Call to Action: Help create a safe learning environment for medically fragile students

[Anonymous]

I think it is terrible they are doing away with the virtual academy in the lower grades. I'm sorry, OP.

I think all schools should have better ventilation. And windows that open. And hepa filters running.

I have to go now, but I will try to remember to come back to this and sign those letters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the constructive comments, both supportive and challenging to this notion. I fully understand that this is an unorthodox approach, but given the road my family, as well as others, have been on to get here, it's almost literally the only safe path forward.

Yes, it is difficulty for the school to figure this problem out.
Yes, there is a lot of leg work for us to do in order to build support within the community and with MCPS administration.

But it is demonstrable that schools are currently ill-equipped to mitigate the spread of COVID (and other airborne diseases). It is also the case that kids are affected by this disease and it's complications, including disability and death. Furthermore, there are an estimated 30% of households dealing with the complications of long-COVID which directly correlates with the rise in chronic absenteeism in MCPS.

My point is, it is actually imperative that the school begins to address this issue lest we as a county/society choose to accept the medical burden we are placing on our kids for literally their entire lives.

But more specifically to my daughter, she is guaranteed, by law, free and safe access to a full education in the least-restrictive manner possible. In-person schooling is currently NOT safe; at home IIS services currently are not a full education; virtual schooling is currently not an option (nor will it be next year). It is upon the school to ensure that access, that is what this cohort is trying to achieve.

I’m sorry for what your child is going through but I think you are placing a highly irrational degree of faith in ventilation and masks. Respiratory illnesses and immune compromised kids existed before covid. Creating some kind of bubble classroom for them was not feasible before and is not feasible now. A child so fragile that they cannot get a respiratory virus probably needs to be homeschooled or put on the medical homecare program.

It’s not faith, or irrational, to understand the studies that have shown that universal masking, proper ventilation, and air filtration can result in significant drops in disease spread. It’s literally the opposite. And to want that safe environment for my child seems like what a normal parent would want.

It’s quite unfortunate that while there are plenty of good faith comments on here, there really seems to be an underlying thread of snark and pettiness that shows up. This thread wasn’t started to give license to random anonymous forum trolls to drop proverbial grenades that are only meant to derail the discussion. I was asking for like-minded parents who would also like a safer environment for their kids to support the cause and raise the issue with MCPS and BoE leadership.

Just go the homeschooling route and drop it. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and headache. You’re not going to convince MCPS and the rest of us of your delusions. Your fantasy of an always-masking learning environment in a public school setting is not going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has your daughter gotten the Covid vaccine series, including the newest Fall 2023 booster?
Have all the adults/siblings etc. around your daughter gotten up to date with their vaccines?
Have you discussed the necessity and feasibility of your daughter masking forever, or for the foreseeable future, in detail with your physicians and specialists and sought their recommendations going forward?

Somehow I have the feeling that the answers to the above questions are not all going to be a resounding "yes".

I think that lobbying for better air/HVAC always makes sense and will reduce the transmission of all respiratory illnesses, however, creating separate classrooms where everyone wants to voluntarily mask forever will be difficult.

Vaccines don't stop transmission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the constructive comments, both supportive and challenging to this notion. I fully understand that this is an unorthodox approach, but given the road my family, as well as others, have been on to get here, it's almost literally the only safe path forward.

Yes, it is difficulty for the school to figure this problem out.
Yes, there is a lot of leg work for us to do in order to build support within the community and with MCPS administration.

But it is demonstrable that schools are currently ill-equipped to mitigate the spread of COVID (and other airborne diseases). It is also the case that kids are affected by this disease and it's complications, including disability and death. Furthermore, there are an estimated 30% of households dealing with the complications of long-COVID which directly correlates with the rise in chronic absenteeism in MCPS.

My point is, it is actually imperative that the school begins to address this issue lest we as a county/society choose to accept the medical burden we are placing on our kids for literally their entire lives.

But more specifically to my daughter, she is guaranteed, by law, free and safe access to a full education in the least-restrictive manner possible. In-person schooling is currently NOT safe; at home IIS services currently are not a full education; virtual schooling is currently not an option (nor will it be next year). It is upon the school to ensure that access, that is what this cohort is trying to achieve.

I’m sorry for what your child is going through but I think you are placing a highly irrational degree of faith in ventilation and masks. Respiratory illnesses and immune compromised kids existed before covid. Creating some kind of bubble classroom for them was not feasible before and is not feasible now. A child so fragile that they cannot get a respiratory virus probably needs to be homeschooled or put on the medical homecare program.

