As we previously reported, MDUSD School Board President Brian Lawrence recently said “I think we need to have a really clear understanding that for the rest of this school year, the vast majority of MDUSD students, if not all MDUSD students are probably going to be in distance learning.”
Lawrence posted the following message on his Facebook page regarding his comments at the school board meeting:
At a MDUSD Board meeting earlier this week, I made a statement that has been shared on Claycord and social media. Essentially, I stated my belief that there was a strong possibility that the majority of our students would be in distance learning for the rest of the school year. I absolutely said it and I absolutely meant it, but allow me to give some context behind the remark.
To start, I really hope it is not the case. I’d be delighted to see all of our kids (mine included) back in school classrooms this year….if it is safe to do so.
Distance learning is not a perfect replacement for in-person learning. Students, teachers and parents are all working hard but many of them are struggling. In MDUSD, we have seen huge improvements in what is currently being offered as compared to what we had in the spring. One of the reasons why I supported parting ways with our previous Superintendent was that I did not think he had done enough to get us where we needed to be. Our new Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark has been doing a great job and continues to work with our staff to help our students, but we all recognize that this is an incredible challenge.
We also know that distance learning is more challenging for some students than for others. This means we should be prioritizing an optional return to the classroom for our youngest students/grades, English Language Learners, special education students and other students that have been identified as needing extra help. In order to get these students back on campus, it very well may mean that other students are not able to return as quickly.
There is a very real toll that this pandemic is taking on the mental health of all students and families. My own father committed suicide by setting himself on fire when I was 10. Other members of my family have struggled with depression. My wife and I frequently talk about the struggles we see with our own children. I certainly don’t take this part lightly.
The last six months have also brought economic turmoil for many of our families. MDUSD continues to expand our meals program because we know that many of our students are wondering where their next meal will come from. Working parents are struggling to support their families and provide support for their students. I think about how my own Mom would have struggled to juggle that as a single parent.
It would be a help for many of these families if we reopened our school campuses. However, I balance that with what it would mean if we reopen too quickly and then had to shutdown again. We have seen that happen in school districts and universities across the country in the last few weeks. That would be incredibly destabilizing.
There may be some school districts in Contra Costa that reopen in the near future. I hope they are all incredibly successful and have no setbacks. Let’s learn from them. I think it is more important to reopen safely than it is to be the fastest to do it.
When we do reopen, our school sites and class sizes do not allow for us to return all of our students to the classroom while maintaining the recommended social distancing. We can’t simply hire two or three times more teachers or instantly create hundreds of new classrooms to allow for all of the spacing that would be needed to return the majority of our students to the classroom.
There have been people who continue to suggest that we move all our teaching outside and that we don’t need classrooms. In addition to the logistical challenges of that, I’d imagine that the terrible air quality we experienced earlier this month would illustrate why that is not feasible. Science and history tell us that we may have more of these poor air quality days in October and November.
I’m asked about a hybrid model and I absolutely understand the appeal of it. Our staff and task forces did a lot of work to develop a hybrid plan in the early summer. However, I think trying to implement a hybrid model across the whole district this school year might be too much to support. It seems more logical to focus on helping the previously described segment of students who can return to the classroom and on the students who will remain in distance learning. We could continue to add more student groups who could spend time on campus. If that is going well, I’d want to see if we could instead return students to the classroom full-time while continuing to provide distance learning for any student that wanted to stay in that model.
There are more things we can be doing to support our students and families today. At the Board meeting, I also asked Dr. Clark and staff about how we can open up more of our school facilities so that they can be utilized for exercise and recreation. We’ve partnered with daycare facilities to provide them more space on our campuses and decrease the fees that they pay. We continue to support allowing students to participate in sports training and other extracurricular activities in small groups with diligent supervision to keep them safe. We will also be providing families with another survey in the near future so we can make sure their voices continue to be heard.
My time on the MDUSD Board will come to an end in a couple of months and a new Board will work with the Superintendent to guide us forward. Even before then, I’m one person on the Board and cannot solely dictate what the District does. I do, however, feel it is important to share my beliefs and perspectives even when some people will vehemently disagree.
Part of the reason why our kids are not in school today is because of the lack of a coherent, coordinated national response to this pandemic. It is why the United States has had more people die from Covid than any other country. The guidelines from the county and state have been confusing, contradictory and lacking consistency. Having the President assure people that the virus would magically disappear by April and undermine his own health experts has not been helpful.
