Secondary school BATHROOMS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thinking about my high school days which were when the legal age to buy cigarettes changed from 16 to 18 which meant the system got rid of the smoking courtyard at my high school. Then kids just started smoking right off campus on non-MCPS property and occasionally in bathrooms. I ended up transferring to a newer high school that had never had a smoking section and had nicer bathrooms and kids smoked occasionally but nobody was vandalizing them other than maybe a little bit of graffitti here and there.

One thing that I think isn't talked about enough is that the bathrooms are gross even when they are technically clean. I went to an event at an up county high school and used the bathroom. There was mismatched paint on the walls, non-functional things like hand dryers on the walls that just looked like clutter. The toilet seats seemed to be sanitized but looked terrible - cracked, stained, and just icky. The doors either didn't shut or had wonky locks. It was just a truly unpleasant atmosphere and clearly the building services either don't care or don't have the resources to keep them looking like the condition matters. I can't help but think that maybe if the bathrooms weren't gross, kids wouldn't destroy them as much.

The resources are there. MCPS chooses to spend money on other things. Keeping up restrooms is not a priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thinking about my high school days which were when the legal age to buy cigarettes changed from 16 to 18 which meant the system got rid of the smoking courtyard at my high school. Then kids just started smoking right off campus on non-MCPS property and occasionally in bathrooms. I ended up transferring to a newer high school that had never had a smoking section and had nicer bathrooms and kids smoked occasionally but nobody was vandalizing them other than maybe a little bit of graffitti here and there.

One thing that I think isn't talked about enough is that the bathrooms are gross even when they are technically clean. I went to an event at an up county high school and used the bathroom. There was mismatched paint on the walls, non-functional things like hand dryers on the walls that just looked like clutter. The toilet seats seemed to be sanitized but looked terrible - cracked, stained, and just icky. The doors either didn't shut or had wonky locks. It was just a truly unpleasant atmosphere and clearly the building services either don't care or don't have the resources to keep them looking like the condition matters. I can't help but think that maybe if the bathrooms weren't gross, kids wouldn't destroy them as much.

The resources are there. MCPS chooses to spend money on other things. Keeping up restrooms is not a priority.

Yep. They spend our hard earned $ on paging off Supers.

[Anonymous]

*paying NOT paging

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:In addition to physical limitations (closing facilities) many schools also limit numbers of passes for students. I counted what my child is "entitled to" based on the policies at his school and he can go 5x/class during a marking period, and has 7 classes, so he can go to the bathroom 35/45 days. I guess the other days he just has to go during lunch or hold it.

I have given him permission to just leave the room if he's denied access to a bathroom and needs it. I'll deal with the discipline. His doctor is willing to write a note because my kid has suffered from health consequences related to holding pee and poop before.

+1 we ended up in the ER due to blockage from DC holding it too much.

It really makes me mad that all kids are being punished for the actions of a few. If those kids want to vape, let them vape their little hearts out. Why should my kid be punished for the bad things those kids do?

That’s just the way things are now in Montgomery County.

The Fallsgrove Panera had to quit leaving coffee cups out because people were stealing them. It’s a pain for both staff and customers who used to use them.

Our Giant had to lock the second set of doors because of too much shoplifting where people would just take stuff and walk right out. Again, more hassle for people.

We have created a culture where nobody follows rules anymore here in Montgomery County (people ignore housing codes, residency requirments for school attendance, immigration rules) and it’s accepted and embraced.

There are rules in place for expected behavior in high school bathrooms. But those rules are universally ignored and the bathrooms are a sh&tshow, so it’s easier to just close them.

I went to buy my kid a Panera gift card for Christmas. They didn't have any gift cards -- people had stolen them all. They hadn't even been activated -- people are just jerks.

MCPS already has rules in place with its Code of Conduct. Students are expected to behave appropriately in bathrooms.

But that is not happening. The kids have learned that they can ignore the rules (just like adults do) and get away with it.

