The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
Last night, although it’s not official, the MDUSD board of education said they support starting the school year with “distant learning” (homeschool).
QUESTION: Do you think the entire 2020/2021 school year will be online? Or, if you think they’ll physically go back to campus, what month do you think it’ll happen?
Talk about it….
I personally think it is a shame that they are going to distance learn at all this year. This is so detrimental to the parents, economy and our society. How are parents supposed to teach their 1st, 2nd, third grader while they are working from home? WIll the district return the money that was allocated for building maintenance and overhead cost that is no longer required to the parents so we can cover the additional costs in our households? Probably not …
Yes, teachers could get sick … okay. Sorry that is a risk they take without the fear of COVID. Put a shield at the teachers desk, or a plastic bearer that they need to stand behind …. There are ways.
When we will open school to in person, NOT SOON ENOUGH. As a month, no clue … none at all. With today’s political world, I will not be surprised if they do not open again for the 2020-21 year and if they don’t … I can see them shutting down even longer. This will drive our education even farther down the hole than it already is …
The distance learning is not only for the teacher’s and staff protection but for the children and their families too. If a child gets COVID and passes it on to others in the room….and they pass it to their immediate family and grandparents….etc. It’s a wild fire that they are trying to control the best they can. I realize some parents do not want to help their children at home or need a break but these are the times.
@ Kathleen,
Do you people enjoy spreading this fear-mongering nonsense? I bet you’re the type person who beams with pride showing off a pic of kid/grandkid “WEARING THEIR FIRST MASK!!!” Children, especially younger children of elementary and middle-school age are at statistically 0% risk IF they get the virus, and IF they do, empirically data has shown they are NOT strong spreaders to each other or adults.
There are some countries that never closed their schools in the first place, and others that did are reopening with on-campus, some not even requiring masks. But oh no, not here where the idiotic teachers unions are in lockstep with Democrat leadership to keep schools locked down, of course has ZERO to do with health and science but everything to do with politics…or maybe there’s something science-y about teachers unions demanding defunding of police?
Kathleen
I have the ability to help my children. My work can be done remotely, and is fairly flexible.Trust me, not all parents need a break or are unwilling to help our children.
BUT, and it is a big BUT, we have paid for services that we are no longer receiving – cause distance learning for children DOES NOT WORK! Teachers are not providing an education through the computer.
And yes, kids are germ carriers. That is nothing new. Kids bring germs home, parents get sick, teachers get sick.
We need to make a decision, allow folks to get sick and lose a few lives or continue distance learning and watch our economy and the education of our children all further and further behind.
@parent
Completely agree. There are ways to do things and do them safely. This is truly going to hurt our kids and there education. California already ranks last in education. We are a wealthy state and give little to our teachers and schools. I also can’t even imagine all the kids being abused or have died due to abuse because to many people are scared of this virus. And to the parents who still have to work, so many kids won’t even get to do distant learning as the parents need to focus on work. All in all distant learning is NOT a good idea!
“This is truly going to hurt our kids and there education”.
It is “their’ not “there”.
So…. I guess home schooling is out of the question?.
Nothing positive regarding the virus will happen before the election, and I think a lot of kids will be falling behind and won’t be graduating from high school until they are 19 or 20 years old.
I completely agree Dawg.
Know parents that work from home four days then go in to work once a week who have decided on home schooling. They’re fed up with 50 to 70 page mandates from school districts and on a whim changes.
Then give the money back!
it possible Only time will tell
I think many families ate doing co-ops with retired teachers. The math comes out to the same price of daycare and you get 5-6 student teacher ratio.
In the end though, many kids are ending up in daycares, which has the same risks and concerns as classrooms. The daycares though are following state and county guidelines.
I guess its hard for me to understand what the difference is between my kid in daycare from 8-5 with teachers of all ages and classroom from 8-2.
The Schools are no place for the kids until this COVID is over.We opened everything else to soon that’s why we are going backwards.The Politicians and health officials are guessing now on what to do.The cure will come after the election.The Democratic’s have tried everything to destroy this country.Make America Great again and all will return to normal.
They should go back to the classroom in August. Many countries have already done that with no problems. More kids will die from the flu then the Chinese thing.
