This is why parents are tired of schools and Covid protocols.

[BirdinHand]

It is January 1st. 5pm.

I’m in NJ - a highly vaccinated state. In a highly vaccinated town.

And every hour or so, on social media…you hear about another district deciding to “switch” to virtual instead of going back to school in person on Monday.

I’m literally checking email on an hourly basis or so, because our new superintendent (she started since the school break) emailed yesterday and said that they’re “monitoring the situation” and will decide whether to “pivot to virtual”

Today? 4 districts have decided to pivot to virtual/hybrid.

Nothing yet from ours. When will they “decide”?


So…is my kid going to school Monday? Or, do I need to prepare to pick up a packet and homeschool? Pick up additional private speech therapy?

When will we know?

It’s one thing to not know whether your kid is going to school because of a potential snow storm…that comes down to weather on the ground…but this nonsense of not knowing if your kid is going to school after a break because of Covid (almost 2 years into this thing) is another.

Pick a damn lane already. Open or virtual.

Parents have to make plans accordingly.


Right now…we sit at the whim of teachers and school administration. (Not BOE. My friend is on the BOE, they’re not a part of this decision)

How little notice is acceptable? 24 hours? 12 hours?

Parents are currently scrambling left and right in my area to get sitters, childcare, etc.

This is not acceptable.

 

[Artymoon]

It is January 1st. 5pm.

I’m in NJ - a highly vaccinated state. In a highly vaccinated town.

And every hour or so, on social media…you hear about another district deciding to “switch” to virtual instead of going back to school in person on Monday.

I’m literally checking email on an hourly basis or so, because our new superintendent (she started since the school break) emailed yesterday and said that they’re “monitoring the situation” and will decide whether to “pivot to virtual”

Today? 4 districts have decided to pivot to virtual/hybrid.

Nothing yet from ours. When will they “decide”?


So…is my kid going to school Monday? Or, do I need to prepare to pick up a packet and homeschool? Pick up additional private speech therapy?

When will we know?

It’s one thing to not know whether your kid is going to school because of a potential snow storm…that comes down to weather on the ground…but this nonsense of not knowing if your kid is going to school after a break because of Covid (almost 2 years into this thing) is another.

Pick a damn lane already. Open or virtual.

Parents have to make plans accordingly.


Right now…we sit at the whim of teachers and school administration. (Not BOE. My friend is on the BOE, they’re not a part of this decision)

How little notice is acceptable? 24 hours? 12 hours?

Parents are currently scrambling left and right in my area to get sitters, childcare, etc.

This is not acceptable.

Feel for you. But NJ is a blue state so this is not surprising. In my area, school has been running just fine and I've not heard the word virtual even mentioned.

 

[JMB802]

It is January 1st. 5pm.

I’m in NJ - a highly vaccinated state. In a highly vaccinated town.

And every hour or so, on social media…you hear about another district deciding to “switch” to virtual instead of going back to school in person on Monday.

I’m literally checking email on an hourly basis or so, because our new superintendent (she started since the school break) emailed yesterday and said that they’re “monitoring the situation” and will decide whether to “pivot to virtual”

Today? 4 districts have decided to pivot to virtual/hybrid.

Nothing yet from ours. When will they “decide”?


So…is my kid going to school Monday? Or, do I need to prepare to pick up a packet and homeschool? Pick up additional private speech therapy?

When will we know?

It’s one thing to not know whether your kid is going to school because of a potential snow storm…that comes down to weather on the ground…but this nonsense of not knowing if your kid is going to school after a break because of Covid (almost 2 years into this thing) is another.

Pick a damn lane already. Open or virtual.

Parents have to make plans accordingly.


Right now…we sit at the whim of teachers and school administration. (Not BOE. My friend is on the BOE, they’re not a part of this decision)

How little notice is acceptable? 24 hours? 12 hours?

Parents are currently scrambling left and right in my area to get sitters, childcare, etc.

This is not acceptable.

We've been notified in the evening that a class was quarantined or a grade hybrided the NEXT morning.