What else can schools do? MCPS would prefer to spend money on random initiatives, versus hire more staff. It’s kind of a mess. Easier to just close bathrooms.

How about informing students/families it'll go on student's school record if vandalizing, inappropriate behaviors inside school etc.? Can a school social worker, if within their job description, visit student's home to talk to caretaker if caretaker is not responding to school admin's calls or messages?

Vandalizing public property is already a crime that should be prosecuted by the county.

How do you expect schools to investigate an incident of vandalism in the bathroom? How can they prove who vandalized a particular bathroom stall? How can a school prove that a kid was smoking weed in a restroom?

There is not enough security staff in schools to do this. And cameras in bathrooms are not a viable option.

Only if more adults were available to check stalls after each usage to assess if vandalized, and student ID scanned at the bathroom door before student entered.

[Anonymous]

People saying this can't be done or that can't be done, what would you tell students who need to use the bathroom to pee poop or change pads/tampons at lunch time? Are you offering your fancy house bathroom for them to use? And are you offering to give them a ride to that posh bathroom of yours? Offer solutions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People saying this can't be done or that can't be done, what would you tell students who need to use the bathroom to pee poop or change pads/tampons at lunch time? Are you offering your fancy house bathroom for them to use? And are you offering to give them a ride to that posh bathroom of yours? Offer solutions.

Shouldn't MCPS be the one that comes up with solutions for this problem rather than locking the bathrooms down and preventing students from using them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People saying this can't be done or that can't be done, what would you tell students who need to use the bathroom to pee poop or change pads/tampons at lunch time? Are you offering your fancy house bathroom for them to use? And are you offering to give them a ride to that posh bathroom of yours? Offer solutions.

Shouldn't MCPS be the one that comes up with solutions for this problem rather than locking the bathrooms down and preventing students from using them?

Locking is their solution. That's all they got. You're up taxpayer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get scanners. Students scan their student IDs before entering a school bathroom and when leaving. A security guard can be there to make sure they do so. Alas, where will MCPS find the $ to buy scanners? Answer: by reducing CO.

Ya’ll do know that CO needs to exist right. Every pipe dream solution that folks think up can’t be funded under the idea of reducing CO.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:In addition to physical limitations (closing facilities) many schools also limit numbers of passes for students. I counted what my child is "entitled to" based on the policies at his school and he can go 5x/class during a marking period, and has 7 classes, so he can go to the bathroom 35/45 days. I guess the other days he just has to go during lunch or hold it.

I have given him permission to just leave the room if he's denied access to a bathroom and needs it. I'll deal with the discipline. His doctor is willing to write a note because my kid has suffered from health consequences related to holding pee and poop before.

+1 we ended up in the ER due to blockage from DC holding it too much.

It really makes me mad that all kids are being punished for the actions of a few. If those kids want to vape, let them vape their little hearts out. Why should my kid be punished for the bad things those kids do?

That’s just the way things are now in Montgomery County.

The Fallsgrove Panera had to quit leaving coffee cups out because people were stealing them. It’s a pain for both staff and customers who used to use them.

Our Giant had to lock the second set of doors because of too much shoplifting where people would just take stuff and walk right out. Again, more hassle for people.

We have created a culture where nobody follows rules anymore here in Montgomery County (people ignore housing codes, residency requirments for school attendance, immigration rules) and it’s accepted and embraced.

There are rules in place for expected behavior in high school bathrooms. But those rules are universally ignored and the bathrooms are a sh&tshow, so it’s easier to just close them.

I went to buy my kid a Panera gift card for Christmas. They didn't have any gift cards -- people had stolen them all. They hadn't even been activated -- people are just jerks.

MCPS already has rules in place with its Code of Conduct. Students are expected to behave appropriately in bathrooms.

But that is not happening. The kids have learned that they can ignore the rules (just like adults do) and get away with it.

What else can schools do? MCPS would prefer to spend money on random initiatives, versus hire more staff. It’s kind of a mess. Easier to just close bathrooms.

