Should we prepare for virtual schooling starting in January?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hoarding cash in case I have to move back to private. But I don’t think they will - MoCo says they will be DL only if the state orders it, and Hogan wants to be president so he won’t.

Now that my kids are vaccinated, I even expect fewer quarantines than fall. More absent kids but just 1-2 who are actually (mildly) ill.

If that were true, how do you explain universities switching to virtual where 99% students are vaccinated? That’s what doesn’t make sense to me.

Haven't they just done that for the last few days of December? Everyone was leaving for Break in a few days and they didn't want to send everyone home on transportation, etc. with positive COVID cases. That's different than going virtual for second semester.

Harvard just said they will be online in January. This is after universities have even mandated booster shots. High schools have not even mandated the vaccine. We are done for.

This is ridiculous on Harvard's part. These kids are not at risk, and the institutions need to suck it up and let the virus pass through so they can all move on.

Oh please. They're basically going virtual for two weeks after winter break, which is sensible. If all schools did that, the virus wouldn't have the opportunity to spread as quickly and as widely, then maybe we can all function reasonably well at that point.

Possibly, but it’s a good place to start. Or, at least require a negative Covid test to return. Do a real test to stay program. No test, no return. Provide asynchronous work for the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, we should indeed prepare for virtual schooling in January.

The alternative is your kid sitting in a class not learning, because he has the teacher from the next classroom over and he's with kids from different grades, because lots of teachers and students are out with Covid.

It will come to that.

Even that is better than virtual learning. Sitting in a class with other kids in person IS learning. There is expressive language, there is receptive language, there is pragmatic language skills, social skills, social reciprocity, a hidden social agenda, many non-verbal social cues, I could go on and on and on and on. This is something a lot of people outside education don't understand about children and haven't been able to witness the problems being away from a classroom for so long has caused this fall.

I'm saying this from the vantage point of a special ed teacher who has seen what all the time on virtual learning did to kids when they came back into the classroom this fall. Also, I am the parent of two teens struggling with their mental health. Also, I believe kids will be learning academic content in classrooms.
Ok, so now you are saying you just want someone else watching your kids. I’m with you but let’s be honest about it. Having kids home all the time is hard on parents. School is child care even if we want to pretend otherwise

Half the students in K-12 are able to stay home by themselves: middle and high schoolers. You seem to be fixated on the younger set, which do pose childcare issues. The older kids need INSTRUCTION, for goodness' sakes, not more discussion on their mental health! They need math and writing and history and science and language practice. They need academic continuity and structure. I have a child with special needs, I know all about the language/social/non-verbal cues that a PP talks about, but for goodness sake's we want learning already! So if Omicron makes it such that schools cannot continue in-person instruction due to staff shortages, as I expect it will, I'd rather they switch to virtual when that time comes.

It would be nice if mcps offered a plan to parents but that’s not going to happen. This is only going to get worse before it gets better.

The plan is to keep schools running because Montgomery County's vaccination rate will protect us. What is unclear about that?

Are you not understanding that many of the cases are from vaccinated so exclusively relying on vaccines is a huge mistake. The surges in mcps are from vaccinated. Very few are not vaccinated in mcps.

Cases are among vaccinated individuals. Not serious cases, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, we should indeed prepare for virtual schooling in January.

The alternative is your kid sitting in a class not learning, because he has the teacher from the next classroom over and he's with kids from different grades, because lots of teachers and students are out with Covid.

It will come to that.

Even that is better than virtual learning. Sitting in a class with other kids in person IS learning. There is expressive language, there is receptive language, there is pragmatic language skills, social skills, social reciprocity, a hidden social agenda, many non-verbal social cues, I could go on and on and on and on. This is something a lot of people outside education don't understand about children and haven't been able to witness the problems being away from a classroom for so long has caused this fall.

I'm saying this from the vantage point of a special ed teacher who has seen what all the time on virtual learning did to kids when they came back into the classroom this fall. Also, I am the parent of two teens struggling with their mental health. Also, I believe kids will be learning academic content in classrooms.
Ok, so now you are saying you just want someone else watching your kids. I’m with you but let’s be honest about it. Having kids home all the time is hard on parents. School is child care even if we want to pretend otherwise

Half the students in K-12 are able to stay home by themselves: middle and high schoolers. You seem to be fixated on the younger set, which do pose childcare issues. The older kids need INSTRUCTION, for goodness' sakes, not more discussion on their mental health! They need math and writing and history and science and language practice. They need academic continuity and structure. I have a child with special needs, I know all about the language/social/non-verbal cues that a PP talks about, but for goodness sake's we want learning already! So if Omicron makes it such that schools cannot continue in-person instruction due to staff shortages, as I expect it will, I'd rather they switch to virtual when that time comes.

