Omaha High School Fall Sports/Cancelled (Update)

[berryhusker]

Nashville has been in a mask mandate since June. It was a bit slow to gain traction but you rarely see anyone without as mask. I was back in Omaha a couple of weeks ago and I was shocked at how few I saw wearing masks. I understand it's not mandated and even though I wear one, I'm not a Karen about it. I guess I was conditioned to see it in Music City and wasn't used to seeing faces. I hate Walmart but had to run into one in Papillion and because it was mandated, that's really the only place I saw extensive face coverings.

That's great to hear about Nashville now. What's crazy is the Mrs. and I visited there over Father's day weekend and the Broadway area was packed with no social distancing and almost zero make being worn. It was our first time in Nashville but we avoided the bars for that reason. There were party busses rolling down Broadway full of people with no masks. We wore them and got a few looks. We noticed leaving one restaurant some workers had them pulled down when they weren't hosting or serving. Then about a week after we returned to Omaha I heard there was a huge spike and mask mandate. It's great things have changed.

Omaha has been really slow to catch on. Mask wearing seems to vary across the city but I still hear a ton of complaining at work and the grocery store. The Lowe's by me is one place where usually less than half of people are wearing them. All the kid clients I work with prefer to wear them, many of my older clients and co-workers do not. It's weird.

 

[Bigger Ed]

No, Stanton, Ne. They are moving down to 8 man football this year.

I grew up in Stanton. Sad to see they're moving down.

 

[lincoln84]

Musicians in Nashville are still tweeting pics of people in Nashville—-huge crowds on Broadway, party busses with no masks. This was last week? Maybe those are tourists but it doesn’t sound like a mask mandate at all.

 

[joncarl]

So OPS is going to 100% e learning. They purchased 54K ipads, I am not sure they have them yet? If they don't how do they get those kids taken care of. I don't blame OPS for doing what they are doing, trying to keep everyone of those 54K kids families content is impossible.

OPS will buy about 54,400 iPads — one for every student — for $27.6 million

The purchase will largely be funded by the federal coronavirus relief bill, known as the CARES Act. OPS expects to receive $20 million to $24 million in federal money. OPS

omaha.com

 

[Nehunter88]

So OPS is going to 100% e learning. They purchased 54K ipads, I am not sure they have them yet? If they don't how do they get those kids taken care of. I don't blame OPS for doing what they are doing, trying to keep everyone of those 54K kids families content is impossible.

OPS will buy about 54,400 iPads — one for every student — for $27.6 million

The purchase will largely be funded by the federal coronavirus relief bill, known as the CARES Act. OPS expects to receive $20 million to $24 million in federal money. OPS

omaha.com

OPS does have a problem many schools don't, the ability to social distance. At least an article I read a while back said they were at 140% occupancy, so that would make it tough to social distance, and I figured the reason for their 3-2 school day plan.

Seems to me maybe a month ago they should have gone with the 3-2 plan, plus the ability to remote learn if people wanted to do that. This keeps the class size small so they can social distance, and keeps most families happy. Send your kid if you want, leave them at home if you don't. Of course you still have a problem that remote learning kids couldn't participate in activities such as sports, which was really going to tick them off.

 

[joncarl]

OPS does have a problem many schools don't, the ability to social distance. At least an article I read a while back said they were at 140% occupancy, so that would make it tough to social distance, and I figured the reason for their 3-2 school day plan.

Seems to me maybe a month ago they should have gone with the 3-2 plan, plus the ability to remote learn if people wanted to do that. This keeps the class size small so they can social distance, and keeps most families happy. Send your kid if you want, leave them at home if you don't. Of course you still have a problem that remote learning kids couldn't participate in activities such as sports, which was really going to tick them off.

I think one thing we don't think about is the number of teachers that are 'opting' out of being in the classroom. I really believe this is what is guiding this decision. If you don't have a teacher you can't have a classroom. Even if you use the 3/2 model you still have to have someone willing to be in the classroom.

 

[Nehunter88]

I think one thing we don't think about is the number of teachers that are 'opting' out of being in the classroom. I really believe this is what is guiding this decision. If you don't have a teacher you can't have a classroom. Even if you use the 3/2 model you still have to have someone willing to be in the classroom.

So if we're being totally honest here, keeping kids out of school is more for the teachers then the kids, or maybe to be fair I should say more for the adults then the kids. According to the CDC there have been 14 Covid deaths between the ages of 5 to 14. Last year that same age group had 122 flu deaths, yet the schools didn't close.

Keeping schools closed now has nothing to do with the well being of the kids, if that was the case we'd close for the flu.

Now I fully admit at my age if I was a teacher, I'd have to think twice before going back, but that's based on my age, and at my age I'd of probably retired a long time ago. We always say we want what's best for the kids, but to me, in this case, we're not doing that, for whatever reason.

