2021/2022 School Year

So, they're talking about bringing back the 45-minute school period. I guess we'll see if that actually happens.

driftingtinker said:So, they're talking about bringing back the 45-minute school period. I guess we'll see if that actually happens.

Well, I just got an update from the school saying they’re moving to 40-minute sessions instead. 😬

I wouldn't be surprised if this change is due to their shift schedule; they're currently hosting an elementary school that can't hold classes right now because of earthquake damage... 🤔

boldotter2 said:Something like that, just washing hands.

I mean, damn, whoever wanted to get vaccinated did it. The older folks are holding up relatively well since they mostly got the shot. Now the big question is whether we need to keep slowing down the pandemic through measures all year long—which might mean three more small waves—or if we should just let everything unravel in a few months.

The President is just looking at the piggy bank and the US economy for 2023. He’s gotta WinCoronavirus© before then, and hopefully before the next major crisis hits.
Instead of following official rules, we're probably going to see schools and businesses shutting down on their own initiative, simply because there won't be anyone left to work when we all get sick at once.

The funniest part is going to be that loud minority shouting right now about how the vaccine is garbage, only to spend next month attacking the system because it didn't do enough to stop or soften the blow. I bet you anything. 😵

You're betting wrong. If you have 50% vaccination and another 30% who already had it, even if someone else catches it, whole schools or companies won't just sit home... testing will stop and only the truly sick will stay home, not those folks in Olešč who don't have a thing.

jadetinker85 said:Personally, I think having three smaller waves would be the better way to go.🤔

The price tag is just way too steep. Honestly, the whole benefit seems questionable at best—if not completely non-existent. We aren't going to see more than 4,000 people in hospitals during the first wave, nor more than three during the second. Maybe 1,500 at most. And even that is something we can handle—much more intelligently, in fact—without causing so many collateral casualties. -mellowskipper:

All I want is for children to finally have those masks taken off their faces. Restricting a child's essential biological function—breathing—just to maintain appearances is nothing short of criminal in my eyes.
I couldn't care less about some technicality regarding forty or forty-five minutes; those details are completely irrelevant to the bigger picture.
Furthermore, I want kids to be able to enjoy sports, outdoor activities, and field trips without any restrictions.
Retirement and veteran associations travel whenever they please, yet children haven't been allowed anything for two years now. It's disgusting.

Fuchs and his little suggestions for how university professors should handle their lectures:

The Department of Health just released their latest numbers regarding last year's data, and if you're looking for any sense of consistency or clear direction from the Government, you might want to look elsewhere. It’s one of those situations where the statistics feel less like a roadmap and more like a collection of moving targets, leaving everyone to wonder if we're actually making progress or just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Looking at how they've framed these updates, it feels like they're trying to smooth over the cracks in the system with polished rhetoric, much like how someone might try to fix a leaking faucet by simply painting over the water stains. You have to wonder whether these figures provide a genuine reflection of our reality or if they're just a carefully curated version of events designed to keep things quiet. It’s a bit like watching a slow-motion replay of a game where the referee keeps changing the rules halfway through; you know something isn't quite right, even if the official scoreboard says everything is fine.

Alright, great, so everything is back to live, which I definitely applaud—whether we go full throttle or settle for some sort of hybrid model—but what exactly are we doing about the actual measures? They aren't even mentioned in the memo, aside from this rather shy little nudge toward getting vaccinated. Divjakica did a solid job dissecting that in her post:

Tapatalk

The universities are sticking to the old-school playbook, according to what the Secretary is saying, though he conveniently leaves out exactly how or why they're making these calls.

