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.

8/12/20 Covid Numbers Update

 

The infections are coming in waves, but at least the deaths aren't.

Finding Humor in Dark Times

People are not liking wearing masks, but at least workers at this Walmart have found a way to put smiles on people's faces.

 

Looking At the Deaths

 Here are some charts that show the current deaths in Colorado from Covid. Google actually as a great search page where you can find this and other covid info. Just type in "How many people in Colorado have died from covid".