The Blaine County School District Board of Trustees will discuss moving schools in the district—starting at the elementary level—to a fully in-person learning model at its regular meeting Tuesday night, according to an agenda for the meeting.
The agenda does not include details of the proposal or a potential timeline.
The school district’s COVID-19 plan outlines three modes of schooling: Plan A, in which all students and teachers are in the classroom; Plan B, a hybrid model in which students are in the classroom two days a week and work from home the remaining three days of the week; and Plan C, which calls for fully-remote learning five days a week.
BCSD began the school year in Plan B—the hybrid plan—with half of all students attending school on Mondays and Wednesdays and the other half in the classroom on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The district has remained in Plan B since then, though two schools—Alturas Elementary and Silver Creek High School—have temporarily switched to fully online learning at different points due to staff quarantining.
The school board meeting Tuesday night starts at 6 p.m. and can be viewed live on the Blaine County School District Board of Trustees YouTube channel.
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Putting the teachers at risk? CDC says virus has a 99+% survival rate. Anyone know what reductions have been made to teacher salaries & benefits since they're not in the classroom? What of the long-term detrimental effect of not being in the classroom has on these kids? Did I mention that the CDC says this virus has a 99+% survival rate? Our children get one and only one chance at a decent education. Are you willing to sacrifice their education for a virus the CDC says has a 99+% survival rate?
Although I agree kids and teachers (especially young ones) are safe back in school, and I'd love for older kids to follow asap, I must take issue with two of your points. 1) Many teachers are older, and/or suffer from chronic health issues. For people in those demographics, the survival rate is fare lower than 99%, so we really have to have compassion for their fear. Now that said, I do believe masks, distancing and ventilation in classrooms have been effective. Although last spring was a s**tshow and kind of a free-for-all for teachers and students alike, this fall has meant far MORE work for the average teacher. They show up at school 5 days a week, and have students in their classroom for 4 of those days. Outside of class time, they have had to completely re-work how they do their jobs, morphing lesson plans the have taken years to develop into something that can be done partially at home, in quarterly increments instead of semesters, and somehow cover the same curriculum. Prior to last year, many teachers were uncomfortable using email (seriously!), yet have had to learn how to transfer content into digital format, so that the many kids forced out on quarantine can access when needed. Maybe this wouldn't be a big deal for a teacher under 30, who grew up partially on line, but for the majority of teachers, I think it's required a Herculean effort. Let's not talk about cutting their pay.
Haileymom thanks for your comments. You bring up a critical point regarding COVID and that is that it is NOT equally dangerous for everybody. If we have teachers with conditions that increase their risk then by all means we should make all reasonable accommodations for their safety. Other than that we should expect and demand that our teachers teach in the classroom. My point regarding reductions to their compensation was more rhetorical. Since the virus arrived from China, elected officials and their bureaucrats have made decisions that directly affect private sector businesses, owners and employees. Perhaps if these people had some skin in the game i.e. reducing pay in solidarity with their neighbors, shutdown decisions would be more carefully considered.
Actually, recent studies are showing that schools following Covid guidelines are showing low infection rates. "Data gathered worldwide are increasingly suggesting that schools are not hot spots for coronavirus infections. Despite fears, COVID-19 infections did not surge when schools and day-care centers reopened after pandemic lockdowns eased. And when outbreaks do occur, they mostly result in only a small number of people becoming ill." (From Nature.com, Oct.29.)
Personally, I have found this school board light years ahead of any in the past 20 years. They are dedicated to following science and its growing Covid database. What more can we ask?
The best thing we can all do to keep our schools open? Wear our masks when near other people! A small community effort for a big return for our children and their families.
School board trustees everywhere are doing their best to navigate an impossibly difficult situation. I recommend you attend a meeting or two online to see for yourself the excellent caliber of BCSD's board meeting process and participants. I, for one, am very impressed and appreciative!
Grandmother Owl-that sounds all fine and dandy, but choosing the path of putting teachers at risk ( especially as the Data has shown that returning from Holidays is especially dangerous) is absurd ,at best. Has Carey hijacked the Board with their conspiracy theories and constant bemoaning of restrictions similar to the rest of Red state rural areas? And please lets not keep saying teachers are essential employees; of course kids, and teachers, want to be in school, but the students do just fine in a virtual environment..
CK speak for your own kids, if you even have any. My kids are great students under normal circumstances, but they are NOT doing fine in the semi-virtual environment. Although mine aren't elem. level, I think it's a great, science-based move to put the young ones back in the classroom.
Stupidity
Are they high? Look at the numbers!!! Worse than ever! I though the past Super was off her rocker, but obviously the board can’t comprehend factual data. Get a heap!!
WT#!? When cases of covid are soaring in our state they are considering returning full time? Insanity. They should move schools to remote learning and shut things down to stop this virus!
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