Arizona Eagletarian: Hoffman & 80 percent of AZ Teachers say NOT SO FAST on re-opening schools

You may have already viewed this video on a previous post -- recorded about two weeks ago -- on the Arizona Eagletarian. Nevertheless, it deserves to be the lede to this post.

Jeff Hester now, as a professor emeritus of astrophysics, works with individuals and groups on strategic thinking.

Here's the latest Arizona covid curve, with data through July 8 (source: endcoronavirus.org/states). Still pretty much the steepest curve for any state in the US.

Arizona Republic education reporter Lily Altavena yesterday reported, Schools chief: Trump school reopening summit doesn't reflect 'Arizona's growing public health crisis'.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would pressure governors to reopen schools in the fall, but Arizona's school superintendent issued a statement afterward saying the state first will need to "get COVID-19 under control."

Kathy Hoffman tweeted a statement on Tuesday in response to a White House event on school reopening where Trump made his remarks. While the president is pushing for schools to reopen, Hoffman expressed skepticism over the idea that Arizona schools are ready.

"Today's discussion at the White House Summit on Safely Reopening America's Schools did not reflect the magnitude or severity of Arizona's growing public health crisis," she wrote.

The governor most recently ordered a delay to the start of in-person classes, until at least Aug. 17.

Hoffman wrote that she would welcome "more aggressive action" from Gov. Doug Ducey to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

Professor Hester makes these points emphatically,

Instead, the major culprit is close up, person-to-person interactions for extended periods. crowded events, poorly ventilated areas and places where people are talking loudly -- or singing in one famous case -- maximize the risk.

He goes on to say that "it's hard to think there's a better place for covid to spread than in classrooms." And, "Masks are great if your going to be out and about like going to the store... masks are not intended to protect you from prolonged, continuous exposure to this highly infectious disease."

Significant spread of the disease WILL occur.

How responsible is it to require employees to work in an environment where you know they will be in regular contact with carriers of a deadly disease?

How can you tell people it is safe to send their children to school?

Schools are spreading centers for the community. If schools are opened, there WILL BE significant numbers of people who die because schools are open. And most of those people will not have set foot on a school grounds, at least in a long time.

When you choose to open schools this fall, you are choosing to put at risk members of the community who have no choice in the matter.

Think laboratory petri dishes with the most potent medium used to accelerate the growth of the virus.

Some organisms, termed fastidious organisms, require specialized environments due to complex nutritional requirements. Viruses, for example, are obligate intracellular parasites and require a growth medium containing living cells.

Do you want your children or grandchildren, or their teachers to become that growth medium?

Updated news from the Arizona Republic,

The school year hasn't begun, but an Arizona teacher has already died from COVID-19, according to a school superintendent.

As President Donald Trump's administration pushes for schools to reopen on time, a small community in eastern Arizona is reeling from the death of a teacher who contracted COVID-19 after she taught summer school virtually while in the same room as two other teachers.

The school district's superintendent, Jeff Gregorich, said three teachers went above and beyond in taking precautions against the spread of the virus while teaching in the same room, but all three contracted COVID-19.

Kim Byrd, who started teaching the Hayden-Winkelman Unified School District in 1982, died.

Gregorich does not believe Arizona schools are ready to open and said Trump does not understand the magnitude of recent remarks insisting on reopening schools.

"The learning can be made up, but the lives will never be brought back," he said.

*****

USAToday reports (updated) today,

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump put the nation's schools on notice Wednesday that he may cut off their funding if they don't reopen their classrooms this fall.

One day after he promised to put "a lot of pressure" on schools to reopen, Trump served up a new threat on Twitter.

"In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS," he wrote. "The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!"

First, how (TF) does Trump even know the main reason "the Dems" think about anything? He can't even be honest with himself about what motivates his own decision processes.

The facts include that Germany, Denmark, and Norway have covid under much better control than the US. Sweden, not necessarily so much, as they are still hoping that inaction will generate herd immunity.

