Absolutely and right on target. The whole concept of this remote learning is starting to prove to be an epic failure. Not just for the knowledge base but also as mentioned the development of social skills. One of my grandsons is 7 years old and even he has no problem grasping the concept of social distancing.



Sounds more like a discipline problem or a failure to instill self discipline habits in the students. Absolutely a lame excuse and the expected results of closing the schools in the first place. Stress plays a role in daily life, it did so long before the pandemic so teachers and students need to get over themselves and teachers start doing their jobs.

Ron

Are you a certified teacher with the requisite hours of classroom experience?

If not, then you have as much a right to comment as a checker at Walmart does designing complex electronic systems (while it’s possible, I propose that it’s unlikely).

Teachers have been thrown into this situation with no training, no licensing requirements and no experience. They are doing the best they can.

While children may not experience Covid the way adults do, they are a transmission vector. They transfer the virus from one environment to another. And these environments often include high-risk populations.

I propose that parents that want in-person learning are also the same people who are anti-vaccine and subject to conspiracy theories. Otherwise, they would support remote learning.

Before you call me out, I have no proof. Just some reasonable hypotheses.

What’s the acceptable risk in these situations? Less than 100 hospitalizations? Less than 100 deaths? Or several 100 or 1,000 instances? I don’t know.

But I think you’re saying that we devalue reduced social skills of some people over the suffering and/or death of others.

 

This is not about transmission vectors or even Covid-19 at this point. The social and learning damage is done and can't be quickly reversed as I have a 16yo girl that suffered the 12+ month epic failure of remote learning first hand so it's not theoretical.

What's happening now is IMO a lame excuse for teachers to give up on all students using a time-off circuit-breaker they never could have used before the pandemic instead of using measures to discipline those that are causing trouble in the class room. How in the hell is talking an additional three weeks off from in-room learning for a entire school a solution the root problems of in-classroom discipline?

This is why science can't be the only factor in deciding policy in pandemic. The mental health of kids is critical. We need to balance the risks.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/...ociety-are-failing-children-in-the-covid-era/

Much has been written arguing for and against urgent reopening, and this latest round of debates reflect a year’s worth of very public debates. Leaving aside these discussions, we think it is worth pausing and reflecting on the failures these very debates have brought into bold relief. Simply put, the arguments about school openings during COVID-19 reflect, to our mind, an ongoing failure of science and society, in which academics and policy makers share responsibility.

First, on the science. As the CDC guidance makes abundantly clear, evidence to date points to COVID posing a low risk to children, with the risk of spread among young children also low, if well-managed, in the school setting. It is important to remember that the level of safety we adjudge as “safe” is a relative thing, and unknowns remain about the long-term effects of COVID; however, we know that among children ages 5–14, the COVID-19 mortality rate has been reported at around one per million. To put this in perspective, by contrast, transport accidents account for 15 times that mortality rate. Children in that age range are almost 10 times more likely to die by suicide, than die from COVID-19 (see Figure).

One can reasonably surmise that it has been far more dangerous throughout the past year for children to get to school than it has been for them to be in school.

So why has the science failed us; why has this issue been so contentious? Principally we think that we have looked to science for definitive answers, allowing a “follow the science” mantra to take hold in relation to COVID, but not in the context of the harm to younger children from school closures, even though school openings represent a trade-off that science could and should inform.

Of particular concern, the authors were also unable to find a single study describing the effects of school closures on vulnerable groups such as those with learning difficulties, autism, eating disorders or prior substance abuse. That this has not been a larger focus of the COVID science represents a significant gap in critical evidence, as this is what informs the trade-offs of this particular decision, and the ways in which its worst effects can be mitigated, if political leaders judge school closures to be right at a particular time. These harms are given only a brief mention, with little cited evidence, even in the CDC guidance.

 

Question, what's the proper metric to use to eventually declare that the pandemic is over? I know that we're not there yet, but what number of deaths/hospitalizations need to be reached to declare that it is safe to go back to normal?

