Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Harvard, Florida: pre-k, values, psychologist)

[NewfieMama]

Was on a two-hour school committee meeting last night, but in-person, hybrid, and remote plans for our town are nowhere near final. The short-form proposal is due by 7/31, long form is due by 8/10 and our superintendent mentioned several areas that still need feasibility studies and/or parent focus groups. Given that 8/10 is a few short weeks away, not sure how these studies will be done.

In-person would require us moving all furniture out of the classrooms. Kids can't eat in classrooms due to the cleaning protocols required, so they would be in the caff and gyms spaced 6 feet apart. Outdoor classrooms when possible. Our town won't be having full-day K, but I think that is unique to our town.

Hybrid would be different for elementary/middle/high school. Our town won't be doing the alternate week model that other towns are adopting--ours would be mornings/afternoons or every other day. Kids would be grouped alphabetically so siblings are on same schedule within the school. Apparently hybrid is fairly easy for the elementary level--in fact, it may be that elementary-aged kids can go 5 days/week if preferred, but more surveys need to be done to find out if it's feasible. High school is the most difficult logistically and they may only be able to attend school 1 - 2 days/week. High school parents with kids who are taking SATs and trying to prep for college are very concerned about that and I get it.

Our superintendent said that remote is the most difficult model to accommodate. Grades 6 - 12 have the technology to broadcast from the classroom to home, but elementary does not. He also said that kids cannot sit in front of ipads for 6+ hours/day. Apparently the state will have a remote learning program that we can opt into and the town will cover the costs. This is if we need to be remote (and we were told if we go back to Phase 2, all schools will be remote), but is also an option for parents who are not comfortable sending kids back to school.

Still many outstanding issues: busses are a major problem. Like most towns, we are taking a budget cut, so can't hire more teachers or get any additional busses. So a feasibility study needs to be done to see who can be bussed--will likely be based on mileage (e.g. you can take the bus if you live 3+ miles from school).

It also isn't clear what will happen if there is a positive case in the school. Does that grade shut down? The school? Every school in town? Still TBD.

Obviously no decision will be made until Baker makes his recommendation, but I got the sense that our town is leaning towards a hybrid model. It solves the bussing issues, allows enough space for kids, and also solves the issue of figuring out when and how they'll eat.

[bohemka]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

School has been closed since March. I think some of the folks who don’t care about schools opening either don’t have kids or are very privileged.

You work for a university. Are you eager to report for duty?

You don't have to, right? I'd consider that privileged.

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

School has been closed since March. I think some of the folks who don’t care about schools opening either don’t have kids or are very privileged.

I feel for you in some ways as I do for all other parents of grade school children but you have to admit it's really more a nuisance than a calamity for schools to remain closed in unique times like this. Our nation has been through worse. As Boston Latin School headmaster John Lovell announced on the eve of the Revolutionary War, "War's begun and school's done. Deponite libros!"

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

It also isn't clear what will happen if there is a positive case in the school. Does that grade shut down? The school? Every school in town? Still TBD.

I've listened in on some of the conference calls my wife's been on, and there's still a lot of questions on that. Everything from quarantining just the class, to the entire school building for 14 days. The meeting with the union reps was an interesting one.


I was personally indifferent to whether or not school opened or went distance learning this fall in the months leading up to today. Now I think after a few weeks of seeing some behind the scenes prep work, I am changing my mind. I am in favor of full distance learning even though it would be a total PITA for us.

[Bridge781]

Right I’m privileged in that I can work from home apparently until December.

Just seems like some people are pretty inconsiderate of others situations on here. Like calling people idiots who want certain things to return to normal. I could say it seems idiotic to continue to keep schools closed when our numbers are as low as they are just out of fear that there might be a second wave. Anyone who has kids is likely hoping for some type of hybrid. And if school is closed completely then I think the state needs to provide some type of free daycare for people who need it.

[Bridge781]

Full distance would be a complete PITA. I also have kids who constantly need to be entertained

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I've listened in on some of the conference calls my wife's been on, and there's still a lot of questions on that. Everything from quarantining just the class, to the entire school building for 14 days. The meeting with the union reps was an interesting one.


I was personally indifferent to whether or not school opened or went distance learning this fall in the months leading up to today. Now I think after a few weeks of seeing some behind the scenes prep work, I am changing my mind. I am in favor of full distance learning even though it would be a total PITA for us.

My biggest issue with distance learning is I really do feel that it puts disadvantaged kids in the worst position. It also puts parents who work outside the home in the worst position. And these are the households that need the most help.

If a parent has to work outside the home and cannot afford a babysitter, what happens?
If a parent can stay home, but can't afford help and cannot work and homeschool, what happens?

[yesmaybe]

Lets face it, if the public schools try remote learning the kids aren't going to learn squat. May as well not even bother and just shut it down.

Originally Posted by GeoffD

I’m not optimistic at all. It’s going to be full Idiocracy until there is a safe, effective vaccine. It will be many months before there is enough data on the vaccine candidates to know if we can mass-vaccinate the country and go back to normal. Sitting in New England, I have no control over Florida. Or Georgia. Or Texas. Without real quarantine laws with teeth, it’s just going to keep cycling around the country and it will keep popping up here.

It'll burn itself out long before there's a vaccine. That's basically what happened here. Latest I saw was that a vaccine was looking more like the Fall of next year.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

Lets face it, if the public schools try remote learning the kids aren't going to learn squat. May as well not even bother and just shut it down.

The parents I know are taking it pretty seriously. The feeling around this fall is completely different than the feeling was for spring. During the spring, nobody knew what was going to happen. March was mostly everybody staying in and waiting to see what developed. By April we had a pretty clear idea that schools wouldn't be opening anytime soon, so some started taking homework more seriously, but nothing was really mandatory until May and then the kids are out of school in June. It was a nightmare, but everybody was sort of flying by the seat of their pants.

For fall, we're all trying to plan. I am lucky that our babysitter is in a Master's program for early education and she's amazing with my 1st and 3rd graders. If we are remote, we will definitely be using her for at least 4 hours/day this fall, but that is expensive. The other moms I know are trying to put together a plan for remote learning if needed. Nobody is going to be trying to do it on their own again--we all feel like our kids are already starting the next grade academically behind, so we're doing what we need to do to get them in a better position for fall. This is why I feel that remote learning puts disadvantaged kids in the worst position.

[bohemka]

Originally Posted by Bridge781

Right I’m privileged in that I can work from home apparently until December.

Just seems like some people are pretty inconsiderate of others situations on here. Like calling people idiots who want certain things to return to normal. I could say it seems idiotic to continue to keep schools closed when our numbers are as low as they are just out of fear that there might be a second wave. Anyone who has kids is likely hoping for some type of hybrid. And if school is closed completely then I think the state needs to provide some type of free daycare for people who need it.

Nobody has called anyone an idiot. And the state isn't going to provide free daycare.

I think anyone who has been able to maintain their previous level of income during this period has been very fortunate, and if you can continue to work from home despite receiving your income from a university, where some of your colleagues—and certainly other administrators and teachers and staff throughout academia—don't have the luxury of working from home, yes, I'd consider you privileged.

This is obviously about you and your first-grader.