The following announcement is from the MDUSD:
Greetings MDUSD Community,
This afternoon, the Public Health Officers and County Superintendents in six Bay Area counties, including Contra Costa, have announced they will officially extend the suspension of in-class instruction through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. The full joint public statement is available here.
In our public messaging last week, we expressed our anticipation of this action. During spring break, we have been working to ensure that our Governing Board is aware of our efforts to enhance our extended distance learning design, ensure clarity on grading processes for students and educators, and to provide as much information as we can to our public. We fully expect to provide clarity on these issues during the virtual Governing Board Meeting of April 13, 2020.
During this Spring Break, I would encourage you most of all to stay safe. The efforts thus far from our staff, families, and community to connect, engage, and support has been impressive to say the least—I am confident that as we continue to enhance our services and provide clarity on remaining issues, that we can finish our school year strongly together, even at a distance.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Martinez
Mount Diablo Unified School District
Did y’all hear me SCREAM?!?!
Yeah, I could just barely hear yours over my own! Oh lord help us all.
Honestly, we’ll be lucky if we’re able to open them back up at the normal time for the next school year. We really can’t stop these measures until there is a vaccine, or at least a truly effective and available treatment. Such a tiny percentage of the population has had this now. If we open things back up, we’ll just see flare ups and outbreaks again, and we’re back to square one. Ugh….
Exactly. And people will needlessly die. Hospital staff will continue to be infected as will their family members. That just makes no sense to put anyone at risk.
@ Pat
But how many of these reports SARS2 death are legitimate? I mean, if they die from a coronary, and had tested positive for SARS2, they are counted as a SARS2 death.
Many folks have become infected and not needed any hospital care. Many folks have become infected, endured it, moved on with no tests or medical care. Our county has ~400 infected but only 29 in the hospital and 7 deaths. Our death rate is relatively low, even with the inflated numbers, against our confirmed positive cases.
Hospital staff are exposed to diseases EVERY day. Without proper PPE and BSI, they can be contaminated.
We have a higher chance of being hit by a car crossing the street than we do of catching SARS2 and dieing. Should we all SIP until cars are no longer allowed on the road?
They will have to open things back up with some sort of shelter in place for vulnerable people. If they do not open things back up we will see something far worse than the virus!
Curious. In your mind, what is worse than thousands of Americans dying en masse every day?
Millions of homeless, hungry families wandering the streets without jobs, Empty prisons, no law enforcement. People that need to feed their families will do whatever they need to do to feed them.
OK Millennials time to learn how to be parents now that you have the time.
Awesome.
How about potentially having mandatory summer school if possible?
1. It’s against state law to extend the school year ito the summer.
2. Even if there was summer school, kinds would still learn from home. Probably in the fall too.
Get used to it. This is the new normal, at least for the next year or two.
@ Ygnacio
It may be against the law to extend to summer, I don’t know. But don’t kids have to be in school a minimum number of days as well? Just curious …
As for the new normal and next year or two … I do not think employers would be willing to adjust to this ‘new normal’. That would likely translate to more unemployment as parents of young kids would need to find a way to educate their young children at home via zoom etc .. Cause last time I checked, I cannot leave a 6 year old home alone … and expect them to log into a virtual classroom all day.
It may be against the state law to extend to summer, but maybe we should consider changing that law as part of what you call the new normal …
The school district is purchasing thousands of participation trophies.
The kids with the most trophies are allowed to graduate.
The kids will fewer trophies will be allowed to graduate too.
District Administrators can’t allow any to have anyone’s feelings.
The school board doesn’t care if anyone gets educated, they only want the money. They’ll do anything they have to to keep that money rolling in.
MDUSD has spent all of this time providing meals to underserved students. They’ve lost sight if their primary goal: to educate.
Bet the teachers and staff were paid.
So we follow the lead of SF … a place that has 920K people condensed into 47 square miles. Not the same geography or demographics. But no, we cannot make a decision on our own, we follow like sheep the decision of the other counties that are so densely populated.
So is it mandatory summer school for those kids that did not complete the optional work being issued through distance learning by only SOME teachers.
Or do they just repeat the grade they are in …
Or how do we rebuild their education, their social interactions skills and development?
Do they have a plan to get our kids back on the academic schedule yet, or are they winging it?
And I really thought they had said the decision would be made on April 13th, but I maybe I misread that.
Mandatory summer school is illegal according to state law.
@parent, Optional work??? It’s not optional, The kids are expected to keep up with their studies. Why do you think the district handed out all of these Chrome books? Unfortunately there are too many parents out there that think this work is “optional” . Pretty sad.
@uuhuhhhhh
The schools have said it is optional. It is optional because not all kids have access to computers/chrome books and the internet. If we are not providing the same opportunities to all kids, we cannot make it mandatory. My kids teachers have told them the same thing, it is optional. The teachers are handing out assignments that are NOT turned in to them.