It’s not faith, or irrational, to understand the studies that have shown that universal masking, proper ventilation, and air filtration can result in significant drops in disease spread. It’s literally the opposite. And to want that safe environment for my child seems like what a normal parent would want.

It’s quite unfortunate that while there are plenty of good faith comments on here, there really seems to be an underlying thread of snark and pettiness that shows up. This thread wasn’t started to give license to random anonymous forum trolls to drop proverbial grenades that are only meant to derail the discussion. I was asking for like-minded parents who would also like a safer environment for their kids to support the cause and raise the issue with MCPS and BoE leadership.

You’re getting snark because you’re asking for special treatment no other kids get that is not feasible and of questionable benefit anyway. The fact that you are looking for “like minded parents” is the tell that you are being irrational about masks and ventilation.

They are asking for equal access to education for their child. Ironic that folks here scream about diversity and equity and for this child, there is none of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I sympathize with you, and I do think VA should be available at the lower grade levels, I think you might want to look at home-schooling. Public schools aren't built to create and sustain the kind of small, specialized cohorts you're asking for.

I wonder if rather you can lobby for the VA to keep serving lower grades. Did they explain why they would no longer be serving the lower grades?

I'm guessing it's because VA does not work for that age. Not developmentally appropriate. So they want to force kids that age into something more appropriate or they are stuck attempting to address the learning loss and how far behind they are by 3rd or 4th grade.

Your guess is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the constructive comments, both supportive and challenging to this notion. I fully understand that this is an unorthodox approach, but given the road my family, as well as others, have been on to get here, it's almost literally the only safe path forward.

Yes, it is difficulty for the school to figure this problem out.
Yes, there is a lot of leg work for us to do in order to build support within the community and with MCPS administration.

But it is demonstrable that schools are currently ill-equipped to mitigate the spread of COVID (and other airborne diseases). It is also the case that kids are affected by this disease and it's complications, including disability and death. Furthermore, there are an estimated 30% of households dealing with the complications of long-COVID which directly correlates with the rise in chronic absenteeism in MCPS.

My point is, it is actually imperative that the school begins to address this issue lest we as a county/society choose to accept the medical burden we are placing on our kids for literally their entire lives.

But more specifically to my daughter, she is guaranteed, by law, free and safe access to a full education in the least-restrictive manner possible. In-person schooling is currently NOT safe; at home IIS services currently are not a full education; virtual schooling is currently not an option (nor will it be next year). It is upon the school to ensure that access, that is what this cohort is trying to achieve.

I already knew you were one of those parents but this confirms it. Good luck to you. You're gonna need it.

Exactly. Those of us that watched in real time our kids endure the kind of restrictions that OP is asking for in public schools during the pandemic know this is not the road forward. Making kids wear mask poorly affected students.
We know this is not something that is in best interest of 95% of students.
OP, if you truly believe your kid is this fragile, keep them at home. If you believe that masks work, put your kid in a mask. But keep the rest of us out of it.
Life isn't fair, I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the constructive comments, both supportive and challenging to this notion. I fully understand that this is an unorthodox approach, but given the road my family, as well as others, have been on to get here, it's almost literally the only safe path forward.

Yes, it is difficulty for the school to figure this problem out.
Yes, there is a lot of leg work for us to do in order to build support within the community and with MCPS administration.

But it is demonstrable that schools are currently ill-equipped to mitigate the spread of COVID (and other airborne diseases). It is also the case that kids are affected by this disease and it's complications, including disability and death. Furthermore, there are an estimated 30% of households dealing with the complications of long-COVID which directly correlates with the rise in chronic absenteeism in MCPS.

My point is, it is actually imperative that the school begins to address this issue lest we as a county/society choose to accept the medical burden we are placing on our kids for literally their entire lives.

But more specifically to my daughter, she is guaranteed, by law, free and safe access to a full education in the least-restrictive manner possible. In-person schooling is currently NOT safe; at home IIS services currently are not a full education; virtual schooling is currently not an option (nor will it be next year). It is upon the school to ensure that access, that is what this cohort is trying to achieve.

I’m sorry for what your child is going through but I think you are placing a highly irrational degree of faith in ventilation and masks. Respiratory illnesses and immune compromised kids existed before covid. Creating some kind of bubble classroom for them was not feasible before and is not feasible now. A child so fragile that they cannot get a respiratory virus probably needs to be homeschooled or put on the medical homecare program.

