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July Banter 2020


George BM
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53 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

You're entitled to your opinion.  

As far as Carroll county goes...

1.7% positivity rate 

118 out of 132 deaths are in Ltc and nursing facilities. 

1 person under age 19 has died in a state of 6 million. 

Mortality in Carroll county for 50 and under is insanely low  ( maybe .005- .01) .

Also 60% of  total Md cases are in only  3 counties of 23 counties  .

The path forward is obvious imo here in Carroll county especially. 

I'm not even going to mention the dozens of  negative consequences to just the children if they can't go to school. 

I know this probably isn't even being considered, but outdoor classes would be a good solution.  This would especially make sense for rural districts that have more space.  You'd need to set up those big carnival tents and figure out bathrooms and stuff, and of course you'd have to deal with the kids and families complaining about the bugs/heat/cold/whatever, but IMO it's a much better solution than Zoom classes.  As a teacher I'd be excited to do it, all I'd need is some kind of portable white board.   In this region we could probably run it almost to Thanksgiving without major problems. 

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46 minutes ago, mappy said:

No there isn't an easy answer. And honestly, if people would just do their part (wear masks, stay socially distant) we would probably be in an overall better place that school can open safely even if its a hybrid version. But it sucks to see people have complete disregard for those who teach our children. As if their lives aren't worth a damn.

yep and it mainly boils down to we have rudimentary knowledge of the virus and what it does (which is growing on an exponential level damn near daily) and people are trying to Dunning-Kruger their way into opening things up because they're impatient. On top of that as you said, if wearing masked hadn't become politicized then again like you said would make opening schools less of a risk.

 

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39 minutes ago, mappy said:

teachers are dramatic. got it. i'm sure our resident teachers here will appreciate that sentiment. 

I am a bit of a drama queen. B)

We are back in session here, running well below capacity. Not your typical school. The "kids" are at least early 20s. We have folks come here from all over. At least one dude here is from Texas, and a few from California. :yikes:

Quite a few staff and adjunct instructors here I know are high risk, should they get infected. The COVID policy is pretty solid, but there are things I don't like.

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4 minutes ago, biodhokie said:

Correct, and it mainly boils down to we have rudimentary knowledge of the virus and what it does (which is growing on an exponential level damn near daily) and people are trying to Dunning-Kruger their way into opening things up because they're impatient. On top of that as you said, if wearing masked hadn't become politicized then again like you said would make opening schools less of a risk.

 

I wholeheartedly agree that not every place is the same. Some counties are in much much better places than others. And any school decision should be county based, hell even district based (as an example, in my area cases are SUPER LOW (less than 20 in my zip code) while areas near the city are much much higher.) Will it be safer in Hereford Zone schools than say Catonsville? Maybe... but it only takes one person to be sick and it spreads. We know damn well kids, especially younger kids, cannot and will not do all the things they need to do keep their germs to themselves. But we also cannot just generalize the decision based on that. Its a tough situation all around and I for one am glad I am not in the position to have to make that decision. 

FWIW: we went with a hybrid school year for our kid in the survey that was sent by BaltCo. We want our kid in school. Virtual learning sucks, and she was only finishing first grade. I can only imagine the trials parents went through for older kids. And I feel for those parents and kids alike. Its a sucky ass situation all around, with no right (or easy) answer. 

I just wish people had more empathy for others even if they themselves are not directly impacted by the decisions being made.

1 minute ago, CAPE said:

I am a bit of a drama queen. B)

We are back in session here, running well below capacity. Not your typical school. The "kids" are at least early 20s. We have folks come here from all over. At least one dude here is from Texas, and a few from California. :yikes:

Quite a few staff and adjunct instructors here I know are high risk, should they get infected. The COVID policy is pretty solid, but there are things I don't like.

I dont think there can be a perfect system in place that can ensure kids, teachers, staff alike don't get sick, or spread it. It's impossible. Everyone has a level of risk they are okay with, and we all need to be respectful to that without calling our teachers dramatic or saying creating a will is crap. 

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1 minute ago, mappy said:

 

I dont think there can be a perfect system in place that can ensure kids, teachers, staff alike don't get sick, or spread it. It's impossible. Everyone has a level of risk they are okay with, and we all need to be respectful to that without calling our teachers dramatic or saying creating a will is crap. 

I just finished converting a course to online format. That may be the only one, as our courses have major lab components, and/or physical assessments. Students really need to be here to complete the courses we offer. We will see how this goes. Cant account for everything, and ofc there is human nature, and nature of this virus. It could always go badly, as it has in several places on a larger scale when people don't comply with the simple, painless, and proven methods for minimizing spread.

