Oh, for sure. A regular class would need an enormous tent. Luckily I teach special ed and I can have 1-2 kids at a time. Now that kids will be in "pods," I can't have kids from different rooms or grades together anymore.

Yeah, we're rural and there aren't that many kids. I think we could fit a couple 10x10, or even bigger, tents outside.

I didn't even think of the custodial staff... that makes perfect sense, though, because they are working together all day, touching the same stuff, etc.

Thank you for saying this again, it makes me feel a bit less like the one crazy person in the room. I'm totally up for being the squeaky wheel, but sometimes I doubt my own perceptions.

I completely empathize with you, and this is not just a little unknown, it's a big one!!

Yes! I was just looking at pop-up tents on Wayfair. For $150 I can get a pretty big outdoor tent. For a bit more, the school could build a few semi-permanent outdoor spaces.

I just feel... down today. I work at a little school in a rural-ish area... no cases in the county for a few weeks... but I still don't feel safe. Admin is decreasing the 6 foot spacing to 3 feet in some rooms, because the recommendations are "guidelines" to follow "when feasible." (UGH WHY IS THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE. IT'S JUST ASKING FOR FUDGING.) They're putting fans in the windows, oh joy. According to a staff survey, half the staff don't want to wear masks or do any distancing, so are they really going to keep a mask on in the bathroom, in the copy room, etc? The room I'm supposed to be in is like 8x8, so even with just one kid, I'm breathing in their air. Then I'm torn because like others have pointed out, lots of people have been working through this entire pandemic, which means I can get food, get my car fixed, get my mail. Why am I so special that I can complain? But when I think of DH getting COVID from me, it breaks my heart. He always gets every weird, uncommon symptom of every illness, so I assume he'd be one of the ones to get really sick with this. Maybe my principal would let me work remotely, or do a hybrid schedule, because I'm the special ed teacher. I can see kids 1-1 and remote is pretty okay. But what will my colleagues think? They're going to be right in the classroom risking illness, and then I'm home? At the same time, just because they're willing to risk it, with poorly ventilated rooms, not enough distancing, etc. doesn't mean that I should accept it. My best friend at school has a serious autoimmune condition and has been in and out of the hospital already this year. There's a teacher going through cancer treatments. It feels like we're just putting our heads in the sand and hoping like heck that no cases will come our way. I could raise a stink. I could make it clear that I think the school is not physically set up well enough for safety. (Which it isn't.) I could file a grievance with the union. As John Lewis said, make good trouble. Is this the time? Ugh. I'm so conflicted.

What happens inside the school? Does the whole class go home for 14 days? "Close contact" is defined as 15 minutes or more, in a distance of less than 6 feet. In a classroom, the time would be much greater than 15 minutes, even if the distance was kinda close to 6 feet most of the time. If the class doesn't go home... who teaches them? Our district has some subs who are willing to come in, but half of the sub pool has said they aren't willing to sub this year. If a teacher is not very sick, or has to quarantine because of exposure but isn't actually sick, I could see them sending in sub plans, or even Zooming in, if there could be an ed tech in the room. But if a teacher is very sick, how are sub plans going to work? Teachers can't have two weeks of plans ready to go at any given second. Two weeks of review maybe? I'm struggling to see how this will work.

I've thought about this too....a lot... because I am lonely. My mom lives alone and she is lonely. My hesitation with going out more is that the effects of the virus are so unpredictable. Sometimes 100 year olds survive it, and sometimes perfectly healthy 40 year olds die from it. That's what keeps me at home.

Oh no. How awful. I would be so upset in that situation. I'm so sorry it's happening to you! I can't believe teachers aren't on the reopening planning committees. I'm on two committees, and asked to join two more and was welcomed. My school has many of the same issues as yours... poor ventilation... lots of people without internet... I find it very scary not to be informed about what's going on with that sort of thing.

I'm surprised that the policy is so... well... dumb... when the VT reopening plan seems good overall. What do you think about the plan in general? I'm in a similar boat to yours. Maine has low cases as well, although not as low as VT. People around me seem pretty unconcerned about the virus, because of the low cases. I speak up and say, "but it only takes one to start an outbreak..." but I get the impression people are tired of hearing my doom and gloom. But it really does only take one! Low case numbers are not a reason to throw caution to the wind... they're a reason to keep protocols tight so the numbers don't rise. I'm starting to bring up issues like protocols for teachers using the photocopier, the need for adults to wears masks everywhere in shared spaces (like in the bathroom), and I'm worried people are just not willing to go into that amount of detail.

But... won't other people in the room almost certainly be positive, too? Gulp!

Neat, thanks!

Thanks!

Is there a website that shows the transmission rates in other countries as compared to US states? I would like to see that.

Plus, it's not just the kids. There are other adults in the building, which could germ up the bathrooms, photocopier area, etc. I'm at more risk inside a school than sticking close to my house, only going out for walks and the occasional grocery store run.

Oh wow. What a crazy thing to happen!

Yikes! That sounds terrifying. Hope you both are OK.

He sounds wonderful. Happy birthday to him!

That sounds miserable. I hope you're feeling 1 day better now!!

Oh, I'm sorry. Hope you're not feeling too bad. What are your symptoms, if you don't mind me asking?

I went down some rabbit holes today, and ended up at this PDF of pediatric COVID cases/hospitalizations in Florida: http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/_partners/covid19_report_archive/pediatric_report_latest.pdf

I agree with this one million percent. Are governors not mandating masks solely because they fear the backlash of voters? Their jobs aren't worth it. Just make the unpopular decision, save lives, get voted out. They can find other jobs.

Thank you. I'm going to bring this up at my "should kids and staff wear masks at school" meeting tomorrow.

That's awesome! Crazy that it took a 12 year old to come up with the idea though... the idea is so simple and makes sense. Go kid!! 🙂