MCPS Officially announces schools opening as planned

[Anonymous]

The updates read more like a CYA for inevitable closures/distributions. At a minimum I would expect a lot of disruptions. For example, many staff out, students without teachers covered by other teachers on their planning or even worse mass housed in cafeterias/gyms/auditoriums with a few warm adult bodies "supervising".

You want Academic rigor... extra support to fill in your child's learning gaps? Supplement. The reality of the situation as it is you get what you get and you don't throw a fit. If you can offer support and time to volunteer that would make a much bigger difference than complaining.

If I was still teaching I'd forward all parent complaints about disruptions to my admin for them to handle with a neutral statement "thank you for your message I have forwarded this to our administration/leadership". All of this is so far above an individual teacher's scope and pay grade. I changed careers prepandemic and I couldn't imagine teaching now. I expect record turnover and further decline. If you want the best for your kids, i implore you to be civil to those trying to serve your students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:MCPS can’t academically afford to shut down schools for any timeframe

Yes, they can. Parents need to support their kids.

FYI there are kids with disabilities cannot learn on Zoom.

Correct, but if they are that severely impacted a break from school sounds better than covid. Especially those who cannot mask.

How do you figure? Most of those kids with special needs are just as low risk for covid as anyone else. And academic and behavioral regression during closures is a much bigger problem with many of these students.

Then perhaps their parents can help with those things. Right now everyone is high risk. It’s getting bad and few seem to care.

Did you know parents of kids with special needs have jobs too? It turns out it is quite expensive to have a kid with special needs. Ask me how I know.

Omicron appears to be lower risk for severe illness than even Delta. And kids were low risk for Delta.

It's not getting bad for kids. It’s getting bad for unvaccinated/unboosted adults and the elderly.

Most people are vaccinated and those things no longer apply. Yes, I know how expensive it is as we’ve spent a fortune on services as mcps help was a job. The risks are not lower and it’s highly contagious. If you want kids to stay in school consider your behavior to keep them there instead of dismissing how serious the situation is.

All those kids will bring home Covid to their families and community. None of us live in a bubble.

Instead of spending the time arguing you better start figuring out back up child care.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Good for MCPS. I was sweating bullets. Glad Dr. McKnight has the courage to do what’s right for the kids for once.

Amen

Same

How will you feel with outbreaks and your kids sick?

It’s going to be January. Kids are always sick in January.

Nothing like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good for MCPS. I was sweating bullets. Glad Dr. McKnight has the courage to do what’s right for the kids for once.

Amen

Same

How will you feel with outbreaks and your kids sick?

It’s going to be January. Kids are always sick in January.

Nothing like this.

How so? Covid in kids is awfully similar to the colds we see in large numbers every year. The frequency and level of illness isn’t as different as our response to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS can’t academically afford to shut down schools for any timeframe

Yes, they can. Parents need to support their kids.

FYI there are kids with disabilities cannot learn on Zoom.

Correct, but if they are that severely impacted a break from school sounds better than covid. Especially those who cannot mask.

How do you figure? Most of those kids with special needs are just as low risk for covid as anyone else. And academic and behavioral regression during closures is a much bigger problem with many of these students.

Then perhaps their parents can help with those things. Right now everyone is high risk. It’s getting bad and few seem to care.

Did you know parents of kids with special needs have jobs too? It turns out it is quite expensive to have a kid with special needs. Ask me how I know.

Omicron appears to be lower risk for severe illness than even Delta. And kids were low risk for Delta.

It's not getting bad for kids. It’s getting bad for unvaccinated/unboosted adults and the elderly.

Most people are vaccinated and those things no longer apply. Yes, I know how expensive it is as we’ve spent a fortune on services as mcps help was a job. The risks are not lower and it’s highly contagious. If you want kids to stay in school consider your behavior to keep them there instead of dismissing how serious the situation is.

All those kids will bring home Covid to their families and community. None of us live in a bubble.

Instead of spending the time arguing you better start figuring out back up child care.

What do you mean the risks are not lower? Kids, vaccinated or not, have low risk for severe illness. Most adults, if they’re vaccinated and appropriately boosted, are low risk for severe illness. Surely you know that, don’t you?

[Anonymous]

Kids are always sick in January.. oh so you think it’s cool to send your sick kid to school, make others sick but all in the name of education. I support teachers leaving at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS can’t academically afford to shut down schools for any timeframe

Yes, they can. Parents need to support their kids.

FYI there are kids with disabilities cannot learn on Zoom.

Correct, but if they are that severely impacted a break from school sounds better than covid. Especially those who cannot mask.

How do you figure? Most of those kids with special needs are just as low risk for covid as anyone else. And academic and behavioral regression during closures is a much bigger problem with many of these students.

Then perhaps their parents can help with those things. Right now everyone is high risk. It’s getting bad and few seem to care.

