COVID-19 Outbreak Information Updates (Reboot) [over 150.000,000 US cases (est.), 6,422,520 US hospitilizations, 1,148,691 US deaths.] (6 Viewers)

[St. Geezy]

Ok but really? I hate to be that person, but I’m somewhat doubting that they used all precautions consistently. I’ve been around enough to see people wear masks around those who are strangers, but don’t consistently wear it around people they know. You have 3 teachers, who certainly know each other together for that long in a room together I have a hard time believing they did it.

You don't think this is going to be norm?

Sure, we can blame the individuals, but sometimes the government, when it comes to a situation like this with a viral pandemic, should protect people from themselves, especially since those people can and will effect the people that are doing the right things.

When school returns, this idea that we are going to have a perfect world scenario where each and every teacher and student is following all protocols every single day and not doing anything foolish is unrealistic.

 

[St. Geezy]

Drago’s in Metairie temporarily closes after employees test positive for coronavirus

Drago's will close for a minimum of seven days to clean and sanitize the restaurant

www.fox8live.com

Eh, I just ate there 2 or 3 weeks ago, likely during someone's incubation period.

Ironically, I had a long talk with the owner of this place not that long ago, and he's definitely in the anti-mask/anti-safety measure faction. He only does what he does at the restaurant merely because he has to.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Which is, in fact, ridiculous because what you really want are subject matter experts doing the teaching. An education degree doesn't mean you know your subject at all.

We’ll vice versa too
There are plenty of artists who can’t teach their art to save their lives
Ask Ward if he thinks all engineers would teach engineering well

I don’t mind certification or education degrees in theory - esp for lower school, bc that seems to be about 80% class management and 20% content knowledge (university it probably the flip of that)
In HS you really need both

 

[brandon8283]

I have a bachelor's degree in the engineering tech field. I have never worked in that field and have been working for the last decade in equipment rental management. Now that I'm older and wiser I realize that neither the field of my degree or the field I work in now is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I feel teaching is something I would have a passion for and I'd be good at but it would require me to be certified. I understand the push to have certified teachers but I just feel like school systems are missing out on great teachers who would choose the profession because they have a passion for it and also not only have the skills to teach certain subjects but also have "real world" life experiences that can be great in mentoring young people. Just my opinion of course.

I'll speak a little towards this, at least as it relates to Mississippi.

In Mississippi, we have multiple avenues for hiring non-educators, provided you have at least a bachelor's degree. The first program is called the "alternate route" program. It's pretty straightforward. You can pretty much begin teaching immediately if you can find a principal who will hire you. They set you up with a three-year license. During those three years, you have to take a few education courses and complete the Praxis II Principles of Teaching and Learning exam. After you complete them, you can renew your license as a regular 5-year license just like any other teacher. Congrats, you're a teacher. The only difficulty is finding the principal to hire you and convincing them that you can teach with zero education experience.

Another option - once you are a certified educator in one subject, you can add MANY more subject endorsements to your license just by taking the Praxis II for that subject. Got a degree in English education but want to teach history? If you can pass the test, you can teach it.

There's also options for experts in a field to receive a three-year renewable license without even completing the alternate route program. You do have to have more references, including someone to vouch that you are truly an expert in your field, and you have to take the Praxis I.

Mississippi has also developed the Mississippi Teacher Residency Program for people who have at least 60 college credits or an Associate's Degree that aren't currently part of an education program. After 2 years of working alongside a licensed mentor teacher, congrats. You're also a teacher with a bachelor's degree. And oh yea - you can get a full scholarship and a housing allowance to do it (granted, there's a limited number of available spots for this program).

Which is, in fact, ridiculous because what you really want are subject matter experts doing the teaching. An education degree doesn't mean you know your subject at all.

I concur with this, with the following caveat - just because you are an expert in your subject matter doesn't mean you are a good teacher at all.

Edit: @guidomerkinsrules beat me to it.

 

[Saint_Ward]

We’ll vice versa too
There are plenty of artists who can’t teach their art to save their lives
Ask Ward if he thinks all engineers would teach engineering well

I don’t mind certification or education degrees in theory - esp for lower school, bc that seems to be about 80% class management and 20% content knowledge (university it probably the flip of that)
In HS you really need both

Some would be awful.

