1st weather delay of the season this Thursday?

[Anonymous]

There will be a weather delay tomorrow. Everybody just needs to prepare for this. Nobody should be surprised tomorrow at a two hour delay.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know where to get the schoolbus schedule for 2 hr delays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know where to get the schoolbus schedule for 2 hr delays?

No specific delay schedule, normal schedule just shifts by exactly 2 hours. For example, a bus that normally picks up at your stop at 8:15 will arrive at 10:15.

[Anonymous]

I agree they are definitely going to delay tomorrow.

The bigger question is this: what’s the plan for snow days? Are they snow days? Are they virtual days? Are they asynchronous? I am highly engaged with all MCPS communications and they have not communicated how this all works. It’s mid December. Every year we have weather closures. Why isn’t there a clear plan or procedure and why can’t they tell us what it is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree they are definitely going to delay tomorrow.

The bigger question is this: what’s the plan for snow days? Are they snow days? Are they virtual days? Are they asynchronous? I am highly engaged with all MCPS communications and they have not communicated how this all works. It’s mid December. Every year we have weather closures. Why isn’t there a clear plan or procedure and why can’t they tell us what it is?

My understanding (and I may be completely wrong about this) is that we would have snow days until the allotted weather days run out, and maybe then they would make a plan for virtual in case more happen later in the winter? Or something like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree they are definitely going to delay tomorrow.

The bigger question is this: what’s the plan for snow days? Are they snow days? Are they virtual days? Are they asynchronous? I am highly engaged with all MCPS communications and they have not communicated how this all works. It’s mid December. Every year we have weather closures. Why isn’t there a clear plan or procedure and why can’t they tell us what it is?

I suspect they’re holding back on virtual until/unless we’re facing a possible multi-day weather event. They’ll tell everyone to take home computers and chargers, give the first day off for teachers to scramble some virtual lesson plans, then any subsequent days would be virtual.

But trying to pull together virtual lessons “just in case” the day before a maybe-delay, maybe-snow-day, maybe-nothing day is not worth the effort. Neither teachers nor families would be ready for it. Even my conscientious high school student taking advanced classes would probably rather have the day off to catch up on work and sleep.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, anytime they say "don't be on the roads unless you have to" I read that as "school is delayed/cancelled".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree they are definitely going to delay tomorrow.

The bigger question is this: what’s the plan for snow days? Are they snow days? Are they virtual days? Are they asynchronous? I am highly engaged with all MCPS communications and they have not communicated how this all works. It’s mid December. Every year we have weather closures. Why isn’t there a clear plan or procedure and why can’t they tell us what it is?

My understanding (and I may be completely wrong about this) is that we would have snow days until the allotted weather days run out, and maybe then they would make a plan for virtual in case more happen later in the winter? Or something like that.

I appreciate the response, although obviously from how you wrote it, there’s not a lot of certainty. They were even asking, in their poorly worded calendar survey, what people would want. But the question was so garbled up and the response options so similar that I don’t even know if they have good data. So MCPS, if you are reading: people want regular snow days but if we use those up and have no other options, we’d rather have a little virtual than add days to the year. Asynchronous is horrible for parents and students so when we say virtual we mean synchronous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t need any more virtual instruction. Are you people nuts?
Virtual does not work. The only time MCPS should consider using it is one of those crazy blizzards when schools are closed for a week.

+1.

+2. I shudder at both virtual instruction and a week long closure due to snow in some remote part of the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree they are definitely going to delay tomorrow.

The bigger question is this: what’s the plan for snow days? Are they snow days? Are they virtual days? Are they asynchronous? I am highly engaged with all MCPS communications and they have not communicated how this all works. It’s mid December. Every year we have weather closures. Why isn’t there a clear plan or procedure and why can’t they tell us what it is?

My understanding (and I may be completely wrong about this) is that we would have snow days until the allotted weather days run out, and maybe then they would make a plan for virtual in case more happen later in the winter? Or something like that.