It’s not faith, or irrational, to understand the studies that have shown that universal masking, proper ventilation, and air filtration can result in significant drops in disease spread. It’s literally the opposite. And to want that safe environment for my child seems like what a normal parent would want.

It’s quite unfortunate that while there are plenty of good faith comments on here, there really seems to be an underlying thread of snark and pettiness that shows up. This thread wasn’t started to give license to random anonymous forum trolls to drop proverbial grenades that are only meant to derail the discussion. I was asking for like-minded parents who would also like a safer environment for their kids to support the cause and raise the issue with MCPS and BoE leadership.

You’re getting snark because you’re asking for special treatment no other kids get that is not feasible and of questionable benefit anyway. The fact that you are looking for “like minded parents” is the tell that you are being irrational about masks and ventilation.

I’m asking for my child, and any other that asks for it, to have safe access to a full education as of required by law. If you don’t care that your child goes to school without the mitigations I am asking for, then kindly go about your business and end the childish, unproductive bloviating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the constructive comments, both supportive and challenging to this notion. I fully understand that this is an unorthodox approach, but given the road my family, as well as others, have been on to get here, it's almost literally the only safe path forward.

Yes, it is difficulty for the school to figure this problem out.
Yes, there is a lot of leg work for us to do in order to build support within the community and with MCPS administration.

But it is demonstrable that schools are currently ill-equipped to mitigate the spread of COVID (and other airborne diseases). It is also the case that kids are affected by this disease and it's complications, including disability and death. Furthermore, there are an estimated 30% of households dealing with the complications of long-COVID which directly correlates with the rise in chronic absenteeism in MCPS.

My point is, it is actually imperative that the school begins to address this issue lest we as a county/society choose to accept the medical burden we are placing on our kids for literally their entire lives.

But more specifically to my daughter, she is guaranteed, by law, free and safe access to a full education in the least-restrictive manner possible. In-person schooling is currently NOT safe; at home IIS services currently are not a full education; virtual schooling is currently not an option (nor will it be next year). It is upon the school to ensure that access, that is what this cohort is trying to achieve.

I’m sorry for what your child is going through but I think you are placing a highly irrational degree of faith in ventilation and masks. Respiratory illnesses and immune compromised kids existed before covid. Creating some kind of bubble classroom for them was not feasible before and is not feasible now. A child so fragile that they cannot get a respiratory virus probably needs to be homeschooled or put on the medical homecare program.

It’s not faith, or irrational, to understand the studies that have shown that universal masking, proper ventilation, and air filtration can result in significant drops in disease spread. It’s literally the opposite. And to want that safe environment for my child seems like what a normal parent would want.

It’s quite unfortunate that while there are plenty of good faith comments on here, there really seems to be an underlying thread of snark and pettiness that shows up. This thread wasn’t started to give license to random anonymous forum trolls to drop proverbial grenades that are only meant to derail the discussion. I was asking for like-minded parents who would also like a safer environment for their kids to support the cause and raise the issue with MCPS and BoE leadership.

Forever and ever and always? Never take them off for their entire lives? Go live in Iran if you believe in forcing people to cover their faces for a lifetime.
Studies have also shown that people, especially your garden variety the younger ones, are horrible at mask management. Did you miss that in your study? Do you expect students to not eat lunch too?
We aren't trolls, but parents that live in reality. And many of us already saw this movie and know how it turns out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has your daughter gotten the Covid vaccine series, including the newest Fall 2023 booster?
Have all the adults/siblings etc. around your daughter gotten up to date with their vaccines?
Have you discussed the necessity and feasibility of your daughter masking forever, or for the foreseeable future, in detail with your physicians and specialists and sought their recommendations going forward?

Somehow I have the feeling that the answers to the above questions are not all going to be a resounding "yes".

NP. I don’t know why you’d think that. A parent in our household has long COVID and has not been able to work or be upright for longer than about an hour at a time since June 2022. Yes, we have done everything on this list of things you can’t imagine anyone doing.

Somehow I have the feeling that you have no idea what it is like to be a medically fragile person, or to be a kid with one parent living with long COVID. It sucks.

OP, I commend you for the effort here. We are surrounded by traumatized people who respond to their experiences in the pandemic by lashing out at anyone pointing out it’s not over on their exact preferred schedule. I’ll sign though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the constructive comments, both supportive and challenging to this notion. I fully understand that this is an unorthodox approach, but given the road my family, as well as others, have been on to get here, it's almost literally the only safe path forward.

