Second Semester 2020/21 School Year

hiddendriver34 said:Look, I’m not the testing coordinator, so I don't have to memorize every single line of the SAT handbook. My job is pretty straightforward: follow the directions handed down by the coordinator. And honestly? That specific instruction you're highlighting in red? It’s one I haven't seen once in all my years doing this. In fact, nobody else at my school has ever heard of it either.

Well, maybe your school just hasn't dealt with any unique circumstances.
I’m reading through the manual for the first time today, and frankly, everything written there seems perfectly standard... nothing out of the ordinary.
It’s baffling that you’ve lived this long believing that the SAT isn't adapted for students with disabilities—for various needs and accommodations.

And somehow, you thought that was normal.

Katarina, we’ve actually had students miss one or more of their SAT exams because they were sick. In those cases, we never actually went to someone's house or visited them in a hospital. Maybe that was just how things were handled back in the day for students dealing with much more severe illnesses, like cancer. 🤷

I remember once, way back before the SAT was even a thing, I went to a student's home to administer an exam and finalize their grade. It was a heavy situation—honestly heartbreaking—because the kid didn't have much time left after that. 😢

nimbleranger17 said:What on earth are you even talking about? Honestly, I sometimes wonder if anyone actually follows the threads here or if we're all just shouting into a void, waiting for an echo that never comes. It feels like I spend half my time typing out these long-winded observations—just trying to make sense of the chaos—only to be met with questions that leave me staring at my screen in total bewilderment. It’s exhausting, really. One minute I’m deep in a thought, perhaps a bit too detailed for some, and the next, I’m being asked what I’m even doing. It’s enough to make a person want to close the laptop and go for a very long walk in Central Park just to clear the head.

Are you actually trying to mess with my head on purpose, or is there some kind of twisted psychological game going on here that I’m just too exhausted to grasp?

Look, I am telling you, I LITERALLY copied exactly what you wrote, word for word.

hiddendriver34 As if I haven't heard this all before...
Honestly, looking at the state of things, I have to wonder which one of us is actually struggling to read between the lines here? I didn't even actually ask.

Are you actually messing with me on purpose, or is it just some kid playing games?

I just saw this. 🙄 That was a really nasty and rude thing to say.

Honestly, you're acting like a total fifth grader here:

Here is what I actually said: "What about all those people who were sick during all these years leading up to the pandemic? Why weren't they allowed to take their exams at home?"


I did NOT ask "why online classes weren't an option for other illnesses before." My question was why students who were sick previously weren't allowed to take their tests at home with professors coming to them (like one user mentioned happened last year, and Amanda Hughes37 noted that according to the regulations, it was always an option).

So, bottom line: my question had absolutely nothing to do with online learning.

Nicholas King said:Look, I’m all for ensuring those suffering from COVID-19 receive the same official recognition and support that people dealing with any other infectious disease have had over the last decade.

But comparing students stuck in isolation to kids who happen to be sick with something else on exam day? Honestly—it’s just pathological. As far as I can tell, we don't bar an entire class from taking their SATs just because someone is dealing with PMS, a stomach bug, or a broken arm.

If it weren't for the fact that this would end up punishing children who aren't even responsible for their parents' sheer stupidity—to everyone who is so dismissively waving a hand and saying, "so what? missing a year is no big deal, why the fuss?"—I would truly love to see you experience this exact situation with your own child. Since I am not (quite 😁) such a malicious person, I genuinely want these kids to have every advantage and every possible success.

That logic only applies to other people's kids, not their own.

hiddendriver34 said:Just to throw my two cents in—personally, I wouldn't blink if I had to pull an extra shift proctoring another SAT after someone finished their quarantine. It’s really not a big deal to me.

But we have to look at the math here. Running these makeup exams costs a fortune—we're talking millions when you factor in everything from drafting new test versions to shipping them out and paying security firms. Where is that money supposed to come from? And honestly, 🐔—why isn't that cash being funneled toward helping all the other patients in need? How is that even fair?

We could always pull those millions from the local country clubs that have enough cash on hand to buy a small island.

I was just having a conversation with my wife about how our middle child is going to miss out on his 8th-grade field trip.
The last two years have been such a drag for kids his age, and now he’s missing that chance to even say goodbye to his friends before they all head off to high school.
Does anyone know if there's any kind of support coming for his generation—maybe something like virtual travel experiences or online trips?

My kid didn't end up going, but honestly, it wasn't even because of the pandemic... he just had a bunch of idiots in his class, so none of the teachers actually wanted to deal with him.

Last year, back when he was a freshman, they were supposed to take a trip to Chicago, but that whole thing fell through.
This year, things finally settled down a bit and he actually managed to click with a few kids who aren't total losers, which I guess is enough for him. He keeps insisting he’s doing fine and doesn't really mind the whole online school thing, as long as they make him show up in person to take his exams.