Did you know parents of kids with special needs have jobs too? It turns out it is quite expensive to have a kid with special needs. Ask me how I know.

Omicron appears to be lower risk for severe illness than even Delta. And kids were low risk for Delta.

It's not getting bad for kids. It’s getting bad for unvaccinated/unboosted adults and the elderly.

Most people are vaccinated and those things no longer apply. Yes, I know how expensive it is as we’ve spent a fortune on services as mcps help was a job. The risks are not lower and it’s highly contagious. If you want kids to stay in school consider your behavior to keep them there instead of dismissing how serious the situation is.

All those kids will bring home Covid to their families and community. None of us live in a bubble.

Instead of spending the time arguing you better start figuring out back up child care.

Breakthrough cases. How dumb are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids are always sick in January.. oh so you think it’s cool to send your sick kid to school, make others sick but all in the name of education. I support teachers leaving at this point.

Ever spend time around elementary school kids in the winter? If you took them out of school for 10 days every time they had cold-like symptoms, half the kids would never be in school between December and March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids are always sick in January.. oh so you think it’s cool to send your sick kid to school, make others sick but all in the name of education. I support teachers leaving at this point.

Ever spend time around elementary school kids in the winter? If you took them out of school for 10 days every time they had cold-like symptoms, half the kids would never be in school between December and March.

As a responsible parent, my kids stay home when sick. Partly for others, partly for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS can’t academically afford to shut down schools for any timeframe

Yes, they can. Parents need to support their kids.

FYI there are kids with disabilities cannot learn on Zoom.

Correct, but if they are that severely impacted a break from school sounds better than covid. Especially those who cannot mask.

How do you figure? Most of those kids with special needs are just as low risk for covid as anyone else. And academic and behavioral regression during closures is a much bigger problem with many of these students.

Then perhaps their parents can help with those things. Right now everyone is high risk. It’s getting bad and few seem to care.

Did you know parents of kids with special needs have jobs too? It turns out it is quite expensive to have a kid with special needs. Ask me how I know.

Omicron appears to be lower risk for severe illness than even Delta. And kids were low risk for Delta.

It's not getting bad for kids. It’s getting bad for unvaccinated/unboosted adults and the elderly.

Most people are vaccinated and those things no longer apply. Yes, I know how expensive it is as we’ve spent a fortune on services as mcps help was a job. The risks are not lower and it’s highly contagious. If you want kids to stay in school consider your behavior to keep them there instead of dismissing how serious the situation is.

All those kids will bring home Covid to their families and community. None of us live in a bubble.

Instead of spending the time arguing you better start figuring out back up child care.

Breakthrough cases. How dumb are you?

They are not breakthrough. They are cases. Pretty sad you have to name call. Can only imagine what your home life is like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's sad when DCPS has a better plan than MCPS on returning to school. MCPS won't even have tests available for a couple of weeks and does not accurately report cases anyway. Why can DCPS require testing and vaccination, while MCPS is still asking nicely to test if you feel like it and vaccinate if you're willing? Que Sera, Sera.

+1 DCPS is requiring proof of a negative test. The at home test kits are being distributed on Monday. School resumes on Wednesday to give time for distribution and to record results.

MCPS needs another 2 weeks to get test kits from the Montgomery County Government. Even then, it’s the honor code for students to report positive results. Students don’t have to show negative results to stay in school.

And forget about random testing of students. MCPS can’t even test students who had close contact with COVID classmates.

It’s a sh$t show in MCPS. I hope they all enjoyed their vacations.

You realize the DCPS model is an honor system model, too, don’t you? There’s nothing stopping parents from just opening the test kit, but neever actually swabbing a nose.

DCPS students have to have results uploaded by Wednesday. If results are not uploaded, they cannot enter the building and will be tested on-site.

I thought they said they weren’t going to do on-site testing. Did that change?

I have not seen where the on-site testing is canceled.

But where did you see that they were ever doing it? I just saw remarks that they intended turn students away if their parents didn’t at least fake the test.

Press conference with mayor. DCPS person said they will get a test kit on Wednesday if they did not upload results. I guess that doesn't necessarily mean on-site testing. Either way, they can't enter the building without proof of a negative test result.

Have you ever had a child in the DCPS system? We have been in both EOTP and WOTP schools, and there is no way that they have the capacity to actually follow through with this and figure out who has not uploaded a negative photo and then keep them from entering buildings. It is going to be a shitshow if they try, but more likely they won’t — they will just let everyone who shows up in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's sad when DCPS has a better plan than MCPS on returning to school. MCPS won't even have tests available for a couple of weeks and does not accurately report cases anyway. Why can DCPS require testing and vaccination, while MCPS is still asking nicely to test if you feel like it and vaccinate if you're willing? Que Sera, Sera.

