Private vs public school

[EagleDawg97]

Just wondering about what y’all think. I read where Jackson city schools may be cancelling all extracurricular activities until January and doing online only classes.

If the private schools have in person class and play sports, will their enrollments explode? I am hearing many parents want their kids back in classrooms learning.

If this happens how the heck will the MHSAA manages all the (in - out - the back in) public school stuff will be fascinating!

 

[johnson86-1]

Just wondering about what y’all think. I read where Jackson city schools may be cancelling all extracurricular activities until January and doing online only classes.

If the private schools have in person class and play sports, will their enrollments explode? I am hearing many parents want their kids back in classrooms learning.

If this happens how the heck will the MHSAA manages all the (in - out - the back in) public school stuff will be fascinating!

There are probably not that many people in Jackson public schools that can foot the bill for private school, but to the extent there are, I'm not sure how much capacity the local private schools actually have. At least at MRA, JA, and Prep, I'd think you'd see parents up in arms if they tried to take in a lot. I think 20 per class would be well over a 10% increase in enrollment for any of those schools (not sure how big they are now; maybe that's wrong).

And while there might be some parents that spring for tuition of an athlete or two, I would think any more than that and the parents of kids getting displaced would raise too much hell.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

My kids‘ school in Memphis was originally hoping they would gain enrollment because of people looking for a “normal” school environment, but now I don’t think it will be anywhere close to “normal”. I really think the only school that will see dramatic growth is homeschool.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

The private school I went to is not seeing much of an increase in enrollment even with advertising in classroom learning. There’s a ton of people going the homeschool route.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I don't expect private schools to enroll many more students due to economic conditions and capacity.

Increase in homeschooling is the most likely scenario.

Edit to add: I doubt it would happen but I would not be surprised to see a decrease in private school enrollment.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

I'm hearing from teachers that even in Public Schools, more kids than expected are opting for the online option, especially minority students.

 

[Xenomorph]

You'll see a lot of "micro schools" pop up. Parents pool their money and pay teachers to come into a central location serving a handful of students.

 

[Xenomorph]

This is very true. Seeing 30-40% of the student enrollment electing to go virtual. And of that percentage, 80% are minority.

The makeup of face-to-face classrooms is going to look very different than that of the overall school.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I'm hearing similar things and that doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Agreed.

 

[EagleDawg97]

The micro school is an interesting idea. My kid’s public school botched the spring so horribly, that I have zero faith that they can pull off a quality online only education. Not to mention that I would guess 1/3 of the kids do not have internet or have very slow rural internet that would make virtual classroom scenarios impossible.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

You'll see a lot of "micro schools" pop up. Parents pool their money and pay teachers to come into a central location serving a handful of students.

I would sign up for this. If things get too cumbersome with in class school, we’ll just homeschool and add in some private tutoring as needed until this runs it’s course. I’m certainly a fan of professional teaching with parental reinforcement over parental teaching.

 

[Xenomorph]

There are some good teachers being offered nice money right now to skip out on their contracts this year.

 

[philduckworth]

Unfortunately, some students electing the virtual option don't have internet access.

 

[johnson86-1]

That's what we'll have to do. Going to be pissed that we are paying property taxes that are used to pay teachers who then get paid again by us to teach our kids. I don't begrudge the ones we'll hire; obviously we like them to hire them. But it's just 17ing ridiculous that we are going to shut down schools and then still have a ton of students in group settings.

 

[G-Dawg]

What do you mean? Details. Skipping out on their contract would mean possibly forfeiting their license for at least a year.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

That's what I was wondering too. Teachers close to retirement age might be the main ones who'd be initially intrigued.

Even then, they'd be wondering about insurance coverage.

 

[johnson86-1]

What do you mean? Details. Skipping out on their contract would mean possibly forfeiting their license for at least a year.

Would a year matter? They'll have their license back for the next year, right?

I suspect that's not going to be a problem regardless. If teachers chooses to sit out and cites covid as a concern, I can't imagine they'll be punished, even if they are doing it in part to take a job as basically a private tutor for a "home school" with a group of families.

 

[Herbert Nenninger]

Smaller private schools would seem appealing right now, but even folks that can afford to switch may be scared to with the threat of the school having to switch to virtual and being stuck paying for a lesser experience.

 

[DudyDog]

My wife is a teacher. It would be pretty tough to give up $600+ in insurance every month plus losing a year's worth of money going into her PERS retirement, which is roughly 8-9k. Not to mention losing a year time wise going towards retirement, meaning you'd have to teach 26 years to get your 25 years to retire. Not something we'd be interested in.

it would have to be a really big number to get our attention. I don't see 10-12 families putting up that kind of money. We definitely wouldn't do it for the same amount she's getting now. Why would anyone?