Toward the end of last week, a memo from the Secretary of Education finally landed on the desks of all the major universities, covering the protocols for conducting classes at colleges, universities, and higher education institutions.
This memo is a perfect snapshot of the sheer cluelessness currently plaguing our higher education system—it’s a mix of an irrational fear of classroom technology, total confusion, and a complete lack of preparedness. Honestly, it makes sense when you realize that anyone at the Department of Health who actually understood how universities work has basically jumped ship over the last year. We’re left with a vacuum where there used to be experienced officials who actually grasped the mechanics of the system. It’s highly likely the Minister didn't even have anyone competent on hand to draft this, which really highlights the absolute void of vision coming from both the Minister and the Government. They seem completely lost, whether we're talking about managing things during this pandemic fight or trying to build any actual 21st-century skills.
I'll break this down into a few different points for you.
The post kicks off with the observation that universities have moved their entire curriculum into a virtual environment over the last year and a half—which, frankly, is one of the few accurate points made here. From there, the author starts rambling about virtual, digital, and some sort of "electronic correspondence" formats (I’ve never even heard of that last one; it sounds like a clunky bureaucratic term that perfectly captures how out of touch the author is regarding modern educational tech). They go on to claim that the quality of instruction hasn't lived up to the accredited programs. To make matters worse, our Department of Health—well, let's just say the government—apparently "thinks" the quality was poor. It’s presented so bluntly, without any distinction between the institutions that actually pulled it off on a global scale, the ones who clearly didn't bother, or the actual value that this digital transformation brings to the table in terms of progress.
Then comes the usual predictable mantra about how hard it is for students and how much virtual learning supposedly wreaks havoc on their mental health. It’s almost funny, really—as if students weren't out there living and learning in some kind of untouched paradise before the digital world showed up. From there, they pivot to this dramatic conclusion that certain generations have somehow reached their absolute maximum threshold for exposure to online classes. One of my colleagues remarked that the way they phrase it makes it sound like we subjected them to radiation at Chernobyl, rather than actually protecting their well-being and our own by pivoting to remote work. We put in an enormous amount of effort to ensure that education remained high-quality, even if it had to happen through a screen. On the flip side, these students are going to spend their entire professional lives working and interacting within virtual environments anyway, so developing those competencies now is actually a necessity. But, of course, you won't find any mention of that practical reality in the official memo.
Then comes the threat: if we don't secure accreditation for our online programs, we won't be allowed to teach remotely anymore, forcing us back into strictly in-person instruction by next academic year because apparently, online learning doesn't align with current laws. It’s completely absurd, really, considering the Department of Health and the entire Government spent the last two school years practically mandating or heavily recommending remote learning due to the pandemic; there was already a solid legal foundation established both here in the States and globally. That bloated paragraph was clearly penned by someone close to AZVO, but they obviously lack any grasp of the broader regulatory landscape.
Not a single word in this entire memo addresses how universities are actually supposed to follow these epidemiological guidelines, or if they’re even expected to comply at all. I mean, let's be realistic here: if you have a lecture hall with 180 seats and you need to cram 180 students inside, maintaining any kind of social distancing is physically impossible. It’s just basic math.
Not once did they attempt to actually reach out to the professors, the students, or any of the other staff members to encourage them to get vaccinated, nor did they bother pointing out that these kinds of decisions really ought to be grounded in peer-reviewed scientific facts rather than just following whatever pseudoscientific slogans happen to be trending at the moment.
Fortunately, a handful of universities—and even more frequently at the college level—are actually prepping for hybrid learning models, so we might just scrape through this somehow. The current directive coming down from the Secretary is incredibly superficial; it’s completely untethered from actual research or scientific data, lacks a coherent roadmap, and offers zero support for implementation. As it stands, it's basically unworkable. At least given how things look right now, unless someone decides to look at the actual scientific indicators and declare that the pandemic is officially over by October 1st, 2021.

Sandra Kern37 said:Fuchs and his little suggestions for how university professors should handle their lectures:

The Department of Health just released their latest numbers regarding last year's data, and if you're looking for any sense of consistency or clear direction from the Government, you might want to look elsewhere. It’s one of those situations where the statistics feel less like a roadmap and more like a collection of moving targets, leaving everyone to wonder if we're actually making progress or just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Looking at how they've framed these updates, it feels like they're trying to smooth over the cracks in the system with polished rhetoric, much like how someone might try to fix a leaking faucet by simply painting over the water stains. You have to wonder whether these figures provide a genuine reflection of our reality or if they're just a carefully curated version of events designed to keep things quiet. It’s a bit like watching a slow-motion replay of a game where the referee keeps changing the rules halfway through; you know something isn't quite right, even if the official scoreboard says everything is fine.

Alright, great, so everything is back to live, which I definitely applaud—whether we go full throttle or settle for some sort of hybrid model—but what exactly are we doing about the actual measures? They aren't even mentioned in the memo, aside from this rather shy little nudge toward getting vaccinated. Divjakica did a solid job dissecting that in her post:

Tapatalk

The universities are sticking to the old-school playbook, according to what the Secretary is saying, though he conveniently leaves out exactly how or why they're making these calls.

