In-person school plans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just so we're all clear here:

The CURRENT criteria for reopening school is community spread metrics not vaccination rates among teachers.

Schools will still be subject to following CDC guidelines of wearing a mask and social distancing. The guidelines are not going to change in the immediate future.

Kids are not going to be vaccinated in the immediate future either.

If you or your children cannot follow the CDC guidelines then maybe you should homeschool.

Mcps has not made any kind of public statement about how they're going to handle contagious children at school but they're going to have to have some kind of plan in place. unfortunately parents will either knowingly or unknowingly send contagious children to school and then either refuse to pick them up or not be able to pick them up immediately

MCPS will not be doing regular COVID testing or testing at all. They will not be doing temperature checks or any type of risk mitigation. They are not enforcing masks. They don't have enough sinks in every school to promote hand washing.

Going back is not based off teachers getting vaccinated but community spread. Without kids being vaccinated, there is a huge risk of spreading it to both students and families. Teachers can also be carriers even if vaccinated.

The issue is those pushing reopening are generally ones who don't care about the community spread and will send their kids to school sick.

Instead of telling those of us concerned to homeschool, grow up, use birth control as you cannot handle the kids you have and hire help.

Where did you get this information? I am very concerned that there won’t be temperature checks or health screenings like there are at day care or a doctor office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish MCPS would make a statement on teacher vaccines and potential openings. I'm hearing rumblings that teachers are going to start being eligible soon.

I mean, that is what the county and the state are saying. Montgomery County claims it anticipates beginning to vaccinate phase 1B in February. Teachers are in phase 1B.

Whether that actually happens as anticipated is anybody's guess as I assume it depends on whether they actually get the vaccine distribution from the feds. I am cautiously hopeful that there is an actual date they are projecting but like everything else for the past 10 months, I'll believe it when I see it.

[Anonymous]

My brother teaches at an Urban school district in PA not far From NY. His particular school has high poverty - lots of ESL though the school district overall is middle income. The whole area got hit hard With COVID in the spring coming from NY and covid rates worse then here - still. But they have been hybrid all fall until planned break in December. As planned, they Restarted hybrid this week. All the teachers will be vaccinated Jan 25 week.

I just don’t understand why MD is so different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I happily just dropped off my kid at private school today after a long winter break and one week of virtual school (post New Years). She is so so so happy to go back to school. Virtual is not good..even though she is in a class with only 10 strong and motivated students and engaged teachers. She wants to be with her friends and learn with a teacher in the room with her. I am grateful.

AKA: Nanny, nanny, boo, boo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I happily just dropped off my kid at private school today after a long winter break and one week of virtual school (post New Years). She is so so so happy to go back to school. Virtual is not good..even though she is in a class with only 10 strong and motivated students and engaged teachers. She wants to be with her friends and learn with a teacher in the room with her. I am grateful.

DCUM gonna DCUM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish MCPS would make a statement on teacher vaccines and potential openings. I'm hearing rumblings that teachers are going to start being eligible soon.

I mean, that is what the county and the state are saying. Montgomery County claims it anticipates beginning to vaccinate phase 1B in February. Teachers are in phase 1B.

Whether that actually happens as anticipated is anybody's guess as I assume it depends on whether they actually get the vaccine distribution from the feds. I am cautiously hopeful that there is an actual date they are projecting but like everything else for the past 10 months, I'll believe it when I see it.

No, 1B begins in Jan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just so we're all clear here:

The CURRENT criteria for reopening school is community spread metrics not vaccination rates among teachers.

Schools will still be subject to following CDC guidelines of wearing a mask and social distancing. The guidelines are not going to change in the immediate future.

Kids are not going to be vaccinated in the immediate future either.

If you or your children cannot follow the CDC guidelines then maybe you should homeschool.

Mcps has not made any kind of public statement about how they're going to handle contagious children at school but they're going to have to have some kind of plan in place. unfortunately parents will either knowingly or unknowingly send contagious children to school and then either refuse to pick them up or not be able to pick them up immediately

MCPS will not be doing regular COVID testing or testing at all. They will not be doing temperature checks or any type of risk mitigation. They are not enforcing masks. They don't have enough sinks in every school to promote hand washing.

