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Post by freecharlie on Jul 10, 2020 16:07:11 GMT
This was posted on a fb group I am a part of.
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Post by christine58 on Jul 10, 2020 16:07:19 GMT
I go to sleep every night thanking my lucky stars I retired from teaching so soon before this all happened.th cavalier dismissal and contempt is unfathomable. Me too
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Post by freecharlie on Jul 10, 2020 16:16:03 GMT
I'd wager that every state with a Republican governor is on this path. All following the directives of dear leader. Michigan's is a Democrat and been pretty strict (we're still not fully open) but unless we go back a phase schools are allowed to reopen. Districts have some flexibility in how that happens but the guidelines say masks aren't required in the classroom for grades 5 & under (they are required in common areas like buses and hallways) and while distancing desks is encouraged as much as possible it's not required. Masks are required all day for higher grades and staff. Devil's advocate question: is teaching in a class with the same 30 students (yes, I know some teachers engage with many more students) more dangerous than working in a restaurant with hundreds of different unmasked people in and out all day? Not getting into what's right or wrong because the situation is vastly different based on location just playing devil's advocate cuz the thought crossed my mind. Here's my though on that and I have gone out to eat in the last month. My server is near the table usually for less than 2 minutes at a time. They are always masked. My server is standing, while I am sitting and the only time the server is close is when they are putting food on the table. I am in one place and the only things I will probably touch are the table and dishes. Every restaurant I have been in is only allowed 50% capacity The customers are much more exposed. In a classroom, I am close to the same students for 86 minutes at a time and I get up to 120 kids a day at the hs level. The lower grade levels often have the same 25 kids for 7 hours. Those kids i personally have in class, are in classes with countless of the other 700 students in the building. They pass in the hall, share bathrooms, eat near each other. Even if none of my students are infected one day, maybe they put their book on a table that has the virus and then they bring the book to my class and a different kid touches it and gets it. It is much more likely that a student will cough or sneeze during the time they are in my class. They will touch the table, maybe a book or writing utensil or scissors or...then they will touch something else. Our classrooms are small with little ventilation. Some rooms have no windows at all.
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purplebee
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,726
Jun 27, 2014 20:37:34 GMT
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Post by purplebee on Jul 10, 2020 16:18:17 GMT
Thinking seriously about retiring this year. I really want to work for another year or two, though I don’t have to, but I will just have to see what it looks like when I go back.
Our state just pushed back the opening of school from August 13 to the week of the 24th, and evidently we have had a “healthy” (according to our Supt.) enrollment in our Virtual Academy, with enrollment open until July 17. Our COVID count is still up in AR, and my PCP seemed pretty concerned at my Wellness visit yesterday. Dh is worried about my safety (20+ year lunch lady at Primary School, and I cashier 3x a week), as am I, and is telling me not to go back if I don’t have adequate protection. I don’t think virtual learning will affect our Primary School enrollment very much.
A whole lot can change between now and August 24. I feel for everyone in the realm of education, it’s not going to get easier.
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,377
Jun 25, 2014 23:25:39 GMT
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Post by katybee on Jul 10, 2020 16:21:07 GMT
I mean, I could see districts in areas of the country where cases have sharply declined already considering options that include socially-distanced in-person instruction. Texas is in the middle of a full-blown outbreak. This is nuts. And is driven by wanting to get parents back to work, not care for the kids (even though online schooling definitely isn’t right for a lot of kids). Exactly.... but not only are our numbers skyrocketing, people throw temper tantrums any time they think you’re taking away their “liberties”— i.e. making them wear masks and closing bars. It takes sacrifice and willpower to get numbers down. Texas just doesn’t seem able to do that. I’m hoping that the mandatory mask order (just recently put in place) and closing of bars will make our numbers go down. We had record deaths yesterday and our ICU’s are packed, but maybe this is the peak....
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,377
Jun 25, 2014 23:25:39 GMT
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Post by katybee on Jul 10, 2020 16:21:46 GMT
This was posted on a fb group I am a part of. I think they will get 10 paid days because of the CARES act....