I honestly don't know whether to laugh or just cry when I see what passes for remote learning in Mexico

🤦

Susan Jackson said:I was just having a conversation with my wife about how our middle child is going to miss out on his 8th-grade field trip.
The last two years have been such a drag for kids his age, and now he’s missing that chance to even say goodbye to his friends before they all head off to high school.
Does anyone know if there's any kind of support coming for his generation—maybe something like virtual travel experiences or online trips?

Honestly, even without COVID, those trips weren't really a staple at our local elementary school, so I suppose he won't miss much. Still, it's a shame there aren't any excursions. Back when the grades 1 through 4 were around, they used to go everywhere—their teacher absolutely loved taking them out, and the kids had a blast. Now, they can't even get to the movies...

Larry Walker24 said:I honestly don't know whether to laugh or just cry when I see what passes for remote learning in Mexico

🤦

On the flip side, our online schooling setup is actually top-tier.

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My daughter finished high school four years ago, and I can't even be certain how many field trips she actually went on back then.
I recall a quick two-day trip to Gardeland, then three days through Budapest-Vienna, a prague 4 day stint, and an eight-day cruise to Greece for graduation...

Kids these days really miss out.

Honestly, we’re already staring down a second straight school year stripped of field trips, travel, and those milestone senior celebrations... I can't help but wonder if we're just walking blindly into a third consecutive year of nothingness this coming fall. It’s hard to shake the feeling that we're stuck in this endless loop of missed milestones, and frankly, it feels like we're just waiting for the next disappointment to roll around.

mellowskipper said:Honestly, even without COVID, those trips weren't really a staple at our local elementary school, so I suppose he won't miss much. Still, it's a shame there aren't any excursions. Back when the grades 1 through 4 were around, they used to go everywhere—their teacher absolutely loved taking them out, and the kids had a blast. Now, they can't even get to the movies...

On the flip side, our online schooling setup is actually top-tier.

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Our online teachers don't slow down either—take these two Mensa members, for instance.

Palomma said:And who in their right mind would actually keep a student who tested positive? ....

Well, I suppose I would—assuming we aren't being overly pedantic about that whole "in their right mind" criteria, right?

I don't see the issue here. There are professors out there who have already had COVID, some are vaccinated, and you could always just run an antibody test... Honestly, find someone with that profile and call it a day.
As for me, I haven't caught it, but if I were in a room where a window was wide open, I’d stay a few yards away from anyone testing positive. Why take the risk?
Good grief, it’s like we’re talking about smallpox or something, not COVID.

Sometimes I honestly wonder if there's any truth to that old cliché—you know, the one about how teachers and doctors aren't just working jobs, but following a "calling."

And look, I get it, we all need to pay the bills, but I just don't get why some people are acting so terrified. In my own line of work, I've been around people multiple times who tested positive via PCR-RT. Between keeping some distance and just having the windows wide open, I really don't see how a virus is supposed to just leap three feet through the air at you.

As for that girl over there who's convinced kids have weaker CDC-serological results than the working population—maybe she should try Googling "CDC-serological" for once. Once she actually posts a link to her findings, I’ll be more than happy to give her an argument for why things are the way they are (and honestly, it'll probably be in her favor). 😁

I’d bet anything that most grandparents would gladly agree to skip seeing their grandkids for a while if it meant the kids could just socialize normally like they should at that age—and actually have the same shot at getting into college as they did two years ago.

It blows my mind that anyone finds it SCANDALOUS that kids are being let out to play on a playground in a sun-drenched city like Miami instead of being stuck in Washington, D.C.
Have we really sunk this low?

edit: I won't even get started on how teenagers mock teachers for shaving their heads or whatever. That shouldn't even be their business. Most of them cruised right through it—to those kids, it was nothing more than a common cold.

Larry Wilson25 said:Sometimes I honestly wonder if there's any truth to that old cliché—you know, the one about how teachers and doctors aren't just working jobs, but following a "calling."

And look, I get it, we all need to pay the bills, but I just don't get why some people are acting so terrified. In my own line of work, I've been around people multiple times who tested positive via PCR-RT. Between keeping some distance and just having the windows wide open, I really don't see how a virus is supposed to just leap three feet through the air at you.

As for that girl over there who's convinced kids have weaker CDC-serological results than the working population—maybe she should try Googling "CDC-serological" for once. Once she actually posts a link to her findings, I’ll be more than happy to give her an argument for why things are the way they are (and honestly, it'll probably be in her favor). 😁

I’d bet anything that most grandparents would gladly agree to skip seeing their grandkids for a while if it meant the kids could just socialize normally like they should at that age—and actually have the same shot at getting into college as they did two years ago.