I am not an immunologist or a virologist and there is so much that I do not know or understand about this virus. I’ve read the CDC studies, the medical articles, bookmarked the Johns Hopkins website, etc. I’ve seen the YouTube video from the chiropractor in Bakersfield who assures us this is all a hoax and we have nothing to worry about. But I know that it is real. I know that it has killed 200,000 Americans. I know that kids can catch it. I know we have to take it seriously.
The vast majority of people in this community want to do what is best for kids but we may differ as to what that entails. These are complex issues and there aren’t easy answers. For me, I’m partially guided by the notion that I don’t want to have to look someone in the eye and say: “I’m sorry that my decision resulted in the death of your loved one.” My fellow Board Members and I all recognize the magnitude of these decisions.
I will continue to share my views and am happy to engage in respectful discussions around these issues. I will do my best to respond to questions that are posted on my MDUSD Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/briantlawrence or you can email me at Brian@briantlawrence.com. I’m not able to track down all the shares and reposts of my statement so responses will be via my page and my email.
Thank you for reading. Stay safe. Be kind. Wear a mask.
Brian Lawrence,
MDUSD Board President
Way to bring your far left politics into it Brian. You should be making decisions based on what is best for the kids not based on your hatred of Republicans.
Lawrence clearly doesn’t understand ‘states rights” versus federal. And he is on the school board?
Also, not a good look, Lawrence, to throw in a blame Trump moment. Sigh…
Who are these idiots?
Exactly, thank you for writing what I was thinking as I read this article. Why not ‘blame’ Newsom first before the President? Or blame our County Board of Supervisors and Health officials? Hummm, guess you’re not a ‘fan’ of our President is why you went there first.
As a student, I hope to complete the school year despite the complicated issues that arise with distance learning. It can be stressful at times, and this whole situation could have been dealt with in a better way. At the very least, the district had a better plan for distance learning than they did in April 2020.
Ridiculous. Please explain why Mr. Lawerence
What a load of crap.
I’m very disappointed in MDUSD. We are only halfway through q1 and instead of working on plans to get kids back in school It’s President is stating it won’t be possible.
Mr Brian Lawrence, I think Mt diablo Unified school district owed the parents of the class of 2021 an explanation on why their junior learning. senior year that these students have experience last year like missing out on their junior prom last year, and now their entire last year of high school is on district learning. There has to be away to give the class of 2021 a semi normal senior year that they been looking forward to for a long time.
The Class of 2020 suffered the same fate that is befalling the Class of 2021. Get used to it. It won’t stop there.
Mr. Lawrence, you specifically mention Claycord in this letter, which leads me to believe you are a user of this blog. I’ve been told time and time again that the virus and officials’ response to it is NOT political. That said, please explain why you felt compelled to include your purely subjective thoughts on the President’s response to the virus.
How is that subjective when you compare it to the facts, not made up mumbo jumbo from the dunce in chief. If you look at the stats from other countries, President Prump has done a poss poor job with his response.if you look at the amount of dead ameicans because he couldn’t just come out and say “everyone wear a mask cuz this stuff is deadly” instated of lying and saying it will disappear. That’s objectively a poor response.
And you believe saying that would induce everyone to wear a mask? Or are you advocating a mask mandate, for which there is no Constitutional authority? For someone who hates the president, it sure seems like you want him in charge of more aspects of your life. Here’s a clue – take a look at death RATES instead of raw numbers like the idiot Lawrence, and remember we have 330 million people in this country. Lots of first world nations are far worse than the US. And no, your opinion of the response is, by definition, subjective.
@ Realist
Yes. And Crazy Hillary would have done so much better. No one would have died from COVID-19 and it would have stopped right at the border, due to fear of the intimidating power of the Democratic party! What a crock. It’s a pandemic! Whoever won the election would have had the same result. Keep whining.
YOU LOST THE ELECTION – GET OVER IT!
If the County Health Dept decides that schools can reopen in October, then the Mt Diablo Unified School District should follow those orders, not make their own decisions based on emotions or unions. If the Health Dept says it’s okay, then it’s okay! Period. Get the kids back in the classroom. Keep your personal politics out of your response. Keep your emotions out of the response. Base your decisions on the facts and science. Follow the health dept and CDC. Simple. The pushback you received last week was because the news story said the Health Dept inferred schools could open as early as October 13th, but you said nope, not on my watch. That’s why people got mad, because even though the Health Dept said we might be able to, you made it sound like you’re going to disregard it. If you want to bring politics into it, you’re doing the same thing as the President that you don’t like and making up your own rules to the facts. And obviously you have nothing to lose since your term is up in a few months anyway.
