I heard that the TX public university system will only provide limited testing because testing all students is “too expensive”
Last November, MA did get a couple days of snow and days with temps in the teens. You don’t need to pack the entire winter wardrobe but you better bring a few things!
It’s not just UTexas, from what I’ve read in the various sporting outlets is that the Big 12 is full speed ahead.
I haven’t read through all the most recent comments here, but we just got notification that Berklee has decided to go fully on line for fall (I just posted it on the Music School thread as well). My son had already decided to remain home and take a few classes remotely anyway, but for others it will be an enormous disappointment, and inconvenience. Music students (and others in the arts) are going to have to be very creative in finding new approaches to learning, performing, etc.
Fortunately Berklee already had a long-running and well-established online component, so they may be better equipped to do this than some other colleges. Some of the spring classes were a little rocky when they suddenly had to switch over, but some went pretty well, and my son’s private piano lessons were so good that he’s probably going to continue to study privately with his teacher over the summer, and then into fall.
But, as I mentioned in the other thread, my son’s girlfriend just rented an off-campus studio (no roommate!) in Boston and moved in about a week ago from the midwest. I’m guessing she’s regretting that now, although maybe she’ll be happier studying online in Boston than she would have at home. But rentals are NOT cheap up there!
Pepperdine going remote for Fall semester, hopes to open housing if local and state restrictions lifted:
Got
Knew it was inevitable, but received this email from my alma mater last week: “Unfortunately, given the uncertainties surrounding the upcoming season and our commitment to maintaining physical distancing in all of our venues, we will be unable to offer single-game tickets or parking to 2020 home games through the lottery”.
The lottery is the way most of us alum get football game tix (if you donate $x to the school, you can participate in the football ticket lottery that year). Looks like ACC is adopting us for the season, and I haven’t yet given up the hotel room I reserved almost a year ago for a game that is vs. an ACC team that is supposedly still scheduled, but I know I’m kidding myself that there will be a game and/or spectators.
This is Notre Dame. They’re not going to call football off until bolts of lightning are shooting out of the hands of Touchdown Jesus and striking the stadium…
“This is Notre Dame. They’re not going to call football off until bolts of lightning are shooting out of the hands of Touchdown Jesus and striking the stadium…”
@2ndthreekids , you just cracked me up!! Thanks for a much-needed laugh. 
@2ndthreekids - ROTFL!
Purdue announced only tickets for students too, and a very de-densified stadium.
Michigan is students only and current season ticket holders. Not sure how many people yet. They keep playing around with the numbers. But even student tickets are game by game even though the students have had their tickets for awhile.
If they do have fans in the stands it’s going to be interesting to say the least.
Has anyone posted that UDel is going mostly online for the fall? Apologies if it’s already been posted; I’m trying hard to keep up!
Our K-12 school district in Montgomery County, PA announced it’s plan last night. Option is hybrid A/B groups with 2 days in person /2 days virtual with everyone remote on Friday’s. Or a fully remote option. Buses will be running but asking parents that can OPT out to do so as they can only have 24 kids per bus. Our public schools are mandated to provide busing for other private and parochial schools within 10 miles as well so they have a ton of students to transport.
Issues raised were contact tracing and quarentine and current test turn around times in our area being 7 days plus currently would be unacceptable. If students test positive the contact tracing begins by the department of health. Quarentine for the entire class, if the student rides the bus- same for those students- if the student goes to MELC (after care) same for those students.
It seems a fair number of parents are looking for remote and the elementary crowd is forming “Pods” and “cohorts” for learning and hiring a teacher to assist as the Synchronous virtual school will require parental assistance.
Wow. We’ve gone from acknowledging problems with remote learning to chaos in the streets. Love that image of “feral” poor kids in neighborhoods where gangs will be running wild. Let me guess: next someone will suggest calling in federal officers to control the “unlawful citizens” doing “God knows what” in the poor neighborhoods.
I don’t know what’s more problematic: the thinly veiled stereotypes about certain populations undergirding this comment, or the fact that so many posters agreed without understanding (or even worse, understanding) the subtext. I’m speechless.
I believe the schools need to remain open for those that want to return; the rest can make the choice to stay home and carry on remotely. Everyone is blatantly ignoring the obvious declining mental health of students. In the young population, death by suicide is more of a risk than death by coronavirus. Already, the suicide rate has soared. Nobody is reporting this.
The US normally sees about 48k deaths by suicide each year. But one doctor here at the end of May describes his hospital as having had one year’s worth of suicides in just one month of this lockdown. If the rate is anything as he has described, then this is more worrisome than coronavirus.
https://abc7news.com/suicide-covid-19-coronavirus-rates-during-pandemic-death-by/6201962/
Students nationwide truly are struggling with the online setting and isolation. Other students are enjoying the lockdown. We need to begin considering that each individual’s situation is different than our own. We need to allow students the option to either return to in-person classes or to stay home.