Yes, it is difficulty for the school to figure this problem out.
Yes, there is a lot of leg work for us to do in order to build support within the community and with MCPS administration.

But it is demonstrable that schools are currently ill-equipped to mitigate the spread of COVID (and other airborne diseases). It is also the case that kids are affected by this disease and it's complications, including disability and death. Furthermore, there are an estimated 30% of households dealing with the complications of long-COVID which directly correlates with the rise in chronic absenteeism in MCPS.

My point is, it is actually imperative that the school begins to address this issue lest we as a county/society choose to accept the medical burden we are placing on our kids for literally their entire lives.

But more specifically to my daughter, she is guaranteed, by law, free and safe access to a full education in the least-restrictive manner possible. In-person schooling is currently NOT safe; at home IIS services currently are not a full education; virtual schooling is currently not an option (nor will it be next year). It is upon the school to ensure that access, that is what this cohort is trying to achieve.

I’m sorry for what your child is going through but I think you are placing a highly irrational degree of faith in ventilation and masks. Respiratory illnesses and immune compromised kids existed before covid. Creating some kind of bubble classroom for them was not feasible before and is not feasible now. A child so fragile that they cannot get a respiratory virus probably needs to be homeschooled or put on the medical homecare program.

It’s not faith, or irrational, to understand the studies that have shown that universal masking, proper ventilation, and air filtration can result in significant drops in disease spread. It’s literally the opposite. And to want that safe environment for my child seems like what a normal parent would want.

It’s quite unfortunate that while there are plenty of good faith comments on here, there really seems to be an underlying thread of snark and pettiness that shows up. This thread wasn’t started to give license to random anonymous forum trolls to drop proverbial grenades that are only meant to derail the discussion. I was asking for like-minded parents who would also like a safer environment for their kids to support the cause and raise the issue with MCPS and BoE leadership.

You’re getting snark because you’re asking for special treatment no other kids get that is not feasible and of questionable benefit anyway. The fact that you are looking for “like minded parents” is the tell that you are being irrational about masks and ventilation.

I’m asking for my child, and any other that asks for it, to have safe access to a full education as of required by law. If you don’t care that your child goes to school without the mitigations I am asking for, then kindly go about your business and end the childish, unproductive bloviating.

You are a post-pandemic hypochondriac.

Other parents with medically fragile children have already told you home schooling is the best route for you.

This universal masking, bubble cohort fantasy you’re fighting for is not viable. Wake up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the constructive comments, both supportive and challenging to this notion. I fully understand that this is an unorthodox approach, but given the road my family, as well as others, have been on to get here, it's almost literally the only safe path forward.

Yes, it is difficulty for the school to figure this problem out.
Yes, there is a lot of leg work for us to do in order to build support within the community and with MCPS administration.

But it is demonstrable that schools are currently ill-equipped to mitigate the spread of COVID (and other airborne diseases). It is also the case that kids are affected by this disease and it's complications, including disability and death. Furthermore, there are an estimated 30% of households dealing with the complications of long-COVID which directly correlates with the rise in chronic absenteeism in MCPS.

My point is, it is actually imperative that the school begins to address this issue lest we as a county/society choose to accept the medical burden we are placing on our kids for literally their entire lives.

But more specifically to my daughter, she is guaranteed, by law, free and safe access to a full education in the least-restrictive manner possible. In-person schooling is currently NOT safe; at home IIS services currently are not a full education; virtual schooling is currently not an option (nor will it be next year). It is upon the school to ensure that access, that is what this cohort is trying to achieve.

I already knew you were one of those parents but this confirms it. Good luck to you. You're gonna need it.

Exactly. Those of us that watched in real time our kids endure the kind of restrictions that OP is asking for in public schools during the pandemic know this is not the road forward. Making kids wear mask poorly affected students.
We know this is not something that is in best interest of 95% of students.
OP, if you truly believe your kid is this fragile, keep them at home. If you believe that masks work, put your kid in a mask. But keep the rest of us out of it.
Life isn't fair, I know.

We get it. Its very hard for you to be a decent human and care about someone else's child or to teach your child empathy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the constructive comments, both supportive and challenging to this notion. I fully understand that this is an unorthodox approach, but given the road my family, as well as others, have been on to get here, it's almost literally the only safe path forward.

