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HS That Suspended Teen Who Tweeted Photo of Hallway Has 9 COVID-19 Cases

posted by martyb on Wednesday August 12 2020, @02:45PM   
from the What-would-Gomer-Pyle-say? dept.

upstart writes in with an IRC submission:

HS that suspended teen who tweeted photo of hallway has 9 COVID-19 cases:

North Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia, sent a letter to parents Saturday, saying, "At this time, we know there were six students and three staff members who were in school for at least some time last week who have since reported to us that they have tested positive." The letter was published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Most or even all of the six students and three staff members who tested positive could have had the virus before the school reopened on Monday, August 3. As Harvard Medical School explains, "The time from exposure to symptom onset (known as the incubation period) is thought to be three to 14 days, though symptoms typically appear within four or five days after exposure," and "a person with COVID-19 may be contagious 48 to 72 hours before starting to experience symptoms."

[...] As we reported Friday, the school issued a five-day suspension to student Hannah Watters after she posted a photo to Twitter, noting the "jammed" hallways and "10 percent mask rate." The school lifted her suspension after extensive media coverage. One other unnamed student who was suspended for a similar reason also had the suspension reversed, the Journal-Constitution said.

Students attended class in person only on Monday through Wednesday, as the district said it conducted a short first week "so that all of our schools can step back and assess how things are going so far."

Update at 6:50pm ET: North Paulding High School announced Sunday that it has canceled in-person instruction for Monday and Tuesday, August 10 and 11, because of the nine positive cases and "the possibility that number could increase if there are currently pending tests that prove positive." The school said that on Tuesday evening, parents and students will be notified about whether in-person instruction will resume on Wednesday. Remote learning will continue while the school is closed.

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Previously:
(2020-08-08) Pupils Who Shared Photos of Packed Corridor of Maskless Georgia Students Suspended

Original Submission

• Still closed Still closed (Score: 5, Informative) by Booga1 on Wednesday August 12 2020, @07:09PM (1 child)

  by Booga1 (6333) on Wednesday August 12 2020, @07:09PM (#1035723)

  https://www.ajc.com/education/9-cases-of-covid-19-reported-at-north-paulding-high-school/OWH6MN7DZ5A2XDQMXX337AQEWI/ [ajc.com]

  Superintendent says reopening plan coming Wednesday

  UPDATE: North Paulding High School remains closed Wednesday. Paulding Superintendent Brian Otott said at a school board meeting Tuesday night that a reopening plan for the school would be released today.

  The whole district is under-prepared. Their school district coronavirus page [k12.ga.us] hasn't had an update since June 1st. Their Back to School FAQ [k12.ga.us] points out that online classes have a waiting list. [office.com]

  The US has spent decades doing as little as possible for education. All the while, demands on teachers have continued to rise. Now that we have this pandemic, people are upset that little Jimmy won't get to socialize with his friends. Some parents are demanding that school sports resume as well, as if that were more important than actual classes or health and safety.

  The following is not mine, but I'm going to put this here anyway as it provides some perspective from a teacher's point of view. Source: https://i.imgur.com/h2XBfOe.jpg [imgur.com]

  When will 'the ask' overburden teachers?

        To the editor:

        Dear community,

        I am a teacher. I studied many years to get two degrees and multiple certificates so I could teach our children how to read and write. That's what I signed on to do.
  Then, you asked me to be a parent and teach them character, ethics, and morals and I did.
  Then, you asked me to be a social worker and teach them about suicide, online safety, bullying, to watch for signs of physical, mental, and sexual abuse and I did.
  Then you asked me to be a police officer and taught me how to identify gang behavior and taught me how to keep students safe in an active shooter situation, up to and including, using myself as a human shield if necessary and I did.
  Now, you're asking me to be a health care worker and to wear a mask, face shield, and gloves, and you give me a bottle of hand sanitizer so that I can teach our children in the midst of a pandemic because parents can't provide day care, are tired of having kids at home, feel socialization with friends is more important than safety, or simply don't really care.
  What will you expect of teachers next and when will the "ask" be too much?
  When teachers express concern over -heaven forbid- their own safety and the safety of their families, we are told to adapt, to retire, or to quit.

  We're in this together you say ... are we?

            Mollie Shepherd Logan

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Moderation		+3
  Informative=3, Total=3
  Extra 'Informative' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		5

• Re:Still closed (Score: 3, Informative) by Grishnakh on Wednesday August 12 2020, @09:25PM

  by Grishnakh (2831) on Wednesday August 12 2020, @09:25PM (#1035802)

  Some parents are demanding that school sports resume as well, as if that were more important than actual classes or health and safety.

  This is America: of course sports are more important than classes, safety, scholastics, etc. Why do you think public schools in this country chronically underpay teachers, yet spend absurd amounts of money on sports facilities? This isn't some kind of fluke; it's because this reflects the values of the American public.

  Parent