Covid-19 Leave No Longer Available for MCPS Employees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy fix: healthy kids and teachers go to school. Sick kids and teachers stay home until better. No testing, no quarantining little Sophie who has no symptoms but dropped a positive. No quarantining little Johnny who was exposed to Sophie and is no considered unvaccinated bc he’s not boosted. Sick=home. Healthy=school. This is an approach many countries are taking now. I actually wonder if we did this religiously all along if we’d be better off both wrt Covid and collateral damage.

Without testing you have no idea who is sick so you need testing. Vaccination status is meaningless for transmission.

A virus so deadly and worthy of destroying our society that you don’t even know who has it unless you test. No more testing. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze to tell people with no symptoms to stay home. They won’t anyway. Agree with you that unvaccinated and vaccinated kids should be treated the same — allowed to go to school unless actually sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of working parents did not have COVID leave when they had to support their kids in virtual learning for 15 months while juggling careers, so teachers can deal with it.

I see where you are coming from, but how do you want teachers to deal with it? When they get COVID, should they use half or more of their sick leave that year, but still prepare detailed and relevant sub plans for each day they are out? Or should they deal with it by just staying home and NOT spending hours writing sub plans while their classes have no real instruction for the week? Or do they deal with it by just coming to work if they don't feel too bad and possibly spread Covid to students and other teachers?

They should not be at work if they are positive for COVID. If they feel well enough to write sub plans, then they should and must be paid for that time. If they don’t feel well enough to write plans then they should just be at home resting. School admin needs to figure out a backup plan to teach material to kids while the teacher is out. The same as they would if a teacher was hit by a bus. Yes the first two days will be messy but it’s no different than the minimal instructions days before a holiday or after Memorial Day. Radical behavior changes I know, but it’s not that difficult.

The COVID leave didn't just cover teacher illness or quarantine, it covered caring for a family member who is ill or directed to quarantine. For younger children in daycare, that could be 10 days of quarantine, which would eat up many school days if the teacher had to stay home to care for the child.

The question I responded to was about teachers being sick, not a teacher’s child. But in the situation you describe, they would need to be on unpaid leave like many many other parents have been in the last two years.

The good old "I have to suffer so everybody else has to suffer along with me" argument.

If you were a cancer survivor would you be mad that there was a new and better treatment for cancer out there or would you just want to punish other people because you didn't get access to that treatment

I love with posters ramp up the hysterics. It is unreasonable to expect that unlimited COVID leave would be provided forever. Federal support for these programs have ended. You may have all the money in the world to raise taxes, but most parents do not. COVID is here to stay. That is why our original rules, quarantine guidelines, etc are changing.

If a teacher gets covid at school, they should be given leave. If they got it from their personal life, no. There are no rules, no quarantines, no masking so covid is going to burn through the schools very quickly especially given this new variant.

Any person who thinks its a good an easy job should step up and teach.

Covid is here to stay because people are selfish and aren't willing to do basic things to help keep it under control. Covid is miserable. You may be ok getting it multiple times but once is enough for me.

How exactly do you suggest proving where the teacher got covid to determine whether they are eligible for leave???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy fix: healthy kids and teachers go to school. Sick kids and teachers stay home until better. No testing, no quarantining little Sophie who has no symptoms but dropped a positive. No quarantining little Johnny who was exposed to Sophie and is no considered unvaccinated bc he’s not boosted. Sick=home. Healthy=school. This is an approach many countries are taking now. I actually wonder if we did this religiously all along if we’d be better off both wrt Covid and collateral damage.

Without testing you have no idea who is sick so you need testing. Vaccination status is meaningless for transmission.

A virus so deadly and worthy of destroying our society that you don’t even know who has it unless you test. No more testing. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze to tell people with no symptoms to stay home. They won’t anyway. Agree with you that unvaccinated and vaccinated kids should be treated the same — allowed to go to school unless actually sick.

