Ideas of How will high schools can reopen in hot spots

Parent Cafe
1

Can this be the thread we throw around ideas of how high schools of 1000 kids can reopen in Long Island and similar hot spots? Welcome creative and out of the box ideas.

I will start:

Virtual classes

Even and odd day attendance

Even and odd week attendance

Staggered bell schedule so as not to crowd the halls

Morning shift for half the kids and an afternoon shift for the second set. No lunch. No gym. Possibly only teach the core classes: math, ss, foreign lang, english, science.

2

Are you a school board member or state department of education planner hoping for some bright new ideas? If not, why are you wasting your energy speculating about this stuff? The decisions will be made by people in school district administration, probably with little or no input from ordinary folk.

3

Working in a high school myself, I don’t see anything working. Schools are petri dishes and always have been. Even if one class is let loose in a hallway to go to a lab or whatever, the kids always congregate. It’s human nature. Germs will be spread.

I’ve already decided I won’t be going back to school until more is known about this virus, esp long term effects. Life is too short to take unnecessary chances. I don’t need the income.

In my school district I’ve seen notice of more openings for next year than usual. So far they aren’t in my building so I’m just guessing, but I expect it’s a combo of those not wanting to do virtual classes and those not wanting the exposure to the virus. We all know we get at least one cold each year - usually in fall or right after Christmas break. If the flu goes around, several teachers and staff get it. Oodles have comorbidities, esp since age itself is one not to mention high blood pressure.

The best one can hope for IMO is to staff the place with the young who are willing to take their chances (and have better odds) - teachers, janitors, office workers, etc. If your school is like ours, this will require hiring a bunch more people to replace those already there.

4

My friend says if they continue online learning, she’s likely it retire and watch her grand baby instead. It is very discouraging as she has to prepare paper packets plus have online class and still gets very low participation.

She helps care for her aging parents and in-laws (80s/90s), as well as infant grand baby

5

1000 would be a small high school around here.

The schools K-12 are exploring different schedules. I was just on a zoom call with a teacher who said they are worrying about the new schedules, but also about losing a lot of students (and their funding) to charter and online schools. The parents don’t want the disruption and would rather have their kids on a scheduled online program than to have them in school every other day, to start in a classroom and go back to online, to have a mixed program of some classes online and others at a school. The online schools have a set program and many are free.

6

A few articles on restarting this year. Not specifically high schools with 1000 students, but pick and choose details of the plans that apply: busing, social distancing, social distancing, …
https://www.edutopia.org/article/schools-are-opening-worldwide-providing-model-us?fbclid=IwAR0KalrlUgu_Q-oluEU5ms4u5iXywHG91DCZspyrIjfUJTYDZRcXeu7Fb5I

International elementary through secondary school in China
https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cYhhepB8uV?fbclid=IwAR3ONdy2EP46EhcycURAzGrTk9vm57Wr8E0qgfi5hapV3Sg6SYoGLyMwcHQ

Western Quebec School District plan for optional return of elementary students (high schools will remain closed)

https://westernquebec.ca/coronavirus/

7

Wow, impressed with quebec. 12 kids on a bus, no kids using the same computer, no cafeteria food, They are courageous and not messing around.

8

On second thought, seeing the protocols in that chinese school, I am floored. I am curious if in the real world, with children, will they be compliant? I dont think americans could get their act together and be patient enough to implement let alone pass such labor intensive and time consuming restraints. Dont get me wrong, i think they are great to reduce transmission but am i the only one who cant see americans doing this?

9

Another video of return to elementary school in QC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR2aqrgf1uv7GCyQaP7zR17xXAANSrupH-ahgdDCzo95w5VFtV2yK7FvtIQ&feature=youtu.be&v=-gI1Oi_rJSc&app=desktop

No return for secondary and the optional return for elementary makes it look more like childcare than education. I can’t imagine sending a child back to school under these conditions/restrictions unless I had no other option. There will be very little time for instruction.

