Schools To Start Remote, If State Approves

I am breathing a huge sigh of relief. I hope Lamont approves it.

In my children's school the same teachers that were against distant classrooms last spring are the ones that are against reopening. The voices of the teachers that want to be with their students are being stiffened because of this.

Hopefully they'll do a better job than they did last Spring because they completely dropped the ball. It was awful, child learned absolutely nothing.

I thought that Lamont left the decision to the district supts? Why do we have to go beg in Hartford?

And thanks , too, to all the parents who are NOW complaining that distance learning didn't work. Where were you in the spring? NOW, you got issues???
Probably the same parents who couldn't make their kids get up and get school work done. Probably those same parents who are now dying to get their kids out of their hair. Teachers mostly did the best they could with very erratic support from parents and many half-hearted students. Students who did well in person ; did well online. Those who were doing poorly in person; did poorly online. Nothing will work for students who are disengaged and don't care about school. Schools are not miracle workers.
Any loss of education will be part of life, so it is better to be safe. Ask people who lived during times of war, depression, revolution, pandemics--- you go on and make the best of it. Or not. That's freedom of choice. So are the consequences that follow from those choices.

I thought it was for the first marking period, 10 weeks? So they would start in November.

My children were very distracted during Spring distance learning and are very disappointed not to return in person until October. A day orientation with a teacher in a classroom would be really nice. I understand safety concerns as New Haven county has about 16 cases of Covid 19 per 100,000 residents. I propose that teachers distance teach in a more natural place for teaching, their classroom. That way there would be only 1 person in the classroom. The virtual portion would appear more like real school and is more engaging than a teacher in an empty bedroom or kitchen. Also teacher would have access to all of their classroom materials. I believe this is safe, as I work in the healthcare field and have luckily not missed a day at the office or hospital (or taken a vacation day) since February.

I am really impressed with Director Maritza Bond. I appreciate her knowledge and transparency. She is really concerned about the health and safety of your students and community atl large! I truly believe that everyone on the panel is speaking from their heart and that this a very complex issue when trying to balance the social emotional learning and the safety of staff, students and families. God bless all involved in making decisions that are going to have a lasting impact on students where many already experience many challenges. We want to avoid "Tag you're it!"

THis is GREAT..Considering how many students come from out side of new haven and the fact that new haven county has many colleges returning over the next several weeks with students from all over the planet. This allows those who are infected ,asymptomatic or otherwise to come in and be dealt with before our children are exposed. Lets fight the good fight Thank you to the board members who understood and valued the TRUTH that our communities have numerous factors that weren't being considered. How would replace fifty teachers if they became infected or had to quarantine for a minimum of two weeks. Many people only value someone when it is related to them personally we are ONE NH and we have to accept that we are our teachers, students, paras, custodians keepers!!

Lamont said we can only reopen fully or in a hybrid form and anything other than that we would have to go to the State. I don't blame the BOE for making this motion it is a smart move. If you look at surveys a lot of people are in favor of distance learning. If we are shot down by the State we come back home and say we tried and this is the plan moving forward. The gov't continues to make people decide because they don't want to be responsible if something happens. So New Haven places the onus back on the State to make a clear decision on what we do. I agree we are not ready to go back. The buildings are not ready for all of this. It will be a patchwork job if we open right away. Look at Georgia on the first day 250 teachers and staff went home to be quarantined for 14 days. Day One people. We have a very low infection rate because we have done the right thing. In order for distance learn correctly we need students to show up and do the work. We need to make the grades real to the kids. If it counts they will do a better job getting on. Last year they knew off the rip they would not count and we got what we got a mixed bag of learning. Teachers are better prepared for this right now if we go this route. The whole idea of teaching your class and giving them an assignment and now you will go teach the distance leaners is a pipe dream. It comes from someone who obviously has never been in the classroom and saw how kids act when you turn your head. They are making this more complicated. Live stream your classroom but now you must upgrade the bandwidth in all the schools. It really is a no win situation on everyone's part and the kids suffer in this.

Yes, @beaverhills, you're right. Larry Conaway's official motion was for 10 weeks of remote. Earlier they had talked about October. I've updated the article.

I work full-time and have been working throughout COVID-19 and was depending on at least hybrid learning for my little one. I completely understand the risk –– I absolutely do as my child is currently in a summer camp and that took a lot of debating with his father. We cannot afford a full-time babysitter. Thankfully, I made it through the spring remote learning, but I know too many parents and students who didn't. Our homeschooling will not be the same as a trained teacher. Engaging a student takes different strategies and techniques – imaging a family with multiple students. This time around, I will be at work and so will the father so who is going to be able to teach my child? Are the teachers still going to get full pay for this? Who is going to pay for this? Why are we assuming that folks can handle this expense? No one is thinking about the obstacles – technological, financial, etc. – that parent(s) of younger kids will face? What about Spanish-speaking parents? Everyone is not equipped to deal with remote-learning. Giving everyone laptops doesn't solve the problem either. It will create a big divide amongst a certain group of students (by income and/or race). No one is talking about how these folks will be supported. Will the nonprofits be involved in any way?

I'm disheartened by the parents thinking that teachers shouldn't be paid because they're doing teachers jobs . The lack of participation on parents part and all the work teachers have put in no matter how much or how little students participated is what matters. You want teachers to do that for free ?! Take time and energy AWAY from their own families AND not get paid , shame on you !

This is a reasonable decision, if the state will let it stand. There is no fully good answer on reopening schools. So ask yourself: in October, would we all rather be grousing about bad internet access, blurry photocopied packets and insufficient online learning -or- about cases, contact-tracing, deaths and lawsuits?

It would be great if some enterprising reporter wanted to find out how the state decided on its cutoff values for safe-to-reopen (<10) and safe-for-hybrid (<25). A 7day average of 10 cases per 100k translates to about 350 new cases per day statewide (we are around 90 right now), and 25 would be 875 new cases a day -- not quite the peak of the epidemic here, but way too close for comfort.

4 things are absolutely clear from this meeting:

What a complete disaster! Kids need to be in school. This spring was a disaster and the teachers were almost all MIA. If we are saying that decisions are based in science, just two days ago in a Connecticut briefing, Dr. Fauci urges a return to the classroom for CT that is what science is telling us to do! We need to do it now while there is almost no community transmission, positivity rates are .7% if we can't do it now, we will never do it. We can not let the poor misguided experiences of GA have any impact on decisions for CT. I predict that our kids will not see the inside of the school this entire school year and that is a disaster. Our kids are too precious to just leave them floundering and New Haven has done nothing to inspire confidence or to show any creativity in how to approach distance learning. Our kids won't get this time back, huge percentages of kids will just drop out and NHV will lose an entire generation of beautiful children. It took 30 minutes for NHV just to get their call working last night and they still left hundreds of people out of the meeting. This is who we trust to offer online education -- no way!

Sad that Mr. Goldson is the only adult on the panel who is not afraid to ask the uncomfortable questions.

This IS a better idea to stay home until November. That will give the district the time to purchase and prepare.
Also, it will allow us to see the viral rate in neighboring districts and if it is truly eliminating.

Real-time learning will not work for at least half of the students in the schools. They are not going to wake up at 8:30, they are going to be napping at home. Many parents will be at work. We cannot expect children who are not supported by adults to log on and go to school at a specific time. The video recordings of teachers work better because then students can log in on their own time, or when parents gets home from work.
Is there a way that NHPS can do BOTH? Both real-time virtual classes, as well as record those lessons for students to log on later to watch? When students are home, they are not on the same schedule.

Doing this until November will reduce the risks.

Dear Real New Haven...,
Decisions are not made to ensure that you have child care. That is your responsibility. You seem not willing to compromise in this time of compromise. The BOE made the best decision for the greater good.

This is a poor decision that does not account for the social, developmental, and mental health of the children, especially high school students. I understand needing more time to prepare for a hybrid plan, but 10 weeks at the beginning of the year is going to be difficult to recover from, and this starts in-person classes when flu season is going. It would have been much smarter to start at the standard time and then swerve to hybrid or distant learning. Last spring was disastrous for many of the children I know. Now we are set up to repeat this, despite having so much more information available.

To me, a parent of kids in the district, this is the easiest decision the BOE could make, but not a good one. September is the safest month to be in school. It will increasingly get harder after that. The Covid rate is low, but that may not last. The weather is good. Kids can be in taught outside in many cases. The good weather window will not last. Other school districts are putting the work in and creating complicated plans to get some face to face between kids and teachers. I'm extremely disappointed that the city took the easy way out.

It's a shame that no connection between teachers and students will be established at the beginning of school. Or how about an introduction to subjects before plunging in?

As for catching students up, when exactly will that happens? There's a window in which kids will learn to read fluently, or not. There are high school kids in their last years. It's simply not true that kids will all catch up. Many will not and those that do will do so because they have parents who make it happen.

We are a low-income district. How many opportunities do you think these kids have to change the circumstances of their lives? Education is key. Social/emotional is important too. Basic to feeling stable and supported: creating relationships between teachers and students. This will not be happening with teachers new to the kids in September.

