MCPS closed tomorrow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am glad schools are closed. I think they made the right call. I am going hang my holiday lights outside while my kiddos sleep in.

Enjoy your paid day off. But understand this isn’t how MCPS rebuilds trust with parents. That’s going to come back to bite you as more and more parents realize they can’t count on the public school system.

No one cares if you trust MCPS or not.
Feel free to leave and move to PG or Frederick or to private school.
Some of you parents are the worst. Chill out a little.
I used to live in Indiana and man, this area is so uptight.
Everyone is constantly just complaining and whining about every little thing.
Maybe look in the mirror. Rant over now.

Like the teacher that complained that she couldn’t possibly be expected to go to work if she wasn’t able to blow dry her hair this morning?

I’m from the midwest, too. There’s absolutely no way this would have closed schools where I grew up.

+1
People in the midwest where I'm from would never tolerate half this bullshit and it wouldn't happen in the first place.

I’m from the Midwest. There was a rural school system in my county that ran buses on a foggy morning and one of the buses collided with a car, killing the car’s driver. After a huge lawsuit, that school system called a 2 hour delay for any fog for decades afterward. My childhood bff works under the superintendent in my hometown school system. The teachers were refusing to attend back to school night because they didn’t receive extra compensation for it. The superintendent had to offer for the first day of school to begin on a two hour delay in order to get the teachers to agree to attend back to school night one evening. One year they negotiated a delayed opening every Wednesday. If you think all Midwestern schools operate the same way they did when we were growing up, you’re mistaken.

Came back to clarify, in case this sounds like teacher bashing. I’m not bashing the teachers, I’m bashing the administrators. Back to school night happens every year and should have been part of the negotiations all along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We all have Covid after our Thanksgiving super spreader so this day means one less day of absence from school for the kids.

I hope you all get better soon. There will be many families and even teachers in the same boat. And they might not have realized it if school had been in session today. The closure may help prevent some spread.

Honestly, MCPS might want to consider closing Wednesday to Tuesday next year anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

Easier as in a superintendent who doesn't even live here. Easier for her. She takes the easy route every time.

[Anonymous]

I wish MCPS closed for the full week of thanksgiving. Many school districts do that.
It would make travel so much easier and kids + teachers need a break.
My brother’s kids in CA get a full week off at thanksgiving and 3 weeks winter break.
Much better schedule than miserly MCPS. My kids are thrilled with today.

[Anonymous]

I remembered that in 2011, Hurricane Irene caused widespread power outages in the county. I went back and found the emails showing how MCPS handled it at that time.


Email from Sun, Aug 28, 2011 at 3:32 PM:

Hurricane Irene Recovery Update

Montgomery County Public Schools staff is currently assessing storm damage and the power outage situation in school buildings. Numerous schools remain without power and MCPS is working with Pepco to ensure that power is restored as soon as possible.

MCPS will provide an update later this evening regarding school operations for tomorrow.

*

Email from Sun, Aug 28, 2011 at 9:16 PM:

Montgomery County Public Schools continues to recover from the effects of Hurricane Irene. All schools with power will open on time on Monday, August 29.

As of 8:30 p.m. Aug. 28, 22 schools remain without power. MCPS will monitor the power situation at these schools overnight and make a final decision by 6 a.m. about the opening of these schools.

Each school community without power will receive an automated telephone call updating them about the power restoration efforts.

The schools without power include:

Benjamin Banneker Middle School
Briggs Chaney Middle School
Broad Acres Elementary School
Burtonsville Elementary School
Emory Grove Center
Fairland Elementary School
Fairland Holding Center
Flower Hill Elementary School
Forest Knolls Elementary School
Galway Elementary School
Glen Haven Elementary School
Greencastle Elementary School
Highland View Elementary School
Francis Scott Key Middle School
Col. Brooke Lee Middle School
Neelsville Middle School
Paint Branch High School
Piney Branch Elementary School
Takoma Park Elementary School
Takoma Park Middle School
Westland Middle School
Woodlin Elementary School

*

Email from Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 6:10 AM:

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) continues to recover from the effects of Hurricane Irene. The following schools are without power as of 6 a.m. and will be closed today, Monday, August 29.