10

Wow! I just watched that, SNLmom. I wonder what it looks like with actual kids in the room. I cant imagine things will go swimmingly . That teacher will tear her hair out in no time. Time will tell. Our schools are overcrowded, with no regard for up and down stairwells, shoulder to shoulder hallways, and lockers one on top of the other. I also have no idea what will happen in american schools having to serve free lunch. Also, where on earth would they store kids in school with fever?

11

Wow, when you have 30-40 kids in a classroom, where do you get the social distancing? My kids 4-6th grades had 30-49 kids in classes,?band had even more in 7th-9th grades. Yikes!

12

Wow. Most elementary classrooms here have tables rather than desks. These videos make me think returning isn’t worth it if it has to be like that. I really don’t think teachers can enforce the distancing.

13

I don’t see how band will be possible. Think of the droplets being projected out of those instruments! I have a band kid going into her senior year and I feel sad that her final season of exciting competitions probably won’t happen.

14

I have a few thoughts…as a retired public school educator.

  1. We live in a rural school district comprised of four towns that attend a regional high school. Everyone either takes the bus...or drives to that school. Even our elementary schools (which are in each town) are totally bussed. I see this as an issue. The buses are already 2-3 a seat. Not sure how this will work.
  2. I can see the possibility of providing in school classes for things like science labs where a smaller number of students can be scheduled to come in at a time.
  3. Split shift might be an option. Our HS is four grades and small (800 total in the whole high school). Maybe two grades come at a time.
  4. I worry about the things that were important to my kids (who doesn’t). My kids were active members of their school music ensembles, and were in the school musicals. I worry about the performing arts in general...but the music ensembles had 50-100 kids in the same space at the same time. Every day. I want the schools to figure out how to deal with these programs, because my hope is that the performing arts will see a return in some way, shape or form in the future.
  5. I’m concerned about our high needs, and some medically involved special education students. Many had 1:1 paraeducators....because they needed them for one reason or another. The student needs are complicated and close contact is sometimes necessary for these students.
  6. Related to special education...speech pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy are needed related services for some students. These are close proximity and hands on services. Not sure how they will handle these.
  7. Here is a huge concern...fall 2020 will see the hiring if at least some brand new graduates into the teaching profession...due to retirements or experienced folks resigning. What a “different” time this will be for new teachers. They will not only need to become familiar with new curriculum and school policies (which they had to do anyway), but also might be required to become very good, very quickly with providing online instruction in a meaningful way. I’m hoping districts are planning good mentorship for their new staff members. They will need now, perhaps more than ever.
  8. I keep in touch with dozens of families in my former districts. Many say that they won’t let their kids return to in person instruction at all...until more is known about this virus, a vaccine becomes available, etc.

I think the start of the 2020 school year will be the most challenging in my lifetime…for everyone…schools and families.

15

I have also heard of starting high school in the fall but no sports. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I understand that for most people academics are the priority, but the kids in hallways and classrooms seem to be a much riskier source of spread than kids out on a soccer field. It’s not like the bleachers are full of fans.
My daughter (and myself) will be devastated if she won’t get her chance to try out and play on varsity soccer this year.

I really hope these decisions are made based on science and not based on fear.

16

Our newspaper had a long article about special ed kids (autistic & adhd) who are having losses because they can’t get services due to covid-19 and how the parents are worried and tearing their hair out. One parent bought some equipment for the home to help the student but not many parents are unable to do so for varying reasons.

Some of my friends’ kids Have been laid off—after school recreation and supervision program, position creating teaching curriculum, etc. Both of them got other jobs—one delivers pizza (some risk but needs paycheck) The other was hired to stock at Costco (lower risk—good social distancing and doesn’t work with customers). Both have babies.

17

I live in CA, so I’d expect the teacher unions to have a big say in matter.

18

@joecollege44 , after the Bergamo-Valencia match in February, 35 % of the players tested positive.

19

SPED kids are really up a creek here. Parents are VERY frustrated, especially those working from home. There was an article in the local paper featuring families in these positions.

It sounds like our state wants to get back to in-person classes, but it wouldn’t surprise me if ECs are modified. Our boosters, however, heavily funds the ECs. Without crowds at football games feeding the fundraising efforts, there very well might be changes in what activities the schools will be able to continue to offer.

20

yes, but how many were already positive before the match?