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The N.Y.S. department of budget announced it is withholding 20% from multiple areas of Education aid...The impact on school districts that receive high percentages of State Aid will be significant. What are your thoughts?

8/24/2020

Tammy Brown

7/10/2020 05:25:31 pm

First and foremost, we must consider the facts before we decide how to open, and not let our decisions be based on irrational fears. For example, should not forget how few children have fallen ill with Covid 19, and how few have died. A very small percentage of children have suffered from a possible covid related 'kawasaki like' ailment.i believe the number of children in the United States is 285. Considering how many children reside in the US, the possibility of children suffering of that ailment is minuscule. The chances of our children getting shot down in a school shooting is far greater than them succumbing to covid virus. I am sure you are aware of the devastating effects closing the schools has had on our children. I have seen mine battle depression, isolation and loneliness. My sixteen year old daughter has suffered the worse. Before you make any decisions at all, I ask you reexamine all of the evidence. Understand the implications of causing undue hardship on our children. They have been starving for normality in their lives. Take into account the information the American Academy of Pediatrics has offered. Consider the studies, although few, that have determined children likely do not spread the virus amongst each other or the adults in their lives. Please make going back to school as easy as you can for them. They should not be punished because of unfounded, irrational fears related to the covid virus. Finally, trying to teach my children with distance learning has not worked well. Two of my daughters have learning disabilities. As much as I would like to say I am more qualified than their teachers, counselors, and therapists to help them learn and grow, I have to admit I'm not. They need full time, in person support from trained professionals. Above all, our children need as much normality as we can give them, and I think that will be determined if we rely on the facts.

Dave Howland

8/4/2020 09:18:54 am

Tammy Brown
You speak of how small child cases are, how health officials say it is a proven fact but honestly what do health officials even know about the virus, apparently not to much because that information changes on a daily basis. All it takes in one single child to get sick or worse. Scientist have stated that this virus is mutating at a high rate. Again, all it takes is one child. Who takes responsibility for that one child, the government has already made it clear the school system isn't responsible and the government isn't responsible so who is the parent who elected to send the child? Does the potentual death of even one child outweigh your child feeling down because of no live classes? I will admit when schools shut down the schools were very unorganized. They sent a backpack stuffed with practice work home for the young kids, with no plan on sending school work back in. The schools then sent notices saying oh we have not seen any work returned., without telling parents how when or where to return the work. But, as a parent of a seven year old with health conditions. I will not send my child until I am satisfied with a potential outcome from the school, and will demand for the school to prepare for my child to be home schooled.

Tammy Brown

8/4/2020 11:25:42 am

What do the experts.really know about the virus? They know that of all the people covid has killed, a very very very small percentage have been kids. As far as the virus mutating, you should research that and see what it really means before you live in fear because of it. Finally, if your child has major underlying health problems and you dont feel safe, by all means, keep them home, but do not judge people who have learned the facts from experts, and by experts I dont mean computer programmers or governors, but doctors and virologists, who want our children to get the best education they can. This is not about them feeling down..why dont you ask before you assume everyone is upset about that? For Gods sake..do some research..you're home anyway, right? Research what we are fighting for...research all the unintended consequences kids are suffering, not just the ones you pick and choose to. And please, lose your righteous attitude because you being a good little sheep and falling into the fear mongering isnt very impressive.

David Howland

8/4/2020 03:14:44 pm

Tammy Brown,
ACTUALLY I am not home I am an essential worker trust me you are not the only one. The only righteous thoughts are from people that want to down play what could become a potential hazzard to children. Sorry you have to flip a hamburg in a place that probably doesnt know if there workers are infected spreading it anyway. Do I think dictator Cuomo has taking it over board, yes in fact I do, but do I down play a potential threat to my kid no I do not but I also will not change my thoughts because a hamburger flipper at mcdonalds says COVID-19 is not a danger to kids. I have read plenty of your thoughts about it on facebook and those that disagree with the flipper are all sheep. GO back to the rock you climbed out from under. You personally do not know anything more about the virus than anyone else. I will not spend my time listening to a Ronald McDonald clown wanna be so your thoughts about COVID-19 are as irrelevant as anyone else's are.

