^^Who isn’t affected at this point? NJ, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH &ME? Quite the exclusive club.
Off another post about obtaining tests it occurs to me if many schools are requiring testing prior to arrival on campus that’s going to cause a huge surge in asymptomatic people looking for testing and results within a very narrow timeframe. Question whether current testing supplies and lab availability can handle it.
Illinois not on the quarantine list for New York as well.
And neither is PA…just being a little cheeky. Especially since Cuomo was so upset about states singling out New Yorkers when NY’s numbers were abysmal.
Weren’t colleges located in such hotspots as MA and NJ pitied here just recently?
Quite the turn of fortunes.
@“Cardinal Fang” I think most people want to find a middle ground. Of course, it makes sense to not hold classes in areas where cases are very high at present. And of course, it does not make sense to not have classes for an entire year because some are unable/unwilling to teach. I just think it’s nuts that many schools are saying no school this YEAR. What?
@CTTC Sadly, yes it’s going to be divisive for people since it’s so important for all. Can’t continue too long without blowing up, IMO. Parents here pay a lot and expect a lot. In towns with a low SES, I can also see parents getting together. IF you need to work to pay for your house, you’ll attend a meeting.
@fretfulmother Sounds like your school was an anomaly or the reporting was done by the school board. Or in the case of the AP which you mentioned, the testing was cut short so only curriculum covered until Jan was on the AP. Is that why you consider the testing to be fine?
In our high SES town which is widely recognized for its education, classes were “taught” this Spring by refering kids to Khan academy and meeting infrequently at best. Another local town had about 2-3 hours of online learning for little kids. How does a 2nd or 3rd grader learn to read in that time? My guess is they don’t but someone marks it down as fine. In the private schools, teachers actually sat in zoom classes like “normal” and had lesson plans. There was naturally some adjustment but kids continued to receive their education.
The logistics of it all! My kid’s LAC says it will test all students when they arrive - a staggered arrival over 4 days. They must quarantine in their rooms until the results come back. The school is claiming they will have results in 48 hours. I’m sorry, call me a doubter, a cynic, glass half empty etc , but I call BS. So all these kids will be in their sweltering shared rooms (aside from the lucky ones who have ac) eating delivered boxed meals for 2 days, but more realistically say 4 days?
Not a peep about all the kids coming from states on the quarantine list.
I truly understand wanting to try and putting a positive spin on things and coming together, but I think a bit of realism is needed.
I commented the same thing pages ago. Quest is at a week to two turnaround time for non-urgent CV test results, and that is before the surge in demand that will be created by college and K-12 students, teachers, and staff looking to return.
While some schools have the in-house capacity to manage testing, many do not, so these plans will fall apart quickly.
@“Cardinal Fang” and @roycroftmom - I am in the group that, based on data available, is in favor of returning to school. Here in California, the nation’s most populous state with a high rate of COVID infections, there have been ZERO deaths in the 17 and under demo. I was unsuccessful at trying to find state data for flu deaths, so I do not have a comparator. There is more and more data that suggests that the virus does not spread easily from younger (age undefined) people to adults. A recent study in JAMA states the risk of COVID in adolescents is less than the seasonal flu https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2766037).
I realize I may sound like a broken record. We all need to ask ourselves “what is the risk?” I look to some of the football teams that have returned to campus for conditioning practice. We can also now look to professional sports teams that have also returned (NBA, MLB, MLS). With rare exception, I have not heard of major outbreaks in any of these venues. Note, some are in a ‘bubble’ and some are not. Notre Dame published information yesterday about their testing of the 103 student-athletes. They have had 2 positives since returning over a month ago. Neither case required hospitalization.
What other risks are there for college students? Flu, meningitis, mono, an STD, alcohol poisoning, food poisoning…the list is pretty long. The relative risk of each item will vary. My point is that life has risks. COVID is one more to add to the list. Based on the data available, it is not the highest risk our children face. Therefore, I am comfortable with the risks and mitigation strategies my DSx2 schools have published.
I realize I may sound like a broken record. We all need to ask ourselves “what is the risk?”<<<<<<<<
I think the point is that you and I really don’t know, if as Fauci guesses, that maybe 5% of the overall US population has been infected, with higher and lower % according to locale, thus we can all look forward to looking like NY once we have rapid spread.