What will happen in a month's time in terms of planning? Nothing. The environment will only become more challenging for instituting something like hybrid learning.

This is a backwards decision. Remote learning may have been forced by circumstances. The BOE did it without being forced out of fear and lack of planning.

Lamont provided a chart Monday which says if there are fewer than 10 cases per 100,000 people then the risk is low and favors in-person learning. If the seven-day average is 10 to 25 cases per 100,000 people, then the state favors the hybrid model and if there are 25 cases per 100,000 people then it favors online-only education.
https://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/archives/entry/20200803_fauci_says_connecticut_is_in_a_good_place/

DJt18: Lots of workers are going to jobs where they need to accept a risk of developing CoViD-19. My overweight and older physician just gave me my annual physical where he was about two inches from my face. Waiters and waitresses are dealing with hundreds of unmasked people. Stores clerks are in an environment where they are exposed to thousands of random people. We have flattened the curve: YNHH has only 9 CoViD patients, down from nearly 500. Our goal was never zero cases, or zero deaths. Our goal was to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed. The disease is endemic: we need to learn to carry on with it.

New Haven spring remote learning was a joke, they chose to post busy work, no real teaching took place. It was crazy to decide not to do video conferencing via google meet or zoom. This was another way not to teach to those who need direct instruction the most. Again the assumption that teachers might see something they need to report is an excuse not to teach. I hope the board will address this. Teachers should be teaching during remote learning not just posting busy work here & there. Providing laptops & assuming the parents to teach their children doesn't cover remote learning. students need to be engaged& teachers need to engage them. Shame on New Haven for not rising up to the occasion. Everyone who is hired in the school should be engaging students including Literacy coaches, math coaches & administrators. The brown & black community of new haven students deserve better.

>>> "Our goal was never zero cases, or zero deaths."

This was an early goal, stated as we moved into the unknown. Now we've seen other countries pull it together and have zero of both. Plus, we've learned about longer-term health complications for survivors. Zero deaths seems a perfectly attainable goal, and zero cases at least a desirable one.

One important thing Dr. Fauci said in that briefing is that CT is in the enviable position of still being able to do "containment" of the virus, not "mitigation" as other states are stuck with. We shouldn't give that up lightly.

This is a poor decision that will back-fire. The high-school kids who have been social-distancing and patiently waiting will wait no longer. They will find their friends not at school, but rather wherever they can--- in the parks, on the street, in the schoolyards. They will interact in less healthy ways, and the virus will spread more quickly. Their attempts to learn will be shrouded in discouragement, and a sense of betrayal by the adult society. And the teachers will be unable to help pull them out; they will be strangers who have not had the opportunity to earn their trust. A tolerable situation for many families will become intolerable.

What frustrates me the most is that the district put major restrictions on how teachers could use their online distant classrooms in the best way possible for their students. There are some teachers in my children's school that didn't want to even use an online distant classroom and now these same teachers don't want the schools to reopen. I heard some of those teachers speak in the meeting last night. These teachers can't have it both ways. Parents understand your behavior, we watch and listen to you and we judge you. There are so many Teachers that wanted to have full access to an online distant classroom and so many that want their classrooms to reopen. These teachers voices aren't being heard. They are being overshadowed by a loud group of teachers that frankly don't really want to teach in this environment. The voices of everyone need to be heard and accommodations need to be made for teachers and families that are legitimately concerned, but those teachers who didn't step up last spring and are advocating to not reopen the schools need to be pushed to the side and fired. Your peers, your students and your students parents know who you are. Shame on you

Open up the schools and get back to work, the remote learning is a complete joke

All this time, money, and effort being wasted on debates over funding and half-baked preparations for full or hybrid in-person learning should be spent instead on figuring out how to provide really GOOD online education. My high schooler learned essentially nothing from the spring's so-called online teaching, but until there's a decent treatment or vaccine for this virus, opening schools just isn't worth it. I'd rather have a live kid who's a year behind academically than a well-educated dead kid, and no, that isn't hyperbolic fear-mongering: this is a life-or-death crisis.

Also, HUGE props to Darnell Goldson for holding NHPS's feet to the fire and asking tough questions!

Oh, I agree that some teachers were really doing nothing last spring. And all the parents know it, but many won't say it to anyone but close friends. I can name my kids' teachers, both at the high school level and lower school level, that did next to nothing beginning in March and continuing on. There were two out of their many teachers that did put the kids to work and had substance to their teaching.

Kids can do next to no learning for a short time, but not for long. Covid-19 is a long term pandemic that needs to be managed and lived with. If we can't open schools, then close down everything that's not a grocery store or a medical facility or totally essential. No restaurants, no retail, etc. Education is more important than almost everything else functioning in our state. If it's not safe to have kids in school even using the hybrid method, we shouldn't be going to target and eating in restaurants either. We should be sheltering in place. Now is the time to educate. Not next year, not fall 2021.

Jill: What countries? New Zealand? An lightly populated, island nation where incomers are kept under police guard for two weeks? Spain and the UK have outbreaks now, after re-opening. Oz tried keeping 3,000 poor Melbourne residents locked in their tower blocks. It did not work. Korea confined everyone who tested positive to a hospital for two weeks, and those who had tested negative but had had contact with a positive person to their homes for two weeks, under electronic surveillance. Shall we seal our borders, preventing commuters from working in NYC? Shall we require a two week hotel stay under police guard for everyone arriving from out-of-state?
Note: in the last 24 hours, Denmark had 121 new cases, one additional hospitalization, and one death. Unlike CT, Denmark has only one land border, where the neck of Jutland connects with Germany, and a bridge to Sweden.
https://www.sst.dk/en/English/Corona-eng/COVID-19-updates-Statistics-and-charts

This is crazy we have outcries for going back, we have parents keeping their kids home for the greater good which is around 30 percent or higher in the district right now. We have people on here yelling to the tops of the hills about ruining their child's education when many of our kids are not on reading levels right now with 6.75 hours a day in the schools. I have been at this for a very long time and seen so many of our kids four to five levels below their grades reading level and this is an outrage. Where was this passion to reopen schools and making sure kids are being educated when our district has suffered for so long. The teachers in this district are great and they do their jobs. They try to instill the work ethic the kids need to succeed but they don't do the homework or fool around in class all day. If you want to blame the distance learning system on the teachers, take a look at how many kids didn't even show up or sign up for google classroom last year. How many kids with internet and communication devices didn't even try. To place some blame on the teachers is ludicrous. I fully agree we need to all go back to school when the proper protocols are in place. We are again late to the party and trying to play catch up. Goldson said that we should of had this all in place months ago and the reason why we didn't was because of money. Funds were not in place and still are not in place. The Heals Act is still being fought in Congress right now. We all need to breath and understand whatever we decide besides full access to the building will not give our students the best chance to succeed and we need parents to be parents and get their kids online and doing the work. We need teachers to call and continue to call children who are disengaged. The sentiment it Takes A Village is even more evident now than it ever was before and blaming people is not productive. It only worsens the situation.

While I sympathize with Covid fears, the reality is that CT is in an enviable position in terms of containing the virus. We did what we were supposed to do in the spring and summer, and consequently we can now begin (albeit carefully) to return to something resembling normal life. We are not Georgia, nor will we suddenly become Georgia if we return to school. If we wait until it is perfectly safe here, we will wait a long time. If we wait until it is perfectly safe everywhere in the US, we will wait forever. Our kids need to return to school. They have already lost too much of their education.

I would also be more sympathetic to the teachers who are resisting a return to the classroom if our experience with remote learning had been less horrible. With few exceptions, our child's teachers were simply not engaged. Distributing a few worksheets on Monday that are due on Friday, then disappearing for a week is not teaching. That was our reality last spring. I see no evidence that it will be any different in the fall, or that NHPS has taken any of the measures necessary to ensure that teachers actually show up and do their jobs when remote. The teachers on this thread can complain all they want, but the reality is that my child received virtually no instruction in the spring and our complaints were ignored. NHPS failed its students. We cannot permit that to occur again.

What if we delay the in-school start just long enough to fix all the windows in the schools so they can be opened, and forced air systems can be fixed and have special filters put in them and/or air purifiers into each classroom? Meanwhile teach classes outdoors in the schoolyard during good weather? Or mixed hybrid distance and in school classes with the half the students in distance classes being taught in the gym or lunchroom remotely streaming the teacher giving the same lessons in the classroom and paras supervising the online learning students in the remote location that way the in classroom teacher can teach the whole class simultaneously so that classroom capacity can be cut in half, and switch half the students every other day to the in person learning in the classroom. Using pvc tubing and shower curtains to keep the virus from spreading from desk to desk or from distance classroom groups seatings to other distance classroom groups seatings in the gym/cafeteria? For upper grades rather than students changing classrooms for each subject, only have the teachers change classrooms so as to cut down the amount of people in the hallways. Lunches can be delivered to each classroom for all grades so as to reduce virus spread? This city is a college town, and lots of college students will be coming from all over the world and the country to the city, and frequenting the food establishments and shops and entertainment venues and we need to be careful that they don't increase not only COVID-19 but the flu, and other viruses in the city this fall. If we all think outside the box, I'm sure we could come up with lots of ideas on how to make as many preventative virus measures as we can that will allow as many children as possible to get the best learning teachers can provide under the circumstances.

