Safe Schools Protect Us All

Hello, old friends:

We need a definitive exit from our Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s the roadmap | Eric Topol Nasal or oral coronavirus vaccines, more and better drugs, and a variant-proof vaccine could catalyze a clear way out

"Adriane Wagner, the school nurse, said she felt compelled to protest because she 'cares about student health.'

Many Welsh students have asthma, Wagner said, and cold classrooms equipped with fans would be especially tough for them.

'Having a fan blowing is not going to work for them,' Wagner said.

The district’s history of papering over environmental problems — including lead paint, asbestos and a disastrous $50 million construction project at Benjamin Franklin High — makes teachers wary of the district’s safety promises, they said.

With a large stock of aging buildings, the district simply doesn’t have the money or time to upgrade all schools to the standards common in better-resourced private and suburban schools, officials have said. Some Philadelphia school buildings have no mechanical ventilation; the plan there is to open windows and use fans to help circulate air."

https://www.inquirer.com/education/philadelphia-school-district-reopen-teachers-union-pft-20210208.html?fbclid=IwAR2JlOKtPxa3QaJfv58NcMo3hNXTr4y7GuKMmlshpakinOLEXoVhyCUZeTg

In public protests, thousands of Philly teachers push back against school reopening “As of right now, we are still in ongoing discussions with the parties and are focused on getting kids back into schools as soon as possible,” said Lauren Cox, a city spokesperson.

"Postpandemic schooling needs to take a less-is-more approach. The adult anxiety around 'learning loss' is completely tied to the 'quantity over quality' approach to curriculum and standards that plagues our education system. One of the best moves we made as a school community this year was to change our schedule so that students only take three long classes at a time and alternate between 'deeper learning' modules. This has supported students in managing their work, in focusing on core concepts, and in creating multiple opportunities for fresh starts for students who are overwhelmed or struggling. Students don’t want to go back to a six-period day, and neither do I. We need to re-evaluate our approach to standards, deeply consider what is essential vs. what is extraneous, and encourage schools to build schedules, structures, and curriculum units that support deeper learning, rather than superficial coverage."

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-students-respond-to-adults-fixation-on-learning-loss/2021/02?fbclid=IwAR3Yh8kkXW14m-JzIZnIv76tssQpUVVMBstemQHWPb50cxdjc63PXtb6BhQ

Students Respond to Adults’ Fixation on 'Learning Loss' (Opinion) A Boston educator shares three guidelines for responding to "learning loss" she developed based on conversations with her students.

"Saying no cases were found when systematic testing is not happening, particularly when community spread is high, is not a foundation on which to base a widespread return to in-person instruction... Right now, several epidemiologists have been calling for a national lockdown with real financial supports to allow people to stay safe at home, because of these new COVID-19 strains, which spread easily and rapidly... Because it is the working class families of LA who suffer the most, our elected county and state officials have made the decision to let this disease run rampant."

https://www.utla.net/news/safe-reopening-separating-politics-science?fbclid=IwAR2o07dLH1cgFTLW1m70wufJG4dKQMVlQ7ppO936oeYFRGbO_z2TJpL1Zmo

Safe Reopening: Separating Politics From Science | UTLA Click to view an excerpt from UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz’s weekly Facebook Live update on February 5, 2021.

Independent verification of ventilation quality--something we hear way too little mention of in this airborne pandemic. "The union says there are still many unanswered safety concerns, including questions over the use of fans for ventilation, and the lack of vaccines for teachers... Jordan [teacher union president] has invoked the union's previously agreed upon ability to call in a third-party expert to decide whether or not buildings are safe enough to return."

https://6abc.com/education/union-tells-philly-teachers-not-to-go-into-buildings-monday/10316617/?fbclid=IwAR06Nh3EpOF0oCuhOBTZb-s8fXZq3PsMxEnYm49QsYdGAAWhYg-14XPZkkY

Union tells Philadelphia school district teachers not to go into buildings Monday The union representing teachers in the School District of Philadelphia is telling members not to go into the buildings on Monday over COVID-19 safety concerns.