No, because your description here completely ignores that human beings would have to be there in person to allow that “option” - it’s not a simple or obvious proposition - as you have read on these pages and elsewhere, presumably.
More than one mental health professional has written that the problem with mental health is the PANDEMIC not the school option per se. In other words, students are going to have some poor outcomes in whatever schooling choice, e.g. having their teacher or classmate die, or being forced to sit facing front with no group work or playing with their friends right there, etc.
Teachers did not sign up to risk life and limb like that. Frankly, teachers in most districts already do a lot well beyond the job description, but requests to stop a bullet (re school shooting “plans”) or to be exposed to COVID-19, are beyond the pale. The money already was not enough to compensate, and all the good wishes in the world don’t add up to, “OK, also risk my life”. There are shortages of teachers (particularly STEM) and these are growing. Maybe if salaries (and physical plant) went up to doctor-level, we could have this discussion about whether it’s "essential’ work that should be forced to continue in person. (Comparisons with grocery workers are ridiculous both because of length of interaction virus-wise, and also because of education level and investment in career required.)
Regarding ventilation and A/C - I’m always freezing so I don’t necessarily understand a problem with warmer classrooms. However, ventilation itself has now gone from an “important but not urgent” thing to get to on the budget list, to “essential, without which we’re not entering buildings”.
In my district, it actually looks like they will develop a ventilation plan and a hybrid/reduced-time model that could be safe. Under the conditions currently being discussed, I will be OK returning in person. Most districts are not doing anything approaching what my district is doing, however.
p.s. regarding grocery and other blue-collar workers - I absolutely believe that we need greater protections and greater UI for these workers, and I would actually be OK with having my “right” to in-person grocery shopping curtailed or removed during a pandemic.
So the vote was for hybrid, even though the current turnaround in testing time of 7 days is unacceptable? Are they assuming it will improve? What if it doesn’t?
I watched part of the SB meeting of one of our area districts making the decision last night. SB was concerned with how staff quarantine time would be counted, if an entire class would be quarantined for a person testing positive, etc. The school admin said there was a plan for the quarantine time time off for staff, but wouldn’t state what it was. The SB didn’t push the issue. The district said the health department would assist with tracing – no details like your district gave about that.The SB is the first in my area to vote all-virtual for the first 9 weeks at least. I expect the others to follow suit. (My area has a positivity rate way over the 5% recommended to consider reopening schools inperson.)
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/07/23/harvard-usc-tell-new-international-students-not-come?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=e029da7926-DNU_2020_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-e029da7926-198171250&mc_cid=e029da7926&mc_eid=92c29ca1ec Harvard and USC advise international students to stay home this fall.
Our students are required to wear masks “from car to desk.” Once they are at their desks, they can take their masks off. They will sit in their classroom bubble for 7 hours…unmasked…unless they go to the bathroom (once they leave their classroom they must put their mask on). All specials will be in the classroom except for gym, where they will put on their masks to walk to the gym, and then take off their masks.
Teachers are refusing to work unless the plan changes. Our local union is currently negotiating for mask requirements and will involve the state If necessary. The problem is the governors wording…masks are “strongly encouraged” in schools, but not required. The unions are trying to get the wording changed.
I just can’t get over the fact that we are negotiating to keep teachers safe during a pandemic.
Sorry to keep repeating myself. It angers me that parents just don’t care about the well being of teachers. Teaching will be hard enough (If not impossible) with masks. Without them…it’s not happening at all.
Our district has excellent virtual learning. IMO they should put money into poorer districts…get them up and running with technology and childcare for essential workers…because it’s just a matter of time before we shut down again - even if it’s “only” for a few weeks.
@twogirls - I think all of your points are excellent - thank you for posting. I literally cannot believe that anyone would think school is OK without masks. (It can barely be OK with masks.)
I don’t think it’s “people don’t care about teachers”. It’s more the demands that are being requested and the timeline to get it done. Some are absolutely reasonable like masks. Retrofitting HVAC is probably a good thing but how reasonable is it to get this done by August given material, labor, and money constraints?
Parents feel like they’re being held hostage. Make everything perfect or the teachers won’t teach in-person. Especially when these parents are working and dealing with Covid on a daily basis in less than perfect conditions.
Personally I think everything should be online this fall or should be an option for every K-12 and college students. That said, I think F2F should be option if teachers and students want to, understanding that conditions won’t be perfectly safe.