If you test positive you are sick. Not testing is irresponsible. You keep being irresponsible and MCPS will continue to have issues partly because of admin and partly because of parents like you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy fix: healthy kids and teachers go to school. Sick kids and teachers stay home until better. No testing, no quarantining little Sophie who has no symptoms but dropped a positive. No quarantining little Johnny who was exposed to Sophie and is no considered unvaccinated bc he’s not boosted. Sick=home. Healthy=school. This is an approach many countries are taking now. I actually wonder if we did this religiously all along if we’d be better off both wrt Covid and collateral damage.

Without testing you have no idea who is sick so you need testing. Vaccination status is meaningless for transmission.

A virus so deadly and worthy of destroying our society that you don’t even know who has it unless you test. No more testing. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze to tell people with no symptoms to stay home. They won’t anyway. Agree with you that unvaccinated and vaccinated kids should be treated the same — allowed to go to school unless actually sick.

If you test positive you are sick. Not testing is irresponsible. You keep being irresponsible and MCPS will continue to have issues partly because of admin and partly because of parents like you.

For one, if there is an outbreak in their classroom or school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy fix: healthy kids and teachers go to school. Sick kids and teachers stay home until better. No testing, no quarantining little Sophie who has no symptoms but dropped a positive. No quarantining little Johnny who was exposed to Sophie and is no considered unvaccinated bc he’s not boosted. Sick=home. Healthy=school. This is an approach many countries are taking now. I actually wonder if we did this religiously all along if we’d be better off both wrt Covid and collateral damage.

Without testing you have no idea who is sick so you need testing. Vaccination status is meaningless for transmission.

A virus so deadly and worthy of destroying our society that you don’t even know who has it unless you test. No more testing. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze to tell people with no symptoms to stay home. They won’t anyway. Agree with you that unvaccinated and vaccinated kids should be treated the same — allowed to go to school unless actually sick.

If you test positive you are sick. Not testing is irresponsible. You keep being irresponsible and MCPS will continue to have issues partly because of admin and partly because of parents like you.

For one, if there is an outbreak in their classroom or school.

And if one kid, not showing symptoms, gives it to you?

[Anonymous]

Good, covid is not an emergency anymore. It should be treated like any other illness. You feel sick, stay home.
You feel good, go to work. Teachers still have sick leave for days when they feel sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy fix: healthy kids and teachers go to school. Sick kids and teachers stay home until better. No testing, no quarantining little Sophie who has no symptoms but dropped a positive. No quarantining little Johnny who was exposed to Sophie and is no considered unvaccinated bc he’s not boosted. Sick=home. Healthy=school. This is an approach many countries are taking now. I actually wonder if we did this religiously all along if we’d be better off both wrt Covid and collateral damage.

Without testing you have no idea who is sick so you need testing. Vaccination status is meaningless for transmission.

A virus so deadly and worthy of destroying our society that you don’t even know who has it unless you test. No more testing. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze to tell people with no symptoms to stay home. They won’t anyway. Agree with you that unvaccinated and vaccinated kids should be treated the same — allowed to go to school unless actually sick.

If you test positive you are sick. Not testing is irresponsible. You keep being irresponsible and MCPS will continue to have issues partly because of admin and partly because of parents like you.

Hard stop. No. Stop playing this ridiculous game. We’re not testing for asymptomatic flu, RSV, or anything else. Why do this with covid? Completely ridiculous. Everyone is vaccinated now. Onward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy fix: healthy kids and teachers go to school. Sick kids and teachers stay home until better. No testing, no quarantining little Sophie who has no symptoms but dropped a positive. No quarantining little Johnny who was exposed to Sophie and is no considered unvaccinated bc he’s not boosted. Sick=home. Healthy=school. This is an approach many countries are taking now. I actually wonder if we did this religiously all along if we’d be better off both wrt Covid and collateral damage.

Without testing you have no idea who is sick so you need testing. Vaccination status is meaningless for transmission.

A virus so deadly and worthy of destroying our society that you don’t even know who has it unless you test. No more testing. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze to tell people with no symptoms to stay home. They won’t anyway. Agree with you that unvaccinated and vaccinated kids should be treated the same — allowed to go to school unless actually sick.

If you test positive you are sick. Not testing is irresponsible. You keep being irresponsible and MCPS will continue to have issues partly because of admin and partly because of parents like you.

