Spring Guidelines from Adams State University

 Below are the FAQs that Adams State University sent out to their students about covid.

Covid Surges and Education Tries to Find Ways to Keep Functioning

 As an educator I wonder every day what will happen next as I watch the numbers. Right now, for the time of this writing, the Colorado Community College System have spring set up to have both students and staff either be fully vaccinated or go through weekly testing if they are not and have to be on campus. You can find more on Chancellor Joe Garcia's plan at: https://www.cccs.edu/office-of-the-system-president/chancellors-statement-cccs-covid-protocols-for-spring-semester-2022/ . Right now the key word is 'flexible', and everyone needs to be flexible because no one knows what is going to happen next with this virus. CU Boulder is requiring vaccines and more information can be found at: https://www.colorado.edu/covid-19-updates/covid-19-vaccination . MSU is doing similar requirements: https://www.msudenver.edu/safe-return-to-campus/ . CSU is the same and their covid page is: https://covid.colostate.edu/ . Adams State University is using the same approach: https://www.adams.edu/safe-return/ . This shows that schools are talking to each other and watching what everyone is doing. Higher Ed is focusing on the big 3 (masks, vaccines, and testing) to try and keep everyone safe.

When it comes to K-12 the local districts seem to be taking less precautions. Most will be doing masking, but few if any are requiring vaccines even though more kids qualify to get the vaccine. Cherry Creek's site: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/domain/5440 . I actually like DPS's site because it actually shows how many cases they have and where: https://www.dpsk12.org/coronavirus/covid-19-dashboard/ . At the same time DPS's site is lacking in giving any formal policy around covid procedures and requirements. Then Adams County is still requiring masks, but only encouraging vaccines for students 12 and over: https://www.adams12.org/health-services/2021-2022-health-and-safety-protocols . Then you have Douglas County School District that needs to be investigated for endangerment of kids through no safety measures so that they can "honor" peoples choice to endanger themselves and others: https://www.dcsdk12.org/about/leadership/superintendent/looking_forward_2021-2022 . Criminal charges needs to be brought against every administrator in this district for child endangerment, not to mention the larger endangerment to the rest of the county and people passing through that may get covid in this plague den. The whole county should be cut off from state founding until they start taking public safety seriously. I say this because it is very easy to find the numbers related to covid and this county is not paying attention to any of the information.

Graph from: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+people+have+died+from+covid&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS974US974&oq=how+many+people+have+died+from+covid&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0i433i512j0i512l3j0i433i512j0i512l3j0i457i512.10511j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Last time I checked on info of the black death killed around 25 million in Europe, while at present covid is just under 5.5 million (more has actually died, but many countries are not reporting the full numbers). The common flu has also been with mankind for a long time and you can find yearly information from recent history on the CDC's website (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2020-2021.htm) and this also has always impacted people trying to get educated.

"Overwhelmed hospitals. Staffing shortages. Businesses closing. Here's how the Omicron wave is ravaging local communities." - The first paragraph talks about how 5 Atlanta school districts are shifting to remote the first week of the new year. This is because of increases of covid and we still haven't hit the spike for the after holiday time frame which we will see in about 2 weeks. Then at the same time many schools are going to pretend that nothing is happening and start back to school like normal. https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/03/us/omicron-variant-covid-local-impacts/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3_rc2QDbcItSCJ_5W6bnkb6TW16cuXffpOEKGqxoqpYMG34YHhhFubtfc

"What parents should know about sending kids back to school during Omicron" - Key take aways include the vaccine will help keep kids safe, but it's not full proof and many students who are unvaccinated may still be interacting with these kids, so there are still chances of higher spread due to unvaccinated kids. This is the same with the whole population and testing can help to reduce possible infections. Another point was that even as people try to safeguard their bodies the virus is also trying to survive and evolve (that's the whole point of these variants). Every virus in a person has the chance to evolve into a different form and new forms may not be protected against. This then goes back to masking and if additional physical barriers will help, and simply they will. I personally think that the best way to keep students in school is by making masks mandatory for everyone. It is one of the easiest and least invasive ways we can fight this, yet so many people fight against even this basic protection. At the same time, better masks are needed for students and they need to be worn correctly. This article also talks about activities like choir and basketball being put aside to possible also help reduce the spread (this would be expanded to all sports and additional activities like band and theater which I even did as a student). I think that it could be possible to keep these going, but students who would want to do these activities would then have to go through even stricter rules (like testing every 3 days and quarantining when not at school during what ever season is linked to the activity).  https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/30/health/back-to-school-omicron-covid-19-wellness/index.html 

Most of Colorado is in the high transmission and this includes the Denver Metro Area where a good chunk of schools and students are.

