Virtual Snow Days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

Full disclosure- I’m not an mcps parent. But there’s zero chance I’d require my kid to get on a zoom on a sledding day.

Yeah. Use virtual for wintry mix days. Use snow days for truly snowy days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

We won’t either. But I don’t care if they hold the zoom without us.

- another parent

This is why zoom ends up being useless - half the kids will skip.
I’m a HS teacher. There is no way I can teach new material that day.

What could work is requiring teachers to hold 2 hour zoom office hours on virtual days. Kids could get extra help if needed or sort out any grade or incomplete assignment questions. Or maybe 4 hours total - 2h in the morning and 2h in the afternoon to give maximum flexibility for kids to attend

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days. He said to pay attention to weather forecasts and remind students to take devices home. He also said there will be a color code similar to Howard County on snow days to differentiate when schools are closed in person but open online or when teachers have to report to the building but students do not. I didn’t get to ask what I’m supposed to do with my own children if I Mayo see to work from school but they aren’t in school in person. Or how I’m supposed to be stuck on zoom with a 7 year old running around. I refuse to teach on zoom for a snow day. I will post asynchronous homework. Children deserve to have snow days. This will continue to drive parents away from MCPS to private schools.

You do the same thing that other working parents do when school is closed but work is not. You make sure you have backup childcare in place or you negotiate with you spouse (if you have) who will supervise the children on a given day. If it’s your day to supervise your children, you take the day off and use PTO.

Everyone I know with kids that isn’t a teacher has a job flexible enough or with enough leave that they don’t have to work from home while supervising their child. Yet they get paid 300% more than I do.

Then it sounds like you need to switch to another job. Not all jobs have that flexibility. Teaching for example doesn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

Full disclosure- I’m not an mcps parent. But there’s zero chance I’d require my kid to get on a zoom on a sledding day.

MCPS closes mostly for rain. So kid wouldn’t miss out on sledding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

We won’t either. But I don’t care if they hold the zoom without us.

- another parent

This is why zoom ends up being useless - half the kids will skip.
I’m a HS teacher. There is no way I can teach new material that day.

What could work is requiring teachers to hold 2 hour zoom office hours on virtual days. Kids could get extra help if needed or sort out any grade or incomplete assignment questions. Or maybe 4 hours total - 2h in the morning and 2h in the afternoon to give maximum flexibility for kids to attend

That would be really cool, although I feel for teachers who have to do that. I know you often have childcare and other family/work needs too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

Full disclosure- I’m not an mcps parent. But there’s zero chance I’d require my kid to get on a zoom on a sledding day.

I'm not either. Not that we have big snows, but my kids are required to help us dig out when it does snow. And THEN they can go sledding. MCPS KNOWS when there are snow days, that many older children become responsible for younger children. And therefore won't learn a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

We won’t either. But I don’t care if they hold the zoom without us.

- another parent

This is why zoom ends up being useless - half the kids will skip.
I’m a HS teacher. There is no way I can teach new material that day.

What could work is requiring teachers to hold 2 hour zoom office hours on virtual days. Kids could get extra help if needed or sort out any grade or incomplete assignment questions. Or maybe 4 hours total - 2h in the morning and 2h in the afternoon to give maximum flexibility for kids to attend

Zoom isn't useless for the kids who have active parents who make sure they attend. If kids don't attend they get an unexcused absence. Simple. Have some consequences. If they miss the content that's on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

Full disclosure- I’m not an mcps parent. But there’s zero chance I’d require my kid to get on a zoom on a sledding day.

I'm not either. Not that we have big snows, but my kids are required to help us dig out when it does snow. And THEN they can go sledding. MCPS KNOWS when there are snow days, that many older children become responsible for younger children. And therefore won't learn a thing.

Sounds like a huge parenting failure if you prioritize them digging out your cars and house over education. Funny, some of our kids are still in virtual school and thriving. If you don't support your kids and help them, of course, they will fail at it. It's about priorities. It's clear where yours is.

[Anonymous]

So funny to me that the majority of parents who are outraged by this are the same ones that were shouting how education is such a priority and we should emphasize the value of education over every thing else. Except snow I guess. Snow days are way more important. Got it.

(Then the whole, "virtual learning was a disaster for my family; therefore, it's' a disaster for EVERY family"...calm down, dawns of the world. your kid will be fine on zoom for a day. if they aren't....yikes....)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

We won’t either. But I don’t care if they hold the zoom without us.

