New COVID policies from Albuquerque Public Schools

When will it end? No really - not a rhetorical question - when will they stop? When there is zero covid?

https://www.aps.edu/schools/covid-updates-for-2021-2022/documents/plan-for-implementing-enhanced-covid-safe-practices-pdf

Call for assistance:

I am interested in an age-appropriate resource that is as noncontroversial as possible to explain to my middle schoolers that:

1. Omicron is much, much less deadly than the original COVID strain, and the chances of dying are less than the seasonal flu.

2. Cloth and surgical masks do not work against omicron, as stated even by Dr. Scott Gottlieb.

We have a mask mandate, and I’m trying to push back, but my students are still scared to take off their masks. I teach math, so discussing current events and news is not really part of my curriculum; this needs to be able to be presented quickly and casually.

I have a set of business cards that direct people to askhealthyquestions.com/teachers, and I’ve been leaving them around my school in the restroom, workroom, lounge, etc. I have found them in the restroom trash can multiple times already! If they are ripped up like these, I have to leave them, but if they’re salvageable, I dig them out and return them to a visible spot. Joke’s on you, offended colleague(s), because I have 250 of these!

The aforementioned NM teacher/school personnel page of the Ask Healthy Questions website

https://www.askhealthyquestions.com/nmteachers

My school has a program that lets 8th graders in the dual language program earn a bilingual seal. They can then earn their high school bilingual seal in 12th grade. Our kids have been working on this for months, and it’s a big deal. I was excited to see their presentations, especially since I’m new to this school and being in a dual language program.

Well, the presentations are actually going to be… virtual to slow the spread. Way to go, New Mexico.

Since starting to leave these business cards anonymously around my school, I have found many in the trash, and some ripped up. However, Friday was the first time I found a card ripped up but left right where I had set it. I went ahead and put a new one next to it. 🤣

I have a cold that may or may not be COVID. I had a fever over the weekend and threw up, but I’m better and even took today off to rest. Do you think it’s reasonable to go back to work when I feel better rather than getting tested? If I’m positive for COVID, I have to stay home from work for ten days.

An interesting proposition! https://www.abqjournal.com/2459572/out-of-the-school-box.html

Two teachers from my school signed up at https://www.askhealthyquestions.com/nmteachers after seeing the business cards I’ve been leaving around. I am debating “outing” myself to them as the person with the cards and asking if they want some cards, too, to leave around school. I assume they wouldn’t out me to others; after all, I could out them right back, right? 🤔

Somebody’s pissed! 🤣🙄

tattle tale

APS is changing the guidelines to include masks indoors and outdoors and no spectators at sporting events. https://www.aps.edu/news/news-from-2021-2022/all-aps-schools-to-implement-enhanced-covid-safe-practices

This looks like a good resource! I’ll probably try this with my middle schoolers. Everything is cited, so I think I could defend using it in class. I can also tie it to middle school math standards. https://www.classicalhistorian.com/johns-blog/category/all?fbclid=IwAR00J8UrbAdlVc2RABHUz_L--U9gAspnlabdZvQCTu1weXPJHoCRhVZ8qEk

🚨CALL TO ACTION🚨

Tell APS to stop all COVID mandates! Please flood these emails and phone numbers! You can help whether you have a child in APS or not - even if you don’t live in New Mexico!

Please email and/or call these people DAILY if you are able. This is not something I feel I can do personally as an employee of the district, so I really appreciate your support! The squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Albuquerque Public Schools students and staff are being mandated to wear masks indoors and outdoors. No spectators are allowed at games. Staff are required to be triple-vaccinated or submit to weekly testing.

Superintendent Scott Elder
superintendent@aps.edu
505-880-3713

NM Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham
505-476-2200

Board of Education
505-880-3729


Board Members:

Yolanda Montoya-Cordova
yolanda.cordova@aps.edu

Peggy Muller-Aragón
peggy.mulleraragon@aps.edu

Danielle Gonzales
DanielleGonzales2@aps.edu

Barbara Petersen
petersen_b@aps.edu

Crystal Tapia-Romero
crystal.tapiaromero@aps.edu

Josefina E. Domínguez
josefina.dominguez@aps.edu

Courtney I. Jackson
courtney.jackson@aps.edu



Associate Superintendents:

Gene Saavedra
saavedra_ge@aps.edu
505-880-3705

Dr. Antonio Gonzales
gonzales_gab@aps.edu
505-880-3705

Amanda DeBell
amanda.debell@aps.edu
505-880-2589

Troy Hughes
hughes_t@aps.edu
505-880-2589


Public Education Department:

Katarina Sandoval
Katarina.Sandoval@state.nm.us

Dr. Gwen Perea Warniment
Gwen.Warniment@state.nm.us

Dr. Vickie C. Bannerman
Vickie.Bannerman@state.nm.us


https://www.aps.edu/news/news-from-2021-2022/all-aps-schools-to-implement-enhanced-covid-safe-practices

Thanks so much to David Clements from The Professor’s Record for reposting my Call To Action to his large following!

For those not familiar, I wanted to add that Albuquerque Public Schools is the largest school district in New Mexico with 82,000 students, 14,000 employees, and 142 schools.

In the last week, they installed two of these UV air filters in each classroom. We are supposed to run them overnight, since they’re too loud to run during class.

Seems expensive 😳

From a Canadian public school teacher https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/im-a-public-school-teacher-the-kids?fbclid=IwAR0kdKELrku-e7-jxQYQzZw4EHlat3gewJsYnaAUvsAFq78l1GupRMpOpkg