Going back is not based off teachers getting vaccinated but community spread. Without kids being vaccinated, there is a huge risk of spreading it to both students and families. Teachers can also be carriers even if vaccinated.

The issue is those pushing reopening are generally ones who don't care about the community spread and will send their kids to school sick.

Instead of telling those of us concerned to homeschool, grow up, use birth control as you cannot handle the kids you have and hire help.

Where did you get this information? I am very concerned that there won’t be temperature checks or health screenings like there are at day care or a doctor office.

There won’t be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just so we're all clear here:

The CURRENT criteria for reopening school is community spread metrics not vaccination rates among teachers.

Schools will still be subject to following CDC guidelines of wearing a mask and social distancing. The guidelines are not going to change in the immediate future.

Kids are not going to be vaccinated in the immediate future either.

If you or your children cannot follow the CDC guidelines then maybe you should homeschool.

Mcps has not made any kind of public statement about how they're going to handle contagious children at school but they're going to have to have some kind of plan in place. unfortunately parents will either knowingly or unknowingly send contagious children to school and then either refuse to pick them up or not be able to pick them up immediately

MCPS will not be doing regular COVID testing or testing at all. They will not be doing temperature checks or any type of risk mitigation. They are not enforcing masks. They don't have enough sinks in every school to promote hand washing.

Going back is not based off teachers getting vaccinated but community spread. Without kids being vaccinated, there is a huge risk of spreading it to both students and families. Teachers can also be carriers even if vaccinated.

The issue is those pushing reopening are generally ones who don't care about the community spread and will send their kids to school sick.

Instead of telling those of us concerned to homeschool, grow up, use birth control as you cannot handle the kids you have and hire help.

Where did you get this information? I am very concerned that there won’t be temperature checks or health screenings like there are at day care or a doctor office.

There won’t be.

As of an administrator's meeting on Friday, Jan. 8th there won't be temperature checks. MCPS is still deciding if the attestation form will be given once upon the return to school or on a weekly/daily basis.
-wife of MCPS principal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just so we're all clear here:

The CURRENT criteria for reopening school is community spread metrics not vaccination rates among teachers.

Schools will still be subject to following CDC guidelines of wearing a mask and social distancing. The guidelines are not going to change in the immediate future.

Kids are not going to be vaccinated in the immediate future either.

If you or your children cannot follow the CDC guidelines then maybe you should homeschool.

Mcps has not made any kind of public statement about how they're going to handle contagious children at school but they're going to have to have some kind of plan in place. unfortunately parents will either knowingly or unknowingly send contagious children to school and then either refuse to pick them up or not be able to pick them up immediately

MCPS will not be doing regular COVID testing or testing at all. They will not be doing temperature checks or any type of risk mitigation. They are not enforcing masks. They don't have enough sinks in every school to promote hand washing.

Going back is not based off teachers getting vaccinated but community spread. Without kids being vaccinated, there is a huge risk of spreading it to both students and families. Teachers can also be carriers even if vaccinated.

The issue is those pushing reopening are generally ones who don't care about the community spread and will send their kids to school sick.

Instead of telling those of us concerned to homeschool, grow up, use birth control as you cannot handle the kids you have and hire help.

Where did you get this information? I am very concerned that there won’t be temperature checks or health screenings like there are at day care or a doctor office.

Temp checks are basically Covid theater, anyway. Many people don't have fever (partic kids) and those who do are contagious before the fever, anyway.

They need to design the classroom assuming that someone is sick-- i.e., distancing, masks, open windows, air circulation, etc. They also need to minimize mixing of groups-- i.e., a sick kid could infect the 12-15 in their classroom but unlikely anyone else in the school. Forego the Covid theater so that people don't have a false sense of security.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Temp checks are basically Covid theater, anyway. Many people don't have fever (partic kids) and those who do are contagious before the fever, anyway.

They need to design the classroom assuming that someone is sick-- i.e., distancing, masks, open windows, air circulation, etc. They also need to minimize mixing of groups-- i.e., a sick kid could infect the 12-15 in their classroom but unlikely anyone else in the school. Forego the Covid theater so that people don't have a false sense of security.

