in Plano they have a computer assigned to each kid in the class already so for those kids that need one they could just "check it out" and bring it back when quarantine is over.
I am not trying to over-simply but yet at the same time it should not be overly complicated as well. Let's not pretend even with a laptop and college educated stay at home mom's that these kids will get the same learning experience at home as in school. The 2 weeks will ultimately be a lesser learning period; however, the ultimate benefit will hopefully be 75% of the year or more in school learning from a trained teacher
I am not trying to over-simply but yet at the same time it should not be overly complicated as well. Let's not pretend even with a laptop and college educated stay at home mom's that these kids will get the same learning experience at home as in school. The 2 weeks will ultimately be a lesser learning period; however, the ultimate benefit will hopefully be 75% of the year or more in school learning from a trained teacher
What about where kids change classrooms throughout the day? One kid winds up sending 5-7 classes + teachers home for 14 days. Then other kid gets sick and another round of classes plus teachers are out while other may be rolling back in after their 14 days are up.planoa said:
in my mind I would think if someone in a class gets sick, the entire class quarantines for 14 days (including teacher)
I have a strange feeling parents and staff will handle it kind of like they often do with day care. Parents will give their kids meds before school and dump them off with instructions to take more meds if needed at lunch and staff will do their best to not actively seek out kids that appear sick from non-standard COVID symptoms (high fever, no smell, dry cough).
Also, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a going to be a fair amount of 'don't ask, don't tell' come the fall.
I am coming from a more simplified elementary setting 
My thoughts are in a world where kids stay put in one class all day long. Sucks. But i think they may have to consider.
I am not sure how that works in higher grades. Can they at least try and 'batch" kids together and have them follow the same schedule? I realize b/c of sicence etc you can't leave them in one room all day. Maybe there are timed periods where grades or parts of school do their switches at same time and kids are asked to walk in a line like they did in pre-school. Just shooting from the hip a bit. Hopefully Superintendents etc are spending a few more minutes on it than me. Hopefully they can figure something out. I feel like our world has solved bigger problems.
My thoughts are in a world where kids stay put in one class all day long. Sucks. But i think they may have to consider.
I am not sure how that works in higher grades. Can they at least try and 'batch" kids together and have them follow the same schedule? I realize b/c of sicence etc you can't leave them in one room all day. Maybe there are timed periods where grades or parts of school do their switches at same time and kids are asked to walk in a line like they did in pre-school. Just shooting from the hip a bit. Hopefully Superintendents etc are spending a few more minutes on it than me. Hopefully they can figure something out. I feel like our world has solved bigger problems.
I was an administrator in Plano for many years and still close with many there. The issue Plano had, like many others, was that their in school instruction was not centered around a digital platform, say Canvas or Google Classroom. Yes, they had the devices to offer but lacked an operational understanding of true digital learning. They are making great adjustments and should be able to offer more rigorous digital base instruction should the need arise again.
Don't be surprised to see district plans that include students being grouped in learning "pods". They will have 6-7 teachers rotate into their one classroom versus them going to 6-7 different rooms during the day.Quote:
What about where kids change classrooms throughout the day? One kid winds up sending 5-7 classes + teachers home for 14 days. Then other kid gets sick and another round of classes plus teachers are out while other may be rolling back in after their 14 days are up.
EdmondsWay said:
Our district is able to adjust to synchronous at home learning at any given moment. Unfortunately that is not the case for many districts. Especially the case for your large urban districts. Even some of your larger suburban districts like CFB, Frisco, Plano and so on aren't fully equipped to transition from one to other quickly.
100% spot on. Round Rock ISD for example (home of Dell, the soon to be second largest Apple location, etc) is not a 1:1 district, meaning not every student has a notebook/tablet.
I work in the high tech space, make a good income and can afford the necessary equipment. I also work from home as does my spouse (normally in an office but COVID). Virtually everyone at my kids' school is in the same boat but not everyone and there are other schools in the ISD that aren't as fortunate.
Ok so you quarantine the entire second grade for two weeks. You've now dictated that every two income household in that class has to keep someone home for two weeks. Now maybe they can work remotely but what if they can't? You now have districts basically mandating that parents risk not paying the rent or putting their kids at risk and of course themselves if someone turns them in for leaving their kid at home alone.
Now as stated above extend that to a poor district (Houston ISD which is already a gong show in normal circumstances).
Its not impossible to solve for but isn't easy.
Right. I in no way shape or form believe the "at-home" instruction would even come close to the benefits of "in-class" however this past semester enough kids logged in to online learning programs and were at least able to do a small amount of "brain exercies" to keep them at least somewhat engaged. Ultimately the key will having them be in school as much as possible but safely navigate any virus spread issues.