@Sabrina S. I was not implying that child care should be anyone's responsibility. Like I said, I made it work in the spring just fine – my child was one of the lucky ones because of how involved I am in the education of my child.

A good number of students are going to fall through the cracks. There is no way to recover from that loss. It's unrealistic to say we can go back to get everyone on track later. This is a decision that does not account for the social, developmental, and mental health of the students. This is disappointing, but not a bad call when you're thinking of the risks (exposure to COVID-19 and, possibly, death). HOWEVER, it comes with consequences that no one is addressing nor considering. Will these parents/students who are on their own have the support they need to succeed during remote learning?

In regards to teachers' pay, I don't think they should get full pay for recording a few videos – this was MY experience this spring. My child had videos that were 10-15 mins. long and, at most, he had 4 videos per day. The lesson plans were crafted for the adult to execute without guidance – only ONCE the teacher executed the activity and recorded it. If it's going to be the same as the spring, I stick by this. Students at all grade levels will get the short end of the stick especially if they don't have support from an adult. I can reach out and ask for support, but let's not forget the lapse in response was/is also a real issue.

Every decision comes with a consequence. The district STILL needs a plan to deal with the predictable scenarios and barriers that will come up for the majority of its students.

@NHTeacherPE & @Birds: You both are making good points. I am hearing you loud and clear.

Our district has lagged behind and continues to take action later rather than earlier.

The experience was different for every student when it should've been consistent. If a student is disengaged, especially if they were previously engaged or you remember supporting this student more than others, as a teacher wouldn't you be concerned and reach out? This wasn't the case for everyone. One of my nephews' teachers was checking in while the other wasn't. My niece has a one-on-one call with one teacher, but not the other four teachers. As @Westville voter mentioned, the scenario where teachers handed work and disappeared was a reality in the spring and it cannot repeat itself. Accountability is needed.

Knowing your student – both parents and school staff – is essential. Relationships are important. My students wouldn't approach me and I wouldn't be someone who they see as supportive if I had not made an effort. If my student is struggling, they feel comfortable reaching out to me. If I reach out because my student hasn't been engaged, I am confident that I can call them and they will react or share what issues they're having and we will tackle it together – maybe even with the parent if necessary. Why? Because I developed a supportive relationship where the student is also held accountable.

An introduction to the teacher and the class should be done. Before students are thrown into classes, they need an icebreaker session or at least one face-to-face experience.

Teacher accountability is absolutely needed if they're going to teach remote. Most of my kids' teachers assigned busy work once a week and then disappeared.

Subbpar teaching absolutely happened. Checked out teachers was Somewhat understandable then, but it isn't now. Are teachers really tech savvy and ready to do this? Nope? I wouldn't be either. Does the district have a plan? Nope. September will stretch into October, and then we're in flu season. It's a done deal. Bad decision, and one that's not happening in other districts. Because they feel under the gun and/or obligated to educate to the best of their ability. And parents wouldn't put up with it.

Natalie Coe: How long are you willing to wait for a vaccine or treatment? Yes, there are some potential winners out there, but the may yet flame out. How many years of your high-schooler learning "essentially nothing"? Until he/she is 21? As for your tolerance of a year, I recall each year of high school is unique, not just academically, but socially, with each year marking progress to adulthood.

The District needs to start sending out a plan to Teachers about Distance Learning. In the Spring everyone was working off different websites and platforms. Ones that they felt comfortable with. If we are going to do this right, we need uniformity and a Distance Learning curriculum for each grade level. And we need it NOW. Teachers did the best we could last Spring. I personally worked from 9 am until around 10:00 pm every day. What was I doing? Posting assignments, fielding a million calls from my students about how to do such and such online, my grade level partner and I made daily conferences calls to our students to check in to see how they were doing. I was busy calling all my students every few days, I spoke to every parent. I made sure everyone in both my classes had chromebooks. I drove food and chromebooks to my students homes. I got families connected to the internet. I was available to my students 24/7. I'd say 85% of my 52 students were engaged. I'm sorry not all teachers took this seriously. That is unacceptable. Contact your Principal if your child's teacher is MIA. If that doesn't get a response call Dr. Tracey. Her door is always open.

No matter the decision this will be a very challenging school year and as a parent and a teacher I can understand both sides. In a perfect world, I would want my child, students, colleagues, and myself back in school full time. Unfortunately, the risks that come with returning even in the hybrid model are too high as COVID-19 is very sneaky and far reaching. I feel that money gained from going back is not worth the sacrifice of a single life which seemed to be the motivating factor for the board members who voted against remote learning. Testing is also imperative for all stakeholders when we return. Our district and union leaders needs to figure out how to make this happen regardless of cost.

The decision not to open is appalling. It would be better to open on time in September and close in November for the rest of the year, rather than this. Imagine being a kindergartner beginning your school career online. Seriously?

The costs of opening - yes, surely someone will get sick - are very salient. The costs of not opening - all those thousands of stunted educations - are less picturesque. To refuse to balance the second against the first in any reasonable way is an abrogation of responsibility by the BOE (and by the teachers in the image above the article: 'one life lost is not acceptable' is not a reasonable slogan - there is a limit to how much disruption we should accept in order to avoid any risk).

If you don't want your kid in school, there's always homeschooling. If you don't want to teach in the pandemic, then quit. But don't close the schools for those of us who value them deeply.

And let's not pretend that we will be opening in November. Nothing will change for the better between now and November - winter will approach, case rates will rise, flu season will begin. If we don't open now, we may as well declare the district closed for the school year and say 'see you in 2021-22.' But the Board doesn't have the guts to say honestly that that's what they want. Instead, we get this doublespeak 'let's open in November' compromise that surely nobody believes.

For those who also think this is craziness, now is the time to write letters to the Governor. Sometimes local authorities need to be over-ruled. And perhaps that's what the BOE really wants - to be forced to reopen and able to deny that they are responsible when someone does get sick. So, let's write to try to get this overturned in Hartford, and then everyone can be happy.

Is there any formal petition going on that can be sent to the State Dept. of Education before this hearing that will reflect the desire of the hybrid plan ? If so, please share. It seems like there is an entire cohort who are not happy with a 100% remote plan.

I believe every other large district in CT is starting with a hybrid? Why are we the outlier?

I was surprised to hear that high school teams have been practicing this summer. Surely New Haven won't be so hypocritical to allow for sports in the Fall in person, but not allow for instruction in person. When do we hear the announcement that New Haven won't be participating in CIAC play?

What will all the NHPS employees be doing that have had their work severely reduced or eliminated due to remote learning? For example: crossing guards, athletic coaches & trainers, lunch personnel, classroom assistants? Surely we cannot pay them their full wages. That isn't the plan, is it??

Parents -- if you believe NHPS should offer the option of in-person learning, for families who wish to send their children in person this fall, please sign the petition below:

http://chng.it/z22cBn4QDv

The decision of the Board of Education is not final but needs the approval of the Governor. The Governor and the Commissioner of Education may take into account the opinions of a large number of public school parents who want in-person learning.

@realnewhavenresident did anyone consider what directions the teachers were given during distance learning. Their was zero protocols out in place. Some teachers zoomed lessons and some did not. Some teachers used google suite while others did not. Some schools were told that they could not do zoom with students based on legality issues. Some teachers didn't care and did it anyways. Once the grades did not count that automatically disengaged a lot of kids with school. Only the parents that cared made sure their kids got what they needed. In all honesty as a whole we screwed up from the district down to the parents. Nothing was put in place the district was worried about how we can feed our kids and try to give them something in the form of education. Everyone needs to stop the blame game it's counter productive because you will blame us, we will blame the district and the circle continues. If 30 to 40 percent of the kids are starting the year distance learning by choice it means we have a issue bigger than just coming back or not. I can't trust the numbers and what is right and what is wrong with this virus because it has always came with half truths. In my other posts I'm fully on board with opening back up but buildings are not ready. Protocols are not fully in place and if you look at what the flu season is going to bring we alll maybe distance learning from that point on anyway. This virus has made people mad and if we don't come together the kids will suffer more than anything. As for teachers and getting paid I don't come to your job and ask that you don't get paid so let's leave the salaries out of this because NO ONE WAS PREPARED FOR THIS.

