How to fight this new anti-childcare winter weather approach?

[Anonymous]

Wow. 10 pages and not even noon. Childcare during inclement weather school closings has been an issue for three decades and probably longer.

-Hire a babysitter.
-Get a parent who stays home and has kids who attend same school to take care of your kid for the two+ hours, pay them. Or propose a swap and you look after their kid some other time / a playdate.
-Take a sick leave from work.
-Write to state elected persons to try to break down the 'largest district in Maryland' into Northern and southern, or western and eastern regions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP does not comprehend that workers at childcare centers exist and go home at night.

This. Should they sleep at work the night before?

[Anonymous]

The district is sort of already being broken down into 6 regions, as proposed. If that passes, can schools in Silver Spring open even if there's an unplowed road in Damascus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand. What is the typical schedule for morning care?

If that morning staff is normally scheduled to be off by 9 AM then I can understand canceling care because I’m assuming most of those people or many of those people have other jobs they must get to. Nobody can live off a salary that only pays for 2 to 3 hours a day.

If they operate on a normal schedule, they would work until 9 AM and then you have staff we need to go to their second job which would mean the student to teacher ratio would be off.

If you operate on a two hour delay again many of the staff would not be able to work because they have other job commitments.

That's a theoretical possibility, but before recently, they did exactly that, and it was fine. Beforecare opened at the usual time and there was staff there until school started, KAH at least used to open on days when school was cancelled for weather, and they had no problem getting staff for the whole day. If that's the justification, it's obviously not what's happening in reality. There's no reason to cancel because you can imagine a problem that we know isn't real from experience.

+1 before last year those before care providers had no problem getting staff to shift for 2 hour delays or cover snow days. I also don’t know why the perceived or potential commitments of some before care providers are more important than the work commitments of larger numbers of working parents, some of whom are teachers who need to be at their schools and also need reliable before care for their kids. At least in our ES, some of the before care providers were also recess/lunch aides or paraeducators who were fine to cover the delay because their other roles were delayed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The district is sort of already being broken down into 6 regions, as proposed. If that passes, can schools in Silver Spring open even if there's an unplowed road in Damascus?

The 6 regions are just for the purpose of determining which special programs students are eligible to attend. Right now, each high school cluster is part of MCPS. These regions are just super-clusters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP does not comprehend that workers at childcare centers exist and go home at night.

This. Should they sleep at work the night before?

Oh shut up and stop with your red herrings. Absolutely no one is talking about forcing child care providers to work during unsafe weather. We are just saying that MCPS should go back to the old policy and allow child care providers to make their own choices on whether or not to open if they know their school and their staff's home areas/routes to work are safe (which they know much better than central office does.) And especially not to decide that it's safe for high schools and full-day child care to open at 9am on a day like today but somehow not safe for beforecares to open at 9am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand. What is the typical schedule for morning care?

If that morning staff is normally scheduled to be off by 9 AM then I can understand canceling care because I’m assuming most of those people or many of those people have other jobs they must get to. Nobody can live off a salary that only pays for 2 to 3 hours a day.

If they operate on a normal schedule, they would work until 9 AM and then you have staff we need to go to their second job which would mean the student to teacher ratio would be off.

If you operate on a two hour delay again many of the staff would not be able to work because they have other job commitments.

That's a theoretical possibility, but before recently, they did exactly that, and it was fine. Beforecare opened at the usual time and there was staff there until school started, KAH at least used to open on days when school was cancelled for weather, and they had no problem getting staff for the whole day. If that's the justification, it's obviously not what's happening in reality. There's no reason to cancel because you can imagine a problem that we know isn't real from experience.

How do we know KAH, etc. haven't been complaining to MCPS to make this change because the logistics have been too hard?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand. What is the typical schedule for morning care?

If that morning staff is normally scheduled to be off by 9 AM then I can understand canceling care because I’m assuming most of those people or many of those people have other jobs they must get to. Nobody can live off a salary that only pays for 2 to 3 hours a day.

If they operate on a normal schedule, they would work until 9 AM and then you have staff we need to go to their second job which would mean the student to teacher ratio would be off.

If you operate on a two hour delay again many of the staff would not be able to work because they have other job commitments.

