8 votes

Weekly coronavirus-related chat, questions, and minor updates - week of August 31

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Tags: ask.survey, recurring.weekly, coronaviruses.covid19, coronavirus

This thread is posted weekly, and is intended as a place for more-casual discussion of the coronavirus and questions/updates that may not warrant their own dedicated topics. Tell us about what the situation is like where you live!

5 comments

  1. kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link
    US Government Accountability Office report on public school building systems (PDF) This report was not specifically intended for addressing COVID-19 but highlights the inadequacy of ventilation...

    US Government Accountability Office report on public school building systems (PDF)

    About half (an estimated 54 percent) of public school districts need to update or replace multiple building systems or features in their schools, according to GAO's national survey of school districts. For example, an estimated 41 percent of districts need to update or replace heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in at least half of their schools, representing about 36,000 schools nationwide that need updates

    This report was not specifically intended for addressing COVID-19 but highlights the inadequacy of ventilation that will undoubtedly affect students and educational staff across the United States.

    Also, for anyone wondering "can it really be that bad?", here's my usual anecdata: two of the schools I've worked in have had ceiling collapses during my time there due to water leaking/pooling issues that went unaddressed. Not just one, but two -- and these were in completely different states.

    8 votes
  2. spit-evil-olive-tips
    Link
    Costa Rica is now allowing U.S. visitors, but very selectively

    Costa Rica is now allowing U.S. visitors, but very selectively

    Beginning in waves this September, however, residents of 11 states and D.C. will be allowed to visit Costa Rica once again, with a negative coronavirus test result in hand.

    Beginning Sept. 1, Americans with a valid state ID proving their residency in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia or D.C. can enter Costa Rica under the new terms.

    Beginning Sept. 15, Americans with valid state IDs for Colorado, Massachusetts or Pennsylvania will also be permitted to enter under the new rules.

    3 votes
  3. [2]
    spit-evil-olive-tips
    Link
    Thoughts from a 1st Grade Teacher in Vancouver, BC from /r/Vancouver

    Thoughts from a 1st Grade Teacher in Vancouver, BC from /r/Vancouver

    3 votes
    1. kfwyre
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      It's really disheartening to see a teacher from outside the US identify, to the letter, some of the exact same issues we're having here in America. I've come to expect those sorts of things as...

      It's really disheartening to see a teacher from outside the US identify, to the letter, some of the exact same issues we're having here in America. I've come to expect those sorts of things as they are well within the norm for me, but I always assumed Canada was doing better than us. Hopefully this teacher's experience is an outlier rather than representative of how things are going for our neighbors to the north. We're literally looking up to you!

      Also, if anyone's wanting more on-the-ground views of education in pandemic times from a mostly-US perspective, check in on the posts of r/teachers from recent weeks. The many horror stories and justified complaints there paint a picture of an institution standing on railroad tracks, staring down an oncoming locomotive, and saying "surely it'll stop before it reaches us!" as it does almost nothing to actually get itself out of the way.

      4 votes