Educators, what are the discussions like in your neck of the woods about the upcoming school year?

[Music Man]

I teach high school music. For us, we're simply in limbo, a wait and see kind of vibe. We've been encouraged in our building to set up Google Classroom as a contingency, and they'll be offering some trainings on other tech stuff.

I know in some circles there are discussions about kids attending school in shifts.

Anyway, it's a fascinating time to teach. Anyone else in the education field (K-12 or college) care to share what the pulse is like in your state/district/content area?

[onecaliberal]

1. We're starting schools in person K-12 on August 12th

They haven’t told us what that looks like.

Edit to add: 44,000 students.

[MontanaMama]

2. I'm not an educator.

Just the mom of a high school student who struggled profoundly during remote learning. I was my son’s auxiliary teacher who worked hard to help him find some meaning in how the school year ended. It was so hard. I’m bookmarking this thread to see what you all have to say. I’m trying to be hopeful for what is to come.

[Music Man]

4. I feel for you.

I think that, given how quickly we had to close schools and turn everything into remote learning, there was a maddening array of platforms that teachers were using to teach and communicate: Google Classroom, Zoom, Remind, email, personal teacher websites, AP Classroom, and on and on. My hope is that schools/districts will have more consistent platforms that students will be using, as opposed to trying to keep up with messages and assignments from a million different programs.

Also, not having taught during a pandemic and teachers not being in touch as much as normal, I think we're still settling a lot of best practices on what the nature of emergency remote learning should be, so teachers are currently making decisions without much to compare with. How much is too much work? What is too little? What should grading be like? Is grading even ethical with such different resources available to families? How should deadlines work? My hope is that, whenever there are firm decisions about the fall made, there will be immediate discussions and information about appropriate methods and requirements, including how to particularly help those students who are struggling (namely our disadvantaged populations).

I tried to be very patient with all my kids and DRASTICALLY reduce my expectations. Heck, it's been hard for *me* to stay motivated to do work during quarantine, and I don't have little siblings at home, parents trying to teach me, and any other conditions that might make home life difficult. Let alone the angst of being a child or teenager.

On-line learning is like not changing the oil in your car: You can get by for a while, but your engine will burn up eventually if you don't take care of it.

Good luck

[Greybnk48]

3. I just talked to my neighbor about this today.

I have no details really since she just put it in a nutshell for me, but she said they have been told they must be prepared for 3 different scenarios this Fall in our district.
1. The kids come back as usual and classes just resume (thought of as the least likely).

2. The kids come back to the classroom in shifts of some sort so the number of kids at one time is much smaller (no one has yet figured out how this would work with the overcrowding we already have and how it could meet their teaching criteria, so not likely).

And 3. Classes are taught virtually and at home work. They expect a decision will be made as late as August, due to the possibility of a 2nd wave of covid-19.

She's teaching summer school virtually in a week or so.

[SheltieLover]

5. I'm not an educator either

But the past couple of days have been nearly double new civid cases (162 today). Memphis is holding back on "phase 3 reopening" because of these "alarming" new cases daily. (Gotta wonder wtf they thought would happen. )

All that said, I've read that Memphis is looking into getting internet & devices to students who do not have access.

Schools normally start around 8/12, so they will have to decide soon.

What about bus service?

Real mess shitstain has intentionlly created.

Bookmarking.

[Squinch]

6. I'm not an teacher but I do medical work in a number of schools. No one knows what

will happen yet.

I do expect that the virus will spike again in the summer (it already started to increase in many states before the protests, and the protests will just add to that) so anything that is planned today will be out the window come September.

Summer school is being done remotely.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. AFAIK, Limbo

I'm only a sub so there are probably discussions I'm not a part of.
I did get letters from multiple districts asking if I'm coming back, but I should be asking them not the other way around.
I sub in 10 districts, and of the 7 that send these letters, I've gotten 5 so far, and it's 9 weeks before school would resume.
So, I've heard nothing so far.

[teenagebambam]

8. College music here

The University has some firm plans in place - all wear masks, staggered seating, one hour in between classes so rooms can be sanitized - and all teachers have the option to teach in person, online, or hybrid as their comfort level dictates.