Except that's not possible for middle school or high school, so it needs to not be a requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just so we're all clear here:

The CURRENT criteria for reopening school is community spread metrics not vaccination rates among teachers.

Schools will still be subject to following CDC guidelines of wearing a mask and social distancing. The guidelines are not going to change in the immediate future.

Kids are not going to be vaccinated in the immediate future either.

If you or your children cannot follow the CDC guidelines then maybe you should homeschool.

Mcps has not made any kind of public statement about how they're going to handle contagious children at school but they're going to have to have some kind of plan in place. unfortunately parents will either knowingly or unknowingly send contagious children to school and then either refuse to pick them up or not be able to pick them up immediately

Temperature checks are not a useful screening tool. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/coronavirus-updates-us-records-56000-cases-1500-additional/story?id=72344689

MCPS will not be doing regular COVID testing or testing at all. They will not be doing temperature checks or any type of risk mitigation. They are not enforcing masks. They don't have enough sinks in every school to promote hand washing.

Going back is not based off teachers getting vaccinated but community spread. Without kids being vaccinated, there is a huge risk of spreading it to both students and families. Teachers can also be carriers even if vaccinated.

The issue is those pushing reopening are generally ones who don't care about the community spread and will send their kids to school sick.

Instead of telling those of us concerned to homeschool, grow up, use birth control as you cannot handle the kids you have and hire help.

Where did you get this information? I am very concerned that there won’t be temperature checks or health screenings like there are at day care or a doctor office.

There won’t be.

As of an administrator's meeting on Friday, Jan. 8th there won't be temperature checks. MCPS is still deciding if the attestation form will be given once upon the return to school or on a weekly/daily basis.
-wife of MCPS principal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just so we're all clear here:

The CURRENT criteria for reopening school is community spread metrics not vaccination rates among teachers.

Schools will still be subject to following CDC guidelines of wearing a mask and social distancing. The guidelines are not going to change in the immediate future.

Kids are not going to be vaccinated in the immediate future either.

If you or your children cannot follow the CDC guidelines then maybe you should homeschool.

Mcps has not made any kind of public statement about how they're going to handle contagious children at school but they're going to have to have some kind of plan in place. unfortunately parents will either knowingly or unknowingly send contagious children to school and then either refuse to pick them up or not be able to pick them up immediately

MCPS will not be doing regular COVID testing or testing at all. They will not be doing temperature checks or any type of risk mitigation. They are not enforcing masks. They don't have enough sinks in every school to promote hand washing.

Going back is not based off teachers getting vaccinated but community spread. Without kids being vaccinated, there is a huge risk of spreading it to both students and families. Teachers can also be carriers even if vaccinated.

The issue is those pushing reopening are generally ones who don't care about the community spread and will send their kids to school sick.

Instead of telling those of us concerned to homeschool, grow up, use birth control as you cannot handle the kids you have and hire help.

Where did you get this information? I am very concerned that there won’t be temperature checks or health screenings like there are at day care or a doctor office.

There won’t be.

As of an administrator's meeting on Friday, Jan. 8th there won't be temperature checks. MCPS is still deciding if the attestation form will be given once upon the return to school or on a weekly/daily basis.
-wife of MCPS principal

Temperature checks are not a useful screening tool, per Fauci: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/coronavirus-updates-us-records-56000-cases-1500-additional/story?id=72344689

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Temp checks are basically Covid theater, anyway. Many people don't have fever (partic kids) and those who do are contagious before the fever, anyway.

They need to design the classroom assuming that someone is sick-- i.e., distancing, masks, open windows, air circulation, etc. They also need to minimize mixing of groups-- i.e., a sick kid could infect the 12-15 in their classroom but unlikely anyone else in the school. Forego the Covid theater so that people don't have a false sense of security.

Except that's not possible for middle school or high school, so it needs to not be a requirement.

That's an odd position to take. Are you just going to explain to the virus about high school class structures to convince it not to spread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, Covid rates among teachers can be up four times higher than the general population:
https://inews.co.uk/news/education/coronavirus-schools-virus-rates-teachers-higher-local-community-figures-818457

You can understand why teachers so concerned.