Instead of doing this school districts should set up testing sites. If nothing else it would help keep tests from getting lost or destroyed due to mishandling.

"Advocates fear suspensions could add to pandemic pain for vulnerable students" - One of the key things that this article points out are that students are becoming more violent. Everyone likes to blame this on covid, but it is because the current generation of parents, educators, and society as a whole are not training kids how to act properly. We have taken away the most effective ways parents had to punish kids and now they are running amuck in the schools. We need harsher punishments for students who get violent in schools and not letting them see that their actions can have a negative effect on their lives is the worst form of child abuse because we are enabling them to be violent by letting them get away with it. They need to see real negative effects on their lives to have them change their behavior. Civil rights advocates need to be more concerned about how their actions are directly causing increases in crime and stay out of things if they are only going to make the world a worse place to live due to their ideals. This actually brings me back to Spiderman. It seems like every movie is driven by his mistakes in him taking action in what he thinks is right, but it causes people to die and makes matters worse. It is the same with these people making crime acceptable in our society. We need a no tolerance policy with strict punishments that must be carried out to get today's youth to see the damage they cause to themselves and others by their actions. We need to stop coddling these kids because we are destroying our society. It's about time we start teaching them how to adult. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/school-suspension-covid-mental-health-rcna10329?fbclid=IwAR3l-NvspXANWKSzRecssxwOy7Ls0FlPGXCiPqpMNimwkVaZzipoCEJ34uY

Not Surprising That Douglas County School Board Does Not Support the Health of It's Students

  Douglas County School Board once again is following politics instead of science when it comes to the health and well being of their students. They have decided to OPT out of Masks as the Omicron virus is hitting Colorado. I really do not know how these people keep their jobs let alone not get hit with lawsuits due to reckless child endangerment. 

Leaders in the Douglas County School District that need to go for not caring about the health of the students and endangering them:

Elizabeth Hanson - Her degrees are in business and law with no education in education or science.

Susan Meek - Another person that has a degree in business (economics) and one in Public Policy. No educational background in education or science. From her LinkedIn account you can see that she has done a lot of director work, but her ground level experience dealing with real issues daily is missing from her record. Nothing on her record reads as her having true experience that would help her be successful in her current position.

Becky Myers - Broken record time but Business certificate with degrees in family and consumer studies, but at least she has a MA in Information and Learning.

Mike Peterson - Ex-military and the district site said that he was an assistant professor at the USAF Academy, but not what degrees he had if any or if the only reason he even got the job was only due to work experience and not also education based.

David Ray - We then have a psychotherapist that depending on where he studied the amount of science background he may have may be limited to none. He does at least have a MA in Education. According to his LinkedIn profile he has been doing the same thing for 23 years (doesn't mean that he is good at it as decisions like this would prove). He doesn't make public what other work experience makes him qualified to do the job he does so if you don't show it you get no credit. So over all for him there is no reason for him to be in his current position.

Christy Williams - The district's site was missing bio info on her.

Kaylee Winegar - Another MA in Business. Not on LinkedIn so people can not verify any experience that might show she is qualified for current position so we have to assume that she has no work experience that would help explain why she is doing what she does beside politics.

What does this show: that elective officials don't need to meet any type of job qualifications or up hold any basic safety or health measures and they can use their lack of knowledge to their advantage and just say 'opps' as the spread of covid continues with their help. This proves that it should be mandatory that politicians or any one running for an elected position must provide a detailed resume so that people can understand the mess that they are getting themselves into based on who they elect. At the same time I don't think anti-maskers would really care about the education their kids get so it is not that far off that these people on on the board.

For more info check out:

https://www.westword.com/news/douglas-county-school-board-dumps-mask-rule-jefferson-county-update-12966854?fbclid=IwAR3IBnIciNMO0XJf8PQ9QOjdv3eFspJmM2D1Ec0SVfojcOW6e2N4g0IoTGc

https://www.dcsdk12.org/about/our_district/nondiscrimination_notice - It's funny/sad how they have a nondiscrimination notice on their website, yet by not supporting the mask mandate they are discriminating against a lot of people with disabilities and health issues that are negatively impacted by covid. Not to mention the long term effects/disabilities that covid is causing in people who survive infection.

https://coloradosun.com/2021/11/15/douglas-county-health-board-schools-mask-mandate/ - Everyone a part of this lawsuit forgot that one of the primary civil rights is right to life and that by them fighting masks that they are taking part in endangering the lives of people. This is selfishness to the extreme.

