Why schools should open or not.

[M0del_31]

Teachers and admins typically hold the same general values as the area that grew up in. For example, in this very red part of the State, the vocal majority of teachers here are family values people and have family ties to blue collar energy, livestock, agriculture and small business industries. There may be no quick fix in dark blue cities but not everywhere is a dark blue city.
There are many master level industry experts that don't have a college degree and are not inhibited by formal leftist indoctrination. They don't have teaching certifications but their life work experience makes them incompatible with classroom student behavior in some cases. They would make good teachers if the schools had the flexiblity to deal with student behavioral issues. There are knowledgeble people everywhere.

 

[DrHenley]

BTW, I did my part. I majored in Math and minored in Secondary Education with the intention of teaching math in the public schools the rest of my life.

I could not get a job in the public schools. There were PLENTY of openings for qualified math teachers, but the were ONLY hiring blacks, even though there were no qualified black applicants. So they used unqualified black teachers to teach math.

When I did my practice teaching, my supervising teacher was not only unqualified to teach math, he was functionally illiterate.

Because the public schools weren't hiring qualified white teachers, all the good white teachers had gone to work at the private schools so getting a job in a good private school was impossible too. I taught for a couple of years in small not-so-good private schools, then went on to other things.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Teachers and admins typically hold the same general values as the area that grew up in. For example, in this very red part of the State, the vocal majority of teachers here are family values people and have family ties to blue collar energy, livestock, agriculture and small business industries. There may be no quick fix in dark blue cities but not everywhere is a dark blue city.
There are many master level industry experts that don't have a college degree and are not inhibited by formal leftist indoctrination. They don't have teaching certifications but their life work experience makes them incompatible with classroom student behavior in some cases. They would make good teachers if the schools had the flexiblity to deal with student behavioral issues. There are knowledgeble people everywhere.

Teacher unions is why you cant improve the education system. This would all be fixed if the money followed the student to public, charter, private, parochial or home school. Everyone use the same core curriculum with the same standard testing.

 

[M0del_31]

I could not get a job in the public schools. There were PLENTY of openings for qualified math teachers, but the were ONLY hiring blacks, even though there were no qualified black applicants. So they used unqualified black teachers to teach math.

You were there, I was not and I have no reason to not believe what you are saying. It is not that way at our local public schools.

Teacher unions is why you cant improve the education system. This would all be fixed if the money followed the student to public, charter, private, parochial or home school. Everyone use the same core curriculum with the same standard testing.

Texas teacher unions are little more than political lobbying groups. It is illegal for Texas teachers to strike. The union can make demands but individual teachers run the risk of losing the personal retirement through the teachers retirement system of Texas if they do. There are non union professional legal assistance organizations that teachers can join that protect teachers from frivolous lawsuits and vindictive administrators. Joining is optional. In this day, a great teacher would be irresponsible to not have some type of legal protections from today's litigious parents. That have advocated for a "duty free" lunch and a conference period to respond to parent questions and complaints. You cannot improve the education system because they cannot remove the disruptive students.

 

[Maudite]

Well, the district keeps changing the date... first, it was the 4th of August, then the 10th and now the 27th of Sept !!!! Well, can only roll with it....

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

JFC

You have quit the filthy mouth lady. And allowed around impressionable children to boot. Where do you teach?

 

[Maudite]

You have quit the filthy mouth lady. And allowed around impressionable children to boot. Where do you teach?

I'm not a lady, and JFC is for "Just Freaking Crazy".....what is your problem ??????...

 

[David SB]

" You cannot improve the education system because they cannot remove the disruptive students. "

I totally agree and will go one further.

I always thought that classes of the same grade be segregated according to the child's performance and capabilities. The more gifted and disciplined the student, the larger the class, the students who need more assistance would be placed in smaller classes to allow more one on one attention from the teacher. Everybody learns at their own pace. Disruptive students would go to a seperate campus with appropriate security and discipline

 

[Gracieboo]

" You cannot improve the education system because they cannot remove the disruptive students. "

I totally agree and will go one further.

I always thought that classes of the same grade be segregated according to the child's performance and capabilities. The more gifted and disciplined the student, the larger the class, the students who need more assistance would be placed in smaller classes to allow more one on one attention from the teacher. Everybody learns at their own pace. Disruptive students would go to a seperate campus with appropriate security and discipline

I agree that children should be taught in ability sets, stops the able from becoming bored ( nothing worse than a bright kid with behaviour issues ) and the less able get a chance to catch up. The ones that linger at the bottom because they started school behind and have parents who don’t talk to them are the problem. As they fall further behind their behaviour deteriorates. They can’t catch up because they missed too much, now they have an attitude problem. As soon as they enter secondary (middle school) they should be assessed on their talents, probably won’t be maths or English but something outside academia like car mechanic, cooking, it’s got to be something they enjoy (most kids enjoy what they’re good at). What I’m trying to say is we can’t keep funnelling children through the same grinder and assessing one narrow set of skills to prove their worth.

