COVID-19, Part VIII - heading into flu season

[757690]

I would be surprised if there are many school districts that cannot keep their students six feet apart if they have half the class present in the morning and half present in the afternoon. I'm sure there are SOME that are that crowded normally, but surely it cannot be very many.

Not every place is like Kansas.

We have 40 student class sizes in tiny, older, run down classrooms in most LAUSD districts. Not only is it difficult to find the space, the classrooms are so outdated, it’s hard to get them Covid regulation compliant. As I said, many districts were having trouble finding space for all their students, pre-Covid.

And the other factor is the case rate in the district. It really high in some districts, making it even riskier.

I think the fact that some LA school districts have opened, and some have not, suggests that there is much effort and thought that goes into each decision. It’s not like the schools here aren’t trying to be open as quickly as possible.

[Boston Red]

I assume every place isn't like Kansas. I've lived in Kentucky, Ohio, Massachusetts and North Carolina as well, so I'm actually certain that's the case. Like I said, I'm sure there are places where even if half the class is absent you can't keep kids 6 feet apart. I would have guessed places like LA, NY and Chicago were the most likely candidates just because they have the most people. I suspect those are the exceptions rather than the rule, though. I also suspect this positive data will give MOST school districts whatever final push they may have needed to get over the hump on getting kids back in the classroom in the new year.

[Boston Red]

So......trick or treating this year, yay or nay? I suspect we will have trick or treating in our neighborhood and will participate.

[Strikes Out Looking]

Our school district has not opened - the problem isn't just Covid - we have one school district for one million people and they have lots of magnet schools that go cross-county creating a transportation nightmare. This was a problem pre-pandemic as one inch of snow in the most northern part of the district can cancel school for the southernmost part where it will be 40 degrees and dry. So there was no way they were going to be open in this environment.

They are now negotiating with the teachers about reopening. If I was in charge, I'd start slow with special needs kids, schools in poorer areas and then the youngest kids. Knowing our leadership, they'll just try to go from 0 to 55 all at once.

[Bourgeois Zee]

I'm assume every place isn't like Kansas. I've lived in Kentucky, Ohio, Massachusetts and North Carolina as well, so I'm actually certain that's the case. Like I said, I'm sure there are places where even if half the class is absent you can't keep kids 6 feet apart. I would have guessed places like LA, NY and Chicago were the most likely candidates just because they have the most people. I suspect those are the exceptions rather than the rule, though. I also suspect this positive data will give MOST school districts whatever final push they may have needed to get over the hump on getting kids back in the classroom in the new year.

Wait, if you lived in Kentucky, you'd know that Jefferson County (and Fayette and Bowling Green and Franklin and more) have rather large school systems and antiquated (at best) buildings.

My wife's classroom is large for her school. It's a rectangular box with her desk in the corner and 32 desks jammed inside. Every desk is filled just about every day (when school is "in"). Early in the year, she also has a kid at her desk and usually at least one more who sits on what used to be a sink in the corner. She had 1300 kids in her school. (Seneca High School, home of Wes Unseld.)

It is impossible to keep those kids six feet apart.

Even if you halved the class, it's impossible to keep those kids apart.

The halls are 8 feet from one side to the other. The cafeteria is a gigantic Petri dish.

There is little air and the heat is either full blast or nonexistent. She has one window that works.

You guys have no idea.

None.

A poster earlier insisted no teachers are scared about going back to school. Half the teachers she talks to are petrified. About a quarter have some sort of health issue and know it's playing Russian Roulette to go back. The rest live with and/or take care of someone who does.

Had Louisville gone back in August, there'd have been avoidable deaths. To some of you, that's just the price of a rolling economy, I guess.

[Boston Red]

They don't have to be 6 feet apart every single instant. Just no prolonged exposure. And they should be wearing masks at least in the halls (which should only allow one-way traffic on each side of the hall) if not all day. Seneca (home of Tony Kimbro) couldn't take out half its desks and keep people six feet apart while in class? I find that quite surprising. Is Seneca (and the others in JC) physically back in school at all yet? I was glad to see St. X was in person.