For the information on the board members I checked out both the District's site and LinkedIn. https://www.dcsdk12.org/about/leadership/board_of_education/board_of_education_directory

Too Little Too Late? CCCS Finally Does Something to Address the State's Covid Mandates

Republished from A Coloradoan In Education. Published 10/7/21.

https://acoloradoanineducation.blogspot.com/2021/10/too-little-too-late-cccs-finally-does.html

So previously I had talked about how CCCS was just openly ignoring things released by the state. Joe Garcia finally decided to do something…. the date was set as September 20^th by the state and here it is October 7^th that there is finally some word that CCCS will sort of follow the state employee mandates. The only good thing is that they are expanding it to include students. So the state guideline had said that employees that were not vaccinated would have to do testing two times a week. Well, CCCS is now saying that that it will only require a once weekly test if you are not vaccinated. Then there is also a question of how this will be tracked… I have some ideas on how this will work, but trying to get there is going to be messy due to limitations with technology and data. 

Anyway, this is still fresh from the press so you can look at it.

8/12/21 Important News for Educators

Republished from A Coloradoan In Education. 

Here's a look at what grade schools districts are doing or not doing to impact the spread of Covid.

Districts that care:

This section is sadly empty because the school districts that are at least address the issue in some way are only doing a partial job of it. None of the schools are taking into account that vaccinated people can still catch the virus and that anyone that is unvaccinated are more than likely to be a health liability to everyone else. Glad to know that the schools 'care' so much about their students and staff, and you can make that as thick with sarcasm as you would like.

Districts that somewhat care:

Aurora Public Schools - All staff will be required to be vaccinated once approved by the FDA. Masks are strongly encouraged for students who are unvaccinated (like that will really happen since many will come from families that don't care enough about being vaccinated or not).

Boulder Valley Schools - Masks required for all 2 years old and older. Nothing about vaccine requirements for staff and that's why they are in this section.

Denver Public Schools - Masks are required for everyone inside. Nothing listed about stance on vaccine.

Jefferson County Public Schools - Students need to wear a mask unless vaccinated then it is only recommended. This does not take into account that now some people even if they are vaccinated can still get covid. Just shows how this district is not paying attention to what is happening. Masks are required for unvaccinated staff and recommended for vaccinated.

Poudre School District - Masks are required for all even if vaccinated. 

Districts that do not care:

Adams 12 Five Star Schools - Masks optional (like that will do anything to help).

Cherry Creek Schools - Masks are only 'strongly' encouraged and there is nothing about vaccine requirements. This is a total let down for me since this was the school district I spent the most time in growing up. At the same time this is not a surprise since this district has been going down hill since I left.

Douglas County Schools - Masks just recommended, another school doing basically nothing to help stop the spread of the virus.

July

7/19/21

The Federal States of Micronesia has joined the Western Instate Commission for Higher Education. This means that students from this area can now enroll in education programs in other member states and territories and pay reduced tuition! For more info on WUE: https://www.wiche.edu/ .

April

4/29/21

A lot is coming out right now about what schools will be requiring vaccines and what ones won't check the breaking news blog post for today for more information.

4/2/21

So at least it is looking good for state employees to actually get a cost of living increase this year which was skipped last year. At the same time I'm one of those employees that will believe it when I see it. Many times educational workers are promised things that never happen...

Colorado budget: Lawmakers to weigh 3% pay raise for state workers, restoring education cuts and more

https://www.denverpost.com/2021/04/01/colorado-budget-state-worker-raises-economy-education-funding/?fbclid=IwAR2PSeAwcJAvUAQHJMW6L6nmBa5KL3NSzRmEwhBPIW7MmTUcje5jAeERj-4

March

3/27/21

Covid has impacted how people view education, which the below article talks about. I actually feel though that the devaluation of education though happened during the Trump administration and how Republicans and others don't listen to experts in whatever field is need for a specific conversation and do not value education in general. I know on face book it seems like most are just looking at news sources instead of doing real research or looking at peer reviewed journals.

As Pandemic Upends Teaching, Fewer Students Want to Pursue It

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/27/us/covid-school-teaching.html?fbclid=IwAR0G05miJX3_UAXyiFB_LQGQL02acreggKdiAQt-8pgM6faSO-dstbncnkQ

8/12/21

Here's a look at what grade schools districts are doing or not doing to impact the spread of Covid.

