The Thirty-seventh Republic - Mass testing rolls on - school staff remain expendable

[SantaAssociationRepresentitve]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders, and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are NOT staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

You can play here if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

Do not give the staffroom password just in case it attracts the wrong sort

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation.

If you come with a stick to goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom and you will receive a detention

at random neighbouring households being asked to volunteer (although am sure yr parents are great!)

@MrsHamlet

@Piggyinblankets

pud there was an NHS worker on another thread who said they did use them instead of SI so I can't get a straight answer on that one.

There was a hospital doctor whose name escapes me a few weeks back who was v pro the LF tests but was appalled this was being suggested to replace SI in schools.

I would start a thread to ask, but am honestly too close to tears at the moment to handle some of the bitchy responses it would probably get

The DF have even used the story of a teacher dying of covid as a platform to mention the disruption of primary schools closing

@Piggyinblankets

Details on FOI request re fatal outcomes. they have dropped the infection but after Sarah Rasmussen's challenge it seems so reverted back to this, unchallenged..

www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/deathsofteachersfromcovid19

Outrageous.

So we've only got the data from when schools were closed? Presumably that's what's the government is working from too

The DF and the Telegraph are in bed with U4T.

I have just finished dancing around the kitchen angrily to I’m Not OK by MCR! Coincidence! I love belting that out when I am sad and powerless. Then I follow it up with Fighter by Christina Aguilera.

I am very sad today, too, MrsH. Come yell your favourite rock song with me

@Saucery

I have just finished dancing around the kitchen angrily to I’m Not OK by MCR! Coincidence! I love belting that out when I am sad and powerless. Then I follow it up with Fighter by Christina Aguilera.

I am very sad today, too, MrsH. Come yell your favourite rock song with me

I always find Rage's Killing in the name of works for me. All together now . . . you I won't do what you tell me and breathe.

Foo Fighters The Pretender is pretty good for stress release too.

Asterisk's didn't come out - I'm sure you know what's missing though

Our head as now emailed to say we will be delivering all lessons remotely for all year groups in our usual rooms. That way vulnerable/KW pupils can still attend and be looked after/join lessons.

Feel slightly more relaxed now I know what's going on!

@noblegiraffe

The DF and the Telegraph are in bed with U4T.

I don’t get why though?

What hold do they have?!

I just saw that creature on the news again, strange how quickly I have moved from not even knowing what he looks like to shouting expletives at the screen when he spews his idiocy. He is clearly setting it up to blame schools for anything that goes wrong - you have all the time and resources you need to set up testing, what could possibly go wrong?

So we've only got the data from when schools were closed? Presumably that's what's the government is working from too

So let me be clear on this. The data on fatality levels for teachers cannot be released because it would require new datasets to be pulled together and compared. No-one has done that so it will take new effort and time to get it done.

That means that they have just admitted that the claim about fatality levels in teachers being no more than many occupations is based on evidence that doesn't exist.

He was the Chief Whip after all. All he knows how to do is be threatening.
He reminds me of our pass agg DH who has just left.

And it also means there is no data on ANY occupation so perceptions of risk of medics, bus drivers, dentists, ENT specialists etc are all flawed. And, no doubt, underplayed.

They are statisticians. it is literally their JOB.

What hold do they have?!

They’re not a grassroots organisation of mums like they pretend. They’re clearly part of some wider, well-funded initiative. Great Barrington Declaration covid-deniers paid to astroturf I expect.

They haven’t ‘infiltrated’ anywhere, they were there all along.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948529/Weekly_COVID-19_and_Influenza_Surveillance_Graphs_w53.pdf

PHE this week

That means that they have just admitted that the claim about fatality levels in teachers being no more than many occupations is based on evidence that doesn't exist.

Exactly - they can't have it both ways.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948529/Weekly_COVID-19_and_Influenza_Surveillance_Graphs_w53.pdf

In here you will see education workers well ahead of social care workers (there may be more of us, of course : caveat) who are prioritised for vaccine.

@Iamnotthe1

So we've only got the data from when schools were closed? Presumably that's what's the government is working from too

So let me be clear on this. The data on fatality levels for teachers cannot be released because it would require new datasets to be pulled together and compared. No-one has done that so it will take new effort and time to get it done.

That means that they have just admitted that the claim about fatality levels in teachers being no more than many occupations is based on evidence that doesn't exist.

Yes!!

Why are no journalists asking any of these questions?!

MrsH and Saucery, many and much for you both. I hope you're ok tonight.

I still have some presents for my parents, which we forgot to collect from our tree when we saw them on Christmas Eve. Zooming them tonight, but not sure whether we will be able to see them in the near future.

Nothing from our school yet, we aren't back in till next Wednesday. I consented to testing for me and dcs, but not to testing instead of SI. A few of my colleagues have done this as well.

I was listening to R5 earlier today. Adrian Chiles was quite sympathetic, he had 2 head teachers on talking about the difficulties with setting up testing next week and the concerns around accuracy of the LF tests. I'm sure I also heard them discussing the madness of replacing SI with the LF tests.

Cracking on today. Doing some calculus as it tends to calm me down...

My parents want us to go for lunch tomorrow. We haven't been anywhere since spending the day with family on Christmas Day so they think it's nonsense that we shouldn't see them tomorrow and point out that if not tomorrow it'll likely be the end of Easter holidays before it's safe for them to see us again

I can't argue with their logic.

Thank you, Dreaming. I will be absolutely fine. I’m not a big fan of NYE anyway, I have winterberry gin and Prosecco which appears to be an actual cocktail and I think we’re watching Joker tonight, so that’s nice and cheery
DH is at home but on call (NHS) so he might be up and down off the sofa to his desk but I won’t be pausing the film or explaining what has happened because I am very mean.

They’re right, Honey. Call it a Welfare Check if you’re stopped. Have an emergency bag of milk and bread in your boot as proof (I actually did this in the first lockdown, was quite disappointed not to be stopped )