That being said, I do know at least one Engineer who transitioned to being a teacher. I'd have to ask his wife (who is my friend), how he did it.

 

[buzd]

Drago’s in Metairie temporarily closes after employees test positive for coronavirus

Drago's will close for a minimum of seven days to clean and sanitize the restaurant

www.fox8live.com

Ironically, I had a long talk with the owner of this place not that long ago, and he's definitely in the anti-mask/anti-safety measure faction. He only does what he does at the restaurant merely because he has to.

This doesn't really surprise me.

 

[Goatman Saint]

Alright, lets say for the sake of the discussion that these people are telling outright lies and they didn't follow procedures fully. This still doesn't change the argument that its not safe to go back to school. I'm not at a huge school by any means, but even if we split it in half, there are still several hundred people a day in the building. Are they all going to be able to (willingly or not) follow guidelines 100% of the time? Doubtful.

We need to be talking about what is realistic and what isn't with school openings. I keep hearing this theory of children not getting sick, or as sick, when they get Covid. So are we forgetting that about 10-15% of the population in a school isn't a child?

They were doing distance learning. There were no kids involved.

 

[gboudx]

We’ll vice versa too
There are plenty of artists who can’t teach their art to save their lives
Ask Ward if he thinks all engineers would teach engineering well

I don’t mind certification or education degrees in theory - esp for lower school, bc that seems to be about 80% class management and 20% content knowledge (university it probably the flip of that)
In HS you really need both

I'm an engineer, and I would be an awful teacher. Like really, really turrible. I have no ambitions to be an educator. My wife, on the other hand, is an awesome teacher. She just has a knack for how she relates to the kids and how to help them learn. It's a gift I don't have.

 

[Grumpy Old Manatee]

This doesn't really surprise me.

Do they no longer have the downtown location to shift workers to? Seems more logical than asking them to commute to Baton Rouge.

 

[buzd]

Do they no longer have the downtown location to shift workers to? Seems more logical than asking them to commute to Baton Rouge.

They do as far as I know. I can't imagine they are very busy though.

 

[superchuck500]

Los Angeles public schools will not reopen.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Interesting and transparent read from Iowa State AD on why it is important that they have some type of football season

Some people have incorrectly framed the issue as safety versus revenue generation. The simple fact is that reality lies somewhere in the middle. As leaders, we remain committed to safety first. As I outlined in my letter on June 25, 2020, we are working hard to develop and implement mitigation strategies to reduce the risk to players and fans at events this fall. More details about these plans will be provided in the near future.

The Iowa State athletics budget does not include any state or university funding and relies mainly on television revenues, private donations and ticket sales. If those revenues decrease dramatically or are eliminated, we will have unfunded financial obligations. The remedies to having unfunded financial obligations are significant and would require us to explore options that may include operational reductions or eliminations, layoffs, and even elimination of sport programs.
......

If we are unable to play sports this fall, the athletics department would incur approximately $40M in unfunded expenses in the next six months. I am working closely with President Wintersteen to find innovative contingency plans to address the difficult challenges presented if these projections become a reality. However, the truth is that there are significant financial impacts being felt across the university and the state that limit our options. The university's revenue loss for its educational fund for FY21 is more than $41 million. Since the start of COVID-19 through August 23, 2020, the university's revenue losses and costs are estimated to be an additional $73 million. Furthermore, state agencies, including the university and its departments, are not allowed to incur debt for operating expenses.

The financial impact we are facing stretches beyond our department and its employees. The ramifications would also be devastating for the state, university and local community. Many residents and area businesses rely upon our events for their economic survival.

Pollard Addresses Cyclone Nation - Iowa State University Athletics

July 13, 2020

cyclones.com

 

[St. Geezy]

 

[bonnjer]

Los Angeles public schools will not reopen.

The first domino?

 

[bonnjer]

In HS you really need both

Yep. You could have Einstein as a high school physics teacher and if he can't control the class, not much learning is going to take place.