I guess you don’t read much or get out enough things are bad now & until we change our thinking it won’t get better I won’t let my children be your test dummies to see how it works out…
Completely agree. The presentation showed most parents supported 100% in class or a hybrid model for the upcoming school year. Plus there are no deaths in Contra Costa County for the elementary and high school age brackets. 100% online is ridiculous and the MDUSD will not be prepared for distance learning just like they weren’t in March. The teachers assigned 30 minutes of homework a day and did a daily “check in”. Unbelievable and embarrassing.
Denmark will open the schools on time. And they had schools open very early after a short shelter in place. Do you know why? Because, for example, they had 24 new cases yesterday, at a population 5 times bigger than Contra Costa. Is like we would have had today 5 New cases, as in fact we have 175.
Is the math clear enough? I can explain more.
There must be evidence by now, whether in-person schooling is contributing to the spread of COVID-19. Just like they discovered that mass outdoor protests don’t spread the virus, there ARE places where classes are held. Our church’s pre-school had been running without incident for a couple months now. Yeah, those are young children. It may be different with older kids. Someone knows even if MSUSD doesn’t.
Homes where education is, and always has been, important will continue to find ways to make education happen. Those families learn things with everything they do. And it’s not an obsession. It’s fun.
If public or private schools are just the place where you drop off the kids so you can get away from them. Well, nothing will ever be right in your head. I have worked with many parents who would rather be at work then at home with the kids. Sad, but true. And your children know how you feel.
If you feel put out by this pandemic. Think about how your children are feeling.
Oops.
‘than’ at home.
@JJ…. Hopefully you’re not teaching kids basic English composition.
Hopefully (comma)
And ‘hope’ is not a strategy.
🙂
Those who can, do, those who can’t, teach.
Of course it is going to be over after the election!
How easily the board deprives the parents from free will and has decided for them what they must do for their own good. Considering what they did to our school district I have no doubt that they are making wrong/bad/stupid/ridiculous (pick your own word) decision again.
There should be all options available: all time on campus, partial campus and online, and online only. So the parents and the teachers can decide what they want or what they can do.
BTW what is the survey outcome we did recently?
It seems that our representatives always choose to show that ‘they care’ by doing something. Something that looks like it might help, but actually does not (take the mask’s mandate to fight virus or washing homeless feet to solve the homeless crisis), rather than do something meaningful (which is usually much harder to do) to actually make a difference.
Here’s the outcome to the survey we did: http://esb.mdusd.k12.ca.us/attachments/842d35e6-6bd6-4180-beaa-21acbd992817.pdf
A complete waste of time!! Over 80% of parents who completed the survey favored in person or hybrid schooling and the survey also shared that there are 0 deaths for under 30 in Contra Costa County. Yet, the board unanimously decides on 100% social distancing. What’s the rationale behind this, other than fear?
Hopefully MDUSD is able to get it together and provide a satisfactory education virtually for our kids. Last year was anything but that.
Of course it is going to be over after the election!
How easily the board deprives the parents from free will and has decided for them what they must do for their own good. Considering what they did to our school district I have no doubt that they are making wrong/bad/stupid/ridiculous (pick your own word) decision again.
There should be all options available: all time on campus, partial campus and online, and online only. So the parents and the teachers can decide what they want or what they can do.
BTW what is the survey outcome we did recently?
It seems that our representatives always choose to show that ‘they care’ by doing something. Something that looks like it might help, but actually does not (take the mask’s mandate to fight virus or washing homeless feet to solve the homeless crisis), rather than do something meaningful (which is usually much harder to do) to actually make a difference.
MDUSD is more concerned about parading the new superintendent than confirming or voting on what will occur in the Fall. Parents need closure of this issue, so they can effectively plan for the Fall.
The just announced that school is 100% distance learning in August …
Whereas, Orange County said 100% in class room.
Wow .. just wow …
It’s not “Official” yet.
I do think the school year will start online and for one reason or another, it will stay that way. I’m depressed over that notion. My kids have done okay, despite the challenges with distance learning, but 100% distance learning this coming year would crush my son’s drive to do any school work. He needs to be around others. Kids need to be with other kids! They need that part of their development and all the dynamics that in-person relationships bring! My daughter did very well academically, but the effort that her different teachers put forth was inconsistent at best. When she needed help or had a simple question, it was usually a very delayed response, or sometimes didn’t come at all. Very little feedback.
