Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Holyoke, Amherst: photographs, freeways, bark)

[mdovell]

This is going to get ugly folks
https://www.masslive.com/news/2020/0...ing-plans.html

In Mass teacher strikes are illegal. But back then it was more obvious due to picketing and it actually takes a week to determine a strike according to what a lawyer told me 10 or so years ago.

Anyway...I don't think the students are going back at this point, even in the hybrid.

The state has no provided guidance on the budget. Schools (chapter 70), roads (chapter 90...I know of places that have cancelled line painting this year), COA's, special education, green communities, community preservation act etc. It's very hard to determine what you can spend vs what you have.

So the game theory here. Make it safe or else we'll just teach online, no in person or hybrid. In terms of PR it isn't really going on strike but the option to go online has to be provided to all students. So legally they are abiding by the contract and it isn't a work stoppage..technically. You cannot fire a teacher for not going in especially since pre existing conditions are nearly considered a protected class via obamacare. I also can't see a nationwide strike (House of cards anyone?) as without a strike fund being significant and the recent loss of $600 in unemployment would be devastating. Again they'll work but not in the building if they believe it is unsafe.

Without funding being approved, without engineering the buildings, without hiring of additional bus drivers and monitors etc. Now we can delay the starting a few weeks and that's fine. But this process is going to take much longer than just two weeks.

The problem with the hybrid model is that if it means that classes are being streamed live and/or recorded is multifold. If kids start bullying each other that's now recorded and we know how social media can work with that, if parents interrupt teachers with questions on lesson plans, if teachers see signs of abuse they legally must report it to DSS, some students might not want to do anything if it's archived etc. It's just too complicated.

[BostonMike7]

I kinda saw that coming. I think a big sticking point was having professionals take a look at the buildings HVAC systems and make some changes if necessary. ie filters. With no budget, and no time, this isn't going to happen.

I'm starting to think that school will be going full remote, at least the public schools

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I kinda saw that coming. I think a big sticking point was having professionals take a look at the buildings HVAC systems and make some changes if necessary. ie filters. With no budget, and no time, this isn't going to happen.

I'm starting to think that school will be going full remote, at least the public schools

Schools have HVAC systems? Not in my town. Schools have boilers and squirrel cage fans under the windows to move air past radiator fins. I haven't been in the High School but that's how the rest of the schools work. Other than the High School, nothing has been built since 1968. School enrollment peaked in the Boomer years even though the population of the town doubled.

[bohemka]

Shifting gears a bit... The fourteen-day quarantine from states outside New England and NY, NJ, and Hawaii, effective 8/1.

I have no idea what the MassPort numbers are, but I'd imagine we are getting boatloads (not literally) of visitors and residents returning from states that aren't on the exempt list.

How is any of this going to be monitored? I feel like the hotels have an obligation to report out-of-state visitors so they can prove they've tested negative. Hawaii was really on top of this. I'm hoping a similar system can be put in place.

[Bridge781]

Well a decision needs to be made. And soon.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by bohemka

Shifting gears a bit... The fourteen-day quarantine from states outside New England and NY, NJ, and Hawaii, effective 8/1.

I have no idea what the MassPort numbers are, but I'd imagine we are getting boatloads (not literally) of visitors and residents returning from states that aren't on the exempt list.

How is any of this going to be monitored? I feel like the hotels have an obligation to report out-of-state visitors so they can prove they've tested negative. Hawaii was really on top of this. I'm hoping a similar system can be put in place.

We are driving out of state next week and even I'm slightly confused. I've reached out to an urgent care clinic near the house we are renting to find out about rapid testing there. My plan is to have my entire family tested the day before we return so that we have results in that 72-hour window, but I don't know if I'm supposed to get tested there before we come home? Here once we get home? Of course I time our trip for the exact time this rule gets put into place...

[robr2]

Originally Posted by bohemka

Shifting gears a bit... The fourteen-day quarantine from states outside New England and NY, NJ, and Hawaii, effective 8/1.

I have no idea what the MassPort numbers are, but I'd imagine we are getting boatloads (not literally) of visitors and residents returning from states that aren't on the exempt list.

How is any of this going to be monitored? I feel like the hotels have an obligation to report out-of-state visitors so they can prove they've tested negative. Hawaii was really on top of this. I'm hoping a similar system can be put in place.

In reality, it's not going to be enforced very strictly as there are limited resources to do so and the "muh rights" crew will be out there. It's going to come into play when someone from out of state hosts a house party at their vacation rental that then has a breakout. When it's traced back to the visitor who then cannot prove they quarantined, then the state will issue the $500/day fine.

Lodging establishments are required under the state order to advise guests of the order and I believe airport travelers will get the same information when getting off the plane.

[in_newengland]

Wait until colleges open and students come from all over the country, all over the world too. What a mess.

HVAC systems in schools--where I taught in MA, we had some sort of massive ventilation system. It was for heat but it was also for a/c but they could never afford to use the a/c. The air was filthy. The janitors told us that they changed the filters twice a year but the filters were so dirty that they could have changed them the next day! There was no money to do it right and we all had to breath that air because it circulated throughout the entire building.

A school building won't be safe to teach in. As I keep saying (speaking into a vacuum, lol) just forget education for the year 2020. Maybe send some kids in small groups to a tutor who is young enough to not be at risk. The rest can be remote (which doesn't work with elementary aged kids) or just team the schools with the public library and supply the kids with lots of interesting and fun books to read. That could be the best for the younger kids--exciting, adventure books, chapter books. Maybe that's the best we can do and at least all would not be lost. There are some really wonderful kids' books that they love.

[Bridge781]

I find it interesting that MA is probably going to shut down schools to just remote learning but students will be flown in from all over the world to sit in dorms (and no they probably won’t just sit there) to do remote learning. This will go well.

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

I find it interesting that MA is probably going to shut down schools to just remote learning but students will be flown in from all over the world to sit in dorms (and no they probably won’t just sit there) to do remote learning. This will go well.

Just like some private schools will likely open - they are tuition dependent and have funding to upgrade HVAC, add provisions, etc.