A standing ovation for Dr. McKnight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

I wonder how much of this no-confidence vote is due to the changing stories and poor communication? Most teachers I know IRL are in favor of the schools remaining open, but have voiced frustration with how it has been handled. MCPS should have stuck with the original story of not going virtual unless directed by the state rather than coming up with an arbitrary percentage and color coding system.

This is exactly it. It's not about staying in-person, it's about a lack of a plan and lack of clear and transparent communication. What's happening right now is pure chaos. That might not be the experience in every school, but it's widespread. It's astonishing to me that people are ok with this level of dysfunction and incompetence, and it seems to be more an indicator of concerns about going virtual, than a clear-eyed look at what is happening right now and how this administration is handling the crisis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

I wonder how much of this no-confidence vote is due to the changing stories and poor communication? Most teachers I know IRL are in favor of the schools remaining open, but have voiced frustration with how it has been handled. MCPS should have stuck with the original story of not going virtual unless directed by the state rather than coming up with an arbitrary percentage and color coding system.

This is exactly it. It's not about staying in-person, it's about a lack of a plan and lack of clear and transparent communication. What's happening right now is pure chaos. That might not be the experience in every school, but it's widespread. It's astonishing to me that people are ok with this level of dysfunction and incompetence, and it seems to be more an indicator of concerns about going virtual, than a clear-eyed look at what is happening right now and how this administration is handling the crisis.

In my experience many of those saying they want a plan want one so they can criticize it and argue for virtual. Look, MCPS is operating in a context of a changing virus, lack of testing, lack of clear guidance from so-called experts. Sometimes good leadership is committing to a goal (keeping schools open) and moving forward while making the best of a bad situation. I'm not sure what you think has been so chaotic. Some disruptions to a bus schedule?

It turns out not surprisingly there was a lot of hysteria in late December and early January from the pro-virtual crowd. The debate about virtual should just be shut down. We should not be having this debate next fall or winter.

[Anonymous]

I think her handling of the decision-making was embarrassing, but I support her in the final decision. Schools should remain open. We're doing okay in MCPS and we're about to be on the other side of this curve if not already. Stop with the hysterics. If you want virtual school and can't handle these surges, then sign up for the virtual academy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

I wonder how much of this no-confidence vote is due to the changing stories and poor communication? Most teachers I know IRL are in favor of the schools remaining open, but have voiced frustration with how it has been handled. MCPS should have stuck with the original story of not going virtual unless directed by the state rather than coming up with an arbitrary percentage and color coding system.

This is exactly it. It's not about staying in-person, it's about a lack of a plan and lack of clear and transparent communication. What's happening right now is pure chaos. That might not be the experience in every school, but it's widespread. It's astonishing to me that people are ok with this level of dysfunction and incompetence, and it seems to be more an indicator of concerns about going virtual, than a clear-eyed look at what is happening right now and how this administration is handling the crisis.

No. 94% of the 7000 votes received voted no confidence. That's barely over 50% of the membership. They barely passed the vote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

I wonder how much of this no-confidence vote is due to the changing stories and poor communication? Most teachers I know IRL are in favor of the schools remaining open, but have voiced frustration with how it has been handled. MCPS should have stuck with the original story of not going virtual unless directed by the state rather than coming up with an arbitrary percentage and color coding system.

This is exactly it. It's not about staying in-person, it's about a lack of a plan and lack of clear and transparent communication. What's happening right now is pure chaos. That might not be the experience in every school, but it's widespread. It's astonishing to me that people are ok with this level of dysfunction and incompetence, and it seems to be more an indicator of concerns about going virtual, than a clear-eyed look at what is happening right now and how this administration is handling the crisis.

In my experience many of those saying they want a plan want one so they can criticize it and argue for virtual. Look, MCPS is operating in a context of a changing virus, lack of testing, lack of clear guidance from so-called experts. Sometimes good leadership is committing to a goal (keeping schools open) and moving forward while making the best of a bad situation. I'm not sure what you think has been so chaotic. Some disruptions to a bus schedule?

It turns out not surprisingly there was a lot of hysteria in late December and early January from the pro-virtual crowd. The debate about virtual should just be shut down. We should not be having this debate next fall or winter.

If people are getting seriously ill and we have 20% of the school population infected then it will be unrealistic to avoid debate about virtual.

The virtual debate did not come during the last surge.

Talking about next year's fall or spring in the current context does not make any sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think her handling of the decision-making was embarrassing, but I support her in the final decision. Schools should remain open. We're doing okay in MCPS and we're about to be on the other side of this curve if not already. Stop with the hysterics. If you want virtual school and can't handle these surges, then sign up for the virtual academy.