Districts that care:

This section is sadly empty because the school districts that are at least address the issue in some way are only doing a partial job of it. None of the schools are taking into account that vaccinated people can still catch the virus and that anyone that is unvaccinated are more than likely to be a health liability to everyone else. Glad to know that the schools 'care' so much about their students and staff, and you can make that as thick with sarcasm as you would like.

Districts that somewhat care:

Aurora Public Schools - All staff will be required to be vaccinated once approved by the FDA. Masks are strongly encouraged for students who are unvaccinated (like that will really happen since many will come from families that don't care enough about being vaccinated or not).

Boulder Valley Schools - Masks required for all 2 years old and older. Nothing about vaccine requirements for staff and that's why they are in this section.

Denver Public Schools - Masks are required for everyone inside. Nothing listed about stance on vaccine.

Jefferson County Public Schools - Students need to wear a mask unless vaccinated then it is only recommended. This does not take into account that now some people even if they are vaccinated can still get covid. Just shows how this district is not paying attention to what is happening. Masks are required for unvaccinated staff and recommended for vaccinated.

Poudre School District - Masks are required for all even if vaccinated. 

Districts that do not care:

Adams 12 Five Star Schools - Masks optional (like that will do anything to help).

Cherry Creek Schools - Masks are only 'strongly' encouraged and there is nothing about vaccine requirements. This is a total let down for me since this was the school district I spent the most time in growing up. At the same time this is not a surprise since this district has been going down hill since I left.

Douglas County Schools - Masks just recommended, another school doing basically nothing to help stop the spread of the virus.

8/12/21 Breaking News: Colorado Community Colleges Defy Colorado State's order that all State Employees Are Required to either be Vaccinated or Test 2 Times Weekly

 Republished from A Coloradoan In Education. Published 8/12/21.

https://acoloradoanineducation.blogspot.com/2021/08/breaking-news-colorado-community.html

 Hi All,

Here we go again with the Colorado Community College System not only showing that they do not care about the health of their students and staff, but that they also think that they out rank the state of Colorado even though they are employees of the state. Below are pictures of the letter that got sent out to employees. The key part is bullet 1 where it says "Will not require employees, students, or volunteers at the CentreTech or Lowry campuses to be vaccinated against COVID-19." This is a direct challenge to the state's requirement that all state employees either get vaccinated or are required to do testing twice a week. You can read more about the Colorado requirement at: https://kdvr.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/colorado-state-employees-must-get-vaccinated-by-sept-20-or-undergo-twice-weekly-tests/ . Further down in the letter it gives excuses as to why the system feels that it is ok to not follow the requirements that are designed to protect people's health. The only good thing is that it is bring back the masks. I have been wearing my mask inside to lead by example and will continue to do so until there is real improvement with the covid situation. I care about others when many make it very apparent that they do not care about the well being of others. 

As part of this and many other bad decisions by CCCS Chancellor Joe Garcia, I would like to call for him to step down from his position. This is a state employee openly defying the state and he is not going through any proper appeal process with them, but just doing whatever he wants. I would also like to request that CCA's new President Mordecai Ian Brownlee also step down for his support (as seen through the letter) in going against the state.

Got to love how they pick and choose what to enforce. Staff and students can only "aspire" when they are healthy and alive. I think the CCCS needs to be reminded about how many people have died any any outbreaks will be their fault for not following safety requirements.

Below is an email from Joe Garcia showing that he understands that vaccines are what we need to fight covid, but that he is unwilling to do what is needed to actively stop its spread:

From: Chancellor Joe Garcia
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2021 2:08 PM
Subject: CCCS Plan for Fall 2021

 

CCCS Statement from CCCS Chancellor Joe Garcia

CCCS Plan for Fall 2021

August 11, 2021

 

Introduction

With the widespread availability of vaccines, many experts thought—and we all hoped—that we were headed for a more normal fall semester of academic and social interactions on our campuses and in our classrooms. However, the dramatic spread of the Delta variant and other factors have raised new concerns and challenges for our system of 13 colleges. In the face of these new challenges, national, state, and local public health experts have expressed with renewed urgency that vaccination remains the surest way to slow the spread and severity of COVID-19 and its variants.

 

From the beginning of this pandemic and throughout the last 18 months of its evolution, we have had the safety of our students, faculty, and staff as our top priority. We have been guided by the information and directives that have come from our local, state, and national health authorities, and we will continue to do so as we move into the fall semester and the new academic year. At the same time, we recognize that our primary mission is to provide post-secondary educational opportunities to the students and communities we serve, and we have endeavored to maintain our focus on our statutory mission of providing equitable access for all who seek to improve their lives through education. Although we were hopeful that the worst days of the pandemic would be over by now, that is not the present reality. We are in the difficult position of balancing the health and safety of our employees, students, and communities with the need to preserve access to education. The protocols set forth below are our best hope for achieving that balance.