Tammy Brown

8/4/2020 04:36:18 pm

Really? You are supporting your claim by insulting my job?? Okay...now we can see your point!! Thank you for reminding me that you are far better than I am! NOT!! Anyway, I'm not in high school anymore so I'm not going to get into a bullying match with you. I stand by what I said..if you dont want to send your child to school..dont, but dont expect everyone to follow your lead. Your opinion of all this matters about as much as mine does too you. Unless, of course, YOU are a doctor or virologist?

David Howland

8/4/2020 05:19:37 pm

Tammy
I think the start of the bullying begins when people who disagree to your professional doctor knowledge as sheep. Just out of curiosity, what doctors of virologist did you get your information from. You say to listen to scientists and doctors, from what I have seen, I haven't heard more than one have the exact same opinion as another. Oh and by the way my first reply was a personal opinion and my opinion on how the school was not organized. I fumbled through a mess of papers crammed into a bookbag half the paper in bag was just drawing paper. No instruction on what to do with it where to take it, while a neighboring student was assigned a lap top to do online classes. NOT a individual attack towards anyone. Then I get a response that was an attack of being a sheep. Just out of curiosity why doesn't anyone want to take responsibility IF IF IF something were to potentially happen to a student. Maybe because IT could be possible that something may happen, NOT saying it will happen.

Tammy Brown

8/5/2020 07:33:52 am

First of all, I am a firm believer that bullying should end at school..we are all adults here. The experts I listen to are Dr. Robert Redfield (the director of the CDC,) Dr.Fauci, Dr. Birx, the American Academy of Pediatrics. You would be wise to research what they have to say. There is an incredible amount of information. On the CDC website. As for the other experts, type their names and the information you want to know in the YouTube search box...I usually get the information live, because I dont watch the news, I watch their conferences, but it is all available on youtube. Look at the numbers..if that isnt enough to convince you, research other countries and how opening their schools have worked for them. Don't put your faith in Cuomo or Bill Gates..they are not experts. Finally, working at McDonalds doesnt make people stupid..I make more money than I did when I was a nurses aid (20 years), and I dont get beat up everyday, I dont haven't clean up poop, and I dont have to watch people die. I work full time, and I get fulltime benefits. Please stop being so judgmental and condiscending.

Christine Bordonaro

7/10/2020 05:51:05 pm

My daughter is an only child she needs to be in school with other children.
She was so upset when her last year in middle school was her sitting at home with no friends or teachers and she didn’t get to say good bye to any of them.

She was also very upset and crying because she did everything the teachers asked of her for school work and then she didn’t even get grades on her report card.

The teachers gave her a grade and yet none of those scores were aloud on her report card. She worked so hard and there was nothing from the school of awards or anything for her hard work..

Why would she want to continue doing school work at home when no one acknowledges her hard work. This will be her first year in high school and she Needs and Wants to be with her friends.

Had I wanted to home school her she would have already been being homeschooled. They all need to be in school every day learning and being with there friends..

I know it’s already been proven there are kids who will not do the work and that there parents will not make them do it.. so working from home doesn’t work for all.

So for my child I and she want her in School every day....

I hope school open as it should.

Will

9/23/2020 08:51:08 am

She'd likely be way more upset if she killed her grandparents.

I fully trust your daughter is as good as you say she is. Weaker individuals have endured far more then "missing" a year of school. She'll be fine. almost certainly far better then fine.

I know it's easy to discredit the large number of death as useless elderly in some other place. But ask yourself this very simple question:

Would you trade [insert elderly person you know]'s life for your daughter to be back in school this year?

Candice Getchell

7/15/2020 07:34:18 am

While most parents are in the rush to send there children back to school, or stay saying there children need this, and they need to back in school. I'm choosing not to send my girls back. My youngest has been in and out the drs office this summer.If there not losing there mask, they dont wanna wear them. I can't seem to get them too leave there masks on. I feel comfortable having them home especially my youngest.

Patricia Laden

7/19/2020 08:05:20 pm

I definitely agree with you 110% are children need to be safe and healthy and none of us parent are going to be guaranteed the health & safety of are children. I feel it’s so risky putting all these children at risk sending them to school. I definitely can relate to your feelings about keeping your children home I feel exactly the same way. I feel children with a disability are at high risk.