It would be nice if mcps offered a plan to parents but that’s not going to happen. This is only going to get worse before it gets better.

The plan is to keep schools running because Montgomery County's vaccination rate will protect us. What is unclear about that?

Are you not understanding that many of the cases are from vaccinated so exclusively relying on vaccines is a huge mistake. The surges in mcps are from vaccinated. Very few are not vaccinated in mcps.

Cases are among vaccinated individuals. Not serious cases, though.

It is serious as it is highly contagious. How do you know those infected are not seriously sick? What will it take to get you to take Covid seriously? If you want schools to stay open, you need to be part of the solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hoarding cash in case I have to move back to private. But I don’t think they will - MoCo says they will be DL only if the state orders it, and Hogan wants to be president so he won’t.

Now that my kids are vaccinated, I even expect fewer quarantines than fall. More absent kids but just 1-2 who are actually (mildly) ill.

If that were true, how do you explain universities switching to virtual where 99% students are vaccinated? That’s what doesn’t make sense to me.

Haven't they just done that for the last few days of December? Everyone was leaving for Break in a few days and they didn't want to send everyone home on transportation, etc. with positive COVID cases. That's different than going virtual for second semester.

Harvard just said they will be online in January. This is after universities have even mandated booster shots. High schools have not even mandated the vaccine. We are done for.

This is ridiculous on Harvard's part. These kids are not at risk, and the institutions need to suck it up and let the virus pass through so they can all move on.

Harvard alum. Smart people don't think this way. Good health is the foundation for a positive learning environment, not a policy of mass infection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hoarding cash in case I have to move back to private. But I don’t think they will - MoCo says they will be DL only if the state orders it, and Hogan wants to be president so he won’t.

Now that my kids are vaccinated, I even expect fewer quarantines than fall. More absent kids but just 1-2 who are actually (mildly) ill.

If that were true, how do you explain universities switching to virtual where 99% students are vaccinated? That’s what doesn’t make sense to me.

Haven't they just done that for the last few days of December? Everyone was leaving for Break in a few days and they didn't want to send everyone home on transportation, etc. with positive COVID cases. That's different than going virtual for second semester.

Harvard just said they will be online in January. This is after universities have even mandated booster shots. High schools have not even mandated the vaccine. We are done for.

This is ridiculous on Harvard's part. These kids are not at risk, and the institutions need to suck it up and let the virus pass through so they can all move on.

Harvard alum. Smart people don't think this way. Good health is the foundation for a positive learning environment, not a policy of mass infection.

What a simple-minded thing to say for a "Harvard alum". What's your plan? Restrictions and avoidance into perpetuity? Thankfully, federal leadership isn't thinking that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, we should indeed prepare for virtual schooling in January.

The alternative is your kid sitting in a class not learning, because he has the teacher from the next classroom over and he's with kids from different grades, because lots of teachers and students are out with Covid.

It will come to that.

Even that is better than virtual learning. Sitting in a class with other kids in person IS learning. There is expressive language, there is receptive language, there is pragmatic language skills, social skills, social reciprocity, a hidden social agenda, many non-verbal social cues, I could go on and on and on and on. This is something a lot of people outside education don't understand about children and haven't been able to witness the problems being away from a classroom for so long has caused this fall.

I'm saying this from the vantage point of a special ed teacher who has seen what all the time on virtual learning did to kids when they came back into the classroom this fall. Also, I am the parent of two teens struggling with their mental health. Also, I believe kids will be learning academic content in classrooms.
Ok, so now you are saying you just want someone else watching your kids. I’m with you but let’s be honest about it. Having kids home all the time is hard on parents. School is child care even if we want to pretend otherwise

Half the students in K-12 are able to stay home by themselves: middle and high schoolers. You seem to be fixated on the younger set, which do pose childcare issues. The older kids need INSTRUCTION, for goodness' sakes, not more discussion on their mental health! They need math and writing and history and science and language practice. They need academic continuity and structure. I have a child with special needs, I know all about the language/social/non-verbal cues that a PP talks about, but for goodness sake's we want learning already! So if Omicron makes it such that schools cannot continue in-person instruction due to staff shortages, as I expect it will, I'd rather they switch to virtual when that time comes.