But the other option is full time at home, right?
This virus will 100% impact everyone. Be it actually getting sick or having it interrupt their lives (burning through PTO, getting laid off, etc).
We must get to school and have smart / basic plans for when kids get sick.
With a little thought you can minimize mass interaction of kids in school and limit the #s quarantined when there are in fact cases.
I do think schools will each probably need at least 1 if not 2 people fully dedicated to tracking / monitoring COVID cases and recoveries...
This virus will 100% impact everyone. Be it actually getting sick or having it interrupt their lives (burning through PTO, getting laid off, etc).
We must get to school and have smart / basic plans for when kids get sick.
With a little thought you can minimize mass interaction of kids in school and limit the #s quarantined when there are in fact cases.
I do think schools will each probably need at least 1 if not 2 people fully dedicated to tracking / monitoring COVID cases and recoveries...
Plano, even in a large district that batching becomes difficult. Since high school students have to have an endorsement, sort of like a major, and take certain electives in certain orders for that, and since they also have tracks like IB, AP, dual credit, on level, co teach, resource for instance, and since students might be advanced in math and taking AP math, but on level in English and Social studies, and you add in special things like football, softball, dance, band, orchestra...having a cohort group that stays together all day is somewhat iffy.
I teach 175 kid. If the teacher is positive that is 175 that need to quarantine, but perhaps my English class is the only common thing on their schedule. So seven other teachers have a "few" that have to go online.
It is not impossible, but it is going to be difficult and not thinking about the obstacles ahead of time would be poor planning.
I teach 175 kid. If the teacher is positive that is 175 that need to quarantine, but perhaps my English class is the only common thing on their schedule. So seven other teachers have a "few" that have to go online.
It is not impossible, but it is going to be difficult and not thinking about the obstacles ahead of time would be poor planning.
Agree upper levels will be more complicated.
It may be damn near impossible to have a safe solution without pissing people off.
I realize you have AP stuff. And if i remember right you can do AP Chem but not AP Math etc. Maybe this year you have to do all or nothing. Maybe they are more "allowing" of kids to pick which one based on prior year performance.
Sports throw in a whole new wrinkle as a sickness on a team could impact 20+ classrooms. But maybe that is an "is what it is" situation and if it becomes too big of an issue you have to look at the true cost / benefit of extracurricular activities....it sucks but maybe they end up cancelling sports.
It may be damn near impossible to have a safe solution without pissing people off.
I realize you have AP stuff. And if i remember right you can do AP Chem but not AP Math etc. Maybe this year you have to do all or nothing. Maybe they are more "allowing" of kids to pick which one based on prior year performance.
Sports throw in a whole new wrinkle as a sickness on a team could impact 20+ classrooms. But maybe that is an "is what it is" situation and if it becomes too big of an issue you have to look at the true cost / benefit of extracurricular activities....it sucks but maybe they end up cancelling sports.
Wouln't that make make extra-curriculars and electives essentially useless? Districts will have to adjust their graduation requirements accordingly. Also pooling necessitates the kids to separated by academic achievement. It will take about 4 days before someone claims racism or segregation.EdmondsWay said:Don't be surprised to see district plans that include students being grouped in learning "pods". They will have 6-7 teachers rotate into their one classroom versus them going to 6-7 different rooms during the day.Quote:
What about where kids change classrooms throughout the day? One kid winds up sending 5-7 classes + teachers home for 14 days. Then other kid gets sick and another round of classes plus teachers are out while other may be rolling back in after their 14 days are up.
edit to add: If there's no sports, band, show choir, debate etc, and school is mostly online anyways, how many kids will drop out and get a GED?
High schools will be the most difficult since you see more cases over 15 than under. Elementary kids are at the lowest risk of getting and spreading COVID so some small changes will be all that is needed.
I was speaking with an Austin administrator and what she wanted was absolute madness in my opinion that would put too much on the teachers for elementary and middle school teachers. Temperature checks before entering, temperature checks 3-5 times a day, washing hands once an hour, lunches in class, teachers teaching the same kids all day, wipe down all outdoor play equipment after each class uses it, no water fountains (kids have to bring their own cups, no touching other kids, and no indoor PE. Just out of touch with what kids do.
I was speaking with an Austin administrator and what she wanted was absolute madness in my opinion that would put too much on the teachers for elementary and middle school teachers. Temperature checks before entering, temperature checks 3-5 times a day, washing hands once an hour, lunches in class, teachers teaching the same kids all day, wipe down all outdoor play equipment after each class uses it, no water fountains (kids have to bring their own cups, no touching other kids, and no indoor PE. Just out of touch with what kids do.
State mandates graduation credits. Some things are not local control.
