The problem with what you've been saying in these posts is..
by IrishApache (2024-01-02 22:04:51)
Edited on 2024-01-02 22:11:52

In reply to: I think we are closer on this than we both realize  posted by DBCooper

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That the Catholic schools in places like NYC and Bridgeport still serve very poor neighborhoods, and they still occupy facilities that are as dated as any public school and lack ultra-modern ventilation. They still had elderly teachers and teachers with co-morbidities. But they dealt with it - those teachers either came to work or were furloughed until they felt ready. Because the Catholic schools put the students first.

The Catholic Schools in NYC opened in September 2020, and by October 2020, it was clear they were NOT super-spreaders. Even without opening windows, masking and distancing proved adequate to keep the virus from running rampant in Catholic schools. NYC should have been using the data from Catholic schools to revise whatever ventilation standards the City decided to rely on. But they didn't, and remained closed because of intense pressure from one of the most powerful teachers unions in the country.

I'm not even totally anti-teachers' union, but they proactively lobbied to keep to schools closed, and were even shameless enough to call for the closing of Catholic schools. (Do you remember the union protests during which the teachers dumped child sized body bags on the ground?)


It was a simple formula for the Catholic Schools:

"They followed the science: Faculty and students adapted to masking, social distancing, teaching in small cohorts and contact tracing. They demonstrated that safe in-person learning was possible despite the pandemic.

In the 2020-2021 school year, only one case of COVID-19 in New York’s Catholic schools was traced to in-school transmission. Similarly in Boston, Catholic schools reopened almost a year ahead of public schools without any COVID-19 outbreaks.

With New York schools adopting safety measures similar to the proven Catholic-school measures, Adams can say that “the safest place for children is inside school.”



My wife taught in a poor Catholic school in Chicago
by mjmcend  (2024-01-03 18:32:17)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

that went back in person late August 2020.

The school was in a poor, multi-generational neighborhood. The 100 year old school had windows that didn't open, poor ventilation and 28 kids with less than 3 feet between desks. Her second graders did a great job overall with masks, but they still often took them off especially while eating lunch daily at their desks. No mass outbreaks, no really sick kids, and no dead abuelas despite their presence in person in school. Plus the poor everywhere had parents all working essential and manual labor jobs where they had no luxury to work home. It was stunningly clear it was safe for children of all socioeconomic levels to be in person, in school in the fall of 2020. And the science was there based on the bravery and dedication of teachers in Europe (like ewill) and in Catholic schools.

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) did the same bullshit lobbying as NYC. What still galls me to this day is that CPS teachers and admins were 1st in line behind medical professionals for the vaccine BEFORE Catholic school teachers DESPITE not teaching in person in the spring of 2021. What a scandal that should be. Pure selfishness of the CTU and pure cowardice by Chicago's political leadership to be cowed by their lobbying. And don't forget the CTU board member on her Caribbean vacation, tweeting support for not returning to in person teaching.

Amen. But CTU still wants COVID tests before back to schoop
by airborneirish  (2024-01-09 16:41:40)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

In 2024! No rsv test. No flu test. Covid. 2024. These are the people who make decisions. Idiots.

Thank you for this. *
by IrishApache  (2024-01-03 22:22:11)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

Amen - the data were there
by airborneirish  (2024-01-03 12:40:53)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

We had two in catholic school and they had no instances except for the sister of the one poster here who got sick before school even started and then made it seem like a kid got her sick. I have no personal animus towards her but to was clear there was a strong media agenda to make it seem like Catholic schools were reckless. We got through the year with no issues.