Why doesn't MCPS seem to have a covid plan for the fall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many schools remained open last year through out the country. Right now red states with a high case rates are not even questioning the opening of schools for in-person. What is wrong with the DC area patents? Our area has high vaccination rate plus people are in general cautious. Why can’t we just let our kids go to school ? Why do we have to make this so difficult for mcps that they think about backtracking in person school?
Kids have been in camps all summer. In groups of 25. Yes the counselors were vaccinated and the kids remained safe. We have to try to give our kids a normal school year .. as normal as possible. Stop the hysteria and fear mongering.

Actually many schools were not open and most were hybrid or parents had a choice and many choose virtual making it safer for those in person to return.

Comparing summer camps to an MCPS school makes no sense. In MS, kids have 7-8 rotating classes, lunch, home room plus activities. There is no separating them into groups. How is that safe when some will not be old enough to vaccinate

That's just not accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, we should be concerned:

Fears as more children falling ill in latest US Covid surge and school approaches

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fears-more-children-falling-ill-175443937.html

Well, masks would probably have been helpful inside the southern schools. As well as parents being vaccinated around them. It is what it is. Kids are going to get sick, and the beat goes on.

Yeah- i was reading about one district in Mississippi that closed the middle and high schools for two weeks just after the school year began- the vaccination rate for 12-18 yos was in the single digits, with no masks. Such night and day compared to MoCo. Incidentally I don’t think the ESs had to close- I’ll be interested to see data coming out of elementary schools in these high covid areas where school has already resumed.

[Anonymous]

I think if the Delta and other variants continue to get worse they should consider a virtual option for those families that are concerned but they should allow families that do want in-person to have the open to stay in person. My young elementary school-age kids went back to school in March when it reopened and attended summer camp as well summer school this summer. The need for social interaction exceeded the risk of them catching covid for my family so again I will be sending my unvaccinated young kids in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, we should be concerned:

Fears as more children falling ill in latest US Covid surge and school approaches

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fears-more-children-falling-ill-175443937.html

Well, masks would probably have been helpful inside the southern schools. As well as parents being vaccinated around them. It is what it is. Kids are going to get sick, and the beat goes on.

Yeah- i was reading about one district in Mississippi that closed the middle and high schools for two weeks just after the school year began- the vaccination rate for 12-18 yos was in the single digits, with no masks. Such night and day compared to MoCo. Incidentally I don’t think the ESs had to close- I’ll be interested to see data coming out of elementary schools in these high covid areas where school has already resumed.

I think one of the challenges is going to be getting good data. Many states in high-covid areas with no mask mandates allowed are also not requiring notification of a positive test. So the only real data we'll get is pediatric hospitalizations, which will again be hard to track due to the regional nature of children's hospitals.

I'm afraid it may be really difficult to make an apples-to-oranges (high vax to low vax) comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many schools remained open last year through out the country. Right now red states with a high case rates are not even questioning the opening of schools for in-person. What is wrong with the DC area patents? Our area has high vaccination rate plus people are in general cautious. Why can’t we just let our kids go to school ? Why do we have to make this so difficult for mcps that they think about backtracking in person school?
Kids have been in camps all summer. In groups of 25. Yes the counselors were vaccinated and the kids remained safe. We have to try to give our kids a normal school year .. as normal as possible. Stop the hysteria and fear mongering.

Actually many schools were not open and most were hybrid or parents had a choice and many choose virtual making it safer for those in person to return.

Comparing summer camps to an MCPS school makes no sense. In MS, kids have 7-8 rotating classes, lunch, home room plus activities. There is no separating them into groups. How is that safe when some will not be old enough to vaccinate

I haven’t seen any evidence that covid transmission in schools was any different for hybrid vs. full time. It seemed like a good idea in theory but logistically it’s challenging and any “benefits” are minimized when you account for kids going every which way the days they aren’t in school. That would only increase this year as many parents who managed to keep their kids home on the virtual days last year are now back at work in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think if the Delta and other variants continue to get worse they should consider a virtual option for those families that are concerned but they should allow families that do want in-person to have the open to stay in person. My young elementary school-age kids went back to school in March when it reopened and attended summer camp as well summer school this summer. The need for social interaction exceeded the risk of them catching covid for my family so again I will be sending my unvaccinated young kids in person.