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Post by sam9 on Jul 10, 2020 16:21:51 GMT
This was posted on a fb group I am a part of. Hard to understand this. Thankful that I live in a much more socialistic country where this wouldn’t happen. Don’t American teachers carry health or salary insurance that would cover this situation?
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Post by christine58 on Jul 10, 2020 16:31:08 GMT
This was posted on a fb group I am a part of. Hard to understand this. Thankful that I live in a much more socialistic country where this wouldn’t happen. Don’t American teachers carry health or salary insurance that would cover this situation? We get a certain number of sick days each year. I can only speak to where I taught and was the Union President for about 10 years. We carried over days each year and could accumulate up to 225 maximum. Some schools have different rules. Health insurance does NOT provide paid sick time. The unpaid days would happen if you had no sick days to use.
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Post by scrapsotime on Jul 10, 2020 16:33:43 GMT
So, it's not safe to be in jail or prison because one of the reasons is social distancing is impossible, but it's safe to go to school where, in my opinion, social distancing is even more impossible.
Save the prisoners - sacrifice the children. This reasoning is all sorts of wrong.
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used2scrap
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,032
Jan 29, 2016 3:02:55 GMT
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Post by used2scrap on Jul 10, 2020 16:34:10 GMT
This was posted on a fb group I am a part of. I think they will get 10 paid days because of the CARES act.... I think someone can only use this if they personally test positive. Having to self isolate because of known exposure isn’t covered. Tests taking over a week to come back right now, this far in, is contributing to a huge mess.
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Post by sam9 on Jul 10, 2020 16:35:15 GMT
Hard to understand this. Thankful that I live in a much more socialistic country where this wouldn’t happen. Don’t American teachers carry health or salary insurance that would cover this situation? We get a certain number of sick days each year. I can only speak to where I taught and was the Union President for about 10 years. We carried over days each year and could accumulate up to 225 maximum. Some schools have different rules. Health insurance does NOT provide paid sick time. The unpaid days would happen if you had no sick days to use. So if you had a long term disability, and not enough sick days collected, and couldn't teach for a few months, you would not be paid even a percentage of your salary? Even with a doctor's note? Would unemployment benefits kick in?
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,377
Jun 25, 2014 23:25:39 GMT
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Post by katybee on Jul 10, 2020 16:36:45 GMT
Hard to understand this. Thankful that I live in a much more socialistic country where this wouldn’t happen. Don’t American teachers carry health or salary insurance that would cover this situation? We get a certain number of sick days each year. I can only speak to where I taught and was the Union President for about 10 years. We carried over days each year and could accumulate up to 225 maximum. Some schools have different rules. Health insurance does NOT provide paid sick time. The unpaid days would happen if you had no sick days to use. Yeah....I have 60+ days saved up. I have a feeling I could go through them all just this year.
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Post by freecharlie on Jul 10, 2020 16:52:33 GMT
We get a certain number of sick days each year. I can only speak to where I taught and was the Union President for about 10 years. We carried over days each year and could accumulate up to 225 maximum. Some schools have different rules. Health insurance does NOT provide paid sick time. The unpaid days would happen if you had no sick days to use. So if you had a long term disability, and not enough sick days collected, and couldn't teach for a few months, you would not be paid even a percentage of your salary? Even with a doctor's note? Would unemployment benefits kick in? only if you pay for long term disability
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Post by MichyM on Jul 10, 2020 17:00:09 GMT
I've kept my nose out of these threads since I'm not a teacher and I don't have a child in school any longer.
BUT...I just want to say that one of the things that has REALLY bothered me from the very start is how difficult this is on educators. Especially those expected to be in classroom. What teachers were asked to do during the spring was mind boggling. This sounds FAR worse.
I have two local friends who are teachers and are understandibly very unhappy right now in this period of not knowing how all the wheels and cogs are going to work. I am grateful that there is a teacher's union here, and that the administration, as well as our governor seem to care about EVERYONE'S health.
I really don't know what else to say other than I hope the Powers That Be come to their senses, soon.