Could not have said it better myself.
Totally agree. We are part of Acalanes Unified High School District. Same thing happening there. My kids being told by teachers that school won’t re-open AT ALL this school year. A teacher said today that the teachers voted and most don’t want to go back, so the schools are going to tell parents we will re-open in January so they don’t get complaints from parents, but then keep pushing it back. Teachers should not get full salary – 50% of pay for 50% effort/work. The other half of their salary should be paid to the parents who are teaching their kids and spending $ on resources (paper, ink, printer, wi-fi, etc). If we hit these teachers in the pocketbook they will change their tune. It’s our tax money and MEF donations that pay for teachers and use of the facilities, but we are not getting quality education.
I don’t know him and don’t have kids in this school district. As I was reading this though, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and he was making some sense. He’s responsible for a large school district. I was feeling his tough decision. And then he turned it into politics. It’s all about the President. It’s all about the national response, it’s all about the election, it’s all about the Republicans. These are simply Democratic talking points. These are not reasons to close your schools for a year. You have let the kids down incredibly.
But you can see by reading comments on this page that this statement is true:
“Having the President assure people that the virus would magically disappear by April and undermine his own health experts has not been helpful.”
The president confirmed in recent interviews that he knew his statements about the seriousness of the virus was a lie.
Good thing nobody cares what you think about the president and what is reported that he said.
What can you possibly mean by what is reported about what he said. He said it in a recorded interview.
@chuq so how much of a panic would the president have needed to drum up that would have been acceptable for you? its almost as is he didnt want more panic, violence, rioting, looting, toilet paper hoarding. even though he may have been downplaying it vocally, his actions speak louder.
“Many teachers and families feared a spike in COVID-19 cases when Florida made the controversial push to reopen schools in August with in-person instruction.
A USA TODAY analysis shows the state’s positive case count among kids ages 5 to 17 declined through late September after a peak in July. Among the counties seeing surges in overall cases, it’s college-age adults – not schoolchildren – driving the trend, the analysis found.
The early results in Florida show the success of rigorous mask wearing, social distancing, isolating contacts and quick contact tracing when necessary, health experts said.
“Many of the schools that have been able to successfully open have also been implementing control measures that are an important part of managing spread in these schools,” said Dr. Nathaniel Beers, who serves on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on School Health.”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2020/09/28/florida-schools-reopened-en-mass-feared-covid-surge-hasnt-followed/3557417001/
I read last night the article from USA Today and I was apalled by their conclusion that there are no outbreaks in Florida schools. It is known that many states ( about 20) are not mandated to tell the number of students infected even to parents or staff, then how do we know that Usa’s data is correct?
Look at Florida today and yesterday: in both days they declared only 10 deaths. Do you know what is the probability to get 10 deaths in consecutive days, when only last week they had more than 150 daily?
Maybe 1/150, maybe 1/172– you figure it out.
Such a lack of imagination.
What a load of crap. I hear a lot of can’t and not enough can.
Talk about failing our children.
Then he blames it on Trump.
Wow. Have a look at this guy’s Twitter page. It’s like a virtual Joe Biden circle jerk. Disgusting. Says everything you need to know about Brian Lawrence.
@MikeyV~I agree with your commentary…this Brian Lawrence needs to fact check his own writing..he’s calling the Bakersfield doctors chiropractors when in fact they are Emergency Room Physicians (and they never called Covid-19 a hoax). See for yourself:
https://www.bakersfield.com/news/two-bakersfield-doctors-cite-their-testing-data-to-urge-reopening/article_eb1959e0-84fa-11ea-9a07-2f2bea880bf9.html
So you are the school board president …and after reading what you wrote, I am glad to know your time is ending. You have failed out children, yours included. You have failed as a leader and an educator. You are bringing politics into a school. You are supporting the teachers union with the defund the police.
Distance learning is FAILING. Despite the ‘guarantees’ that children will have set amount of time with teachers every day … they are NOT getting that time.
My student is failing because one teacher expects a 6th grader to learn how to work with letter grades, get email, work google classrooms, experience middle school, and o, will not accept any homework that is not in a google format – so NO PDF’s, JPEGs … just google docs. Really? I know adults who struggle with that, but you expect a child, a 11 year old to understand all of that, while being told that they cannot see friends, hangout, experience middle school … yeah, and now … NOW you say this may go on for the rest of the school year!