 

[DrHenley]

I agree that children should be taught in ability sets, stops the able from becoming bored ( nothing worse than a bright kid with behaviour issues ) and the less able get a chance to catch up. The ones that linger at the bottom because they started school behind and have parents who don’t talk to them are the problem. As they fall further behind their behaviour deteriorates.

That is exactly what they did at my son's middle school. It was like two different schools in one school. From everything I could determine, the ones at the bottom will never get off the bottom because A) They don't want to and B) Their parents could care less. In fact, to them, school is nothing but a relatively safe place to go to buy drugs, and to their parents school is free daycare, nothing more.

 

[David SB]

I was the first born of a 20 yr stay at home mom who used to read the old "Golden Books" of the 50s. Along with teaching me the alphabet and simple addition/subtraction, she read to me (made me follow along in the book) so much that I had learned to read by the time I was 5 and I was reading the Golden Books on my own. My sight word recognition was up around the 3rd grade. When I was 6 and went to school in the first grade the teacher stopped calling on me to read aloud in class because I would read so fast that it would just confuse the other kids. I spent the entire first grade with my desk pulled up next to the teachers desk and she would give me seperate things to do just to keep me busy.

THAT is the power of an involved parent with the time to devote to the child. It is a shame that today's parents dont have the available time, or in some cases, the desire to "co-teach" their children.

 

[user 7704]

" You cannot improve the education system because they cannot remove the disruptive students. "

I totally agree and will go one further.

I always thought that classes of the same grade be segregated according to the child's performance and capabilities. The more gifted and disciplined the student, the larger the class, the students who need more assistance would be placed in smaller classes to allow more one on one attention from the teacher. Everybody learns at their own pace. Disruptive students would go to a seperate campus with appropriate security and discipline

My daughter is gifted and when in school, they pulled these students out once a week for specialized classes. If they needed to be moved to more advanced classes, they would go into the upper grade classes for certain subjects.

My daughter and her friend were the only 2 Freshman in Senior class History and English. I didn't like those older guys being so close to my baby girl. Lol

 

[Mountain trapper]

I agree that children should be taught in ability sets, stops the able from becoming bored ( nothing worse than a bright kid with behaviour issues ) and the less able get a chance to catch up. The ones that linger at the bottom because they started school behind and have parents who don’t talk to them are the problem. As they fall further behind their behaviour deteriorates. They can’t catch up because they missed too much, now they have an attitude problem. As soon as they enter secondary (middle school) they should be assessed on their talents, probably won’t be maths or English but something outside academia like car mechanic, cooking, it’s got to be something they enjoy (most kids enjoy what they’re good at). What I’m trying to say is we can’t keep funnelling children through the same grinder and assessing one narrow set of skills to prove their worth.

I hated school from the first day I stepped foot in first grade until I got out of high school (except when I discovered what girls were for). At least the schools that I went to every class was geared towards the dumbest kid in class. Maybe the larger schools separated out the dummys so the rest of the kids could learn at a faster pace.
In my case I don't know if it would have mattered anyway, I just wanted to be outside. I did excell in the wood shop, mechanics and welding classes though. Plus my high school at that time had forestry and agriculture classes which I also did good in.

 

[DrHenley]

I had problems from the first grade through undergraduate college. The only time I really learned much was when my parents took me out of public school and put me in a private school for a couple of years so I could get caught up to where I needed to be. I went from sub-first grade level reading skills to 5th grade level reading skills in two years in the private school and loved it. In the private school we had multiple recesses every day. We were expected to play hard for a while, then study hard for a while, then play hard for a while, etc. Every Friday, the entire school went to the skating rink for the afternoon!

Then I went back to public school and was miserable all the way through.
.
After working for six years I went back to college in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science and loved it. Not quite straight A's but high enough to make the Chancellor's list and the National Dean's List. So I can confidently say that the problem in public school WASN'T ME because I was setting the curves in a major that had a 90% attrition rate.

 

[David SB]

........After working for six years I went back to college in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science and loved it. Not quite straight A's but high enough to make the Chancellor's list and the National Dean's List. So I can confidently say that the problem in public school WASN'T ME because I was setting the curves in a major that had a 90% attrition rate.

yep, your post reminded me of something in college. I went into the service after HS, got out and got married at 24, by the time I was 30, my wife said "enough, go to college and get your degree." (I have a great wife). Anyway, I got a BSCE and went for a masters in Pet. Egr in the ChE dept. We had to take 6 hours of non egr courses. So me and 4 other guys signed up for a 3 hr Statistics Masters level course out of the Business Dept.
On the first day the prof called the roll and skipped our names until the end. Then he called out all 5 of us and asked what was "EGR21"? One of the guys said a masters in Petroleum Engineering out of the Chem Egr dept.... he looked at the class and said "well you guys better study hard, because there goes your curve" LOL

 

[Gracieboo]

School wasn’t particularly useful for me either. Left with 3 GCSEs then went to college, I can’t learn when someone just talks at me. I taught myself how to study, then got my degree and post grad. People learn differently, and I know our school system isn’t set up to accommodate that, my daughter has been so much happier learning at home the last few months, things need to change.

