Questions asked by a teacher

[Nevilledog]

[jmg257]

1. My 1st question would be...What if I say "no"?

[gratuitous]

21. That's a good first question

But then the response is, "Oh, so you refuse to do your job, huh? You're fired!"

I really like the approach in the original post. No, not everyone's going to get infected or sick, and not all who do will die. But somebody surely will. What if it's me? What are my options? What is the district going to do for me, or about me? The quarantine question is especially on point: What is the school's plan if, say, two or three teachers have to be gone for two weeks? It could very well happen, and plans need to be in place ahead of time to deal with it.

[mcar]

2. Excellent questions

Signed, wife of a public school teacher

[Mosby]

3. Are teachers considered essential workers?

[Nevilledog]

9. Yes and no.

Looks like states have some power over designating which positions are essential. Can't imagine they wouldn't be essential in any determination.

[HotTeaBag]

5. They seem like valid questions to me - though I'm not a teacher.

In questions 1 through 3, if the 'I' and 'me' were changed to 'we' and 'our' would that make a difference?

[Nevilledog]

6. Seriously?

You go right ahead and designate teachers as sacrifices.

If you really had any experience in education you'd be concerned with teachers and students.

My husband has been a teacher, principal and now administrator for over 20 years.

Welcome to my ignore list and you go on with your bad self.

[stopdiggin]

13. stop being hysterical

no one is "designating teachers as sacrifices" (any more than they are those manning the gas station, the fire department or the county clerks office).

Teachers and educators (with some strong backing from psychologists and childhood development experts) simply do not see this as a zero sum game. Please do not attempt to co-opt the profession by asserting that there is only one possible answer here. That's a disservice to the real concern and variety of opinion I hear in my own circles.

[Squinch]

14. Do gas stations, fire departments and county clerk's offices have dozens of young children who

spread germs like wildfire?

Also, "stop being hysterical"? Really? Bless your little heart.

[stopdiggin]

16. children (and schools) are little germ pots

bless their little hearts. I guess that's pretty well established. -- --
(although I think the epidemiological evidence, thus far, points in the direction of children being a lesser of a source of transmission than their older counterparts. but -- not really sure, so it's probably best to leave that one on the table.)

And -- anyone that posts the following:
"You go right ahead and designate teachers as sacrifices."

Is entering the range of hysterical. And needs to take a chill pill.
--- ---

[Squinch]

18. NYC schools closed on March 13. NYC had about 100 known cases on that date.

68 NYC school employees died of Covid in the following weeks.

No. It isn't entering the range of hysterical. Open the schools and many of them WILL become hot spots. It's Russian roulette with very bad odds. Many adults and children WILL die as a result of opening the schools.

Before you call someone facing that prospect of walking into that "hysterical," I suggest you lock yourself in a room with 30 children for a week, knowing that one very well might be a carrier, and then tell us how hysterical it is.

[Nevilledog]

17. Seeing as my husband is tasked with protecting everyone in the school, your opinion means zero.

I've never met more dedicated people than teachers. We don't pay them enough and they work many hours above a 9-5 job. They do it because they love the kids they teach. But, in the real-fucking-world, they have spouses, and kids, and parents, and other family members who are also placed at risk by a teacher having to work in an unsafe environment.

The public narrative right now is focused on the kids needing the socialization benefits of an in-school setting. No thoughts about the ADULTS needed to run the school.

And guess what? Forcing schools to open now is gonna do squat for the kids. They can't get close to their friends (social distancing), no recesses, can't eat with their friends. Will be sitting at tables or desks with plexiglass. And then their beloved teacher or another kid, or the nice lady in the office gets sick. How's that gonna affect the kids?

If you know any teachers, in real life, you might wanna ask them what THEY think about in-person schooling and safety as things stand right now.

I invite you to point out where I proposed "only one possible answer".

These are my opinions, but I'm only a lawyer married to a 20 year Educator.

P.S. Using the term hysterical to address my opinion is sexist.

[stopdiggin]

19. So -- you're saying that no one in the education community

but most particularly the teachers -- are interested in opening the schools this fall?
I think that's monolithic -- and false.

I apologize for using the term "hysterical" -- I generally don't think of it in those terms (and maybe should) -- but it does carry some freight. My bad.

[Nevilledog]

22. We're in AZ. None of the teachers in our town feel it's safe.

The teachers want to teach. They want things to go back to normal. They miss the kids. The reality is, it's not safe for kids or teachers right now.

Maybe there are some areas of the country that are in a better position to really contemplate in-school instruction, and that's why the decisions on what the school year is going to look like must be a local decision.

I think you're basing your opinions on what teachers want (to be with their students), as opposed to what's safest for everyone involved.

There are no easy solutions as it is an incredibly complex problem. The only thing guaranteed is that not everybody will be satisfied.

[Squinch]

23. You say that on the basis of "being acquainted with" a couple of teachers.

I am not a teacher, but my work is such that I work in 4 different schools.

NO ONE I know wants to return to in-person instruction in the fall. NONE of my colleagues in 4 large city schools.

For some of us who are older and have comorbidities, we know we would be in great danger. And children are NOT immune to this. They DO get it, and they DO die of it. And others catch a different kawasaki-like disease that we still know very little about.

[Squinch]

20. Well said. Thank you. There are a lot of people out there who really couldn't care

less that we are willingly and knowingly sending people to horrifying deaths or a lifetime of debilitating illness.

[stopdiggin]

7. +1. probably not a teacher anyway

I'm acquainted with a few. Haven't run into a lot of them who's first concern is lawsuit and workman's comp.

[Squinch]

15. I work in schools. Just FYI, caring for one's family IS a primary concern in this situation.

That means, if we are being sent into a petri dish, we want to know if we and our families will be cared for when many of us inevitably contract a deadly virus and many of us die.

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. Harsh! These are reasonable questions in an unprecedented time.

[Dan]

11. Smile, and

Thank you for your service.

Based on the position taken, I am wondering - when and if they open the schools, and teachers start to die, would you be willing to return to teaching?

[indigovalley]

10. I am a teacher and do not think these are self-centered questions

These are legitimate things that need to be considered in any plans to reopen. There have to be plans for teachers who need to isolate--and what that would look like if they themselves were sick or a family member were sick. The availability of substitute teachers would be connected to that. The workman's comp is also a legit question in regards to which insurance covers you should you get sick in this situation. And the last one for sure--if school is in session and a teacher or students (or more than one) get sick and die how do we provide emotional support for student and staff. This is a serious issue.

These very same questions have come up in discussions with staff at my school as we have discussed options for fall.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. Sub Here

I told all the districts to keep me on their list, but I need to know how they plan to do things to keep it as safe as possible.
Until I hear some details, all I am is "available". I'm not committed.
And subbing in 10 districts is a advantage in deferring.
I can always say I'm already going somewhere else.
These districts are in 3 different counties. They're not going to check.
When I'm convinced one or two districts are doing all they can, I can consider those.
But, if there are a lot of sub's like me, they may have complete lists, but no real availability.