We are still in the throes of an unprecedented global pandemic. Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

A Nation on Hold Wants to Speak With a Manager (Published 2022)

In our anger-filled age, when people need to shop or travel or cope with mild disappointment they’re “devolving into children.”

www.nytimes.com

 

[Pippi Longstock]

It is January 1st. 5pm.

I’m in NJ - a highly vaccinated state. In a highly vaccinated town.

And every hour or so, on social media…you hear about another district deciding to “switch” to virtual instead of going back to school in person on Monday.

I’m literally checking email on an hourly basis or so, because our new superintendent (she started since the school break) emailed yesterday and said that they’re “monitoring the situation” and will decide whether to “pivot to virtual”

Today? 4 districts have decided to pivot to virtual/hybrid.

Nothing yet from ours. When will they “decide”?


So…is my kid going to school Monday? Or, do I need to prepare to pick up a packet and homeschool? Pick up additional private speech therapy?

When will we know?

It’s one thing to not know whether your kid is going to school because of a potential snow storm…that comes down to weather on the ground…but this nonsense of not knowing if your kid is going to school after a break because of Covid (almost 2 years into this thing) is another.

Pick a damn lane already. Open or virtual.

Parents have to make plans accordingly.


Right now…we sit at the whim of teachers and school administration. (Not BOE. My friend is on the BOE, they’re not a part of this decision)

How little notice is acceptable? 24 hours? 12 hours?

Parents are currently scrambling left and right in my area to get sitters, childcare, etc.

This is not acceptable.

It's all on a whim. Where I live the schools in my town went to virtual and a town 3.5 miles away has held in school classes since the beginning of the thing.

 

[Integrityrespec]

It is January 1st. 5pm.

I’m in NJ - a highly vaccinated state. In a highly vaccinated town.

And every hour or so, on social media…you hear about another district deciding to “switch” to virtual instead of going back to school in person on Monday.

I’m literally checking email on an hourly basis or so, because our new superintendent (she started since the school break) emailed yesterday and said that they’re “monitoring the situation” and will decide whether to “pivot to virtual”

Today? 4 districts have decided to pivot to virtual/hybrid.

Nothing yet from ours. When will they “decide”?


So…is my kid going to school Monday? Or, do I need to prepare to pick up a packet and homeschool? Pick up additional private speech therapy?

When will we know?

It’s one thing to not know whether your kid is going to school because of a potential snow storm…that comes down to weather on the ground…but this nonsense of not knowing if your kid is going to school after a break because of Covid (almost 2 years into this thing) is another.

Pick a damn lane already. Open or virtual.

Parents have to make plans accordingly.


Right now…we sit at the whim of teachers and school administration. (Not BOE. My friend is on the BOE, they’re not a part of this decision)

How little notice is acceptable? 24 hours? 12 hours?

Parents are currently scrambling left and right in my area to get sitters, childcare, etc.

This is not acceptable.

Schools are being screwed by teachers unions leveraging the virus for politics and extra pay. Virtual learning is not a good education and it doesn't work at all for most students. If you are highly motivated, a good student, and work well alone then you can be ok, otherwise waste of most student's time.

 

[MamboDervish]

It is January 1st. 5pm.

I’m in NJ - a highly vaccinated state. In a highly vaccinated town.

And every hour or so, on social media…you hear about another district deciding to “switch” to virtual instead of going back to school in person on Monday.

I’m literally checking email on an hourly basis or so, because our new superintendent (she started since the school break) emailed yesterday and said that they’re “monitoring the situation” and will decide whether to “pivot to virtual”

Today? 4 districts have decided to pivot to virtual/hybrid.

Nothing yet from ours. When will they “decide”?


So…is my kid going to school Monday? Or, do I need to prepare to pick up a packet and homeschool? Pick up additional private speech therapy?

When will we know?

It’s one thing to not know whether your kid is going to school because of a potential snow storm…that comes down to weather on the ground…but this nonsense of not knowing if your kid is going to school after a break because of Covid (almost 2 years into this thing) is another.

Pick a damn lane already. Open or virtual.

