Covid-19 in OKC (coronavirus)

[C_M_25]

I'll go you one further. My mother is a teacher in a smaller town here just outside the metro. The superintendent has decided that they will have IN PERSON parent teacher conferences this week, and teachers are explicitly forbidden to require masks or any safety protocols before meeting with the parents (including trying to limit it to just one parent per child).

Of course, this is the same school district that decided this year was the year to start switching kids 4th and 5th grade kids between classes 4 times a day, all at the same time. In those 5 minutes during the switch the teachers are supposed to sanitize the classroom.

Every time they make these policy decisions I remind my mother to get it in writing and keep records, because if nothing else it will set up a lawsuit if she gets sick.

If there was a check list of things that you could do to make in-person school work, what you have described would be the exact opposite. Ugh...

This pandemic has really shown a spotlight on the incredibly poor decision making that occurs in this state. There is probably a reason for this considering we're one of the worst educated states in the country...

[Bill Robertson]

I'll go you one further. My mother is a teacher in a smaller town here just outside the metro. The superintendent has decided that they will have IN PERSON parent teacher conferences this week, and teachers are explicitly forbidden to require masks or any safety protocols before meeting with the parents (including trying to limit it to just one parent per child).

Of course, this is the same school district that decided this year was the year to start switching kids 4th and 5th grade kids between classes 4 times a day, all at the same time. In those 5 minutes during the switch the teachers are supposed to sanitize the classroom.

Every time they make these policy decisions I remind my mother to get it in writing and keep records, because if nothing else it will set up a lawsuit if she gets sick.

Wow! The absolutely stupidity in those decisions is beyond words.

[Bunty]

Wow! The absolutely stupidity in thought decisions is beyond words.

It's going to be a long winter.

[Jesseda]

I got some sad news today. A forty-something female friend of mine tested positive Friday. She has some underlying conditions and was dreading returning to her teaching job in Moore. Like all teachers in her idiotic district, she was essentially forced to return to in-person learning. She contracted the virus from one of her students.

So far her symptoms are mild, but she is not asymptomatic and it is early. Symptoms usually worsen a week to 10 days after onset of symptoms.

I am outraged at the selfishness, stupidity, and blind allegiance to moronic politicians that has caused stupid places like Moore to completely disregard reality and the guidance of science. There are already two dead teachers in OKC (from the same elementary school). They contracted it at work and students aren't even back in OKCPS yet!

Honestly the relatives of any teachers who are killed by being forced back to teaching in person should sue these districts until their eyes bleed. It is tantamount to capital murder or at best manslaughter.

was this the teacher that was at Moore High? I know the last letter i got a few days back that had multiple kids test positive that day along with a staff member. I also found out Friday that a teacher at my other Kids school central Jr. High is in Quarantine. I never seen so many substitute teachers. seems like almost every week now my kids tell me they had a sub in one of their classes. Prayer and good vides sent to your friend who is currently battling this virus. I know everyone has different opinions but I think Moore Public schools and other districts need to go back to online only learning if the Positive cases keep trending up

[Pete]

797 new cases today, taking the state over the 100,000 mark.

7-day rolling average is 1,172, a new record.

Hospitalizations are 758 (+8) which is another all-time high.

ICU is 276 (+11)

6 more reported deaths.

189 new cases in OK County.

[soonerguru]

Agreed. There is no “one size fits all” here. We all have to do our own risk assessment for what we’re comfortable with here. Hopefully, 2021 will be better...

That option is unavailable. So, returning to their jobs will prove to be a death sentence for many teachers. Given the choice of one tough year of distance learning versus the deaths of teachers, I'll choose teachers' health.

[soonerguru]

I'll go you one further. My mother is a teacher in a smaller town here just outside the metro. The superintendent has decided that they will have IN PERSON parent teacher conferences this week, and teachers are explicitly forbidden to require masks or any safety protocols before meeting with the parents (including trying to limit it to just one parent per child).

Of course, this is the same school district that decided this year was the year to start switching kids 4th and 5th grade kids between classes 4 times a day, all at the same time. In those 5 minutes during the switch the teachers are supposed to sanitize the classroom.

