COVID policy for 2023-24 school year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plan to get sick.

MCPS no longer has Covid leave for staff. The teacher who catches Covid in the first month of school will use 1/2 of their yearly allotted sick leave.

How much sick and personal leave do teachers get each year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume my kids will get Covid but who knows if I’ll catch it. I’ll do a rapid test when they first have symptoms and if negative I’ll send to school assuming no fever/vomiting/awful cough/feeling horrible. Not sure I’ll test multiple times for every cold like virus. The tests aren’t free anymore!

Free tests are available at all MoCo Libraries.

The ones they were offering at the Bethesda library today expired earlier this summer.

The FDA has extended the expiration dates as the tests prove durable. You can look them up here: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list

I mean, I assume not you personally. You personally don't seem to GAF. Others, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has had a cough and congestion for a week. We didn't bother testing and if she were in school, we would send her.

Did she have covid? Who knows!! I am actually hoping it was covid, so we don't have to worry about it for a while lol.

Yeah just get the other kids and adults sick in the building. You’re a real gem. Pre-times this was looked down on too. My first year teaching I had pneumonia 4 times bc idiots sent their kids sick.

At this point I don't care any more. If they're sick enough to stay home they will but if they just have the sniffles I'm sure as $hit sending them to school. Sorry, not sorry. My kids are in HS and their education is more important at this point.

So, their education is important, but not the other kids who your kids will make sick? You are something else.

Np. I can't do this year after year. I agree with pp that my child's education is too important to have these week long absences for Covid plus I don't have the paid leave to stay home with him (and I've felt this way for a couple years). Last year my son had the flu and was out for a week because he felt miserable. Add that to days here and there for colds, strep, norovirus, and he just can't miss that much school for mild Covid.

Our system just isn't set up appropriately to accommodate multiple long absences throughout the school year. It's not. If you are extremely concerned about illness you have the option to homeschool. If you send your kids to school, you are accepting the risk.

This 100%

What about the teachers? Do you care about exposing them?

At this point in 2023 NO I don’t care

Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has had a cough and congestion for a week. We didn't bother testing and if she were in school, we would send her.

Did she have covid? Who knows!! I am actually hoping it was covid, so we don't have to worry about it for a while lol.

Yeah just get the other kids and adults sick in the building. You’re a real gem. Pre-times this was looked down on too. My first year teaching I had pneumonia 4 times bc idiots sent their kids sick.

At this point I don't care any more. If they're sick enough to stay home they will but if they just have the sniffles I'm sure as $hit sending them to school. Sorry, not sorry. My kids are in HS and their education is more important at this point.

Ditto. My kids are also in high school.

My younger one (still in high school) did have the sore throat/congestion this week. I didn't test but I did keep her home from all activities so not to infect others. What she is missing is relatively low-stakes. Now starting next week if my other one is to get the sniffles? At most, I'll let her stay home a day. But they can't miss 5 days of school in order to quarantine. Especially now. Sorry not sorry.

Until you pass it to immunocompromised person because you were willingly ignorant and self - and they head to the hospital. Sorry not sorry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plan to get sick.

MCPS no longer has Covid leave for staff. The teacher who catches Covid in the first month of school will use 1/2 of their yearly allotted sick leave.

Covid leave? Is there influenza leave? Or rhinovirus leave? Strep leave?

Why should there be different leave categories per infection?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plan to get sick.

MCPS no longer has Covid leave for staff. The teacher who catches Covid in the first month of school will use 1/2 of their yearly allotted sick leave.

How much sick and personal leave do teachers get each year?

3 personal days, allowed to have no more than 5 carried over from year to year. Days get converted to sick leave July 1 if over 5.

I can’t remember how many sick days we get but I think it’s either 8 or 10 per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has had a cough and congestion for a week. We didn't bother testing and if she were in school, we would send her.

Did she have covid? Who knows!! I am actually hoping it was covid, so we don't have to worry about it for a while lol.

Yeah just get the other kids and adults sick in the building. You’re a real gem. Pre-times this was looked down on too. My first year teaching I had pneumonia 4 times bc idiots sent their kids sick.

At this point I don't care any more. If they're sick enough to stay home they will but if they just have the sniffles I'm sure as $hit sending them to school. Sorry, not sorry. My kids are in HS and their education is more important at this point.

So, their education is important, but not the other kids who your kids will make sick? You are something else.

Np. I can't do this year after year. I agree with pp that my child's education is too important to have these week long absences for Covid plus I don't have the paid leave to stay home with him (and I've felt this way for a couple years). Last year my son had the flu and was out for a week because he felt miserable. Add that to days here and there for colds, strep, norovirus, and he just can't miss that much school for mild Covid.

