Does DCPS care? New model shows even with masks, 40% of students will still be infected with Delta

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Swann’s research shows that even with universal masks, 40% of elementary students will be infected with Delta IN THREE MONTHS.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-31/what-the-delta-variant-development-means-for-unvaccinated-kids

What I am seeing in this forum is parents refusing to test with their kid has “just a cold,” refusing asymptomatic testing, lying about travel so they don’t have to quarantine, etc. There is no distancing, no plan to upgrade ventilation, no mandatory teacher vaccinations, etc.

Has DCPS just given up?

Yes they have. The country as a whole has. We will now see who gets sick and doesn’t and just accept that many will die or have long health issues from getting sick. I’m surprised they are making people wear masks again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swann’s research shows that even with universal masks, 40% of elementary students will be infected with Delta IN THREE MONTHS.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-31/what-the-delta-variant-development-means-for-unvaccinated-kids

What I am seeing in this forum is parents refusing to test with their kid has “just a cold,” refusing asymptomatic testing, lying about travel so they don’t have to quarantine, etc. There is no distancing, no plan to upgrade ventilation, no mandatory teacher vaccinations, etc.

Has DCPS just given up?

Are you mad at parents or are you mad at DCPS? Or both? It seems like you are casting stones at both.

It looks to me like OP is lamenting the silence from DCPS on some necessary mitigation measures, and the statements of parents on this board opposing or even promising to obstruct some necessary mitigation measures.

I'm not sure why everyone keeps repeating that there is "silence" from DCPS about mitigation measures. DCPS has a whole range of mitigation it did last year and will continue to do this year.

https://dcpsreopenstrong.com/chancellor/school-health-safety-update/

So OP....DCPS is apparently focusing on ventilation, which you maybe didn't know. Seems to be DCPS is taking an approach that makes sense and actually uses what we learned last year.

I would be very wary of DCPS actually doing what it’s saying. A lot of its promises last year, especially around testing and HVAC repairs never happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are you trying to say? What do you mean about given up?

I think that there is a large group of people who feel that virtual school is worse than school+delta.

Giving up is assaying, there's no way to be safe from Delta so no school, ever, in person.

Yes. Agree with this 100%. Kids need to be in school.

Signed,
An RN and MD family who will be sending our kids to school and fine if they catch Covid.

Covid is not a health crisis for kids. Being out of school or in virtual school is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swann’s research shows that even with universal masks, 40% of elementary students will be infected with Delta IN THREE MONTHS.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-31/what-the-delta-variant-development-means-for-unvaccinated-kids

What I am seeing in this forum is parents refusing to test with their kid has “just a cold,” refusing asymptomatic testing, lying about travel so they don’t have to quarantine, etc. There is no distancing, no plan to upgrade ventilation, no mandatory teacher vaccinations, etc.

Has DCPS just given up?

Are you mad at parents or are you mad at DCPS? Or both? It seems like you are casting stones at both.

It looks to me like OP is lamenting the silence from DCPS on some necessary mitigation measures, and the statements of parents on this board opposing or even promising to obstruct some necessary mitigation measures.

I'm not sure why everyone keeps repeating that there is "silence" from DCPS about mitigation measures. DCPS has a whole range of mitigation it did last year and will continue to do this year.

https://dcpsreopenstrong.com/chancellor/school-health-safety-update/

So OP....DCPS is apparently focusing on ventilation, which you maybe didn't know. Seems to be DCPS is taking an approach that makes sense and actually uses what we learned last year.

I would be very wary of DCPS actually doing what it’s saying. A lot of its promises last year, especially around testing and HVAC repairs never happened.

Didn't the WTU litigate the HVAC repairs, and in the end there were just two schools with remaining issues, and those issues were shortly corrected?

I would be inclined to agree with you if that litigation hadn't happened, but it did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swann’s research shows that even with universal masks, 40% of elementary students will be infected with Delta IN THREE MONTHS.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-31/what-the-delta-variant-development-means-for-unvaccinated-kids

What I am seeing in this forum is parents refusing to test with their kid has “just a cold,” refusing asymptomatic testing, lying about travel so they don’t have to quarantine, etc. There is no distancing, no plan to upgrade ventilation, no mandatory teacher vaccinations, etc.