Tammy Brown

7/20/2020 12:13:14 pm

Before covid was ever abthing we couldn't guarantee the safety of our children when they went to school. Unfortunately, influenza and meningitis and other infections can still make them sick. According to the experts, covid is not likely to make them sick. As a matter of fact, 30 kids, most with underlying health conditions have succumb to covid. 144 children have died of the flu.

Colleen Hague

7/15/2020 12:57:57 pm

Just use facts and science to make your decisions.There are tons of sources out there that have legitimate scientific reasoning behind their suggestions. Listen to your educators, they know the situation better than any of us, they live the reality. See how they feel, do they think they can teach safely, especially younger children who will be very hard to keep apart or keeping masks on their faces. And if you do decide to open, you will need lots of plans B's and C's, if there is an outbreak and you have a lot of teachers out, which is a reality, and tons of kids on quarantine. I don't envy you with this process, good luck! And thank you all for everything you do for our kids, no matter if its online or in person. You are truly appreciated.

Miranda Hunter

7/15/2020 02:15:37 pm

I am very torn about whether I want the kids to go back to school in person. I definitely want it to be safe, and I know my middle and high school kids want to be in school, but I’m not convinced that it is safe to do so yet. It is easy to say that kids don’t get too horribly sick from Covid, but that ignores a couple things. First of all, if only a handful of our kids get sick and die, that still seems like too many. Second, you can’t have kids at school without exposing countless adults on a daily basis, many of whom WILL get sick and some of whom may die. It seems like a lot to ask of teachers, aides, bus drivers, staff people, etc. to risk their lives in the midst of a pandemic. I have countless questions about what school will look like, if we do go back in person, but I will just ask a few here: 1) what happens when a teacher/staff person/student gets sick? Do all the people who have been near that person have to quarantine until tested? It seems like that, especially on the middle/high school level, creates a whole lot of potential for upheaval, for unexpected closures/absences, which will be stressful for teachers and students alike. 2) Will there be an online option for kids who are quarantined? It seems inevitable that kids will end up home sometimes, awaiting test results or waiting to see if symptoms develop because family members or associates have fallen ill? If significant instruction is taking place in the school building, it seems like another source of upheaval for kids. And if so, how can teachers be expected to run in-person classes and online classes at the same time? It seems like a herculean task for them. 3) What is the plan for substitute teachers? I know that it’s already hard to have enough subs to cover, and I imagine that it won’t become easier in a pandemic. The pay is shockingly low, and the work is hard (and I say this from experience, having done the job). It seems like there’s going to need to be a plan for how to cover absences, whether they’re short-term (teacher has an appointment) or long term (teacher has Covid and has to be out for weeks or months). And what happens if a sub tests positive? Wouldn’t that potentially put a whole huge group of students and adults into quarantine mode?

I guess I’m concerned not only about the safety of my children and the adults who work with them, but I’m also concerned about the continuity of the school year, about constant change and adjustment. My kids are great students, motivates and focused, and they did okay with remote learning. It was hard emotionally, and it wasn’t perfect academically, but it was entirely safe, and it didn’t have the crazy ups and downs that I’m afraid in-person learning will have. I’m not saying that in-person learning is impossible, but I’m not convinced yet that it can work.

Mallory Mirabito

7/15/2020 04:21:36 pm

After months of teaching my younger sister it became clear as to why school is so important. It was so hard to adjust to how she was taught and how I was taught. The struggle to get her to sit down and focus was unreal. We made it work the best we could but I ran into so many problems trying to teach her. She didn’t take it seriously, struggled to learn the ways I was taught, and most of all she missed out on the interactions with her teachers. Teaching a 7 year old how to type and use technology this advanced was so hard. We had many days I didn’t even want to do it because I didn’t want to fight with her. Being in school forces her to focus and succeed without me giving her the answers. She is an only child at home and needs to be exposed to others and needs a system. We lacked a system as I could barely get things running as they should be.

