Covid and School

[sterlingice]

Fortunately, we're not having any COVID issues here, in the city with the largest Medical Center in the world: "11-month-old with COVID sent to hospital 150 miles away due to lack of bed space in Houston"

SI

[Lathum]

Murphy set to announce tomorrow masks will be required in schools. My very right leaning towns facebook group is on fire.

[thesloppy]

I feel for those of you who have kids.


For me as a single dude, all the news surrounding kids/schools has been something of a surprise gut punch. Even though we're now like 18 months into this thing starting up a second full school year of covid protocols is something that I am emotionally/mentally unable to process. I guess I really did think we'd be over it at this point & I can/have pretended to myself that we're always a couple weeks from turning that corner, but just considering the pandemic in the terms of another (school) year is sobering and disheartening, even second-hand.

[Flasch186]

So stupid to fight masks in schools

That’s the hill you want to die on?

Nuts


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

So stupid to fight masks in schools

That’s the hill you want to die on?

Nuts


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One of the things I have learned is that dying on hills is the point. The particular hill is not relevant.

It is an outrage machine built on the myth that conservatives are an oppressed class.

These fights are necessary--both to fuel the machine and to perpetuate the myth. If they aren't engaged in a life-and-death struggle against whatever the liberals/mainstreamers/RINOs want, then the whole thing starts to unravel.

It's like the bus in Speed. It cannot slow down.

[Edward64]

Wife's school announced they are requiring masks.

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

For me as a single dude, all the news surrounding kids/schools has been something of a surprise gut punch. Even though we're now like 18 months into this thing starting up a second full school year of covid protocols is something that I am emotionally/mentally unable to process. I guess I really did think we'd be over it at this point & I can/have pretended to myself that we're always a couple weeks from turning that corner, but just considering the pandemic in the terms of another (school) year is sobering and disheartening, even second-hand.

Not to depress you, but I wouldn't be totally shocked if this simply became a permanent annual deal. I don't see a realistic path forward to the global situation vis a vis Covid being dramatically better than it is now in a year, or three years or ...

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Not to depress you, but I wouldn't be totally shocked if this simply became a permanent annual deal. I don't see a realistic path forward to the global situation vis a vis Covid being dramatically better than it is now in a year, or three years or ...

But booster shots and vaccines for those <12 will be a big change.

I can't speak for every parent. But I am not that worried about my vaccinated 13 yo but very worried about my unvaccinated 10 yo.

[QuikSand]

Very on point, as the tenor of this thread points this way, too...

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/o...nated-flu.html

...is the "end" of this just that we someday just decide that 40,000 dead per year, especially if they are mostly from "marginalizable" groups, is okay with us?

[Brian Swartz]

Paywall, so if anyone is willing, I'd be interested in a few sentence synopsis of what Klein's article says.

[Kodos]

Glad our youngest is 12 and fully vaccinated.

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

But booster shots and vaccines for those <12 will be a big change.

No question that helps. I just mean, there's no path IMO to this not being as common as the flu. It's spread around the world, so it's going to keep mutating, we're going to see more variants from time to time. Some of those won't be a big deal, others like delta would be more worrisome, various factors will cause some years to be better than others. There will be vaccine fatigue after a certain point even among people who have taken the current one.

I think the 40k figure is a pipe dream. I'd like to be wrong, but ... we lose that many every year with a readily available (though less effective) flu vaccine that half of us choose not to take. Keeping COVID down to that number would be an incredible accomplishment. It's just going to keep circulating around the globe though, isn't it? I don't see a way that doesn't happen.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Paywall, so if anyone is willing, I'd be interested in a few sentence synopsis of what Klein's article says.

It is an opinion piece that looks at how communities and individuals may move forward as we live with the cloud of COVID. How much risk are we willing to take in the name of having the life that we did before. How the risk tolerance is linked to the sensitivity to the risk and how that sensitivity is going to differ from city to city and community to community.