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Post by christine58 on Jul 10, 2020 17:07:04 GMT
We get a certain number of sick days each year. I can only speak to where I taught and was the Union President for about 10 years. We carried over days each year and could accumulate up to 225 maximum. Some schools have different rules. Health insurance does NOT provide paid sick time. The unpaid days would happen if you had no sick days to use. So if you had a long term disability, and not enough sick days collected, and couldn't teach for a few months, you would not be paid even a percentage of your salary? Even with a doctor's note? Would unemployment benefits kick in? You’d have to have your own long-term disability insurance that you pay for yourself. However our school had a sick bank that you could apply to for additional days. We negotiated a list of requirements in order for those days to be approved. At one point we approve them for someone whose child had a terminal illness and they were out of sick days. Not every place does that
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Post by sam9 on Jul 10, 2020 17:10:21 GMT
This was posted on a fb group I am a part of. I am super annoyed at this for you! If you have to self isolate because someone else has tested positive, i.e., you are not yet known to be sick, it is outrageous that you would have to apply your personal sick days to this enforced time off! In my province there has been no mandatory online teaching (or any teaching of any kind really) since schools were shutdown on March 13. Teachers have all been paid their regular salaries. How do you keep good teachers if you treat them so poorly?
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,377
Jun 25, 2014 23:25:39 GMT
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Post by katybee on Jul 10, 2020 17:19:21 GMT
So if you had a long term disability, and not enough sick days collected, and couldn't teach for a few months, you would not be paid even a percentage of your salary? Even with a doctor's note? Would unemployment benefits kick in? only if you pay for long term disability I think you mean short term disability, right? That’s the disability that will cover you in the short term until long term disability (which we all have through the government) kicks in. Like AAFLAC. It’s a benefit we can elect (and pay for—it’s my most expensive benefit—based on age). I don’t think short term disability would cover a quarantine due to exposure only. I think you would actually have to be sick.
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Post by freecharlie on Jul 10, 2020 17:21:15 GMT
This was posted on a fb group I am a part of. I am super annoyed at this for you! If you have to self isolate because someone else has tested positive, i.e., you are not yet known to be sick, it is outrageous that you would have to apply your personal sick days to this enforced time off! In my province there has been no mandatory online teaching (or any teaching of any kind really) since schools were shutdown on March 13. Teachers have all been paid their regular salaries. How do you keep good teachers if you treat them so poorly? most of us love what we do and couldn't imagine doing anything else, but also in a lot of states our retirement is tied to our job. We don't pay onto social security, but rather a state plan. If we leave before retirement, we cam get screwed because we don't have enough years in any system
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Post by ajsweetpea on Jul 10, 2020 17:39:11 GMT
I just watched my own child in my kitchen eating a cookie, dancing around, crumbs flying out of her mouth. This kid loves her parents, her friends, her teachers. And all I could think was there's going to be kids going to school in other states just like my own kid (who was doing something in my own home where she was not being especially hygienic) where they won't be required to wear masks, who may belong to families who don't social distance or wear masks out in public. And we are going to have teachers who are exposed to these (sometimes gross) kids. I feel like we are putting teachers (and their students) into a dangerous situation. We are starting to get our numbers under control in my state and I still don't feel comfortable sending my kids to school. I certainly don't feel comfortable sending them on a school bus. The buses here are overcrowded and guess what? We aren't getting more bus routes. We don't have enough bus drivers as it is (nationwide bus driver shortage). School budget is being cut so where is the money going to come from to keep schools clean or provide space for social distancing? It is scary. The economy shouldn't be more important than the lives of teachers and students, bottom line.
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Post by Merge on Jul 10, 2020 17:44:00 GMT
I am super annoyed at this for you! If you have to self isolate because someone else has tested positive, i.e., you are not yet known to be sick, it is outrageous that you would have to apply your personal sick days to this enforced time off! In my province there has been no mandatory online teaching (or any teaching of any kind really) since schools were shutdown on March 13. Teachers have all been paid their regular salaries. How do you keep good teachers if you treat them so poorly? most of us love what we do and couldn't imagine doing anything else, but also in a lot of states our retirement is tied to our job. We don't pay onto social security, but rather a state plan. If we leave before retirement, we cam get screwed because we don't have enough years in any system Yes. We mid-career teachers are especially stuck right now. We're too old to just go do something else very easily, and too young to consider retirement.
