Covid-19 Pandemic Pushes More Parents to Go All-In for Home Schooling

 “The vast majority [of parents] are saying, ‘We’ve been really trying to do what the schools are asking us to do, but we just can’t do this anymore,’ ” said J. Allen Weston, executive director of the National Home School Association, which has been fielding inquiries on the topic.

 

 

Public-school advocates say they worry home schooling is isolating for children and lacks safeguards to ensure a basic education. Elizabeth Bartholet, a Harvard Law School professor specializing in civil rights, called for “a presumptive ban” on home schooling in virtually all circumstances last year in the Arizona Law Review. She said home schooling jeopardizes children’s rights to “learn things that are essential for employment and for exercising meaningful choices in their future lives.”

Vanderbilt University’s Joseph Murphy, who studies home schooling, said there is scant evidence of abuse or widespread negative outcomes.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-pandemic-pushes-more-parents-to-go-all-in-for-home-schooling-11612089000

 

‘Get Ready’ Plan Would Vaccinate Washington Teachers

Reykdal described the vaccine as a “safety net” and an additional safety protocol as schools begin to reopen. “We do not have to wait for vaccines … to open safely today if we follow the safety protocols, most specifically the face covering,” he said, adding that not everybody trusts the vaccine or can medically tolerate it, new variants might require people to receive a vaccine booster and that children will not be eligible for vaccines for many months. “It has no certainty of perfection.”

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/washington-kaiser-team-up-to-vaccinate-educators-more-efficiently-with-no-change-to-queue/ 

 Massachusetts Democratic congressman, vaccinated for Covid-19, tests positive for virus

 (CNN)Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, who has been vaccinated for Covid-19, tested positive for the virus on Friday afternoon and remains asymptomatic, according to his spokeswoman.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/30/politics/stephen-lynch-tests-positive-covid/index.html

Former Upstate Teacher Charged in Child's Death has Teaching Certificate Suspended

Ariel Robinson is charged with homicide by child abuse 

"The SCDE has reason to believe that, due to the serious nature of this allegation of misconduct, Ms. Robinson may pose a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of students who may be under her instruction, and that emergency action is required. After considering the evidence presented by the SCDE, the chair of the state board finds that Ms. Robinson’s educator certificate shall be summarily suspended until a due process hearing is held and/or this matter is otherwise resolved," the suspension document said. 

https://www.wyff4.com/article/former-upstate-teacher-charged-in-childs-death-has-teaching-certificate-suspended/35308747# 

Do You Trust Them With Your Children's Future

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci says the Biden administration hopes to begin vaccinating younger children by late spring or early summer.

SANTA ANA (CBSLA) – A 60-year-old Orange County man died after receiving a second dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Now investigators are trying to determine if the vaccination played any role in his death.

Hours after getting his second Pfizer dose on January 5, Tim Zook was in the emergency room of the hospital where he worked.

“He just couldn’t breathe on his own, he had stomach problems, he just wasn’t feeling good,” said Kyle Zook, his son.

He fell into a coma within two days and passed away four days after getting the shot.

 Late-night freezer failure in Seattle sends hundreds scrambling to get a fast-expiring COVID-19 vaccine

After a freezer failed at a nearby medical center Thursday night, nurses, firefighters and volunteers scurried throughout the hospital in a mad-dash scramble to use as many doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as possible before they expired

"On-site security and first responders were by his side within seconds, but sadly the man passed away a short time later at a hospital," New York State health Commissioner Howard Zucker said in a statement to Fox5NY.com.  

The incident occurred approximately 25 minutes after he was vaccinated, and following the required 15 minute observation period.  Heath officials say he exhibited no adverse reactions or any distress.  They added that initial indications are that the man did not have any allergic reaction to the vaccine.

 

 

Bellevue School District takes teachers to court in attempt to return to the classroom

 " BELLEVUE, Wash. – The Bellevue School District is taking its teachers to court in an attempt to provide in-person schooling to the district’s students.