[miami_fan]

https://apnews.com/article/health-ar...6d8b3cf4039404

An Arkansas judge on Friday temporarily blocked the state from enforcing its ban on mask mandates after lawmakers left the prohibition in place despite a rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

[Brian Swartz]

Thanks.

[QuikSand]

So, I work in the periphery of the public sector, and generally tend to be awfully forgiving of political/government leaders as human beings, fallible, who mostly are trying to do the right thing.

For this thread... I'm in a rare spot of being absolutely incensed at my school system leadership right now. I realize they have no great play, but... WTAF

Back in the spring, families here had to indicate their preference for their kids for the 21-22 school year. COVID cases were waning, things looking good, 12+ getting vaxxed highly here, no shock that an overwhelming share indicated a desire to get back to in-person learning. Fair enough.

This week's announcement: your decision from back then is binding, you cannot now say you are uncomfortable with in-person schooling and choose a remote option.

I understand the thinking. Their Plan A is to (forgive me) marginalize those in remote options and focus on the sizable majority who intend to be in-person, in the interests of serving the largest number most effectively. What I can't abide is that there never was a Plan B, it seems. They just figure now they cannot accommodate 30% or 50% remote, so they just won't allow it.

We have an immuno-compromised 8 year old at home, obviously unvaxxed. Are we sending our middle- and high-school girls to in-person school with whatever variant is taking over this week, to bring home to him and all of us? Well, suffice it to say this is a much tougher proposition than it was in May/June.

I live in an area where the excellent schools are an absolutely central reason to move here. They seem prepared to tell me that our choices are to go and suddenly forage for (presumably) scarce space in private/religious schools, or just to home-school? Have you seen my taxes?

I am not this guy. But I'm getting to this place.

[miami_fan]

I just got an email from the school superintendent. Face coverings will be be required but parents can opt out of this requirement. The governor previously said that schools who required masks would lose their funding. Parents of students with disabilities are suing to strike the governor‘s school mask mandate prohibition as a violation of state and federal law.

Good start to the school year once again.

[miami_fan]

Dola,

The best part is the two local school were students would received vouchers to go to if they don't want to go to the public schools that have mask mandates....both strongly recommend face coverings if not fully vaccinated.

[thesloppy]

I saw that the Dallas school disctrict is going to require masks for teachers and students in open opposition of Gov. Abbot.

[Ksyrup]

This is so crazy. It's like life is bifurcated into 2 different worlds that have nothing to do with each other. You can't mandate vaccines or masks, and on a completely different note, we're looking for people to come to our state to help deal with the covid surge.

Breaking: Gov. Greg Abbott announces Texas will be seeking out-of-state health care personnel to help with the latest surge, and he is asking hospitals to voluntarily postpone elective medical procedures. pic.twitter.com/bNltNhYvT4

— Jesus Jiménez (@jesus_jimz) August 9, 2021

[PilotMan]

Free-dum!!!!

[rjolley]

Schools here started on Thursday and there have already been letters sent home to parents about kids having COVID. This year will be very interesting....

[tarcone]

I think my district will be fully masked. We went green status in June which meant voluntary masking. Now we are seeing daily changes and masks required at open houses next week.

[Joe]

Welp our school board just voted unanimously not to require masks in the fall. Pulling our kids and pupil/sped $$ from the district. Not going to support a district that doesn’t follow public health recommendations.

[Glengoyne]

Quik,

Your situation is similar to where we found ourselves last fall/winter. My wife's district has. Been holding in person classes since last October, but masks were required. My son's high school is where I can start to relate to your position. In January, with hospitals at the bursting point, the high school started up in person again. Our only option was to go back to in person learning or enroll him into what has historically been continuation school. That was the district's plan B.

The part of your situation I can't relate to is not having the vaccine as an option now. Getting the approval for kids under 12 is really the best hope for schools in the short term. Hopefully that approval isn't too far off.

