A Year Ago – remembering | JD2718

A Year Ago – remembering | JD2718

A Year Ago – remembering

By April 6, 2020 my world was on its head. COVID was in NYC. I had decamped to near Lake Champlain. I was teaching, or trying to teach, via a computer. It was hard. And it was exhausting. And the news was relentless. Trump was horrible, but de Blasio and Cuomo were behaving like clowns – but clowns whose decisions affect millions of lives. It was too much. I’d lost a second cousin to the pandemic, but I didn’t know yet. And a colleague had passed in an auto accident a week earlier – maybe the trip was somehow connected. An alumni’s father died on the 4th. A peace officer at my school died on the 4th.

My school was started in 2002. I was there from the first. it is a specialized high school. But in those first years the student body was fairly integrated. A few years later we saw a shift, slow at first, and then not slow. We became one of the whitest NYC public high schools outside of Staten Island. There is a story there, a long one, about getting the faculty then our school community on board to address this, and the progress we have – and importantly – have not made. But that’s for another time.

I mention the segregation issue to mention one initiative in particular: our Local Outreach Tutoring Program (LOT). We started LOT four years ago. Me and some students did outreach to local middle CONTINUE READING: A Year Ago – remembering | JD2718

NYC Educator: If We Can't Learn from Crisis, School Doesn't Matter

NYC Educator: If We Can't Learn from Crisis, School Doesn't Matter

If We Can't Learn from Crisis, School Doesn't Matter

Well, according to the NY Times, most pediatricians, all of whom had access to the vaccination well before we did, don't think we need it in order to return to work. I'm not surprised. Ever since the plague hit, I've been reading in the Times about how awful it is that schools were closed. The fact that schools are, in fact, not closed, and that they have not been closed is neither here nor there. And hey, why err on the side of caution when we can just hope things like this don't happen?

It's vital that we get those buildings open, and that we get those kids in there to study algebra, or whatever it is on their programs. Otherwise, how will Western Civilization continue its great march ahead? Obviously, living through a pandemic is not an educational experience. There is absolutely nothing to be learned from it.

One thing, for example, that cannot be learned is preserving the environment. Who cares if we've destroyed a whole lot of rain forest, and that animals out of their element bring us diseases that come from theirs? Who cares if we keep interacting with bats, and that they carry resistance to a whole lot of deadly diseases that we don't? As long as we have someone solving for X, let's forget about the earth, our home, altogether. That algebra cannot be allowed to simply go by the wayside.

Another thing we can't be bothered learning is it is not, in fact, a good idea to elect a self-serving, self-important, solipsistic serial liar to the Presidency of the United States. Why should kids bother learning things like that? That's cancel culture. We have an absolute right to select politicians who don't give a golly gosh darn about the environment (not to mention working people). If politicians choose not to take precautions in public, and if they get COVID and infect others with it, well, that's their right as Americans. Every time they breathe virus into one of our faces they're doing their sacred duty of owning the libs. 

So let's get those kids into physical classrooms, for goodness sake, and never mind if, in fact, it's only a distinct minority of children who actually attend. Never mind if the people themselves, by a margin of two or three to one, don't trust the NY Times or the pediatricians in the survey. Never mind a consistent history of medical mistreatment that leaves minorities (majorities in our area) wary of doctors and even the NY Times reporters who preach to us.

Who cares if the few students who make it into buildings are kept separated and masked? The important thing is to keep them doing that algebra, or whatever it is we happen to be offering them that day. It doesn't matter if we invite them into rooms and preclude social interaction. It's good for kids to sit masked and far apart from one another, and it's healthy that most of them don't come in, evidently. But NY Times reporter have yet other brilliant insights to share with us:

Yeah, it's an absolute disgrace we keep closing down schools so that CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: If We Can't Learn from Crisis, School Doesn't Matter

Did Closing Schools Save Lives Or Cost Lives? The Debate Continues | 89.3 KPCC

Did Closing Schools Save Lives Or Cost Lives? The Debate Continues | 89.3 KPCC

Did Closing Schools Save Lives Or Cost Lives? The Debate Continues

In November, I reported for NPR on a scientific paper that estimated millions of years of life could be lost due to prolonged school closures in the U.S. — far more, in fact, than might be lost by keeping schools open. The paper has since been corrected and critiqued. The central question it tried to answer remains.

The paper's author, Dimitri Christakis is a pediatrician at Seattle Children's Hospital, editor of the American Medical Association journal JAMA Pediatrics and an outspoken advocate of opening schools when possible to protect children's well-being. He told NPR recently that he wrote the paper to flesh out his argument:

"The debate has been around kids going to school or life lost. When it's framed that way it's a no-brainer. But we're also killing people by not putting kids in school. It's just that they're not dying today, so we're not taking them into account."