That's a theoretical possibility, but before recently, they did exactly that, and it was fine. Beforecare opened at the usual time and there was staff there until school started, KAH at least used to open on days when school was cancelled for weather, and they had no problem getting staff for the whole day. If that's the justification, it's obviously not what's happening in reality. There's no reason to cancel because you can imagine a problem that we know isn't real from experience.

Me again. Who or what kind of people work at before and after care? Seniors? People who have wide open schedules for the day and are OK living on just a couple hours salary? I keep thinking it’s a staffing issue that was finally addressed. I think about ratios, and either paying staff or finding enough staff to work.

There must be a real concrete reason to cancel childcare and not just make it a willy-nilly decision. I’m sure childcare businesses were consulted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand. What is the typical schedule for morning care?

If that morning staff is normally scheduled to be off by 9 AM then I can understand canceling care because I’m assuming most of those people or many of those people have other jobs they must get to. Nobody can live off a salary that only pays for 2 to 3 hours a day.

If they operate on a normal schedule, they would work until 9 AM and then you have staff we need to go to their second job which would mean the student to teacher ratio would be off.

If you operate on a two hour delay again many of the staff would not be able to work because they have other job commitments.

That's a theoretical possibility, but before recently, they did exactly that, and it was fine. Beforecare opened at the usual time and there was staff there until school started, KAH at least used to open on days when school was cancelled for weather, and they had no problem getting staff for the whole day. If that's the justification, it's obviously not what's happening in reality. There's no reason to cancel because you can imagine a problem that we know isn't real from experience.

How do we know KAH, etc. haven't been complaining to MCPS to make this change because the logistics have been too hard?

They've been vocal to parents about wanting to be open. KAH even sent out a message this morning saying they were open, until they realized MCPS told them they needed to close. It's possible they're just straight up lying, but I doubt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand. What is the typical schedule for morning care?

If that morning staff is normally scheduled to be off by 9 AM then I can understand canceling care because I’m assuming most of those people or many of those people have other jobs they must get to. Nobody can live off a salary that only pays for 2 to 3 hours a day.

If they operate on a normal schedule, they would work until 9 AM and then you have staff we need to go to their second job which would mean the student to teacher ratio would be off.

If you operate on a two hour delay again many of the staff would not be able to work because they have other job commitments.

That's a theoretical possibility, but before recently, they did exactly that, and it was fine. Beforecare opened at the usual time and there was staff there until school started, KAH at least used to open on days when school was cancelled for weather, and they had no problem getting staff for the whole day. If that's the justification, it's obviously not what's happening in reality. There's no reason to cancel because you can imagine a problem that we know isn't real from experience.

How do we know KAH, etc. haven't been complaining to MCPS to make this change because the logistics have been too hard?

KAH operates in Carroll County as well, and those centers opened at 9am today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The district is sort of already being broken down into 6 regions, as proposed. If that passes, can schools in Silver Spring open even if there's an unplowed road in Damascus?

The 6 regions are just for the purpose of determining which special programs students are eligible to attend. Right now, each high school cluster is part of MCPS. These regions are just super-clusters.

Yes, but with the end of county-wide magnet programs, it would be possible for each region to manage their own bus schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. 10 pages and not even noon. Childcare during inclement weather school closings has been an issue for three decades and probably longer.

-Hire a babysitter.
-Get a parent who stays home and has kids who attend same school to take care of your kid for the two+ hours, pay them. Or propose a swap and you look after their kid some other time / a playdate.
-Take a sick leave from work.
-Write to state elected persons to try to break down the 'largest district in Maryland' into Northern and southern, or western and eastern regions.

That's what I ended up doing. Sorry I can't teach your kid today! My before school childcare option, which until recently was very dependable, isn't included in your list. Telliing.

I love how you all live in neighborhoods with sitters and SAHMs available on demand on such short notice, but that isn't the reality for many of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand. What is the typical schedule for morning care?

If that morning staff is normally scheduled to be off by 9 AM then I can understand canceling care because I’m assuming most of those people or many of those people have other jobs they must get to. Nobody can live off a salary that only pays for 2 to 3 hours a day.