Toward the end of last week, a memo from the Secretary of Education finally landed on the desks of all the major universities, covering the protocols for conducting classes at colleges, universities, and higher education institutions.
This memo is a perfect snapshot of the sheer cluelessness currently plaguing our higher education system—it’s a mix of an irrational fear of classroom technology, total confusion, and a complete lack of preparedness. Honestly, it makes sense when you realize that anyone at the Department of Health who actually understood how universities work has basically jumped ship over the last year. We’re left with a vacuum where there used to be experienced officials who actually grasped the mechanics of the system. It’s highly likely the Minister didn't even have anyone competent on hand to draft this, which really highlights the absolute void of vision coming from both the Minister and the Government. They seem completely lost, whether we're talking about managing things during this pandemic fight or trying to build any actual 21st-century skills.
I'll break this down into a few different points for you.
The post kicks off with the observation that universities have moved their entire curriculum into a virtual environment over the last year and a half—which, frankly, is one of the few accurate points made here. From there, the author starts rambling about virtual, digital, and some sort of "electronic correspondence" formats (I’ve never even heard of that last one; it sounds like a clunky bureaucratic term that perfectly captures how out of touch the author is regarding modern educational tech). They go on to claim that the quality of instruction hasn't lived up to the accredited programs. To make matters worse, our Department of Health—well, let's just say the government—apparently "thinks" the quality was poor. It’s presented so bluntly, without any distinction between the institutions that actually pulled it off on a global scale, the ones who clearly didn't bother, or the actual value that this digital transformation brings to the table in terms of progress.
Then comes the usual predictable mantra about how hard it is for students and how much virtual learning supposedly wreaks havoc on their mental health. It’s almost funny, really—as if students weren't out there living and learning in some kind of untouched paradise before the digital world showed up. From there, they pivot to this dramatic conclusion that certain generations have somehow reached their absolute maximum threshold for exposure to online classes. One of my colleagues remarked that the way they phrase it makes it sound like we subjected them to radiation at Chernobyl, rather than actually protecting their well-being and our own by pivoting to remote work. We put in an enormous amount of effort to ensure that education remained high-quality, even if it had to happen through a screen. On the flip side, these students are going to spend their entire professional lives working and interacting within virtual environments anyway, so developing those competencies now is actually a necessity. But, of course, you won't find any mention of that practical reality in the official memo.
Then comes the threat: if we don't secure accreditation for our online programs, we won't be allowed to teach remotely anymore, forcing us back into strictly in-person instruction by next academic year because apparently, online learning doesn't align with current laws. It’s completely absurd, really, considering the Department of Health and the entire Government spent the last two school years practically mandating or heavily recommending remote learning due to the pandemic; there was already a solid legal foundation established both here in the States and globally. That bloated paragraph was clearly penned by someone close to AZVO, but they obviously lack any grasp of the broader regulatory landscape.
Not a single word in this entire memo addresses how universities are actually supposed to follow these epidemiological guidelines, or if they’re even expected to comply at all. I mean, let's be realistic here: if you have a lecture hall with 180 seats and you need to cram 180 students inside, maintaining any kind of social distancing is physically impossible. It’s just basic math.
Not once did they attempt to actually reach out to the professors, the students, or any of the other staff members to encourage them to get vaccinated, nor did they bother pointing out that these kinds of decisions really ought to be grounded in peer-reviewed scientific facts rather than just following whatever pseudoscientific slogans happen to be trending at the moment.
Fortunately, a handful of universities—and even more frequently at the college level—are actually prepping for hybrid learning models, so we might just scrape through this somehow. The current directive coming down from the Secretary is incredibly superficial; it’s completely untethered from actual research or scientific data, lacks a coherent roadmap, and offers zero support for implementation. As it stands, it's basically unworkable. At least given how things look right now, unless someone decides to look at the actual scientific indicators and declare that the pandemic is officially over by October 1st, 2021.

Let's not get too carried away here, because... yeah, online learning is clearly an option.

coastalorca43 said:All I want is for children to finally have those masks taken off their faces. Restricting a child's essential biological function—breathing—just to maintain appearances is nothing short of criminal in my eyes.
I couldn't care less about some technicality regarding forty or forty-five minutes; those details are completely irrelevant to the bigger picture.
Furthermore, I want kids to be able to enjoy sports, outdoor activities, and field trips without any restrictions.
Retirement and veteran associations travel whenever they please, yet children haven't been allowed anything for two years now. It's disgusting.