Pods would somewhat work. In the old days secondary teachers had to have two distinct teaching fields. I am certiified in English and Social studies. But with the switch to highly qualified by the national government, now most teachers only have one area of certification. Again this can be done but it will need the right computer program but is not simple. And I think that is why districts have been slow to come out with plans. Elementary is much simpler. Middle is easier because learning pods work. Any high school 5 A or larger will be really difficult.
Pods would somewhat work. In the old days secondary teachers had to have two distinct teaching fields. I am certiified in English and Social studies. But with the switch to highly qualified by the national government, now most teachers only have one area of certification. Again this can be done but it will need the right computer program but is not simple. And I think that is why districts have been slow to come out with plans. Elementary is much simpler. Middle is easier because learning pods work. Any high school 5 A or larger will be really difficult.
It will for sure be easier for the lower grade levels. Trying to figure out CTE courses as been a pickle as you need so minutes per day "in" class to get endorsements for them.
The fact that the state has backed out of a couple million dollars in funding to pay for all the equipment and software to go online is a MUCH bigger issue than lost attendance. So they want teachers to provide additional instructional hours adding even more costs, yet they are not going to increase the funding to cover these costs.
Pass. Let them sit out. Do not let kids that choose to stay home to participate in any extracurricular activities, you know for their safety, and they will have their butts in seats and we will move on.
The customer is not always right.
Pass. Let them sit out. Do not let kids that choose to stay home to participate in any extracurricular activities, you know for their safety, and they will have their butts in seats and we will move on.
The customer is not always right.
There is a fallacy in many districts that they are 1:1. Our district, every student is issued an device that is 100% theirs while in the district. They take it home daily and keep it throughout breaks and the summer.Quote:
100% spot on. Round Rock ISD for example (home of Dell, the soon to be second largest Apple location, etc) is not a 1:1 district, meaning not every student has a notebook/tablet.
Many districts claim to be 1:1 but it in most cases that means there is a device in the school building to accommodate every student. Does not mean it is issued to them.
We have chrome carts in each core classroom. Kids use them in each section. But not enough go one to one.
No doubt, one of the biggest issues we have in Texas IMO is that education is being pushed down to the local level to such an extent that it makes it easy for the Leg to pull funding and create numerous unfunded mandates.
Nothing wrong with local control but local control means a ton of small voices, not one large voice which comes in handy when ensuring mandates get funded.
Nothing wrong with local control but local control means a ton of small voices, not one large voice which comes in handy when ensuring mandates get funded.
From what I've seen no option is off the table. I listened to a presentation given by a superintendent in south Texas facilitated by TEA talking through year round schooling as a way to ensure that even with stoppages due to spikes that kids could get enough classroom time.planoaggie123 said:
But the other option is full time at home, right?
This virus will 100% impact everyone. Be it actually getting sick or having it interrupt their lives (burning through PTO, getting laid off, etc).
We must get to school and have smart / basic plans for when kids get sick.
With a little thought you can minimize mass interaction of kids in school and limit the #s quarantined when there are in fact cases.
I do think schools will each probably need at least 1 if not 2 people fully dedicated to tracking / monitoring COVID cases and recoveries...
This ISD just completed its second year of essentially year round schooling. This was early into the social distancing shut down.
EdmondsWay said:There is a fallacy in many districts that they are 1:1. Our district, every student is issued an device that is 100% theirs while in the district. They take it home daily and keep it throughout breaks and the summer.Quote:
100% spot on. Round Rock ISD for example (home of Dell, the soon to be second largest Apple location, etc) is not a 1:1 district, meaning not every student has a notebook/tablet.
Many districts claim to be 1:1 but it in most cases that means there is a device in the school building to accommodate every student. Does not mean it is issued to them.
Yes indeed, and there are many districts that claim both and its not close to 1:1. Some of that is due to breakage of devices and not having budget to replace it. There is of course the odd issue of shadiness but that is way more the exception than the rule.
Honestly don't know how ISD's can be successful at scale given the variance in priorities. That is where many ISD's fall short, it is not for lack of effort, caring, desire, there are too many balls to keep in the air.
The continued expansion of mandates from Federal and State lawmakers while simultaneously strangling funding compounds the issue.
All of this is incorrect. All budgets aren't set many contracts are not signed and there is a attendance model set for kids remote learning.Quote:
The complexity and Nuance is if those "nervous nellies" stay home your district doesn't get state or federal funding for those kids because it is attendance based.
The call you've read about in these threads with the TEA commissioner and superintendents was to cover how funding will be handled with hybrid models.
Budgets are set, teacher contracts are signed and districts have no way to model attendance based funding other than guessing what "nervous nellies" are going to do.
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