Anyone from Central Office (or with intel) know why "schools closed/offices open" has disappeared?

[Anonymous]

I know we have Central Office people on DCUM, and people who know Central Office people. Anyone have anything they can share regarding the story behind the disappearance of the schools closed/offices open (& childcares allowed to open if safe/plowed) status? (Currently named "Code Orange" but was also a status well before it had a color-coded name.)

Pre-Taylor, a significant number of snow days had schools closed but offices open, often with a delayed opening/telework allowed for office staff (for example, it looks like 2 of the 3 closures in winter 2023-2024 and 3 of the 4 closures in winter 2021-2022 were schools closed/offices open/childcare optional at the providers' discretion.) Since he arrived, all snow days with closed schools have been snow days for office staff as well, I believe ("Code Red.")

Does anyone know if this has been discussed explicitly with Central Office staff, and/or if there is any speculation there why it's happening? Did Central Office staff used to complain about not getting snowdays when school staff did (despite the fact that snow days are paid days off for office staff but not for school staff, and that many central office staff can easily telework)? Is Taylor trying to do it as a way to increase morale and/or loyalty from Central Office staff? Do you think it's more about keeping childcare closed and the office snowdays are just a side effect? Or is it as much of a mystery to you guys as it is to us?

[Anonymous]

No idea, but it’s a bad look for libraries to be open as of Tuesday, but the Superintendent and central office staff can’t get to work on even Thursday.

[Anonymous]

The messaging is Superintendent dependent. Just like certain presidental administration and opm more strict and others not as much (e.g Bush Jr. can't remember) about office leave. Since the pandemic, Central and offices have often been closed along with schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No idea, but it’s a bad look for libraries to be open as of Tuesday, but the Superintendent and central office staff can’t get to work on even Thursday.

+1

County facilities are open. But if you happened to book a school facility you are sol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No idea, but it’s a bad look for libraries to be open as of Tuesday, but the Superintendent and central office staff can’t get to work on even Thursday.

+1

County facilities are open. But if you happened to book a school facility you are sol

Agree. Central office staff should be working with a telework option.

[Anonymous]

Another question - what is actually needed for childcare programs in schools to be able to open?
There’s been a lot of speculation on other threads that school office staff need to open the doors. Is that really the job of office staff, or is that more like building/custodial staff (who may or may not also be “emergency personnel” who must report at any status)?

I don’t see how Code Yellow could work if it was office staff opening the doors (offices on two hour delay but childcare may operate as scheduled if local conditions and staffing allow for it)

Or does it require Central Office staff be working for oversight of community use programs or in case of emergency incidents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No idea, but it’s a bad look for libraries to be open as of Tuesday, but the Superintendent and central office staff can’t get to work on even Thursday.

+1

County facilities are open. But if you happened to book a school facility you are sol

I have jury duty this week at MoCo courts. Montgomery county is functioning even if MCPS insists it can not and won’t even think about moving to virtual learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The messaging is Superintendent dependent. Just like certain presidental administration and opm more strict and others not as much (e.g Bush Jr. can't remember) about office leave. Since the pandemic, Central and offices have often been closed along with schools.

Taylor is too busy making snow day videos to think about using his staff to work remotely for the good of students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The messaging is Superintendent dependent. Just like certain presidental administration and opm more strict and others not as much (e.g Bush Jr. can't remember) about office leave. Since the pandemic, Central and offices have often been closed along with schools.

Not true-- there were a bunch of snow days in both 2022 and 2024 and only one of them each year was an office/childcare closure day. It's only since Taylor that it changed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another question - what is actually needed for childcare programs in schools to be able to open?
There’s been a lot of speculation on other threads that school office staff need to open the doors. Is that really the job of office staff, or is that more like building/custodial staff (who may or may not also be “emergency personnel” who must report at any status)?

I don’t see how Code Yellow could work if it was office staff opening the doors (offices on two hour delay but childcare may operate as scheduled if local conditions and staffing allow for it)

Or does it require Central Office staff be working for oversight of community use programs or in case of emergency incidents?

I think it’s building/custodial/facilities staff, who obviously need to be reassigned for the day to buildings that aren’t clear.

If it was school office staff it would be easy because they aren’t working so the daycare could offer them $ to come in.

[Anonymous]

It's interesting that for tomorrow, they are allowing some child care to open but all MCPS offices are closed. How is that even possible? I thought child care could only open if offices were open or the universe would implode.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's interesting that for tomorrow, they are allowing some child care to open but all MCPS offices are closed. How is that even possible? I thought child care could only open if offices were open or the universe would implode.

Taylor is apparently *really* committed to making sure Central Office staff get as many paid snow days off as possible. Not even a hint of teleworking in any of these messages despite the fact that tons of them can easily do it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's interesting that for tomorrow, they are allowing some child care to open but all MCPS offices are closed. How is that even possible? I thought child care could only open if offices were open or the universe would implode.

Taylor is apparently *really* committed to making sure Central Office staff get as many paid snow days off as possible. Not even a hint of teleworking in any of these messages despite the fact that tons of them can easily do it

What did you think your tax dollars were for? To pay people to WORK? lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No idea, but it’s a bad look for libraries to be open as of Tuesday, but the Superintendent and central office staff can’t get to work on even Thursday.

Never knew people had to bussed all over the country to libraries every day, but I guess you learn something new every day. /a

Our road is still only half plowed and getting out of our neighborhood to the main roads is still challenging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No idea, but it’s a bad look for libraries to be open as of Tuesday, but the Superintendent and central office staff can’t get to work on even Thursday.

Never knew people had to bussed all over the country to libraries every day, but I guess you learn something new every day. /a

Our road is still only half plowed and getting out of our neighborhood to the main roads is still challenging.

Genius, the PP is talking about opening OFFICES. MCPS does not bus its office staff around. They commute via car or other modes just like everyone else. Except that unlike everyone else, they got this entire week off (even if they could telework) for reasons nobody can understand.