How is MCPS going to address the learning loss from teacher absences?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son did not have teachers for half of his classes today at Churchill. For math, Delta math crashed, so he couldn’t complete the day’s assignment. The substitute couldn’t answer any questions.

In an elective class, my son saw the sub bully a disabled student for not wearing the school provided KN95 mask. The boy didn’t like how it felt on his face so he wanted to wear his own mask. The sub told the boy he would catch Covid and die if he didn’t wear the KN95. The boy got really upset.

Then there’s the classes in the auditorium. Just one mass of students there who aren’t receiving any instruction. Just babysitting them for the period.

My son describes his school as online school inside the school. What’s the point? It has all the same downsides as online learning with the extra risk of Covid.

Exactly. Many schools are like this. Online experience with risk of covid. I was afraid of this outcome when I saw no intention by MCPS to go to virtual for a few weeks in schools where teaching can't be done in person.

I should add, MCPS is being non-compliant with the ADA and IDEA during this crisis. They have canceled bus routes for disabled students, they have stopped many special education services, and they stopped providing accommodations when the teacher is absent. It’s a mess and students are suffering for the lack of planning by Central Office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son did not have teachers for half of his classes today at Churchill. For math, Delta math crashed, so he couldn’t complete the day’s assignment. The substitute couldn’t answer any questions.

In an elective class, my son saw the sub bully a disabled student for not wearing the school provided KN95 mask. The boy didn’t like how it felt on his face so he wanted to wear his own mask. The sub told the boy he would catch Covid and die if he didn’t wear the KN95. The boy got really upset.

Then there’s the classes in the auditorium. Just one mass of students there who aren’t receiving any instruction. Just babysitting them for the period.

My son describes his school as online school inside the school. What’s the point? It has all the same downsides as online learning with the extra risk of Covid.

Exactly. Many schools are like this. Online experience with risk of covid. I was afraid of this outcome when I saw no intention by MCPS to go to virtual for a few weeks in schools where teaching can't be done in person.

I should add, MCPS is being non-compliant with the ADA and IDEA during this crisis. They have canceled bus routes for disabled students, they have stopped many special education services, and they stopped providing accommodations when the teacher is absent. It’s a mess and students are suffering for the lack of planning by Central Office.

Parents of students with disabilities should go ahead and file their State Complaints and Office of Civil Rights Complaints for the denial of a Free Appropriate Public Education. It’s horrible at how MCPS treats the needs of disabled students as an afterthought. State and Federal agencies have given clear guidance that Covid is not an excuse to violate the ADA and IDEA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are exhausting.

Seriously? Do you have a high school junior who is trying to put together as good as a transcript as they can for college applications? Life is still marching on and these things still matter.

Complaining parents need to step up and teach.

+1 everytime we screw up at work we just look at each other and say "complaining customers should step up and do it themselves "

I find comments along these lines hilarious. So, anybody can “step up and teach,” while at the same time, teachers are highly skilled professionals? Yeah, that makes sense.

OP, you’ll almost certainly need to look to tutoring or some kind of supplementation because MCPS isn’t going to make this lost work up. There are too many other issues and it’s too hard to do. I’m not saying that’s all right, but it is what it is. And no, virtual wouldn’t result in less learning loss; you people know there’s actual data on that, right?

Pretty much anyone can step up and do a substitute teaching gig. Is your body warm? Yep, you probably qualify! (Assuming no record of child endangerment). Maybe consider subbing? I think they’ll even pay you like $14/hour.

I assure you I could not teach my HS daughter's Spanish or algebra class, and my body is warm.

Most subs don’t teach. They babysit. They give an assignment and that’s about it. Or they let students work in unfinished work or homework.

I understood the topic of this thread to be "learning loss from teacher absences." My sitting in a room with a group of teenagers while they at best read an assignment or worse do nothing is not a way to solve learning loss.
Parent subs would be a reasonable (though unrealistic) solution to lack of teachers in lower grades and the need for childcare and/or someone to teach spelling. It does nothing for high schoolers.

Parents can sign up and sub. Most are not willing to.

Such bullsh*t gaslighting. I've seen this on my Facebook feed from SAHMs in my neighborhood and it makes me furious. Most parents have jobs FFS.

Most professional jobs allow for 2-4 weeks of leave or you can take an unpaid leave of absence. If you want your kids in person, you will need to make the sacrifices as well. If there are no staff, its a problem. You just want it to be someone else's problem and take zero responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be a much bigger problem with in-person than it would be with virtual. I was assured that we must avoid virtual at all costs because of learning loss. Ah, well.