 

Considerations for Fall 2021

The safety protocols as set forth in this document are based on information currently available and public health recommendations as they exist as of August 2021. As with everything related to the pandemic, these protocols are subject to change as we learn more about COVID-19 and its variants, and as may be required by differing circumstances in the many communities we serve. It is also likely that local health authorities may impose requirements in communities where our colleges are located that are more restrictive than those set forth below. In such cases, institutions in those communities will follow the more restrictive local requirements, including requirements involving vaccinations, testing, reporting, masking, social distancing, and capacity restrictions. What will not change are our priorities of safety for our students, staff, and communities, and preserving access for our students.

 

Masking and Vaccination Requirements

Medical experts generally agree that vaccinations and masking are the best means of limiting the spread of COVID-19 and its variants and minimizing the likelihood of hospitalization and death. We also know that many of our students learn best in traditional classrooms with face-to-face instruction, and that the risk of COVID-19 transmission exists under those conditions. At present, all our colleges plan to return to face-to-face teaching and learning with the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester. Therefore, to reduce the chances of COVID-19 transmission, we are strongly urging all individuals in any group setting on our campuses to wear masks and follow other safety protocols such as regularly sanitizing surfaces, washing hands, and physical distancing, where practical.

 

In recognition of the fact that each of our colleges is in a different community with different vaccination and positivity rates, and each is under the direction and control of a different local health authority, the Presidents of our 13 colleges are authorized to implement COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including mask requirements in all college buildings, as dictated by local conditions and in consultation with their local public health agencies. Universal mask wearing is strongly encouraged.

 

Students will continue to have access to a wide range of remote, hybrid, and online course options as needed to accommodate individual circumstances. For students who cannot wear masks for medical reasons, all colleges will continue to provide access to the accommodation process.

 

At the System Office, effective August 16th, all individuals entering our facilities, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, must wear a mask if they are in any public space or in the presence of others. The mask requirement will not apply when individuals are in their own workspace and not in the presence of others.

 

At this time, the Colorado Community College System strongly encourages all employees and students to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Free vaccination clinics will be available at our colleges and at many sites throughout the state. As an added incentive, the CCCS Foundation and Amazon recently announced the Shot at a Scholarship program, which will award 67 scholarships to vaccinated community college students across the state. The web link is: https://www.cccs.edu/shot-at-a-scholarship/.

 

The message from virtually all public health and medical experts has been and remains clear—the best way to protect yourself and others is through vaccination. While we are not now requiring vaccinations for all students and employees, our goal is to encourage all who access our college campuses to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Full FDA approval of vaccines appears likely in the very near future. Once that is the case, it is likely that we will require all employees to be vaccinated and may require those who are not vaccinated to be tested regularly, particularly if COVID-19 outbreaks occur or persist on our campuses or in our communities. In that event, all CCCS employees will be required to attest that they are fully vaccinated, or that they have claimed an allowable and identified exemption as permitted by Federal and State law. Plans and details regarding vaccination attestation and exemptions will be handled by each of the 13 colleges.

 

It is also possible that we will require the same of all students who wish to access in- person instruction on any of our campuses. Just as we have an obligation to provide educational access to our communities, we have an obligation to help keep our communities safe, and we will take such action as is necessary in furtherance of that goal.

 

Honor system for staying at home and symptom reporting

Everyone in the CC CS community, whether vaccinated or not, is expected to stay at home and get tested if they have any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (such as fever or chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea), or upon discovering that there is a reasonable chance that they have been recently exposed to  someone with COVID-19.

 

I appreciate the efforts and resourcefulness of our faculty and staff in adjusting to this ever-changing public health situation. Just as our system has done throughout the 18 months of the pandemic, we will continue to monitor conditions carefully, listen to guidance from local, state and national public health experts, and make the best decisions possible for our students and our employees.

Chancellor’s Office: (720) 858-2424

9101 E. Lowry Blvd. Denver, CO 80230

chancellor@cccs.edu | www.cccs.edu

Calling for everyone to reach out to the Chancellor's office to ask him to resign.

7/19/21 Important News for Educators

Republished from A Coloradoan In Education. 