Quite the opposite. MCPS will have issues only until people stop testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of working parents did not have COVID leave when they had to support their kids in virtual learning for 15 months while juggling careers, so teachers can deal with it.

I see where you are coming from, but how do you want teachers to deal with it? When they get COVID, should they use half or more of their sick leave that year, but still prepare detailed and relevant sub plans for each day they are out? Or should they deal with it by just staying home and NOT spending hours writing sub plans while their classes have no real instruction for the week? Or do they deal with it by just coming to work if they don't feel too bad and possibly spread Covid to students and other teachers?

They should not be at work if they are positive for COVID. If they feel well enough to write sub plans, then they should and must be paid for that time. If they don’t feel well enough to write plans then they should just be at home resting. School admin needs to figure out a backup plan to teach material to kids while the teacher is out. The same as they would if a teacher was hit by a bus. Yes the first two days will be messy but it’s no different than the minimal instructions days before a holiday or after Memorial Day. Radical behavior changes I know, but it’s not that difficult.

The COVID leave didn't just cover teacher illness or quarantine, it covered caring for a family member who is ill or directed to quarantine. For younger children in daycare, that could be 10 days of quarantine, which would eat up many school days if the teacher had to stay home to care for the child.

The question I responded to was about teachers being sick, not a teacher’s child. But in the situation you describe, they would need to be on unpaid leave like many many other parents have been in the last two years.

The good old "I have to suffer so everybody else has to suffer along with me" argument.

If you were a cancer survivor would you be mad that there was a new and better treatment for cancer out there or would you just want to punish other people because you didn't get access to that treatment

I love with posters ramp up the hysterics. It is unreasonable to expect that unlimited COVID leave would be provided forever. Federal support for these programs have ended. You may have all the money in the world to raise taxes, but most parents do not. COVID is here to stay. That is why our original rules, quarantine guidelines, etc are changing.

If a teacher gets covid at school, they should be given leave. If they got it from their personal life, no. There are no rules, no quarantines, no masking so covid is going to burn through the schools very quickly especially given this new variant.

Any person who thinks its a good an easy job should step up and teach.

Covid is here to stay because people are selfish and aren't willing to do basic things to help keep it under control. Covid is miserable. You may be ok getting it multiple times but once is enough for me.

How exactly do you suggest proving where the teacher got covid to determine whether they are eligible for leave???

Since there’s no way of definitively proving whether or not the teacher contracted covid at school (especially factoring in asymptomatic cases) you are essentially arguing that all teachers with covid should continue to get extra leave. Which (especially as covid has become less deadly and endemic) begs the question as to why teachers who contract the flu or other viruses (potentially at the work place) aren’t entitled to similar benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy fix: healthy kids and teachers go to school. Sick kids and teachers stay home until better. No testing, no quarantining little Sophie who has no symptoms but dropped a positive. No quarantining little Johnny who was exposed to Sophie and is no considered unvaccinated bc he’s not boosted. Sick=home. Healthy=school. This is an approach many countries are taking now. I actually wonder if we did this religiously all along if we’d be better off both wrt Covid and collateral damage.

Without testing you have no idea who is sick so you need testing. Vaccination status is meaningless for transmission.

A virus so deadly and worthy of destroying our society that you don’t even know who has it unless you test. No more testing. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze to tell people with no symptoms to stay home. They won’t anyway. Agree with you that unvaccinated and vaccinated kids should be treated the same — allowed to go to school unless actually sick.

If you test positive you are sick. Not testing is irresponsible. You keep being irresponsible and MCPS will continue to have issues partly because of admin and partly because of parents like you.

Hard stop. No. Stop playing this ridiculous game. We’re not testing for asymptomatic flu, RSV, or anything else. Why do this with covid? Completely ridiculous. Everyone is vaccinated now. Onward.

We should be. Our ped office tests for flu and other things when you go in to do a covid test. What does being vaccinated mean? It reduces the severity, not spread, so you need to find a new talking point until they update the vaccine which was promised last spring and never happened.