Yes, it is difficulty for the school to figure this problem out.
Yes, there is a lot of leg work for us to do in order to build support within the community and with MCPS administration.

But it is demonstrable that schools are currently ill-equipped to mitigate the spread of COVID (and other airborne diseases). It is also the case that kids are affected by this disease and it's complications, including disability and death. Furthermore, there are an estimated 30% of households dealing with the complications of long-COVID which directly correlates with the rise in chronic absenteeism in MCPS.

My point is, it is actually imperative that the school begins to address this issue lest we as a county/society choose to accept the medical burden we are placing on our kids for literally their entire lives.

But more specifically to my daughter, she is guaranteed, by law, free and safe access to a full education in the least-restrictive manner possible. In-person schooling is currently NOT safe; at home IIS services currently are not a full education; virtual schooling is currently not an option (nor will it be next year). It is upon the school to ensure that access, that is what this cohort is trying to achieve.

I’m sorry for what your child is going through but I think you are placing a highly irrational degree of faith in ventilation and masks. Respiratory illnesses and immune compromised kids existed before covid. Creating some kind of bubble classroom for them was not feasible before and is not feasible now. A child so fragile that they cannot get a respiratory virus probably needs to be homeschooled or put on the medical homecare program.

It’s not faith, or irrational, to understand the studies that have shown that universal masking, proper ventilation, and air filtration can result in significant drops in disease spread. It’s literally the opposite. And to want that safe environment for my child seems like what a normal parent would want.

It’s quite unfortunate that while there are plenty of good faith comments on here, there really seems to be an underlying thread of snark and pettiness that shows up. This thread wasn’t started to give license to random anonymous forum trolls to drop proverbial grenades that are only meant to derail the discussion. I was asking for like-minded parents who would also like a safer environment for their kids to support the cause and raise the issue with MCPS and BoE leadership.

You’re getting snark because you’re asking for special treatment no other kids get that is not feasible and of questionable benefit anyway. The fact that you are looking for “like minded parents” is the tell that you are being irrational about masks and ventilation.

I’m asking for my child, and any other that asks for it, to have safe access to a full education as of required by law. If you don’t care that your child goes to school without the mitigations I am asking for, then kindly go about your business and end the childish, unproductive bloviating.

You are a post-pandemic hypochondriac.

Other parents with medically fragile children have already told you home schooling is the best route for you.

This universal masking, bubble cohort fantasy you’re fighting for is not viable. Wake up.

How sad for you you have no empathy or concern. You all have always said homeschooling or virtual isn't good enough for your kids so why is it good enough for hers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the constructive comments, both supportive and challenging to this notion. I fully understand that this is an unorthodox approach, but given the road my family, as well as others, have been on to get here, it's almost literally the only safe path forward.

Yes, it is difficulty for the school to figure this problem out.
Yes, there is a lot of leg work for us to do in order to build support within the community and with MCPS administration.

But it is demonstrable that schools are currently ill-equipped to mitigate the spread of COVID (and other airborne diseases). It is also the case that kids are affected by this disease and it's complications, including disability and death. Furthermore, there are an estimated 30% of households dealing with the complications of long-COVID which directly correlates with the rise in chronic absenteeism in MCPS.

My point is, it is actually imperative that the school begins to address this issue lest we as a county/society choose to accept the medical burden we are placing on our kids for literally their entire lives.

But more specifically to my daughter, she is guaranteed, by law, free and safe access to a full education in the least-restrictive manner possible. In-person schooling is currently NOT safe; at home IIS services currently are not a full education; virtual schooling is currently not an option (nor will it be next year). It is upon the school to ensure that access, that is what this cohort is trying to achieve.

I’m sorry for what your child is going through but I think you are placing a highly irrational degree of faith in ventilation and masks. Respiratory illnesses and immune compromised kids existed before covid. Creating some kind of bubble classroom for them was not feasible before and is not feasible now. A child so fragile that they cannot get a respiratory virus probably needs to be homeschooled or put on the medical homecare program.

It’s not faith, or irrational, to understand the studies that have shown that universal masking, proper ventilation, and air filtration can result in significant drops in disease spread. It’s literally the opposite. And to want that safe environment for my child seems like what a normal parent would want.

It’s quite unfortunate that while there are plenty of good faith comments on here, there really seems to be an underlying thread of snark and pettiness that shows up. This thread wasn’t started to give license to random anonymous forum trolls to drop proverbial grenades that are only meant to derail the discussion. I was asking for like-minded parents who would also like a safer environment for their kids to support the cause and raise the issue with MCPS and BoE leadership.