How about informing students/families it'll go on student's school record if vandalizing, inappropriate behaviors inside school etc.? Can a school social worker, if within their job description, visit student's home to talk to caretaker if caretaker is not responding to school admin's calls or messages?

Vandalizing public property is already a crime that should be prosecuted by the county.

How do you expect schools to investigate an incident of vandalism in the bathroom? How can they prove who vandalized a particular bathroom stall? How can a school prove that a kid was smoking weed in a restroom?

There is not enough security staff in schools to do this. And cameras in bathrooms are not a viable option.

Only if more adults were available to check stalls after each usage to assess if vandalized, and student ID scanned at the bathroom door before student entered.

Exactly. There needs to be more staff IN schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People saying this can't be done or that can't be done, what would you tell students who need to use the bathroom to pee poop or change pads/tampons at lunch time? Are you offering your fancy house bathroom for them to use? And are you offering to give them a ride to that posh bathroom of yours? Offer solutions.

What kind of nonsensical post is this? How does offering my (non-posh) bathroom help kids use the bathroom during school hours?

Also, people are offering workable solutions in this very thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe kids would have fewer issues if they had more ungendered bathrooms.

They have already tried this. We had several bathrooms at our ES converted into non-gendered bathrooms. Still have kids destroying things in bathrooms. Our building services person even went around to classrooms to talk to students. (Yes, i know this thread is about secondary schools, but this behavior starts early in MCPS).

It’s also a self-harm risk, we were told.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People saying this can't be done or that can't be done, what would you tell students who need to use the bathroom to pee poop or change pads/tampons at lunch time? Are you offering your fancy house bathroom for them to use? And are you offering to give them a ride to that posh bathroom of yours? Offer solutions.

What kind of nonsensical post is this? How does offering my (non-posh) bathroom help kids use the bathroom during school hours?

Also, people are offering workable solutions in this very thread.

DP. Maybe your bathroom is closer to use than running (err, walking fast not to get yelled by security) around the school checking to see which bathroom is open while leaving a blood trail in the hallways? Just maybe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds silly but can't security guards, or any staff willing to give up their lunch period, stand outside the few bathrooms that are open to manage the number of students who go in? Maybe check student IDs? Jot the name down. Cross it off when they come back out. Those smoking vaping can go outside. Oh wait, MCPS doesn't want students outside smoking because that would look bad on schools? Did I understand this correctly?

Teacher here. Rest assured, we DO this. We stand outside between class. Heck, during planning periods. But kids know there is no consequences. They will laugh or literally cuss us out. Until change comes from the top and a central office comes up with consistent policies for behavior, this will not change!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds silly but can't security guards, or any staff willing to give up their lunch period, stand outside the few bathrooms that are open to manage the number of students who go in? Maybe check student IDs? Jot the name down. Cross it off when they come back out. Those smoking vaping can go outside. Oh wait, MCPS doesn't want students outside smoking because that would look bad on schools? Did I understand this correctly?

Teacher here. Rest assured, we DO this. We stand outside between class. Heck, during planning periods. But kids know there is no consequences. They will laugh or literally cuss us out. Until change comes from the top and a central office comes up with consistent policies for behavior, this will not change!!

All roads back to THAT central office. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds silly but can't security guards, or any staff willing to give up their lunch period, stand outside the few bathrooms that are open to manage the number of students who go in? Maybe check student IDs? Jot the name down. Cross it off when they come back out. Those smoking vaping can go outside. Oh wait, MCPS doesn't want students outside smoking because that would look bad on schools? Did I understand this correctly?

Teacher here. Rest assured, we DO this. We stand outside between class. Heck, during planning periods. But kids know there is no consequences. They will laugh or literally cuss us out. Until change comes from the top and a central office comes up with consistent policies for behavior, this will not change!!

All roads back to THAT central office. Sigh.

D you Joshua Starr, Jack Smith, Monica McKnight!