You are a FRAUD. You should be ashamed of yourself but you probably would not know how to be.
So…many/most private and public school districts around the country and the world are open or opening because A) there always is, and there always will be, risk to disease, allergies, accidents, et al. B) this Covid risk to children is exceedingly low, and the risk to adults is easily mitigated C) education is exceedingly important to children and society in general D) the learn-at-home experiment is nowhere near a practical solution E) parents and society cannot, and will not, remain shut down indefinitely F) WAY too much authority has been placed in the hands of a very small group of people who are inflexible to alternate opinions and solutions due to irrational and personal bias.
Very well said! Agreed.
AGREED!!!!! 100%
Why wait a couple of months, he should have stepped down months ago rather than dump his plan on his successor.
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So tell us what Gavin Newsome did wrong? We’ve had a mask mandate since March.
The President has no power to enforce this kind of stuff in states. It’s up to the Governor.
Where does Trump come into this.
He shut down travel to China in February and everybody called him a racist xenophobe.
The lockdown in CA have been draconian, overstepping, long enduring. It’s caused irreparable damage to businesses, families, relationships, children, and futures. All brought on by Newsome and leftist cronies and tag-alongs like Brian Lawrence.
Tell me again how this is Trump’s fault?
How can anyone supposedly educated continue to blame our president? We live in a republic, in which the local government needs to make the decision, so we can hold them accountable. We the people! Covd-19 isn’t killing anyone without them having a previous condition or being over 65. If a child has some pre-existing condition then they should stay home. However the vast majority should be in school. Stop drinking the Koolaid!
TeacherMD You are right when the president closed down flights to China and Europe the democrats called him a racist, Nancy Pelosi took people on tours of Chinatown. De Blasio told people to come out to the St Patrick’s Day Parade. Governor Cuomo put sick people in rest homes when he had tons of unused hospital beds and a hospital ship. The list goes on and on.
It IS a hoax, just look at the damn numbers!! Why are you blaming the president? He closed the boarders at the beginning of this farce and was called a racist. Oh, and Fauci was directing him, saying we don’t need to worry. Fauci played it down. Trump gave the governor’s the power to run the states. Now we have districts dictating.
You liberals are all the same, make up what you want to believe.
Let the citizens of Mount Diablo Unified School District take a vote on this!
@TeacherMD
Man, that’s rich. So you lay it directly at the feet of our president, huh? Don’t you want to lay any of that responsibility at Pelosi’s feet? After all, she was inviting everyone to come to Chinatown to eat, drink and be merry. No telling how many folks she killed, right, TeacherMD? Or how about some of the responsibility at the feet of the person running this state? Newsom sets the rules in this state, not our president.
TeacherMD, the president NEVER called the virus a hoax. He called the democrat’s derision of his response their latest hoax. From Snopes (you know – that far right leaning fact checking organization) “Despite creating some confusion with his remarks, Trump did not call the coronavirus itself a hoax.” And what percentage of those 200,000 deaths are “from” coronavirus as opposed to “with” coronavirus? The CDC website will shed some light on that for you.
Until you can fact check yourself, if you are a teacher, you need to stay out of the classroom and away from my kids.
Teachermd,
Stick to the facts vs regurgitating the dnc talking points. It’s a state by state issue.
I hope to God you’re not teaching anywhere if you can’t separate facts from opinions. That’s called critical thinking…
You claim it’s a fact? Then PROVE it using independent sources. Otherwise, go back to momma’s basement.
If schools are allowed to open those you are comfortable sending their students back could do so.. those that want to continue online could do that. It would automatically lower class size
Brian, thank you for your heartfelt letter
And for those who feel it’s not safe to send their students to school, those students should not be allowed to participate in school sponsored sports or activities.
This guy is a joke. Fire him. Get someone in with Actual integrity
I don’t think it was at all political. Think was simply stating that when a president any president tells people it will magically disappear, don’t need a mask or drink cleaning products that divides the people on them choosing not to follow recommendations. Let’s say it’s a hoax which it don’t think it is as my father works with covid… wouldn’t you rather be safe than sorry? It’s a damn if you do damn if you don’t situation, he opens schools, or never closed them as some wanted and your child dies, your niece, nephew, grandchild, then you blame the same person for opening the school for not protecting you right?
And yes I have 2 children in mdusd. Elementary and middle school and I’m a single parent. Yes it hard. But if everyone followed the same rules, recommendations this would have been over already. It is what it is, learn to adapt and get through it. Be thankful that no one you know has died.