The new Covid strain is expected to be the dominant strain by the end of March.

The vaccine protects a teacher from death but not from infection. Teachers are still very nervous about bringing the virus home and spreading it to family even if they themselves are protected.

Teachers in MD will begin getting vaccines at the end of this month.

Stop spreading fear and misinformation. Pfizer and Fauci have said the vaccine is effective against the new strain. Also vaccinated teachers infecting others is a possibility but no one knows the risk. Either way if that is a concern of teachers that means they can go back when other adults are vaccinated, not students.

Immediate PP that you responded to. How am I soreading misinformation? I just said that teachers will begin to be vaccinated in MD starting at the end of this month, which is accurate. I agree that they should go back when they are, and not wait for students. I also think that they should go back full-time at that point, masked but without six feet of distance, given the effect of COVID on kids. Parents who don’t want that should have the option to keep kids in virtual-only.

Go back to who? Students will not go back till we meet numbers, not teacher vaccinations. So, why push vaccinations on teachers when people are working in the public who actually need those vaccines. MCPS has been clear that they will not be testing regularly/weekly or at all. Asymptomatic folks are spreaders so we could have a full outbreak and it have deadly consequences before it is caught. COVID impacts kids. KIDS share with PARENTS and others which is a huge issue. You may want to minimize it as you need a free babysitter as you cannot handle your kids but you aren't thinking of anyone else or community spread.

If teachers are vaccinated, they could absolutely change the numbers. The 15/100k new infections/5% positivity were passed assuming no vaccinations.

No, its not going to change it that much. The issue is more the spread within the students and to their families and the community. Want to help the numbers, stay home.

Um, I have news for you LOL. They State is already working on new guidelines for return to school which will including relaxing metrics, and these guidelines will certainly incorporate the fact that teachers will be vaccinated and risk becomes much lower for infection. Actually case numbers should not even be considered once teachers are vaccinated. Experts have already said that the metrics that some school systems are using should not be "on and off switches for openings and closures." They should only be points of interest. https://globalepidemics.org/2020/12/18/schools-and-the-path-to-zero-strategies-for-pandemic-resilience-in-the-face-of-high-community-spread/

So I could definitely see Maryland/McPS changing the guidelines again since they've already changed them one time but this is all pure conjecture at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just so we're all clear here:

The CURRENT criteria for reopening school is community spread metrics not vaccination rates among teachers.

Schools will still be subject to following CDC guidelines of wearing a mask and social distancing. The guidelines are not going to change in the immediate future.

Kids are not going to be vaccinated in the immediate future either.

If you or your children cannot follow the CDC guidelines then maybe you should homeschool.

Mcps has not made any kind of public statement about how they're going to handle contagious children at school but they're going to have to have some kind of plan in place. unfortunately parents will either knowingly or unknowingly send contagious children to school and then either refuse to pick them up or not be able to pick them up immediately

MCPS will not be doing regular COVID testing or testing at all. They will not be doing temperature checks or any type of risk mitigation. They are not enforcing masks. They don't have enough sinks in every school to promote hand washing.

Going back is not based off teachers getting vaccinated but community spread. Without kids being vaccinated, there is a huge risk of spreading it to both students and families. Teachers can also be carriers even if vaccinated.

The issue is those pushing reopening are generally ones who don't care about the community spread and will send their kids to school sick.

Instead of telling those of us concerned to homeschool, grow up, use birth control as you cannot handle the kids you have and hire help.

Where did you get this information? I am very concerned that there won’t be temperature checks or health screenings like there are at day care or a doctor office.

Mcps has said that they would not be doing temp checks or testing. From a logistical standpoint it creates too much of a bottleneck if you hundreds of kids waiting in line to get their temperature checked and recorded especially if temperature is not a great metric for proving someone's contagious,usually if you get sick you are contagious prior to running a temperature. (If a child is feverish then they obviously should be isolated from their class and picked up from school immediately) but the cons of trying to temperature check every child everyday is not worth it.

I would like to see some kind of random sample testing or something to keep an eye out for asymptomatic spread but again it's a big logistical challenge and you would have to get all parents to consent to having their child tested.