Try signing up for virtual academy and then you will realize it's almost impossible to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are many things we can gripe about re MCPS, but I am quite alright with school staying open. We can't shut down because a few people want things closed. Should they communicate and report better than they have? Absolutely. But no more shutdowns.

Schools open does not equate to schools teaching students.

I’m not sure what is happening at the elementary and middle school levels, but high school students are being housed in cafeterias and auditoriums because teachers are absent and there are not enough substitutes. For these classes, all teaching has come to a halt. Students with disabilities are the most affected because their supports and services have ended.

Meh, so what. My kid is one of those in the cafeteria for several periods. He treats it as study hall to catch up on work and study for exams. Then he goes to the other 4-5 periods that are open.

It’s not perfect, but it beats the alternative by a mile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think her handling of the decision-making was embarrassing, but I support her in the final decision. Schools should remain open. We're doing okay in MCPS and we're about to be on the other side of this curve if not already. Stop with the hysterics. If you want virtual school and can't handle these surges, then sign up for the virtual academy.

Try signing up for virtual academy and then you will realize it's almost impossible to do so.

We aren't doing ok if you look at numbers over the last few weeks. A large population has had or has covid.

Its not impossible for VA if you planned for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think her handling of the decision-making was embarrassing, but I support her in the final decision. Schools should remain open. We're doing okay in MCPS and we're about to be on the other side of this curve if not already. Stop with the hysterics. If you want virtual school and can't handle these surges, then sign up for the virtual academy.

Try signing up for virtual academy and then you will realize it's almost impossible to do so.

Some of us are signed up for it. Clearly its not impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

I wonder how much of this no-confidence vote is due to the changing stories and poor communication? Most teachers I know IRL are in favor of the schools remaining open, but have voiced frustration with how it has been handled. MCPS should have stuck with the original story of not going virtual unless directed by the state rather than coming up with an arbitrary percentage and color coding system.

This is exactly it. It's not about staying in-person, it's about a lack of a plan and lack of clear and transparent communication. What's happening right now is pure chaos. That might not be the experience in every school, but it's widespread. It's astonishing to me that people are ok with this level of dysfunction and incompetence, and it seems to be more an indicator of concerns about going virtual, than a clear-eyed look at what is happening right now and how this administration is handling the crisis.

In my experience many of those saying they want a plan want one so they can criticize it and argue for virtual. Look, MCPS is operating in a context of a changing virus, lack of testing, lack of clear guidance from so-called experts. Sometimes good leadership is committing to a goal (keeping schools open) and moving forward while making the best of a bad situation. I'm not sure what you think has been so chaotic. Some disruptions to a bus schedule?

It turns out not surprisingly there was a lot of hysteria in late December and early January from the pro-virtual crowd. The debate about virtual should just be shut down. We should not be having this debate next fall or winter.

If people are getting seriously ill and we have 20% of the school population infected then it will be unrealistic to avoid debate about virtual.

The virtual debate did not come during the last surge.

Talking about next year's fall or spring in the current context does not make any sense.

If 20 percent is infected they are quarantine and the rest can go to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

Schools are for educating students, not a jobs program. The 94% of you can pound sand.

What’s your job ? Working remotely and more interested in ‘daycare’ available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, our highschoolers have unnecessarily poor grades on their college transcripts because of the chaos you allowed to ensue with understaffed classes and no transportation, alongside no plan for home learning for those quartentined.

How dare you pat yourselves on the back. Seriously, gfys!

Why don’t you become a teacher or bus driver?

Actually why don’t you ??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

Schools are for educating students, not a jobs program. The 94% of you can pound sand.

What’s your job ? Working remotely and more interested in ‘daycare’ available.

DP.. the "daycare" gives these teachers jobs, and we pay their salaries. I appreciate the teachers, especially those who want to remain in person.

And actually it was 94% of barely 50% of the teachers who voted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, our highschoolers have unnecessarily poor grades on their college transcripts because of the chaos you allowed to ensue with understaffed classes and no transportation, alongside no plan for home learning for those quartentined.

How dare you pat yourselves on the back. Seriously, gfys!

IMO, that's a school leadership issue not the school district issue. My HSer told me that the teachers have been doing synchronous classes, and when DC was quarantined all the materials were posted online. That is supposed to be done regardless of synchronous learning. So, that's your school issue, not a district wide issue.

Good teachers who care will make themselves available and figure it out.

MCPS asked the state for help for bus drivers, but the state declined. So, it's not like MCPS is not trying. My DC's school bus was impacted. They seemed to have found drivers because the majority of the buses seem to be running on schedule now.

[Anonymous]

I agree OP. Stay the course MCPS. Look to Europe, look to other areas of the US - they stayed in person, WE SHOULD HAVE ALL ALONG AND DEFINITEIY NEED YO NOW.