Has DCPS just given up?

Are you mad at parents or are you mad at DCPS? Or both? It seems like you are casting stones at both.

It looks to me like OP is lamenting the silence from DCPS on some necessary mitigation measures, and the statements of parents on this board opposing or even promising to obstruct some necessary mitigation measures.

I'm not sure why everyone keeps repeating that there is "silence" from DCPS about mitigation measures. DCPS has a whole range of mitigation it did last year and will continue to do this year.

https://dcpsreopenstrong.com/chancellor/school-health-safety-update/

So OP....DCPS is apparently focusing on ventilation, which you maybe didn't know. Seems to be DCPS is taking an approach that makes sense and actually uses what we learned last year.

I would be very wary of DCPS actually doing what it’s saying. A lot of its promises last year, especially around testing and HVAC repairs never happened.

Didn't the WTU litigate the HVAC repairs, and in the end there were just two schools with remaining issues, and those issues were shortly corrected?

I would be inclined to agree with you if that litigation hadn't happened, but it did.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swann’s research shows that even with universal masks, 40% of elementary students will be infected with Delta IN THREE MONTHS.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-31/what-the-delta-variant-development-means-for-unvaccinated-kids

What I am seeing in this forum is parents refusing to test with their kid has “just a cold,” refusing asymptomatic testing, lying about travel so they don’t have to quarantine, etc. There is no distancing, no plan to upgrade ventilation, no mandatory teacher vaccinations, etc.

Has DCPS just given up?

Teacher, I am sorry but you have to go back to work in person!

DP, but no need to be so rude.

I am a teacher who is fully expecting and ready to go back. What I’m not ready for is the DCPS clusterf that’s going to happen as soon as cases start popping up in schools. Are we going to be teaching concurrently? Going back and forth between IPL and virtual? I’m glad that all of these families believe that DCPS has implemented or is planning to implement all of these mitigation strategies, but they haven’t. Be prepared for things to get really weird for kids in the fall and when they do maybe don’t be so quick to blame the teachers.

I'm the PP that posted the long quote. I totally agree that September to December is going to be like a school wide chicken pox party. Everyone will get exposed and it will be a few months of constant positive tests and quarantines. But hopefully it will come on strong and die down quickly. I'm sorry DCPS hasn't prepared teachers more for contingency plans when classrooms quarantine, but this parent understands it's not your fault and I strongly believe that even with quarantines, 8 weeks of IPL and 2 weeks of nothing is better than 10 weeks of virtual. It will be a mess for parents who have been forced back in the office, but it is what it is.

Except COVID is not like the chicken pox

It is in the sense of the contagiousness of Delta is comparable to the chicken pox, where the previous variants were much less contagious. Hence the reference to pox parties. Put everyone in a room and let them get exposed at once to get it out of the way. And children die from chicken pox, just very very rarely, like with COVID.

[Anonymous]

What happens when a vaccinated teacher tests positive? Do the kids just not have a teacher for 10 days?

This is what I’m most worried about, mass staff absences.

[Anonymous]

OP, do you want to....

1) shame parents
2) have DCPS do something different in terms of mitigation methods
3) alarm parents
4) start an argument about having a virtual option at your charter/OOB school

What do you hope to accomplish by starting this thread?

[Anonymous]

DCPS has put other mitigation strategies in place. Building wide HVAC updates were done and individual portable HEPA air purafues with UV were put inside all classrooms (at least at the DCPS I teach at) last year. So it it not just masks. I’m not denying there will be cases but it is not fair to use the stat for masks with no other mitigation.

I don’t know what will happen RE: testing. I do know my 3year old was asymptomatically tested 4 times in the 8 weeks of in person they did last Spring. If asymptomatic testing is not happening next year maybe coordinate with other parents at your school. Testing is free and easy. Try to get critical mass of parents you know at your school to use the free at home tests DC has available at a bunch of libraries. As a vaccinated teacher I plan to test myself frequently and plan to test my kid as well if the school isn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happens when a vaccinated teacher tests positive? Do the kids just not have a teacher for 10 days?