Please note that three schools--Bradley Hills Elementary, Chevy Chase Elementary and Harmony Hills Elementary--are additions to the list of schools without power that was announced last night.

The schools without power include:

Bradley Hills Elementary School
Chevy Chase Elementary School
Francis Scott Key Middle School
Harmony Hills Elementary School
Highland View Elementary School
Piney Branch Elementary School
Woodlin Elementary School

*

Email from Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 6:05 PM:

As of 5 p.m. today, August 29, power has been restored to Chevy Chase Elementary, Highland View Elementary, Piney Branch Elementary and Francis Scott Key Middle schools. School will open on time at those four locations, tomorrow, August 30.
MCPS continues to work with Pepco to restore power at Bradley Hills Elementary, Harmony Hills Elementary and Woodlin Elementary schools. MCPS will make an announcement about operations for those three schools before 6 a.m. tomorrow, August 30.

*

Email from Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 8:59 PM:

As of 8:30 p.m. today, August 29, power has been restored to Bradley Hills Elementary, Chevy Chase Elementary, Harmony Hills Elementary, Highland View Elementary, Piney Branch Elementary and Francis Scott Key Middle schools. School will open on time at those six locations, tomorrow, August 30.
MCPS continues to work with Pepco to restore power at Woodlin Elementary School. MCPS will make an announcement about operations for Woodlin before 6 a.m. tomorrow, August 30.

*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

Because then you end up with 2 different schedules. And everyone will start to expect that when there is an event that closes schools, that only the affected schools will be closed. The next event, you'll have a dozen different scenarios and by the end of winter, you'll have 50-60 different schedules and make-up schedules. And when some schools treat their closures differently, you'll be accusations of disparate treatment, some will allege it's because of socioeconomic reasons that X cohort is treated bettter than Y cohort or School A is being treated better than School B and so on. That's where the logistical nightmare comes in.

The easiest way to avoid the logistical nightmare is to treat all school the same every time and to close as a district.

However, I do understand and sympathize with the concern over weather related events, especially during winter. For this, I think the best way would be to split the district into 2-3 zones, perhaps the northern zone, the central zone and the southern zone. Then each zone could close as a unit and they would still maintain the logistical control of the district and without impacting all 200 schools for every event. One school district for funding, standards, contracts, etc, but different zones for closures especially weather related closures (since the weather in the north and south are quite different).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

I suspect the answer to this involves the fact that major administrative offices and the bus depot and food services buildings were also affected. It’s a question MCPS may answer for clarification in the future.

But more importantly, why do you think you know any better than they do? Where does this assumption come from that since you have one single child who you send to a school you somehow know how to run this giant system?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

Because then you end up with 2 different schedules. And everyone will start to expect that when there is an event that closes schools, that only the affected schools will be closed. The next event, you'll have a dozen different scenarios and by the end of winter, you'll have 50-60 different schedules and make-up schedules. And when some schools treat their closures differently, you'll be accusations of disparate treatment, some will allege it's because of socioeconomic reasons that X cohort is treated bettter than Y cohort or School A is being treated better than School B and so on. That's where the logistical nightmare comes in.

The easiest way to avoid the logistical nightmare is to treat all school the same every time and to close as a district.

However, I do understand and sympathize with the concern over weather related events, especially during winter. For this, I think the best way would be to split the district into 2-3 zones, perhaps the northern zone, the central zone and the southern zone. Then each zone could close as a unit and they would still maintain the logistical control of the district and without impacting all 200 schools for every event. One school district for funding, standards, contracts, etc, but different zones for closures especially weather related closures (since the weather in the north and south are quite different).

We've been through this before. What do you do with the special ed students whose programs are only at one or two locations in the county, across "zones?" There's already a parent in the SN forum complaining loudly that her child's bus to their non-public placement didn't come today and she had to drive them. Unlike gen ed students, these students DO have an entitlement to transportation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

I suspect the answer to this involves the fact that major administrative offices and the bus depot and food services buildings were also affected. It’s a question MCPS may answer for clarification in the future.

But more importantly, why do you think you know any better than they do? Where does this assumption come from that since you have one single child who you send to a school you somehow know how to run this giant system?

