Town Hall today: DCPS is not implementing the protocols that would help to keep schools open

[Anonymous]

We are obviously going to need more testing of the entire school population. Yet the Chancellor said at his town hall that more massive testing for schools will only be considered if it is proved necessary. I am glad that K94 masks are going to be provided to teachers, however it seems that the city is simply not putting in the necessary resources to keep schools open. Montgomery and Fairfax counties are both implementing test to stay, and yet DCPS seems to have no plans to implement this. DCPS also has yet to implement the CDCs five day protocol for quarantine.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t like how they avoided answering questions about kids recently coming out of isolation after getting COVID, but did appreciate that they reinforced that schools are an essential service and they’re committed to keeping them open (unavoidable situational closures aside).

[Anonymous]

No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are obviously going to need more testing of the entire school population. Yet the Chancellor said at his town hall that more massive testing for schools will only be considered if it is proved necessary. I am glad that K94 masks are going to be provided to teachers, however it seems that the city is simply not putting in the necessary resources to keep schools open. Montgomery and Fairfax counties are both implementing test to stay, and yet DCPS seems to have no plans to implement this. DCPS also has yet to implement the CDCs five day protocol for quarantine.

Not completely accurate. FCPS is piloting test to stay in a handful of schools (there are 200 schools for 180K students). Also none of the other school districts are implementing the 5 day protocol. The CDC just announced it. School systems are working with the local health departments to see how that might translate with school age populations. FCPS will be assessing whether or not to implement it. Right now, the 10-day protocol is still in place.

In other words, slow your roll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

This would only delay the inevitable. Teachers and everyone else will eventually get infected, if everyone stays home again now they will get it later and the whole ordeal will be more drawn out. Last time we could say we are waiting for vaccines, this time there is nothing to save us. Yes, drawing it out overall (“flatten the curve”) may help hospitals, but closing schools is going to be a drop in the bucket for that issue. Better keep them running as best we can and avoid the definitive harms closures inflict on children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

This would only delay the inevitable. Teachers and everyone else will eventually get infected, if everyone stays home again now they will get it later and the whole ordeal will be more drawn out. Last time we could say we are waiting for vaccines, this time there is nothing to save us. Yes, drawing it out overall (“flatten the curve”) may help hospitals, but closing schools is going to be a drop in the bucket for that issue. Better keep them running as best we can and avoid the definitive harms closures inflict on children.

+1. It’s coming for all of us, let’s just get it over with as quickly as possible and not try to pretend we can avoid it by smarter planning.

[Anonymous]

I missed the town hall but the FAQs on the DCPS Open Strong site are a bit scary. Apparently DCPS is making an asymptomatic fully vaccinated student stay out of class for 10 days no matter what - even if they start testing negative after day 3. That’s not test to stay - that’s test to punish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are obviously going to need more testing of the entire school population. Yet the Chancellor said at his town hall that more massive testing for schools will only be considered if it is proved necessary. I am glad that K94 masks are going to be provided to teachers, however it seems that the city is simply not putting in the necessary resources to keep schools open. Montgomery and Fairfax counties are both implementing test to stay, and yet DCPS seems to have no plans to implement this. DCPS also has yet to implement the CDCs five day protocol for quarantine.

Not completely accurate. FCPS is piloting test to stay in a handful of schools (there are 200 schools for 180K students). Also none of the other school districts are implementing the 5 day protocol. The CDC just announced it. School systems are working with the local health departments to see how that might translate with school age populations. FCPS will be assessing whether or not to implement it. Right now, the 10-day protocol is still in place.

In other words, slow your roll.

Not sure how accurate it is but I saw a piece on CNN at a friend’s house on DC and the omicron surge. They reported at DCPS was testing all students and made it seem like it was an unusual step that others weren’t doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are obviously going to need more testing of the entire school population. Yet the Chancellor said at his town hall that more massive testing for schools will only be considered if it is proved necessary. I am glad that K94 masks are going to be provided to teachers, however it seems that the city is simply not putting in the necessary resources to keep schools open. Montgomery and Fairfax counties are both implementing test to stay, and yet DCPS seems to have no plans to implement this. DCPS also has yet to implement the CDCs five day protocol for quarantine.

Not completely accurate. FCPS is piloting test to stay in a handful of schools (there are 200 schools for 180K students). Also none of the other school districts are implementing the 5 day protocol. The CDC just announced it. School systems are working with the local health departments to see how that might translate with school age populations. FCPS will be assessing whether or not to implement it. Right now, the 10-day protocol is still in place.

In other words, slow your roll.

Failing to adopt the CDC sanctioned test to stay and the new CDC quarantine protocols virtually guarantees that most students will not be able to have in person learning in January.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I missed the town hall but the FAQs on the DCPS Open Strong site are a bit scary. Apparently DCPS is making an asymptomatic fully vaccinated student stay out of class for 10 days no matter what - even if they start testing negative after day 3. That’s not test to stay - that’s test to punish.

The CDC recommendation just came out, I thought they said they were still assessing with DC DOH on updating guidelines

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

This would only delay the inevitable. Teachers and everyone else will eventually get infected, if everyone stays home again now they will get it later and the whole ordeal will be more drawn out. Last time we could say we are waiting for vaccines, this time there is nothing to save us. Yes, drawing it out overall (“flatten the curve”) may help hospitals, but closing schools is going to be a drop in the bucket for that issue. Better keep them running as best we can and avoid the definitive harms closures inflict on children.

No, “let all the kids get covid” is not an acceptable policy.

There’s an easy answer here, and it’s testing.

[Anonymous]

Sorry if I missed it, but what are the protocols not being implemented? Just not 100% daily testing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one can keep up with the rapidity of the surge, OP. By the time governments ramp up efforts there will be significant closures because of staff shortages, and then Omicron will recede as rapidly as it came.

Our best bet is to pivot to virtual teaching now while teachers are still not positive and can teach, keep schools open with skeletal day care staff, and those of us who can, work from home the month, to keep EMS and hospital services running. But people don't want that, so we're going to have a disaster instead. Oh well.

This would only delay the inevitable. Teachers and everyone else will eventually get infected, if everyone stays home again now they will get it later and the whole ordeal will be more drawn out. Last time we could say we are waiting for vaccines, this time there is nothing to save us. Yes, drawing it out overall (“flatten the curve”) may help hospitals, but closing schools is going to be a drop in the bucket for that issue. Better keep them running as best we can and avoid the definitive harms closures inflict on children.

No, “let all the kids get covid” is not an acceptable policy.

There’s an easy answer here, and it’s testing.

Nobody said that should be the policy, or that we shouldn’t test. This was a response to the PP who said that since testing would probably not be able to contain omicron, we should close schools and stay home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t like how they avoided answering questions about kids recently coming out of isolation after getting COVID, but did appreciate that they reinforced that schools are an essential service and they’re committed to keeping them open (unavoidable situational closures aside).

So what happens when kids coming out of isolation test positive on Jan 4? Do they go back into isolation until they test negative?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t like how they avoided answering questions about kids recently coming out of isolation after getting COVID, but did appreciate that they reinforced that schools are an essential service and they’re committed to keeping them open (unavoidable situational closures aside).

So what happens when kids coming out of isolation test positive on Jan 4? Do they go back into isolation until they test negative?

My kids tested positive this week. Our plan (for now) is to let the school know next week and then keep them home until 10 days after their initial positive test. They had mild symptoms which have already gone away.

I suppose if they want us to do something different, they’ll let us know.