Confusion with assignments and due dates. Both my kids started to be super unmotivated. THAT IS THE LAST THING OUR KIDS NEED TO BE! This shelter-in-place is so hard on our youngsters! Imagine growing up like this… Not able to socialize and play with other kids, being fearful of an invisible death threat, feeling like you’re trapped, and maybe even a burden on your family? Not everyone is equipped to teach their kids at home whether they’re willing or not. The curriculum was crap before distance learning, and it was worse during. I went out of my way to get other resources for my kids to keep them stimulated, but at the end of the day, that only goes so far. They need their peers. They need to play. They need to collaborate and share. Their friends are what keeps most kids interested in school.
Omg stop whining. If you want your kids to socialize with other kids, make it happen. Let them play with neighbors or cousins outside. Your kids = your problem. If you don’t approve of the “crap” public school curriculum, homeschool. Either take steps to improve your current situation or shut up.
– a mom of 4 school aged kids
@ Chrissy
You are a jerk, aren’t you? I feel sorry for your kids with the way you went off on Wait a minute.
Ever thought that maybe, just maybe, there are people in the area who do not have a family structure around them? Not everyone can have a stay-at-home parent or have the luxury of family, cousins, whatnots around them.
As for your kids = Your problem … I thought the whole wear a mask gimmick was because we cared about other people, or did you miss the memo because it did not come with coffee in the morning?
The school choice to go to 100% is crap! There is no reason or excuse for it, none. The data does not support 100%.
Me, married and both of us work full time with 3 kids.
I have no idea, when we get a vaccine or effective treatment for the disease and get a week or two with no new cases?
I’m currently a student at concord high and I honestly don’t mind this distant learning at all. What’s the real problem is the elementary kids that need the most help to learn at the early ages in school. I think us high schoolers could easily learn stuff ourselves if we really tried to. Just doing 2 assignments per class each week gives you the chance to finish off early so I don’t mind this
My high school was so bad that they should have given me all the books at the beginning of the year and said go home read the books and come back in June for the tests. Would have saved me six hours a day with teachers who already thought they had retired. Los Angeles City Schools. You are right elementary school kids need a teacher.
Come up with a compromise. Make a decent online grade appropriate curriculum available free to those parents who want to home school. Select quality teachers who have the ability and interest in doing distance learning with the remaining kids. All non-special needs first graders in the district have the same work packet and listen to the same teacher at the same time. Second grade the same and so on. Mail work packets home with self-addressed stamped envelopes. Use teachers to create and grade the returned packets and offer online help. Have a Spanish language option as well.
Agreed!!!!!
I’m decades past having to deal with a problem like this, and all of my friends are empty nesters, two of which did home school their kids with variable results. It does require a two parent family, hopefully education and success oriented. Education of offspring must be the top priority of the parents, above personal happiness, financial, or any other consideration. Millennials typically don’t have that mindset. I think that 2020 might have to be written off educationally, and picked up with the loss of a half year in the student’s education program, and is not really as bad as it sounds.
In another direction, maybe a school year could change to an annual basis, running Jan to Dec, interrupted by a short summer break. This could even be offered as an optional schedule running concurrently with the traditional schedule and maybe offer a reduced workload for teachers and facilities while offering the full number of classroom hours. I have not thought this idea through and it might have aspects that would make it unworkable.
The bottom line is all public schools will do what’s safest
Mdusd is closed guess what so is Oakland, Berkeley, Los Angeles
Etc
No district is willing to be “that” district where they open up and a teacher, staff member or student die as a result
It’s a mess but we are no different than other areas in California
Kids with an underlying health condition should stay home. No kids will die. None have so far. Kids have very little chance of passing on the virus even to an adult.
No guts, no glory.
Other countries are finding ways to keep schools functioning. We are all wound up in politics and the blame game
You are right I am an adult and I know that China willingly allowed a virus to spread around the world screwing up everything. If you want to be a pollyanna and think it is fine that’s your problem. Hundreds of thousands of people are dying, people are out work and bankrupt and you want to call it the coronavirus. Absolutely pathetic.
