Maryland Recovery Plan for Education has been posted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect teachers and kids to wear masks all day. Everyone needs to expect to be back to school in the fall as normal. Extra cleaning and hand sanitizer.

Everyone needs to be prepared that there will be 100% online classes in the fall. Both outcomes are very possible. And yes, teachers and kids can get used to masks, but we don't have enough of them, do we.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I commend them for being thoughtful and exploring many possibilities.


What about really want is a 100% distance learning option for those kids with fragile medical situations or who live with such relatives.

I agree. My medically fragile kid was on the interim instructional program for MCPS pre-COVID, and it was awful. There needs to be a robust online option, or they need to pay tuition for already established online programs. Florida has a large, common core aligned, virtual public school, that accepts students from out of state for a reasonable tuition. Allowing students to enroll there, and transfer the credits back if in a grade where credit is a thing, would be a good option.

My guess is that, just like in Quebec, if the schools opened up and made it optional, they'd already have a reduced number. Which would help with social distancing. Allowing families who are happy to stay home, or who need to stay home for medical reasons to choose so would take us a long way towards getting class sizes to a safe level.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, forcing people to wear masks is probably the easiest to solve. Unfortunately, most of the masks everyone wears are the wrong kind or have cheaper fabric instead of the spun plastic material needed in the interior. I know this might be a low priority to some, but as a teacher I don’t want to risk my life so that you can go back to work. A lot of staff are high risk. No vaccine = no school according to all the federal and state plans.

[Anonymous]

What about camps this summer? Are we just assuming camps are cancelled?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, forcing people to wear masks is probably the easiest to solve. Unfortunately, most of the masks everyone wears are the wrong kind or have cheaper fabric instead of the spun plastic material needed in the interior. I know this might be a low priority to some, but as a teacher I don’t want to risk my life so that you can go back to work. A lot of staff are high risk. No vaccine = no school according to all the federal and state plans.

Then the plans need to change, because there won't be a vaccine for another year or more, and it is completely unacceptable for kids to be out of school for another year or more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect teachers and kids to wear masks all day. Everyone needs to expect to be back to school in the fall as normal. Extra cleaning and hand sanitizer.

Everyone needs to be prepared that there will be 100% online classes in the fall. Both outcomes are very possible. And yes, teachers and kids can get used to masks, but we don't have enough of them, do we.

We don't have enough N95 masks, but that's not the kind we'd need for this anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://marylandpublicschools.org/newsroom/Documents/MSDERecoveryPlan.pdf

I gave it a very quick glance through and thought it did a good job of laying out options and, in some areas, includes informative details about what is, and is not, supported by research.





Warning: It uses the "bussing" spelling (rather than busing).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, forcing people to wear masks is probably the easiest to solve. Unfortunately, most of the masks everyone wears are the wrong kind or have cheaper fabric instead of the spun plastic material needed in the interior. I know this might be a low priority to some, but as a teacher I don’t want to risk my life so that you can go back to work. A lot of staff are high risk. No vaccine = no school according to all the federal and state plans.

Children who's growing bodies need full access to oxygen wearing oxygen restricting masks and breathing their own CO2 for 6 hours?
I would like to see who signed a name under "research" supporting that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect teachers and kids to wear masks all day. Everyone needs to expect to be back to school in the fall as normal. Extra cleaning and hand sanitizer.

Everyone needs to be prepared that there will be 100% online classes in the fall. Both outcomes are very possible. And yes, teachers and kids can get used to masks, but we don't have enough of them, do we.

We don't have enough N95 masks, but that's not the kind we'd need for this anyway.

We don't have enough surgical masks either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, forcing people to wear masks is probably the easiest to solve. Unfortunately, most of the masks everyone wears are the wrong kind or have cheaper fabric instead of the spun plastic material needed in the interior. I know this might be a low priority to some, but as a teacher I don’t want to risk my life so that you can go back to work. A lot of staff are high risk. No vaccine = no school according to all the federal and state plans.

I think I saw your posts few months ago supporting "mask don't work" don't wear one, it is insane. So now all of the sudden not only they work but how?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I commend them for being thoughtful and exploring many possibilities.


What about really want is a 100% distance learning option for those kids with fragile medical situations or who live with such relatives.

I agree. My medically fragile kid was on the interim instructional program for MCPS pre-COVID, and it was awful. There needs to be a robust online option, or they need to pay tuition for already established online programs. Florida has a large, common core aligned, virtual public school, that accepts students from out of state for a reasonable tuition. Allowing students to enroll there, and transfer the credits back if in a grade where credit is a thing, would be a good option.

My guess is that, just like in Quebec, if the schools opened up and made it optional, they'd already have a reduced number. Which would help with social distancing. Allowing families who are happy to stay home, or who need to stay home for medical reasons to choose so would take us a long way towards getting class sizes to a safe level.

Yes! That would a win-win!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, forcing people to wear masks is probably the easiest to solve. Unfortunately, most of the masks everyone wears are the wrong kind or have cheaper fabric instead of the spun plastic material needed in the interior. I know this might be a low priority to some, but as a teacher I don’t want to risk my life so that you can go back to work. A lot of staff are high risk. No vaccine = no school according to all the federal and state plans.

Children who's growing bodies need full access to oxygen wearing oxygen restricting masks and breathing their own CO2 for 6 hours?
I would like to see who signed a name under "research" supporting that.

Children are not that fragile. They'll be fine. These arent gas masks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, forcing people to wear masks is probably the easiest to solve. Unfortunately, most of the masks everyone wears are the wrong kind or have cheaper fabric instead of the spun plastic material needed in the interior. I know this might be a low priority to some, but as a teacher I don’t want to risk my life so that you can go back to work. A lot of staff are high risk. No vaccine = no school according to all the federal and state plans.

Children who's growing bodies need full access to oxygen wearing oxygen restricting masks and breathing their own CO2 for 6 hours?
I would like to see who signed a name under "research" supporting that.

Children are not that fragile. They'll be fine. These arent gas masks.

It's wrong to make children wear masks for more than a very short period of time. They are incredibly unhealthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How will they have the staff to cover lunches in classrooms and enough teachers to cover smaller classes spread out using MS space?

It says that they are going to cut out all specials--PE, music, art, etc-- and special education and repurpose those teachers as classroom teachers.

Say what now? Cutting the special education? Don't the kids with special needs need a special education? That is just strange place to find budget solutions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, forcing people to wear masks is probably the easiest to solve. Unfortunately, most of the masks everyone wears are the wrong kind or have cheaper fabric instead of the spun plastic material needed in the interior. I know this might be a low priority to some, but as a teacher I don’t want to risk my life so that you can go back to work. A lot of staff are high risk. No vaccine = no school according to all the federal and state plans.

Genuinely curious, what is the source for that. I’ve Googled but haven’t found anything coming from MD or Federal that states this unequivocally.

Think they would be disastrous for many kids and families - at some point the lack of education and the harm done to the economy is going to outweigh the impact of COVID. If nothing else, the implications of poverty are poor health and increases in comorbidity. And yes, also realize that COVID is a threat too - no easy answers.