 

[Jayson]

School wasn’t particularly useful for me either. Left with 3 GCSEs then went to college, I can’t learn when someone just talks at me. I taught myself how to study, then got my degree and post grad. People learn differently, and I know our school system isn’t set up to accommodate that, my daughter has been so much happier learning at home the last few months, things need to change.

Yup. The big leftist buzz word today is ‘inclusion’. Force all the kids together, even if one dumb troublemaker holds the rest of the class back from learning.

 

[dirtdiva]

The different ways that different Tennessee counties are trying to make it work. Each a different approach.

Putnam County Tennessee has 88 students and staff in quarantine the first week.

88 Putnam County students, staff quarantined over COVID-19 concerns during first week of school

Coffee County, TN
As cases of COVID-19 continue to increase throughout various areas of Tennessee, Coffee County Schools announced Friday the school district will move to its hybrid schedule next week.

Beginning in earnest August 12, the hybrid schedule breaks up the number of students at a school any given day.

Students in Group A will attend on Mondays and Wednesdays, while students in Group B attend Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fridays are distance learning days for which no student reports to the school.

Instructions for what is expected of students who are at home will be given by the teacher of each class.

Coffee County Schools moving to hybrid schedule next Wednesday due to COVID-19 case numbers

Clarksville-Montgomery Counties, TN
While several school districts returned to the classroom this week, Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools is holding off until August 31st.
Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools is offering two options this year for families to consider: in-person learning or virtual. Students that return to the building will have to abide by social distancing restrictions and wear masks.

"About 40% of our student population at this point has chosen the virtual setting. So, that’s a huge number

Clarksville-Montgomery Co. Schools offering virtual and in-person classes this school year

 

[Gracieboo]

Children in UK won’t start until September. All children will be required to go with staggered drop off and pick up times. They will be in ‘bubbles’ (that’s how my daughters school have phrased it) Playtimes will be staggered and lunch will take place in the classroom. If a child shows symptoms while in school, the whole class will be sent home and if that child tests positive the whole class will be tested. Siblings of the child testing positive will have to self isolate also.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

“One of the largest studies in the world on coronavirus in schools, carried out in 100 institutions in the UK, will confirm that “there is very little evidence that the virus is transmitted” there, according to a leading scientist.

Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a member of the government advisory group Sage, said: “A new study that has been done in UK schools confirms there is very little evidence that the virus is transmitted in schools.”

“MSN also reported on the study:

Opening schools would “add little” to the reproduction rate of Covid-19 infection as children are “very minor players” in the transmission of coronavirus, a leading expert has said ahead of a planned return of pupils to classrooms in England next month.

Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said on Monday that “reopening schools is one of the least risky things we can do” in transitioning out of lockdown.
“We cannot be in a risk-free society and this is about the risk balance,” Professor Viner, who is also a member of the Government’s Sage scientific advisory group, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“What is the risk balance equation and I think that’s separate for children and young people themselves.
“It’s very clear for them the benefits and risks, the balance is for them to be back at school.”

Actions to close schools or keep our children at home and away from their fellow classmates are unwarranted. No study yet shows the negative impacts of students staying at home and away from their schoolmates. Likely depression and stress are outcomes from these actions. Children need social interaction and keeping them at home will likely have some impact on children around the world as a result of the overly aggressive actions by school administrators and radical politicians.”

 

[Brent S]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct.../5571105002/&usg=AOvVaw1yLPLOrtMDndyG3iKlnx0-I agree that for the young and healthy students the virus isn’t a major risk. As far as the kids not spreading the disease though I couldn’t disagree more. The problem is they are spreading it to older teachers, parents and grandparents. I wish there was an easy answer to this but until there is an effective vaccine available or better antiviral treatments the whole country is going to continue to be disrupted.

 

[Proud Prepper]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct.../5571105002/&usg=AOvVaw1yLPLOrtMDndyG3iKlnx0-I agree that for the young and healthy students the virus isn’t a major risk. As far as the kids not spreading the disease though I couldn’t disagree more. The problem is they are spreading it to older teachers, parents and grandparents. I wish there was an easy answer to this but until there is an effective vaccine available or better antiviral treatments the whole country is going to continue to be disrupted.