There's a significant group out there that would rather die (literally) than get vaccinated. Said group will keep on filling hospital beds and be the truest vector for the darn virus.

My point is, an objective level of risk must be assessed and compared against other maladies and then take our decisions from there.

We have reached a point in the western world in which almost all of the unvaccinated have chosen to remain in said group by rejecting the vaccines. Why should the vaccinated keep on making sacrifices because of those who are willingly embracing disinformation and fear?

 

Question, what's the proper metric to use to eventually declare that the pandemic is over? I know that we're not there yet, but what number of deaths/hospitalizations need to be reached to declare that it is safe to go back to normal?

There's a significant group out there that would rather die (literally) than get vaccinated. Said group will keep on filling hospital beds and be the truest vector for the darn virus.

My point is, an objective level of risk must be assessed and compared against other maladies and then take our decisions from there.

We have reached a point in the western world in which almost all of the unvaccinated have chosen to remain in said group by rejecting the vaccines. Why should the vaccinated keep on making sacrifices because of those who are willingly embracing disinformation and fear?

There is no metric for a proper end game now that it seems vaccination or natural immunity will not result in Covid-zero near-term. We officially or unofficially just stop caring eventually and get back to our lives of acceptable risks. For me, today is the day it should happen.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/16/opinion/covid-pandemic-end.html

 

There is no metric for a proper end game now that it seems vaccination or natural immunity will not result in Covid-zero near-term.

I don't think we will ever reach an absolute Covid-zero situation. This vermin is here to stay for good ... like the Spanish Flu.

For me, today is the day it should happen.

A little too soon, IMHO ... we're still a year away from that point, I believe.

 

Depending upon your position, you might not really want this to end. I suspect that the pharmaceutical companies are starting to look at their delivery of vaccines is part of a subscription model. Maybe they think they can squeeze the profits forever. Just my cynical view.

 

Depending upon your position, you might not really want this to end. I suspect that the pharmaceutical companies are starting to look at their delivery of vaccines is part of a subscription model. Maybe they think they can squeeze the profits forever. Just my cynical view.

On that note I was in my local pharmacy yesterday. I saw at least two different home COVID diagnosis kit displayed with hundreds of the things. Then we have the endless commercials on TV for personalized mask in every shape and form we can imagine. COVID has become a heck of a money making business. Aisles of COVID related products. The longer this last the better for those making money on it.

Ron

 

If not, then you have as much a right to comment as a checker at Walmart does designing complex electronic systems (while it’s possible, I propose that it’s unlikely).

Teachers have been thrown into this situation with no training, no licensing requirements and no experience. They are doing the best they can.

Seems to me teachers are not making these decisions. These decisions are made by administrators who seem to fare better on paydays than teachers. Teachers are paid to teach and that's it.

I propose that parents that want in-person learning are also the same people who are anti-vaccine and subject to conspiracy theories. Otherwise, they would support remote learning.

Get it right, I support vaccination and have no interest in conspiracy theories. I also support in classroom education. So spare me the nonsense and stop trying to lump everyone into a group you figure they should be in. My own kids who have kids of their own also support vaccination and in classroom learning. This whole remote learning thing has been an epic failure as I am seeing here in the greater Cleveland, Ohio suburbs. While the kids who were supposed to be doing online remote learning I watched them out in the streets hanging out all of last school year (2020). Next we will see grade forgiveness like debt forgiveness.

The Walmart analogy is sad. While not a state certified teacher I do have considerable instructor time. I also have enough wisdom to see what is plainly in front of me.

Ron

 

For all the Ivermectin fans here.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att...-202700207.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&uh_test=1_11

 

For all the Ivermectin fans here.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att...-202700207.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&uh_test=1_11

Interesting ... now we'll have to wait and see the severity of his illness ... I wish him well, though.

 

" “We are finding that some students are struggling with the socialization skills necessary for in-person learning, which is causing disruption in school for other students,” Diaz said. " From - https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/17/reynolds-middle-school-to-move-to-distance-learning/

Or could the disruptions and anti social behavior be from listening and watching their parents and others going to school board meetings and being a$$es? Making death threats to board members and others that they disagree with?

