Coronavirus 2019-nCov: Political Thread

[wufan]

My daughter teaches special needs in Houston, so I totally agree. They should get to the front of the line when a vaccine is availble as well.

Sorry, I’ve got you beat on the virtue signaling here. My sister and brother in law are both teachers, in fact my sister was elementary school teacher of the year in Kansas a few years back. They have a special needs child with severe retardation. Can’t speak, eat, pee, or poop. He’s 15 years old and he’s been hospitalized 14 times with pneumonia. They are the primary care givers. Their 22 year old daughter watches him when they are at work.

My sister spent this summer creating an on-line curriculum for her students (in case they aren’t allowed to go back to school) and lead a mail in campaign to Gov Kelly and the teachers union demanding that they be allowed to teach any student that wanted to be taught in person.

[C0|dB|00ded]

It’s time teachers become front line workers.

Easy to say.

They should be paid like frontline workers then. Nurses were offered $10k/mo to relocate to Covid hot spots. Teachers are being asked to expose themselves to infection for no hazard pay. Offer 50% hazard/combat pay bonuses until the vaccine is available. Should only be a semester. Then the complaints will stop.

I read that Wichita is threatening teachers who choose to resign. What a way to make them feel even less appreciated. Nurses get bonuses to help, teachers get threatened with lawsuits if they choose to quit. Teachers will be working with amateur-grade PPE as well.

Make sense to you?

[C0|dB|00ded]

Sorry, I’ve got you beat on the virtue signaling here. My sister and brother in law are both teachers, in fact my sister was elementary school teacher of the year in Kansas a few years back. They have a special needs child with severe retardation. Can’t speak, eat, pee, or poop. He’s 15 years old and he’s been hospitalized 14 times with pneumonia. They are the primary care givers. Their 22 year old daughter watches him when they are at work.

My sister spent this summer creating an on-line curriculum for her students (in case they aren’t allowed to go back to school) and lead a mail in campaign to Gov Kelly and the teachers union demanding that they be allowed to teach any student that wanted to be taught in person.

So they have a severe at-risk child and have been protesting to be allowed to expose themselves to the virus and bring it back home.

Makes sense.

[ShockerFever]

Easy to say.

They should be paid like frontline workers then. Nurses were offered $10k/mo to relocate to Covid hot spots. Teachers are being asked to expose themselves to infection for no hazard pay. Offer 50% hazard/combat pay bonuses until the vaccine is available. Should only be a semester. Then the complaints will stop.

I read that Wichita is threatening teachers who choose to resign. What a way to make them feel even less appreciated. Nurses get bonuses to help, teachers get threatened with lawsuits if they choose to quit. Teachers will be working with amateur-grade PPE as well.

Make sense to you?

Don’t teachers get paid a year’s salary for 8 months worth of work?

[Shockm]

So they have a severe at-risk child and have been protesting to be allowed to expose themselves to the virus and bring it back home.

Makes sense.

Sometimes people with severely handicapped kids are the most caring people for All kids. They are less fearful, and know that everyday for their kid is a blessing. All essential workers deserve a raise during this time, but it isn't in the cards.

It's the most vulnerable of people, which would include Wufan's family if they choose it for themselves, that we need to protect. But healthy people need to get to work as essential workers or resign.

I was impressed with a South High teacher interviewed yesterday who said that protesting teachers give other teachers a bad reputation. She (and others) wanted to teach in person because that is what kids needed. She knew that her students last spring on line blew off the work they were supposed to perform, and face to face was better for her kids. There actually is a relatively lower percentage of kids who are successful online with little outward accountability. They have the maturity and responsibility of adults, instead of kids.

[Shockm]

Don’t teachers get paid a year’s salary for 8 months worth of work?

No. Teachers get their salary for 12 months but are paid for approximately 9.5 months of work with the idea that they continue to get more education during their off time. That model is probably no longer necessary because most people aren't farmers who need their kids during the summer but if they changed to a 12 month model, it would cost more money. Teachers get credit for continuing education in different ways in the modern era and don't usually need summers like they used to.

[wufan]

So they have a severe at-risk child and have been protesting to be allowed to expose themselves to the virus and bring it back home.

Makes sense.

That child has been through more than you can imagine.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

Don’t teachers get paid a year’s salary for 8 months worth of work?

I hope you make more than a teacher. I make twice as much. So if you look at their salaries on an annualized basis, I would expect you would have an issue if you didn't make 25-30% more than they do, especially if you're in management. If that's the case, I am sorry you are underpaid.

Not only that, and as some have pointed out, they do lesson planning during the summer, work nights tweaking lesson plans and grading papers and have to pay for supplies for the kids out of their pocket (meaning they don't get reimbursed for their expenses like most of us who work for corporations do).

[C0|dB|00ded]

I have come up with a couple solutions for opening up schools safely. Since it is clear that nearly 100% of the infections that are going to happen will happen in the first several weeks of school, a quarantine program for all students could be very effective. Ideally children would stay on campus for 3 weeks after school starts to allow them to infect each other, "recover", and start producing antibodies. After the first 3 weeks (or 14 days after symptoms), they would be allowed to return home. I know this sounds Chinese but... it's the only way to keep from all the parents getting sick. It could be fun too! A great social development tool. Parents could meet with their children outdoors on the playground (MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING 100% ENFORCED) as often as practical.