@a_person it sounds like you are saying that losing one life is acceptable. Would you like to volunteer? Because I don't want it to be me or my kids or anyone else in New Haven for that matter! This is a serious issue-people might actually die. Virtual learning isn't ideal, but people's lives are worth more than 10 weeks of in-person education

NHTeacherPE: Government workers are paid by all of us, so it's far that everyone should have a say in whether or not they continue to get paid. Did you continue to send money to establishments, like restaurants, hotels, etc., that you may have patronized normally but did not due to CoViD-19? So long was teachers and others are fully engaged and working as much as they would under normal circumstances, they should be paid. But if they are disengaged, waiting for someone to tell them what to do, or having nothing to do, then, no, they should not be paid. Since it seems the BoE wants to keep school closed indefinitely, it needs to look at what positions, such as physical education or pre-K, cannot be done remotely to generate the funds to do remote learning properly.

Why is Connecticut largely open and functioning and schools in one district won't be? This makes no sense. You can sit and eat at meal at a restaurant or go to the mall and shop for six hours, but your kindergartener won't meet their teacher, and is supposed to learn to read over the internet.

Risk is meant to be managed and cannot be avoided entirely. Connecticut has one of the lowest Covid-19 levels in the country right now. Who knows what it will be like in December. Give the kids something until you can no longer do so. And the ending of that in-person education option SHOULD correspond with the shutting down with all the many, many establishments, stores, etc., that are far, far less important than education.

Schools in other districts are opening in some way or fashion. The wheel does not need to be reinvented.

@SLevine: yes, I am saying exactly that. As do we all, whenever we drive a car. I drove a car this morning: when I did that, I took the risk that I would die on the road, balanced it against the benefit of getting where I wanted to go quickly, decided that was an acceptable risk of death, turned on the ignition, and went on my way.

If you never leave your home and never take any risks at all, then yes, you can consistently say that no risk of death is acceptable (except that never getting any exercise because it's too risky is itself a kind of risk). Otherwise it's just a matter of deciding how big a risk you are willing to bear and how big the benefits are.

(What was the benefit of driving this morning? To drop off my kids at a summer camp, so that I can work. Risk of coronavirus infection: definitely positive. Net benefit: still positive.)

Dear Birds: how many New Haven children and adults have to sicken before you will call for closure? Or how many have to spread COVID to their own families? How many deaths will it take to call for closure? Just how many will satisfy you that schools should close? Just wondering because so many are so very brave in exposing OTHER people to COVID.

New numbers just released today. CT has .22% positivity rate. That's less than half a percent of those tested! I'd like to hear a NHPS teacher justify how they are being endangered. I'd like to hear the BOE justify fully remote to the State. Why are we ignoring science and statistics?
This is wrong. It may be easy to do fully remote and convenient for teachers, but it is still wrong. It does not put kids first. The mayor and the superintendent will be derelict for not pointing this out to the State.

@1644 now we are head hunting to take peoples jobs. I was on zoom and set up a google classroom for all my students in grades 3-8. The kids in k-2 were not in google suite so I posted things weekly for them to do at home on my web page. I communicated daily with my kids on google classroom and through messages to see how they were doing and if they needed anything from me. I sent weekly activities for kids to do at home, monthly activity challenges, a week long field day that included STEM curriculum, and was receiving messages daily and on weekends from my kids. I do my job and than some. To say we can get rid of someone's job without even knowing them and what they do is ridiculous. I have been about kids for the past 18 years in New Haven and if you were able to speak to students and parents of my kids I have always had there well being above mine. This is why I believe that one death is one too many. School can even be delayed to get the protocols in place. Take out one or two of the vacations or make them long weekends and we can start and still be out on time in June. I agree we need to go back but I don't feel the buildings are ready. We don't know who has opted out as far as teachers, we don't know what kids have opted out, we need training to do a hybrid model, and this can't be done in a weeks time. I'm sorry if people feel they are inconvenienced but I never want to do something half ass and don't want to do it now. Put all the protocols in place, train the teachers, see what the schedule is going to look like and what areas you are going to have, arrival and dismissal, what supports will be in place for teachers and how push in is going to look, ELL, music, art, PE, lunch and I can go on and on. Make sure the directions and how to do things are fully explained and than we can get down to what is important and that is educating your children.

Just another sign that NHPS is SO out of touch with science and reality. CIAC has decided fall HS and youth sports can move forward. So I guess our kids can play sports at their schools but not learn at them-- Really! Totally agree and support many of the comments here that our kids need to be in school!

Just feel need to say there are NHPS teachers who WANT to go back and see before us the potentially small window of opportunity to develop relationships with our students. Time may be limited to support them emotionally and academically (in person) before the infection rate forces school to close again. I am ready to go back and meet my class.

In the spirit of intellectual honesty...

Keeping schools closed isn't being done to protect children. The real threats of depression, anxiety, domestic violence and substance abuse far out weigh the very minimal health risk to most all below the age of twenty. All the reliable epidemiology on this virus show this to be the case. A cursory review of the CT DPH Covid data indicates the very low, almost negligible relative risk for this cohort.

Schools aren't going in person because teachers, paraprofessionals and parents don't want to be put in harms way. They've done the math, calculated the risks and benefits, and decided it's better to stay home. It's a understandable choice. Let's not fool ourselves it's "for the kids".

The CIAC delayed there first games to September 24th and I'm guessing to see where we are or to see what other regions like Mass who's first game is scheduled for September 14th. The are staying ahead of the curve and so should schools for a few weeks until everything is looked at and taken care of. I am not talking ten weeks. I want to be able to get in the building and have them train us and explain what we need to do in depth. It also be nice to see how other ct schools are doing before we place hundreds of kids into our buildings. The first few weeks of school are going to be painful with procedures and there will be some folks that will complain and blame us. I want to be able to stay ahead of all that with everything done correctly before they walk in the door.

City Yankee: there was a built in option to opt out of in-person schooling. Options are good. New Haven is not its own kingdom and nor should the public schooling significantly deviate because you are uncomfortable. Exercise your option to keep you kids home. I respect that.

Each choice we make for our kids (and ourselves) has an element of risk. Like everyone, I weigh risks versus benefit. Just like driving at any time, or choosing to grocery shop or go to the beach during a pandemic, there is a risk.

Do you think the think the school boards in neighboring towns filled with advantaged kids are saying things like "we'll catch them up somehow". Heck no. They're going to do something sensible: weigh risk, start school, establish some relationships with students and teachers, introduce subjects, and then likely the curtain will come down for one reason or another.

If you can spend a day at the mall with your kids, they should have the option to go school for a couple of days a week. The hybrid model is a nice compromise.

Thank you Birds for pointing out an important feature of the hybrid plan – the right to opt for remote learning – and please, all, remote learning is NOT home schooling. The teacher is still providing the instruction. And please, for those of you whose children had poor experiences with certain teachers during the spring distance learning period – do not sweepingly denigrate all the hard-working teachers who made themselves accessible 12 hours a day and more, made numerous instructional videos, regularly called and emailed parents and students, scheduled multiple zoom or google meet sessions at different times to accommodate the crazy new schedules of the students (especially high school students), etc. etc.

People who are saying that school can be optional for kids to come in, do not realize its not optional for STAFF if schools stay open! Staff have to come in.

@a_person
If people are comparing going to school to driving a car, do not forget, its is the LAW to wear a seat belt, even though you have the right to drive. So while children have a right to school, it should be LAW that teachers are provided with SAFETY equipment (such as seat belts are required), including:
-gloves
-WEEKLY disinfectants approved to kills Coronavirus given to teachers in ALL grades, not just PK!?
-Masks for all teachers, as well as face shields
-Masks for all students, that fit their smaller faces
-Clear student desk shields
-Clear student table dividers for group tables
-Desks 6 ft apart, at least
-Day time custodial staff to clean during the day, per newly released cleaning plan
-A school nurse, security guard, as well as a resource OFFICER in each school!!
-A designated, or hired, staff to staff the "isolation room"; should be cna or someone medical

Its clear, based on the comments, people did not WATCH THE 4 HOUR MEETING!!
WATCH THE MEETING
Listen to what they say staff are not getting.
People would realize that all these essential items are not being provided.

@a_person Are you going to drive without brakes, a horn to beep, or a seat-belt? Then provide teachers what they need! Your comparison is ridiculous.

And for reference, there were teacher who have been told for years to not give out homework because the school gives them ONE box of ream of paper to use for their classes PER year. So once that box runs out, the homework becomes verbal. Please dont act like NHPS teachers GET what they need!!!

@REALNewHavenResident
How is that different for teachers? Teacher now have children in different districts with different schedules! For example, Branford is switching to an AM/PM schedule; half children AM, and half children PM. If a teacher lives in Branford & has children who attend Branford schools, and their child is going to school during PM session only, should that teacher work in person in New Haven and try to afford a babysitter, just so that YOU dont have to pay for a babysitter?
That doesn't make any sense at all.
I would estimate 75% of NHPS staff are parents and now they have to figure out their own childrens schedule, just like you do.
The districts in CT are not on the same schedule and that causes chaos for parents who are teachers. If your child is in a 2-day program, or half-day program, and your job is in an opposite schedule program, then you are going to request to teach online!!
With that said, teachers are parents too!!