It is highly irresponsible with the new variants being far more contagious to not test, not mask and take no basic precautions. What are you going to do when your children's teachers are out sick multiple times. Hope you are prepared to teach them yourself!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an easy fix: healthy kids and teachers go to school. Sick kids and teachers stay home until better. No testing, no quarantining little Sophie who has no symptoms but dropped a positive. No quarantining little Johnny who was exposed to Sophie and is no considered unvaccinated bc he’s not boosted. Sick=home. Healthy=school. This is an approach many countries are taking now. I actually wonder if we did this religiously all along if we’d be better off both wrt Covid and collateral damage.

Without testing you have no idea who is sick so you need testing. Vaccination status is meaningless for transmission.

A virus so deadly and worthy of destroying our society that you don’t even know who has it unless you test. No more testing. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze to tell people with no symptoms to stay home. They won’t anyway. Agree with you that unvaccinated and vaccinated kids should be treated the same — allowed to go to school unless actually sick.

Family member of mine was on a ventilator for 2.5 months and will probably need supplemental oxygen for the rest of her life. But nbd right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you get Covid you go to work sick?? I see resignations.
I will take off sick if I get Covid. Not putting my health or recovery at risk for work from home administrators.

No, you use your existing sick leave like has been the case for decades with every other illness

This. No more two week paid vacations for popping an asymptomatic positive test. Use sick leave like everyone else.

How much vacation time do you think teachers get?

You get 5 personal days a year.

Cue dcum parents who are furious that teachers might need to take a day off during the school year

It's 3 personal days a year. You can carry over some so that you never have more than 5, but you're only given 3.

And some schools are strict about not using them to extend a 3 day weekend (that's fun for the family wedding on a holiday weekend...) And not everyone is given their religious holidays off like Christmas and Easter are, so imagine wanting to be with family on a holiday on 3 personal days.

How much annual leave do you get?

10 month employees receive 10 sick days each academic year. However, if you belong to the Sick Bank (which most employees do), two of those days are donated back to the Sick Bank. Therefore, most employees receive eight additional sick days per academic year.

So 8 sick days, plus 3 personal days, and nothing else?

Well a week for spring break, two weeks at Christmas, two or three days at Thanksgiving, And other national holidays during the school year

Teachers aren’t paid for those breaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of working parents did not have COVID leave when they had to support their kids in virtual learning for 15 months while juggling careers, so teachers can deal with it.

I see where you are coming from, but how do you want teachers to deal with it? When they get COVID, should they use half or more of their sick leave that year, but still prepare detailed and relevant sub plans for each day they are out? Or should they deal with it by just staying home and NOT spending hours writing sub plans while their classes have no real instruction for the week? Or do they deal with it by just coming to work if they don't feel too bad and possibly spread Covid to students and other teachers?

They should not be at work if they are positive for COVID. If they feel well enough to write sub plans, then they should and must be paid for that time. If they don’t feel well enough to write plans then they should just be at home resting. School admin needs to figure out a backup plan to teach material to kids while the teacher is out. The same as they would if a teacher was hit by a bus. Yes the first two days will be messy but it’s no different than the minimal instructions days before a holiday or after Memorial Day. Radical behavior changes I know, but it’s not that difficult.

The COVID leave didn't just cover teacher illness or quarantine, it covered caring for a family member who is ill or directed to quarantine. For younger children in daycare, that could be 10 days of quarantine, which would eat up many school days if the teacher had to stay home to care for the child.

The question I responded to was about teachers being sick, not a teacher’s child. But in the situation you describe, they would need to be on unpaid leave like many many other parents have been in the last two years.

The good old "I have to suffer so everybody else has to suffer along with me" argument.

If you were a cancer survivor would you be mad that there was a new and better treatment for cancer out there or would you just want to punish other people because you didn't get access to that treatment

I love with posters ramp up the hysterics. It is unreasonable to expect that unlimited COVID leave would be provided forever. Federal support for these programs have ended. You may have all the money in the world to raise taxes, but most parents do not. COVID is here to stay. That is why our original rules, quarantine guidelines, etc are changing.

