Masks optional by spring break

[Anonymous]

A more reasonable goal would be for OP to learn basic data literacy by spring.

[Anonymous]

Please remember there are very sick people out there who do wish harm to the children and will post here. It's brings them much enjoyment. Don't think that just because someone makes an anonymous post that it's true. Similarly, anyone arguing that they have the support of a gazillion people, yet have no poll behind them are just here to rile the parents. Don't fall for it.

[Anonymous]

It’s not going to happen, OP. Just homeschool your kids, for heaven’s sake.

[Anonymous]

OP - why don't you start a poll on Change.org (not a fake URL that leads to AWS..) to show how much support you have for not wearing masks!

[Anonymous]

Anyone think we're going to have masks in 22-23 or will it become optional by then?

I feel like mcps's covid response has been about a year behind the curve of other school districts in terms of having a year virtual and now a year of masking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is a reasonable goal given our vaccination rates, decline of omicron, success of mask optional schools in neighboring Virginia, announcement from the archdiocese of Arlington… there is so much data to support this too.

What do you think?

No, not really. Let's not try to second guess the public health professionals and let them make sound choices based on science and safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone think we're going to have masks in 22-23 or will it become optional by then?

I feel like mcps's covid response has been about a year behind the curve of other school districts in terms of having a year virtual and now a year of masking

That's just crazy! MCPS has been a leader in their COVID response up until recently when McKnight caved to the rabid stay open at all costs crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless we want to be in another wave, mask wearing should be required. The second we lax on the mask wearing, we go into the rise in cases and deaths, etc. By the time we re-instate a mask mandate it's TOO LATE.

I'd rather the kids (and all of us) wear masks (because they really don't care -- it's the adults who are dipshits) and continue on with their daily lives, activities, etc. than have to go into these waves every two months where everyone is panicking about what to do about playdates and birthday parties and basketball games.

So how do you explain the fact that everyone was masked when we had this omicron wave? Where was mask wearing “lax” that caused the omicron wave? Not schools where we’re talking about. Or moco where there is a mask mandate.

One more time for those in the back. MASKS ARE NOT WORN AT LUNCH IN MCPS. LUNCH IS INDOORS. VENTILATION IS HORRIBLE. Got it yet?

So why it ditch them for the rest of the day then? If we’re gonna throw it out the window for lunch? If it doesn’t matter bc we have unmasked time, then why make kids wear them the rest of the time? I know I know “it’s not a big deal to wear a mask”

It boggles the mind that you’ve learned so little about how covid is spread and mitigation measures two years into this pandemic. The only reason students can take off masks for lunch is because they’re eating and drinking, which require access to their mouths. Having lots of kids packed together, eating without masks, is a risky behavior in terms of covid, but there’s no other option at most schools because they lack adequate outdoor space for outdoor eating, inclement weather may prevent outdoor eating, staffing and scheduling issues prevent students from eating in classrooms, and it’s not feasible for most students to go home for lunch. Kids can’t stay focused all day without a break and a meal, so we’ve accepted the risky behavior of eating together, maskless, because the alternative is virtual instruction, which is more damaging to most kids than contracting covid. We take the risk because it is least damaging for most children.

At this point, public health experts are not in agreement that the downsides of masking are greater than the risks of contracting covid for most children. They still see a benefit to masking and recommend it. When this changes, masks will come off — slower in MCPS than most places because we’re incredibly cautious, but even here they will eventually no longer be mandated. You know the timing of masks coming off in Virginia has more to do with politics than public health. Montgomery County’s reluctance to eventually dropping the mask mandate will also have a lot to do with politics.

[Anonymous]

I’d love that but don’t see MCPS getting rid of masks this year unfortunately

[Anonymous]

I think Covid will be over by March 15thish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone think we're going to have masks in 22-23 or will it become optional by then?

I feel like mcps's covid response has been about a year behind the curve of other school districts in terms of having a year virtual and now a year of masking

That's just crazy! MCPS has been a leader in their COVID response up until recently when McKnight caved to the rabid stay open at all costs crowd.

I completely disagree. I am an employee of Montgomery county public schools and I can see the impact that virtual learning had on students. It was a bad fit for the majority of students and students are making so many more academic growth (to mention social and emotional growth) in school. I can see how the social isolation has really impacted the kindergarten students too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone think we're going to have masks in 22-23 or will it become optional by then?

I feel like mcps's covid response has been about a year behind the curve of other school districts in terms of having a year virtual and now a year of masking

That's just crazy! MCPS has been a leader in their COVID response up until recently when McKnight caved to the rabid stay open at all costs crowd.

No, its been a show all year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone think we're going to have masks in 22-23 or will it become optional by then?

I feel like mcps's covid response has been about a year behind the curve of other school districts in terms of having a year virtual and now a year of masking

That's just crazy! MCPS has been a leader in their COVID response up until recently when McKnight caved to the rabid stay open at all costs crowd.

I completely disagree. I am an employee of Montgomery county public schools and I can see the impact that virtual learning had on students. It was a bad fit for the majority of students and students are making so many more academic growth (to mention social and emotional growth) in school. I can see how the social isolation has really impacted the kindergarten students too.

Was the issue virtual, or the lack of parental and student involvement? If kids don't log on, participate and do the work, of course they will fail. But, the same is true for in person. They can show up and not do any work. Most kids weren't isolated and were seeing other kids outside school.

[Anonymous]

I wish they had not given in to the anti mask Covid denier screamers, and gone virtual for a month or two this winter.

But I guess MCPS was under pressure to provide day care to keep all those workers at work and not paying attention to their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Covid will be over by March 15thish.

I think that Omicron will be over by March 15thish. I think there will be another covid variant that replaces omicron unless the covid pills are widely available and effective against new variants.