Our system just isn't set up appropriately to accommodate multiple long absences throughout the school year. It's not. If you are extremely concerned about illness you have the option to homeschool. If you send your kids to school, you are accepting the risk.

This 100%

What about the teachers? Do you care about exposing them?

I am a teacher. Dealing with an actual Covid illness is easier for me than dealing with half my class out from October to January. And I have underlying conditions. I will be exposed to Covid almost daily - that’s reality. Whining won’t help.

Clearly it's not that big of a deal for you but it is for others of us. I have a parent in the ICU thanks to someone sharing it. My kids will be missing school as often as needed and they will be isolating when sick and not spreading it. It's ironic MCPS pushes their fake mental health and socio-emotional non-sense but cannot teach kids to be decent people and stay home when sick. Worse is teachers who will not work with kids who are out sick in terms of make up work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school system gives 18 total absences…excused or unexcused. After that there is a risk of failing the year

If I kept my kid home when they had signs of a cold we would easily miss 18 days before the end of the year.
Even a regular cold can last a week before noses stop running, and a cough can longer another week or so.

A day or two in the beginning when kids are really sick, and then they have to go back if it’s just a runny nose and mild cough.

Where is this 18 day policy? I’ve never heard of this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plan to get sick.

MCPS no longer has Covid leave for staff. The teacher who catches Covid in the first month of school will use 1/2 of their yearly allotted sick leave.

Covid leave? Is there influenza leave? Or rhinovirus leave? Strep leave?

Why should there be different leave categories per infection?

Because for all of those other viruses that you listed, a teacher only needs to be fever free for 24 hours to return to work. For COVID, they have to stay out much longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get your boosters when they come out and hope for the best

Why do you think a booster would help?

THe booster won’t prevent you from getting Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At an MCPS sports orientation last night, the athletic director said Covid diagnosis required 5 days off followed by 5 days masked.

That is ridiculous. And bad public health policy. What science are they basing that policy on?

No good reason to require 5 days off and then 5 days masked.

That is exactly why people just simply won’t test. If you don’t test, you don’t get the Covid diagnosis and can just go on assuming it’s a cold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plan to get sick.

MCPS no longer has Covid leave for staff. The teacher who catches Covid in the first month of school will use 1/2 of their yearly allotted sick leave.

Covid leave? Is there influenza leave? Or rhinovirus leave? Strep leave?

Why should there be different leave categories per infection?

Because for all of those other viruses that you listed, a teacher only needs to be fever free for 24 hours to return to work. For COVID, they have to stay out much longer.

Practically speaking, it's not much different. If you're sick enough to seek a diagnosis and medical care for the flu, then you're likely to be out for the same 3-5 days as if you're sick enough to seek treatment for covid. Otherwise you're always just looking at the 24 hour fever policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plan to get sick.

MCPS no longer has Covid leave for staff. The teacher who catches Covid in the first month of school will use 1/2 of their yearly allotted sick leave.

How much sick and personal leave do teachers get each year?

3 personal days, allowed to have no more than 5 carried over from year to year. Days get converted to sick leave July 1 if over 5.

I can’t remember how many sick days we get but I think it’s either 8 or 10 per year.

I thought they reinstated Covid leave last year. Was that just for last year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At an MCPS sports orientation last night, the athletic director said Covid diagnosis required 5 days off followed by 5 days masked.

That is ridiculous. And bad public health policy. What science are they basing that policy on?

No good reason to require 5 days off and then 5 days masked.

That is exactly why people just simply won’t test. If you don’t test, you don’t get the Covid diagnosis and can just go on assuming it’s a cold.

I don’t see a practical problem there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plan to get sick.

MCPS no longer has Covid leave for staff. The teacher who catches Covid in the first month of school will use 1/2 of their yearly allotted sick leave.

Covid leave? Is there influenza leave? Or rhinovirus leave? Strep leave?

Why should there be different leave categories per infection?

Because for all of those other viruses that you listed, a teacher only needs to be fever free for 24 hours to return to work. For COVID, they have to stay out much longer.

Practically speaking, it's not much different. If you're sick enough to seek a diagnosis and medical care for the flu, then you're likely to be out for the same 3-5 days as if you're sick enough to seek treatment for covid. Otherwise you're always just looking at the 24 hour fever policy.

And the 24 hour fever free policy has always existed as a matter of practicality, not because other illnesses are magically no longer infectious at that point as opposed to Covid. Pretty much all upper respiratory infections follow a bell curve of starting to shed to a spreadable level a day or two before symptoms appear, shedding the most when you feel the worst, then gradually shedding less and less as symptoms improve over a 5‐10 day window. That's just how it works. That's why the standard is stay home if you actually feel lousy enough to need to rest. A standard of stay home if you might be shedding virus even if you feel mostly ok is unworkable for any illness, Covid or not.