@yim-a That is exactly what staff have been saying, so you are not paying attention to even allege this. Children will not be symptomatic, most likely, but could kill their mothers and teachers! Many NHPS children are even cared for by their grandmothers so you are totally missing the point!!

@Birds With hybrid, students can opt-out of in-person schooling, but TEACHERS will not be able to opt out. Unfortunately, even though the district knew this was going to happen since March, they did not survey the teachers about this one issue. If they collected data, they could have matched teachers who wanted to work remote to students who will choose to be remote. NHPS could have even offered a small hazard pay to teacher who chose to teach in person brick and mortar, instead of giving teachers a pay cut. Instead, the raises went to the principals!

On a STATE wide level, why didn't all the districts at least try/attempt for a similar re-entry plan and schedule ? Branford, New Haven, and Derby all have different plans!

Leaving plans up to districts rather than mandating one plan allows districts to tailor plans to their physical plant, resources, and community needs. Branford is different from Derby, so the right answer for Branford may not work in Derby, and vice versa.

I am hoping Dr. Tracey pushes back on Evie's "model" for instruction when we return to in-person/ hybrid situation. Her description that teachers would use the small group model to teach in-person and then the students at home has so many flaws. First, it requires small groups which cannot happen with children 3-6 feet apart. Second, it implies that the "live" students will be able to maintain independent learning while the teacher is teaching the students at home. Not sure the last time Evie was in a classroom, but even when students are working independently they need support. They have questions, need clarification, behavioral issues arise, etc. Not sure why she thinks I am going to be able to turn my attention fully to the students at home while magically the students in the classroom work silently and independently. We need the classes to be live-streamed so students can be taught together when appropriate. (Fundations, math/ reading mini-lessons) With her model I'll be teaching everything twice. NHPS needs to invest in the video/ audio equipment that so many other districts are so the students at home can have a quality learning experience. I am hoping I am back with my class this year but central office needs to have a plan for instruction. Why aren't teachers being asked to help formulate an effective model for teaching students both in class and at home? Hanging your hat on small-groups (again, how does that happen with social distancing???) is unacceptable.

This is my first window into the reality of the NHPS--a rough way to start, sitting in the dark still without power, like many of us in this city!

Though I have a personal stake (AKA a child) in this debate, I like to imagine that I can approach the problem "neutrally." But of course I know that's an illusion.

Regardless, I would say that the peculiar blend of fact and feeling, of anecdotes and statistics, that informs the different perspectives here seems like it could be used in a textbook on rhetoric and critical thinking (esp. the way people use quantitative reasoning to support arguments, e. g. The "not one (1) life lost" argument, or <1% infection rate).

As someone who teaches in a public (college) school system that lost dozens of faculty and staff (see https://www.psc-cuny.org/InMemoriam), I'm curious how many were lost in the NHPS this spring? Has there been a discussion involving statistics for that time in New Haven? Anything resembling so-called facts?

As far as feelings go...I taught until March 11th in a windowless basement classroom with over thirty students, at least one of whom later reported he was infected with the virus, no masks, no handwashing or anything...I TRY to remember to feel grateful to even be reading these comments. There's a lot I'm uncertain about, but I'm sure I'm not the only one trying.

"One life lost is not acceptable."

But if you think the conditions this will create for single parent households won't lead to violence in our inner cities, y'all are delusional.

When talking about kids under 20, 2 have died of Covid in CT. More will die of homicide, suicide, and overdose.

All for a virus that for under 50 is no more deadly than the seasonal flu. FACT. Don't @ me until you look up the numbers. That's why the CDC recommended a return to school, and Fauci said CT should go back to school.

@NHIreader go read my response to Sarah because clearly you missed it.

It's great that you mentioned out of city NHPS staff, the amount of NHPS staff that don't live in the city has always been a concern coming from an NHPS graduate. Shall we base our educational decision off their out of city lifestyle even though they're educating New Haven students? How convenient.

You made some good points, but for someone who says go watch the meeting, you should try changing your lenses as well.

Once again, my child will be fine with whatever our screwed up and delayed district decides to do. It seems like a lot of folks — parents and teachers — should've spoken up and been involved earlier.

From CT NEWS JUNKIE: The state Department of Labor is extending unemployment benefits in light of Connecticut's elevated jobless rate.
In a statement, labor officials announced the start of the "High Extended Benefits" program, which offers claimants seven additional weeks of extended benefits for a total of 20 WEEKS and extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for ANOTHER SEVEN WEEKS for a total of 46 WEEKS
The federally funded initiative kicks in when a state's jobless rate averages 8 percent or higher for three consecutive months. 46 WEEKS OF PAY FOR NO WORK!!!! Teachers got a pay FREEZE in NHPS and they have to WORK>

So , now parents can stay home for the first few weeks of school, till we see what develops with COVID!!!! Period.

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/146/2/e2020004879
https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/experts_children_school_risk/
Children are bad spreaders: being infected by an infected child is very rare.

It appears that the plan to re-open schools is no have no plan. Has the NHPS system put in any instructional design plans for Distance Education? Have the teachers been putting together the Instructional Design plan for the school opening? Will the teachers just wing it for ten weeks and hope it all works out? Sounds to me that it's just a cluster freak out. As I said before, you don't need twenty 3rd grade teachers to teach at a distance, two or three will do it quite well. Especially if there is no real plan or design to get it done. It sounds like there will be many teachers throwing something at the wall hoping that some learning will stick.

Dear OhHum--- ask any teacher in NHPS and they will tell you there is no overall plan. It is quite decentralized and disorganized. No one will plan ahead if they believe the State is going to pull the plug and force teachers back in the building. Why do double work for nothing and for free?

Perfectly said @CityYankee!!

About time teachers earn some respect. Pay freeze my rear end.

@Oh Hum- You're correct- no details about an instructional plan have been communicated to teachers. We have received nothing from curriculum supervisors. Templates, plans, etc. were all heralded at the BOE meeting yet teachers have received nothing from supervisors explaining how their content will move forward in the Fall. Please know teachers have received NO PD about the "model"
being proposed, scheduling suggestions, how to adapt units to distance learning. Many of us worked really hard March-June to teach ourselves how to make lessons engaging, interactive, etc. Good teachers constantly develop themselves and will continue to do so. Many of our colleagues held online PD for us in June to support using different software, platforms and that was helpful. It is hard to plan when there is no guidance. And, despite what was said at the BOE meeting, I do not know one colleague who is being trained in the blended learning model that was presented this week. While we may have an in-person/ hybrid/distance learning "plan" we have no instructional plan.

"A large new study from South Korea offers an answer: Children younger than 10 transmit to others much less often than adults do, but the risk is not zero. And those between the ages of 10 and 19 can spread the virus at least as well as adults do." Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/18/health/coronavirus-children-schools.html

Schools are perfect disease vectors -- has anyone checked out a Wilbur Cross hallway between class periods?! -- and online learning doesn't have to suck; obviously some teachers did a great job in the spring. Let's throw all the money and effort into improving distance teaching and reaching kids who need additional resources (food, technology, special ed, etc.). Maybe the answer isn't even a one-size-fits-all-schools solution; do high schools have to follow the same plan as elementary schools?

@momlife That's terrible and sadly, that's how this district is operating.. There's no structure whatsoever.

Seems like a lot of angst directed at teachers at a time when they are voting to allow the reopening of their contract and accept a pay and step freeze that would save the city 4.6 million dollars. How much more do teachers need to sacrifice? In an underfunded NHPS the majority of teachers do more with less. Ask them to get in line and march into unsafe situations, without a realistic plan is not acceptable.

"Shame on NH? Shame on the BOE? Shame on teachers?" Where WERE YOU? Just like you, we teachers were thrown into unprecedented circumstances with zero resources. While I don't disbelieve you when you say some teachers "checked out", speaking for myself and the staff and administration at our school as well as colleagues I know from other schools ... We spent hours and hours and hours on the phone with parents, students, and colleagues to put together an online learning platform no one had ever imagined happening. We taught ourselves and each other everything we had to in order to get this rolling. And then we taught your children. We had class meetings, one-on-one meetings, posted tutorials, gave out our cell phone numbers so students could call with questions at all hours, called and recalled and recalled students and parents to get and keep kids engaged. Believe me, we earned our money. We never asked you to teach them the content. We only asked you to help. We asked that you first, get them logged in and second, just check to make sure they remained engaged. We would do the rest. We asked you to help. We asked you to simply monitor your child here and there. Where were you? We asked you to help. As a parent too, I "checked my daughter's backpack" - so to speak - from Kindergarten through college. That's my job. They are children. They need guidance and support both in and out of the classroom. Oh, and in terms of us just giving "busy work"? We were directed from the top to go easy so as not to overwhelm and over burden them. Our primary goal was outreach...let them know we care, we miss them, we are here for them. "They didn't learn anything", you say? I'd say there was more value in EVERYTHING we ALL learned than anything about verb tense, 2x=6, Au=gold, or King Tut. I have yet to see a public comment commending teachers for a job well done, just constant criticism, like always. Sad. (No offense to those that supported and SHOUT OUT to Dr. Tracey!)