“drink cleaning products”
Please provide the quote (with verifiable references) where anyone said that, let alone the President.
Thank You GG.. common sense, right? Too bad there are so few here with it.
It’s time to embrace existing technology and better ways to educate kids. The virus has exposed the stupidity of having algebra (or any subject) taught by a thousand teachers in individual classes ~ versus ~ one instructor via the internet over a thousand modems.
Imagine the bloated pensions, medical plans, and six-figure-a-year administrative salaries we could scrap (and lower our taxes because of).
Not to mention savings on buildings, maintenance, and insurance for all that.
This has opened the door for high yech and they are jumping on it.
Partnerships being announced with universities to create a robust completely new option for school.
The pandemic has created the oerfect pilot to create and execute this model.
Are you kidding me?
What about social learning? You can do that on a video screen. What makes our country great is learning from each other that there are differences in just about everything.
What about different types of learners, primarily, Tactical? Do we leave them behind, cuz you don’t want to help society?
Tech has created new models for everything. 20 years ago you couldn’t do what were all doing now, reading a story and commenting on it from our phones.
Been in tech for 30 years and every time I hear ca t be done, I bet on it because I know it WILL be done.
Imagine the most popular UC professors teaching a class on-line. Instead of 500 students in an auditorium, where you only speak to TA, now you can have 5000 students have that access on-line.
Imagine if students get into any UC they want. Imagine tuition dropping 80% because of scale. Imagine inequities being eliminated because if access to education at affordable classes.
Maybe this is difficult for grade school, but think about att those who home school anyway. Huge market and many have moved to that or private schools anyway.
Plus you can have projects and sports for collaboration and or teamwork activities.
Its not an IF, its happening!
Distance learning is very effective if done properly, but it takes getting used to, and people conducting the classes who are trained in how to approach it. I took two classes online through Coursera, one from the University of Pennsylvania, and one from the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The instructors were well prepared in each lesson which were presented as video instruction (no live Zoom stuff here). The videos were professionally made and had been done well ahead of time. After each video, readings and other assignments were completed. We were then tested on each module.
When approached in this way with instructive, professional video instruction, made ahead of time, and accessed at the students convenience, extensive reading assignments and other instructive videos assigned to watch, then, testing to evaluate competency, I believe it works quite well. I personally don’t know how anyone gets anything done on what passes for video conferencing at it currently exists. It’s intrusive, an invasion of privacy, and fine for talking to your friends if you’re 15 or 16. However, nothing about it is professional format at this point. I think it casualizes human interaction and creates apathy in the user.
I don’t mean to suggest that distance learning, in any form, is effective for everybody. It definitely is not. But, done correctly, it can be another alternative to classroom instruction for many.
Tell the board what you think! Email Mdusd Board members @ BoardComments@mdusd.org
I don’t see a phone number to call.
Everyone has their own sentiments about the virus and it is actually widely driven by whatever you read or the group surrounding you. Social media plays a big role in validating your already established opinions.
But at some point, we need to decide if we follow data or not. California government’s guidance is that schools reopen after 2 weeks out of widespread zone. We’ll be there in 3 days. So let’s reopen.
Otherwise, what’s the point of having guidelines ? (that are already pretty strict).
You have an opinion (that you formulated here and you are more than entitled to it).I have one too (I don’t believe schools should be closed, especially if Macy’s is open, and that the toll on children, and especially on abused or distressed children is much greater than reported/non-reported)
But my point is: I don’t want your opinion, no one should listen to mine either, let’s stick to what was decided. Because if we keep moving the post, we’ll never reach it…
If by some freak accident or ballot harvesting Joe Biden wins the kids will be back in school in a week.
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“I stated my belief that there was a strong possibility that the majority of our students would be in distance learning for the rest of the school year. I absolutely said it and I absolutely meant it, but allow me to give some context behind the remark”
Here’s the context: If Trump gets re-elected, the schools will stay closed for the remainder of the school year and however much longer the democrats can drag it out the shut down during Trump’s presidency.
If Biden gets in, the school will open before the end of the year and the economy will open like magic.
LA has already made a public and probably accidental statement proving this is what they are doing.
This is all a political exercise of control being played on YOU and don’t think for a second it’s going to stop here.
Everyone has their own sentiments about the virus and it is actually widely driven by whatever you read or the group surrounding you. Social media plays a big role in validating your already established opinions.