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Just now, CAPE said:

I just finished converting a course to online format. That may be the only one, as our courses have major lab components, and/or physical assessments. Students really need to be here to complete the courses we offer. We will see how this goes. Cant account for everything, and ofc there is human nature, and nature of this virus. It could always go badly, as it has in several places on a larger scale when people don't comply with the simple, painless, and proven methods for minimizing spread.

What do you teach, if I may ask?

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6 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

I'm simply saying for Carroll county the metrics look really good and  the  option should be given  for families and teachers who want to be back In person 100% to be able to choose that ...and there are many who do ...as well as the 100% online option for those families and teachers who are fearful of returning to face to face . I mentioned the other day the teachers that don't want to return in person can teach the online courses . Seems rational to me .  Many daycares have been open and many private schools are choosing to have in person . Simply my opinion.  Not looking for war here .

And what you say is perfectly rational and within reason, and makes sense based on how well carroll county is doing. but please dont diminish teachers who are genuinely concerned for their well being by saying their actions are crap. it doesn't look good. 

1 minute ago, CAPE said:

I just finished converting a course to online format. That may be the only one, as our courses have major lab components, and/or physical assessments. Students really need to be here to complete the courses we offer. We will see how this goes. Cant account for everything, and ofc there is human nature, and nature of this virus. It could always go badly, as it has in several places on a larger scale when people don't comply with the simple, painless, and proven methods for minimizing spread.

Yup, I understand. We are lucky that our kid is going into second grade. Being her home-school teacher isn't hard. Its a juggling act between work and her, but its not tough to keep her on track and making sure she's learning the things she needs too. I'm hopeful that BaltCo will handle any virtual learning in the fall better than they did in the spring, because it was terrible. 

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Just now, DCTeacherman said:

What do you teach, if I may ask?

Engineering courses. I get to teach the fun stuff- industrial automation and networking.

Our students all work on big ships- merchant marines and US Navy predominately- and a few other commercial customers from the maritime industry.

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Just now, CAPE said:

Engineering courses. I get to teach the fun stuff- industrial automation and networking.

Our students all work on big ships- merchant marines and US Navy predominately- and a few other commercial customers from the maritime industry.

That does seem fun.  Teaching at that level seems like a different universe than teaching high school. 

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1 hour ago, losetoa6 said:

I'm simply saying for Carroll county the metrics look really good and  the  option should be given  for families and teachers who want to be back In person 100% to be able to choose that ...and there are many who do ...as well as the 100% online option for those families and teachers who are fearful of returning to face to face . I mentioned the other day the teachers that don't want to return in person can teach the online courses . Seems rational to me .  Many daycares have been open and many private schools are choosing to have in person . Simply my opinion.  Not looking for war here .

That’s a best case scenario but it’s pretty impossible logistically, especially given the time constraints. Hoco was hoping to do that but students and teachers had to commit to a year of online learning regardless of how things (hopefully) improved throughout the school year. And then there was no guarantee they could go back to their home school when this is over. And then there’s obviously matching up the numbers of virtual teachers to virtual students. 

It’s just complicated, and it’s no surprise to me that school systems would take the road of caution. Think about how lame our schools are with snow in this area...

(paging @mattie g)

 

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53 minutes ago, WxWatcher007 said:

Hurricane Hunters are looking for engineers. Can I use your resume to apply? 

:weenie:

One topic I teach is flow measurement principles and methods.. there is a technique based on vortex shedding- the Karman Vortex street. Cool stuff, and a phenomena observed on all scales, atmosphere included. There is also a Coriolis Mass flow meter that is very commonly used in industry, and I get to go off on a tangent and explain how the principle of operation has nothing to do with the actual Coriolis effect lol. Easy to incorporate weather into my lessons. :D

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11 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

I appreciate your opinion on the matter. The implementation for "any" option is going to be complicated for sure . I also wonder how many families will do home schooling because that affects class size for social distancing. These school decisions really should be made on a county by county basis imo . Huge differences in population size and covid cases county to county. 

I agree, and no one should be surprised when all the “central MD” counties do the same thing. They discuss snow decisions at 4AM so I’d expect nothing different here.

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2 minutes ago, nw baltimore wx said:

I agree, and no one should be surprised when all the “central MD” counties do the same thing. They discuss snow decisions at 4AM so I’d expect nothing different here.

I know you teach in Howard but Balt Co recommending 100% virtual through end of first semester (Jan 2021). Set hours per day of teacher learning, attendance will be taken daily... etc. Hybrid for second semester, or virtual if a family wants... nothing final until State Board of Ed approves of course. 

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.CLIMATE...
Aside from the one day last week that broke the streak of
consecutive 90+ F days at Ronald Reagan Washington National
Airport (KDCA), every day this month has had a high of at least
90 F.