You’re getting snark because you’re asking for special treatment no other kids get that is not feasible and of questionable benefit anyway. The fact that you are looking for “like minded parents” is the tell that you are being irrational about masks and ventilation.

I’m asking for my child, and any other that asks for it, to have safe access to a full education as of required by law. If you don’t care that your child goes to school without the mitigations I am asking for, then kindly go about your business and end the childish, unproductive bloviating.

You are a post-pandemic hypochondriac.

Other parents with medically fragile children have already told you home schooling is the best route for you.

This universal masking, bubble cohort fantasy you’re fighting for is not viable. Wake up.

Having a hard time accepting social cues like the ones you are ignoring is a symptom. Of what, only your psychologist or psychiatrist can say. Good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate the constructive comments, both supportive and challenging to this notion. I fully understand that this is an unorthodox approach, but given the road my family, as well as others, have been on to get here, it's almost literally the only safe path forward.

Yes, it is difficulty for the school to figure this problem out.
Yes, there is a lot of leg work for us to do in order to build support within the community and with MCPS administration.

But it is demonstrable that schools are currently ill-equipped to mitigate the spread of COVID (and other airborne diseases). It is also the case that kids are affected by this disease and it's complications, including disability and death. Furthermore, there are an estimated 30% of households dealing with the complications of long-COVID which directly correlates with the rise in chronic absenteeism in MCPS.

My point is, it is actually imperative that the school begins to address this issue lest we as a county/society choose to accept the medical burden we are placing on our kids for literally their entire lives.

But more specifically to my daughter, she is guaranteed, by law, free and safe access to a full education in the least-restrictive manner possible. In-person schooling is currently NOT safe; at home IIS services currently are not a full education; virtual schooling is currently not an option (nor will it be next year). It is upon the school to ensure that access, that is what this cohort is trying to achieve.

I’m sorry for what your child is going through but I think you are placing a highly irrational degree of faith in ventilation and masks. Respiratory illnesses and immune compromised kids existed before covid. Creating some kind of bubble classroom for them was not feasible before and is not feasible now. A child so fragile that they cannot get a respiratory virus probably needs to be homeschooled or put on the medical homecare program.

It’s not faith, or irrational, to understand the studies that have shown that universal masking, proper ventilation, and air filtration can result in significant drops in disease spread. It’s literally the opposite. And to want that safe environment for my child seems like what a normal parent would want.

It’s quite unfortunate that while there are plenty of good faith comments on here, there really seems to be an underlying thread of snark and pettiness that shows up. This thread wasn’t started to give license to random anonymous forum trolls to drop proverbial grenades that are only meant to derail the discussion. I was asking for like-minded parents who would also like a safer environment for their kids to support the cause and raise the issue with MCPS and BoE leadership.

You’re getting snark because you’re asking for special treatment no other kids get that is not feasible and of questionable benefit anyway. The fact that you are looking for “like minded parents” is the tell that you are being irrational about masks and ventilation.

I’m asking for my child, and any other that asks for it, to have safe access to a full education as of required by law. If you don’t care that your child goes to school without the mitigations I am asking for, then kindly go about your business and end the childish, unproductive bloviating.

You are a post-pandemic hypochondriac.

Other parents with medically fragile children have already told you home schooling is the best route for you.

This universal masking, bubble cohort fantasy you’re fighting for is not viable. Wake up.

How sad for you you have no empathy or concern. You all have always said homeschooling or virtual isn't good enough for your kids so why is it good enough for hers?

If my kids were as medically fragile as OP says hers are, I would be pursuing homeschooling options without hesitation. Not trying to force MCPS make a bubble for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I sympathize with you, and I do think VA should be available at the lower grade levels, I think you might want to look at home-schooling. Public schools aren't built to create and sustain the kind of small, specialized cohorts you're asking for.

I wonder if rather you can lobby for the VA to keep serving lower grades. Did they explain why they would no longer be serving the lower grades?

I'm guessing it's because VA does not work for that age. Not developmentally appropriate. So they want to force kids that age into something more appropriate or they are stuck attempting to address the learning loss and how far behind they are by 3rd or 4th grade.

Your guess is wrong.

DP. Of course it probably mostly came down to money. But virtual not working for young kids certainly didn't help.