On Tuesday, the Bellevue Education Association (BEA) voted to pause the expansion of in-person learning as proposed by the school district until the COVID-19 vaccine is available to all educators.

However, the school district moved forward in welcoming about 770 2nd graders back into the classroom for in-person learning Thursday with substitute teachers, district administrators, and other school staff teaching the students. "

To the extent possible, “it should be a priority for districts to reopen for in-person learning, especially for younger ages,” said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins and a member of the committee.

Most studies suggest the virus poses minimal health risks to children under 18. And the report said that evidence for how easily children become infected or spread the virus to others, including teachers and parents, is “insufficient” to draw firm conclusions.

 

Seattle police investigating substitute teacher for alleged indecent exposure in online classroom

Det. Patrick Michaud, a spokesperson for the Seattle Police Department, confirmed Thursday that the allegations against the substitute teacher, a man in his 50s or 60s, were reported to police just before 6 p.m. Tuesday. The indecent-exposure case has since been assigned to a detective in the department’s Sexual Assault Unit for follow-up investigation, he said.

Eden Mack, Seattle School Board member, resigns from post

 

“When I ran for school board, I had hopes that I could help improve things and I’ve always tried to really listen and operate with grace and respect,” Mack wrote. “We’ve made some progress with a few issues but I have ultimately come to realize that the incremental change and Band-Aids are wholly insufficient. No one person is to blame, and so many of us have tried so hard to effect positive change and do right by Seattle’s kids.”  -- Eden Mack 

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/eden-mack-seattle-school-board-member-resigns-from-post/#comments

 

Seattle schools’ special education services during COVID-19 subject of U.S. Department of Education investigation

 “According to one local news report last spring, the District told its special education teachers ‘not to deliver specially-designed instruction,’ and disallowed them from ‘adapt[ing] lessons to each child’s needs,’”

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/u-s-department-of-education-launches-civil-rights-investigation-over-seattles-special-education-services-during-pandemic/ 

 

" Many families said they hoped a new school year would come with an overhauled approach to special education services, and possibly compensatory education for time missed during school closures in the spring.

Those parents said they were floored to learn their children wouldn’t receive makeup time. Other children sat for months on wait lists to get evaluated for services that are critical to keeping them engaged and on track."

Can You Spot The Public School Teachers?

 

Parents Please Think of Your Child's Future

 Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious-disease expert, said he suffered mild side effects after receiving a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

“I was hoping that I wouldn’t get too knocked out. I did for about 24 hours. Now I’m fine,” he said at a White House event Thursday.

 CDC reveals at least 21 Americans have suffered life threatening allergic reactions to Pfizer's COVID vaccine - but officials beg people to get the shot and say problems are 'rare'

These are just the immediate effects but what are the long term impacts. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9119029/At-21-Americans-life-threatening-anaphylaxis-receiving-Pfizers-vaccine-CDC-reveals.html

Vaccine rollout hits snag as health workers balk at shots

More than three weeks into the campaign, some places are seeing as much as 80% of the staff holding back.

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-health-workers-676e03a99badfd5ce3a6cfafe383f6af 

 

“The states seem to be having such a hard time rolling out the vaccine, I don’t fully understand why,” said Jacobson, of Seattle. “The states knew the vaccine was coming, and I think they should’ve known not to expect much help from the current administration.”

A substitute teacher in the Shoreline School District, Jacobson said she hopes Biden can get the country back on some sort of path toward normalcy.

Seattle Public Schools Malcontent Melissa Westbrook Pops Up in Arizona

 Its been 13 months since Melissa Westbrook signed off of her blog and said a teary eyed good bye to the Seattle School Board before leaving Seattle for sunny Arizona but that doesn't mean she retired from tormenting others.  https://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2019/12/thanks-and-best-wishes.html

 Westbrook's long running twitter account has been suspended over several threatening tweets and borderline big R comments.   

You can follow Westbrook's latest work at https://blogforarizona.net/author/melissa-westbrook/