Killing people? Because of several months of Zoom school? How could that be?

Well, there is a well-documented association between educational attainment and life expectancy. By young adulthood, according to one study, Americans with a college degree can look forward to a decade more of life compared to people who don't have a high school diploma. This gap tends to be larger in more unequal societies, like the United States. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports the average gap across rich countries is six years.

But could temporary school closures really hurt a significant number of young Americans' chances of graduating college? It's also been documented that even short interruptions in education — especially when they're combined with social and political upheaval, such as we're currently experiencing — can knock some students off track to their degrees. It can take years to recover from just a few months of lost learning, and some never do. Already, NPR has reported college enrollment CONTINUE READING: Did Closing Schools Save Lives Or Cost Lives? The Debate Continues | 89.3 KPCC

Mitchell Robinson: Stop Shaming Teachers into Reopening Schools | Eclectablog

Stop Shaming Teachers into Reopening Schools | Eclectablog

Stop Shaming Teachers into Reopening Schools

A friend of mine made a post on social media last night saying that she “wasn’t angry about people thinking schools should reopen,” and while I admire the measured tone and spirit of cooperation she displayed in her commentary, that sentiment left me feeling uneasy.

Because I AM angry about people demanding schools reopen ASAP.

I get the frustration, and the fear that so many have about possibly losing their jobs. But none of that makes it ok to try to shame teachers back into the classroom with comments like, “the kids need us”, “it’s going to be so powerful”, “we’re going to forget all our worries once we get into it”, and “remember why you became a teacher”. This is nothing more than cheap and lazy rhetoric designed to make teachers feel badly for trying to protect their own health, and the health of their families.

The solution isn’t rushing to open schools before they are safe–the solution is for Congress to pass a stimulus package large enough and bold enough to pay people to *not* go to work, and that provides bonus/hazard pay for those who *do* need to work–health care workers, public safety personnel (fire and police), grocery store workers, etc.

And that stimulus package also must provide the federal and state resources to actually *do* something about making schools safe, which to my knowledge has happened in very few places. It’s not enough for school districts to “encourage” their employees to get vaccinated–school systems should be proactively securing enough vaccine doses for all employees to get two shots, CONTINUE READING: Stop Shaming Teachers into Reopening Schools | Eclectablog

NANCY BAILEY: How the Media and School Districts Shame Teachers During Covid-19

How the Media and School Districts Shame Teachers During Covid-19

How the Media and School Districts Shame Teachers During Covid-19

Listen to the news one moment, and you’re warned about the new variants of the virus. There’s uncertainty about it and whether it’s more deadly than the current strain. Next, the media gives voice to critics who belittle teachers and their unions for not returning to school or being afraid.

There’s a dislike of teachers and disrespect in school districts across the country. When three Cobb County school employees died of Covid, the Superintendent and a school board member wouldn’t put on a mask when asked to honor one of the deceased victims who was a teacher.

Can’t everyone hang on until teachers are safely vaccinated? Teachers have been working diligently with students remotely and in-person since the start of the pandemic. They deserve better.

The Media 

The Washington Post

Here’s an opinion piece. Teachers are vital public servants. Time for them to start acting like it. This title sounds like teachers are throwing a tantrum! The author expresses a dislike for online learning.

He understands teachers are worried about being in the classroom, but since they bargain for better pay, tenure, and a decent pension, that means to him that they’re CONTINUE READING: How the Media and School Districts Shame Teachers During Covid-19

glen brown: Why You Should Double-Mask to Prevent Covid-19 and How to Do It

glen brown: Why You Should Double-Mask to Prevent Covid-19 and How to Do It

Why You Should Double-Mask to Prevent Covid-19 and How to Do It

“As more contagious coronavirus variants emerge, health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, say it’s probably a good idea to start doubling up on your face masks.

“The new variants are thought to have an easier time binding to our cells, so the more layers we have covering our noses and mouths, the less likely we’ll be exposed to viral particles that can infect our cells and make us sick. Two masks may help create a stronger shield between you and the virus (or, at the very least, they couldn’t hurt).

“Here’s everything you should know about double-masking ― including how to go about it ― so you can prevent COVID-19 as best as you can:

“Pick two masks that have enough layers and air filtration.

“‘The more layers, the more barriers you can put between yourself and the virus, the better off you’re going to be,’ said Thomas Duszynski, the director of epidemiology education at Indiana University’s Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health.

“N95 face masks are the gold standard in terms of protection. If you can get ahold of an N95 and double it up with a surgical mask, you’re going to have an efficient shield against viral particles. But N95 masks continue to be in limited supply, so they’ll be difficult to score for the time being. The issue then is how to spice up your cloth or surgical face masks, said Onyema Ogbuagu, a Yale Medicine infectious disease doctor and principal investigator of Yale’s Pfizer COVID-19 trial.

