Allegedly there are several options for the fall none of which include being back full time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why everyone thinks this is so simple. “Ugh, why is this so hard!” “Duh, they just have to go back to school!”

I am a parent and a teacher and I am here to tell you that this is complicated. It’s not simple. Putting 500-3000 wiggly, non-rule following humans in a tight space every day in the middle of a pandemic is a challenge. Even if they tend to be asymptomatic. Even if you have to go to work. If we are going to have a real conversation about what needs to happen to open, people on both sides need to agree on the basics.

PP, I agree with you that it's not simple.

But I think that MCPS needs to start with the premise "kids will go to school in the fall" and then figure out how to accomplish that.

Given the physical buildings and buses we have available in the county, if we declare that all kids will go to school in person in the fall, then social distancing is essentially over. If our state and county health officials determine social distancing can be over, then cool. But there is truly no point to setting limits on the number of people who can be in groups, in restaurants, in gyms, etc. if you are going to open schools normally.

OK, if you can't accomplish kids going to school in the fall without ending social distancing in schools, then we end social distancing in schools. The benefits of kids in school outweigh the costs.

I know that you feel otherwise but your children’s lives are no more important than anyone else’s. Even if that person is eighty years old or 45 and a cancer survivor. Your children are not less important, but no, them going back to school full time so you can work is not more important than mitigating the spread of the pandemic. We will not be ending social distancing in schools. I’m a teacher and I’m not throwing caution to the wind to appease you. You are free to go out and expose yourself and your children to the virus at will but you can not demand that other people be reckless and foolish enough to do so.

Once again, the public health implications of people not working are serious. Not sure why there are so many posters who dismiss this. There’s data showing that outcomes from other ailments - diabetes, heart disease, and depression, for example are worsening because people are not getting the treatment they need, don’t have money for medications, and/or are fearful of getting to a doctor because of overstated risks of doing so. Never mind the health implications of stress, hunger, and homelessness when people are unemployed and cannot go back to work because they have young children to care for. No, not everybody can afford a nanny and that doesn’t make them less qualified to be parents.

Lastly, people at risk - like my husband - are responsible for minimizing that risk for themselves. Shutting down schools isn’t the sensible solution to that. Period.

And back to the evidence that kids aren’t vectors and reopening schools is happening globally and happening effectively. We need to do the same.
Evide

I also have a husband at higher risk and I agree with you 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers don't want to go back. I wouldn't be surprised if it's 100% online again because that's what the teachers' unions are pushing for. They have schools over a barrel.

Since teachers don’t matter, terminate and replace with former restaurant and retail workers. Pay them minimum wage. And you can do it as PT gigs so you can avoid benefits. That’s how many employers do it anyway. In person school is what really matters. Parents will 100% support because they don’t care about anything other than sending their kids to the school buildings full time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why everyone thinks this is so simple. “Ugh, why is this so hard!” “Duh, they just have to go back to school!”

I am a parent and a teacher and I am here to tell you that this is complicated. It’s not simple. Putting 500-3000 wiggly, non-rule following humans in a tight space every day in the middle of a pandemic is a challenge. Even if they tend to be asymptomatic. Even if you have to go to work. If we are going to have a real conversation about what needs to happen to open, people on both sides need to agree on the basics.

PP, I agree with you that it's not simple.

But I think that MCPS needs to start with the premise "kids will go to school in the fall" and then figure out how to accomplish that.

Given the physical buildings and buses we have available in the county, if we declare that all kids will go to school in person in the fall, then social distancing is essentially over. If our state and county health officials determine social distancing can be over, then cool. But there is truly no point to setting limits on the number of people who can be in groups, in restaurants, in gyms, etc. if you are going to open schools normally.

OK, if you can't accomplish kids going to school in the fall without ending social distancing in schools, then we end social distancing in schools. The benefits of kids in school outweigh the costs.

I agree. Social distancing is the ideal. It’s not realistic or desirable for every situation.

There is literally zero chance that schools are going to open up without precautions in place. Not sure why that's what you want-one would think that you would have a modicum of concern for your family's health and for your community.
I don't know how we've even gotten to the point where people are so ignorant that they think schools should just open as normal and give up controlling the spread of the virus. Over 100,000 people die and you just shrug and say, "But it wasn't me, so I don't care." You seem incredibly selfish.

DP, but have you actually looked at the data on the impact of school opening as a contributor to increased deaths? It's pretty small. Most of us are saying that we need to consider the trade-offs of the decisions we make. Preventing the spread of COVID19 is not the only problem our society has, and we can't pretend that it is.

+1
Schools aren’t causing spread. Some of you are so entrenched in your own paranoia that you’re ignoring the data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even Fauci said today it’s time to open schools.

No he did not.

"I hesitate to make any broad statements about whether it is or is not quote 'safe' for kids to come back to school," Fauci told CNN.

He says it is time to THINK about reopening schools; you can read for yourself the caveats according to him at https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/fauci-schools-reopening-coronavirus/index.html

SCHOOL. IS. HAPPENING.

Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious disease, says it is “a bit of a reach” to say schools should stay closed this fall during the covid-19 pandemic.

“In some situations, there will be no problem for children to go back to school,” he said. “In others, you may need to do some modifications. You know, modifications could be breaking up the class so you don’t have a crowded classroom, maybe half in the morning, half in the afternoon, having children doing alternate schedules. There’s a whole bunch of things that one can do.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/06/04/fauci-whole-bunch-things-can-be-done-reopen-schools/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers don't want to go back. I wouldn't be surprised if it's 100% online again because that's what the teachers' unions are pushing for. They have schools over a barrel.

Since teachers don’t matter, terminate and replace with former restaurant and retail workers. Pay them minimum wage. And you can do it as PT gigs so you can avoid benefits. That’s how many employers do it anyway. In person school is what really matters. Parents will 100% support because they don’t care about anything other than sending their kids to the school buildings full time.

Oh but then parents will be outraged that schools is open but kids aren’t learning anything!! “All of these last minute replacement teachers who aren’t qualified to teach are terrible. I’m so angry that my Johnny is in school all day it he still can’t read or add. Now I’m having to teach him myself in the evenings. This is UNSUSTAINABLE!!“

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even Fauci said today it’s time to open schools.

No he did not.

"I hesitate to make any broad statements about whether it is or is not quote 'safe' for kids to come back to school," Fauci told CNN.

He says it is time to THINK about reopening schools; you can read for yourself the caveats according to him at https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/fauci-schools-reopening-coronavirus/index.html

SCHOOL. IS. HAPPENING.

Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious disease, says it is “a bit of a reach” to say schools should stay closed this fall during the covid-19 pandemic.

“In some situations, there will be no problem for children to go back to school,” he said. “In others, you may need to do some modifications. You know, modifications could be breaking up the class so you don’t have a crowded classroom, maybe half in the morning, half in the afternoon, having children doing alternate schedules. There’s a whole bunch of things that one can do.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/06/04/fauci-whole-bunch-things-can-be-done-reopen-schools/

Who said school wasn’t happening? Calm down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why everyone thinks this is so simple. “Ugh, why is this so hard!” “Duh, they just have to go back to school!”

I am a parent and a teacher and I am here to tell you that this is complicated. It’s not simple. Putting 500-3000 wiggly, non-rule following humans in a tight space every day in the middle of a pandemic is a challenge. Even if they tend to be asymptomatic. Even if you have to go to work. If we are going to have a real conversation about what needs to happen to open, people on both sides need to agree on the basics.

PP, I agree with you that it's not simple.

But I think that MCPS needs to start with the premise "kids will go to school in the fall" and then figure out how to accomplish that.

Given the physical buildings and buses we have available in the county, if we declare that all kids will go to school in person in the fall, then social distancing is essentially over. If our state and county health officials determine social distancing can be over, then cool. But there is truly no point to setting limits on the number of people who can be in groups, in restaurants, in gyms, etc. if you are going to open schools normally.

OK, if you can't accomplish kids going to school in the fall without ending social distancing in schools, then we end social distancing in schools. The benefits of kids in school outweigh the costs.

I agree. Social distancing is the ideal. It’s not realistic or desirable for every situation.

There is literally zero chance that schools are going to open up without precautions in place. Not sure why that's what you want-one would think that you would have a modicum of concern for your family's health and for your community.
I don't know how we've even gotten to the point where people are so ignorant that they think schools should just open as normal and give up controlling the spread of the virus. Over 100,000 people die and you just shrug and say, "But it wasn't me, so I don't care." You seem incredibly selfish.

DP, but have you actually looked at the data on the impact of school opening as a contributor to increased deaths? It's pretty small. Most of us are saying that we need to consider the trade-offs of the decisions we make. Preventing the spread of COVID19 is not the only problem our society has, and we can't pretend that it is.

+1
Schools aren’t causing spread. Some of you are so entrenched in your own paranoia that you’re ignoring the data.

This is what I feel like people keep ignoring. They have been shown to it be a source of spreading. I don't understand why these teachers and others can't understand or don't want to understand that? Nursing homes and prisons have been the largest source in infection. That's where all this energy about figuring out how to deal with it needs to go.

And yes I do think it's more important to have the kids go back to school then to delay and already sick elderly person's death by 6 months to a year. In the long run it may effect particular kids for literally the rest of their long lives.

[Anonymous]

Nursing homes and prisons have been causing greater spread than schools over the past two and half months.... because schools have been closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even Fauci said today it’s time to open schools.

No he did not.

"I hesitate to make any broad statements about whether it is or is not quote 'safe' for kids to come back to school," Fauci told CNN.

He says it is time to THINK about reopening schools; you can read for yourself the caveats according to him at https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/fauci-schools-reopening-coronavirus/index.html

SCHOOL. IS. HAPPENING.

Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious disease, says it is “a bit of a reach” to say schools should stay closed this fall during the covid-19 pandemic.

