What do we think will happen on Monday?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m kind of surprised we don’t have official “limited bus route” maps for these situations. Like, instead of going into all the neighborhoods down side streets, a single pick up point at the front of the neighborhood for these times. Parents could walk with their children or drive a few blocks to the designated safe stop.

I think it is wild to assume buses will be able to do half their normal routes safely Monday.

I also think Reid desperately wants everyone back in buildings, so I predict on time but admin telling us to “be generous with not marking tardies”.

FCPS does have alternate bus routes. This is from an email Kyle McDaniel sent recently:

“ During inclement weather, some roads or neighborhoods may be difficult for our school buses to access safely. In those situations, FCPS’ Transportation Office may use backup bus routes with alternate pickup or drop-off locations. For safety and clarity, these alternate stops are not posted publicly. However, any family affected by a temporary change will be notified directly, typically the evening before, by email, text message, and a phone call.

This long-standing practice helps ensure that only the families who need this information receive it, and it prevents confusion that could cause students to miss their bus. We encourage families to make sure their contact information is up to date so they can receive timely notifications if a backup route is needed this winter.”

[Anonymous]

On western edge of county here — and part of a large neighborhood. Didn’t see any sidewalks cleared for any significant length while driving around today. Some people had made an attempt to— or shoveled early on in the storm — but then the sleet descended and everything slicked over. It is bad enough clearing the ice from your own driveway. All walkers are in the road here, unfortunately, surrounded by tall snowbanks. Doesn’t look safe from my perspective, though we are all eager to get back to normal life.

[Anonymous]

If it’s not safe today/wont be safe Monday, when will it be safe? Things won’t melt/clear for days. People who haven’t cleared sidewalks probably aren’t going to at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no way they can stay closed another day. Not happening.

We haven’t even used half our snow days. But, yeah, Reid will want to open schools, I’m sure.

[Anonymous]

The Montgomery County Public Schools website provides a message about school
Closure/ openings that is informative and transparent. It also encourages families to shovel their sidewalks and call snow plows for service. Why can’t we be more like them? I hate Reid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This ice is insane and not going anywhere. I do not think it's at all safe to send buses out until melting happens. Several crosswalks, bus stops, sidewalks, parking lots, etc are completely buried. I am a teacher and would be more than happy to do virtual school next week, so it's not about not wanting to work. I'm actually anxious to get back and finish my Q2 grades, but not if the conditions are still this bad Monday.

Without significant melting or significant effort at snow removal, the busses won't be able to navigate our neighborhood and the kids will have to wait for the bus in the street ( which is only plowed to one lane in spots)

This is our neighborhood. We haven’t seen snow plows in days and there is one narrow lane, no way for two-way traffic and people would not be able to get in and out of the neighborhood school that doesn’t even touch the sidewalks that are covered in eyes and 4 ft banks of ice. Sure put the kids in the street but then where are your one-way cars going? Why did the snow plows never come through and widen the lanes?

[Anonymous]

The only way you would be able to get kids to the school in our neighborhood is if you turned all the roads into one way streets. Otherwise it will be a huge traffic nightmare with cars stuck in the snow. Even now with light traffic, two cars meet and one has to back all the way out for the other to pass. I just saw a 4WD large pickup get stuck trying to move over so another car could pass. I can’t imagine what that could look like with busses and multiple cars trying to drop off with kids also walking in the roads. Some schools (not all) are simply impassable right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Montgomery County Public Schools website provides a message about school
Closure/ openings that is informative and transparent. It also encourages families to shovel their sidewalks and call snow plows for service. Why can’t we be more like them? I hate Reid.

Thanks for sharing this. I like how MCPS has presented this. I shared this with the communications director.

—an FCPS principal

[Anonymous]

If roads on bus routes and school grounds aren't plowed and shoveled, then yes, schools should remained closed. But sidewalks and bus stops are a community issue. If you have neighbors that didn't shovel on your kids' route, then get out there and do it. Fairfax unfortunately does not have a law that requires property owners to shovel. But nobody else is going to do it. Certainly the county won't. If it's a danger to your child then take care of it. We can't wait another week for things to melt because people didn't do snow removal on private property.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone seen heavier equipment (plows with serated blades, backhoes, bulldozers, whatever) out working on the ice that's still impeding intersections on bus routes and around schools? I haven't seen any trucks in my neighborhood (Falls Church) since the plows finished Monday.

Nothing. They seemed to have stopped working- even on major intersections. The off ramp from 495 to Gallows still doesn’t have the lane to go straight plowed, off ramp from Clara Barton to 4995 is completely blocked - no merge area and very dangerous. I could go on and on. Any insight into why they stopped plowing?

[Anonymous]

My neighborhood doesn’t even have sidewalks. Kids walk on the street every single day no matter the weather.

If we waited for sidewalks my kid would never go because they don’t exist.

Shovel them yourself or walk on the street like we do. We move over if a car comes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. All of the schools have been cleared. There is no way that school will be canceled on Monday. Prepare yourselves.

And to the PP who said that their street still has not been plowed... It is very hard to believe your claim. If, by some chance, you speak the truth, why in the world did you not call VDOT on Tuesday to report the mistake?

There are streets in the Kingstowne area that have not been plowed yet. VDOT has been contacted several times.
Love your confidence, though!

Please do tell us which streets have not been plowed. So they we may go and marvel at your truthfulness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no way they can stay closed another day. Not happening.

We haven’t even used half our snow days. But, yeah, Reid will want to open schools, I’m sure.

The snow days are fake. We only have a 180 day year to begin with, the state minimum. FCPS switched to the “hourly” method of counting instruction time to allow more snow days without extending the school year.

Thank goodness Reid prioritizes getting kids back to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Montgomery County Public Schools website provides a message about school
Closure/ openings that is informative and transparent. It also encourages families to shovel their sidewalks and call snow plows for service. Why can’t we be more like them? I hate Reid.

Dramatic much? There’s a lot of things I disagree with her on. But she didn’t make the roads or sidewalks icy.

No matter what happens on Monday—on time, delay or closure—there will be plenty of complaining at the decision.

[Anonymous]

Why doesn’t VDOT salt the neighborhoods? This would help start edging away the one lane margins and improve the one-lane so that we could see the black top.