 

[notoriousD_O_G]

Unfortunately, some students electing the virtual option don't have internet access.

I have heard from a teacher in a Shelby County elementary school that the had students vote on what they wanted. 80% chose virtual so they are going all virtual. They are giving hotspots to students who dont have internet and apparently its the majority of them.

 

[johnson86-1]

My wife is a teacher. It would be pretty tough to give up $600+ in insurance every month plus losing a year's worth of money going into her PERS retirement, which is roughly 8-9k. Not to mention losing a year time wise going towards retirement, meaning you'd have to teach 26 years to get your 25 years to retire. Not something we'd be interested in.

it would have to be a really big number to get our attention. I don't see 10-12 families putting up that kind of money. We definitely wouldn't do it for the same amount she's getting now. Why would anyone?

I was referring to the license issue. If they have a financial deal that makes sense, if they just lose their license for a year (the year they've already chosen to spend teaching privately), what would that matter? Do they have to go through some reinstatement process or something?

 

[ezsoil]

I have heard from a teacher in a Shelby County elementary school that the had students vote on what they wanted. 80% chose virtual so they are going all virtual. They are giving hotspots to students who dont have internet and apparently its the majority of them.

Elementary students voting? What could go wrong with that? Stay home watch TV and play video games ..what a country...

 

[horshack.sixpack]

That's what we'll have to do. Going to be pissed that we are paying property taxes that are used to pay teachers who then get paid again by us to teach our kids. I don't begrudge the ones we'll hire; obviously we like them to hire them. But it's just 17ing ridiculous that we are going to shut down schools and then still have a ton of students in group settings.

Yep, and the argument that these kids would be dragging COVID home to their vulnerable family is pretty flawed. Kids aren't staying away from their friends now. Admittedly, the classroom exposure would make the kids be in proximity with some other kids that they wouldn't have otherwise, but they're all pretty much hanging out all the time now.

 

[o_Native Son]

I'm at a private school in another big southern city - our enrollment is currently about what it was at this time last year. Lower School is where we have the most people trying to get in. They will probably open up another section in some grades like 4th and 5th. We're going to start with in person classes, but move to online if we are required by the state or if there are multiple-student cases within "cohorts" (i.e., groups we are trying to isolate more; like 7th graders are all staying together for the most part, no big common activities, like cafeteria lunch, it'll be in advisory rooms, or recess with other grades, or assembly/chapel). We have a handful of kids in each division who are still paying, but want to keep their kids at home all semester/year - that's what I don't understand.

I've heard that the biggest school district in the state of Oklahoma is going to be their online "district" this year (it's being treated that way). Families going that route just have to be ready for essentially no hand-holding or personal contact. It's my understanding that parents have to be much more involved in those online schools (directing their kids, watching their grades, etc.) than for the periods when a school goes to distance learning for a (short?) period.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Shelby County Schools reported

I have heard from a teacher in a Shelby County elementary school that the had students vote on what they wanted. 80% chose virtual so they are going all virtual. They are giving hotspots to students who dont have internet and apparently its the majority of them.

That almost 80% of the people who responded to the survey selected virtual learning. When they announced these results, they forgot to point out the survey instructions said if you wanted your child to have normal in class teaching, you didn’t have to respond. I’ve been told only about 10% of families responded to the survey. 80% of 10% want virtual learning.

 

[EagleDawg97]

In what world would the students and not their parents get to vote on this? What are the odds that this isn’t a complete and total disaster in its execution?

 

[notoriousD_O_G]

In what world would the students and not their parents get to vote on this? What are the odds that this isn’t a complete and total disaster in its execution?

I should have been mote clear. It was a survey sent out to the students families. I assume they were answered by parents/guardians

 

[jethreauxdawg]

I don’t see a public school teacher leaving for a micro school, but think you could pull a teacher away from private school right now. Their benefits are not as good, and they typically don’t need the money as much. They typically just want to teach and enjoy the flexibility of private school in regards to teaching style and less red tape.

 

[WrapItDog]

Tater said they are watching closely what happens with the Corinth Schools. Corinth started traditional school on Monday with students and teachers in school 5 days a week.


Students at Corinth High School follow the directional signage posted on the floor and keep foot traffic moving in the proper direction as they change classes on the first day back to school Monday afternoon.

 

[mstateglfr]

The micro school is an interesting idea. My kid’s public school botched the spring so horribly, that I have zero faith that they can pull off a quality online only education. Not to mention that I would guess 1/3 of the kids do not have internet or have very slow rural internet that would make virtual classroom scenarios impossible.

