Should we prepare for virtual schooling starting in January?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I strongly prefer teaching in-person over the hell that was virtual and hybrid learning the last year and a half. That being said, staff (and their children) as well as our own elementary students are getting COVID right and left these past few weeks. Everyone is fooling themselves if they think we aren't going to be even more impacted after break. As another poster mentioned, we can't get subs and schools literally won't be able to operate without the bodies to cover staff absences.

It's funny as you don't see the parents who are demanding school stay open volunteering to cover during staffing shortages. If its so safe, no reason they cannot take a few days of leave given how important it is to keep schools open.

Will MCPS allow it? If so, sign me up. Is there training?

[Anonymous]

Staffing is going to be a very big problem this winter. I'm an administrator in the county and there hasn't been a day in weeks that I haven't been subbing for teachers or covering lunch/recess duty for paras. I really enjoy the time I get to spend with the kids but it just means I can't get my actual job done during the day which has made my weekends full of paper work. MCPS is hiring subs for any parents interested!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As parents we need to tell mcps to prepare for virtual learning.
They are unprepared and putting kids at risk by staying open because they don’t want to highlight how little they’ve done.

This is not a good situation.

Well, you don't speak for me. I'm glad to see MCPS is committed to keeping the school buildings open.

+1

+2. MCPS students, teachers and staff are highly vaccinated. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to keep schools open.

NP: do you not see how fast this is spreading? What happens when we can’t staff the hospitals? Keep your kids home!

Students and vaccinated adults are not filling up hospitals. Closing schools only makes it harder to keep hospitals staffed- what are healthcare workers supposed to do with their kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As parents we need to tell mcps to prepare for virtual learning.
They are unprepared and putting kids at risk by staying open because they don’t want to highlight how little they’ve done.

This is not a good situation.

Well, you don't speak for me. I'm glad to see MCPS is committed to keeping the school buildings open.

+1

+2. MCPS students, teachers and staff are highly vaccinated. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to keep schools open.

What does highly vaccinated mean if the new variant is invading the vaccine?

Vaccines protects against serious outcomes that’s literally all that should matter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Staffing is going to be a very big problem this winter. I'm an administrator in the county and there hasn't been a day in weeks that I haven't been subbing for teachers or covering lunch/recess duty for paras. I really enjoy the time I get to spend with the kids but it just means I can't get my actual job done during the day which has made my weekends full of paper work. MCPS is hiring subs for any parents interested!

This is the point of all reasonable people - staffing shortages in schools, hospitals, and other businesses, particularly the ones facing the public.

Omicron might be mild for vaccinated and boostered people, but it is so contagious that people will have to stay home. Closures will be decided for us - most will hopefully be short-lived.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I strongly prefer teaching in-person over the hell that was virtual and hybrid learning the last year and a half. That being said, staff (and their children) as well as our own elementary students are getting COVID right and left these past few weeks. Everyone is fooling themselves if they think we aren't going to be even more impacted after break. As another poster mentioned, we can't get subs and schools literally won't be able to operate without the bodies to cover staff absences.

It's funny as you don't see the parents who are demanding school stay open volunteering to cover during staffing shortages. If its so safe, no reason they cannot take a few days of leave given how important it is to keep schools open.

It's funny how you don't see the people who are demanding garbage pick-up continue volunteering to cover during staffing shortages...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As parents we need to tell mcps to prepare for virtual learning.
They are unprepared and putting kids at risk by staying open because they don’t want to highlight how little they’ve done.

This is not a good situation.

Well, you don't speak for me. I'm glad to see MCPS is committed to keeping the school buildings open.

+1

+2. MCPS students, teachers and staff are highly vaccinated. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to keep schools open.

NP: do you not see how fast this is spreading? What happens when we can’t staff the hospitals? Keep your kids home!

Students and vaccinated adults are not filling up hospitals. Closing schools only makes it harder to keep hospitals staffed- what are healthcare workers supposed to do with their kids?

This is a valid point. The majority of people who left the workforce because of childcare issues during the pandemic were women, and many do work in healthcare.