I’m with you on that.

The breathing part isn't even an issue for me, but having something stuck to my face for too long? It gets old fast. Yesterday I had one on for three hours and was just counting down the minutes until I could finally breathe free. Again, it’s not about the air, it’s just annoying.

Jeffrey Long said:Well, I just got an update from the school saying they’re moving to 40-minute sessions instead. 😬

I wouldn't be surprised if this change is due to their shift schedule; they're currently hosting an elementary school that can't hold classes right now because of earthquake damage... 🤔

Could be. Here's what the school website says:

Here’s some of the important stuff for the first day back:

students and teachers are required to wear masks

kids will get their textbooks at school on the first day, so please make sure to bring your backpacks

class periods are 45 minutes long

Jesse Bailey91 said:Question: what happens if a specific teacher or professor gets sick? Does that mean they drag both the left and right substitutes from the faculty lounge along with them? 😛

If that actually happens, we’re already short a few professors who need replacing. It's a mess.

How did things play out during the last period?

It’s the same story at my office—no faculty lounge gatherings happening here either.

driftingtinker said:So, they're talking about bringing back the 45-minute school period. I guess we'll see if that actually happens.

And when exactly did that forty-five minute window stop being the standard?

Last year, my kid's high schooler thing lasted about 40 minutes.

Tomašević:
"Look, we’re starting a new school year. Honestly, the stats aren't the big deal here. What actually matters is that we aren't touching any of the rights students already have regarding textbooks and supplies.

On a brighter note, we managed to pull some funding from the EU over the last few months to help with classroom aides. We're looking at tripling the number of aides funded by those EU grants. We'll have 925 aides on board this time, which is a record—that covers about 1,049 students.

As for keeping classes running, nothing is changing there. We've already got transportation sorted out for the kids who have to travel to schools outside their immediate area."

There’s money set aside for assistants, but my school just can’t seem to find anyone.
The first round of hiring wrapped up on the 5th, and now they’re still hunting for three more.

Tyler Vaughn7 said:It’s the same story at my office—no faculty lounge gatherings happening here either.

And when exactly did that forty-five minute window stop being the standard?

For the entirety of last year, it was forty minutes. And honestly, that worked out just fine.

driftingtinker said:Last year, my kid's high schooler thing lasted about 40 minutes.

I guess that really just depends on how each individual school handles things. At our local school, they haven't been shortening the periods at all.

slysurfer14 said:You're betting wrong. If you have 50% vaccination and another 30% who already had it, even if someone else catches it, whole schools or companies won't just sit home... testing will stop and only the truly sick will stay home, not those folks in Olešč who don't have a thing.

So, 50% vaccinated, but immunity only lasts three months? In Israel, 85% of hospitalized patients are those who were double-vaccinated.

jadetinker85 said:So, 50% vaccinated, but immunity only lasts three months? In Israel, 85% of hospitalized patients are those who were double-vaccinated.

Well, I guess my point still stands—none of these measures actually stop the virus...
How many kids were actually sick last school year, and I don't mean just testing positive, but actually sick?
SO SCHOOL COULD HAVE JUST RUN TOTALLY NORMALLY WITHOUT ALL THE LOCKDOWNS OR WHATEVER.

slysurfer14 said:Well, I guess my point still stands—none of these measures actually stop the virus...
How many kids were actually sick last school year, and I don't mean just testing positive, but actually sick?
SO SCHOOL COULD HAVE JUST RUN TOTALLY NORMALLY WITHOUT ALL THE LOCKDOWNS OR WHATEVER.

In our neck of the woods, we lost a mother of three, a homemaker, a cook's husband, and several others are dealing with post-Corona syndrome.

I know you'll probably say, "So what? People die anyway," because your empathy is legendary. No need to even try.

jadetinker85 said:In our neck of the woods, we lost a mother of three, a homemaker, a cook's husband, and several others are dealing with post-Corona syndrome.

I know you'll probably say, "So what? People die anyway," because your empathy is legendary. No need to even try.

Over here, my neighbor passed too—had four kids. It was her breasts. Then a neighbor of mine died—one kid—it was his lungs, and he wasn't even a smoker. He went into a coma.

Anyway, school is pretty standard over here. Classes are 45 minutes long—no block scheduling or anything like that.