 

“The two properties of a mask you want to look for are the filtering capacity and the breathability, according to Ogbuagu. You want masks that can both filter the air we breathe in and limit how many respiratory secretions we shoot out.

 

“KN95 masks are thought to be pretty good alternatives to N95 masks in non-clinical settings. They might not be quite as rigorous as N95s — there’s really no beating them — but KN95 masks still offer a lot of protection for you and others when sealed around your nose and mouth. (Here’s a list of the KN95s that have received emergency use authorization.) Surgical masks are great for protecting you and others against large respiratory droplets, but due to their loose fit, they’re not foolproof at keeping out all of the smaller, aerosolized particles. (Tip: if your surgical mask is loose, try tying knots in the ear loops to keep it taut.)

“Put your air-filtration mask on first, then cover it up with another one. Make sure you choose breathable fabrics with no valves, otherwise you’ll defeat the purpose.

“The mask with the greatest filtering capabilities should go on first, like the N95, KN95 or a well-fitted surgical mask. Make sure that mask is tightly sealed against your face. You don’t want gaps in the mask along the sides of your face where contaminated air can sneak in. Data suggests certain cloth masks might not be as protective as we once hoped, so it might be time to officially ditch the bandanas and neck gaiters and have your second layer be a multilayer cloth mask or another surgical mask.

“In general, the more layers your masks have, the better off you — and the people around you — will be. Studies have found that masks with multiple layers can block 50% to 70% of small droplets. When it comes to cloth masks, evidence suggests three layers of tightly woven fabric are the way to go.

 

“‘The more layers you have covering your nose and mouth means less virus CONTINUE READING: glen brown: Why You Should Double-Mask to Prevent Covid-19 and How to Do It

Want to Appreciate Teachers? Vaccinate Us Before Reopening Schools | gadflyonthewallblog

Want to Appreciate Teachers? Vaccinate Us Before Reopening Schools | gadflyonthewallblog

Want to Appreciate Teachers? Vaccinate Us Before Reopening Schools

This year I don’t need a free donut.

I don’t need a Buy One Get One coupon for school supplies.

I don’t need a novelty eraser or a mug with a happy saying on it.

I just need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 before being asked to teach in-person.

You want to say you appreciate teachers? Great! Then provide us with a minimally safe environment to work in.

That is LITERALLY the least you can do.

Not a banner or an advertisement or even a sentimental greeting card.

Give us the minimum protections so we can meet the demands of school directors, administrators and the community.

Not a cookie. A Covid vaccine. CONTINUE READING: Want to Appreciate Teachers? Vaccinate Us Before Reopening Schools | gadflyonthewallblog

Education Matters: School Board Chair Andersen says she is devastated about the DCPS deaths, well then how about doing something.

Education Matters: School Board Chair Andersen says she is devastated about the DCPS deaths, well then how about doing something.

School Board Chair Andersen says she is devastated about the DCPS deaths, well then how about doing something.

Education Matters: Three members of team Duval have passed in a little over a week. Where is the coach? - https://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2021/01/three-members-of-team-duval-have-passed.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/iYxgC+(Education+Matters)

I had high hopes for Mrs. Andersen, so high I donated 800 dollars to her campaign. A former educator, I thought she would fight for teachers and against the state. Now people are dying, and she may feel devastated, but it is way past time she did something.

From WJXT,

Board chair Elizabeth Andersen made the announcement Wednesday morning on Facebook.

“I’m sad to report that we have lost more members of the DCPS family. Ms. Martin was a beloved Paraprofessional at Neptune Beach Elementary who passed away from COVID, and a student at Twin Lakes has passed away from MIS-C, an illness thought to be COVID related,” Anderson wrote. 

“I’m devastated for these families and school communities,"

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/01/20/neptune-beach-elementary-employee-dies-due-to-covid-19-complications-board-member-says/

You know what her being devastated without action is going to give us? More deaths.

I am devastated, too, as I am sure tens of thousands of people across the state, CONTINUE READING: Education Matters: School Board Chair Andersen says she is devastated about the DCPS deaths, well then how about doing something.

Education Matters: DCPS must just sit around and think of ways to #@&% with people - https://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2021/01/dcps-must-just-sit-around-and-think-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/iYxgC+(Education+Matters)

The Teacher Trauma of Repeatedly Justifying Your Right To Life During Covid | gadflyonthewallblog

The Teacher Trauma of Repeatedly Justifying Your Right To Life During Covid | gadflyonthewallblog

The Teacher Trauma of Repeatedly Justifying Your Right To Life During Covid

I am a public school teacher and my life has value.

That shouldn’t be controversial.

But every few weeks in 2020-21 as the global Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread unabated, I have to go to a staff meeting and justify my right to continue breathing.

