What it is like for teachers right now in Texas?
In a nutshell, teachers in Texas cannot strike without losing their certificate to teach. Texas is also a right to work state, as is Arizona, which means you are not allowed to be part of or form a union either.
According to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, Texas public school districts must reopen campuses for an in-person instruction in August in order to receive state funding, unless the governor issues a school closure or confirmed case of COVID-19 (at the school).
"On-campus instruction in Texas public schools is where it’s at,” Morath said during a conference call with superintendents. “We know that a lot of families are going to be nervous, and if they are nervous, we’re going to support them 100 percent.”
Thanks for throwing teachers under the Covid bus Morath. Not a word about protecting teachers and staff.
There are districts which have decided to defy that order in Texas however. 2 neighboring districts to the the one my daughter will be working at.
Teachers are resigning right and left. Many teachers across the country, including young 24 year olds, are writing wills and buying extra life insurance policies.
Today, teachers are protesting at the state capitol and holding a "sit in".
https://www.chron.com/coronavirus/article/Teachers-are-writing-wills-Should-Texas-15404484.php
In case you missed it, the Trump Admin is now requiring that all hospital Covid data be rerouted to the The Trumps Administration's HHS first, not the CDC.
Oh, by the way, the "database that will receive new information is not open to the public, which could affect the work of scores of researchers, modelers and health officials who rely on C.D.C. data to make projections and crucial decisions."
You think???
There's news today that the Houston Chronicle published obituaries in a separate 43-page section. Let that sink in. I fear it is the first of many coming "death magazines."
Regarding schools, open or not, we must do something fast to help the kids in crisis. Just as the kids in cages must be saved.
Yesterday I had an appointment with the NP, Janie, in my doctor's office. This is an integrative practice that treats many patients with difficult illnesses and compromised immunity. They administer various IV infusions to boost the immune system. While I was there and discussing Covid with Janie, I asked her how patients were coping with everything. Janie said that she's encountered some patients who come for the infusions and refuse to wear masks. She is adamant with them about compliance, and they give her crap about it. She's even offered to isolate them outside on the porch (the office is in a large house in the country), so Janie can administer their infusions in the fresh air. Now mind you, that's more work for her, but she's trying to accommodate them. Right now it's brutally hot outside, so of course, they don't want to do that. So Janie refuses service to them, and some walk away in a huff. Fortunately it's not the majority of patients, but
still ...
Un-friggin-believable.
@jewels There's news today that the Houston Chronicle published obituaries in a separate 43-page section
Yes, it is true. I am looking at a copy of it now, to see if there is anyone i know in it. But it is not 43 pages of complete obituaries, just tiny thumbnail pics w names and dates. Row after row, page after page. Hundreds of them. Horrifying.
Florida is running out of ICU beds
Florida was running out of ICU beds at numerous hospitals Wednesday as COVID-19 cases continued to pile up by the tens of thousands and the Trump administration appeared powerless to stop it.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1233899
In Texas and Arizona they are requesting Morgue Trucks.
Teachers Count Too
The idea that teachers will be exposed to classrooms that have Covid 19 this fall lacks compassion. Governor DeSantis says children will not die from exposure. Even if we continue at the current infection rate of 1% of the Florida general population every school in Florida will likely have at least one Covid vector in each school. Currently at the rate of 1 % infection, and a 1 % death rate in that one percent, we will have 10 dead COVID exposed teachers even with the current sheltering in place. The 200,020 teachers and support staff that have served our children well have been sheltering in place for months, and still they can die from this. Please do not forget to count them. They work. They have families too. Many of them are in a physically risky demographic. The price of exposing education workers to more Covid, is not worth teacher’s lives.
@firstcat 100% agree. I "liked" the post to support, but I don't like anything about it. I was just talking about this tonight. My brother and I were texting and I happened to mention how dismal the return to school plans are (even ours). He wrote back "But hey, at least the days of 30+ students in classroom are over, that's a plus, right?" I nearly fell out of my chair laughing.
School that resumes in person next year, at least in Michigan, is going to look exactly like school looked every other year. Everything that could slow the spread is listed as strongly recommended or recommended. And no district is going to implement them because there's no money attached. The CARES act money barely covers a month of hand sanitizer. The only time there are requirements is if you're in Phase 4 or below. (Phase 4 allows instruction in person but things like masks, distancing, staying in one room, etc. all become required). If a state region moves to Phase 3 and below and you're out of school again.
There was a massive substitute teacher shortage in Michigan before COVID-19. Exactly no one new is going to want to sign on for $80 a day to replace the teacher who was diagnosed with COVID while they quarantine.
There is a massive new teacher shortage in Michigan before COVID-19. That certainly didn't get better.
There is currently a massive wave of retirements or retirement considerations taking place. Last year broke so many great veterans. There's no one to "tag in" when they go. And many districts, because of budgetary concerns aren't replacing them -- which again, increases class sizes for everyone else and leads to an easy breeding ground upon which COVID can feast.
From the looks of the stats, about 1 in 5 adults who gets hit with COVID gets hit badly enough that they require hospitalization.
Where are the reinforcements going to come from? And why does everyone including Betsy Devos seem to think they can just will COVID away from those public schools and declare them safe from the virus' path?
Governor DeSantis says children will not die from exposure.
Really?
I guess he is forgetting about the children who have died from exposure. Every school has children who would be at high risk also. But our educators and staff, well, the are expendable. That is what we pay them the big bucks for anyway right? They are the first line of defense during a school shooting and are expected to teach in unsafe conditions during a pandemic.
Excuse me as I go throw up now.