Cots in the gym, movie night every night, games w/ prizes, counseling, snacks, etc. etc. etc. Make it as fun and as loose a schedule as possible. Instruction would be light for the first 3-4 weeks. This would allow parents to go to work, children to receive some education, and develop a little independence in the process. Win/Win/Win

Parents will be allowed to opt out of the infection/quarantine plan, but they won't be able to bring their kids back to school without a positive serology test or immunization record.


The other solution would be much less effective and involve the child and parents wearing masks 24/7 while at home for the first 3-4 weeks. Compliance would likely be less than 50% and nobody is wearing masks while they sleep so...

[wufan]

I hope you make more than a teacher. I make twice as much. So if you look at their salaries on an annualized basis, I would expect you would have an issue if you didn't make 25-30% more than they do, especially if you're in management. If that's the case, I am sorry you are underpaid.

Not only that, and as some have pointed out, they do lesson planning during the summer, work nights tweaking lesson plans and grading papers and have to pay for supplies for the kids out of their pocket (meaning they don't get reimbursed for their expenses like most of us who work for corporations do).

We all work nights/weekends. I’m on vacation today and have already put in 4 hours. There are a TON of teaching benefits:

Tenure
Early retirement
Professional union
2.5 months off in the summer. 1 week for spring break. One week for fall break. Two weeks at Christmas.
KPERS or equivalent
Seven working hours in a day with planning time (w/o kids)

They make 10% less than a microbiologist with equivalent education but work 30% less hours.

[wufan]

I have come up with a couple solutions for opening up schools safely. Since it is clear that nearly 100% of the infections that are going to happen will happen in the first several weeks of school, a quarantine program for all students could be very effective. Ideally children would stay on campus for 3 weeks after school starts to allow them to infect each other, "recover", and start producing antibodies. After the first 3 weeks (or 14 days after symptoms), they would be allowed to return home. I know this sounds Chinese but... it's the only way to keep from all the parents getting sick. It could be fun too! A great social development tool. Parents could meet with their children outdoors on the playground (MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING 100% ENFORCED) as often as practical.

Cots in the gym, movie night every night, games w/ prizes, counseling, snacks, etc. etc. etc. Make it as fun and as loose a schedule as possible. Instruction would be light for the first 3-4 weeks. This would allow parents to go to work, children to receive some education, and develop a little independence in the process. Win/Win/Win

Parents will be allowed to opt out of the infection/quarantine plan, but they won't be able to bring their kids back to school without a positive serology test or immunization record.


The other solution would be much less effective and involve the child and parents wearing masks 24/7 while at home for the first 3-4 weeks. Compliance would likely be less than 50% and nobody is wearing masks while they sleep so...

A daycare in McPherson created a bubble. One asymptomatic care worker and the 8 kids she was caring for were segregated from the rest of the facility (100 kinds and 15 workers). 7 of the 8 kids became infected. One child was presumed infected, but never tested positive. No one else got infected. No one was symptomatic. No parents or siblings became infected.

[1979Shocker]

How QAnon rode the pandemic to new heights — and fueled the viral anti-mask phenomenon

[ShockerFever]

I hope you make more than a teacher. I make twice as much. So if you look at their salaries on an annualized basis, I would expect you would have an issue if you didn't make 25-30% more than they do, especially if you're in management. If that's the case, I am sorry you are underpaid.

Not only that, and as some have pointed out, they do lesson planning during the summer, work nights tweaking lesson plans and grading papers and have to pay for supplies for the kids out of their pocket (meaning they don't get reimbursed for their expenses like most of us who work for corporations do).

I’m not trying to undermine the job of a teacher because they deserve to be applauded for the crap they deal with on a day to day basis. But to compare a nurse to a teacher is just something a not very bright person would do. I don’t think that’s some bold statement either.

[WuDrWu]

We all work nights/weekends. I’m on vacation today and have already put in 4 hours. There are a TON of teaching benefits:

Tenure
Early retirement
Professional union
2.5 months off in the summer. 1 week for spring break. One week for fall break. Two weeks at Christmas.
KPERS or equivalent
Seven working hours in a day with planning time (w/o kids)

They make 10% less than a microbiologist with equivalent education but work 30% less hours.

This times 1000. And I don't want to really get into it but great teachers are underpaid and far more teachers are overpaid. Teachers (at public schools) should have NEVER been allowed to unionize. It's ridiculously stupid, and repetitive. Unless they sleep with a student they basically cannot get fired and the generally spun idea that almost all teachers are "great" is just hogwash.

Teachers are like the rest of society. LOTS of average ones, a few exceptional ones, and many more bad ones.

Average salary of a teacher in Kansas is 55,600, average police officer is 49,500. Which would you rather do? Which one is more underfunded?

I have no problem extolling the virtue of good teachers. Their job is hugely important. It's not a tough job. It's a tough job to do well and few do it really well.

It's a near impossible job to be a cop. 1000 times worse right now. Think it should pay less?

55K, certainly in Kansas, is an excellent wage for a job that requires less than 200 days a year, perhaps substantially less. With incredible benefits.

[WuDrWu]

I helped to derail this thread so I'll stop after this...….I get that teachers are frustrated about their job not being upwardly mobile. There isn't a huge ceiling. But that's life.

Seriously, you want a big reward, short of hitting the lottery you are going to have to take big risks. Working half the days in the year, with basically no performance proof other than not getting laid, isn't really high risk. There's give and take with everything. You got a job forever, you won't own an island at 55. Maybe the teachers that can't figure that out should tell us something......