I moved here from Germany 25 years ago and I call my 80 year old mother back home every day during this pandemic, so I know what is going on.
People over there actually follow the rules, wear masks etc. that is why my old home state which is about the size and population of CCC has about 0 to 1 new cases per day which is 1/50 of this mess we have here.
They were able to re-open the schools because the virus is reasonably under control.
But with half the people in this country in denial and their actions being guided by wishful thinking as opposed to actual facts, it is no wonder we are going down the drain. When it is all over the world will call this the “American Virus” because we excelled at spreading it.
WC dad, no, the world will not call this Chinese virus the “American Virus”. SHAME ON YOU for even saying that.
Yeah. We all know that Germans are real good at following the rules. In the past maybe a little to good.
The American people are different. Our culture is different. We cherish our individual liberty. Here the collective is subordinate to the individual. Sure, we have certain people that blindly follow the dictates of government like sheep. They are usually motivated by emotion and most lack the ability to form independent thoughts. They are willing to give up liberty for what they perceive as security. They are highly susceptible to group think. The injustice of the day is attacked with religious zeal that manifests into fascism. We call those people Democrats. Sounds like Germany is filled with them.
Freedom is not free. There is a cost.
“Distance Learning” is not equivalent to “Home Schooling”. Also, schools are there to teach your children, not to drop them off for babysitting on your way to work.
@mommato2
There is NOTHING racist about calling a Chinese virus a Chinese virus.
Do you hear me? NOTHING!
A) a teacher is perfectly free to pursue a different line of work or not work at all if they don’t want to teach AT school, but then again…
B) …children, especially middle-school and below, have shown they do not get infected at anywhere near the rates of adults, and IF they, they are not “good” spreaders of the virus to each other or adults.
C) Were you throwing a fit back in January and into early-March when members of the media to include those from WaPo, NYT, and CNN were calling it the Chinese or Wuhan virus? Were your delicate sensibilities likewise so offended WAAAY back in 2014 by Ebola…or how bout Zika, West Nile, Norovirus, Legionaries, MERS, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever? And your woke card permanently revoked if you’ve EVER used the term Lyme Disease!!!
If Trump wins, then in CA schools will stay closed all year in a bid to bolster the Orange Man Bad narrative and lay the groundwork for another impeachment. If Biden wins, then same miracle like the riots as the virus disappears, kids back to school in January.
If Trump wins, he will withhold funds from the lawless states like he just has from Minneapolis. Newsom will try to tell us it’s our fault. Hopefully we can have him recalled by then.
If Joe wins, everyone with a 401 K or IRA will go to cash before he can implement his tax increases. That will compound the stock market crash. Anyone self employed will try to get their business sold while it still has any value. Charter schools will BK, and the CTA will keep kids in limbo until their demands from the LA affiliate are met. Gonna get ugly.
So the question is: Do you want freedom, or free stuff?
@mommato2 do you prefer us to call it the Kung Flu? Is the Spanish Flu racist or what about Ebola (it came from the Ebola River in Africa)? People like YOU ae the reason people are leaving California. Calling people racists because the call it the Chinese Virus, but do you remember when the MSM called Coronavirus “Wuhan” Or “Chinese Coronavirus” dozens of times, but when Trump says it then its racist. Keep on spouting your liberal rhetoric and having CNN do all your thinking for you.
are*
You do realize, of course, that Trump is playing the Democrats. They will do just the opposite of anything Trump proposes. What a great way to keep Democrat’s kids out of school and uneducated than to support opening schools!
Everyone is so worried about covid, but why aren’t you all concerned with the lack of immunity our children and ourselves will be lacking once the flu season is upon us. Not only that, but on campus learning should be essential for our kids. They deserve an education. Most of these kids will fall so far behind because of this. They miss their friends and will become even more socially inept from it having any actual face time with their peers. Now they will be stuck behind electronics even more than they are. Teach your kids to wash their hands and not touch their faces so they can have the childhood they deserve. Not what’s mandated by politicians.
Zabemo
Awesome post! Two thumbs up! Our children deserve an education.