But as a music teacher the elephant in the room is how to teach individual lessons and ensembles, especially vocal as that seems to carry greater risk.

[Books_Tea_Alone]

9. I teach in an area that has been ground zero (NNJ)

I teach special education in a public school - severely developmentally challenged students. I have my own classroom within a very large elementary school. Gov. Cuomo has called for special education students to come back first, due to their need for services (OT/PT/ST) as well as the fact that it is difficult to deliver remote instruction. I teach "live" group and individual sessions each day and assign learning materials over Google Classroom daily. All of this has to involve the parents 100% as my students have very few independent skills.

That being said, I am terrified to go back. My students cannot wear a mask, cover their sneezes or coughs, and socially distancing is not possible. Their hands are in their mouths constantly and some lick surfaces such as the desk or walls. I have 8 students and 6 aides in the tiny classroom and they must remain within arms distance at all times due to aggressive behaviors and possibility of running. The entire school, each classroom, every staff member In the building is at risk from my students, as they visit the nurse for meds multiple times each day, use the bathrooms, entrances, exits, etc. We cannot use hand sanitizer as the students could ingest it and tend to lick their hands. We would be washing their hands all day and we do not have sinks in the classroom, only the ones the entire student body uses. In addition, there are issues on the buses, hallways, cafeteria, etc.

My classroom would need almost 50 masks a day, many more gloves, wipes, etc. Traditionally, I buy all of the tissues, disinfecting wipes, sanitizer, sprays, etc with some help from the parents. None of those products are available here now, especially the Clorox wipes. I do not see that happening before September.

Believe me, I understand that my students need to be in school- they are losing skills that took years to teach. It is hard for them to be out of their routine and be without social experiences. I do not understand the rush to bring back special education students first, due to all of the risks outlined above. Everyone at school is a risk, staff & students alike because of my classroom (and the 7 other classrooms in the building like mine). When these plans are being made and questions answered, all parents need to ask if situations like these are in their schools. My daughter is a middle schooler and she will not be going back to school when it opens for this reason- her school has four such classrooms and the situation will not be safe.

No easy answers, it is difficult being an educator now. I have never worked harder, which is saying a lot. I am at my computer from 8-3 teaching sessions remotely and then the accompanying paperwork/documentation of everything that has happened until 9 each night. We are very afraid of lawsuits that we did not provide enough services to students that are required by special education law. It is exhausting- more exhausting that teaching in person as I've lost the instructional control I had in the classroom during these online sessions. I would love to go back to teaching, just want it to be safe for everyone, which I'm afraid may not be until there is a vaccine,

[indigovalley]

11. I understand completely--another Special Ed teacher here...

I completely agree with what you wrote. I think the risks far outweigh the need to provide service at this time. Districts will have to pay for compensatory education at some point but that is a better option than students being in school putting others at risk. My students with mild/moderate disabilities are capable of some online learning and they have that option to continue in school until age 21. I think thats one way we can address some of the regression of skills from the change in service. There may have to be other creative solutions when this is all over-especially for students with the level of disability you are teaching.

I too have never worked harder in my 27 years of teaching online. It takes a lot of communication, coordinating and figuring out how to teach in an online format. Frankly it can be exhausting...

[indigovalley]

10. We don't know whats going to happen but are planning for most contingencies

I'm a high school Special Ed teacher. We have been told to plan for either regular school or a continuation on online learning. No one at my school is a fan of the hybrid idea that's being kicked around. We have 1000 students and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to split them into small groups with related classes and have a limited amount of teachers work with each group on some kind of an alternating day/alternating time schedule. I would think it would be even more difficult for schools with a larger student enrollment.

My own opinion is that the safety of staff and students should be the paramount concern. We all agree that online learning can be challenging for some students, especially my sped students, but these are extreme circumstances. I personally don't see the benefit of a complex and convoluted schedule to accommodate some in person contact when that contact will be limited and increase infection chances for students and staff. I think we can work creatively to develop ways to help our students struggling online without a hybrid model.

Overall the feedback from parents about online learning at my high school has been remarkably positive. Distance learning isn't perfect but we are all working on how to make it better. I still can't believe we flipped my entire high school to online in a week and a half--just crazy...