[miami_fan]

Ware County Schools closing schools until September due to COVID-19 outbreak – Action News Jax

[Ghost Econ]

My kid is starting middle school today (WTF), Catholic school. Masks aren't required, but are strongly recommended and kids must have them with them at all times. They can go virtual at the drop of a hat and require masks for church time or anytime larger groups are together.

Much better than her last Catholic school, where the priest literally posted an article to Facebook saying how masks are harmful to children.

Meanwhile, one of the counties next to us has gone completely virtual after the first week after 100+ positives and 1/4 of the district is in quarantine. So of course, mouthbreathers are protesting outside the district offices this AM. Also, mask mandates are banned in public schools in SC.

[albionmoonlight]

My oldest (vaxxed) started a few weeks ago. Masks required. So far, no disruptions.

My youngest (unvaxxed) starts next week. I am terrified. I just hope that when the inevitable outbreak happens to force the school to go fully virtual, he won't be part of it.

Also, I am hoping that the FDA actually understands the gravity of the situation and approves an EUA for at least 5-11 ASAP. We know--from all of the 12-16 who have gotten it--that it is safe for older kids.

[Flasch186]

Dropped the kids off at school today. ~65% kids wearing masks, ~35% of teachers, ~25% of parents...

+/- 1 week before we're all in QT.

[Ksyrup]

This is what makes all of the outrage so ridiculous. It's like rote performance art at this point. These people are just outraged to be outraged because they were outraged about a related thing last week/month/year. But just think it through - if there's an outbreak, what's going to happen? They are going virtual! Why would anyone NOT want to protect against going virtual as best they can? NO ONE wants virtual school.

Forget Covid ever existed. When there's been a bad enough flu outbreak around here, schools have shutdown for a couple of days to let it die off. Covid is obviously far more easily spread and new and something we can't just take a 4 day weekend to contain. So it's going to be virtual or nothing if it gets too bad. I understand being outraged if cases were down and schools were just mandating masks out of caution, but that's not what is happening. It's all driven by the increasing numbers.

This country has gone stark raving mad.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

This is what makes all of the outrage so ridiculous. It's like rote performance art at this point. These people are just outraged to be outraged because they were outraged about a related thing last week/month/year. But just think it through - if there's an outbreak, what's going to happen? They are going virtual! Why would anyone NOT want to protect against going virtual as best they can? NO ONE wants virtual school.

Forget Covid ever existed. When there's been a bad enough flu outbreak around here, schools have shutdown for a couple of days to let it die off. Covid is obviously far more easily spread and new and something we can't just take a 4 day weekend to contain. So it's going to be virtual or nothing if it gets too bad. I understand being outraged if cases were down and schools were just mandating masks out of caution, but that's not what is happening. It's all driven by the increasing numbers.

This country has gone stark raving mad.

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

One of the things I have learned is that dying on hills is the point. The particular hill is not relevant.

It is an outrage machine built on the myth that conservatives are an oppressed class.

These fights are necessary--both to fuel the machine and to perpetuate the myth. If they aren't engaged in a life-and-death struggle against whatever the liberals/mainstreamers/RINOs want, then the whole thing starts to unravel.

It's like the bus in Speed. It cannot slow down.

.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

Dropped the kids off at school today. ~65% kids wearing masks, ~35% of teachers, ~25% of parents...

+/- 1 week before we're all in QT.

That's the thing - will it even be that? Like in Texas, it'll be full speed ahead, no matter how many are in quarantine. I have to imagine Florida will be similar.

SI

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

This is what makes all of the outrage so ridiculous. It's like rote performance art at this point. These people are just outraged to be outraged because they were outraged about a related thing last week/month/year. But just think it through - if there's an outbreak, what's going to happen? They are going virtual! Why would anyone NOT want to protect against going virtual as best they can? NO ONE wants virtual school.
.