[Falls City Beer]

Wait, if you lived in Kentucky, you'd know that Jefferson County (and Fayette and Bowling Green and Franklin and more) have rather large school systems and antiquated (at best) buildings.

My wife's classroom is large for her school. It's a rectangular box with her desk in the corner and 32 desks jammed inside. Every desk is filled just about every day (when school is "in"). Early in the year, she also has a kid at her desk and usually at least one more who sits on what used to be a sink in the corner. She had 1300 kids in her school. (Seneca High School, home of Wes Unseld.)

It is impossible to keep those kids six feet apart.

Even if you halved the class, it's impossible to keep those kids apart.

The halls are 8 feet from one side to the other. The cafeteria is a gigantic Petri dish.

There is little air and the heat is either full blast or nonexistent. She has one window that works.

You guys have no idea.

None.

A poster earlier insisted no teachers are scared about going back to school. Half the teachers she talks to are petrified. About a quarter have some sort of health issue and know it's playing Russian Roulette to go back. The rest live with and/or take care of someone who does.

Had Louisville gone back in August, there'd have been avoidable deaths. To some of you, that's just the price of a rolling economy, I guess.

Seeing as though many of them are teachers and others have school age children, yes, yes they do know. Wtf. You can make a point without being a blowhard.

[kaldaniels]

You guys have no idea.

None.

Tired of stuff like this.

[Falls City Beer]

Tired of stuff like this.

Mannnnn. The arrogance just oozes. And it’s soooo wrongheaded.

[Boston Red]

Tired of stuff like this.

LOL, I was tired of it about 10 years ago. After tired is numb to it. Numb is better.

[Boston Red]

Well, at least online school resulted in getting this asshat off the streets.

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...ytm-story.html

[Bourgeois Zee]

They don't have to be 6 feet apart every single instant. Just no prolonged exposure. And they should be wearing masks at least in the halls (which should only allow one-way traffic on each side of the hall) if not all day. Seneca (home of Tony Kimbro) couldn't take out half its desks and keep people six feet apart while in class? I find that quite surprising. Is Seneca (and the others in JC) physically back in school at all yet? I was glad to see St. X was in person.

This isn't her classroom from this year. (I don't have that pic.) But it's close.

Tell me how you can get to six feet.

[Boston Red]

How much room you got up front? If you take out every other desk in there and alternate by row which desk you take out, it looks like it would be pretty close. I'd definitely require mask on all day in that room, though.

That gym over a Seneca is pretty large. Break some of those classes up and send some of them to the gym. They may even feel some of the old Keith Williams magic from days of yore.

[Bourgeois Zee]

How much room you got up front? If you take out every other desk in there and alternate by row which desk you take out, it looks like it would be pretty close. I'd definitely require mask on all day in that room, though.

Room enough for her desk, two more student desks, the door, the faux sink, and a projector. That's it. (In her room, her desk is at the back of the room.)

Every other desk-- they're still within three feet of each other on both sides. (Remember it's six feet around.) The desk top is either 16 or 18 inches wide (depending on the model), so their heads are about 20 inches apart if all the desks are filled. Take out 20 inches between desks and you're still not close to six feet.

She had them in groups of four-- that can't be done. (Obviously.) She's tried side by side. That's definitely no-go.

She does have 15 feet straight up.

Notice the windows too. (Or lack thereof.)

That's some quality ventilation.


And it's not just Seneca. Almost every public high school in my city (as with most) is antiquated. Male, Manual, Fern Creek, Ballard-- the list of high schools is long and the dates they were built stretches back to before the 1900s in some cases.

In my city's case, going virtual was absolutely the right call.

[Boston Red]

Is anyone doing anything at Freedom Hall these days? Give each high school a wing.

Send some of the overflow to the Commonwealth Convention Center. Can't imagine they're doing much of a business these days.