 

[Huskerwisdom]

Omaha should have their mandate by Tuesday night, but I don't see that stopping smaller spikes like the one they are having now. Japan and the Philippines are having huge spikes and both countries have been at the top of the list for mask compliance since the start of this.

Exactly, the mask wearing doesn't really hurt anything, but the level of importance people are putting on it now is ridiculous and not supported by science or by comparisons to other countries.

And good find in the Douglas county data in the Covid thread. Another "spike" that appears to not really be a spike

 

[joncarl]

So if we're being totally honest here, keeping kids out of school is more for the teachers then the kids, or maybe to be fair I should say more for the adults then the kids. According to the CDC there have been 14 Covid deaths between the ages of 5 to 14. Last year that same age group had 122 flu deaths, yet the schools didn't close.

Keeping schools closed now has nothing to do with the well being of the kids, if that was the case we'd close for the flu.

Now I fully admit at my age if I was a teacher, I'd have to think twice before going back, but that's based on my age, and at my age I'd of probably retired a long time ago. We always say we want what's best for the kids, but to me, in this case, we're not doing that, for whatever reason.

If we are being honest, then yes. I am on the local school board and I love our teachers, Lord knows I don't want their job, but we can't teach kids if we don't have teachers. There are not enough subs in the world to bring in if even a 1/10 of the teachers decide it is in their best interest to not be in the classroom.

If a teacher is positive then they are out, and anyone that was in close contact will have to quarantine and those in close contact with them etc. Even if a teacher wants to be in the classroom, the rules will make it hard to keep them in the room.

Our district is going back on Tuesday, with kids in the buildings for as long as we can with masks required. We have an e-learning option for those not comfortable and it appears that we have about 10% choosing that option for whatever reason. Who knows how things will work but we will see.

 

[Deer&Ducks]

If we are being honest, then yes. I am on the local school board and I love our teachers, Lord knows I don't want their job, but we can't teach kids if we don't have teachers. There are not enough subs in the world to bring in if even a 1/10 of the teachers decide it is in their best interest to not be in the classroom.

If a teacher is positive then they are out, and anyone that was in close contact will have to quarantine and those in close contact with them etc. Even if a teacher wants to be in the classroom, the rules will make it hard to keep them in the room.

Our district is going back on Tuesday, with kids in the buildings for as long as we can with masks required. We have an e-learning option for those not comfortable and it appears that we have about 10% choosing that option for whatever reason. Who knows how things will work but we will see.

Absolutely correct. I have friends in several Nebraska districts and staffing the classrooms is their biggest concern. Subs are difficult to find in good times. At the same time, that's a problem you deal with when it occurs, which it sounds like your board is. Ours, too, and for that, I am grateful.

 

[RogelioVB]

Children, kids, young adults need structure in their lives. I'm concerned this covid environment could be damaging the psyche's of too many of our youth. I want the classrooms to be open with as many students in the seats, up to a reasonable level. Don't plan on sub's being available in great numbers or on a long term basis. Simply a matter of risk (sickness) vs reward (part-time $$) for sub's.

 

[Nehunter88]

If we are being honest, then yes. I am on the local school board and I love our teachers, Lord knows I don't want their job, but we can't teach kids if we don't have teachers. There are not enough subs in the world to bring in if even a 1/10 of the teachers decide it is in their best interest to not be in the classroom.

If a teacher is positive then they are out, and anyone that was in close contact will have to quarantine and those in close contact with them etc. Even if a teacher wants to be in the classroom, the rules will make it hard to keep them in the room.

Our district is going back on Tuesday, with kids in the buildings for as long as we can with masks required. We have an e-learning option for those not comfortable and it appears that we have about 10% choosing that option for whatever reason. Who knows how things will work but we will see.

And to me that's the way it should be done, give an option for remote learning, but open the doors and give it a try. Going total remote learning without even giving in person classes a try, to me, is the easy way out. There has been too much success around the world with in person classes to not even try.

Yes there's a risk factor for the teachers, but it's been shown keeping kids out of school is a risk for them. So maybe it comes down to who's at the greatest risk, and who do we really want taking that risk. Tough decision either way you go, not a decision I'd want to make. I'd rather be fishing.

 

[huskernut]

I'm lucky in that I have a lot of good kids and that keeps me doing my best because they deserve it. To your original point, decisions like this from Logan are going to hurt kids, both academically and athletically. It's about not getting sued, nothing more.

Fear of getting sued will likely impact the college game as well.

 

[groundNpound]

Fear of getting sued will likely impact the college game as well.

So make players sign a waiver. If they aren’t comfortable playing they don’t have to.

 

[Stuck in the South]

I'm not living Omaha, but really feel bad for High Schoolers. While the "marquee" players may miss a camp or two, no football (if that is what happens). But really would stink for those whose last organized football game would have been this year... and I'm pretty sure those outnumber the scholarship bound players.