Topic: Anyone else work in a school and afraid to go back?

Jul 22, 2020 01:53AM HersheyKiss wrote:

My doctor's wife teaches kindergarten. Her school district plans 100% in-person learning. My doctor purchased full PPE for his wife and her team (another kindergarten teacher, paraprofessional, and literacy teacher). He told me they are so very nervous. Some teachers have drawn up their wills over the summer.

The decision to return to work/school/office is very difficult. I am not a teacher, but my remote work arrangement ends on August 3. I am not sure what I will do.

Jul 22, 2020 02:28AM - edited Jul 22, 2020 02:30AM by ctmbsikia

Hey Maverick, I'm also outside of Philadelphia.

My daughter who is young turning 34 next month is worried. She is good health wise but she is overweight which is a concern. I asked her honestly how she felt just for our own self, and she answered that she does not feel safe.

She is a reading specialist which requires her to be with multiple groups of children per day. K thru 2- which if it's true at this age they are not found to be spreaders as much as children over the age of 9 or 10 years. She said I'd be cleaning more than teaching! District has sent out preliminary plans but there's so many moving parts and variables with transportation, lunches, after school programs. Right now, they are constantly making schedules, and then they are re-scheduling. Her union rep was not allowed to speak publicly in from of the school board. I can come back and update this, but I think they are coming up with an in-school plan, hybrid plan, and remote plan.

I feel like in PA at least they are going to open, and that there could be lots of interruptions, but at least if they try it and fails, it will be a "known" right? It won't work. Then, hopefully the remote learning plan takes over until a vaccine is ready, or the virus just "disappears" like our Dear Leader thinks it will. He's an idiot.

I feel for you teachers, especially special ed. If you must go, then yes gear up!

Jul 22, 2020 03:00AM Mavericksmom wrote:

ajminn3, I here you about the spec ed population. So many kids have no support at home to help them. Lets face it, the whole educational system took a hit with this virus. But, kids are resilient and will bounce back. I just want all of us to be alive so when there is finally some control of the virus via drugs and vaccines, we can all get back in the classroom.

Consistency, starting remotely and going back when it is safe to do so, is really the best way. Starting/stopping, alternating days, are not going to be effective.

My husband and I need to get our will revised. I have to put it on my *must do* list!

ctmbsikia, the problem is by "fail" I assume you mean there will be cases and people will die? When I heard someone in the south say "we could lose 2-3% in the schools," I felt like screaming at him! My school is huge. 2-3%= over 20-30 people, students and staff. Which students and staff deaths would he be okay with???

I know how hard it is, particularly with elementary ages, when both parents are working. Both my children have children who are very young and they are having a hard time juggling work and kids. But, at the end of the day, they are all healthy and alive, at least for now! I think that must be a priority!

Jul 22, 2020 03:58AM fishingal68 wrote:

I feel your pain! I work in a high school setting with Career & Technology Education students from several high schools. My job requires 1-on-1 interaction, especially with students with special needs. I live in 1 state (OK) where face masks are not mandated, and work in another one (MO). Governors in both states are okay with schools opening up.

To add to my worries, my labs have been low since I was on chemo (2 years ago), and have not rebounded. I'm scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy on Monday and return to school next Thursday.

Our local district is going with 3 options for most students; however, tech kids have to be here every day, so we'll be full in my building. We are being provided with 2 face masks & a bottle of cleaner to clean at our own discretion, but even that has me freaked out.

My best friend had an allergic reaction to the cleaners used in her office. She got so sick that it created other issues & she ended up in ICU. (She's still there).

I can't afford not to work. I can't afford another health crisis. I have obtained my own masks, cleaner, and gloves, but is that enough?

So, what's a girl to do?

Jul 22, 2020 05:12AM Spookiesmom wrote:

Ha, it’s amazing what a person will do for over 23 years for insurance. What has me gobsmacked with the busses is, they are saying the kids will load from the back, exit out the front. What? They’re going to use ladders to get in? I’m 5’4”. It was a real stretch for me to reach the back door handle. Just another example of them not thinking things through.

And thank you for being concerned about all support personnel.

Jul 22, 2020 09:01AM bcincolorado wrote:

Both of my children are teachers. My son also has 4 kids who will all be in school as well. My daughter-iin-law in an onco RN. They are all terrified.

My daughter ln Wyoming and works in a small town where distancing is easy for them in their classes at least.

My son teaches in a smaller school but distancing may NOT be an option for them and they live near a big city and DIL works at a major hospital.

It sounds like both districts plan on doing a combination of classroom and distance learning with maybe reduced time in the classroom and then also doing online instruction as well.

Jul 24, 2020 11:29AM Mavericksmom wrote:

Mominator, I am so sorry that your mother, grandmother and friend battled cancer, and that you had to go through so many major surgeries to try to prevent it from happening to you!

As for school opening, at least kindergarten students aren’t passing the disease like older students, but how can anyone avoid close contact with them? They are little and many will have increased separation anxiety! I simply don’t get it. Whoever thinks in-school learning is going to be so much better, has never worked in a school, let alone one under pandemic conditions! I wish all school was virtual until there are enough effective vaccines and drugs to fight this!

I am also a special education paraprofessional, in a middle school. I don’t know if I will have a job in the fall. If they go to on-line school, I don’t think they will use us like they did in the spring. No one knows what is happening in September because the status of the virus changes daily. The only thing for certain is they won’t get the funding to operate as they did other years. So many don’t have jobs and can’t pay their taxes. All the extra safety equipment costs a lot of money. Less income and more expenses. It’s a catch 22!

Just so much we don’t know about this virus! I have never been so stressed or so afraid to work in a school!