But at some point, we need to decide if we follow data or not. California government’s guidance is that schools reopen after 2 weeks out of widespread zone. We’ll be there in 3 days. So let’s reopen.
Otherwise, what’s the point of having guidelines ? (that are already pretty strict).
You have an opinion (that you formulated here and you are more than entitled to it).I have one too (I don’t believe schools should be closed, especially if Macy’s is open, and that the toll on children, and especially on abused or distressed children is much greater than reported/non-reported)
But my point is: I don’t want your opinion, no one should listen to mine either, let’s stick to what was decided. Because if we keep moving the post, we’ll never reach it…
Be thankful – you’re still here.
pretty unprofessional to carry the democrat party line about a coherent response. if the states governors are responsible for their constituents then what does the president have to do with it? oh well what else would we expect to see from educators in this state.
expect for, WHHAAAAA Mr. President We Need A Bailout!!!
Which part of the Republican-led response to COVID has been a success?
1918 pandemic: 675,000 deaths in a US population of 103 million. President Wilson never once talked about the pandemic. Major war taking up his time.
2020 pandemic: 202,000 deaths in a US population of 340 million. President acting tirelessly to see it through to the end. First time in a long time, no war.
When you say “President acting tirelessly to see it through to the end.” are you referring to the times he said it would just go away (when he knew that wasn’t true), the failure of the response team led by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, or the time he suggested we inject light into our bodies?
You mention 202,000 death and leave out the part where we have had the most COVID-19 related deaths on the planet.
That was the FINAL total over the year 1918-1919, Smile.. no war you say? Really tell that to the troops: War in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Yemanese & Somali Civil War Pt. 2; Iraq; Syria; Libya… all stationed in hot zones deemed by the US government as active war zones.
Here’s a new picture for you that shows where our service men and women are around the globe & where we are still currently engaged in war. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/map-shows-places-world-where-us-military-operates-180970997/
Susan I: I decided to fact check your comment and for Afghanistan the defense department lists the last combat death there as back in Feb. 8. I immediately lost interest in continuing and decided it was not even worth trying to figure out how to spell Pinnochio.
Interesting that we rarely hear anything about the active war efforts in which the US is engaged on the nightly news. During other wars, we would get a daily update, those injured, those killed with their names, ages and hometown, significant battles, important victories. I haven’t heard a report on the news of a war the US is engaged in since the Gulf War. Makes it like we aren’t engage in any, I guess.
gotta go with S.I. on this one…. Who’da guessed????
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862337/#:~:text=By%20May%201918%2C%20however%2C%20hundreds,the%20American%20government%20and%20economy.
I have to agree, we should hear more about our continued war efforts in other countries. Just because there isn’t a death toll that day does not mean our service people aren’t defending us and our country’s interest 24/7/365. If we agree on nothing else, I am guessing that most here support their efforts and pray for their swift and safe return home.
Sorry you find that information partisan TDL. I suggest next time you “fact-check” you leave your biases at the door. I try (don’t always succeed) but it does hold us all to a standard & hopefully produces some non-partisan dialogue.
There used to be a reporters “embedded” with the troops that gave minute by minute accounts that appeared on the nightly news of significant battles arising from wars in which the US was engaged. I guess after the incident in which Bob Woodruff was so seriously injured, it lost its attraction for the media. I haven’t seen any reports like that in years. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t going on every day for US troops somewhere in the world.
It is frustrating to me that especially in High School where your transcripts are so important that kids are earning letter grades with the limited instruction for each course they are receiving each week. Students that have historically done very well in school (in person) are now struggling with distance learning and they are feeling an enormous weight on their shoulders like never before. They are anxious, depressed and feel hopeless.
While many teachers have been understanding and helpful, others that have a long standing reputation of being very strict are showing no mercy on their students that need more guidance and in turn students are currently failing some courses.
Since students were shortchanged last year with the last quarter due to this pandemic and the switch to crisis learning I ask that you take that into consideration and that they are given a little more flexibility this semester when they are trying to adapt.
My child commented on how it was easier to end with distance learning than it was to start a new year with it because you never make a connection with your teacher and they don’t get to know you.
I realize this is hard on everyone, but I couldn’t imagine going through this as a teenager as that time is hard enough as it is.
Brian T Lawrence
@briantlawrence
A few of his political tweets:
Sep 13
Has any US president ever handled a national crisis worse than Trump has handled the pandemic?
·
Aug 27
RNC theme: Reelect Trump so that America stops being the horrible, unsafe it has become under… checking my notes… Donald Trump.