What is the risk? I suspect that it is a numbers game. I suspect one red state or another is going to do its own live trial come August. The red states being ravaged won’t be among them.
I disagree that “the danger is not big enough to justify school closure. “ We really don’t know, since almost the entire population of school-aged children has not been at school since mid-March. So, for the last four months, there’s been little to no risk of exposure.
And comparing Covid to the flu is not relevant, since right now scientists are still trying to figure out Covid, it’s effects and how it changes.
I like the AM/PM schedule because it gives every kid a daily schedule and daily f2f time. If you cut out a lot of the extras (lunch, recess, specials) students could still get some solid core curriculum goals met. Older kids don’t need to sit in stud halls or even attend P.E. during these times.
But how does this account for cleaning buses, classrooms, bathrooms etc. I assumed that piece was very important.
Appears some of the schools in NY are petitioning the state for alternatives to the 14 day quarantine.
Again, the University is still in active in discussions with the state and other higher education institutions and associations across New York to help find an alternative to requiring our students from hot spot states to quarantine for 14 days.
University of Rochester has proposed 3 options:
Interesting interview in the Middletown Press, the preeminent media outlet for a typical NE college town:
Mind you, this is a town that cherishes its elderly; there are at least a half dozen senior citizens facilities within a mile of campus. I have a friend who will forego his use of the library (he likes to peruse the out-of-state newspapers) until there’s a handle on the virus. But, apparently, readers are more worried about whether there will be a return to varsity sports.
UC Berkeley has pivoted to being fully remote in fall.
UC-Berkeley, June 17: "It is our intention to conduct limited in-person classes this fall for those students who wish to come to campus.”
July 21: “We have made the difficult decision to begin the fall semester with fully remote instruction.”
The increase in cases in the local community is of particular concern. Given this development, as well as it being unlikely that there will be a dramatic reversal in the public health situation before the fall semester instruction begins on Aug. 26, we have made the difficult decision to begin the fall semester with fully remote instruction.
https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/07/21/fall-semester-update-student-resources-for-remote-instruction/
“Harvard experts issue guidance for reopening schools safely amid COVID-19 outbreaks”
Ironic since virtually all of Harvard will be teaching remotely this fall, including its School of Public Health. With several divisions teaching remotely in the spring too.
https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2020/07/21/harvard-experts-on-reopening-schools
Wow, I had no idea that there are states that are not having school this year. I was under the impression that most are like us here in Texas. Our local area has a large number of cases. We are remote at least until 9/7. All day every day like normal school, only from home. All kids have been surveyed and any child (not family) who does not have a device with internet is provided one. Schedule stays the same, school from dining room table.
What happens after 9/7? That will depend on the level of infection here. Will it be phased in or all in or stay remote? Don’t know. It definitely should incentivize everyone who doesn’t like school at home, to work to get the infection rate below 1.0.
Will it be hard? yes. Will it mean that some will need to work together in their neighborhoods for coverage? Im guessing that is already happening.
It won’t be forever, but the longer we refuse to do the simple things to reduce the rate of infection because of our personal “freedoms”, the longer we are free to school from home.
The big winner initially may be the private religious schools since Texas says they don’t have to follow the Public Health restrictions that Public schools and secular Private schools do. (TBH I don’t follow this logic, but it is Texas, so there’s that)
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/exposed-son-man-fights-covid-19-florida-hospital-71826020
This is a snapshot of the potential downside of young people mixing with older more vulnerable people…universities can’t completely eliminate the interaction.
@SATXMom2 Well your area sounds quite logical. I am in MA and we experienced things similar to what you are experiencing a few months back. People really sheltered and the rate fell. I think today it was only 1 death reported in the state. We’ve had more than 8,000 deaths and we are NOT a big state (size or population wise)
And the number of cases has fallen from 2,000+ a day to less than 200. Still there are school districts refusing to move forward with any f2F for the Fall and some for the entire year.
I don’t know what the schools are like in TX but last Spring there was a mad rush to online schooling, private schooling or anything to fill the gap for kids. That could be the reason for the push to private schools in your area.
I am also in MA, and so frustrated with out local district. Our state has come so far, and our town was never a real hot spot to begin with, yet I don’t think kids will see the inside of a classroom this academic year.
Sadly, you appear to be mistaken. Hard to imagine he is the only one.
https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/07/17/claremont-13-year-old-dies-covid-19-symptoms-maxx-cheng/