The Federal States of Micronesia has joined the Western Instate Commission for Higher Education. This means that students from this area can now enroll in education programs in other member states and territories and pay reduced tuition! For more info on WUE: https://www.wiche.edu/ .

4/29/21 Breaking News: Some Schools Standing up for the Health of their Staff and Students

Republished from A Coloradoan In Education. Published 4/29/21. 

https://acoloradoanineducation.blogspot.com/2021/04/breaking-news-42921.html

 It has now been announced that most of the major colleges, like the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, have all announced that they will require the covid vaccines for students and staff. So far only the Colorado Community System has announced that they will not be requiring it. At least some of the schools in Colorado are supporting the health of students and staff. This shows a difference in Colorado's institutes of higher education that people need to be aware of. Has getting the covid vaccine gets easier and easier it is nearly to the point where there should be no excuse not to get the vaccine unless you have a medical issue that would prevent you. Yes, some people have reactions to the vaccine, such as myself, but it is vastly important to get this under control and to be a responsible person. I do not recommend the J&J one since it seems to have worse reactions that have killed. I have not heard of anyone else being killed by the other 2, but I maybe wrong and will admit that I just have not heard of them if there have been. This is a good example of things people should research before picking a school. Be aware of how they treat their students and staff before making a selection.

The major objection is that the vaccine is a barrier against students. THE SHOT IS FREE and you can nearly get it everywhere. No barrier but an imagined one that is actually creating a barrier between people and being healthy or even life in some cases. Many schools have even been helping staff and students get the shot. That is what schools should be doing, but by not requiring them they are forcing people into possible unsafe environments.

For more information on schools and vaccine requirements check out the following links:

https://www.cpr.org/2021/04/02/as-colorado-colleges-consider-vaccine-mandate-fort-lewis-goes-all-in/

https://www.cpr.org/2021/04/28/colorado-universities-covid-vaccine-requirements-students/

https://www.colorado.edu/today/2021/04/28/get-initial-vaccine-requirement-details-timeline

https://www.denverpost.com/2021/04/28/colorado-colleges-universities-vaccine-requirements/

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/carleton-and-macalester-will-require-covid-19-vaccines-next-fall-will-other-colleges-follow/89-793468be-64c0-4064-a147-78380c0ffc58

Colleges are not only requiring, but also helping people find the vaccines:

https://www.colorado.edu/health/scheduling-covid-19-vaccine-appointments

Debates around schools requiring the vaccine:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2021/04/29/why-college-vaccine-mandates-are-controversial-and-likely-to-be-widely-adopted/?sh=6c55ebdf4c65

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/04/08/some-colleges-confront-political-headwinds-adopting-covid-vaccine-mandates

Other schools around the nation are also requiring: 

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/coronavirus/vaccine-coronavirus-california/california-state-university-vaccines-required-students-staff-coronavirus/2579634/

The vaccine is working:

https://www.foxnews.com/health/pfizer-moderna-covid-19-vaccines-cut-hospitalizations-older-adults

Schools not supporting students or staff:

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/04/28/2219153/0/en/Colorado-Community-College-System-not-mandating-COVID-19-vaccine-for-Fall-2021.html

4/28/21 Breaking News: CCCS Endangering Students and Staff by Not Requiring the Covid Vaccine

Republished from A Coloradoan In Education. Published 4/28/21.

https://acoloradoanineducation.blogspot.com/2021/04/42821-breaking-news.html

Hi Everyone,

This is the latest out in relation to CCCS and covid. Personally I still recommend to everyone that they get the shot. It not only protects them, but like a mask helps to protect everyone you interact with. I keep hearing that in order to reach heard immunity we need at least 90% of people to be fully vaccinated (and not just the one dose if you signed up for the 2 does option). I will admit that I got sick both times from it and felt like I had been kicked in the arm by a horse. My next day had be curled into a ball with a heating pad on my arm not making any moves. The slightest twitch would send pain shooting through my arm that I had to try not to cry. Still not as bad as kidney stones, but very close. Even knowing this I would still go through it again because of what covid can do. Please do what you can to help humanity defeat this pandemic. 

4/2/21Important News for Educators

 Republished from A Coloradoan In Education. 

So at least it is looking good for state employees to actually get a cost of living increase this year which was skipped last year. At the same time I'm one of those employees that will believe it when I see it. Many times educational workers are promised things that never happen...

Colorado budget: Lawmakers to weigh 3% pay raise for state workers, restoring education cuts and more

https://www.denverpost.com/2021/04/01/colorado-budget-state-worker-raises-economy-education-funding/?fbclid=IwAR2PSeAwcJAvUAQHJMW6L6nmBa5KL3NSzRmEwhBPIW7MmTUcje5jAeERj-4

3/27/21 Important News for Educators

 Republished from A Coloradoan In Education.