·
Aug 15
I have a good feeling that when Trump gets done decimating #usps, he is going to really hone in on solving the Covid crisis. He will have a lot more time and energy- like Voldemort after he drinks the blood of a dead unicorn.
·
Jul 29
Karens everywhere are rejoicing. The suburbs are safe from “those people”. And if you are a teacher, nurse, cop or firefighter- tough luck on finding affordable housing in the community you serve.
Quote Tweet
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
· Jul 29
I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood.
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Jul 10
Trump was impeached because he tried to extort foreign governments for political favors by threatening to withhold funding. Today he is doing the same thing to our children and the funding of their education. It is despicable. #TrumpMeltdown
Btw, Brian, Trump will win in a landslide. You know it, we all know it. That’s why the DNC is pushing for sending out ballots, to obfuscate the coming landslide victory on Nov. 3rd.
Thank you for posting this.
These brainwashed community “leaders” need to be exposed for what they are.
This isn’t the right guy for the job then, find someone who is. MDUSD shows absolutely no leadership and I have zero confidence in them.
So many good comments here. Need to add one major point being missed:
We’re in this because of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) malevolent deceit.
The CCP is engaged in all out subversive, unrestricted war against the U.S. and We The People are collateral damage.
In January, CCP – willingly parroted by the World Health Organization – said there was no “human-to-human” spread of the disease. https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152
Then, in February the CCP reported an exponential decline in coronavirus cases, until March when they announced their lockdown had eliminated domestic cases entirely.
Nothing to see here … C’mon, man!
The World Health Organization and other scientific experts then waxed lyrical about China’s response to COVID-19, which is what led to virtually every other country on the planet mirroring its approach.
Meanwhile, stateside, President Trump bans travel from China and candidate Biden calls the president a hysterical xenophobe. All while Western media and Democrats parrot Chinese propaganda: https://thepoliticalinsider.com/pelosi-accused-of-promoting-chinese-propaganda-what-does-the-chinese-communist-party-have-on-the-democrats/ and https://youtu.be/-5r3QIoClN4
Q: Has the U.S. become more like China as a result of C19?
A: By promoting fraudulent data, aggressively deploying disinformation, and flexing its institutional clout, Beijing transformed the snake oil of lockdowns into “science,” crippling rival economies, expanding its influence, and sowing authoritarian values.
https://twitter.com/MichaelPSenger/status/1306274916401119235
Hold the CCP accountable this November by voting Republican.
Wise words. I have been a substitute teacher since 2004 and have seen that our district does not have the infrastructure to provide good air quality in the classrooms. I like the kids in the district but KNOW there would be some scofflaws who would test reason by unmasking or failing to distance. I know that some of our schools have a student body parented by essential workers who might be exposed to the virus in the workplace. If we have to distance learn this school year, it’s a better choice than the graveyard
Good post @ Bay Area native
If only others could stop their blind hate of Trump and use their mind to understand the true situation
United we stand
Divided we fall
Frustration:
That is what is voiced in all the comments here.
And no one is listening.
Adults who are hired or elected to perform a task do not perform that task.
For one, teachers and administrators can’t teach politics without spouting it.
Legislators just want to get rid of Trump instead of voting on a stimulus package with all kinds of attached baggage.
All your education is getting in the way of common sense.
There is nobody to vote out because there is nobody to vote in (you can read that one again).
CBS Local had an article on a semi organized Zoom Out from school for this week but it looks like they took it down.
Yes, parents are frustrated and so are some teachers.
Too many are along for the ride.
Freedom is not free.
Get our children back in school and at the same time have them do as they are told (social distancing, etc.)
Nothing wrong with a little discipline! (scary word)
Keep us parents involved too. No room for “But Johnny forgot his mask”. No mask, go home (Not “The school will provide one for him”)
There’s a total lack of accountability at ALL levels.
I want to see the administrators, teachers, office staff, food service staff, custodians and yard duty staff take this seriously.
District staff get out of your offices and physically visit the schools (and don’t announce your visit).
Principals, manage your teachers. Drop in on classes and provide constructive criticism when required.
Treat this like a crisis. It’s time to step up to the plate. If you can’t function as a team then you don’t need to be there.
And since I’m voicing my opinion….
Take down those Black (Aethiopian) Lives Matter signs. Your stigmatizing them unless your going include Mongolian, Malayan, American and Caucasian lives matter too.
Good statement. Thank you.