This is what I’m most worried about, mass staff absences.

This is the major question that I'm hoping we soon hear answers about. I think it might be under negotiation with the union at present, so maybe that's why we haven't heard anything yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swann’s research shows that even with universal masks, 40% of elementary students will be infected with Delta IN THREE MONTHS.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-31/what-the-delta-variant-development-means-for-unvaccinated-kids

What I am seeing in this forum is parents refusing to test with their kid has “just a cold,” refusing asymptomatic testing, lying about travel so they don’t have to quarantine, etc. There is no distancing, no plan to upgrade ventilation, no mandatory teacher vaccinations, etc.

Has DCPS just given up?

Are you mad at parents or are you mad at DCPS? Or both? It seems like you are casting stones at both.

It looks to me like OP is lamenting the silence from DCPS on some necessary mitigation measures, and the statements of parents on this board opposing or even promising to obstruct some necessary mitigation measures.

I'm not sure why everyone keeps repeating that there is "silence" from DCPS about mitigation measures. DCPS has a whole range of mitigation it did last year and will continue to do this year.

https://dcpsreopenstrong.com/chancellor/school-health-safety-update/

They are silent on asymptomatic testing. That is an enormous deal.
They have given up on asymptomatic testing altogether. We never knew how many tests were administered.
In summer school right now, it's zero test administered, and multiple positives a day anyway.
https://dcpsreopenstrong.com/health/response/notifications/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swann’s research shows that even with universal masks, 40% of elementary students will be infected with Delta IN THREE MONTHS.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-31/what-the-delta-variant-development-means-for-unvaccinated-kids

What I am seeing in this forum is parents refusing to test with their kid has “just a cold,” refusing asymptomatic testing, lying about travel so they don’t have to quarantine, etc. There is no distancing, no plan to upgrade ventilation, no mandatory teacher vaccinations, etc.

Has DCPS just given up?

Teacher, I am sorry but you have to go back to work in person!

DP, but no need to be so rude.

I am a teacher who is fully expecting and ready to go back. What I’m not ready for is the DCPS clusterf that’s going to happen as soon as cases start popping up in schools. Are we going to be teaching concurrently? Going back and forth between IPL and virtual? I’m glad that all of these families believe that DCPS has implemented or is planning to implement all of these mitigation strategies, but they haven’t. Be prepared for things to get really weird for kids in the fall and when they do maybe don’t be so quick to blame the teachers.

I'm the PP that posted the long quote. I totally agree that September to December is going to be like a school wide chicken pox party. Everyone will get exposed and it will be a few months of constant positive tests and quarantines. But hopefully it will come on strong and die down quickly. I'm sorry DCPS hasn't prepared teachers more for contingency plans when classrooms quarantine, but this parent understands it's not your fault and I strongly believe that even with quarantines, 8 weeks of IPL and 2 weeks of nothing is better than 10 weeks of virtual. It will be a mess for parents who have been forced back in the office, but it is what it is.

Except COVID is not like the chicken pox

It is in the sense of the contagiousness of Delta is comparable to the chicken pox, where the previous variants were much less contagious. Hence the reference to pox parties. Put everyone in a room and let them get exposed at once to get it out of the way. And children die from chicken pox, just very very rarely, like with COVID.

Covid parties, school district-hosted covid parties, are unethical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swann’s research shows that even with universal masks, 40% of elementary students will be infected with Delta IN THREE MONTHS.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-31/what-the-delta-variant-development-means-for-unvaccinated-kids

What I am seeing in this forum is parents refusing to test with their kid has “just a cold,” refusing asymptomatic testing, lying about travel so they don’t have to quarantine, etc. There is no distancing, no plan to upgrade ventilation, no mandatory teacher vaccinations, etc.

Has DCPS just given up?

Teacher, I am sorry but you have to go back to work in person!

DP, but no need to be so rude.