Virtual = almost all kids lose some instruction because the curriculum is paired down
In Person = some kids who had to miss school may lose some instruction time loss

All kids losing some instruction is worse than some kids losing some instruction time.

No, see...

Virtual = almost all kids lose some instruction because the curriculum is paired down

In Person = many kids who had to miss school (at a greater rate than they'd have to miss virtual) will lose some instruction time

And

In Person = many kids who never missed school will lose some instruction time to teachers who have to spend much of their time catching up 10-30% of kids who were out last week (for several weeks)

And

In Person = many kids who missed or never missed school will lose some instruction time to teachers who are absent for much longer than they'd be if we had virtual (asymptomatic, close contacts, recovered from symptoms before they stopped being contagious)

And

In Person = (let's say "some") kids who missed or never missed school will lose some instruction time to teachers who are overwhelmed by increased disciplinary demands or who have to teach two classes at once because of a sub shortage. Oh, and specials in ES? If the teacher is out, the teacher is out.

Bottom line:

All kids losing some instruction time is better than most kids losing even more instruction time (maybe just "a little more"), and getting and spreading COVID in greater numbers (maybe only "somewhat" greater numbers), and all of the stress that comes with that.

But you'll never see it that way. Especially if your kid is one of the ones who isn't as affected.

DP, but you are grossly minimizing the negative consequences from virtual. The best case scenario is kids losing "some" instruction time. Fully, what 20%? 30% of kids don't log in to virtual AT ALL, so they get nothing. Probably another third or so log in minimally, have a lot of trouble, try to do it on their own, etc. So virtual is sufficient for, what, a third of kids at the absolute most? Get real.

You don't have to take my word for it, though. There are actual studies on DL, which show what an unmitigated failure it was. Trying to claim otherwise is unconscionable.

Parents need to step up and take responsibility and make sure kids are logging in and doing the work.

Please. Most families don't have an adult at home who can focus solely on supporting their kids during virtual. For elementary-aged kids, it's a TON of work. And older kids need more specialized support that many parents can offer.

Stop gaslighting parents into thinking virtual is a reasonable option and, moreover, that if it doesn't work, it's their fault. It's not.

How? Once my kids knew how to log on, that's all they needed to do. They did their work after dinner and on weekends. My mom helped them log on for the first few days but ended up going home early since they didn't need help after that.

Your mom? Please tell us about your solution and how it will scale across the district.

Also, if PP think that "all" kids needed to do with virtual was learn how to log on. Do they know that little about what the days on Zoom were like? The assignments? The switching to third-party websites or apps?

The grandma comment is painfully ridiculous.

We didn’t have a grandma to help and we managed it, and yes, we both work. It’s called parental effort. Try it sometime.

I focus my “parental effort” at cultivating empathy and theory of mind in my kids. You might consider adding both of those to your apparently considerable arsenal of parenting skills.

Then, you need to change your parenting style. Sounds like your empathy cultivating failed for yourself if you don't the issues with covid spreading like wildfire in the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son did not have teachers for half of his classes today at Churchill. For math, Delta math crashed, so he couldn’t complete the day’s assignment. The substitute couldn’t answer any questions.

In an elective class, my son saw the sub bully a disabled student for not wearing the school provided KN95 mask. The boy didn’t like how it felt on his face so he wanted to wear his own mask. The sub told the boy he would catch Covid and die if he didn’t wear the KN95. The boy got really upset.

Then there’s the classes in the auditorium. Just one mass of students there who aren’t receiving any instruction. Just babysitting them for the period.

My son describes his school as online school inside the school. What’s the point? It has all the same downsides as online learning with the extra risk of Covid.

Exactly. Many schools are like this. Online experience with risk of covid. I was afraid of this outcome when I saw no intention by MCPS to go to virtual for a few weeks in schools where teaching can't be done in person.

The teacher shortages seem to be happening mostly at certain schools. My kids' schools are operating normally, for the most part. Makes no sense to pause the entire MCPS system

^ Says the MCEA member who wants two weeks of stay at home teaching but keep 100% of spring break and summer break.

If the MCEA would concede to calendar changes to make up for online day or even closed days then schools will be able to pause, staff heal, and learning resumes in person in two weeks. Problem solved but it requires flexibility by the MCEA and teachers.

Why should the rest of us ha deal with schedule changes as entitled parents cannot handle their kids. We already have camps scheduled for when school ends. Enough Is enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son did not have teachers for half of his classes today at Churchill. For math, Delta math crashed, so he couldn’t complete the day’s assignment. The substitute couldn’t answer any questions.