I have a few friends that are VERY anti masks for kids in school, like, protesting the mandate at the governors office. They can't grasp why I am pretty whatever about it. I try to explain to them that all last year we did masks ( the kids didn't care) and we didn't have one disruption. It is amazing to me they can't connect the dots. I'll take masks, so will my kids, if it keeps the virtual scenario at bay.

[Ksyrup]

I hear the interviews on the local news multiple times a day. Whining about how kids can't smile, can't breathe, etc. And it's like, what won't they be able to do if they get Covid? What won't you be able to do if they give it to you? We've all worn masks. The "I can't breathe" stuff is pure BS absent a specific issue, or maybe being required to play sports in a mask. Sitting in a room? Please.

[Qwikshot]

My 9 and 5 year olds will be going to school in about 2 weeks. They will wear masks.

The school is attempting to have its cake and eat it to by having "non-masking" student classes and masking student classes.

My wife and I will be dropping the boys off and picking up, avoiding the bus.

Monday is a PTA meeting, should be wild.

Again, we have a lot of stupid people who admire orange shithead and have decided to put everyone at risk because they're poor miserable c*nts who want to make everyone miserable.

[Ghost Econ]

At the protest this AM, the parents said school should be in person and parents should be able to sign legal waivers. They also said they should just segregate masks from non-masks.

I'm somewhat sympathetic to putting all the non-maskers in a room and letting nature take it's course, although it being kids makes it a little more troubling

[kingfc22]

My 7 year old started second grade on Thursday in our county (CA's 6th largest) which is 80% full vaxxed 12 and up for reference and requires masks indoors (retail, school, etc)

Last night we got an email that he was a close contact with a child positive for COVID on the very first day of school.

I'm not worried as he has no symptoms and tested negative with our Lucira test kit last night but these areas which are anti-mask, anti-vax....good luck

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Qwikshot

My 9 and 5 year olds will be going to school in about 2 weeks. They will wear masks.

The school is attempting to have its cake and eat it to by having "non-masking" student classes and masking student classes.

My wife and I will be dropping the boys off and picking up, avoiding the bus.

Monday is a PTA meeting, should be wild.

Again, we have a lot of stupid people who admire orange shithead and have decided to put everyone at risk because they're poor miserable c*nts who want to make everyone miserable.

This describes my town also. I am skipping the bus as well, which sucks because this year one is in middle school and one is in elementary. They haven't even brought up segregating classes, which would be like having a pissing section in a public pool, so, yeah...

[henry296]

We don't start until next week, but for now the policy is required on buses (considered public transportation), but recommend by not required in class rooms. School Board has regularly scheduled meeting tonight, so it could change. Last year school had good success with in person school all year with just a pause between Thanksgiving and New Year's and a few days for deep cleaning over a weekend.

Our kids will wear them even the vaccinated ones. I'm worried about bullying for wearing a mask by the non mask wearing kids. There was one kid last year in elementary school who wore a Trump 2020 mask all year long. I'm sure he won't have one this year.

[Ksyrup]

My wife's a substitute teacher and last year she didn't work at all. Her income would have been small and not absolutely necessary, so I told her it's not worth $95 a day to potentially get Covid. As a school teacher, she was one of the first to get vaccinated (late January was her first shot), but now that means it's wearing off earlier as school starts back and cases rise. She did all of the start of year online training she's required to do, but now she's kinda in the same boat as last year again - maybe not quite as risky, but not like it was 2 months ago.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

At the protest this AM, the parents said school should be in person and parents should be able to sign legal waivers. They also said they should just segregate masks from non-masks.

I'm somewhat sympathetic to putting all the non-maskers in a room and letting nature take it's course, although it being kids makes it a little more troubling

Who is advocating for segregation?

Are the masks trying to segregate from the non-masks or are the non-masks trying to segregate themselves from the masks?

[molson]

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

parents should be able to sign legal waivers.