- another parent

This is why zoom ends up being useless - half the kids will skip.
I’m a HS teacher. There is no way I can teach new material that day.

What could work is requiring teachers to hold 2 hour zoom office hours on virtual days. Kids could get extra help if needed or sort out any grade or incomplete assignment questions. Or maybe 4 hours total - 2h in the morning and 2h in the afternoon to give maximum flexibility for kids to attend

Zoom isn't useless for the kids who have active parents who make sure they attend. If kids don't attend they get an unexcused absence. Simple. Have some consequences. If they miss the content that's on them.

Unexcused absences have absolutely no consequences these days. I have a few students who have attended class only 3-4 days this quarter. Administration is still pressuring teachers to help these kids pass. It is depressing but missing school means nothing in MCPS these days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

We won’t either. But I don’t care if they hold the zoom without us.

- another parent

This is why zoom ends up being useless - half the kids will skip.
I’m a HS teacher. There is no way I can teach new material that day.

What could work is requiring teachers to hold 2 hour zoom office hours on virtual days. Kids could get extra help if needed or sort out any grade or incomplete assignment questions. Or maybe 4 hours total - 2h in the morning and 2h in the afternoon to give maximum flexibility for kids to attend

Zoom isn't useless for the kids who have active parents who make sure they attend. If kids don't attend they get an unexcused absence. Simple. Have some consequences. If they miss the content that's on them.

Unexcused absences have absolutely no consequences these days. I have a few students who have attended class only 3-4 days this quarter. Administration is still pressuring teachers to help these kids pass. It is depressing but missing school means nothing in MCPS these days

Between parents and MCPS.... its sad...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

We won’t either. But I don’t care if they hold the zoom without us.

- another parent

This is why zoom ends up being useless - half the kids will skip.
I’m a HS teacher. There is no way I can teach new material that day.

What could work is requiring teachers to hold 2 hour zoom office hours on virtual days. Kids could get extra help if needed or sort out any grade or incomplete assignment questions. Or maybe 4 hours total - 2h in the morning and 2h in the afternoon to give maximum flexibility for kids to attend

Zoom isn't useless for the kids who have active parents who make sure they attend. If kids don't attend they get an unexcused absence. Simple. Have some consequences. If they miss the content that's on them.

My kid's parents are active. Our activity is preserving his childhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

We won’t either. But I don’t care if they hold the zoom without us.

- another parent

This is why zoom ends up being useless - half the kids will skip.
I’m a HS teacher. There is no way I can teach new material that day.

What could work is requiring teachers to hold 2 hour zoom office hours on virtual days. Kids could get extra help if needed or sort out any grade or incomplete assignment questions. Or maybe 4 hours total - 2h in the morning and 2h in the afternoon to give maximum flexibility for kids to attend

Zoom isn't useless for the kids who have active parents who make sure they attend. If kids don't attend they get an unexcused absence. Simple. Have some consequences. If they miss the content that's on them.

My kid's parents are active. Our activity is preserving his childhood.

Part of childhood is getting an education. So, if you choose not to have your kids go to school that's on you for your bad parenting.

[Anonymous]

The purpose here is to reserve the ability to have a virtual day instead of using a snow day. However, they are pretty much targeting multiday events. So when we get a snow storm of 18 inches on a Sunday night, they can close on Monday as regular, but then use virtual days for Tuesday onward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My principal told us Monday that MCPS was going to require live, synchronous zoom classes on snow days.

Yeah, we're not doing this.

-Parent

We won’t either. But I don’t care if they hold the zoom without us.

- another parent

This is why zoom ends up being useless - half the kids will skip.
I’m a HS teacher. There is no way I can teach new material that day.

What could work is requiring teachers to hold 2 hour zoom office hours on virtual days. Kids could get extra help if needed or sort out any grade or incomplete assignment questions. Or maybe 4 hours total - 2h in the morning and 2h in the afternoon to give maximum flexibility for kids to attend

Zoom isn't useless for the kids who have active parents who make sure they attend. If kids don't attend they get an unexcused absence. Simple. Have some consequences. If they miss the content that's on them.

For a school system that loves to highlight all of their equity and inclusion, virtual snow days are far from equitable. Many of my students do not have access to a computer at home, even after sending home flyers and emails encouraging families to sign up to borrow one from MCPS for the school year. And they don't know how to log on to zoom, because they have never been in zoom school. These virtual snow days will be incredibly unproductive days of tech troubleshooting and frustration for early elementary students.