It would be nice if mcps offered a plan to parents but that’s not going to happen. This is only going to get worse before it gets better.

The plan is to keep schools running because Montgomery County's vaccination rate will protect us. What is unclear about that?

Are you not understanding that many of the cases are from vaccinated so exclusively relying on vaccines is a huge mistake. The surges in mcps are from vaccinated. Very few are not vaccinated in mcps.

Cases are among vaccinated individuals. Not serious cases, though.

It is serious as it is highly contagious. How do you know those infected are not seriously sick? What will it take to get you to take Covid seriously? If you want schools to stay open, you need to be part of the solution.

You really haven't looked at data on hospitalizations grouped by vaccination status and age? You should. If you understood the risks you wouldn't be so irrationally scared. Unless you're an antivaxxer or very old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PG County going virtual is a problem. Many MCPS teachers live in PG county. What will they do for childcare. There will be a domino effect

I thought school wasn't child care? Isn't that what the MCEA posters kept saying last year?

Aww, it's so cute how you thought that was a gotcha. Bless your heart.

So other than any low income single mom teachers with no options, that means those teachers won't be coming to class to teach your precious, precious bebes.

There is an emergency meeting tomorrow (BOE) on a contracting/procurement bid. It’s a closed session. $100 bucks it’s for childcare for MCPs teachers who live in pg county. Sorry MCEA you are going to work in January.

Dumb comment- teaching virtually is more work for teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hoarding cash in case I have to move back to private. But I don’t think they will - MoCo says they will be DL only if the state orders it, and Hogan wants to be president so he won’t.

Now that my kids are vaccinated, I even expect fewer quarantines than fall. More absent kids but just 1-2 who are actually (mildly) ill.

If that were true, how do you explain universities switching to virtual where 99% students are vaccinated? That’s what doesn’t make sense to me.

Haven't they just done that for the last few days of December? Everyone was leaving for Break in a few days and they didn't want to send everyone home on transportation, etc. with positive COVID cases. That's different than going virtual for second semester.

Harvard just said they will be online in January. This is after universities have even mandated booster shots. High schools have not even mandated the vaccine. We are done for.

This is ridiculous on Harvard's part. These kids are not at risk, and the institutions need to suck it up and let the virus pass through so they can all move on.

Harvard alum. Smart people don't think this way. Good health is the foundation for a positive learning environment, not a policy of mass infection.

What is your degree in? Gender studies?

Actually there are plenty of ‘smart people’ who are advocating for the same thing. I have two degrees in science and so agree.

No more restrictions. Especially no more restrictions on kids. There is NO excuse to punish kids any more than they already have been punished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PG County going virtual is a problem. Many MCPS teachers live in PG county. What will they do for childcare. There will be a domino effect

I thought school wasn't child care? Isn't that what the MCEA posters kept saying last year?

Aww, it's so cute how you thought that was a gotcha. Bless your heart.

So other than any low income single mom teachers with no options, that means those teachers won't be coming to class to teach your precious, precious bebes.

There is an emergency meeting tomorrow (BOE) on a contracting/procurement bid. It’s a closed session. $100 bucks it’s for childcare for MCPs teachers who live in pg county. Sorry MCEA you are going to work in January.

Dumb comment- teaching virtually is more work for teachers.

Teaching virtually is EASIER for teachers (which is why they are pushing for it) and worse for students. The vaccines do. It work and Omicron is not as deadly as other “variants”. Let’s get back to life and stop living in fear🐴

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PG County going virtual is a problem. Many MCPS teachers live in PG county. What will they do for childcare. There will be a domino effect

I thought school wasn't child care? Isn't that what the MCEA posters kept saying last year?

Aww, it's so cute how you thought that was a gotcha. Bless your heart.

So other than any low income single mom teachers with no options, that means those teachers won't be coming to class to teach your precious, precious bebes.

There is an emergency meeting tomorrow (BOE) on a contracting/procurement bid. It’s a closed session. $100 bucks it’s for childcare for MCPs teachers who live in pg county. Sorry MCEA you are going to work in January.

Dumb comment- teaching virtually is more work for teachers.