I kind of like the idea anti-maskers and vaxxers signing waivers precluding them from taking up space in a hospital for COVID treatment.

With their kids it's a totally different thing of course.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Who is advocating for segregation?

Are the masks trying to segregate from the non-masks or are the non-masks trying to segregate themselves from the masks?

I'm not sure who is advocating, but school district is offering

The Fulton County School System has announced expanded learning options for the school year, which includes a "mask-optional hub" for K-8 students.

On Wednesday, the school system announced a mask requirement for students at all facilities, including those in Johns Creek, because that city had now reached a high community spread of COVID to put it alongside the rest of Fulton County's cities. It had previously been the only city exempt for coming in just under the "high spread" threshold.

The district also introduced two more learning options on Thursday morning. These could stand as alternatives for parents who may not be comfortable sending their child to school amid the pandemic, and parents who don't want their child to abide by a mask mandate.

"FCS will provide parents with flexible schooling options to the extent possible and practical," the district said.

According to an explainer presentation the school system released in a tweet, parents can enroll their children in grades K-2 in remote leaning or they can send their children in grades K-8 to learn at a "mask-optional" hub at the Crabapple Center. It's located at 10700 Crabapple Road in Roswell, which is the recently vacated Crabapple Middle School Campus.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by molson

I kind of like the idea anti-maskers and vaxxers signing waivers precluding them from taking up space in a hospital for COVID treatment.

With their kids it's a totally different thing of course.

Or getting free/subsidized government treatment. They get charged whatever they would get charged with their insurance.

[Qwikshot]

Welp

Our school board meeting was interesting...

Several Trumpanzees arguing that masks were unsafe and even a Blue Lives matter stating the delta variant is a hoax.

One even threatened to sue the school if kids made fun of his kid for not wearing a mask (apparently the survey stated 70% of parents want to forgo masks, but this guy thinks they're in the minority).

Yet if we all wore masks until there were vaccines for children, we could pretty much be done with this soon, but nope, 'Merica.

[henry296]

Originally Posted by henry296

We don't start until next week, but for now the policy is required on buses (considered public transportation), but recommend by not required in class rooms. School Board has regularly scheduled meeting tonight, so it could change. Last year school had good success with in person school all year with just a pause between Thanksgiving and New Year's and a few days for deep cleaning over a weekend.

Our kids will wear them even the vaccinated ones. I'm worried about bullying for wearing a mask by the non mask wearing kids. There was one kid last year in elementary school who wore a Trump 2020 mask all year long. I'm sure he won't have one this year.

To follow-up our school board voted 5-4 to require masks in school. This is a red suburban school district. School board members are elected are typically the Republican primary determines the winners.

[miami_fan]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you... Checks and Balances.

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/c...253562849.html

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by Qwikshot

Several Trumpanzees arguing that masks were unsafe and even a Blue Lives matter stating the delta variant is a hoax.

Interesting that we're ok with dehumanizing rhetoric apparently if the target is considered to be deserving of it.

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you... Checks and Balances.

That is hilarious!

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Or getting free/subsidized government treatment. They get charged whatever they would get charged with their insurance.

Of course we'll do the same for all drinkers, smokers, the obese, and drug abusers, right?

(No, I don't advocate actually doing that).

[molson]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Of course we'll do the same for all drinkers, smokers, the obese, and drug abusers, right?

(No, I don't advocate actually doing that).

If you could prevent those things by taking a simple free shot, then absolutely.

The fact that people are having medical treatment delayed due to these idiots is another disheartening layer to all this. They don't give a shit.

Edit: Plus when drunks and drug addicts start to impact others' lives with drunk driving, violence, and theft, there are additional appropriate societal consequences. Anti-vaxxers harm others without even doing anything extra. They're even worse. Especially since they're protected by some state governments and individuals who frame their selfishness as a reasonable opinion or something. Like if drunk driving could just be a rational choice we all have to accept different perspectives on to be enlightened people. Fuck that.