I appreciate the response, although obviously from how you wrote it, there’s not a lot of certainty. They were even asking, in their poorly worded calendar survey, what people would want. But the question was so garbled up and the response options so similar that I don’t even know if they have good data. So MCPS, if you are reading: people want regular snow days but if we use those up and have no other options, we’d rather have a little virtual than add days to the year. Asynchronous is horrible for parents and students so when we say virtual we mean synchronous.

The state approval asychronous days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree they are definitely going to delay tomorrow.

The bigger question is this: what’s the plan for snow days? Are they snow days? Are they virtual days? Are they asynchronous? I am highly engaged with all MCPS communications and they have not communicated how this all works. It’s mid December. Every year we have weather closures. Why isn’t there a clear plan or procedure and why can’t they tell us what it is?

There is a clear plan. No change from the past. If there is a change, they will communicate that. We will use the make-up days as indicated on the calendar as needed.

When they discussed the survey results at the BOE meeting, it was apparent that there is no consensus in the community for virtual days when there is a weather event. There are 3 big challenges when there is a school closure - childcare, computers/internet access, and potential power outages. The school system is working in partnership with the county to provide out-of-school coverage on scheduled days off. When this process is better established, it may be able to cover emergency closures. Many ES and MS have had the chromebooks returned to the schools and in classroom carts again. Although all students should have access to a computer and wifi, the school system hasn't verified that because it's not part of the current process. If there is a weather event involving power outages, then part of the county can't access school at all. MCPS isn't going to randomly decide the night before that the next day will be virtual instruction. Far too many students may not be able to access lessons, and teachers can't pivot that fast meaningfully. What was mentioned at the BOE meeting was that if there was something that was a multi-day closure (think 5 day blizzard closure) where power was up across the county but travel was still disrupted, they might push out something virtual for the last couple of days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree they are definitely going to delay tomorrow.

The bigger question is this: what’s the plan for snow days? Are they snow days? Are they virtual days? Are they asynchronous? I am highly engaged with all MCPS communications and they have not communicated how this all works. It’s mid December. Every year we have weather closures. Why isn’t there a clear plan or procedure and why can’t they tell us what it is?

My understanding (and I may be completely wrong about this) is that we would have snow days until the allotted weather days run out, and maybe then they would make a plan for virtual in case more happen later in the winter? Or something like that.

I appreciate the response, although obviously from how you wrote it, there’s not a lot of certainty. They were even asking, in their poorly worded calendar survey, what people would want. But the question was so garbled up and the response options so similar that I don’t even know if they have good data. So MCPS, if you are reading: people want regular snow days but if we use those up and have no other options, we’d rather have a little virtual than add days to the year. Asynchronous is horrible for parents and students so when we say virtual we mean synchronous.

I would prefer days added to the end than any virtual days.
So you don’t speak for everyone. And if the days added at the end conflict with vacation, we will just skip the additional days.
This is why it is difficult for MCPS to come up with a plan - because there is no obvious consensus among parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree they are definitely going to delay tomorrow.

The bigger question is this: what’s the plan for snow days? Are they snow days? Are they virtual days? Are they asynchronous? I am highly engaged with all MCPS communications and they have not communicated how this all works. It’s mid December. Every year we have weather closures. Why isn’t there a clear plan or procedure and why can’t they tell us what it is?

There is a clear plan. No change from the past. If there is a change, they will communicate that. We will use the make-up days as indicated on the calendar as needed.

When they discussed the survey results at the BOE meeting, it was apparent that there is no consensus in the community for virtual days when there is a weather event. There are 3 big challenges when there is a school closure - childcare, computers/internet access, and potential power outages. The school system is working in partnership with the county to provide out-of-school coverage on scheduled days off. When this process is better established, it may be able to cover emergency closures. Many ES and MS have had the chromebooks returned to the schools and in classroom carts again. Although all students should have access to a computer and wifi, the school system hasn't verified that because it's not part of the current process. If there is a weather event involving power outages, then part of the county can't access school at all. MCPS isn't going to randomly decide the night before that the next day will be virtual instruction. Far too many students may not be able to access lessons, and teachers can't pivot that fast meaningfully. What was mentioned at the BOE meeting was that if there was something that was a multi-day closure (think 5 day blizzard closure) where power was up across the county but travel was still disrupted, they might push out something virtual for the last couple of days.