Nicholas Wright

7/15/2020 05:10:10 pm

It's hard to say how this is gonna be with the data changing and the regulations changing. Most importantly school is definitely a necessity while it's going to be hard and a fight with the younger children even with some of the the older one . My 9 year isn't gonna wanna wear a mask for 8 hours a day or even 2 for that matter. Can you imagine the 5 6 and 7 year olds cause i cant see that lasting more then a few minutes at a time. The teachers are gonna be over whelmed as it is. How are we gonna help the kids with special needs or who need assistance. if you need to keep 6 ft away kinda hard to bring the paper to the desk or the teacher to come over and assist. But the children need to have some sorta interaction with each other. They need that structure and that closed environment to help keep them focused. There are gonna be so many obstacles to over come. Just like getting to classrooms there's bound to be contact. Lunches people are gonna have to take the mask off to eat. A solution to some of the issues while being in class the schools can implement a program like team view and allow the teacher to see the students chromebook or tablet to assist with the problem an eliminate the need to be close. Use plexiglass like the stores do around the desks and sanitize them between classes or the students do so before leaving. The biggest thing is to make sure the rules and regulations are set and made clear for the reopening of school

Ketherine Safavizadeh

7/15/2020 08:10:38 pm

My opinions regarding returning to school in the fall have been expressed by several of the individuals that have posted already.

My two concerns that remain are:

1) What plans do you have in place for contact tracing in the event that a staff member or student becomes sick with COVID?

2) How will you ensure that students with special needs have the supports required through their IEPs/504 plans? My fear is that these rights could be unintentionally violated due to a lack
of planning.

Melissa Azzarello

7/17/2020 06:54:20 am

I feel that we should try the A/B days. Half kids home and doing virtual school work, and other half in school social distancing. This is going to be difficult on everyone but I know we will get past this and figure it out. All have to have open minds and patience with each other.

Patricia Laden

7/19/2020 07:56:55 pm

I’m not rushing to send my daughter back to school in the fall we still don’t know everything there is to know about Covid 19 the data changes frequently. My daughter has of course a suppressed immune system due to birth. The school can send her home sick I get her better an in two days she is sick again. My daughter was a preemie and had to have Synergen shots when she was a baby to boost the immune system which didn’t work and also has breathing issues. My daughter has separation anxiety /anxiety as a nom. If she was to contract this virus we all know she would have to go alone her anxiety isn’t going to let that happen. Their isn’t anyone that can guarantee me she wouldn’t contract the virus. Without not having a guarantee that she won’t contract this virus I’m choosing to keep her home with Virtual learning where I know she will be safe & healthy. I’m her mom and I know what is best for her health / safety. I’ve been trying to get her out so I can introduce the new normal with the mask. She is in the store for about 10 minutes and off comes the mask. I can’t guarantee that it will stay on at school and then we’re going to have a behavior issue. My daughter is very scared going back to school and I need to listen to what she is telling and make a decision for the fall. Like I said my daughter isn’t returning until I’m guaranteed that she will not get Covid 19. I certainly agree with some of the other parents comments.

Tammy Brown

7/20/2020 12:19:21 pm

I disagree. Our children should be in school 5 full days a week. We should all be given the choice. If you have listened to what the experts are saying, and you still dont feel it's safe to send your children back, keep them home. If you have listened to the experts and you feel they should be in school then send them back.it shouldn't be with ways. If you dont feel your children will be safe going to school 5 full days a week, how can you say you feel comfortable with sending them 1 or 2 days a week?

Tammy Brown

7/20/2020 12:27:01 pm

And rest assured, the lethality of this virus is the same as it has always been. I have worked through the entire pandemic, 5 days a week. I've been exposed to hundreds of different people every day. Why? Because apparently, Big Macs and diet Cokes are essential. If.any of you were ok coming through my drive thru and taking the chance of getting sick because we were an essential business, how can you say our children's education is not essential or teachers shouldn't be expected to go back? Think about that arguement. The people who make your fries and shakes need to keep working because they are essential, but our educators are not? For me, there wasnt a choice..comply with my employer or quit my job..no unemployment.

Tammy Brown

7/20/2020 12:31:45 pm

Also, if people have a choice, no in between, the social distancing problem will work itself out. Either you want your children to go back to school or you dont. Covid doesnt have specific days or times it will spread. Dont make all of our children suffer because if the irrational fears and silly suggestions of some people.

Stacie Brennan

8/18/2020 09:51:29 pm

I totally agree with you 100%. As a parent who has an extremely weakened immune system due to one illness alone that almost killed me I am not willing to take that risk again. 3 doctors told me I was lucky to be walking out of the hospital alive but if I ever got that sick again it was a high probability that I would not survive again.