DP. I think it's natural for parents to have questions. There is precedent to only close certain schools for power outages- I was trying to remember what happened after Irene so thanks to the PP for posting that! So I do think it would be helpful if MCPS clarified why this was treated differently, e.g., if the power outages were affecting MCPS-wide services, or if the number of affected schools was above an internal threshold where closing all the schools is preferable for X reason.

I don't really get the argument about schools being on different schedules though as a good reason to close all though. If MCPS uses all the emergency closure days, surely this is a case they could petition the state to waive a makeup day for those schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

I suspect the answer to this involves the fact that major administrative offices and the bus depot and food services buildings were also affected. It’s a question MCPS may answer for clarification in the future.

But more importantly, why do you think you know any better than they do? Where does this assumption come from that since you have one single child who you send to a school you somehow know how to run this giant system?

DP. I think it's natural for parents to have questions. There is precedent to only close certain schools for power outages- I was trying to remember what happened after Irene so thanks to the PP for posting that! So I do think it would be helpful if MCPS clarified why this was treated differently, e.g., if the power outages were affecting MCPS-wide services, or if the number of affected schools was above an internal threshold where closing all the schools is preferable for X reason.

I don't really get the argument about schools being on different schedules though as a good reason to close all though. If MCPS uses all the emergency closure days, surely this is a case they could petition the state to waive a makeup day for those schools.

For Irene, it was known that the fix would take more than a day or two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

I suspect the answer to this involves the fact that major administrative offices and the bus depot and food services buildings were also affected. It’s a question MCPS may answer for clarification in the future.

But more importantly, why do you think you know any better than they do? Where does this assumption come from that since you have one single child who you send to a school you somehow know how to run this giant system?

DP. I think it's natural for parents to have questions. There is precedent to only close certain schools for power outages- I was trying to remember what happened after Irene so thanks to the PP for posting that! So I do think it would be helpful if MCPS clarified why this was treated differently, e.g., if the power outages were affecting MCPS-wide services, or if the number of affected schools was above an internal threshold where closing all the schools is preferable for X reason.

I don't really get the argument about schools being on different schedules though as a good reason to close all though. If MCPS uses all the emergency closure days, surely this is a case they could petition the state to waive a makeup day for those schools.

This is a smart post. I’ve been assuming that it affected central offices too much. It may also be an issue with how thinly staffed they are. If 20% of teachers at the schools with power can’t attend because their kids schools are closed, then the system probably can’t function. We have no fat on the bones here — no subs and no extra bodies. It makes us much more vulnerable to any unplanned event.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

I suspect the answer to this involves the fact that major administrative offices and the bus depot and food services buildings were also affected. It’s a question MCPS may answer for clarification in the future.

But more importantly, why do you think you know any better than they do? Where does this assumption come from that since you have one single child who you send to a school you somehow know how to run this giant system?

DP. I think it's natural for parents to have questions. There is precedent to only close certain schools for power outages- I was trying to remember what happened after Irene so thanks to the PP for posting that! So I do think it would be helpful if MCPS clarified why this was treated differently, e.g., if the power outages were affecting MCPS-wide services, or if the number of affected schools was above an internal threshold where closing all the schools is preferable for X reason.

I don't really get the argument about schools being on different schedules though as a good reason to close all though. If MCPS uses all the emergency closure days, surely this is a case they could petition the state to waive a makeup day for those schools.

This is a smart post. I’ve been assuming that it affected central offices too much. It may also be an issue with how thinly staffed they are. If 20% of teachers at the schools with power can’t attend because their kids schools are closed, then the system probably can’t function. We have no fat on the bones here — no subs and no extra bodies. It makes us much more vulnerable to any unplanned event.

Teacher here and I'm sure that played into it- if my kids had been at one of the affected schools I would have been taking leave because my spouse left for a work trip this morning. Everyone always says "have an emergency backup plan!!" but truth is with no local family the backup plan is typically one of us staying home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

I suspect the answer to this involves the fact that major administrative offices and the bus depot and food services buildings were also affected. It’s a question MCPS may answer for clarification in the future.

But more importantly, why do you think you know any better than they do? Where does this assumption come from that since you have one single child who you send to a school you somehow know how to run this giant system?