If a teacher gets covid at school, they should be given leave. If they got it from their personal life, no. There are no rules, no quarantines, no masking so covid is going to burn through the schools very quickly especially given this new variant.

Any person who thinks its a good an easy job should step up and teach.

Covid is here to stay because people are selfish and aren't willing to do basic things to help keep it under control. Covid is miserable. You may be ok getting it multiple times but once is enough for me.

Lol, when you get the flu or virus do you prove to your employer that you got it from work? When someone has cancer, should they prove it was caused by something in their work environment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of working parents did not have COVID leave when they had to support their kids in virtual learning for 15 months while juggling careers, so teachers can deal with it.

I see where you are coming from, but how do you want teachers to deal with it? When they get COVID, should they use half or more of their sick leave that year, but still prepare detailed and relevant sub plans for each day they are out? Or should they deal with it by just staying home and NOT spending hours writing sub plans while their classes have no real instruction for the week? Or do they deal with it by just coming to work if they don't feel too bad and possibly spread Covid to students and other teachers?

They should not be at work if they are positive for COVID. If they feel well enough to write sub plans, then they should and must be paid for that time. If they don’t feel well enough to write plans then they should just be at home resting. School admin needs to figure out a backup plan to teach material to kids while the teacher is out. The same as they would if a teacher was hit by a bus. Yes the first two days will be messy but it’s no different than the minimal instructions days before a holiday or after Memorial Day. Radical behavior changes I know, but it’s not that difficult.

The COVID leave didn't just cover teacher illness or quarantine, it covered caring for a family member who is ill or directed to quarantine. For younger children in daycare, that could be 10 days of quarantine, which would eat up many school days if the teacher had to stay home to care for the child.

The question I responded to was about teachers being sick, not a teacher’s child. But in the situation you describe, they would need to be on unpaid leave like many many other parents have been in the last two years.

The good old "I have to suffer so everybody else has to suffer along with me" argument.

If you were a cancer survivor would you be mad that there was a new and better treatment for cancer out there or would you just want to punish other people because you didn't get access to that treatment

I love with posters ramp up the hysterics. It is unreasonable to expect that unlimited COVID leave would be provided forever. Federal support for these programs have ended. You may have all the money in the world to raise taxes, but most parents do not. COVID is here to stay. That is why our original rules, quarantine guidelines, etc are changing.

If a teacher gets covid at school, they should be given leave. If they got it from their personal life, no. There are no rules, no quarantines, no masking so covid is going to burn through the schools very quickly especially given this new variant.

Any person who thinks its a good an easy job should step up and teach.

Covid is here to stay because people are selfish and aren't willing to do basic things to help keep it under control. Covid is miserable. You may be ok getting it multiple times but once is enough for me.

Lol, when you get the flu or virus do you prove to your employer that you got it from work? When someone has cancer, should they prove it was caused by something in their work environment?

Cancer and Covid are different and both require proof to take leave. If a teacher got either from their job, yes they should get paid leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you get Covid you go to work sick?? I see resignations.
I will take off sick if I get Covid. Not putting my health or recovery at risk for work from home administrators.

No, you use your existing sick leave like has been the case for decades with every other illness

This. No more two week paid vacations for popping an asymptomatic positive test. Use sick leave like everyone else.

How much vacation time do you think teachers get?

You get 5 personal days a year.

Cue dcum parents who are furious that teachers might need to take a day off during the school year

It's 3 personal days a year. You can carry over some so that you never have more than 5, but you're only given 3.

And some schools are strict about not using them to extend a 3 day weekend (that's fun for the family wedding on a holiday weekend...) And not everyone is given their religious holidays off like Christmas and Easter are, so imagine wanting to be with family on a holiday on 3 personal days.

How much annual leave do you get?

10 month employees receive 10 sick days each academic year. However, if you belong to the Sick Bank (which most employees do), two of those days are donated back to the Sick Bank. Therefore, most employees receive eight additional sick days per academic year.

So 8 sick days, plus 3 personal days, and nothing else?

Well a week for spring break, two weeks at Christmas, two or three days at Thanksgiving, And other national holidays during the school year

Teachers aren’t paid for those breaks.

Yes they are. You get holiday leave