Every time they make these policy decisions I remind my mother to get it in writing and keep records, because if nothing else it will set up a lawsuit if she gets sick.

Unbelievable. Well, actually, quite believable. I've lived my whole life in Oklahoma and I've never been more ashamed as I am right now. It is embarrassing.

I really, really wish you would call that district out so we can put them on blast.

[RodH]

Sure, every kid is different and there is no hard cutoff. In general, distance learning Is easier for older kids because of the type of work they do and their mental development. I am also well aware of the creativity the teachers are coming up with as my wife is in education. However, all the creative work doesn’t equal success as too much screen time is not good for younger kids. These young kids can also fall behind easily if they are slower or just misunderstood (I have heard numerous accounts of kindergarteners in tears because they just don’t understand). One on one time with teachers in the classroom can really help mitigate this issue. Finally, distanced learning is awful for kid’s social development. They learn so much through play and interacting with their friends. This development is super important in the younger grades too. Given the limited effects that covid has on them, there’s no reason for them not to be in the classroom...assuming a proper risk assessment of the teacher.

If social development is so critically important why do we allow home-schooling without regulations?

[jccouger]

Unbelievable. Well, actually, quite believable. I've lived my whole life in Oklahoma and I've never been more ashamed as I am right now. It is embarrassing.

I really, really wish you would call that district out so we can put them on blast.

He's probably worried about the job security or potential harassment of his mother. I think its best he probably doesn't. Though its absolutely evil what they are doing.

[jerrywall]

He's probably worried about the job security or potential harassment of his mother. I think its best he probably doesn't. Though its absolutely evil what they are doing.

Exactly. I've tried to convince my mother to reach out to the press but unless she says it's OK I don't want to call out the school district. There are more issues, such as her windows in her room won't open to circulate fresh air. Or if one of the kids gets Covid only the primary class teacher quarantines, not the other three teachers who have the student throughout the day, or the students who've been moving between classes. I have a feeling these type of issues are very common in rural schools in Oklahoma.

If I have my druthers, my mother wouldn't have returned to school this year. Unfortunately, the pandemic made it hard to get the stuff done that needed to get done so she could have retired a couple of years early.

[Pete]

Exactly. I've tried to convince my mother to reach out to the press but unless she says it's OK I don't want to call out the school district. There are more issues, such as her windows in her room won't open to circulate fresh air. Or if one of the kids gets Covid only the primary class teacher quarantines, not the other three teachers who have the student throughout the day, or the students who've been moving between classes. I have a feeling these type of issues are very common in rural schools in Oklahoma.

If I have my druthers, my mother wouldn't have returned to school this year. Unfortunately, the pandemic made it hard to get the stuff done that needed to get done so she could have retired a couple of years early.

Your mom could always get the info to the press while insisting they don't use her name.

It's how most stories like this get told in a way when people are using positions of power to make bad decisions without fear of being held accountable.

[C_M_25]

If social development is so critically important why do we allow home-schooling without regulations?

What does that have to do with anything here? Obviously, home schooling only affects a small percentage of students. Distanced learning affects most of the students out there, and any long-term developmental effects will be far reaching.

[Pete]

What does that have to do with anything here? Obviously, home schooling only affects a small percentage of students. Distanced learning affects most of the students out there, and any long-term developmental effects will be far reaching.

A year or two of distance learning isn't going to leave permanent scars.

If this goes on for 3-4 more years, you may have a point.

[dankrutka]

A year or two of distance learning isn't going to leave permanent scars.

If this goes on for 3-4 more years, you may have a point.

I agree in theory (and it would hold more if districts had committed last summer to preparing for a year of it... which almost none did because they also had no leadership), but there is some really scary evidence that the pandemic is already widening existing inequities. The resource gap (e.g., technology, academic support, food) is just widening without schools meeting in person.

[Pete]

^

It's far from ideal but the whole crux of this is the trade-off in terms of human lives and health.

If things don't improve in the next year or two, then obviously we are going to have to move forward with in-person learning. I just don't think we're to the point where that is more important than the likely consequences.