Virtual academy also closed. Most of us have power on. We don’t get bus or food services. We should not have to close on snow days or any other reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Classroom teacher here. We ALL could use this ordained-opportunity not to gripe and groan about a most unfortunate and potentially, catastrophic incident; but to offer Grace and Grow. Even if it's not in the curriculum or the parent handbook, everyday we are faced with "Pivot and Turn" moments. This is one of them. For those folks who are so quick to move on from "Giving Thanks" Thursday:

1. Make a moment to check in with a family member
2. Prepare a meal for one of families in Gaithersburg who are still seeking shelter. PTA?? Boosters???
3. Gather some n⁵eighborhood kids and rake an elderly person's yard.
4. Create a learning pod for 2 of your kids friends
5. Library visit anyone?
6. Watch a neighbor's kids for 1 hr so they can go to the grocery store or pick up a prescription or even Go To Work.

Or how about unplug, decompress and just go outside an Breathe ......release from this whirlwind season and allow Our children to be THEIR BEST for the rest of this week?....just a thought. SEL starts at home, we're here to enhance what the children already know.

1 Father = 100 Teachers

It’s quite telling that it didn’t even occur to this teacher that other people actually have to work today.

So, if you work and have children in school, what is your emergency backup plan if they are sick and can't go to school? What is your emergency backup plan if there was a snow storm and they couldn't go to school?

All parents should have an emergency backup plan if school is not available. Just because you don't have one is not a reason to blame the school or teachers. They had nothing to do with this decision. The problem is that an accident happened that has caused an emergency in the eastern seaboard power grid. The power company has a lot of work to do and at some point will likely have to shut power down again and the schools have as little control over that scenario as you do. So, rather than getting all those kids into schools where the power, HVAC, telephones and all operating equipment in the facility may go out an any time today for an unpredictable amount of time, the school system is closing today to ensure all children are safe at home. It is easier for parents to take care of their own children at home if the power goes out again than trying to handle hundreds or thousands of students at school in that situation.

Oh no, another silly argument.where is the school's back up plan? So what if the power goes out? Power didn't even flicker in our cluster.

How often do you coordinate the schedule of 200 campuses, 22K employees and 165K students? The plan is what they did. They closed schools and had staff report and do safety and equipment checks on all facilities.

Trying to plan different schedules for 44 out of 200 schools becomes a logistical nightmare. Especially when the next major event and partial closing comes around and a different set of schools has conditions where some schools can open and some schools have to close. If they used these scenarios, then by the 3rd quarter, you'd have like 100 different plans in place and trying to juggle which school has this problem and which school has that schedule and so on. You can still open when you have only a few schools that have an issue, but by the time you get to 10 schools impacted, you close to avoid creating a huge logistical explosion.

Why not just close the 44 affected schools? This is different from say, a snowstorm where conditions may vary across the county. At a certain point last night, these schools simply didn't have power. If MCPS can't plan around that type of scenario, it's saying a lot. I get that shutting down the whole system is EASIER, but it doesn't mean they should just take the easy way out every time.

I suspect the answer to this involves the fact that major administrative offices and the bus depot and food services buildings were also affected. It’s a question MCPS may answer for clarification in the future.

But more importantly, why do you think you know any better than they do? Where does this assumption come from that since you have one single child who you send to a school you somehow know how to run this giant system?

DP. I think it's natural for parents to have questions. There is precedent to only close certain schools for power outages- I was trying to remember what happened after Irene so thanks to the PP for posting that! So I do think it would be helpful if MCPS clarified why this was treated differently, e.g., if the power outages were affecting MCPS-wide services, or if the number of affected schools was above an internal threshold where closing all the schools is preferable for X reason.

I don't really get the argument about schools being on different schedules though as a good reason to close all though. If MCPS uses all the emergency closure days, surely this is a case they could petition the state to waive a makeup day for those schools.

This is a smart post. I’ve been assuming that it affected central offices too much. It may also be an issue with how thinly staffed they are. If 20% of teachers at the schools with power can’t attend because their kids schools are closed, then the system probably can’t function. We have no fat on the bones here — no subs and no extra bodies. It makes us much more vulnerable to any unplanned event.

Teacher here and I'm sure that played into it- if my kids had been at one of the affected schools I would have been taking leave because my spouse left for a work trip this morning. Everyone always says "have an emergency backup plan!!" but truth is with no local family the backup plan is typically one of us staying home.

And, that is ok for you to take off.