If they operate on a normal schedule, they would work until 9 AM and then you have staff we need to go to their second job which would mean the student to teacher ratio would be off.

If you operate on a two hour delay again many of the staff would not be able to work because they have other job commitments.

That's a theoretical possibility, but before recently, they did exactly that, and it was fine. Beforecare opened at the usual time and there was staff there until school started, KAH at least used to open on days when school was cancelled for weather, and they had no problem getting staff for the whole day. If that's the justification, it's obviously not what's happening in reality. There's no reason to cancel because you can imagine a problem that we know isn't real from experience.

How do we know KAH, etc. haven't been complaining to MCPS to make this change because the logistics have been too hard?

It certainly has not been KAH complaining. Bob is very clearly disappointed and apologetic when they are forced to close, and when I inquired about it last year he emailed right back and encouraged me and others to contact MCPS to try to get them given more discretion back.

Also it doesn't make sense that they would complain. The providers have always been allowed to close even on days when they had the freedom to stay open, and sometimes did choose to close or delay based on their assessment of local weather conditions/staffing/etc, and everyone' understood and respected those decisions. Same as any other child care provider in the county. Why would they demand less freedom to choose rather than more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand. What is the typical schedule for morning care?

If that morning staff is normally scheduled to be off by 9 AM then I can understand canceling care because I’m assuming most of those people or many of those people have other jobs they must get to. Nobody can live off a salary that only pays for 2 to 3 hours a day.

If they operate on a normal schedule, they would work until 9 AM and then you have staff we need to go to their second job which would mean the student to teacher ratio would be off.

If you operate on a two hour delay again many of the staff would not be able to work because they have other job commitments.

That's a theoretical possibility, but before recently, they did exactly that, and it was fine. Beforecare opened at the usual time and there was staff there until school started, KAH at least used to open on days when school was cancelled for weather, and they had no problem getting staff for the whole day. If that's the justification, it's obviously not what's happening in reality. There's no reason to cancel because you can imagine a problem that we know isn't real from experience.

How do we know KAH, etc. haven't been complaining to MCPS to make this change because the logistics have been too hard?

It certainly has not been KAH complaining. Bob is very clearly disappointed and apologetic when they are forced to close, and when I inquired about it last year he emailed right back and encouraged me and others to contact MCPS to try to get them given more discretion back.

Also it doesn't make sense that they would complain. The providers have always been allowed to close even on days when they had the freedom to stay open, and sometimes did choose to close or delay based on their assessment of local weather conditions/staffing/etc, and everyone' understood and respected those decisions. Same as any other child care provider in the county. Why would they demand less freedom to choose rather than more?

+1 KAH's emails this morning made it pretty clear they were ready and wanting to open and MCPS was not clear with them, created a lot of confusion and prohibited them from opening despite them wanting to

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand. What is the typical schedule for morning care?

If that morning staff is normally scheduled to be off by 9 AM then I can understand canceling care because I’m assuming most of those people or many of those people have other jobs they must get to. Nobody can live off a salary that only pays for 2 to 3 hours a day.

If they operate on a normal schedule, they would work until 9 AM and then you have staff we need to go to their second job which would mean the student to teacher ratio would be off.

If you operate on a two hour delay again many of the staff would not be able to work because they have other job commitments.

That's a theoretical possibility, but before recently, they did exactly that, and it was fine. Beforecare opened at the usual time and there was staff there until school started, KAH at least used to open on days when school was cancelled for weather, and they had no problem getting staff for the whole day. If that's the justification, it's obviously not what's happening in reality. There's no reason to cancel because you can imagine a problem that we know isn't real from experience.

Me again. Who or what kind of people work at before and after care? Seniors? People who have wide open schedules for the day and are OK living on just a couple hours salary? I keep thinking it’s a staffing issue that was finally addressed. I think about ratios, and either paying staff or finding enough staff to work.

There must be a real concrete reason to cancel childcare and not just make it a willy-nilly decision. I’m sure childcare businesses were consulted.

Child care businesses were not consulted, and hate this new policy. Why would you be sure they have been consulted? Have you gotten MCPS confused with some other organization which actually gathers and considers stakeholder input? Because they definitely don't.