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Post by shutterbug2sue on Jul 10, 2020 18:02:47 GMT
I understood the CARES Act provides time off to employees to be sick AND time off to care for sick family members.
As a parent, I understand the kids are better off in school, but there are too many questions - I hated distance learning, but it’s the safest option. Our district looked into purchasing more devices and into an online service. Nothing official has been announced. We go back in about 5 weeks.
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TankTop
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1,871
Posts: 4,767
Location: On the couch...
Jun 28, 2014 1:52:46 GMT
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Post by TankTop on Jul 10, 2020 18:09:10 GMT
I'd wager that every state with a Republican governor is on this path. All following the directives of dear leader. Michigan's is a Democrat and been pretty strict (we're still not fully open) but unless we go back a phase schools are allowed to reopen. Districts have some flexibility in how that happens but the guidelines say masks aren't required in the classroom for grades 5 & under (they are required in common areas like buses and hallways) and while distancing desks is encouraged as much as possible it's not required. Masks are required all day for higher grades and staff. Devil's advocate question: is teaching in a class with the same 30 students (yes, I know some teachers engage with many more students) more dangerous than working in a restaurant with hundreds of different unmasked people in and out all day? Not getting into what's right or wrong because the situation is vastly different based on location just playing devil's advocate cuz the thought crossed my mind. These are minors who can’t walk down a hall in a straight line. They are certainly not going to keep their masks on, if they are even required, or keep their hands to themselves. I would say, yes, it is more dangerous. Not to mention that in a restaurant you have a limited amount of time with one another. In a classroom we will be together literally all day. This increases exposure.
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Post by sam9 on Jul 10, 2020 18:16:26 GMT
I agree that it will be very difficult to keep kids in line in a classroom and on buses (and there are way too many unknowns about what they and their families are doing outside of school), but don't underestimate them. If they really want to do something badly enough (like play baseball) they're pretty good about following the rules. Much better than the parents.
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mimix3
Junior Member
Posts: 97
Jun 15, 2020 0:56:27 GMT
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Post by mimix3 on Jul 10, 2020 18:24:43 GMT
I am not a teacher. But on behalf of all the teachers, I am sooooooo fucking pissed. I am not only pissed at those who voted for trump but also those who did not vote for either in 2016. Thank you assholes. My senator and governor’s office are not longer taking calls. Lol. May be they had enough of people like calling to chew them out. I have been working from home for Almost 14 years now. And my kid is old enough that I don’t have to monitor him every hour. I get that I am probably not supposed to say anything as I have had moms with younger kids question me how they can get work done if their child doesn’t go to school. I have no good answer for it other than saying this: If I have no job, I can still live for more days and months than get a virus and possibly die in few days. If not me, the guilt will kill me that I sent my kid to school and his teacher got sick. If we all were such awesome citizens and were completely locked down for last few months, then I might cut some slack. But nope. We spent time vacationing like there is no pandemic, we caused the spread to increase, we showed how fucking stupid we are and then we want to turn around and pass the germs to teachers. If I could, I would sue every idiot who went out and then said, “what’s the big deal? It’s just a flu. What’s the big deal? Everyone will get it anyways” The fact that entire world is telling us what not to do and some are laughing at us doesn’t even seem to make us stop and think. You can fix stupid probably, you cannot fix stupid people who think they are the smartest in the world. <random rant over. I am still livid> I am not a teacher and do not have children or grand children in school, and I am pissed off too. I mean, what is the harm in distance learning? I do it all of the time. I have NEVER taken a college class on campus. Look at me being a big girl and getting my shit done. And I get it that parents have to work and not all are teachers. I do. And if I thought it would make a good damn around here, I would offer to individually help some kids do school work while momma and daddy went to work. BUT this is Tennessee and we cannot be bothered to look out for one another so I cannot risk myself just to save someone else. Sucks but that is the way it is.
