MCPS will now send kids home for ten days based on symptoms only

[Anonymous]

Council President Hucker just clarified that the Board of Education sets quarantine policies for MCPS. They are directed to "work collaboratively" with the Department of Health and Human Services, but they are not supposed to just accept the recommendations without question.

[Anonymous]

Dubinske just announced that they will not quarantine kids for one symptom!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dubinske just announced that they will not quarantine kids for one symptom!

Is that going to be an immediate change? Did they say anything more? My child is currently downstairs doing virtual school because they were exposed to a student with a symptom last Friday, and that symptomatic student has yet to report a testing result to the school. It would be great if the policy changed!

[Anonymous]

Any mention of revision to the policy of quarantining whole classes?

[Anonymous]

Yes, reverting back to state guidance. I started another thread. Post there.

[Anonymous]

Honestly these people are such a joke. This is just ridiculous. How did it not occur to anyone that they should have rapid tests ready and a process for using them when school started? The fact it took them two weeks to realize the quarantine policy was absurd and impractical unless you literally don't care about in-person education is pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sent my kid in on day 2 with diarrhea. Deal with it.

Parent of the year. I would never want to be sent anywhere with diarrhea

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sent my kid in on day 2 with diarrhea. Deal with it.

Parent of the year. I would never want to be sent anywhere with diarrhea

Definitely cruel and unusual parenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly these people are such a joke. This is just ridiculous. How did it not occur to anyone that they should have rapid tests ready and a process for using them when school started? The fact it took them two weeks to realize the quarantine policy was absurd and impractical unless you literally don't care about in-person education is pathetic.

As a parent take your kids to test. Simple.

[Anonymous]

From: MCCPTA President <[e-mail]>
Date: September 20, 2021 at 8:06:50 PM EDT
To: [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: [MCCPTA Delegates] Quarantines/Test to Stay -- Latest and Next Actions
Reply-To: [e-mail], [e-mail]



Board, Presidents, Delegates –



Just a quick note. With our friends at NAACP Parent Council, we are continuing to advocate for common sense adjustments to MCPS approaches. Last week, we saw changes implemented at the County level related to MCPS quarantine policy and we expect MCPS will release a community communication regarding those changes. This will hopefully provide more clarity around symptomatic rapid testing, random screening processes, and quarantine practices. (And if it doesn’t, we’ll go back at it!)



Related -- today, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) met with statewide Health Departments specifically to discuss “Test to Stay” (another yay!). There are several folks working on pulling together a “Test to Stay” plan, modeled after Massachusetts. MoCo has already begun identifying additional staffing to implement it. The goal is to launch the pilot and then scale up as the staffing issues get addressed (whether that’s through contract support, MCPS supplement, or both). MDH won’t stand in the way and did provide some suggestions on how to implement. From that meeting – “They have some concerns about sustaining the volume of rapid testing for both symptomatic students and test to stay as the winter months come, but nothing that would prevent our moving forward.”



RIGHT NOW -- WE STILL HAVE ISSUES WITH CLOSE CONTACT IDENTIFICATION – this is really concerning as we see whole classes (and sometimes grades) still being quarantined. While the rapid testing in schools should alleviate some of this quarantine concern, we still need to improve the distancing. Lots of folks continue to express concern about seemingly no distancing strategies being enacted. Green School Subcommittee is working with lots of schools aiming to increase access to outdoor spaces. There is still work to do in this area!

It's been a good week for community advocacy! I’ll try to keep everyone posted as more unfolds and lots of MCCPTA folks moving a TON of priorities forward right now. There is simply too much going on to “hold off” until the Delegates Assembly so watch for reports by end of weekend.



I certainly am looking forward to seeing you all on September 28th, 7-9pm! Watch for zoom information, coming soon!



Be well,



Cynthia Simonson

MCCPTA President

[Anonymous]

Hmm where were you with your “advocacy” last year? Kids could have been at school a lot earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From: MCCPTA President <[e-mail]>
Date: September 20, 2021 at 8:06:50 PM EDT
To: [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: [MCCPTA Delegates] Quarantines/Test to Stay -- Latest and Next Actions
Reply-To: [e-mail], [e-mail]



Board, Presidents, Delegates –



Just a quick note. With our friends at NAACP Parent Council, we are continuing to advocate for common sense adjustments to MCPS approaches. Last week, we saw changes implemented at the County level related to MCPS quarantine policy and we expect MCPS will release a community communication regarding those changes. This will hopefully provide more clarity around symptomatic rapid testing, random screening processes, and quarantine practices. (And if it doesn’t, we’ll go back at it!)



Related -- today, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) met with statewide Health Departments specifically to discuss “Test to Stay” (another yay!). There are several folks working on pulling together a “Test to Stay” plan, modeled after Massachusetts. MoCo has already begun identifying additional staffing to implement it. The goal is to launch the pilot and then scale up as the staffing issues get addressed (whether that’s through contract support, MCPS supplement, or both). MDH won’t stand in the way and did provide some suggestions on how to implement. From that meeting – “They have some concerns about sustaining the volume of rapid testing for both symptomatic students and test to stay as the winter months come, but nothing that would prevent our moving forward.”



RIGHT NOW -- WE STILL HAVE ISSUES WITH CLOSE CONTACT IDENTIFICATION – this is really concerning as we see whole classes (and sometimes grades) still being quarantined. While the rapid testing in schools should alleviate some of this quarantine concern, we still need to improve the distancing. Lots of folks continue to express concern about seemingly no distancing strategies being enacted. Green School Subcommittee is working with lots of schools aiming to increase access to outdoor spaces. There is still work to do in this area!

It's been a good week for community advocacy! I’ll try to keep everyone posted as more unfolds and lots of MCCPTA folks moving a TON of priorities forward right now. There is simply too much going on to “hold off” until the Delegates Assembly so watch for reports by end of weekend.



I certainly am looking forward to seeing you all on September 28th, 7-9pm! Watch for zoom information, coming soon!



Be well,



Cynthia Simonson

MCCPTA President

McCoy’s does very little, very little to protect our kids.

[Anonymous]

I’m happy to see some movement toward test to stay, which becomes even more important here given that MCPS is quarantining whole classes by default.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmm where were you with your “advocacy” last year? Kids could have been at school a lot earlier.

They only advocate when there's a consensus. There really wasn't one last year. Moreso this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmm where were you with your “advocacy” last year? Kids could have been at school a lot earlier.

They only advocate when there's a consensus. There really wasn't one last year. Moreso this year.

They only do advocacy for things that interest them.