As of Tuesday afternoon, that total (for July) was up to 20
days. The most 90+ F days ever in any month in the immediate
Washington, DC, area is 25 days (set in July 2011). Looking at
the pattern over the next 7 days, as well as probabilities for
above normal temperatures from our colleagues at the Climate
Prediction Center (CPC) out to 14 days, it seems it will be very
difficult to NOT break that record.

For the Baltimore, Maryland, and Sterling-Dulles, Virginia,
areas, the record most 90+ F days in a month is 24 days (also
set in July 2011). As of Tuesday afternoon, the Baltimore area
had hit 90 F 17 times so far this month, and the Sterling/Dulles
Virginia area had hit 90 F 15 days.

Temperature records have been kept at what is now KDCA since
1941. The official temperature records for the immediate
Washington, DC, area consist of data from KDCA starting in 1945,
and observations taken in downtown Washington, DC, extend the
region`s period of record back to 1872.

Temperature records for the Baltimore, Maryland, area have been
kept at what is now Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood
Marshall Airport (KBWI) since 1950. Additional temperature
records observed in downtown Baltimore extend the period of
record back to 1872.

Temperature records for the Sterling-Dulles, Virginia, area
have been kept at what is now Washington Dulles International
Airport (KIAD) since 1960.

All climate data are considered preliminary until reviewed by
the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

&&

https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=LWX&issuedby=LWX&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=off

 

The Washington Metropolitan Region looks to get a good deal more rain in the next few days.

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8 hours ago, losetoa6 said:

I'm simply saying for Carroll county the metrics look really good and  the  option should be given  for families and teachers who want to be back In person 100% to be able to choose that ...and there are many who do ...as well as the 100% online option for those families and teachers who are fearful of returning to face to face . I mentioned the other day the teachers that don't want to return in person can teach the online courses . Seems rational to me .  Many daycares have been open and many private schools are choosing to have in person . Simply my opinion.  Not looking for war here .

Everything you are saying makes sense. I don’t begrudge you your thoughts. I totally empathize. I don’t teach in Carroll. I teach in Baltimore City. But I am glad they are starting virtual. We explored the idea of virtual or in person options. Problem was too many teachers fall into the “vulnerable” category to run in person schools (especially with smaller classes) if they opted out. I have asthma and Crohns. Both conditions put me in higher risk. My wife and son have asthma. I’ll admit I’m nervous. Phin can make fun of me and call me names. I don’t care. I have a family and I worry about our health. If that makes me some soft snowflake wuss in his opinion so be it. And metrics do look fairly good in parts of MD now but keep in mind the metrics are delayed. They show us what was happening a week ago really. The fear is with schools open it could spread fast and before we react a teacher with a compromised immune system gets it and... All I can say is I want to teach. I could and have done a lot of things but I choose to teach because it’s what I want to do. And I want to get back to normal. I also want to live a long time and see my children grow up!  That said I also empathize with parents that want their children back at school.  I empathize with students that want to be back with their friends.  This sucks. And I don’t have any definitive answers and I don’t pretend too. But I think we all need to be empathetic towards each other’s positions. 

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Btw I don’t approve the “opening=dead kids” campaign by teachers unions. More kids will die from other diseases and accidents related to schools probably.  The real threat is to staff and the community. I get that’s harder to work in a meme or sign but I don’t like dishonest tactics.  

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Def not surprised FCPS went to all virtual to start.  They see numbers and don't want to take the chance.  I get it.  I want my kids back to school.  They need it.  But the schools are clearly valuing the health and safety of not only the kids but staff as well.  

Its time we start doing that more and more.  Lives matter more.  Its not about profits or any of that.  We will make due because when faced with challenges human beings can do amazing things.

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7 hours ago, psuhoffman said:

Btw I don’t approve the “opening=dead kids” campaign by teachers unions. More kids will die from other diseases and accidents related to schools probably.  The real threat is to staff and the community. I get that’s harder to work in a meme or sign but I don’t like dishonest tactics.  

Agreed. I'm not so worried about my kid, I'm worried about everyone else she would come in contact with. Hope you're well.

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4 hours ago, H2O said:

Def not surprised FCPS went to all virtual to start.  They see numbers and don't want to take the chance.  I get it.  I want my kids back to school.  They need it.  But the schools are clearly valuing the health and safety of not only the kids but staff as well.  

Its time we start doing that more and more.  Lives matter more.  Its not about profits or any of that.  We will make due because when faced with challenges human beings can do amazing things.

I put myself through a bit of torture yesterday and listened to over 2 hours of the school board meeting.  It was a bit jarring because the Fairfax Co. health department was apparently unaware that the superintendent was going to make that decision.  The Superintendent leaned heavily on national and regional numbers, while ignoring that northern VA is doing pretty well.  That was a little frustrating.  However, I'm guessing that behind the scenes they are getting an indication from the teachers that there are going to be a lot of retirements/leave of absences if the hybrid model goes forward right now.

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