In an elective class, my son saw the sub bully a disabled student for not wearing the school provided KN95 mask. The boy didn’t like how it felt on his face so he wanted to wear his own mask. The sub told the boy he would catch Covid and die if he didn’t wear the KN95. The boy got really upset.

Then there’s the classes in the auditorium. Just one mass of students there who aren’t receiving any instruction. Just babysitting them for the period.

My son describes his school as online school inside the school. What’s the point? It has all the same downsides as online learning with the extra risk of Covid.

Exactly. Many schools are like this. Online experience with risk of covid. I was afraid of this outcome when I saw no intention by MCPS to go to virtual for a few weeks in schools where teaching can't be done in person.

I should add, MCPS is being non-compliant with the ADA and IDEA during this crisis. They have canceled bus routes for disabled students, they have stopped many special education services, and they stopped providing accommodations when the teacher is absent. It’s a mess and students are suffering for the lack of planning by Central Office.

Parents of students with disabilities should go ahead and file their State Complaints and Office of Civil Rights Complaints for the denial of a Free Appropriate Public Education. It’s horrible at how MCPS treats the needs of disabled students as an afterthought. State and Federal agencies have given clear guidance that Covid is not an excuse to violate the ADA and IDEA.

Given that many hospitals are operating under crisis standards you can’t expect the schools to be better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son did not have teachers for half of his classes today at Churchill. For math, Delta math crashed, so he couldn’t complete the day’s assignment. The substitute couldn’t answer any questions.

In an elective class, my son saw the sub bully a disabled student for not wearing the school provided KN95 mask. The boy didn’t like how it felt on his face so he wanted to wear his own mask. The sub told the boy he would catch Covid and die if he didn’t wear the KN95. The boy got really upset.

Then there’s the classes in the auditorium. Just one mass of students there who aren’t receiving any instruction. Just babysitting them for the period.

My son describes his school as online school inside the school. What’s the point? It has all the same downsides as online learning with the extra risk of Covid.

Exactly. Many schools are like this. Online experience with risk of covid. I was afraid of this outcome when I saw no intention by MCPS to go to virtual for a few weeks in schools where teaching can't be done in person.

I should add, MCPS is being non-compliant with the ADA and IDEA during this crisis. They have canceled bus routes for disabled students, they have stopped many special education services, and they stopped providing accommodations when the teacher is absent. It’s a mess and students are suffering for the lack of planning by Central Office.

Parents of students with disabilities should go ahead and file their State Complaints and Office of Civil Rights Complaints for the denial of a Free Appropriate Public Education. It’s horrible at how MCPS treats the needs of disabled students as an afterthought. State and Federal agencies have given clear guidance that Covid is not an excuse to violate the ADA and IDEA.

Given that many hospitals are operating under crisis standards you can’t expect the schools to be better.

The state and feds have already given public schools guidance (multiple times) for educating students during the pandemic. There is no waiver of the school’s responsibilities to meet the needs of students with disabilities when MCPS is providing educational services to non-disabled students.

Disabled students should not be an afterthought for MCPS as if the excuse is, “we will address the needs of students with disabilities AFTER we address the needs of non-disabled students”. The problem with this approach, MCPS for two years hasn’t gotten back to addressing the needs of students who didn’t receive the support and accommodations they needed during online learning, they have not received the compensatory services they need to catch up to where they would have been except for the denial of FAPE, and now, once again, supports and services are halted because of a lack of planning by MCPS administrators.

Enough is enough. Parents of students with disabilities need to file now because MCPS makes false promises so you don’t file in time for the OCR’s 180 day deadline and the state’s one year deadline. File now to put MCPS on notice and to preserve your child’s right for compensatory services. You can contact the Parents Place of Maryland for information on how to file - you can either use the state and OCR forms or simply write a letter with the necessary components. Due to Covid, your best option to file is emailing your complaint with supporting documents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be a much bigger problem with in-person than it would be with virtual. I was assured that we must avoid virtual at all costs because of learning loss. Ah, well.

Virtual = almost all kids lose some instruction because the curriculum is paired down
In Person = some kids who had to miss school may lose some instruction time loss

All kids losing some instruction is worse than some kids losing some instruction time.

No, see...

Virtual = almost all kids lose some instruction because the curriculum is paired down

In Person = many kids who had to miss school (at a greater rate than they'd have to miss virtual) will lose some instruction time

And

In Person = many kids who never missed school will lose some instruction time to teachers who have to spend much of their time catching up 10-30% of kids who were out last week (for several weeks)

And

In Person = many kids who missed or never missed school will lose some instruction time to teachers who are absent for much longer than they'd be if we had virtual (asymptomatic, close contacts, recovered from symptoms before they stopped being contagious)

And

In Person = (let's say "some") kids who missed or never missed school will lose some instruction time to teachers who are overwhelmed by increased disciplinary demands or who have to teach two classes at once because of a sub shortage. Oh, and specials in ES? If the teacher is out, the teacher is out.