Covid has impacted how people view education, which the below article talks about. I actually feel though that the devaluation of education though happened during the Trump administration and how Republicans and others don't listen to experts in whatever field is need for a specific conversation and do not value education in general. I know on face book it seems like most are just looking at news sources instead of doing real research or looking at peer reviewed journals.

As Pandemic Upends Teaching, Fewer Students Want to Pursue It

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/27/us/covid-school-teaching.html?fbclid=IwAR0G05miJX3_UAXyiFB_LQGQL02acreggKdiAQt-8pgM6faSO-dstbncnkQ

Education Covid Vaccine Update

 Republished from A Coloradoan In Education. Published 2/2/21.

https://acoloradoanineducation.blogspot.com/2021/02/education-covid-vaccine-update.html

Below is a message from the Governor in relation to covid vaccine. The problem I have is what about higher education. Colleges and universities have had covid break outs (mostly due to students not doing what they should) and those education workers need protected as well.

 

 

 

 

Dear State employees,    As we have worked together during this extraordinary and challenging year, I have said the COVID-19 vaccine is our path back to the Colorado we know and love, and with every vaccine administered the light at the end of the tunnel gets a little brighter.    From the onset, Colorado has approached vaccine distribution in a way that is equitable, saves the most lives, and ends the health emergency as soon as possible. I’m incredibly proud to say that 90% of our highest-risk, frontline health care workers have received both doses of their vaccine. And we are well on our way toward reaching our goal of vaccinating at least 70% of Coloradans 70 and older by February 28, having currently vaccinated 190,995 - or nearly half -  of the people in this group.   Given the progress we’ve made thus far, and the estimated number of vaccines we anticipate Colorado will be receiving in the coming weeks, I’m excited to announce new updates to our vaccine prioritization list.    Starting on February 8, PreK-12 educators, child care workers in licensed programs, and Coloradans ages 65-69 will also be eligible to receive the vaccine. Coloradans 65-69 will be able to sign up the same way that our 70 and older population has, through their local provider. Our PreK-12 educators will work with their employers, as many major school districts have already partnered with local providers.    Beginning in early March, our frontline essential workers and Coloradans ages 16-64 with two or more high risk conditions will also be eligible. We’ll have more information on how this group can sign up soon.    This is a big next step. But we wouldn’t be making it if I didn’t believe we were ready.    Since the early days of this pandemic, our decisions have been driven by data and the best information we have available. We know that getting this right is crucial, not only to save lives, but to make sure that our small businesses can stay open so we can focus on building back stronger than ever before.    For more information, visit COCOVIDVACCINE.org or call 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926). These resources can help you find contact information for providers and sign up for their waitlist.    I am grateful for all your hard work over this last year. Colorado’s response has been strong because of the incredible dedication from each and every one of you. Thank you.    Sincerely,

 

 

Governor Jared Polis

Outbreaks of Covid Continue in Higher Education

 Republished from A Coloradoan In Education. Published 9/28/20.

https://acoloradoanineducation.blogspot.com/2020/09/outbreaks-of-covid-continue-in-higher.html

Covid keeps hitting higher education. Previously CU Boulder had issues with students getting infected due to them not following the rules, and now the waste water from a CSU dorm has tested positive for covid meaning that someone in there has it. I hate to say it, but I’m not surprised for many reasons. First, this age group for the most part still thinks they are immune to covid with how it has been covered by the media and the current U.S. government not taking it seriously. Second, this age group is still developing into adults and they are still learning basic life skills that may not have had to deal with at home. This includes things like cleaning and basic social responsibility. These are skills that can take time to develop depending on how they were raised. Lastly, we have seen that when people are brought together cases of covid go up. This is one where I hate to say it, but the schools should have known better. I know that everyone wants things to return to normal, but when that is rushed we will continue to have outbreaks. Some of the schools are also going back and forth between in person and online learning depending on what covid cases look like.

The best way to address this would have had all lecture based courses switch entirely online and then only have classes meet in person for labs associated with the sciences or technical programs. No student should have been allowed back in the dorms. I know that this would have cut into the schools funding (they way over charge for both housing and food), but you need to do what is in the best interest of not only the school and students but what is best for the whole community. Sorry for the run on sentence but it was needed. Many colleges today have the capabilities to run online only. For example CSU has CSU Global. They should have taken direction from this to see how they could function 100% online. 

