Wed no school or 2hr delay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was a modest snow event. Nothing like snowmageddon or snowpocalypse. If we take more than 2-3 days to dig out of this and resume normal operations, we’re doing something wrong.

You can’t melt the ice when it’s below freezing for a week.

How do Minneapolis, Boston and Chicago make it happen?

Better dedicated equipment and funding. It snows there all the time. We would be in an uproar if we set aside that kind of funding annually and it didn't get used.

Boston Public Schools are closed today.

We got around the same amount of precipitation, but ours was icier.

This was not a "modest snow event" - that's preposterous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do they keep childcare open if they have to close schools Wed.?

So many school lots unplowed. I think childcare will be closed.

Not saying this is the way to make decisions for the whole county. I just think it will be closed.

+1 they really should try to let individual schools and providers work out if they can open, but they won't let them decide.

[Anonymous]

Frederick is closed tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Montgomery College just posted that they are closed Wednesday. They have a much stronger push to open (semester doesn't extend). If they are closed, county conditions for buses is poor. No way MCPS will open.

[Anonymous]

Given the water issue too now, no way they will open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do they keep childcare open if they have to close schools Wed.?

So many school lots unplowed. I think childcare will be closed.

Not saying this is the way to make decisions for the whole county. I just think it will be closed.

+1 they really should try to let individual schools and providers work out if they can open, but they won't let them decide.

If teachers could live near their schools that might work.

Only one teacher lives near our school. Half the staff live an hour or more away. There aren’t enough subs in the entire district to handle many schools opening with even 20% of their staff out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do they keep childcare open if they have to close schools Wed.?

So many school lots unplowed. I think childcare will be closed.

Not saying this is the way to make decisions for the whole county. I just think it will be closed.

I pay 600$/month for aftercare so i have backup care for weeks like this. My ES is plowed out. It's not worth paying that much for backup care if it's not actually open to provide care when i need it.

[Anonymous]

I think Thomas really wants to open if at all possible. This is why he is delaying his decision

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been saying for years that MD needs to count schools hours rather than days, like VA. They never seem to have the melodrama over making up snow days like we do.
My prediction for the rest of the week is closures are very likely.
Best case (if you want school to open) is a delay on Friday, but that seems overly optimistic and potentially dangerous.

Virginia starts earlier in August than we do and have actual snow days built into the calendar. MCPS has ONE snow day built into the calendar which is pure idiocy. It's basically saying "we have no intention of teaching 180 days per year and don't even want to try."

[Anonymous]

The streets near me still haven’t been plowed, and when I get to the main roads, the sidewalks are still untouched.

It would be irresponsible to have school tomorrow or probably even Thursday. Maybe a two hour delay on Friday. Children would have to walk in the street to get to schools. They would never make that call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Thomas really wants to open if at all possible. This is why he is delaying his decision

There's supposed to be a plowing report for MoCo at 4 pm today. Nothing will be announced before that.

[Anonymous]

I just drove by BCC. Not plowed at all. Even Rockville pike has periodic random lane closures.

The plows that have come thru have completely boxed in the bus stops. As in there are 6 foot mounds near the two I can see.

Opening tomorrow is irresponsible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Thomas really wants to open if at all possible. This is why he is delaying his decision

I don’t think so. They probably want to announce as much progress as possible and maybe they are considering childcare, etc. I was just out there and major area roads are still missing right lanes; school lots are still unplowed. There is no chance of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sleet on top of 5-9 inches of snow and the cold weather has made it a challenging clean up.

Call Wednesday and Thursday off.

Provide food pick up spots.

I can understand all perspectives but when dealing with ice and uncleared spots safety has to be the priority. Very different than just snow.

+1 I am someone who thinks MCPS has messed up big time in the past but the conditions are not good and clearing all this will take time. Not expecting child care to open anytime soon.

Not sure what you mean. In a lot of ways, this situation is easier than the usual situation we find ourselves in. We're not worried about ice reforming because it is staying cold. The wind isn't carrying snow back over cleared areas. That simplifies things greatly.

Things can be hard on different ways. We have the equivalent of 20 inches of snow on the ground but condensed into a hard packed hybrid of snow and ice that is very heavy and takes time and force to break up.

They've also had several days to deal with it. And they have motorized equipment.

Just hoping the snow will melt isn't an appropriate strategy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do they keep childcare open if they have to close schools Wed.?

So many school lots unplowed. I think childcare will be closed.

Not saying this is the way to make decisions for the whole county. I just think it will be closed.

+1 they really should try to let individual schools and providers work out if they can open, but they won't let them decide.

If teachers could live near their schools that might work.

Only one teacher lives near our school. Half the staff live an hour or more away. There aren’t enough subs in the entire district to handle many schools opening with even 20% of their staff out.

Sorry, my post was unclear. I meant individual schools and providers should be able to decide if childcare can open. Many of the caregivers for our program do live nearby. This really doesn't need to be a countywide decision unless the county is trying to keep most people off the roads. But county government opened today and let rec centers open as well (though classes are canceled).