+1 DCPS is requiring proof of a negative test. The at home test kits are being distributed on Monday. School resumes on Wednesday to give time for distribution and to record results.

MCPS needs another 2 weeks to get test kits from the Montgomery County Government. Even then, it’s the honor code for students to report positive results. Students don’t have to show negative results to stay in school.

And forget about random testing of students. MCPS can’t even test students who had close contact with COVID classmates.

It’s a sh$t show in MCPS. I hope they all enjoyed their vacations.

You realize the DCPS model is an honor system model, too, don’t you? There’s nothing stopping parents from just opening the test kit, but neever actually swabbing a nose.

DCPS students have to have results uploaded by Wednesday. If results are not uploaded, they cannot enter the building and will be tested on-site.

I thought they said they weren’t going to do on-site testing. Did that change?

I have not seen where the on-site testing is canceled.

But where did you see that they were ever doing it? I just saw remarks that they intended turn students away if their parents didn’t at least fake the test.

Press conference with mayor. DCPS person said they will get a test kit on Wednesday if they did not upload results. I guess that doesn't necessarily mean on-site testing. Either way, they can't enter the building without proof of a negative test result.

Have you ever had a child in the DCPS system? We have been in both EOTP and WOTP schools, and there is no way that they have the capacity to actually follow through with this and figure out who has not uploaded a negative photo and then keep them from entering buildings. It is going to be a shitshow if they try, but more likely they won’t — they will just let everyone who shows up in.

That’s definitely my guess. At the time, the school staff will say they’re letting the students in, but will come around and test them during the day, but they don’t have the staff to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids are always sick in January.. oh so you think it’s cool to send your sick kid to school, make others sick but all in the name of education. I support teachers leaving at this point.

Ever spend time around elementary school kids in the winter? If you took them out of school for 10 days every time they had cold-like symptoms, half the kids would never be in school between December and March.

As a responsible parent, my kids stay home when sick. Partly for others, partly for them.

I’ll take your vague response as an acknowledgment that nearly everyone continues with their lives over mild illnesses, such as colds. Which makes sense given those viruses are heavily circulating among everyone, regardless of clear symptoms. Kind of like covid. Everyone is going to have it shortly, and that’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's sad when DCPS has a better plan than MCPS on returning to school. MCPS won't even have tests available for a couple of weeks and does not accurately report cases anyway. Why can DCPS require testing and vaccination, while MCPS is still asking nicely to test if you feel like it and vaccinate if you're willing? Que Sera, Sera.

+1 DCPS is requiring proof of a negative test. The at home test kits are being distributed on Monday. School resumes on Wednesday to give time for distribution and to record results.

MCPS needs another 2 weeks to get test kits from the Montgomery County Government. Even then, it’s the honor code for students to report positive results. Students don’t have to show negative results to stay in school.

And forget about random testing of students. MCPS can’t even test students who had close contact with COVID classmates.

It’s a sh$t show in MCPS. I hope they all enjoyed their vacations.

You realize the DCPS model is an honor system model, too, don’t you? There’s nothing stopping parents from just opening the test kit, but neever actually swabbing a nose.

DCPS students have to have results uploaded by Wednesday. If results are not uploaded, they cannot enter the building and will be tested on-site.

I thought they said they weren’t going to do on-site testing. Did that change?

I have not seen where the on-site testing is canceled.

But where did you see that they were ever doing it? I just saw remarks that they intended turn students away if their parents didn’t at least fake the test.

Press conference with mayor. DCPS person said they will get a test kit on Wednesday if they did not upload results. I guess that doesn't necessarily mean on-site testing. Either way, they can't enter the building without proof of a negative test result.

Have you ever had a child in the DCPS system? We have been in both EOTP and WOTP schools, and there is no way that they have the capacity to actually follow through with this and figure out who has not uploaded a negative photo and then keep them from entering buildings. It is going to be a shitshow if they try, but more likely they won’t — they will just let everyone who shows up in.

They won’t even know who has failed to submit a negative test. Someone could submit a blank picture or a picture of a positive test. And they haven’t collected opt-in consent for nasal swab tests in DCPS. The plan is to make families think they will send kids home to get them to do the test, hr they won’t actually send anyone home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids are always sick in January.. oh so you think it’s cool to send your sick kid to school, make others sick but all in the name of education. I support teachers leaving at this point.

Ever spend time around elementary school kids in the winter? If you took them out of school for 10 days every time they had cold-like symptoms, half the kids would never be in school between December and March.

As a responsible parent, my kids stay home when sick. Partly for others, partly for them.

I’ll take your vague response as an acknowledgment that nearly everyone continues with their lives over mild illnesses, such as colds. Which makes sense given those viruses are heavily circulating among everyone, regardless of clear symptoms. Kind of like covid. Everyone is going to have it shortly, and that’s fine.

Except for those who die or get long covid.