Other counties don"t even have virtual. They sent home paper review packets. This is a no brainer. Kids get review materials. Counts as s day of school. It's not virtual school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree they are definitely going to delay tomorrow.

The bigger question is this: what’s the plan for snow days? Are they snow days? Are they virtual days? Are they asynchronous? I am highly engaged with all MCPS communications and they have not communicated how this all works. It’s mid December. Every year we have weather closures. Why isn’t there a clear plan or procedure and why can’t they tell us what it is?

There is a clear plan. No change from the past. If there is a change, they will communicate that. We will use the make-up days as indicated on the calendar as needed.

When they discussed the survey results at the BOE meeting, it was apparent that there is no consensus in the community for virtual days when there is a weather event. There are 3 big challenges when there is a school closure - childcare, computers/internet access, and potential power outages. The school system is working in partnership with the county to provide out-of-school coverage on scheduled days off. When this process is better established, it may be able to cover emergency closures. Many ES and MS have had the chromebooks returned to the schools and in classroom carts again. Although all students should have access to a computer and wifi, the school system hasn't verified that because it's not part of the current process. If there is a weather event involving power outages, then part of the county can't access school at all. MCPS isn't going to randomly decide the night before that the next day will be virtual instruction. Far too many students may not be able to access lessons, and teachers can't pivot that fast meaningfully. What was mentioned at the BOE meeting was that if there was something that was a multi-day closure (think 5 day blizzard closure) where power was up across the county but travel was still disrupted, they might push out something virtual for the last couple of days.

Other counties don"t even have virtual. They sent home paper review packets. This is a no brainer. Kids get review materials. Counts as s day of school. It's not virtual school.

This would be way better than virtual. I guess they just send home paper with the kids just in case if it looks like there might be a snow day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree they are definitely going to delay tomorrow.

The bigger question is this: what’s the plan for snow days? Are they snow days? Are they virtual days? Are they asynchronous? I am highly engaged with all MCPS communications and they have not communicated how this all works. It’s mid December. Every year we have weather closures. Why isn’t there a clear plan or procedure and why can’t they tell us what it is?

There is a clear plan. No change from the past. If there is a change, they will communicate that. We will use the make-up days as indicated on the calendar as needed.

When they discussed the survey results at the BOE meeting, it was apparent that there is no consensus in the community for virtual days when there is a weather event. There are 3 big challenges when there is a school closure - childcare, computers/internet access, and potential power outages. The school system is working in partnership with the county to provide out-of-school coverage on scheduled days off. When this process is better established, it may be able to cover emergency closures. Many ES and MS have had the chromebooks returned to the schools and in classroom carts again. Although all students should have access to a computer and wifi, the school system hasn't verified that because it's not part of the current process. If there is a weather event involving power outages, then part of the county can't access school at all. MCPS isn't going to randomly decide the night before that the next day will be virtual instruction. Far too many students may not be able to access lessons, and teachers can't pivot that fast meaningfully. What was mentioned at the BOE meeting was that if there was something that was a multi-day closure (think 5 day blizzard closure) where power was up across the county but travel was still disrupted, they might push out something virtual for the last couple of days.

Other counties don"t even have virtual. They sent home paper review packets. This is a no brainer. Kids get review materials. Counts as s day of school. It's not virtual school.

This would be way better than virtual. I guess they just send home paper with the kids just in case if it looks like there might be a snow day?

Some of the approved counties already sent home the work They did it as soon as they were approved. So instead of a closed message, it will say closed with asynchronous work.