Teaching virtually is EASIER for teachers (which is why they are pushing for it) and worse for students. The vaccines do. It work and Omicron is not as deadly as other “variants”. Let’s get back to life and stop living in fear🐴

You're the biggest moron on this thread and that is just sad and pathetic. I feel truly sorry for you. No teachers are pushing for virtual, you halfwit. It's not easier and anyone with a brain understands this. It's the lazy people like you who don't bother to critically think about anything, you just push out false narratives because you're too stupid to do anything else on top of being irrationally angry at educators. *Yawn*, so predictable and boring. Get a hobby or do something to actually enlighten that dim brain of yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hoarding cash in case I have to move back to private. But I don’t think they will - MoCo says they will be DL only if the state orders it, and Hogan wants to be president so he won’t.

Now that my kids are vaccinated, I even expect fewer quarantines than fall. More absent kids but just 1-2 who are actually (mildly) ill.

If that were true, how do you explain universities switching to virtual where 99% students are vaccinated? That’s what doesn’t make sense to me.

Haven't they just done that for the last few days of December? Everyone was leaving for Break in a few days and they didn't want to send everyone home on transportation, etc. with positive COVID cases. That's different than going virtual for second semester.

Harvard just said they will be online in January. This is after universities have even mandated booster shots. High schools have not even mandated the vaccine. We are done for.

This is ridiculous on Harvard's part. These kids are not at risk, and the institutions need to suck it up and let the virus pass through so they can all move on.

Harvard alum. Smart people don't think this way. Good health is the foundation for a positive learning environment, not a policy of mass infection.

What is your degree in? Gender studies?

Actually there are plenty of ‘smart people’ who are advocating for the same thing. I have two degrees in science and so agree.

No more restrictions. Especially no more restrictions on kids. There is NO excuse to punish kids any more than they already have been punished.

I'm not sure what Harvard guy is advocating for. It sounds like a slogan vs. actionable policy. Omicron is highly contagious...so we're going to go back to the 2020 playbook and pretend that it can be contained? MoCo is going to shut their borders? I thought Harvard alumni were supposed to be smart vs. just paying for degrees...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PG County going virtual is a problem. Many MCPS teachers live in PG county. What will they do for childcare. There will be a domino effect

I thought school wasn't child care? Isn't that what the MCEA posters kept saying last year?

Aww, it's so cute how you thought that was a gotcha. Bless your heart.

So other than any low income single mom teachers with no options, that means those teachers won't be coming to class to teach your precious, precious bebes.

There is an emergency meeting tomorrow (BOE) on a contracting/procurement bid. It’s a closed session. $100 bucks it’s for childcare for MCPs teachers who live in pg county. Sorry MCEA you are going to work in January.

Dumb comment- teaching virtually is more work for teachers.

Teaching virtually is EASIER for teachers (which is why they are pushing for it) and worse for students. The vaccines do. It work and Omicron is not as deadly as other “variants”. Let’s get back to life and stop living in fear🐴

You're the biggest moron on this thread and that is just sad and pathetic. I feel truly sorry for you. No teachers are pushing for virtual, you halfwit. It's not easier and anyone with a brain understands this. It's the lazy people like you who don't bother to critically think about anything, you just push out false narratives because you're too stupid to do anything else on top of being irrationally angry at educators. *Yawn*, so predictable and boring. Get a hobby or do something to actually enlighten that dim brain of yours.

I agree with this. Almost no teacher is pushing for virtual this time. It's a miserable way of doing things and will drive even more teachers out of the profession.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hoarding cash in case I have to move back to private. But I don’t think they will - MoCo says they will be DL only if the state orders it, and Hogan wants to be president so he won’t.

Now that my kids are vaccinated, I even expect fewer quarantines than fall. More absent kids but just 1-2 who are actually (mildly) ill.

If that were true, how do you explain universities switching to virtual where 99% students are vaccinated? That’s what doesn’t make sense to me.

Haven't they just done that for the last few days of December? Everyone was leaving for Break in a few days and they didn't want to send everyone home on transportation, etc. with positive COVID cases. That's different than going virtual for second semester.

Harvard just said they will be online in January. This is after universities have even mandated booster shots. High schools have not even mandated the vaccine. We are done for.

This is ridiculous on Harvard's part. These kids are not at risk, and the institutions need to suck it up and let the virus pass through so they can all move on.

Harvard alum. Smart people don't think this way. Good health is the foundation for a positive learning environment, not a policy of mass infection.