I'm telling you, there will be no effective vaccine.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct.../5571105002/&usg=AOvVaw1yLPLOrtMDndyG3iKlnx0-I agree that for the young and healthy students the virus isn’t a major risk. As far as the kids not spreading the disease though I couldn’t disagree more. The problem is they are spreading it to older teachers, parents and grandparents. I wish there was an easy answer to this but until there is an effective vaccine available or better antiviral treatments the whole country is going to continue to be disrupted.

This virus has been blown into a political issue, where it never belonged. All this thanks to Dem politicians out to bring down the President. But, you have said over and over that we must follow the experts. This is a pediatrician expert.


“Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a member of the government advisory group Sage, said: “A new study that has been done in UK schools confirms there is very little evidence that the virus is transmitted in schools.”

 

[Brent S]

This virus has been blown into a political issue, where it never belonged. All this thanks to Dem politicians out to bring down the President. But, you have said over and over that we must follow the experts. This is a pediatrician expert.


“Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a member of the government advisory group Sage, said: “A new study that has been done in UK schools confirms there is very little evidence that the virus is transmitted in schools.”

I still think you are cherry picking individual reports that are in the minority. This is a viral infection. It dosent care whether your are a democrat or republican, a child or an older person. All it does is spread from one host to another. Unbiased and unfeeling. To think it won’t spread in any large group of people isn‘t logical.
I personally don’t care about the political BS that is going on. I personally don’t think trump is a good person, yet I’m not happy with the crazy far left either. What I do know though is the virus is out there. It is going to continue to spread and kill off the older and weaker population until we can get either an effective vaccine or better treatments for it. Trump isn’t going to stop it, nor any of the democrats. Minimizing large groups of unprotected people is the best thing we have as a tool against this thing for now.

 

[Brent S]

I'm telling you, there will be no effective vaccine.

I am certain there will be eventually, but don’t think the first ones will be great. If they can get a 70% effectiveness in one within the next year that’s likely better than I expect. It still increases your odds though. I used to be good at playing poker. It’s an odds game. Anything you can do to put the odds in your favor is a good thing.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I still think you are cherry picking individual reports that are in the minority. This is a viral infection. It dosent care whether your are a democrat or republican, a child or an older person. All it does is spread from one host to another. Unbiased and unfeeling. To think it won’t spread in any large group of people isn‘t logical.
I personally don’t care about the political BS that is going on. I personally don’t think trump is a good person, yet I’m not happy with the crazy far left either. What I do know though is the virus is out there. It is going to continue to spread and kill off the older and weaker population until we can get either an effective vaccine or better treatments for it. Trump isn’t going to stop it, nor any of the democrats. Minimizing large groups of unprotected people is the best thing we have as a tool against this thing for now.

No doubt this virus is going to continue to spread. Also, zero doubt the vaccine will be all that effective. However, there is proof worldwide that children are not affected in large percentages. Show me a single expert that says they are. Not cherry picking. There a tons of physicians who state that children are at a much reduced risk.

 

[Brent S]

No doubt this virus is going to continue to spread. Also, zero doubt the vaccine will be all that effective. However, there is proof worldwide that children are not affected in large percentages. Show me a single expert that says they are. Not cherry picking. There a tons of physicians who state that children are at a much reduced risk.

You’re correct that there is loads of evidence that the children themselves aren’t as affected by the virus. That doesn't mean they aren’t spreading the virus though. They carry it and infect others at at least the same rate if not more due to their touching their noses and mouth more than most adults do. It is the people they come into contact with after school I’m more concerned for, and the teachers.

 

[Gracieboo]

The vast majority of children don’t get the severe symptoms as older people or immune compromised. The Kawasaki type symptoms that are appearing in a small percentage of children after contracting covid are a slight concern. I honestly haven’t seen enough reliable data as to whether children pass it on to the extent of an affected adult but kept mine away from my mum who has COPD. I have just started taking her for visits in the garden. We both wear masks in shops but I don’t take her in if it can be helped. The problem is our economy is going to be in serious trouble if things don’t get back to some sort of normal soon. I think the local restrictions need to be tested. For instance a few areas over here have had some restrictions reinforced, like not going to other people’s houses, if cases surge.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

You’re correct that there is loads of evidence that the children themselves aren’t as affected by the virus. That doesn't mean they aren’t spreading the virus though. They carry it and infect others at at least the same rate if not more due to their touching their noses and mouth more than most adults do. It is the people they come into contact with after school I’m more concerned for, and the teachers.

Face it, there isn’t a perfect solution. The children MUST get back to school for their futures and their mental health. Our country MUST get back to work or everyone will be badly affected by our country’s CRASH.

 

[DrHenley]

"Proper testing" won't be concluded until near the end of 2021.

No! you cannot have it both ways. If you don't want people to use hydroxychloroquine because the "proper testing" hasn't been concluded yet, then wanting people to take a vaccine that hasn't gone through proper testing is hypocritical.

Every single vaccine expert said 18 months would be rushing it.