Heather Brown

7/21/2020 08:17:59 pm

I am in absolutely no rush to send me kids back to school. I want them to stay safe and healthy and there’s no guarantee that is going to be able to happen if they go back to school. Yes kids may not be as likely to get the virus but they can carry the virus home and infect their parents or other loved ones. Than there’s the staff. They will be risking being exposed daily. I personally think there should be some options for parents to choice what they feel is best for their family. For my family I feel virtual learning would be best for now. Maybe for some other families they feel sending their kids to school is the best choice. This isn’t something that should be taken lightly by any means.

Tammy Brown

7/22/2020 11:39:28 am

https://m.facebook.com/groups/346281205806669?view=permalink&id=990471211387662

Kristen Crumb-Keller

7/24/2020 07:19:02 am

I have heard many options for the school year. I am torn. My kids have actually enjoyed being home, as we have 4 kids home full time. We were creative and had tech class. We are fortunate in that, I have been able to work from home. My husband also works 24 hours shifts, so he is able to be home and to assist. However, my youngest who will enter Kindergarten, is still working on her Pre-K work. My older kids have ADHD and need constant prompting. This is very time consuming and difficult to manage while also working.
I have personally been exposed to COVID-19 and seen the effects of the virus. I fear for my children's health, even prior to COVID-19. I would like options. In NC, there is a hybrid classroom and virtual learning program. There is a full virtual program and a classroom program. They have already had their opportunity to sign up for it. I would prefer a hybrid program, as long as all my children went to school on the same day, I could schedule my career around that. My spanish is lacking and attempting to teach that was difficult at best. My youngest needs socialization to understand how to act with other children and she loved Pre-K. I do not think we can have it one way or the other, I think it will have to be a combination. I do also believe that some students suffered during the closure and that needs to be addressed in the upcoming school year as not everyone has a quintessential household.

Miranda Hunter

7/24/2020 03:05:04 pm

Please view this study done by a relatively local company about the spread of simulated coughs in an open space: https://www.holt.com/covid-19-simulation-indoors/?fbclid=IwAR12kKbMVkZvxZyCKi9rgP6m0AtWkhQxMuYMWRH6imAGVwBDY6M_LIB0Fsk. It is, in my opinion, utterly irresponsible to put students and teachers together into any indoor space without masks, even if they remain six feet apart. Remote learning would, of course, be the safest route, but masks are a MUST for learners if you plan to undertake in-person learning. Those masks should be worn not just when moving about them building, but all the time, especially on a middle and high school level where students and staff will be exposed to a larger number of other people.

Tammy Brown

7/25/2020 05:36:19 pm

This was released by the CDC. in my opinion, we need to disregard irrational fears and operate schools in accordance to the CDC guidelines. They recommend wearing masks when we cannot socially distance. In other words, if people are going to be closer than 6 feet to each other, they should wear a mask. I'm sorry, but we should not make life as miserable as we can for students because some people feel we should go above and beyond the guidelines despite the evidence cited by the CDC. if you really believe kids should wear masks every minute of everyday, by all means, keep your kids home... the rest of the students should not be forced to suffer needlessly because of the irrational fears of some people.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/reopening-schools.html?fbclid=IwAR0UQycjjqWzoKo2BrBVFrg54RNG7F8_FGB_ZBKe6XjeBoCeeigE9ZMlMDA

Miranda Hunter

7/26/2020 04:46:14 am

Honestly, I might keep my children home. I’m waiting to see the plan and reserving judgment. But as the parent of an academically-advanced high school kid taking college-level classes and seriously studying music, I’m not capable of teaching her everything she would have learned in school this year. We could probably handle the seventh grade curriculum, but Algebra II, college Spanish, and saxophone are beyond me. What I would like is a cautious, responsible plan that makes it possible for my kids to access the public education system to learn safely. Children in other countries are capable of learning to wear masks, especially at the middle and high school level, and I’m confident that American children can learn that too. Will it be perfect? Nope. Will there be kids with masks under their noses or taking them off sometimes? Yup. But if most of the kids are wearing them most of the time, that’s a whole lot of viral particles captured by masks that would otherwise be floating in the air, potentially infecting people. If we prevent one case this way, then we also prevent that one person from infecting the next, and so on and so forth. My husband and I are both teachers in other school systems, and we also hope that our administrators are putting together safe and responsible plans that take into account our safety, that look beyond the recommendations that the CDC altered under political pressure, that many, many scientists agree are nowhere near stringent enough to keep children and the adults working with them safe. What I seek to protect when I ask for a conservative, careful reopening plan is not just the physical health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff but also the continuity of our learning. If we put forth a plan that causes numbers to rise, we will be shut down again within weeks or months, thereby causing more trauma and upheaval to students, more transitions and adjustments. If we put together a realistic and careful plan, then hopefully we can string together a stretch of months that look consistent for children, that allow them to make peace with a new normal, even if that new normal involves wearing a small piece of cloth over their mouths and noses.