Bottom line:

All kids losing some instruction time is better than most kids losing even more instruction time (maybe just "a little more"), and getting and spreading COVID in greater numbers (maybe only "somewhat" greater numbers), and all of the stress that comes with that.

But you'll never see it that way. Especially if your kid is one of the ones who isn't as affected.

DP, but you are grossly minimizing the negative consequences from virtual. The best case scenario is kids losing "some" instruction time. Fully, what 20%? 30% of kids don't log in to virtual AT ALL, so they get nothing. Probably another third or so log in minimally, have a lot of trouble, try to do it on their own, etc. So virtual is sufficient for, what, a third of kids at the absolute most? Get real.

You don't have to take my word for it, though. There are actual studies on DL, which show what an unmitigated failure it was. Trying to claim otherwise is unconscionable.

Parents need to step up and take responsibility and make sure kids are logging in and doing the work.

Please. Most families don't have an adult at home who can focus solely on supporting their kids during virtual. For elementary-aged kids, it's a TON of work. And older kids need more specialized support that many parents can offer.

Stop gaslighting parents into thinking virtual is a reasonable option and, moreover, that if it doesn't work, it's their fault. It's not.

How? Once my kids knew how to log on, that's all they needed to do. They did their work after dinner and on weekends. My mom helped them log on for the first few days but ended up going home early since they didn't need help after that.

Your mom? Please tell us about your solution and how it will scale across the district.

Also, if PP think that "all" kids needed to do with virtual was learn how to log on. Do they know that little about what the days on Zoom were like? The assignments? The switching to third-party websites or apps?

The grandma comment is painfully ridiculous.

We didn’t have a grandma to help and we managed it, and yes, we both work. It’s called parental effort. Try it sometime.

I focus my “parental effort” at cultivating empathy and theory of mind in my kids. You might consider adding both of those to your apparently considerable arsenal of parenting skills.

Then, you need to change your parenting style. Sounds like your empathy cultivating failed for yourself if you don't the issues with covid spreading like wildfire in the schools.

Um. What?

COVID transmission in schools (or any setting) can be determined empirically. It has nothing to do with empathy. Now, I can empathize with parents being anxious to send their kids to school right now, especially if they consume a lot of left-leaning media, but that doesn’t mean I think feelings should drive public policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be a much bigger problem with in-person than it would be with virtual. I was assured that we must avoid virtual at all costs because of learning loss. Ah, well.

Virtual = almost all kids lose some instruction because the curriculum is paired down
In Person = some kids who had to miss school may lose some instruction time loss

All kids losing some instruction is worse than some kids losing some instruction time.

No, see...

Virtual = almost all kids lose some instruction because the curriculum is paired down

In Person = many kids who had to miss school (at a greater rate than they'd have to miss virtual) will lose some instruction time

And

In Person = many kids who never missed school will lose some instruction time to teachers who have to spend much of their time catching up 10-30% of kids who were out last week (for several weeks)

And

In Person = many kids who missed or never missed school will lose some instruction time to teachers who are absent for much longer than they'd be if we had virtual (asymptomatic, close contacts, recovered from symptoms before they stopped being contagious)

And

In Person = (let's say "some") kids who missed or never missed school will lose some instruction time to teachers who are overwhelmed by increased disciplinary demands or who have to teach two classes at once because of a sub shortage. Oh, and specials in ES? If the teacher is out, the teacher is out.

Bottom line:

All kids losing some instruction time is better than most kids losing even more instruction time (maybe just "a little more"), and getting and spreading COVID in greater numbers (maybe only "somewhat" greater numbers), and all of the stress that comes with that.

But you'll never see it that way. Especially if your kid is one of the ones who isn't as affected.

DP, but you are grossly minimizing the negative consequences from virtual. The best case scenario is kids losing "some" instruction time. Fully, what 20%? 30% of kids don't log in to virtual AT ALL, so they get nothing. Probably another third or so log in minimally, have a lot of trouble, try to do it on their own, etc. So virtual is sufficient for, what, a third of kids at the absolute most? Get real.

You don't have to take my word for it, though. There are actual studies on DL, which show what an unmitigated failure it was. Trying to claim otherwise is unconscionable.

Parents need to step up and take responsibility and make sure kids are logging in and doing the work.