We are similar and I do agree with you, mainly because I worry about a certain segment of parents flipping out and pressuring MCPS to change the game for everyone. It would be much easier if the state administered a virtual option because it’s more of a challenge at the district level to shuttle teachers back and forth. Which is why they set a July deadline for the VA (which I think was entirely reasonable).

[Anonymous]

This region didn't get to its top educated and wealthy status by comparing itself to morons elsewhere who willfully Darwin themselves into oblivion.

So yes, we want higher standards, for safety, for education, for everything. Because we're intelligent, successful people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many schools remained open last year through out the country. Right now red states with a high case rates are not even questioning the opening of schools for in-person. What is wrong with the DC area patents? Our area has high vaccination rate plus people are in general cautious. Why can’t we just let our kids go to school ? Why do we have to make this so difficult for mcps that they think about backtracking in person school?
Kids have been in camps all summer. In groups of 25. Yes the counselors were vaccinated and the kids remained safe. We have to try to give our kids a normal school year .. as normal as possible. Stop the hysteria and fear mongering.

I think we all want the same thing. We all want the schools to open! Here’s the difference. Those of us who want a plan and/or want some safety mitigation think if we make schools safer and create thoughtful contingency plans, then schools will actually have a better chance of staying open because transmission will be reduced and mitigated. Others of you just want to open no matter what and think if we plan too much or pay too much attention to safety that somehow this will get in the way of opening. I personally see this POV as irresponsible and lacking in care for our students, school staff and community at large. Communicating protocols in an unprecedented time =/= backtracking in person school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did I miss a meeting or announcement? What is the plan for testing? For lunch? For encouraging vaccinations? How will they handle travel and quarantine and informing people of positive cases? Shouldn't there be a comprehensive district wide plan for all these things?

As has been mentioned, they have a plan, but they likely have multiple contingencies since the situation right now seems more fluid than even a few weeks ago. I'm sure we'll find out if they need to make changes to keep our kids safe soon enough.

[Anonymous]

MCPS says it will be releasing its plan on Friday.

So: those of you insisting that there would be no plan besides masks have lost the bet.

What’s the over/under on this plan being released before 5 PM Friday?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think we all want the same thing. We all want the schools to open! Here’s the difference. Those of us who want a plan and/or want some safety mitigation think if we make schools safer and create thoughtful contingency plans, then schools will actually have a better chance of staying open because transmission will be reduced and mitigated. Others of you just want to open no matter what and think if we plan too much or pay too much attention to safety that somehow this will get in the way of opening. I personally see this POV as irresponsible and lacking in care for our students, school staff and community at large. Communicating protocols in an unprecedented time =/= backtracking in person school!

Some of us realize (or at least hope) that MCPS is going to go ahead with their plan, no matter how much people might complain about it on DCUM. Others don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS says it will be releasing its plan on Friday.

So: those of you insisting that there would be no plan besides masks have lost the bet.

What’s the over/under on this plan being released before 5 PM Friday?

As comprehensive as their amazing DL plan last year? Nobody is losing any bets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS says it will be releasing its plan on Friday.

So: those of you insisting that there would be no plan besides masks have lost the bet.

What’s the over/under on this plan being released before 5 PM Friday?

What's the over/under that, as soon as the plan is released, many of the "we just want MCPS to have a plan!" posters will move right on to "MCPS's plan is terrible!"?

Just like it went with the metrics. First posters on DCUM complained that they just wanted MCPS to announce the metrics, but as soon as MCPS did announce the metrics, DCUM was full of posts about how terrible the metrics were.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS says it will be releasing its plan on Friday.

So: those of you insisting that there would be no plan besides masks have lost the bet.

What’s the over/under on this plan being released before 5 PM Friday?

When did they say that? I don’t remember an announcement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS says it will be releasing its plan on Friday.

So: those of you insisting that there would be no plan besides masks have lost the bet.

What’s the over/under on this plan being released before 5 PM Friday?

What's the over/under that, as soon as the plan is released, many of the "we just want MCPS to have a plan!" posters will move right on to "MCPS's plan is terrible!"?

Just like it went with the metrics. First posters on DCUM complained that they just wanted MCPS to announce the metrics, but as soon as MCPS did announce the metrics, DCUM was full of posts about how terrible the metrics were.

I'd like to have a plan so I can plan for my children. I get they are not going to change despite some parents concerns, but then give us enough notice so we can apply to virtual (or at least let us know our kids are accepted), or come up with an alternative plan.