 

" “We are finding that some students are struggling with the socialization skills necessary for in-person learning, which is causing disruption in school for other students,” Diaz said. " From - https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/17/reynolds-middle-school-to-move-to-distance-learning/

Or could the disruptions and anti social behavior be from listening and watching their parents and others going to school board meetings and being a$$es? Making death threats to board members and others that they disagree with?

What planet are you from to make a nonsense baseless statement like that? I live there and my kids have attended those schools when they were young. This is a small town school system with people that support schools and teachers even while they might disagree with this one school officials policy. There have been no threats or BS like that here. The parents care about what they see as best for their children.

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/lo...ning/283-6f0628f4-94ef-4f57-855e-97d8e5d66f94

“It sucks,” said parent Lerone Hines. “We're just getting back to going back to school and now we got to go right back to heading home. They're not really learning anything because they don't have enough time to learn anything.”
District officials said they need the next two weeks to address multiple fights and disruptions at Reynolds Middle School. They said the behavior comes from struggles some kids are having with socialization skills after months away from the classroom. Others can't deal with COVID protocols.

 

“It sucks,” said parent Lerone Hines. “We're just getting back to going back to school and now we got to go right back to heading home. They're not really learning anything because they don't have enough time to learn anything.”
District officials said they need the next two weeks to address multiple fights and disruptions at Reynolds Middle School. They said the behavior comes from struggles some kids are having with socialization skills after months away from the classroom. Others can't deal with COVID protocols.

Wow in middle school no less. We just had a local High School shut down for a week because of fighting. Apparently we are not alone. My view is simple. You remove them from the school and school grounds and you also hold their parents accountable for their actions. This is what happens when you let the inmates run the asylum. You send the message that disruption is simply not acceptable.

Ron

 

What planet are you from to make a nonsense baseless statement like that?

One where it is on the news about every night. What planet do you live on that you haven't seen them threatening school board members on the news? Oh wait a minute, I answered my own question.

 

Such a needless tragedy.

 

Such a needless tragedy.

Long time man, where you bin? lol

kv

 

Hello, unfortunately the situation is unfortunately not very interesting, unfortunately it is time to panic and there will probably be around 1 billion infections around the world soon, unfortunately.

 

The Englishman in the video has a very strong accent. It is called Vitamin, not Vittamin.
Sunshine on your skin creates Vitamin D but also causes skin cancer.

Here in Canada the sun is low in the sky and usually the days are cloudy in winter so I get little sun exposure.
I do not bake in the sunshine in summer and I cover myself to avoid sunburn and skin cancer.
So I take a Vitamin D tablet every day. Therefore my immune system must be in great shape.

 

https://apnews.com/article/coronavi...ited-nations-fcf28a83c9352a67e50aa2172eb01a2f

When the coronavirus first emerged last year, health officials feared the pandemic would sweep across Africa, killing millions. Although it’s still unclear what COVID-19’s ultimate toll will be, that catastrophic scenario has yet to materialize in Zimbabwe or much of the continent.

Scientists emphasize that obtaining accurate COVID-19 data, particularly in African countries with patchy surveillance, is extremely difficult, and warn that declining coronavirus trends could easily be reversed.

But there is something “mysterious” going on in Africa that is puzzling scientists, said Wafaa El-Sadr, chair of global health at Columbia University. “Africa doesn’t have the vaccines and the resources to fight COVID-19 that they have in Europe and the U.S., but somehow they seem to be doing better,” she said.

Fewer than 6% of people in Africa are vaccinated. For months, the WHO has described Africa as “one of the least affected regions in the world” in its weekly pandemic reports.

Back in Zimbabwe, doctors were grateful for the respite from COVID-19 — but feared it was only temporary.

“People should remain very vigilant,” warned Dr. Johannes Marisa, president of the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association. He fears that another coronavirus wave would hit Zimbabwe next month. “Complacency is what is going to destroy us because we may be caught unaware.”

 

It is Vittamin here in S.E. Asai. Accept that there are regional differences.