I am a teacher who is fully expecting and ready to go back. What I’m not ready for is the DCPS clusterf that’s going to happen as soon as cases start popping up in schools. Are we going to be teaching concurrently? Going back and forth between IPL and virtual? I’m glad that all of these families believe that DCPS has implemented or is planning to implement all of these mitigation strategies, but they haven’t. Be prepared for things to get really weird for kids in the fall and when they do maybe don’t be so quick to blame the teachers.

I'm the PP that posted the long quote. I totally agree that September to December is going to be like a school wide chicken pox party. Everyone will get exposed and it will be a few months of constant positive tests and quarantines. But hopefully it will come on strong and die down quickly. I'm sorry DCPS hasn't prepared teachers more for contingency plans when classrooms quarantine, but this parent understands it's not your fault and I strongly believe that even with quarantines, 8 weeks of IPL and 2 weeks of nothing is better than 10 weeks of virtual. It will be a mess for parents who have been forced back in the office, but it is what it is.

Except COVID is not like the chicken pox

It is in the sense of the contagiousness of Delta is comparable to the chicken pox, where the previous variants were much less contagious. Hence the reference to pox parties. Put everyone in a room and let them get exposed at once to get it out of the way. And children die from chicken pox, just very very rarely, like with COVID.

Covid parties, school district-hosted covid parties, are unethical.

Did you call in person school before the chickenpox vaccine, which wasn’t approved until the 1990s, a chickenpox party?

[Anonymous]

I sincerely hope that OP sent her child to school in a mask in the years prior to 2020, due to her extreme concern over her child catching a disease, any disease.

Has OP ever been IN an elementary school? You can "mitigate" all you want, but they are generally germ factories, with or without COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swann’s research shows that even with universal masks, 40% of elementary students will be infected with Delta IN THREE MONTHS.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-31/what-the-delta-variant-development-means-for-unvaccinated-kids

What I am seeing in this forum is parents refusing to test with their kid has “just a cold,” refusing asymptomatic testing, lying about travel so they don’t have to quarantine, etc. There is no distancing, no plan to upgrade ventilation, no mandatory teacher vaccinations, etc.

Has DCPS just given up?

Teacher, I am sorry but you have to go back to work in person!

DP, but no need to be so rude.

I am a teacher who is fully expecting and ready to go back. What I’m not ready for is the DCPS clusterf that’s going to happen as soon as cases start popping up in schools. Are we going to be teaching concurrently? Going back and forth between IPL and virtual? I’m glad that all of these families believe that DCPS has implemented or is planning to implement all of these mitigation strategies, but they haven’t. Be prepared for things to get really weird for kids in the fall and when they do maybe don’t be so quick to blame the teachers.

I'm the PP that posted the long quote. I totally agree that September to December is going to be like a school wide chicken pox party. Everyone will get exposed and it will be a few months of constant positive tests and quarantines. But hopefully it will come on strong and die down quickly. I'm sorry DCPS hasn't prepared teachers more for contingency plans when classrooms quarantine, but this parent understands it's not your fault and I strongly believe that even with quarantines, 8 weeks of IPL and 2 weeks of nothing is better than 10 weeks of virtual. It will be a mess for parents who have been forced back in the office, but it is what it is.

Except COVID is not like the chicken pox

It is in the sense of the contagiousness of Delta is comparable to the chicken pox, where the previous variants were much less contagious. Hence the reference to pox parties. Put everyone in a room and let them get exposed at once to get it out of the way. And children die from chicken pox, just very very rarely, like with COVID.

Covid parties, school district-hosted covid parties, are unethical.

Did you call in person school before the chickenpox vaccine, which wasn’t approved until the 1990s, a chickenpox party?

I remember some serious mitigation measures at sleep away camp when a camper was diagnosed with chicken pox a couple of days into it in the mid-80ies. Those were not parties. They took it extremely seriously, but that was forty years ago. They didn't need to do 1917-type masking because it wasn't a deadly pandemic, but they didn't have access to the rapid tests and abundance of masks we have in 2021. There is no excuse for this.