It becomes a catch 22 - close the schools to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, but more healthcare workers leave the workforce to deal with childcare issues, which leaves the hospitals understaffed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I strongly prefer teaching in-person over the hell that was virtual and hybrid learning the last year and a half. That being said, staff (and their children) as well as our own elementary students are getting COVID right and left these past few weeks. Everyone is fooling themselves if they think we aren't going to be even more impacted after break. As another poster mentioned, we can't get subs and schools literally won't be able to operate without the bodies to cover staff absences.

It's funny as you don't see the parents who are demanding school stay open volunteering to cover during staffing shortages. If its so safe, no reason they cannot take a few days of leave given how important it is to keep schools open.

Will MCPS allow it? If so, sign me up. Is there training?

If you really intended to actually help, you would have signed up already as a sub.

Either call your school to volunteer or apply as a sub. https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/personnel/substitutes/info/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As parents we need to tell mcps to prepare for virtual learning.
They are unprepared and putting kids at risk by staying open because they don’t want to highlight how little they’ve done.

This is not a good situation.

Well, you don't speak for me. I'm glad to see MCPS is committed to keeping the school buildings open.

+1

+2. MCPS students, teachers and staff are highly vaccinated. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to keep schools open.

NP: do you not see how fast this is spreading? What happens when we can’t staff the hospitals? Keep your kids home!

Students and vaccinated adults are not filling up hospitals. Closing schools only makes it harder to keep hospitals staffed- what are healthcare workers supposed to do with their kids?

This is a valid point. The majority of people who left the workforce because of childcare issues during the pandemic were women, and many do work in healthcare.



It becomes a catch 22 - close the schools to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, but more healthcare workers leave the workforce to deal with childcare issues, which leaves the hospitals understaffed.

Its also an issue if health care professionals get sick - not just about hospitalization but primary and speciality care. They cannot see sick patients if they are out sick.

[Anonymous]

Maryland is having a 10% positivity rate (and that is only with the reported positives).

https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2021/12/20/covid-19-in-maryland-hospitalizations-rise-to-1345/

It has doubled in two weeks.

"Hospitalizations have risen by 88 to 1,345 as Maryland approaches 1,500 COVID-19 patients."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Staffing is going to be a very big problem this winter. I'm an administrator in the county and there hasn't been a day in weeks that I haven't been subbing for teachers or covering lunch/recess duty for paras. I really enjoy the time I get to spend with the kids but it just means I can't get my actual job done during the day which has made my weekends full of paper work. MCPS is hiring subs for any parents interested!

Hmm..oh, i don't know... crap pay, other people's brats Aaaaand covid? Where do I sign up??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maryland is having a 10% positivity rate (and that is only with the reported positives).

https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2021/12/20/covid-19-in-maryland-hospitalizations-rise-to-1345/

It has doubled in two weeks.

"Hospitalizations have risen by 88 to 1,345 as Maryland approaches 1,500 COVID-19 patients."

We aren't shutting down didn't you hear? We are going to cram all of the kids in gymnasiums, cafeterias and theaters with their chromebooms and whichever sucker drew the short straw on not having a positive test that day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Staffing is going to be a very big problem this winter. I'm an administrator in the county and there hasn't been a day in weeks that I haven't been subbing for teachers or covering lunch/recess duty for paras. I really enjoy the time I get to spend with the kids but it just means I can't get my actual job done during the day which has made my weekends full of paper work. MCPS is hiring subs for any parents interested!

This is the point of all reasonable people - staffing shortages in schools, hospitals, and other businesses, particularly the ones facing the public.

Omicron might be mild for vaccinated and boostered people, but it is so contagious that people will have to stay home. Closures will be decided for us - most will hopefully be short-lived.

School health clinics need subs too. What happens when they are quarantined or out? Do the keep health room open?

[Anonymous]

For those braying about bars and restaurants closing before schools, this is for you:


https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/12/18/a-bunch-of-dc-bars-and-restaurants-are-closing-amidst-a-covid-19-surge/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


For those braying about bars and restaurants closing before schools, this is for you:


https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/12/18/a-bunch-of-dc-bars-and-restaurants-are-closing-amidst-a-covid-19-surge/

They're doing it voluntarily. Post when it's required by law.