By the way, most of the funding for schools is provided by state and local taxes. The federal government provides, for example, Title 1 funding. In other words, Trump is trying to squeeze the most vulnerable families into acquiescing to his desperate schemes.

Title 1 is the nation’s oldest and largest federally funded program, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Annually, it provides over $14 billion to school systems across the country for students at risk of failure and living at or near poverty. In fact, over the course of the 2009-2010 school year, federal funding through this program was used by over 56,000 public schools nationwide in order for struggling students to meet state standards in a variety of subject areas.

Clearly, Trump is thinking of himself. NOT the interests of you, your family or children. Also from the USAToday story linked above,

Trump's push to open schools comes amid a nationwide debate over whether children should return to the classroom amid the coronavirus pandemic. It also echoes Trump's calls in the spring for states to reopen their local economies. Many states with Republican governors did so, but places like Texas and Florida [obviously, AND Arizona, which, stated again, has the STEEPEST curve of any of the United States] are now seeing spikes in COVID cases.

That right there should be evidence enough that what Trump and Ducey would like to do effectively amounts to putting your entire family, actually your entire community [explained in Hester's video above], at further risk for covid infection.

*****

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Sheenae Shannon July 8, 2020 PHONE: 602-407-2308

Eight in 10 Educators Say Schools Should Only Reopen When It's Safe

Phoenix, AZ – July 8, 2020 – Today, the Arizona Education Association (AEA) released the findings of a survey of AEA members, including teachers and education support professionals, around concerns about reopening schools during the COVID-19 health crisis.

The survey of 7,651 educators, conducted during the week of June 30, found eight in 10 respondents agree that schools should reopen only after public health experts determine it is safe to return and with adequate planning and equipment to protect school employees, students, and families from COVID-19.

When asked to agree or disagree on how school districts should proceed with instruction, over 2/3 of respondents opposed returning to a complete traditional school “brick and mortar” learning environment.

68% disagreed to returning to a brick and mortar school

61% agreed to implementing a complete online or distance learning model

58 % agreed to a hybrid model where students attend in person and remotely

While the survey closed on June 30 and Arizona cases are still increasing, six in 10 respondents did not feel their districts were prepared and ready to re-open schools.

73% say there’s not enough staff and resources for school cleaning, food service, and bus schedules.

72% say there’s not enough teachers to re-open schools under CDC guidelines and protocols.

65% say their school district is not prepared and ready to re-open.

57% say their school district has not established clear guidance on social distancing procedures.

57% say their school district has not established clear guidance on health screening procedures.

44% say their school district has not established clear guidance on mandatory face coverings.

The survey reflects real fears from educators about the Coronavirus outbreak in Arizona. Nine in 10 respondents expressed concerns about students and their families contracting COVID-19.

93% are concerned about their colleagues contracting COVID-19

92% are concerned about their students and their families contracting COVID-19

90% are concerned about their family’s health and someone in their household contracting COVID-19

88% are concerned about their own health and contracting COVID-19

While most respondents supported an online or distance learning model rather than traditional brick and mortar school learning environment, just under half of respondents felt schools had enough teachers and resources to implement an online learning model. Many respondents left comments with concerns about how to engage students, meet the needs of students with special needs, and how to ensure students with little or no access to technology will have the opportunity to learn.

If and when school facilities reopen, the following strategies were supported by respondents:

96% Smaller class sizes will be necessary to enforce social distancing.

86% Spread out student lunch periods and enforce social distancing during recess and other activities.

73% Stagger school arrival and/or attendance to enforce social distancing.

93% of respondents said the state should suspend standardized testing until schools return to normal school operations, including requirements on standardized tests like Move on When Reading, the state’s 3rd grade reading retention program.

Educators also voiced other concerns about online instruction, including the need for training, software, and computers. They also questioned who will foot the bill for these additional resources and whether it will be the state, districts, or educators.