Please. Most families don't have an adult at home who can focus solely on supporting their kids during virtual. For elementary-aged kids, it's a TON of work. And older kids need more specialized support that many parents can offer.

Stop gaslighting parents into thinking virtual is a reasonable option and, moreover, that if it doesn't work, it's their fault. It's not.

How? Once my kids knew how to log on, that's all they needed to do. They did their work after dinner and on weekends. My mom helped them log on for the first few days but ended up going home early since they didn't need help after that.

Your mom? Please tell us about your solution and how it will scale across the district.

Also, if PP think that "all" kids needed to do with virtual was learn how to log on. Do they know that little about what the days on Zoom were like? The assignments? The switching to third-party websites or apps?

The grandma comment is painfully ridiculous.

We didn’t have a grandma to help and we managed it, and yes, we both work. It’s called parental effort. Try it sometime.

I focus my “parental effort” at cultivating empathy and theory of mind in my kids. You might consider adding both of those to your apparently considerable arsenal of parenting skills.

Then, you need to change your parenting style. Sounds like your empathy cultivating failed for yourself if you don't the issues with covid spreading like wildfire in the schools.

Um. What?

COVID transmission in schools (or any setting) can be determined empirically. It has nothing to do with empathy. Now, I can empathize with parents being anxious to send their kids to school right now, especially if they consume a lot of left-leaning media, but that doesn’t mean I think feelings should drive public policy.

Area man displays lack of empathy. News at 11.

[Anonymous]

If teachers are sick, what do you expect. Subs are not qualified to teach most subjects and there isn’t a line of new teachers lining up for interviews. Most of the teachers I know that have covid live cautious lives and got sick from school. From YOUR kids who do not wear masks properly and refuse to stay 3 feet apart. So it’s time for parents to stop complaining and step the f up. Be a parent and stop relying on sick teachers to clean up the mess parents, leadership, and politicians have created.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aren't teachers back after 10 days of being sick? are they out long term? I am not understanding what the issue is. Teachers get sick, get better and come back to school.

One of our teachers has been out for a while and is still very sick from covid. So don’t assume it’s a quick 10 days and they are magically better. Unbelievable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't teachers back after 10 days of being sick? are they out long term? I am not understanding what the issue is. Teachers get sick, get better and come back to school.

One of our teachers has been out for a while and is still very sick from covid. So don’t assume it’s a quick 10 days and they are magically better. Unbelievable

+10 2 Kindergarten teachers at my school have it after several kids tested positive in their room. They combined the remaining kindergartners who were not sick with other classes and only went virtual once the teacher was out with covid and it got bad enough where she could not work. She probably got a huge viral load and was very ill. The sad thing is she has twin babies and she spread it to her infants. The other teacher got her 3 little ones and high risk husband sick. So, she is better but she has to take care of the 3 little ones as her husband is sick. It is not that easy but I know parents want teachers to catch covid, get over it quickly and be back to take their kids. They want no disruptions to their life but yet send their kids sick to school knowing full well that they have fevers and covid coughs. Shame!

[Anonymous]

These parents who knowingly send their kids to school with COVID should be held liable. Nearly impossible to prove but we have two families who admitted to it.

[Anonymous]

It's not just Covid. I had a kid come in the week before break with one of his eyes oozing with goop and very swollen. There is no way his parents didn't see how bad it was just an hour before. He has been out since then. It spread to his other eye and one of them hasn't totally cleared up. Parents send kids to school sick all of the time. I had a student two years ago who told me about her sore throat. She said "My mom took me to the doctor who checked for strep throat. We have to wait a few days to find out." WTH?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These parents who knowingly send their kids to school with COVID should be held liable. Nearly impossible to prove but we have two families who admitted to it.

Teacher here. I had 3 kids in my class. 1 seemed very lethargic and was hot to the touch, the other two had headaches and were coughing non-stop. I switched to my N-95 on after they arrived in my classroom and rang the nurse. She took them. The lethargic child came back to class at 10 am and went to sleep. His mask was not on well as he was sleeping on the desk. One came back at 11 am saying she just needed water. One went home at 1:25 pm. I sent the cougher that stayed in class back to the nurse as she was crying from her head hurting. When the one who was sleeping woke up, he started crying because he did not feel well and wanted his Mom. That one stayed all day, even after I called and emailed Mom what was going on. She responded curtly at 4:35 pm that I did not keep her son from getting sick and she did not know how she was going to manage work or coverage for him! The second crying child's Mom was called but she stayed all day and went home by bus because Mom did not come and get her. All 3 tested positive that night. This happens 2-3 times a week!!!