What is your degree in? Gender studies?

Actually there are plenty of ‘smart people’ who are advocating for the same thing. I have two degrees in science and so agree.

No more restrictions. Especially no more restrictions on kids. There is NO excuse to punish kids any more than they already have been punished.

I'm not sure what Harvard guy is advocating for. It sounds like a slogan vs. actionable policy. Omicron is highly contagious...so we're going to go back to the 2020 playbook and pretend that it can be contained? MoCo is going to shut their borders? I thought Harvard alumni were supposed to be smart vs. just paying for degrees...

Harvard guy is not wrong. It is not just Harvard. Columbia just moved everything online and strongly encouraged students to go home. No one knows what to expect in January. Cornell shut down. GW and Georgetown also switched final exams to virtual. Same with Stanford. Kids who have been vaccinated and boostered are getting sick. Mild or not, no one wants to get Covid. And parents would freak out if colleges let the virus run rampant. Also, it is terrible policy from a public health perspective to let everyone get sick because medical workers are already fatigued and burned out and some high risk people will die. MCPS does not exist in a vacuum. Kids might be low risk but there are many adults at school along with kids. Maybe you don’t care if a teacher or administrator dies but from a community and public health perspective, that would be a terrible thing. Harvard guy is clearly smarter than all of you nincompoops

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hoarding cash in case I have to move back to private. But I don’t think they will - MoCo says they will be DL only if the state orders it, and Hogan wants to be president so he won’t.

Now that my kids are vaccinated, I even expect fewer quarantines than fall. More absent kids but just 1-2 who are actually (mildly) ill.

If that were true, how do you explain universities switching to virtual where 99% students are vaccinated? That’s what doesn’t make sense to me.

Haven't they just done that for the last few days of December? Everyone was leaving for Break in a few days and they didn't want to send everyone home on transportation, etc. with positive COVID cases. That's different than going virtual for second semester.

Harvard just said they will be online in January. This is after universities have even mandated booster shots. High schools have not even mandated the vaccine. We are done for.

This is ridiculous on Harvard's part. These kids are not at risk, and the institutions need to suck it up and let the virus pass through so they can all move on.

Harvard alum. Smart people don't think this way. Good health is the foundation for a positive learning environment, not a policy of mass infection.

What is your degree in? Gender studies?

Actually there are plenty of ‘smart people’ who are advocating for the same thing. I have two degrees in science and so agree.

No more restrictions. Especially no more restrictions on kids. There is NO excuse to punish kids any more than they already have been punished.

I'm not sure what Harvard guy is advocating for. It sounds like a slogan vs. actionable policy. Omicron is highly contagious...so we're going to go back to the 2020 playbook and pretend that it can be contained? MoCo is going to shut their borders? I thought Harvard alumni were supposed to be smart vs. just paying for degrees...

Harvard guy is not wrong. It is not just Harvard. Columbia just moved everything online and strongly encouraged students to go home. No one knows what to expect in January. Cornell shut down. GW and Georgetown also switched final exams to virtual. Same with Stanford. Kids who have been vaccinated and boostered are getting sick. Mild or not, no one wants to get Covid. And parents would freak out if colleges let the virus run rampant. Also, it is terrible policy from a public health perspective to let everyone get sick because medical workers are already fatigued and burned out and some high risk people will die. MCPS does not exist in a vacuum. Kids might be low risk but there are many adults at school along with kids. Maybe you don’t care if a teacher or administrator dies but from a community and public health perspective, that would be a terrible thing. Harvard guy is clearly smarter than all of you nincompoops

Harvard guy is throwing out generic nonsense. Covid is bad. Good health is good. Thanks, Harvard...how much did the ability to expound such insight cost you? It doesn't help contain the virus in any way, and state/local governments aren't lifting a finger really. Those colleges are kicking the can down the road and aren't moving a needle. Nearly every single one of those college kids will get infected by next year regardless of what those university administrators do.

[Anonymous]

My college kid’s roommate is currently hospitalized with covid right now. She was vaccinated. Covid is still unpredictable. Also, this is flu season which is a double whammy. It sucks. Feels like we are spiraling out of control again. MCPS will drag its feet and then suddenly go virtual with no notice. I hope it doesn’t happen but what are the odds. No substitute in their right mind will be willing to sub in January in person. I heard parents are clamoring to get their kids into virtual academy but there is a huge waiting list