Again: why should New Haven students be the only students in the entire state not to be attending some form of in-person school next month?

Nearly the entirely state is up and running in person, including (soon) every school in the state, and yet New Haven cannot or will not do it? Why?
Those other teachers, parents and districts leaders do not care less about their health or their kids' health than we do.

Students deserve to have the same opportunities as in other districts. The teacher's union and the district can fight it out, but bottom line is, the city's kids deserve to have the same opportunities as every other kid in state. Leadership should get it done.

The governor should absolutely deny this "plan" and the district should be forced to come up with a comparable plan as all the other districts.

@Birds you don't know what every district is planning. They could be petitioning the State as I write for distance learning. WH BOE has to vote there plan in on August 17th they could also do what NH did at there BOE meeting.

Why does the BOE put the desire of teachers in front of the needs of children? It isn't like their desire to be remote is based on facts.
They also need to get their message straight. Supposedly they aren't prepared to teach remotely, but they also want to be 100% remote. WTF.
No one else will be remote besides NHPS In CT. Mark my words.

Even NYC is using a hybrid model and going back this fall. It is possible in New Haven.

Prioritize education for kids. We are adults. We had our chance and we've formed our careers and paths in life. Under served kids need every chance possible now to form relationships with teachers and to learn. This is particularly true for K-4. Kids staring at screens, watching videos, and getting worksheets, while kids in the Amity district and others, get to meet their teachers, learn in some kind of class room setting, and get the additional help with crucial subjects like reading, is unacceptable, in my mind! I'm sorry, adults, but this isn't right. It wasn't right a long time ago, and this is even a worse disparity than the usual.

This window of low Covid rate, good weather to be outside, corresponds with the start to school. Now is the time. The window will likely shut. Give the kids what's possible! At least establish teacher/student relationships before we shut it all down and make a haphazard attempt to teach online.

I find it interesting that the vocal supporters of total remote learning because of safety concerns appear to have ignored yesterday's announcement of an additional $160 million in Covid relief for the schools – including PPE supplies, cleaning, and transportation. If safety concerns means waiting until there is zero chance of transmission, it might literally be 2 years before students would step foot in a brick and mortar school.

NY is going back 1-3 days a week meaning in most part those kids will miss 2-4 days of in person learning. It's about the money let's not fake ourselves and not realize states will get millions to reopen in some fashion. When the almighty dollar rules over life we have a situation. I don't care if it's one child who passes away because they caught this in school. If it happens to be yours a lot of people will sing a different tune. I see no issue with a two week delay to get everyone's ducks in a row and get everything needed as I stated before. But the millions that are lost even has the Mayor singing a different tune.

@NHTeacherPE-A 2 week delay would have been acceptable. 10 weeks is not.

And frankly, you along with any other PE teacher should be furloughed for 10 weeks. I guarantee my child will not be receiving any organized Physical Education remotely.

@newhavenishome haha another person coming for my job .. furlough that won't happen trust me on that wait I will make sure I tag 1644 and you when it happens. Why go for someone else's job I did everything and than some including challenges on my schools Instagram, clear remote learning activities, a STEM field day, reach out to my kids through google classroom, activity journals, website for my K-2 with weekly updates, weekly activity updates and challenges. So say again who you going after. People here are very jealous and frankly keyboard heros. I know way much more than you ever would about the school systems and kids in my system. I know many teachers who woke up daily and did their jobs. I see a lot of people on here wishing they could do what we do daily. So stop the nonsense before I make these commentators look silly.

@NHTeacherPE-struck a nerve, huh? Believe me, I am not jealous. I am a taxpayer, a willing one as long as I am getting the services I pay for.
Remote learning makes ME the one in charge of classroom control, makes ME the one that makes sure my children understand how unhealthy it is to stare at a screen for 6 hours, makes ME the first person they go to with school work questions, makes ME the one covering lunch duties.
Remote means YOU are absolved of all of that. Why should you be compensated for it?
I used to support the work that teachers do. Not anymore. You want to think of yourself first, I'll do the same.

Dear newhavenishome: I was with you until you referred to "lunch duty". Most people in the old days referred to it as "feeding your children". I guess you see it as a noxious obligation.
Add that to your unwillingness to help your children with technology in this difficult time and I think you paint an accurate picture of too many parents today. What a sad state of affairs.

So you got a hands on look to be a teacher so imagine that times 26. You seem like you didn't like it and are willing to trust other families not to send there kids to school sick or to practice social distancing in society. Like I said before I am all for two weeks to make sure everything is in line because when it is not we don't want to hear any backlash on the procedures and protocols because we are in this just as much as you.

NHTeacherPE I think you mean "their."

@CityYankee-I hate to burst your self righteous bubble, but spending massive amounts of time with my kids has been the only bright spot in this pandemic. I love feeding my children. When I speak of lunch duty, I am speaking of the supervision of children during lunch waves. These are duties normally done by teachers which they will not need to do under remote. There is also no need for security in schools, no need to welcome buses in the morning or arrange dismissals. Why should they be paid for duties that are no longer needed? NHPS is in a perpetual budget crisis. Teachers won't acknowledge that there are duties that they no longer will need to do. They want full remote and full pay. It is unreasonable and selfish. They should be taking a pay cut or furlough. If they don't like it. Then get back in the classroom. If they are afraid to go back when the science doesn't support that fear, then they should take a leave of absence and find a job they can do from home. They can't have it both ways.
I get it, no one want to talk about this but I am fed up. Teachers have plenty of options. No one is holding a gun to their head to go back in the classroom. If they don't want to do it, someone else will. Their unfounded fears do not super cede my kids right to a quality education. I pay for it every year, I want it.

@Birds the whole state is open? Is it now? I can't go to my city hall. It's closed. I can't go to DMV; it's appointment only. NHPS BOE is still meeting via Zoom. And I cannot travel to see my own mother with a clear Conscience. But ok. You know what, let's just go back and give everyone what they want. When your kids get sick or get your family sick, will you blame teachers for not keeping them safe? Because it seems in this thread people have resorted to blaming teachers for ALL OF IT. This situation sucks all the way around. Not one of these options are great. We are scared to go back. We are scared not to go back. But my god, the way people talk about teachers on this thread is horrible!!! I wish all of you bashing teachers knew how hard most of us work. Sure, there are a few "bad apples". Isn't that what you say about cops while you're praising the lot and defending their honor in general? Imagine if teachers were respected and defended like that. But I digress. We are underpaid, under resourced, and under supported. But we love our students and work hard for THEM. Don't you DARE blame us for this situation. Spring remote learning was haphazard, limited by district mandate, poorly attended bc the kids were TOLD they couldn't fail, all while the while teachers (who by the way are human) were also dealing with their own families and the Covid fears and new reality. However, If we have to do remote learning again, I know it will be more intentional and much more purposeful and engaging for our students. I have spent countless hours working on mine. Even without knowing what the heck I am teaching in the fall. Yes, that's our reality. If we go back in person, we will do our best there to support your kids, teach your kids, and love your kids. Even those of us who have the audacity to live outside city limits in faraway East and West Haven. Shameful, I know. While we plan for ALL THE options, we will also be taking a pay freeze. But by all means, blame us.

This is crazy. What are the odds schools will open after flu season? Offer remote or hybrid and let parents make the choice. Kids will be running wild with a adults st work. Its a big joke.

@notamused my fault I was voiced texting I should of used spell check smh what should I do now .. I will give myself an hour of not commenting

I hate to burst your bubble but Local 933 is about to give the city 4.5 million dollars in salary which includes mine. Anyone else want to give money back. I didn't think so have a nice night.

My husband and I cared for people with Covid for months and remained safe. We served with grace, respect, and didn't feel that we deserved to be called heros... even as my husband did chest compressions on people and wiped butts of covid victims. Our kids were home alone for 12 hours at a time often. They elegantly did self-directed schooling, they were on screens far too much and put themselves to bed without us so we could care for the vulnerable. We wear masks every day at work, all day 12-20 hours per day with cute hats. Our family would like to have the favor returned, a decision for returning to school with public health-based guidelines, not a last minute vote by a 9 person school board.

@JustBlameTeachers-Can you comprehend that no one has stated to open up the schools as normal? Every other district In CT is having partial in person learning. Why can't NHPS? Why should my kid have to stay home because you are afraid? Why can't you meet families halfway? A hybrid model gives every family the right to choose what is best for them. I'm sorry you feel afraid, but your fear is not supported by science and metrics. Put a mask on and go to work like everyone else. If you choose not to, then stay home unpaid.

Actually, the state is pretty far along in reopening. I can take my kids to Quassy, Mystic, museums, malls, beaches, and the state has deemed it to play sports (with some restraints), go to the beach, camp in public campground, have large gatherings, etc. I don't know if casinos allow kids, but they're open too.

I've never met a kid (Or adult) who wants to go the DMV, unless it's to get your first license, but there are plenty of other ways to be entertained in CT.

