Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Worcester, Springfield: daycare, lawyers, high schools)

[Williepaws]

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

No demographic has resisted authoritarian urges, so I suggest avoid broad strokes. Particularly since "the youth" largely rejected the current two-bit authoritarian regime.

Given the number of people which have turned mask-wearing into a liberties issue, I'm not sure steep income-adjusted penalties are uncalled for. At some point, their non-compliance is a violation of my own health and safety.

The only one responsible for your health and safety is you. Wear a mask, wash your hands, stay home etc, and stop expecting other people to be responsiblefor your health!

[Bridge781]

Originally Posted by id77

This speaks a bit to my frustration. I fee like all the decisions are being made by well-heeled suburbanites with yards, SUVs, and the ability to WFH and leave work at a moment’s notice. I’m not hearing much chatter on the plan for everyone who doesn’t fit that narrow mold. Cars aren’t standard-issue and not everyone can just adjust their workday.

Oh I completely agree. The families who have a stay at home parent who doesnt have to work have no idea. They seem to assume others can just quit a job to accommodate their kids. If only life didn’t have bills to pay.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by id77

Are buses going to be running? What about all of the families that don’t have cars? Use the T and hope it’s not running late? Call an Uber?

Our elementary is planning (for now) to do half days 4 days/week and are making buses available for all elementary students because they recognize it isn’t feasible for working parents to drop off and then pick up 2 hours later. We will most definitely be using the bus.

Higher grades where kids will be alternating full days have a different bus policy where busing will only happen for kids who live more than 2 miles from school.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by Williepaws

The only one responsible for your health and safety is you. Wear a mask, wash your hands, stay home etc, and stop expecting other people to be responsiblefor your health!

Couldn't be more wrong.

When ones ability to sustain life (e.g., food, shelter) is reliant on their wage ... which is very much the case for working class America ... then the non-compliance of their coworkers and customers is ethically very problematic. It's a direct threat to their health and safety regardless of their own PPE precautions.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by Williepaws

The only one responsible for your health and safety is you. Wear a mask, wash your hands, stay home etc, and stop expecting other people to be responsible for your health!

This attitude is exactly why we're in the mess we're in. No sense of shared national purpose, or care for fellow humans, which would have allowed us to contain this in 6-8 weeks according to all the experts.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by id77

Are buses going to be running? What about all of the families that don’t have cars? Use the T and hope it’s not running late? Call an Uber?

There’s not broad policy for all schools. The are all making independent decisions. Some have buses, and some, like my sons school, won’t.


The school committee are voting on these policies, these are elected officials.


If the Lynn rumors are true (full remote) then that surprises me given the demographics of that city

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

If the Lynn rumors are true (full remote) then that surprises me given the demographics of that city

I'd agree, except given that lower income latinx and black communities have been harder hit, they might not wish to add further risk.

[Bridge781]

I was thinking the same about Lynn. I am guessing there’s a lot of multigenerational homes in Lynn. Maybe grandma will be doing the remote learning while the parents go to work. Not a bad deal unless parents bring corona into the house.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

If the Lynn rumors are true (full remote) then that surprises me given the demographics of that city

I think teachers unions are quietly holding the districts hostage. The steady drumbeat the past week has been larger districts (Somerville, Lynn) announcing full remote, with other districts that had proposed robust hybrid models backpedaling. Some of the superintendents felt very strongly about the value of in person learning. I believe this is more about influence of the unions and political appearances for the school committees, than what is actually going on with covid.

[bohemka]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

I think teachers unions are quietly holding the districts hostage. The steady drumbeat the past week has been larger districts (Somerville, Lynn) announcing full remote, with other districts that had proposed robust hybrid models backpedaling. Some of the superintendents felt very strongly about the value of in person learning. I believe this is more about influence of the unions and political appearances for the school committees, than what is actually going on with covid.

Absolutely, positively agree. I'll go out on a limb and say COVID is less of a threat to our school environments now than it will be in October/November, when they are pretending they will move into hybrid mode. It will never happen. They know this.

The chance for in-person education is now, when the weather is warm enough to host outdoor meetings and classes and for kids to at least meet their teachers and classmates. That's what private schools are doing. They've bumped the school year forward, not back, and are preparing the opposite migration from in-class teaching/hybrid to remote.