"Key fact: ... serious ambivalence among parents whether in-person school is desirable right now."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using 2 large urban districts as an example doesn’t really describe the feelings of all parents universally.

+1

I think if you surveyed the landscape of the entire country, most parents want kids back in school and many already have them in school.

This isn’t true. What you think is just fantasy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Well, DUH.

Only a raucus and irrational minority is pinning the blame on teachers' unions. A lot of us know full well that we don't want our kids back in school in the middle of uncontrolled viral spread.

Y’all need to be louder than that minority because their narrative is the one spreading. It’s like anti-vaxxers.

[Anonymous]

We were offered seats at our DCPS for our 1st and 4th graders, and we turned them down. Not confident that the school will be able to follow protocols correctly.

[Anonymous]

Teachers in our non NW DC public school keep saying they ain’t coming in since the bathrooms weren’t kept clean before so how can things be safe now.

Previously many students trashed bathrooms, supplies, rooms all the time. Not sure who would pay to follow around careless vandals 24/7.

But it’s a factor in us not being interested in returning: we don’t trust the other students to abide by social distancing since they are so careless. You could put us all in a gorgeous new building and it would look sloppy fast.

I need to move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my kids was doing in person K (at a private school). Her teacher tested positive for covid. Then kids had to stay home for two weeks. It has been pandemonium. Parents are quarantining. Some tested positive at least 5 classmates positive not sure if it's from the teacher. Everyone is upset. If I could go back and do it again, I would not do this. The stress and disruption are far worse than having kept her home.

Speaking as someone with two kids who will have had no in-person school for 12 months, this is not true. Stress, disruption, and pandemonium would be better than that.

+100
It's been awful and getting worse.
OPEN MCPS ELEMENTARIES!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using 2 large urban districts as an example doesn’t really describe the feelings of all parents universally.

+1

I think if you surveyed the landscape of the entire country, most parents want kids back in school and many already have them in school.

This isn’t true. What you think is just fantasy.

I mean about half are in school (and majority of privates/catholics too). how is that a fantasy?

[Anonymous]

I agree with this somewhat as a FCPS parent. Honestly, when you consider spring break and the two weeks of online learning post spring break, I really don't see much value in going back for the 15-18 sessions ...and with testing NNAT and SOLs, I don't even think this is going to happen.

I would be MUCH happier if a plan for 5 days a week was set for the fall, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with this somewhat as a FCPS parent. Honestly, when you consider spring break and the two weeks of online learning post spring break, I really don't see much value in going back for the 15-18 sessions ...and with testing NNAT and SOLs, I don't even think this is going to happen.

I would be MUCH happier if a plan for 5 days a week was set for the fall, though.

IMO as an MCPS parent, if you want five days in the fall, we need to get back in some sloppy form this spring. If we don't, there's going to be even more hand-flapping, excuse-making, and general "we don't know hooooowwww" because we will have not been in school buildings for 18 months.

My kids are in a learning hub right now, so it's likely that the return this spring will make our lives more challenging for the remainder of the school year, even while it will hopefully be better for our kids. I'll take that trade-off if it increases the likelihood of kids being back five days a week, to something that resembles actual in-person instruction.

[Anonymous]

My kid has been in preschool the whole time. Her center has kids ranging from infants through 3rd grade.

They follow the protocols and have had 2 cases — both teachers, and neither of them spread it to anyone else. We know because everyone in their classrooms was tested.

Rhode Island kept schools open the entire time without problems.

The people who are fearful about this mostly haven’t read about how it’s actually worked.

[Anonymous]

I agree with this somewhat as a FCPS parent. Honestly, when you consider spring break and the two weeks of online learning post spring break, I really don't see much value in going back for the 15-18 sessions ...and with testing NNAT and SOLs, I don't even think this is going to happen.

I would be MUCH happier if a plan for 5 days a week was set for the fall, though.

IMO as an MCPS parent, if you want five days in the fall, we need to get back in some sloppy form this spring. If we don't, there's going to be even more hand-flapping, excuse-making, and general "we don't know hooooowwww" because we will have not been in school buildings for 18 months.

My kids are in a learning hub right now, so it's likely that the return this spring will make our lives more challenging for the remainder of the school year, even while it will hopefully be better for our kids. I'll take that trade-off if it increases the likelihood of kids being back five days a week, to something that resembles actual in-person instruction.

I totally agree (another MCPS parent). This unfortunately is the only way forward. We've elected for in person though I think it will only be a marginal improvement. But I agree at this point (NOT in March or April 2020) that the opposition to in-person is in large part inertia and fear-based rhetoric rather than science...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just like we need to educate people that the vaccine is safe and effective, we need to educate parents that it is safe for their children to be in school.

Sure, as soon as I can get this safe and effective vaccine for my family, I’ll be ready to send my kids back to the safe school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Rhode Island kept schools open the entire time without problems.

Not without problems, though.

:For school districts opening for the first time, Rhode Island’s experience also offers an example of what to expect — and to try to mitigate against — under very difficult circumstances: severely stressed educators, possibly chaotic classrooms, unpredictability for students, high rates of quarantine and absenteeism, lost services for students with special needs. It wasn’t easy; it wasn’t pretty; and at times, it did not even feel like school.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/magazine/school-reopenings-rhode-island.html

It remains to be seen whether keeping schools open in Rhode Island through all this chaos was the best thing for students, educationally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just like we need to educate people that the vaccine is safe and effective, we need to educate parents that it is safe for their children to be in school.

Sure, as soon as I can get this safe and effective vaccine for my family, I’ll be ready to send my kids back to the safe school.

I love you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nice try OP. The vast majority want our kids back in school and will jump at any opportunity

Not at our high performing school. Most of the parents I talk to defer to the teachers. We want them vaccinated first. And our school has blown through the waitlist for in-person spots because so many are turning them down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Rhode Island kept schools open the entire time without problems.

Not without problems, though.

:For school districts opening for the first time, Rhode Island’s experience also offers an example of what to expect — and to try to mitigate against — under very difficult circumstances: severely stressed educators, possibly chaotic classrooms, unpredictability for students, high rates of quarantine and absenteeism, lost services for students with special needs. It wasn’t easy; it wasn’t pretty; and at times, it did not even feel like school.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/magazine/school-reopenings-rhode-island.html

It remains to be seen whether keeping schools open in Rhode Island through all this chaos was the best thing for students, educationally.

Why are Rhode Island's death numbers so bad? https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/us-coronavirus-deaths-by-state-july-1.html

Is it due to the first wave? Case rates look worse there than in the beginning, though.