Administration and the school board want to stop distance learning and reopen the school for in-person classes.

Yet the Pennsylvania Department of Health recommends all schools be fully remote in any county with a substantial level of community transmission of Covid-19. As of today, that’s every county in the whole state.

Allegheny County – the area near Pittsburgh where I live – has averaged about 600 new cases a day since the beginning of December. More than 1,100 people have died – 149 just in January, alone.

Meanwhile, teachers and other frontline workers have to wait to get vaccinated CONTINUE READING: The Teacher Trauma of Repeatedly Justifying Your Right To Life During Covid | gadflyonthewallblog

Education Matters: Teacher fear in DCPS is real and palpable.

Education Matters: Teacher fear in DCPS is real and palpable.

Teacher fear in DCPS is real and palpable.

 I have written many times about the lack of contact tracing, and social distancing, and how the dashboard shouldn't be believed. If the district cares, they sure haven't shown it, and the fear for many teachers and staff is real.  

I received this from a reader. I have edited it to take out anything identifying because, sadly, in DCPS, teachers have a lot to be afraid about.

So one of my students is positive. I only found out because I asked the secretary. The only thing my principal has said to me about anything is that their absence has been excused. Telling me in the hallway because he happened to see me.

I’m not going to lie. I’m having a slight panic attack because no one is telling me anything. The only reason I know is because I asked our secretary. If it was just me affected, that is one thing. But it isn’t. It is my class and all the kids. It is all the resource teachers. It is the other teachers on grade level because they make us move kids around for their stupid pet program.

It is my two personal children. It is their classes, their teachers, their middle schools. It is my CONTINUE READING: Education Matters: Teacher fear in DCPS is real and palpable.

Terrie Brady and DTU stick up for veteran teachers

by Unknown / 16h

A few weeks back, I was told something may be coming, and Terrie Brady yesterday confirmed it when she asked the district to renegotiate on behalf of veteran teachers, many of who are about to take a pay cut. To be honest, I don’t think it should have come to this. The district has money extra in reserves and is saving money from the referendum. They didn’t have to throw veteran teachers under th

Some good news from DCPS

100+by Unknown / 19h

People have accused me of writing only about bad news, and they are right. I don’t do a good news blog but, in my defense, I am a teacher in Florida, and I do work for DCPS, and they give me plenty of bad news to write about. That being said, there were a few signs of hope at yesterday’s board meeting. Last Monday’s COVID-19 shots for school board employees apparently went over well, I mean very

School Board votes to give themselves a nearly 6,291 dollars raise while giving veterans a pay cut.

by Unknown / 20h

You know I had hoped they might do the right thing, and there is a glimmer of hope as the union has requested to reopen contract negotiations for veterans, but at the end of the day, the SB voted to give themselves a 7k raise many while veterans took a pay cut. Teacher salary increases, as well as contrac

John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution? | Diane Ravitch's blog

John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution? | Diane Ravitch's blog

John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution?

John Thompson, historian and retired teacher in Oklahoma, has a beef with “experts” and pundits who criticized teachers and teachers’ unions for refusing to reopen schools when it was not safe and uncertainty was the rule.

He writes:

The Guardian reports, “Los Angeles is becoming the center of America’s out-of-control coronavirus pandemic in these final days before the new year.” Its “meteoric rise in infections is crushing the healthcare system.” Hospitals have set up triage tents, and “doctors will have to make agonizing choices to ration care.”

Reports about L.A.’s “horrific” super-surge stand in stark contrast to the commentaries of a month ago. On November 20, when it should have been obvious that Thanksgiving was coming and would start a series of “surge on surge” spreads, Alexander Russo continued to compile journalism that attacked teachers for excessive caution in reopening for in-person education, and to urge CONTINUE READING: John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution? | Diane Ravitch's blog

NANCY BAILEY: Why Are Schools Opening When Covid-19 is Surging?

Why Are Schools Opening When Covid-19 is Surging?

Why Are Schools Opening When Covid-19 is Surging?

It has become a cruel joke. Shut everything down! Stay home! Cancel the holidays! Close everything! But open schools!

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious diseases expert, told Americans to stay home throughout the holiday season, avoid groups, wash hands, wear masks, and stay socially distanced. There’s a horrific death count in case you harbor doubts.

But there’s a gap between what Dr. Fauci and the medical community recommend to the public and what he and they think is A-O.K. for America’s schoolchildren and teachers. Remember back in July when Dr. Fauci told teachers they would be a part of a learning curve experiment.

Dr. Leana Wen, M.D., seems to understand that schools are no match for Covid-19 and should be closed throughout the winter. Why are other doctors, CONTINUE READING: Why Are Schools Opening When Covid-19 is Surging?