Parents have to make plans accordingly.


Right now…we sit at the whim of teachers and school administration. (Not BOE. My friend is on the BOE, they’re not a part of this decision)

How little notice is acceptable? 24 hours? 12 hours?

Parents are currently scrambling left and right in my area to get sitters, childcare, etc.

This is not acceptable.

Good thing your local school board is reading your posts on DP. Otherwise they'd never know what they're putting you through. I mean, lord knows, they're not facing any difficult decision like you are .... right?

 

[MaryP]

It is January 1st. 5pm.

I’m in NJ - a highly vaccinated state. In a highly vaccinated town.

And every hour or so, on social media…you hear about another district deciding to “switch” to virtual instead of going back to school in person on Monday.

I’m literally checking email on an hourly basis or so, because our new superintendent (she started since the school break) emailed yesterday and said that they’re “monitoring the situation” and will decide whether to “pivot to virtual”

Today? 4 districts have decided to pivot to virtual/hybrid.

Nothing yet from ours. When will they “decide”?


So…is my kid going to school Monday? Or, do I need to prepare to pick up a packet and homeschool? Pick up additional private speech therapy?

When will we know?

It’s one thing to not know whether your kid is going to school because of a potential snow storm…that comes down to weather on the ground…but this nonsense of not knowing if your kid is going to school after a break because of Covid (almost 2 years into this thing) is another.

Pick a damn lane already. Open or virtual.

Parents have to make plans accordingly.


Right now…we sit at the whim of teachers and school administration. (Not BOE. My friend is on the BOE, they’re not a part of this decision)

How little notice is acceptable? 24 hours? 12 hours?

Parents are currently scrambling left and right in my area to get sitters, childcare, etc.

This is not acceptable.

That's got to be rough! I'd hate to see them go back to indefinite virtual, but even closing for several days (which a lot of schools around here do on a regular basis) leaves parents in a mess. But keeping kids out of school face to face does a lot to contain an outbreak, which it sounds like you might have?

My heart has been going out to the parents since March 2020. Hope everyone gets boosted and we ride this wave in short order.

 

[BirdinHand]

Good thing your local school board is reading your posts on DP. Otherwise they'd never know what they're putting you through. I mean, lord knows, they're not facing any difficult decision like you are .... right?

One of my very best friends is on the BOE. And I attend every meeting - no worries that they know my thoughts.

But hey, thanks for playing.

 

[StillBallin75]

Schools are being screwed by teachers unions leveraging the virus for politics and extra pay. Virtual learning is not a good education and it doesn't work at all for most students. If you are highly motivated, a good student, and work well alone then you can be ok, otherwise waste of most student's time.

Teachers are being screwed in many cases by a parents, public, and management that is all too willing to put their health and safety at risk. Cease with the victim-blaming.

 

[Lursa]

It is January 1st. 5pm.

I’m in NJ - a highly vaccinated state. In a highly vaccinated town.

And every hour or so, on social media…you hear about another district deciding to “switch” to virtual instead of going back to school in person on Monday.

I’m literally checking email on an hourly basis or so, because our new superintendent (she started since the school break) emailed yesterday and said that they’re “monitoring the situation” and will decide whether to “pivot to virtual”

Today? 4 districts have decided to pivot to virtual/hybrid.

Nothing yet from ours. When will they “decide”?


So…is my kid going to school Monday? Or, do I need to prepare to pick up a packet and homeschool? Pick up additional private speech therapy?

When will we know?

It’s one thing to not know whether your kid is going to school because of a potential snow storm…that comes down to weather on the ground…but this nonsense of not knowing if your kid is going to school after a break because of Covid (almost 2 years into this thing) is another.

Pick a damn lane already. Open or virtual.

Parents have to make plans accordingly.


Right now…we sit at the whim of teachers and school administration. (Not BOE. My friend is on the BOE, they’re not a part of this decision)

How little notice is acceptable? 24 hours? 12 hours?

Parents are currently scrambling left and right in my area to get sitters, childcare, etc.

This is not acceptable.