Both my husband and I are revising our wills. I don’t think life will ever be back to the old normal

Jul 25, 2020 11:58PM Spookiesmom wrote:

Our schools normally start the first week in August. Some districts have pushed it back to the last week. Our superintendent is still farting around with the date. Yeah, welcome to Florida

Jul 27, 2020 12:29AM exbrnxgrl wrote:

I teach first grade. I have been teaching with stage IV bc for the last nine years! The first thing I’d like to clear up is a comment someone made earlier. Most public school teachers are not highly paid nor do we “make the big bucks”. Relative to educational requirements for obtaining a teaching credential in most states, we are not highly paid. So yes, we make more than aides or para-professionals, but if making the big bucks is your goal, don’t become a teacher. Onwards... My district is starting with distance learning and has plans for using a staged return to slowly move us back to the classroom as health and safety conditions merit. Using available funds and grants , the district is purchasing PPE for all staff.

I want to be in the classroom with my students, everyone wants that but not until themany unknowns about Covid, children, and transmission risks are better understood. Many of my colleagues, myself included, spent the summer working on how to make distance learning more robust. We focused on essential standards, take home supply boxes so all students will have what they need (from iPads to crayons!) to start school. Over the next two weeks, I am taking several courses to help me learn to use all of my online teaching tools most effectively. I have also participated in focus groups with parents to understand their concerns and find ways to support them. I have taken additional workshops on social emotional learning as well as this will be important. This not so highly paid teacher did this all without being paid because my sole aim is to deliver the best possible academic program to my students under highly unusual circumstances.

I am very thankful that my school district valued the opinions of all stakeholders and recommendations of our county health department In making their decision. It will not be perfect but it’s the right thing to do.

Jul 27, 2020 05:09AM exbrnxgrl wrote:

I am a long term teacher who is at the upper end of the salary range but it took a long time to get there. I live and work in Silicon Valley, one of the most expensive places to live in the US. But most of our newer teachers are struggling mightily to make ends meet and have little hope of buying a home here unless they have a partner making quite a bit more money. Public school teachers are not getting rich no matter how long they've worked. Remember that salaries are only relevant when compared to the cost of living in a given area. $130,000. may sound like a lot but it's not in Hawaii or California for example. It also took many years to get there. Check out teacher salaries at year 10 or 15. Not quite that high! On the first day that my daughter went to work for Apple, she made just about what I was making after years of teaching and now makes far more.

I'm not sure what our aides will be doing this year. Some, who are one to one aides for SPED students, may be able to provide remote support. During our differentiated reading time, I teach a group that has two instructional aides but since we won't be following that model online, I hope my district finds something for them to do until we return to the classroom. I never imagined that this is how my beloved career would end (will most likely retire after this year). Education is my passion so I'll have to find an outlet for it post-retirement. Ed law fascinates me so maybe I can find some kind of advocacy volunteer work.

I am taking care of my daughters cat this week. I am so desperate to introduce some bright and curious minds to all the wonders of the world that I might start trying to teach the cat to read 😉.

Anyway, best of luck to all of us and I hope each of your school districts err on the side of caution.

Jul 27, 2020 06:17AM exbrnxgrl wrote:

Unfortunately I live in a highly impacted county and as far as I know, most public school districts are starting remotely. I think almost all of the students will be disappointed by this model but so are the teachers. However according to state and county guidelines, in person classes would not currently be possible. My district is allowing teachers to deliver class from the classroom! I’m very happy about that since I would have to keep going to my classroom every week to get what I needed. I am very happy to liberate my dining room table from being my “classroom”. For the teachers who have their own children at home it’s nice that they’ll have the teach from home option as well

Jul 27, 2020 06:31AM - edited Jul 27, 2020 06:34AM by Mavericksmom

exbrnexgrl, as soon as I read Silicon Valley, I said “ohhhhhh!" I live in a moderate area, but no where near as expensive as where you live! Yep, I couldn't afford to rent a dog house in SiliconValley! Now I understand your perspective!

You aren't the only one who never expected to retire like this, although I am hoping to last two more years. I thought the threat of school shootings was the worst that could happen. Wrong!

I am kind of feeling depressed because my husband and I are updating our wills. I am ashamed to say we haven't done that since the late 1980's! My grandchildren are the age our kids were at that time! Yep, don't need a guardian, we need to name a new executor, etc. It is so depressing but who knows when we would have made new wills if not for the pandemic and my fear of going back or work?

Jul 27, 2020 08:19AM MinusTwo wrote:

I live in Houston. Very experienced, long term teacher make maybe $60,000. And that's in the cosmopolitan big city. Teachers start out at $23-25K. Many have to take 2nd jobs to make ends meet. It's a pittance and a shame - and everyone in the country should be embarrassed that we don't pay better wages to the very people who are training the next generation. Those should be the brightest and the best and we should reward them accordingly. And no, I'm not a teacher but I am a Mother of grown children.

Jul 29, 2020 12:56PM Ladyc2020 wrote:

Ugh what terrible situations so many are in right now. Can you ask for reassignment of some sort? Which does not have contact with the kids? Report writing? Meetings by zoom? Online tutor?Here all schools will be online. Of course,very hard for working parents, but cases are high. I have pulled my little from preschool and will do my best to work around around. I can imagine how frustrating and worrying this is.

Jul 31, 2020 09:44PM ajminn3 wrote:

My state (MN) released their guidelines on school reopening with specific requirements per county depending on how many cases per 10,000 people there are along with a plan to designate money and supplies to make sure staff and students have PPE needed. Each district makes their own plan. My district should be releasing their plans sometime today since the school board is voting on it in a special session this morning. I’m curious to see the plan!