It blows my mind that anyone finds it SCANDALOUS that kids are being let out to play on a playground in a sun-drenched city like Miami instead of being stuck in Washington, D.C.
Have we really sunk this low?

edit: I won't even get started on how teenagers mock teachers for shaving their heads or whatever. That shouldn't even be their business. Most of them cruised right through it—to those kids, it was nothing more than a common cold.

It’s not everyone, really—just a handful of people. And because the media loves to spotlight those specific professors on Teacher Appreciation Day, they start spinning these stories about how educators are basically working for free, trading their salaries for nothing more than a kid's smile or a hug.

As for the rest of us, we're just trying to make a living.

Honestly, I couldn't care less if some kids find the safety measures ridiculous. In my classroom, they'll follow the rules and wear their masks, period.

I haven't caught so much as a sniffle or the flu all year. Long live the masks!

wanderingbadger44 said:It’s not everyone, really—just a handful of people. And because the media loves to spotlight those specific professors on Teacher Appreciation Day, they start spinning these stories about how educators are basically working for free, trading their salaries for nothing more than a kid's smile or a hug.

As for the rest of us, we're just trying to make a living.

Honestly, I couldn't care less if some kids find the safety measures ridiculous. In my classroom, they'll follow the rules and wear their masks, period.

I haven't caught so much as a sniffle or the flu all year. Long live the masks!

🎉🎉

Are you actually saying that masks work?
And that there are teachers out there who can actually get students to put them on correctly and keep them over their noses for two hours straight? 🙏

wanderingbadger44 said:It’s not everyone, really—just a handful of people. And because the media loves to spotlight those specific professors on Teacher Appreciation Day, they start spinning these stories about how educators are basically working for free, trading their salaries for nothing more than a kid's smile or a hug.

As for the rest of us, we're just trying to make a living.

Honestly, I couldn't care less if some kids find the safety measures ridiculous. In my classroom, they'll follow the rules and wear their masks, period.

I haven't caught so much as a sniffle or the flu all year. Long live the masks!

Besides, nobody was stopping you from wearing one during class before all this started. If it works for you, thank God, then keep doing it even after this whole thing blows over. Assuming it ever does...
It’s just funny to me—my homeroom teacher actually laughed at me back before COVID when I suggested we needed better ventilation and more frequent disinfecting of desks, door handles, and bathroom fixtures. Now, suddenly, she’s an expert.

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mellowskipper said:Besides, nobody was stopping you from wearing one during class before all this started. If it works for you, thank God, then keep doing it even after this whole thing blows over. Assuming it ever does...
It’s just funny to me—my homeroom teacher actually laughed at me back before COVID when I suggested we needed better ventilation and more frequent disinfecting of desks, door handles, and bathroom fixtures. Now, suddenly, she’s an expert.

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Sure, nobody was physically stopping me from wearing it back then, but it's also true that no one ever made it a requirement for the students to wear it either.

It isn't enough if I'm the only one doing it; it really only makes sense if we all step up and wear it together.

wanderingbadger44 said:It’s not everyone, really—just a handful of people. And because the media loves to spotlight those specific professors on Teacher Appreciation Day, they start spinning these stories about how educators are basically working for free, trading their salaries for nothing more than a kid's smile or a hug.

As for the rest of us, we're just trying to make a living.

Honestly, I couldn't care less if some kids find the safety measures ridiculous. In my classroom, they'll follow the rules and wear their masks, period.

I haven't caught so much as a sniffle or the flu all year. Long live the masks!

People like this definitely shouldn't be working in schools.

My mom’s been teaching at her school for 30 years—30 years—and I don't think she's caught so much as a sniffle once. So, honestly? This isn't about anyone else; it's a "you" problem. If you're getting sick every single year, your immune system is clearly struggling—God knows what kind of lifestyle you're leading if that's the case. And then, on top of that, you want to force kids into masks just so you can feel safe? We already know the science shows that's harmful both physically and mentally. It's just a weak excuse to shield yourself at their expense. Good grief. 🤦

People should definitely be required to pass a psych test before landing a job at a school. They ought to start on fixed-term contracts for the first few years—just enough time to see if the role actually fits their mental state and emotional intelligence levels.

velvetskipper11 said:People like this definitely shouldn't be working in schools.

My mom’s been teaching at her school for 30 years—30 years—and I don't think she's caught so much as a sniffle once. So, honestly? This isn't about anyone else; it's a "you" problem. If you're getting sick every single year, your immune system is clearly struggling—God knows what kind of lifestyle you're leading if that's the case. And then, on top of that, you want to force kids into masks just so you can feel safe? We already know the science shows that's harmful both physically and mentally. It's just a weak excuse to shield yourself at their expense. Good grief. 🤦

People should definitely be required to pass a psych test before landing a job at a school. They ought to start on fixed-term contracts for the first few years—just enough time to see if the role actually fits their mental state and emotional intelligence levels.

It’s not just a possibility; I am doing it, and I fully intend to keep doing it. 🥳