Iowa Athletics COVID-19 Discussion
- Thread starter RobHowe
- Start date
I hate politicians as much as the next guy, but that's false. The order includes an exemption for parents who want their kids to learn remotely, and it also requires accommodations be made for them. If you don't want to send your kid to school you don't have to.
This is directly screenshotted from the governor's proclamation on the Iowa Governor's website...
I agree with most of your political sentiment, but you have to state the entire truth even if it doesn't lend help to your argument. Inaccurate info or partial truths don't help anyone.
I agree with you if that is the statement on their website now but I didn't read it that way when it was first announced. I guess I will have to check some temporal aspects of this decree.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Rob - little known fact about me - I am an alumnus of Rolling Green. Went there in 5th grade when we moved to the U from Durty Dodge.
RobHowe
Administrator
Was it year-round schooling then when your parents dropped you off in a horse and buggy?
Fryowa
Administrator
That's probably because you read about it in a news article from an outlet that purposely left parts out to align with the personal opinions of their editorial board.
No one will be forced to go to school, period. I don't know how it can be spelled out more plainly than a .pdf scan of the actual proclamation document signed by the governor.
People touting the governor's proclamation as forced in-person schooling are idiots, to be blunt. All schools in Iowa were required to have Return-To-Learn plans, part of which is a requirement that a school's plan include a framework for remote learning. In fact, the proclamation actually guarantees that students are allowed to go the route of distance learning by stating that schools have to make those accommodations. Classic case of people from one side cherry picking the other side to fit their own agenda. Left, right, or middle, doesn't matter.
Forced in-person schooling is as stupid a fucking concept as "death panels," only this one is coming from the other side of the aisle.
Fryowa
Administrator
Shots fired.
I looked at the original proclamation and just a little further down from the section you noted is the section below. Again the Gov and her crew are in charge of what is a compliant Return-to-Learn plan and they have already fought back against Iowa City schools and maybe others who want to go with 100% remote learning initially. And the part underlined in red is the ultimate tell and ultimate rule in that at least half of each school's instruction must be "IS" provided in-person during any two week period. If you do not comply it says your remote learning time will NOT count toward days of instruction.
To me that sounds like get your kid's ass to school so you can go back to work. A lot of forceful language forcing people to go into group settings.
My wife and I are going to be travelling to help two of our grandsons in NW Iowa do remote learning. Their school offers it and the oldest of the two has type 1 diabetes which is highly probably not good with covid.
If the Gov and Dept of Education doesnt want them to do this they can always home school which actually has a much smaller number of days 148 of attendance vs about 180 days in public schools.
It will be interesting to see if home schooling numbers go higher.
Ok enough on that subject of school offerings
Fryowa
Administrator
Can you provide me with a school that has a remote learning plan that is not compliant?
The bigger question, though, is can you provide me any proclamation text that forces a student to go back to school or else face no learning at all? Because that's what you're so vocal about...that somehow kids are being herded off to slaughter.
Is your biggest concern that students get access to education, or is your biggest concern that students get credited "hours?" Because Iowa City is going to defy the governor and provide a full remote learning experience. And you really think that the office of the Governor is going to tell an entire school system's students that they get zero credit for the school year they just took which was out of their control?
You're being semantic here since you hate the politics of the governor's administration (I do too, just so no one says I'm some sort of conservative or liberal, they're all pukes). If your true concern is kids having access to learning, then why are you upset? Iowa City and other schools will defy the order and provide education. Other districts allow parents to have the choice. So where is your rub other than being mad about it?
Please tell me which students will be forced into in-person learning or else have no educational opportunity at all. Honest question...
Fryowa
Administrator
That's very noble of you and I respect it greatly. If you're in NW Iowa we will probably come close to crossing paths at some point. Welcome to the area; I hope you enjoy it.
Message me if you're in an area ever looking for something to do and I'll point you in a bunch of directions.
I hope your grandson stays healthy, and I'll think of him when I put a mask on.
Fryowa
Administrator
Thinking about this more introspectively...
I think our situations are a perfect example of why flexibility is needed, and a one-size-fits-all approach of either having everyone in school or no one is a terrible idea.
If I were your son or daughter I would not want to send your grandson to school. They are making the right choice.
In my situation, I absolutely do not want to keep my son home. He will suffer because his learning disorder impedes how well he functions remotely. I also am cognizant that my choice--to send my son to school--can be perceived as selfish because it requires contact with other people and might be dangerous for someone at some point.
To this point I have not run into any teachers in my district who have spoken out about returning to school (I know several of them very well from coaching and officiating), and to the contrary...most that I have spoken to are eager to get back. Our area is very light regarding COVID cases right now, so if it were a large school system that may be different.
I respect your viewpoint 100%, and I really feel strongly that we as parents/grandparents, teachers, admin, etc. can make this work with flexibility.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
I may have misunderstood your intent. I don't think it has anything to do with being afraid, but rather wear them out of respect. Maybe it does involve being scared. I don't wear a mask because I'm afraid f the virus or because I'm afraid I could get it. I wear it because I value others as much as i do myself, and in the event that I'm carrying it I don't want to give it to someone that I unknowingly come into contact with, so maybe there is a fear that I'm unknowingly spreading it. If the masks even diminish the possibility/likelihood of spreading it then IMO its worth wearing. Same with the vaccine, even if its only 50% effective that still means that half the population of those getting vaccinated are benefiting. I agree with you that it's hear to stay, but feel the only way were going to get anywhere close to where we were before the breakout is by doing whatever we can regardless of how minimal it is. It's optimistic and probably naive, but I wear the mask and make the effort to do the little things (frequent hand washing,social distance, etc...) because the things we've sacrificed in the grand scheme of things since March mean too much for me to let go of and I'm going to do anything I can, regardless of how minimal to try to get back to normal.
Your first question above labeled as #ONE is exactly the point I was making which is this governor like some other leaders around the nation make arbitrary decisions without using known data, like coming up with this proclamation very nearly the same day school districts were required to release their plans which were worked on before this proclamation. They can arbitrarily change the rules on return to learn plans etc etc.
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tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
Well-played, Sir!
Well I think you need to look at the video of the Gov, I will stop calling her Gov kimmy, that was just released and came from her briefing today.
To paraphrase her, because you can watch the video or I can try to paste it in a post, she said any schools that do not meet the 50% of students in-person instruction rule ARE VIOLATING THE LAW and those distance learning days WILL NOT COUNT toward achievement and WILL NEED TO BE MADE UP. basically her words And there could be repercussions for school leaders and loss of accreditation. Urbandale had a waiver for online 100% but it expired and they want to continue 100% online. Waukee has issues with the Gov as does Des Moines and Iowa City. Forcing people do congregate in a public epidemic is just anti-thetical.
Wow, the Gov also blasted an AP reporter too when the reporter asked if the Gov thinks it will happen that a student will get covid and a teacher might die. The Gov said the reporter was using SCARE tactics etc
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tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
It was a virtual wasteland.