If all of that can be open and staffed, we can partially open schools too. None of that stuff even really matters.

I do have respect for teachers. The job is difficult and important and undervalued. teachers are adults with choices, including what kind of work they want to do and where. Kids have very few choices given to them and their have their futures ahead. One blown spring at school isn't a big deal to most. Add to that another academic year potentially blown, and now it's much more serious. Add to that the insult of other kids in other districts in the same state with the same Covid level getting what New Haven kids won't.

Kids first, including New Haven kids.

Again I'm asking for a week or two to make sure protocols are in place, buildings are fully ready and a chance to look at other districts numbers. I am for going back I'm not sure people understand this. I have no faith we are ready with the BOE vote to suspend the hybrid for full distance learning. The antenna went up and it has me and many others needing a tiny bit of time to make sure all is good to go. I don't think the plan to teach your class and go and teach your distance learners will work. The schools in my eyes need a small window so teachers can make sure all is working and protocols are in place.

@newhavenishome: I'm not sure why you're making assumptions about teacher compensation based on collateral duties. Not all teachers in New Haven do this. Some schools prioritize instruction over ancillary operational functions. I can tell you that at my school there is no lunch duty, no bus duty, no hall duty for teachers. I can also tell you that teachers at my school worked more hours, and harder, given the steep learning curve, during the spring distance learning period than their contract requires. The same was true for teachers at the NH school my own kids attend.

We are not your essential childcare workers. Our job is to educate, and many of us have proven that we can do that remotely, as imperfect as that is. We don't want that to be the norm, but right now, we need to be thinking of our students' health, our own health, and the health of our families. The median age for teachers at my school is at least 45. Sorry, but we have no desire to risk our lives to save you from 'lunch duty,' as enjoyable as you now say that is.

Contrary to what many teachers here have posted the district DOES have a sensible plan for a phased hybrid model. But the hour is late and nationally the numbers are in great flux. Even within the district, we have kids who cross county lines to attend New Haven schools, so the regional approach would be moot. Best to hang back a little, make sure we are all the way prepared, and keep everybody, including your kids and YOU, as safe as possible.

As you have concluded based on my comment thus far I am a New Haven educator, resident, and parent. And I will not be sending my kids back to in person learning until I am a lot more confident in the situation on the ground. Which makes me no different from certain BOE members, one of whom is a pediatrician!

I respectfully and heartfeltly recommend that ALL parents do the same, and that you trust the judgement of the folks who, in addition to yourself, care most about your kids and our families.

Wow. I shouldn't be surprised by the rampant disrespect and blame on the teachers because we've always been on the receiving end of everything and anything that happens or doesn't happen with your children. But this really takes the cake. You have no idea what we do. Believe me, we have more than covered the time that won't be put in for lunch duty, hall duty, bus duty, etc. Teachers spend so many hours of their own time and money educating and raising your children to the point of often having to neglect our own. And a typical day of distance learning is about 10 hours. We pay taxes too and therefore also pay for your child's education, and, if applicable, food, clothes, etc. Yes. We chose our career and we love it. But that career did not include working around a highly contagious potentially deadly virus. We did not choose a medical degree. Oh, and by the way, if the new contract is approved, we will be taking a pay freeze. Will that cover lunch duty for you? Again. WOW. I'm flabbergasted.

All of you who are teacher bashing over the remote learning decision should understand that the real reason for the all remote decision is that the powers that be in central office have not done anything to get the schools ready for a hybrid model. They have not figured out scheduling; ventilation in schools with faulty systems, transportation (perhaps the most important) or any logistics whatsoever . These are the people making six figures who do nothing .
Also, New Haven lost at least one teacher to Covid this summer and I have seen no article about this wonderful woman coming out of the BOE . Dr. Tracey sent out a short blurb and that was it so, if you really think they care about the teachers ; think again they are covering their own incompetence.

Is it because America is so open and free, the land where people do what they want when they want, that we seem to be having such difficulty with this issue? Most of the science and advice from "experts" strongly suggest that kids, particularly our young kids, should be going back to reopened schools in the fall. If our schools and transportation issues haven't already been resolved, why? What have we been doing for these past months? If NHPS doesn't open after the hoped-for (BOE) additional 10 weeks, then every effort must be clearly focused on getting this all too obvious disorder, ordered. Barring a catastrophic increase with this virus, we can no longer accept rationalizations, excuses, and fears for not reopening our schools. IMHO, we are facing another kind of catastrophe, namely, a "lost" generation of children who will miss forever a year or more of foundational and irreplaceable educational experience. Many NHPS students were already behind prior to the virus. Remote learning, while an interesting, but impractical theoretical concept (at least in NH), will consign many of our students to 2nd or 3rd class educational status.
wanthttps://www.wsj.com/articles/why-its-mostly-safe-to-reopen-the-schools-11596812466

@newhavenishome I certainly don't need you to tell me to go to work and teach. I have worked hard in New Haven for 20 years. And If the decision is to go back, that is exactly what I will do. But It is also not my decision. My comment is about all the blame on teachers for ALL the failures when all you complaining have NO CLUE. I actually hope we do go back now.

@Birds what are you even saying?? At no point did I suggest that City Hall and DMV are for kids. At no point did I mention entertainment. I was merely countering your suggestion that the state is fully open. So your argument is fallacious. Fly away please.

Sabrina is correct. The COO is completely incompetent on a normal day. He's a lawyer that has no clue how to plan any kind of facility project on a small or large project. The mayor should here from everyone that his position needs to be posted and he needs to be replaced with a competent leader with strong facility and logistical skills.

@alongtime- I'll trust MY health care providers to advise me on what is best for my family. Not you, not some alarmist pediatrician sitting on a school board that has done nothing besides make poor decision after poor decision. If you're going to throw regional, national and county infection numbers at me, then do your homework. The data backs attendance in person. Hopefully you don't teach math or science.
Furthermore. I would never expect you to babysit my children. However, you have no problem expecting me to do your job as a teacher.

I don't know why we are bothering responding to people who have no clue what goes on in our school systems. They are back seat drivers in all of this. The finally got a chance to drive and didn't like it at all. That is ok I want to go back to work and we will but honestly the blame game that I didn't think really existed has been on full display from the parents of our New Haven Children. I say as teachers we no longer come out of pocket for anything and soon as the bell rings at 3:05 we are now done for the evening. We will now no longer take your criticism face to face and stand idle by while you berate our job and how we do such job. I would like all the people who decided to berate our jobs to tell us what you do for a living and I will make sure I catch up with your bosses and make them understand you are not needed and there is always someone better than you out there. We are talking about numbers the United States has more than 200,000 of Covid Cases to the next country because we are failing to listen to the guidelines. You can take a walk to WH beach and see I am completely right in the this. I will do my job from 8:20 to 3:05 and be done and so will everyone of my peers. We will no longer be asked to go above and beyond the call of our duties. I ask for a full apology from the keyboard hero's on this site. The crazy thing is if you couldn't last 3 months teaching your children at home than you would never last one year teaching 26 kids in a classroom, gym, music room or art room. Stop the nonsense and understand there will still be 40 percent or so students completely distance learning from day one in New Haven. You are asking teachers to teach your kids than go to a computer and teach another group of kids and go right back to the kids in the desks. You are not going to get 100 percent of that teacher and honestly we will do what we can from 8:20 to 3:05 and you can pick it up from there.

Dear New Haven 100-- People who voted for Elicker really hoped that he would do just what you suggest-- use the new broom to sweep clean. What we have is the same old ideas: raise taxes, keep the deadwood and politically connected in the City and BOE, beg Yale for money, and look really sad about everything. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. I think voters are getting tired of it and I hope the Republicans, Greens, or any other group puts up a candidate for mayor next year. Elicker has lost my future vote.

Sorry 2,000,000 more cases than the nearest country forgot to add the other zero.

Dear NewHavenTeacherPE--- after the bashing that teachers are receiving in the media; you would be right to do your job and no more-- the trouble is that teachers are the sappiest, most bleeding heart, masochists around. I wonder how much they will enjoy feeling like martyrs, now that they know what people really think of them.
Teachers--- if you stay an extra minute or take a penny out of your pocket that you don't have to, you are undermining all your fellow teachers. Stops being saps-- it's a JOB. You're and EMPLOYEE. Come down off the cross and join the rest of the working class because you have been pissed on and will continue to be pissed on till YOU say ENOUGH!

Sorry 2 million more than the next country

It is insane that these ungrateful parents are blaming teachers!!

Administrators had since March to...
-look into air ventilation,
-install SAFE hopper windows that OPEN SAFELY for air flow,
-arrange transportation/bus schedules
-hire medical staff and nurses for all buildings (which still has not been completed)
-order DISINFECTANT wipes (which they still dont have in hand as of yet)
........ and are the products teachers** (not custodial) are getting on the approved list to kill the Coronavirus? Or did they just purchase what was cheapest?