“In some situations, there will be no problem for children to go back to school,” he said. “In others, you may need to do some modifications. You know, modifications could be breaking up the class so you don’t have a crowded classroom, maybe half in the morning, half in the afternoon, having children doing alternate schedules. There’s a whole bunch of things that one can do.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/06/04/fauci-whole-bunch-things-can-be-done-reopen-schools/

Who said school wasn’t happening? Calm down.

Seriously? Tons of people on here refuse to believe school is going back in person.

[Anonymous]

Oh that’s a genius idea. Let’s just divide the kids up into alternating days. But then guess what? Students will mix together on the weekends at social events or youth leagues. The school districts may think they are solving it by cancelling High school sports. But then kids will just play club sports which the School districts will have no control over. So let’s just save everybody the hassle and send them to school normally.

[Anonymous]

Met with someone today who spoke to someone pretty high up in central office at MCPS. According to her, at the elementary level, the top proposal is a split day and split weeks combined.

You'd have one set of kids (A) go mornings only, on M-W the first week, and Th-Fr (mornings) on the second week. Then (B) goes M-W afternoons only on first week, and Th-Fr afternoons second week. Then you have groups C and D doing the opposite schedule. This also ensures every kid is in school at least a few days per week, so they can distribute free meals.

In other words, the classes would be 1/4 the size they are now, as they're broken into 4 groups, and each kid is in school 1/4 of the time they used to be.

Didn't get any info on middle and high school plans.

We have kids in ES. Ok, that's better than online only, and it ensures social distancing, but having kids in school 1/4 of the time isn't great. I'm not blaming MCPS on this one (and usually, I do) as this is a tough situation to plan for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Met with someone today who spoke to someone pretty high up in central office at MCPS. According to her, at the elementary level, the top proposal is a split day and split weeks combined.

You'd have one set of kids (A) go mornings only, on M-W the first week, and Th-Fr (mornings) on the second week. Then (B) goes M-W afternoons only on first week, and Th-Fr afternoons second week. Then you have groups C and D doing the opposite schedule. This also ensures every kid is in school at least a few days per week, so they can distribute free meals.

In other words, the classes would be 1/4 the size they are now, as they're broken into 4 groups, and each kid is in school 1/4 of the time they used to be.

Didn't get any info on middle and high school plans.

We have kids in ES. Ok, that's better than online only, and it ensures social distancing, but having kids in school 1/4 of the time isn't great. I'm not blaming MCPS on this one (and usually, I do) as this is a tough situation to plan for.

Do they have a timeline for how long this would be for? Like this Can't work for the long term. Are they thinking until winter break.

This is so dumb because by fall literally everything else will be open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Met with someone today who spoke to someone pretty high up in central office at MCPS. According to her, at the elementary level, the top proposal is a split day and split weeks combined.

You'd have one set of kids (A) go mornings only, on M-W the first week, and Th-Fr (mornings) on the second week. Then (B) goes M-W afternoons only on first week, and Th-Fr afternoons second week. Then you have groups C and D doing the opposite schedule. This also ensures every kid is in school at least a few days per week, so they can distribute free meals.

In other words, the classes would be 1/4 the size they are now, as they're broken into 4 groups, and each kid is in school 1/4 of the time they used to be.

Didn't get any info on middle and high school plans.

We have kids in ES. Ok, that's better than online only, and it ensures social distancing, but having kids in school 1/4 of the time isn't great. I'm not blaming MCPS on this one (and usually, I do) as this is a tough situation to plan for.

Do they have a timeline for how long this would be for? Like this Can't work for the long term. Are they thinking until winter break.

This is so dumb because by fall literally everything else will be open.

I would think these are contingency plans in case things do not improve by 31 August.

[Anonymous]

Eventually, with or without a vaccine, we will all be infected. Distance learning is only staving off the inevitable. If you haven't been infected yet, buckle up buttercups, you too will get infected. And, eventually, your snowflake kids will also get infected. Frankly, I'd rather just get it over with and hope it gives me some immunity.

Open the schools and prepare for the worse because distance learning is unsustainable for optimizing student learning and it's terrible for working parents.

And for the teachers who claim that parents are just using school for childcare, I am certain that these are the same lazy teachers that MCPS parents have been complaining about. If you think you are an overpaid baby-sitter, shut up and keeping cashing that check or find another job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Met with someone today who spoke to someone pretty high up in central office at MCPS. According to her, at the elementary level, the top proposal is a split day and split weeks combined.

You'd have one set of kids (A) go mornings only, on M-W the first week, and Th-Fr (mornings) on the second week. Then (B) goes M-W afternoons only on first week, and Th-Fr afternoons second week. Then you have groups C and D doing the opposite schedule. This also ensures every kid is in school at least a few days per week, so they can distribute free meals.

In other words, the classes would be 1/4 the size they are now, as they're broken into 4 groups, and each kid is in school 1/4 of the time they used to be.

Didn't get any info on middle and high school plans.

We have kids in ES. Ok, that's better than online only, and it ensures social distancing, but having kids in school 1/4 of the time isn't great. I'm not blaming MCPS on this one (and usually, I do) as this is a tough situation to plan for.

Its not great but its a good plan B I can work with.