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So really you do not have the best interest of the kids, you want to continue your political agenda. Shame on you
This man should be fired immediately for not having a plan to go back and not having the interests of the community as a whole. Schools have gone back all over the country without large outbreaks of the FLU.
Has he talked to nay students or parents? they are sick of this already and it is failing our students terribly. The kids are done with Zoom after a month – let them go back or loose your job.
Thank you for your guidance and perspective on this issue! You are right on! I totally agree with everything you stated!
A retired teacher and a grandparent of 3 MDUSD students!
“A retired teacher and a grandparent of 3 MDUSD students!”
How is your resume relevant to the discussion?
“A retired teacher and a grandparent of 3 MDUSD students!”
So Kathy, what you’re saying is that you’re not being faced with any of the negative consequences of this action! You’re retired, so you don’t have to juggle childcare and work. You’re opinion, as someone who’s not affected by the decision, really doesn’t matter. If you listen to the other posters, most of which are experiencing the negative effects of this decision on their children and their households, you will quickly see that your opinion is squarely in the minority.
Rollo – Kathy is a teacher so she knows better than all the unwashed masses.
The teachers and the teacher’s union are all screaming that they don’t want to go back to work. Well, guess what, society is slowly getting back. We are now going into red. Gyms, Restaurants, and retail is open. There is no reason the teachers can’t go back. If they don’t want to work, then stop paying them. Treat them just like everyone else. No work – no pay. Somehow I think they’ll quickly change their tune.
It’s too bad he had to mix in his own political bias, totally discredits anything he says before or after. Me. Lawrence is leaving his role in several months, I believe. Then he can go back to yelling about the Orange a man to anybody who will listen, in the meantime, our children suffer from weak cucks like him.
How am I supposed to pay my mortgage? How are people that have to work outside of the home supposed to watch their kids and pay their mortgage? It’s wrong that our children are not in school! This solution is not sustainable. Do people really expect this to be our lives for possibly a year or more? I’m stuck with the decision to either stay home with my young children/quit my job. Or, oh wait, there isn’t a backup for this situation. And, don’t tell me to hire a babysitter or put them in childcare. Caregivers aren’t exactly falling out of the sky right now.
Literally immediately after reading this we decided to move out of CA. Our home will be sold by the end of the month. I cannot entrust my kids well-being to a person leading our schools that thinks it’s okay to approach problem solving this way. He starts with a personal anecdote meant to manipulate empathy in the reader. That what when he gets into the meat we will feel too bad to assume he’s a bad person. Then he says some sob story about not wanting to have to look someone in the eye and tell them their family member will die. To me, that is clear evidence they have been told not to open for liability reasons. The first teacher to get sick and the Union will drop a hammer. That a person, employed for the well-being of kids, can make such a clear choice to harm them is all I need to know about the people running CA and local policies. I’m out.
Well written response. I don’t like the distance learning but can respect the decision.
There were some tidbits of good ideas in Lawrence’s letter, until he felt the need to include his liberal politics. Can’t believe the MDUSD lawyers let those comments stay.
My student has special needs and let me tell you: distance learning isn’t effective. So many other parents in the same situation have had to quit their jobs, to stay home with their MDUSD student, to make sure they stay caught up. The teachers are only working a few hours a day (but I bet they’re getting paid full time). The classroom assistants are on our MDUSD student meetings/instruction time. Why? Their job is to help the students. How do they do that remotely? Parents are performing those tasks. Since Mid-March 2020, my student is being “taught” remotely, an hour or two a day, and is losing ground every minute.
Our children are not being educated; they’re being indoctrinated by liberal authorities who slant every message toward Joe “Sniffer” Biden and Kamala “screw her way to the middle” Harris.
God Help Us.
With all do respect, you shouldn’t be in your position. You are making decisions based on your liberal politics and it makes me want
to move out of this state!!!! Our children should be in school!!! Teachers are essential and parents should be making choices for their own children, not YOU!
Sure, reading, writing and math skills are honed and life lessons taught at our house, but our home is not a classroom, nor, is our home an office. We have been forced to co-mingle home, office and classroom and it has had an extremely negative impact on our children’s learning, our careers and, ultimately, our families work life balance. There are too many distractions and not enough space for a house to function as a three way multiuse facility.
You should step down!
Agreed! He should step down.
Our children’s education and lives should not be dictated by a partisan hack.
Mr. Lawrence,
Your comments are nothing more than a long list of excuses for doing nothing, followed by a cheap shot at the President.
If Private Schools can reopen, why can’t the Public ones?