For Dr. Tracey to say in the meeting that she is concerned about childcare?? EDUCATION IS NOT CHILDCARE OR DAYCARE!!!!
Branford Public Schools cancelled Pre-K, rightfully so because Pre-K is mostly play based exploring and social skills.
NHPS should have also CANCELLED REG ED PRE-K, at least for Fall, and used the extra classrooms to space out the other grades, and those teacher to help support the other grades for the Fall. Cancelling Pre-K could have helped for space and staff.
Maybe with all that space the kids could have been 6 ft apart!
The only Pre-K required by law is Special Ed Pre-K!!!

Administrators (who make 6 figures a year) did not do this because they were hoping this problem would just go away. Like all, they were hoping for a vaccine.
Now, the teachers are left to blame?

Those same teachers who are not being provided with all the supplies/staff (as I already mentioned in an above comment)

Well said @NHTeacherPE.

The lack of respect for teachers isbappaling and it's filtered down to the same children of these same cynical, critical, pessimistic, believe everything my child says parents.

Set the example, work hard, stress the importance of education and of having your children listen and respect their teachers. Instill in them that in order to achieve they will have to concentrate, focus, not worry about being a class clown or "cool cat" and work work work to learn. There will be successes and failures but it's how they learn from the failures rather than blaming the teacher for their lack of understanding or for their perception of being "picked on" for chronic misbehavior. Communicate with your child's teacher in a cooperative respectful manner and you and your child will reap the rewards. I can say that the majority of NHPS teachers are amazing. They work extremely hard and care deeply about all children. It's time we earn some respect. As NHPEteacher said ..come try our job for one day. 25 kids per cramped room--5 classes per day, lack of effective discipline policies set forth by Obama's Dear Colleague joke restorative justice plan, and to top it off angry disgruntled parents. It's not easy...but we forge ahead and give it out best day after day. Pay freeze and all.

I understand how teachers feel. I remember taking 5 minutes to read the PPE protocol and gown, mask, glove and shield for my first Covid-19 positive woman (who was luckily healthy). But it was a relief walking in the room and realizing we were all still the same people. After that first time, I felt much less scared and able to care for my patients without fear. I think this is what teachers are feeling. It feels impossible to go back. But teachers are experts at classroom teaching, I think ripping off the bandaid and returning to the classroom will feel much more comfortable once we are there, especially knowing that from a public health perspective numbers are now low — 2/100,000 of new Covid positive cases in CT per day. My kids are ready, I am ready. I work in a field that even during a covid surge nothing stops, babies still are going to be born, you can't delay it, and in some ways that is a good thing. We need to support teachers to get there.

>>> "The data backs attendance in person."

This just isn't so. Sure, the state set two arbitrary cut-offs that we happen to meet (below 10 for in-person and below 25 for hybrid), but I have yet to see any research or other analysis supporting them. (If you have it, please share.)

The levels chosen by the state as cut-off values for in-person, hybrid and remote are surprising, if not outright irresponsible.

10 cases per 100,000, 7-day average, the level below which the state deems in-person acceptable, translates to about 350 new cases per day in the state, or about 5 times the current level.

25, the level below which the state deems hybrid schooling to be safe translates to 875 new cases per day -- approximately the level we saw at the peak of the pandemic in Connecticut! 25 is the level Arizona is at right now!

That means that our state government is willing to let Connecticut lose all of the gains it has made in the last few months against this pandemic. Under this policy, they would not suggest schools go remote until the state or county, or possibly an individual town, is in as bad shape as Arizona.

In reality, no country besides the US has even attempted to open its schools with a rate above 10. Only five of the 38 countries that reopened over the spring and summer had higher case rates than Connecticut has now. Most of the 38 gradually phased in their reopenings and used some form of hybrid or partial attendance model.

@NHteacherPE

I had the same thought! I have spent HOURS of my life chaperoning over night trips, dances, fundraisers, camping trips, poetry slams, book drives.....the countless hours put in that we never expected to get paid for. And we never would get paid for. When my class day ends my work is not done. Meetings, planning, student work to look at, follow-up phone class to make.....hours we don't expect to get paid for. And never would get paid for. These parents calling for us to be replaced or unpaid wouldn't last 5 minutes in our shoes. But I will continue to give my hours as long as my students need them. It's what I signed up for. What I won't do is hold my breath for any of these nasty disparaging clueless people to understand or appreciate what we do. They do NOT GET IT.

NHteacherPE, Shame on you for bashing parents. You are disrespectful & unprofessional. Sadly you are not the only teacher who feels this way about parents of new haven students. Your attitude about the parents reflects your attitude toward your students. I feel so sorry for your students. I am certain you will not be permitted to talk about parents if you were working in other districts. But here you can disrespect parents because the leaders of new haven will protect you by any means necessary. They will continue to put their needs & yours before the needs of students they are supposed to protect. Yes teachers are not the once to blame for the poor decision NHPS continues to make on behalf of students. Both parents and teachers are taking it on each other, while the people in charge are watching. We will never be in this situation if the leaders have done a better job in spring & preparing for September. There was no direction that benefited the students & parents in spring, & there is no clear direction for teachers to conduct fair & equal instruction now. At the end, the leaders are responsible for the outcome. Teachers stop disrespecting parents, they are not your enemies.

@Misi obviously you have not read what I have wrote before on this thread and the 50 or so threads that parents have blamed the hard working teachers for what we have done throughout distance learning. In previous comments our jobs have been threatened by the masses for furloughs and firings. What people don't understand that our directives were to keep distance learning simple and that grades would not count. If we decided to use zoom we were told that there was possible leagality issue with using that platform with underage participants. For the first month we were out there giving out chromebooks and pleading for our kids to get online. I personally sent hundreds of emails asking my kids to do the work and that's from PE. Imagine how hard it was for regular education teachers to get the disengaged students online. It was near impossible. Please look at the 110 other comments towards teachers and ask yourself if it is fair that we stay idle by while we get bashed. Not in my world.

NHTeacherPE: good to know you tried your best to engage students, how about the students who were engaged! They were provided with busy work, again not teachers fault, but your leaders failed you. I am a parent & I am telling what students were given was not proper instructions. put yourself in the new haven parents shoe, why should we trust anything will be different? In fact, we know nothing will be different because the same administration/leaders are running the show, the one who instructed you to take it easy. At the end, parents and students are your customers, without them you wouldn't have a position, so the least you can do it treat them with respect. By the way, I know many teachers who did nothing during spring, we are just asking for some accountability, what did the literacy & math coaches, guidance do in spring? Shouldn't they be making the calls while teachers plan? What were the administrators doing without students? Shouldn't they be making sure students are engaged? I agree parents shouldn't blame teachers but teachers shouldn't blame parents either.

@Misi now we can have a civilized conversation. This situation is unprecedented because even during other national disasters school has never shut down. The blame game came from the comments from parents and I got tired of being blamed for something that we should all be working together to fix. In actuality there are still 35 percent of the kids going to be doing distance learning. For those going to school depending on what grade they are on will only be in the building for two days. Distance learning will need to be trained in a way that everyone can do it effectively. My comments long before this was to give us a week or two of delayed openings because I believe the city has not made the building equitable for in person learning by means of PPE and protocols. I am someone that needs to have the plan weeks before not hours before. We don't even have direction on how we are going to teach regular Ed classes and how those at home will get there instruction in. The way we were told will happen is not realistic.

Now check out WTNH today and look at kids are massive spreaders of this virus for those who are showing online numbers and tools to look

https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/coronavirus/experts-discuss-covid-19-symptoms-more-kids-spreading-the-virus/

NHTeacherPE, NHPS leaders are dropping the ball over & over. Like many districts, they had ample time to prepare for school in person learning or to prepare for remote learning. By now, teachers should know what they are doing & how they are proving the instructions to their students. It is heart braking to see the disparity between new haven students & neighboring districts. Trust me, students are not going to log in to do busy work, if we thought teaching is hard on line teaching is harder. It requires more patience, skill & definitely more training. Whatever u do, don't bash parents, they were expected to become teachers over night. It is unconventional time, yet the administrators of NHPS are weaker than ever. The communication with parents very little, the survey was humiliating. I am sorry teachers are getting blamed, but teachers are the once who are protesting without giving the full picture, we all want to be safe & want best for our children, but we are not getting much from the top & when we see the ridiculous worksheets from teachers, well I can't even describe how it feels for parents😂 the expectations are so low it is insulting. So you may have worked harder to engage students, but definitely not smarter. As a fellow teacher from a different district I feel you pain, but you are directing your frustration toward the wrong people.

Can everyone just stop now?! Typical human nature to play the blame game. Many parents have no idea what teachers do, did, are doing now, or will do. Many teachers don't know what parents do, did, or will do. Neither of us truly know how much the BOE did, is doing now, or will do. Everyone is trying to make the best of a bad situation. It's no one's fault. Most did and will do the best they can for all involved. Let it go. Roll with what IS and move forward. It's like everyone blaming the power companies for the storm. They're doing the best they can. It's a process. And so is this. It will be okay. But not if all parties involved are against each other. Mutual respect. It takes a village.