So who do you think should make a blanket decision for your state? The feds? The governor?

Who should decide...and then when they do, should all the parents comply and shut up?

 

[venice_ca]

I’m sorry that the Covid pandemic is causing you problems, but you have a lot of company — like a lot of the world’s population.

We’re not out of the woods yet.

 

[Integrityrespec]

Teachers are being screwed in many cases by a parents, public, and management that is all too willing to put their health and safety at risk. Cease with the victim-blaming.

When teachers have demanded better protection, air filtration, hazardous pay, mask, testing, extra cleanings and a host of other things and then still refused to go back to work, yeah they are taking advantage. We know that in every variant that kids are the least susceptible to get it or spread it. If you pay attention to virtual classrooms you would know it's mostly a waste of time.

 

[tshade]

It is January 1st. 5pm.

I’m in NJ - a highly vaccinated state. In a highly vaccinated town.

And every hour or so, on social media…you hear about another district deciding to “switch” to virtual instead of going back to school in person on Monday.

I’m literally checking email on an hourly basis or so, because our new superintendent (she started since the school break) emailed yesterday and said that they’re “monitoring the situation” and will decide whether to “pivot to virtual”

Today? 4 districts have decided to pivot to virtual/hybrid.

Nothing yet from ours. When will they “decide”?


So…is my kid going to school Monday? Or, do I need to prepare to pick up a packet and homeschool? Pick up additional private speech therapy?

When will we know?

It’s one thing to not know whether your kid is going to school because of a potential snow storm…that comes down to weather on the ground…but this nonsense of not knowing if your kid is going to school after a break because of Covid (almost 2 years into this thing) is another.

Pick a damn lane already. Open or virtual.

Parents have to make plans accordingly.


Right now…we sit at the whim of teachers and school administration. (Not BOE. My friend is on the BOE, they’re not a part of this decision)

How little notice is acceptable? 24 hours? 12 hours?

Parents are currently scrambling left and right in my area to get sitters, childcare, etc.

This is not acceptable.

 

[BirdinHand]

Interesting update.


The problem apparently isn’t students or the community at large, it’s teachers.

Quote from the newest email from the superintendent:

“ Everyday, we are learning of more staff members who have recently tested positive and/or are close contacts with family members who tested positive and must quarantine. If the number of staff that need to quarantine becomes such that we cannot safely staff a school, then the need to switch to virtual instruction for multiple days could occur. This would be determined on a school-by-school basis. “




So, I guess because teachers can’t stay safe from Covid…us parents have to be prepared to pivot to virtual.




Gosh…those teachers will get paid PTO and/or work remote.


Too bad for the parents that might lose income to accommodate virtual because the teachers couldn’t not catch Covid…

 

[BirdinHand]

When teachers have demanded better protection, air filtration, hazardous pay, mask, testing, extra cleanings and a host of other things and then still refused to go back to work, yeah they are taking advantage. We know that in every variant that kids are the least susceptible to get it or spread it. If you pay attention to virtual classrooms you would know it's mostly a waste of time.

And now apparently it’s the spread of Aclvid amongst those teachers threatening my kids school with virtual…

 

[BirdinHand]

Teachers are being screwed in many cases by a parents, public, and management that is all too willing to put their health and safety at risk. Cease with the victim-blaming.

Well, according to the recent update from our superintendent, the problem since winter break is the teachers catching Covid, not the kids…

 

[Peter]

Just look at the infection numbers for the new variant.
They don't tell a pretty story.

 

[Ginger Ale]

I'm in a red state as well and they're trying to stay open but so many teachers and students are getting sick that they're having to close for weeks at a time.

I think it's called living during a hundred year event called a pandemic.

There is no fairness, freedom, or planing ahead of time right now. Try and ride the wave as best you can.

 

[Peter]

This is how it's going in the UK.

Covid: Workplaces told to plan for absences of up to 25%

Rising Covid cases could see a worst case scenario of up to a quarter of staff off work, the government says.

www.bbc.co.uk

This is not going to be business as usual.

 

[MaryP]

Interesting update.


