United States The 2020–21 School Year Rolling Shitshow Thread

[Certified_Heterosexual]

This thread is for what happens this fall in the public schools (no idea what the private schools are planning on atm) now that the unions have decided not to work.

We all subconsciously know at this point that re-opening schools in the fall will be a shitshow, and right on time we have this:

San Jose Teachers Refuse to Return to the Classroom Citing "Unsafe Conditions"

LINK: https://www.nbcbayar...itions/2324286/

Note: SJUSD is about 29,000 students.

San Jose teachers said Friday that they are refusing to go back into the classroom next month until conditions are safe in this COVID-19 era, a move that may set a trend for teachers throughout the state.

Ah, but are they making room for any students in the classroom? Bet on the first students being allowed back being "disadvantaged," and everyone else being hung out to dry.

A spokesperson for San Jose Unified said the first day of school is scheduled for August 12, with one teacher in the classroom instructing some students in class and others virtually.

Now that teachers are refusing to go back into the classroom, the district is taking another look at that plan.

Yeah, probably a good idea to look at your re-opening plan if the people you plan on having staff the schools are determined not to show up.

One aspect of this that's interesting to me is that these massive institutions, including public schools, are being exposed as being totally unable to operate under novel stresses. These teacher's unions effectively own their school districts, and as such can call the shots about this fall. This effectively holds a huge chunk of the economy hostage, as single-parent or two-income households have no real options for childcare other than the schools. Karen the Teacher—rightly or wrongly—feels bad and weird about COVID, is disinclined to objectively evaluate her own risk, and is ok getting paid not to work. Ergo, they are not willing to show up until they feel "safe":

San Jose teachers are following the California Teachers Association lead. The group put out a statement saying in part, “We cannot reopen schools until it is safe.”

Funny how everyone needs to feel safe all of a sudden; the irony is that if this safety standard were rigorously applied in American public schools, they would never open.

Despite not having the positive ability to to cope with the COVID threat in a constructive manner, teacher's unions have the negative ability to absolutely fuck up any and all hopes and plans that this fall would be any kind of a return to normalcy. The silver lining here is that some percentage of normies might become more interested and active in what their school district is doing, what with all this governmentally-enforced free time they have.

Stay tuned folks, the potential for chaos is immense.

 

[Certified_Heterosexual]

As for my own prediction, as someone who is friends with several teachers, and comes from a family of teachers?

Schools are not going to reopen. Not enough of them anyways. American public schools aren't even capable of plausible-looking security theater, let alone actual health and safety. (The same admins who made pizza a vegetable are going to protect your kids from Corona-chan? Get real.) Even if COVID-19 disappeared tomorrow people would stay spooked, too spooked to open schools. And if things look better in a month that'll be too late, because school districts need to plan ahead, and are making decisions now. And every incentive runs toward closing schools: no one wants to take responsibility for opening them, and risk being blamed if something goes wrong. So I think the schools will stay closed.

Is it time to start thinking about American Life Without Public Schools? That's a little dramatic. But we need some new thinking here, and in the long-term this change will have huge consequences. American society is organized in large part around selecting school districts for families to live in.

Short-term, though, it's all about assigning political blame. I imagine there will be two main arguments:

1) "Schools should reopen, it's time to get back to normal. If they don't, it's the Democrats' fault for choosing excessive lockdowns."

2) "We'd love to reopen schools, but it's still not safe. We have no choice, blame Trump because the virus is his fault."

(The excuse Democrats will apply in every argument: "this shutdown is really too bad, but it's our only option because of how bad Trump let things get.")

These arguments will splinter along all the usual political lines, but these are the natural big themes if schools are already mostly shut down. If you’re talking to moderates, the point you need to emphasize is that the experts wanted to reopen schools until President Trump agreed with them. The AAP issued a statement that schools should open. Then Trump got on board, and they freaked out and changed their minds. How is Trump supposed to "follow the experts," when the oh-so-rational experts knee-jerk recommend the opposite of whatever he just said?

I'd be interested to have some first-hand input from actual teachers, if any are here.

 

[Duke Nukem]

Meh, public schools are disaster anyway.

 

[Certified_Heterosexual]

Meh, public schools are disaster anyway.

Thank you for your helpful and in-depth response.

 

[Duke Nukem]

Thank you for your helpful and in-depth response.

No problem LMAO


Alright on a more serious note , I wonder if this could lead to Online schools becoming much more popular, because I don't see normal life returning anytime soon.