I do understand that there are some students that just learn better in person. Unfortunately due to safety these students may have to put their education on hold. Online education takes a specific type of personality to be successful. Not everyone can do it. One of the key traits that is needed is time management. Another is that they must have self-motivation. The only way I see around this is for schools to make special sections of courses and only bring these students on campus while keeping the environment as controlled as possible (this could also include students with disabilities so that their needs are met as well). I could then see these students being housed on campus, but they could not be allowed to leave and would have to live in a quarantine. 

At this point, I’m just waiting to see how far into the semester/this academic year it will take before schools realize what they need to do. I’ll just keep watching the situation to see what happens as schools start to release their plans for the spring semester while we wait for a vaccine.

COVID-19’s Impact on Education

Republished from A Coloradoan In Education. Published 3/17/20.

https://acoloradoanineducation.blogspot.com/2020/03/covid-19s-impact-on-education.html

            Right now education on all levels is feeling the impact of the coronavirus. Grade schools are taking extended spring breaks and higher education is doing longer breaks and switching to online formats. As of today many schools are also canceling their graduation ceremonies. One interesting thing that Japanese elementary students are doing is they set up their own graduation ceremony in Minecraft (Wilson). Schools and people will need to be creative during this time to meet all of their different needs. These school closures are also impacting parents and not everyone has backup child care.

At the same time it is understandable for these closures to happen if you look at both health advisories and how education works in our country. Classrooms are normally small and packed with students and these changes are needed in order to protect everyone. Most desks are spaced only far enough away from each other to allow people to walk past and most student’s do not have their own desk, but have several other students sharing the same space at different times of the day. I will fully admit that I have worked in the private for profit education industry at online only schools. I understand that for traditional schools thinking about switching over to online only can be scary, but it has been done and needs to be done with the current health issues. One of the key things is using any existing online classroom to the fullest.

                There are many different classroom platforms that schools can use. Some of the most popular are D2L, Canvas, and Blackboard. During the changeover, professors/teachers that have already started to integrate online education will have the easiest time with the change. Blackboard has seen a massive jump in downloads of its app and is doing what it can with video tutorials (Blakemore). This switch over with the help of technology could be a big help slowing the virus, but it can also be hurtful as well. Here in Colorado a lot of our students do not have access to computers or the internet. Many students in DPS are on free or reduced lunch and this more than likely coincides with them being able to get access to their school work. Another impact on this is that many if not most libraries are also closed right now. The other option would be going to restaurants, but with the governor closing all dine in at restaurants yesterday this has also been stopped. This means that if students are lucky enough to have a laptop computer their only option would be to go to stores like Walmart or sit outside in their cars at locations that have free wifi for their customers.

Extended spring breaks and the technology issues are not the only negative impact that students are facing. It is also getting to be that time of year when high school students need to take the ACT and SAT. If students are not able to sit for these tests or prepare for them, this could impact them being able to get into college. Some colleges have started to look at multiple measures when trying to see if a student should be given admission to their school. One of these is high school GPA (which the virus could also affect). The problem is that not all schools are doing this and most still rely on test scores.

The virus is not only impacting traditional education venues, but non-traditional as well. Both the Denver Museum and Denver Zoo has also announced that they will be closed until future notice. When you add this to the closure of the local libraries, even self-education is getting smaller and smaller. There are ways around this as well. One is that Scholastic is offering free online courses for kids. The even have developed material for kids on the coronavirus, check out: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/press-release/scholastic-creates-free-open-access-digital-hub-help-keep-students-learning-while-scho .

Some museums also offer virtual tours : https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours .

For older learners you can also check out Harvard’s free courses: https://online-learning.harvard.edu/trending

So as we start to settle in to see if we can wait out this virus, I challenge all of you to keep your education going.

Works Cited

Blakemore, Lee. “Blackboard works together with the educational community to deliver continuity of education during coronavirus.” Education Dive. Accessed March 17, 2020.

https://www.educationdive.com/spons/blackboard-works-together-with-the-education-community-to-deliver-continuit/574037/?fbclid=IwAR3AI8jNs9QYZnqcp6ZH1ypRTPF27Dq6oqMM3ElXoC_a61FItQofzI1JQGI

Wilson, Scott. “Japanese students hold graduation ceremony in Minecraft amid school cancellation.” Sora News 24. Accessed March 17, 2020.

https://soranews24.com/2020/03/15/japanese-students-hold-graduation-ceremony-in-minecraft-amid-school-cancellation/