Erika

8/7/2020 08:06:45 pm

I am so torn on what to do for my kids. This spring remote learning my kids did great with and was able to get all work and more done correctly. Teachers helped a lot. But however they need to be socialized but I am not 100% sure I want to send them to school 5 days a week for my 5th grader and hybrid for my 6th grader. I am leaning to hybrid for both kids. Yes I see the plan for middle and hs is hybrid but my issue is the times. I 100%++ disagree that the middle and hs kids goes from 9-3pm. They should have been their normal times. Now I just wish and hope perry Browne intermediate school will do a hybrid option. I am suggesting this as my child has immune system compromised and I am worried her being exposed 5 days a week but the whole mask issue is my main issue. She can’t even wear a mask in the store for 10 mins without it coming off. So I dunno how she will do it in school all day. But I want to send my kids to school hybrid mode because they need some face to face and need socialization. Also the times for perry Browne is ridiculous because how do you expect parents to work and then have their kids home after 130pm and now they can not utilize hs kids to watch their children. This in my opinion will make many parents forgoing to work because it will be very difficult to find someone to watch the younger kids. I work and so does my spouse and neither of us get home till after 3pm. If my middle schooler got home perry Browne then it will be safe. If both my kids do hybrid and the same days my boss will let me stay home the days they are home so that way I have it covered but with one getting out at 125 and one at 3 and o am at work I honestly don’t think it’s safe to have a child home alone, especially in this day of age. All 4 buildings should offer hybrid option and the middle and hs should be at their normal time frame. Thanks

Stacie Brennan

8/18/2020 09:40:49 pm

As a mother of 2 who has had a deadly disease that put me in the hospital for a week these are mine and my kids thoughts on reopening. A few days ago my kids and I sat down and had a very in detail discussion looking at the pros and cons of classroom vs. virtual learning. As I am highly immunocomprimised the choice that we have made as a family 19and 14 year old children and myself is that we all feel it would be more comfortable for both boys to do virtual learning to protect and prevent any of us from getting I'll. Another issue both children have is they both have highly functioning anxiety and there is absolutely no way they would be able to comfortably be able to wear masks 90 to 95 percent of the day without going into an anxiety attack. We all would be much more comfortable given the risks to virtual learn.

Lilian

8/22/2020 12:06:43 pm

Our child needs to go back to school: both me and my husband are working full time. Our child can not stay home alone and participate in virtual classes . Some parents might have the luxury of staying home and doing online classes, we can not stay home, and our child needs to go to school.

Erika

8/22/2020 12:15:01 pm

Every child needs to go back to school. Parents needs to work to raise their families and support them. Now with the budget cut announcement yesterday it’s looking like virtual is the only option. Which I disagree with. There is ways that the school could re-open, once way is that there is no need for the intern superintendent to get $750.00 a day. The kids in our community needs teacher support and learning and it’s not going to happen doing it virtual. Parents can not work and those who do work then how are the kids doing their schedules google meets. Most babysitters/daycares don’t have the staff or resources to become teachers and support none school kids. This is detrimental to our youth. Please reconsider doing virtual indefinitely. We as the community need schools open.

WE are NORWICH

The N.Y.S. department of budget announced it is withholding 20% from multiple areas of Education aid...The impact on school districts that receive high percentages of State Aid will be significant. What are your thoughts?

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Scott Ryan

WE are NORWICH​

The N.Y.S. department of budget announced it is withholding 20% from multiple areas of Education aid...The impact on school districts that receive high percentages of State Aid will be significant. What are your thoughts?

Leave a Reply.

Scott Ryan

WE are NORWICH