The problem apparently isn’t students or the community at large, it’s teachers.

Quote from the newest email from the superintendent:

“ Everyday, we are learning of more staff members who have recently tested positive and/or are close contacts with family members who tested positive and must quarantine. If the number of staff that need to quarantine becomes such that we cannot safely staff a school, then the need to switch to virtual instruction for multiple days could occur. This would be determined on a school-by-school basis. “




So, I guess because teachers can’t stay safe from Covid…us parents have to be prepared to pivot to virtual.




Gosh…those teachers will get paid PTO and/or work remote.


Too bad for the parents that might lose income to accommodate virtual because the teachers couldn’t not catch Covid…

I'm not sure how you can blame teachers for this. They're catching Covid. Do you think they want to? Be angry at the virus, Bird in Hand. It's not the teachers' fault.

 

[Parrish]

It is January 1st. 5pm.

I’m in NJ - a highly vaccinated state. In a highly vaccinated town.

And every hour or so, on social media…you hear about another district deciding to “switch” to virtual instead of going back to school in person on Monday.

I’m literally checking email on an hourly basis or so, because our new superintendent (she started since the school break) emailed yesterday and said that they’re “monitoring the situation” and will decide whether to “pivot to virtual”

Today? 4 districts have decided to pivot to virtual/hybrid.

Nothing yet from ours. When will they “decide”?


So…is my kid going to school Monday? Or, do I need to prepare to pick up a packet and homeschool? Pick up additional private speech therapy?

When will we know?

It’s one thing to not know whether your kid is going to school because of a potential snow storm…that comes down to weather on the ground…but this nonsense of not knowing if your kid is going to school after a break because of Covid (almost 2 years into this thing) is another.

Pick a damn lane already. Open or virtual.

Parents have to make plans accordingly.


Right now…we sit at the whim of teachers and school administration. (Not BOE. My friend is on the BOE, they’re not a part of this decision)

How little notice is acceptable? 24 hours? 12 hours?

Parents are currently scrambling left and right in my area to get sitters, childcare, etc.

This is not acceptable.

If your child is getting speech services per an IEP or as a part of their instructional services aren't they providing them at no cost?

 

[Noodlegawd]

View attachment 67366895

Forcing kids back into remote learning for god knows how long again is hardly a "minor inconvenience."

At this point, "strangers" who are worried about dying from Covid can get vaccinated and boosted, wear N95 masks 24/7, and stay home.

If you want to know the true nature of a person, ask them what they are willing to take away from children.

 

[tshade]

Forcing kids back into remote learning for god knows how long again is hardly a "minor inconvenience."

Yeah---that's a little much to ask for just saving lives and helping the nation.....

At this point, "strangers" who are worried about dying from Covid can get vaccinated and boosted, wear N95 masks 24/7, and stay home.

People are dying from many things they would not have because hospitals are overwhelmed due to Bozos who won't vaccinate......

If you want to know the true nature of a person, ask them what they are willing to take away from children.

like life ??

 

[j brown's body]

When teachers have demanded better protection, air filtration, hazardous pay, mask, testing, extra cleanings and a host of other things and then still refused to go back to work, yeah they are taking advantage. We know that in every variant that kids are the least susceptible to get it or spread it. If you pay attention to virtual classrooms you would know it's mostly a waste of time.

What gives you idea that teachers prefer remote teaching?

 

[ElChupacabra]

I'm not sure how you can blame teachers for this. They're catching Covid. Do you think they want to? Be angry at the virus, Bird in Hand. It's not the teachers' fault.

The thing is if teachers get sick, then they will be out of the classroom anyway and the substitute teacher shortage has been pretty bad throughout the pandemic. The new variant has been ripping through New Jersey, and schools have been adapting to try and figure out the best way to go back. I was at a testing center for my daughter because her school requires a PCR test showing a negative result before school starts next week.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, because so far there are a variety of different measures school districts across the state are implementing; some which include remote learning for the first week back. What is pretty clear is the state's leadership doesn't seem to be interested in going back to full remote for an extended period of time.