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Post by PEAcan pie on Jul 10, 2020 19:03:27 GMT
Isn't there a teachers union?? NEA or something like that? Organize! No. We are a right to work state. If we strike, we could lose our teaching certificate and every penny we’ve put into the state retirement system (which is my social security). I technically cannot even quit at this point. We have to give our resignation at least 45 days prior to our report date. That would have been last Friday. But we still don’t even have details on how they plan to keep us safe. If we break our contract, we could lose our teaching certificate for a year. I really feel for you. You are in an impossible situation. I am leaning towards online learning for my three.
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Post by freecharlie on Jul 10, 2020 19:18:24 GMT
Are any other teachers on the NEA Zoom right now?
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Post by PEAcan pie on Jul 10, 2020 19:42:30 GMT
Thinking seriously about retiring this year. I really want to work for another year or two, though I don’t have to, but I will just have to see what it looks like when I go back. Our state just pushed back the opening of school from August 13 to the week of the 24th, and evidently we have had a “healthy” (according to our Supt.) enrollment in our Virtual Academy, with enrollment open until July 17. Our COVID count is still up in AR, and my PCP seemed pretty concerned at my Wellness visit yesterday. Dh is worried about my safety (20+ year lunch lady at Primary School, and I cashier 3x a week), as am I, and is telling me not to go back if I don’t have adequate protection. I don’t think virtual learning will affect our Primary School enrollment very much. A whole lot can change between now and August 24. I feel for everyone in the realm of education, it’s not going to get easier. I am a lunch lady too. Just one year in and I love it. 4 Hours a day and it works around my kids schedule, I love my Boss and co-workers. Tons of time off including summer. It was just perfect for me. Enough income so we can splurge and be very comfortable. Sadly, not even sure I have a job now. Have not heard a thing yet, but I am expecting to be let go. I was the last to be hired. Even if I do have a job, it is NOT safe. The kids coughed on me all the time. I too ran the cash register and cannot tell you how many times I asked the kids to turn their head or not sneeze on me. I remember one incidence and the young man yelled at me that he did, when he clearly did not. I would ring up at least 300 students in one day. Wearing a mask would not be safe enough IMO.
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TankTop
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1,871
Posts: 4,767
Location: On the couch...
Jun 28, 2014 1:52:46 GMT
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Post by TankTop on Jul 10, 2020 19:44:10 GMT
Are any other teachers on the NEA Zoom right now? I am. Sounds like we are screwed.
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Post by iteach3rdgrade on Jul 10, 2020 19:44:16 GMT
Are any other teachers on the NEA Zoom right now? I am. 43 states have failed CDC criteria for reopening. 😲 No surprise there.
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Post by freecharlie on Jul 10, 2020 19:58:07 GMT
Thinking seriously about retiring this year. I really want to work for another year or two, though I don’t have to, but I will just have to see what it looks like when I go back. Our state just pushed back the opening of school from August 13 to the week of the 24th, and evidently we have had a “healthy” (according to our Supt.) enrollment in our Virtual Academy, with enrollment open until July 17. Our COVID count is still up in AR, and my PCP seemed pretty concerned at my Wellness visit yesterday. Dh is worried about my safety (20+ year lunch lady at Primary School, and I cashier 3x a week), as am I, and is telling me not to go back if I don’t have adequate protection. I don’t think virtual learning will affect our Primary School enrollment very much. A whole lot can change between now and August 24. I feel for everyone in the realm of education, it’s not going to get easier. I am a lunch lady too. Just one year in and I love it. 4 Hours a day and it works around my kids schedule, I love my Boss and co-workers. Tons of time off including summer. It was just perfect for me. Enough income so we can splurge and be very comfortable. Sadly, not even sure I have a job now. Have not heard a thing yet, but I am expecting to be let go. I was the last to be hired. Even if I do have a job, it is NOT safe. The kids coughed on me all the time. I too ran the cash register and cannot tell you how many times I asked the kids to turn their head or not sneeze on me. I remember one incidence and the young man yelled at me that he did, when he clearly did not. I would ring up at least 300 students in one day. Wearing a mask would not be safe enough IMO. maybe plexiglass
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