How did the district botch it?
From what I saw behind the curtain during the spring, districts across our state were scrambling to literally create education online that had never existed.
Seems reasonable that it wasn't the best since it was created on the fly. Also that pesky federal law that required equal opportunity to education got in the way of districts teaching new material here.

Our district flat out said the remote learning this year will be nothing like what was offered in the spring. This is because they have had time to convert to remote learning and worked thru those pesky federal laws.

 

[mstateglfr]

That's what we'll have to do. Going to be pissed that we are paying property taxes that are used to pay teachers who then get paid again by us to teach our kids. I don't begrudge the ones we'll hire; obviously we like them to hire them. But it's just 17ing ridiculous that we are going to shut down schools and then still have a ton of students in group settings.

Wait what?
How could a teacher teach in a school(in person or remotely) and also teach in a private small group setting(in person)?

I'm trying to envision a scenario you describe and the only way to do so is if when classes shut down and are taught virtually, the teacher is released from all responsibility and has no obligations.
That certainly isn't the case for my state. Teachers here must continue to work, even in a remote learning environment.

 

[G-Dawg]

I thought I heard on the radio that Corinth now goes year round. Can someone eating a slugburger verify or refute that?

 

[paindonthurt_]

You mean they have to deal with something brand new that had never happened before and there was a learning curve?

And they get a pass for that?

If only that was the same for say, the federal and state governments when Covid first started.

 

[mstateglfr]

You mean they has to deal with something brand new that had never happened before and there was a learning curve?

And they get a pass for that?

If only that was the same for say, the federal and state governments when Covid first started.

The difference being- it wasnt expected for school districts to have the infrastructure to implement quality distance learning right away.
That's compared to the federal government, which has divisions in place that track infectious disease and warn of whats possibly coming.

So one should have a head start on the other and if it stumbles over and again, its rightly criticized.


But really, I have stayed largely quiet on criticizing that governments should have been perfect from the word GO. I have criticized the outright lies, lazy misinformation, and revision of history.
All those things are completely avoidable, even during a novel pandemic.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Yes they’ve been year round for a couple of years now. 6 weeks of summer vacation, 3 weeks of vacation in the spring and fall and a regular Christmas break.

 

[paindonthurt_]

0 tests to 5 million a week in 3 months.

 

[mstateglfr]

Quote Originally Posted by johnson86-1 View Post
That's what we'll have to do. Going to be pissed that we are paying property taxes that are used to pay teachers who then get paid again by us to teach our kids. I don't begrudge the ones we'll hire; obviously we like them to hire them. But it's just 17ing ridiculous that we are going to shut down schools and then still have a ton of students in group settings.

Wait what?
How could a teacher teach in a school(in person or remotely) and also teach in a private small group setting(in person)?

I'm trying to envision a scenario you describe and the only way to do so is if when classes shut down and are taught virtually, the teacher is released from all responsibility and has no obligations.
That certainly isn't the case for my state. Teachers here must continue to work, even in a remote learning environment.

johnson86-1
Still curious as to how this works.

 

[EagleDawg97]

Reaching out to a retired teacher in the area today. She is very good at what she does. I will present to her putting her on retainer so than when school goes all virtual, she can come in a few hours each day to check my kids progress and re-teach the areas they are struggling in. I have 2 other families on board to do the same, which could provide up to 8ish hours of well paid work for her each day. Wish me luck!

 

[johnson86-1]

johnson86-1
Still curious as to how this works.

It will depend on how they do it. Some schools around us have simply delayed any type of school. So their teachers have time. Nothing will be different in a month most likely, so I would expect the ones delaying are just delaying bit by bit b/c they don't want to just announce they aren't having school.

If they operate like they did in the spring, our teachers will have time. They basically just put together assignments for people to pick up or download. Certainly some work but not much. That would be very easy for a teacher to knock out with a hard day's work and then get paid to teach a small group in person.

If they require teachers to record lessons, then it will be a lot of work for a teacher to do both. Doable, but it will probably be a lot harder to find the ones willing to do it and/or we'll have to pay a little more.

If they do the "synchronous" option, then they won't be able to do both. At that point, the price of poker will go up significantly. Best case scenario at that point is probably a college student that is doing remote school. Probably won't have somebody that can manage more than our kids, so we'll probably be footing the bill ourselves at that point or at most splitting with one other family.

For what it's worth, we have good teachers and administration and the vast majority of them want to do in school teaching as far as I can tell. I am expecting us to go to school as planned but we have a lot of idiots that are making noise asking school to be postponed or mandated that it be remote (when we already have remote options for those that want it). Some people just can't be happy unless they are telling other people what to do.