So yes, it is optional.
The district handed out the chrome books to see if they could get every student a device so they could make it mandatory … but it is not.
One of my kids has a zoom meeting with his teacher daily. The highest number of students that have logged into that meeting at one time, 7! Seven students out of a class of 30+.
It is optional, sorry to burst your bubble.
Teachers are still working now so forget the idea that there will be mandatory summer school. Spend time with your kids and realize people are doing all they can.
No they all are not working. We are still waiting to ‘hear’ from some of our kids teachers.
How do you teach chemistry through distance learning? Last time I checked, I do not have a fume hood in the house to do experiments , no the chemicals to do it. And Chemistry is just one example …
What about ESL? Or Speech Therapy?
I am enjoying my family, but I pay taxes so that professionals can teach my kids, not so I can do it on top of my job as a parent, husband and employee of a company.
MDUSD is one of the largest Special Assessments on our Property Taxes. If they aren’t fulfilling their mission they need to refund our money.
So wrong. The kid’s should go back in May.
Would you really send your child to school in May? No testing unless showing symptoms? Hell no. My child can stay safe at home alive, learning as we go.
I don’t think if my children catch this virus that they will die. Honestly, every day that I drop them off ( they are teenagers) I say a prayer that there won’t be a school shooting. So , no I’m not scared of a virus that they most likely will survive.
I have teenagers. Every day that I drop them off at school I say a prayer that there will not be a school shooting. So, no i don’t worry about a virus that if they caught they most likely would survive.
Just want to say that the public schools seem to be making it easier than the private schools in my opinion. We have 3 children, 2 private, 1 public the platform the public school is using is way easier than the private schools. Printing worksheets everyday having to scan 30+ documents of completed assignments. Private school please just move to Google class room and make our lives a little easier. Plus are we paying full tuition during this time?
Our private school is using google classroom and has weekly paperwork drop.
Maybe it’s time to change your private school.
1st: sounds like a lot of you parents of school aged children aren’t enjoying this special time with your kids very much. Stay at home moms, I bet you’d like your free time back, huh?? Working parents, teachers are not babysitters!!! We are not tasked with occupying your children’s time from 8-3 M-F by our superiors. My district instructed teachers to give no more than 3 hours of work per subject per week.
2nd: Teachers are working. We are doing the best we can. Many of us are juggling our job responsibilities with caring for our own children, caring for our elderly parents etc. And guess what, folks?? Not all teachers even have a computer and/or wifi at home. In my tax bracket, those are luxury items y’all.
3rd: Our unions negotiated with our school districts for our work conditions & requirements during this time when schools are shut down. Got a bone to pick? If so, email the school board members or superintendent. Stop whining about all the services teachers are no longer providing; it’s not a good look.
4th: Your kids are scared right now, or stressed, or bored. Talk to them about it! I sure am!
4th: Choose to be kind. Teachers are not blowing up claycord with comments about how nonessential workers having to stay home is inconveniencing our lives. Why? Compassion. We’re all in this together, people. Choose to be kind 🙂
Love your post. I agree 100% with everything you posted.
@ Chrissy
Exactly!! Well Said!
Teachers are in this too people. Most would like nothing more than return to school and teach your kids. And no, MDUSD isn’t doing anything wrong either. They are falling in line with state mandates and recommendations. To do otherwise would be negligent and would open them up to lawsuits. If that were to occur, the same people complaining now would be complaining about the districts lack of action! Stop complaining and looking for a scapegoat. We’re all in this crappy situation. Deal with it until it passes!
Well said
I’m a teacher too and guess what only 1/4 of my students families even responded to a personal email wishing well giving expectations etc
Not even a thank you or best wishes in return
Time for parents to see what teachers do now isn’t it?
Have fun with your kid who doesn’t listen all day
this won’t even come close to showing parents what teachers do… Not by a long shot….
I had to tell my job that I had to take care of my two kids at this time and could not work from home. Filed for unemployment. I went on lakeshore and ordered teaching materials for my kindergartener, which I intend to donate to his teacher in the fall if we go back. I try to teach him some things on the normal school days but I don’t push it to much. My husband pointed out that the one on one learning time is good even if it only for an hour as in the regular class room how much one on one time did they have in a class of 30+ kindergarteners/TK’ers anyway? So that keeps me hopeful that he is learning as much of not more than what he was learning in school. There are also great classes on Facebook that the kids can follow. Change is always hard but I try to take it day to day. Fingers crossed the kids can go back in the fall!!! Be safe and healthy everyone!
So, a serious question: For all you parents who already home school; and there are a lot out there…
Has all of this changed what or how you teach at home?
Tips please…
Think of the money that could be saved if we switch to online teaching.
Streamline learning so a student would progress at their own pace. No need to spend a whole school year in 5th grade. Learn the material and move on.
This could be the future of education. The kinks are being worked out now. Put the responsibility of raising the child with the parents.