[d-usa]

I know people want “now” solutions and this is super politicized, but it really wouldn’t cripple the US to accept “this year is gonna be shot as far as schooling goes” and just accept that the 21/22 year is gonna be a do-over. I wouldn’t it consider punishment of my kiddos had to repeat their grades next year.

[Pete]

I know people want “now” solutions and this is super politicized, but it really wouldn’t cripple the US to accept “this year is gonna be shot as far as schooling goes” and just accept that the 21/22 year is gonna be a do-over. I wouldn’t it consider punishment of my kiddos had to repeat their grades next year.

This is really true across the board.

At some point, we are going to have to make some sacrifices in order to get this under control and our leadership in particular has not been willing to lead properly to date.

[gopokes88]

I know people want “now” solutions and this is super politicized, but it really wouldn’t cripple the US to accept “this year is gonna be shot as far as schooling goes” and just accept that the 21/22 year is gonna be a do-over. I wouldn’t it consider punishment of my kiddos had to repeat their grades next year.

I think the sacrifices should be made by the older generation not the younger. Which how its supposed to work.

[C_M_25]

A year or two of distance learning isn't going to leave permanent scars.

If this goes on for 3-4 more years, you may have a point.

Generally, yes. However, 1 year does really matter for kindergartners in particular. The jump from pre-school to kindergarten is huge. They also go through significant brain development; therefore, it is critical for them to not fall behind academically or socially as it's very difficult for them to catch up. The jump from kindergarten and 1st grade is also pretty big.

Don't forget too, that kids start taking standardized tests in 3rd grade. These kids are still really little, and 1 year can have a detrimental affect in preparing for the testing.

One thing that we forget is that we look at these circumstances with very adult (typically) thought processes. We forget what it's like to be a kid. I don't remember much from kindergarten, so I can't put myself in these kid's shoes, and I know we are all guilty of that.

As you said, 3-4 years will be a disaster, but I would argue, for a subset of these kids, that 1 year could have a long-lasting detrimental effect on their development.

[C_M_25]

This is really true across the board.

At some point, we are going to have to make some sacrifices in order to get this under control and our leadership in particular has not been willing to lead properly to date.

FYI, the only way to end a pandemic like this is a vaccine. You can shut stuff down all you want, but the moment you re-open, the virus comes flooding back through society. Is your goal to shut down till there is a vaccine? How long will it take to not only approve it, but distribute it through society? It could take another year to distribute the vaccine. Is that acceptable to shut down for that long?

[Pete]

FYI, the only way to end a pandemic like this is a vaccine. You can shut stuff down all you want, but the moment you re-open, the virus comes flooding back through society. Is your goal to shut down till there is a vaccine? How long will it take to not only approve it, but distribute it through society? It could take another year to distribute the vaccine. Is that acceptable to shut down for that long?

There are degrees of containment and our country and state are way, way below any reasonable standard.

[C_M_25]

There are degrees of containment and our country and state are way, way below any reasonable standard.

Fair point.

[jerrywall]

FYI, the only way to end a pandemic like this is a vaccine. You can shut stuff down all you want, but the moment you re-open, the virus comes flooding back through society. Is your goal to shut down till there is a vaccine? How long will it take to not only approve it, but distribute it through society? It could take another year to distribute the vaccine. Is that acceptable to shut down for that long?

Imagine a world where the state/county color code system meant something... where hot spots came with automatic actions like mask mandates and school closings, and other areas have automatic guidelines like restaurant limitations and such that help prevent new surges. A world where there is clear leadership at the national and state level that encourages the entire public to take this seriously and practice caution. Where there was no reason for people to doubt the numbers and information or to question if we had all the information available.

In THAT world, we could function until a vaccine came, and while there would be sacrifices, they could be more short term and focused. Shutting everything down is the stick that comes when the carrot isn't working.

[Pete]

And when we do get a vaccine, it would still need to be part of a larger, comprehensive plan.

We don't even have a plan at this point, with or without innoculation....

Unless 'let people die while we wait it out' is considered a plan.

[kukblue1]

HIV doesn't have a vaccine but a good therapeutic. Some would say a Therapeutic is more important than a vaccine