We are NEVER going back until covid is 100% gone - MCPS has no leadership

[Anonymous]

1. Mask enforcement.

2. Air filtration.

3. Overcrowding at many schools, particularly high schools.

4. Second wave in our area due to White House.


For all these reasons, we cannot return right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
1. Mask enforcement.

2. Air filtration.

3. Overcrowding at many schools, particularly high schools.

4. Second wave in our area due to White House.


For all these reasons, we cannot return right now.

If they can do spaghetti strap enforcement and skirt length enforcement, they can do mask enforcement.

Also I don't think that the White House is going to cause a whole population-wide second wave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
1. Mask enforcement.

2. Air filtration.

3. Overcrowding at many schools, particularly high schools.

4. Second wave in our area due to White House.


For all these reasons, we cannot return right now.

If they can do spaghetti strap enforcement and skirt length enforcement, they can do mask enforcement.

Also I don't think that the White House is going to cause a whole population-wide second wave.

*In theory*, MCPS can enforce masks and upgrade its air filtration system.
In practice, you know there are cultural barriers to the former (just read DCUM!), and financial barriers to the latter. And no, they don't regulate clothing 100%, that is a myth; the masks they would need to enforce 100%, no exceptions, and MCPS has never done that for anything.

Overcrowding they can't do anything about right now, sadly. It's part of a years-long capital improvement plan that has been extremely laborious. MCPS has had to beg the State and County for money for years. The price tag for additions and new schools is astronomical.

And yes, indeed, the White House is the center of an outbreak that will affect the entire region, because contrary to other outbreaks that authorities deal with, this time it's the people who are least likely to take precautions and who are in power that are spreading the virus! The virus is already out, with all the hundreds of staffers who live in our area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to article in Bethesda Beat, MCPS hasn't even started planning for returning to school. Since March, they have not made any effort to make schools safe.

MCPS NEVER had an intention to bring kids back. it's just too hard so we aren't going to do it.
Smith makes 300k with the sweetest benefits packet. We have hundreds of overpaid staff in central office. And none of them have the leadership skills to get the kids back in school.

Other districts here in the US and in other countries are moving forward. They have real leaders who aren't going to let the desires and special requests from each individual in the district stop them from meeting the educational needs of the larger population of kids.

They know how this is affecting kids mentally, they just hired more counselors!! They know that a lot of teachers are realizing this isn't working, parents realize this isn't working. And I am not talking the small percentage of kids who are doing ok with DL, I am talking of the majority of kids. But they still haven't started outlining the plan for return.

How hard is it to make few calls to other superintendents to get some guidance since no one has any clue what to do?
Secure PPE, set up schools/classrooms with social distance desks with partitions, set out sanitizer stations throughout school, survey parents to find out who will be returning and who needs bus transportation, require masks and handwashing breaks (make these MANDATORY), work with building services to sanitize high touch areas, set up isolation room, involve school nurse, establish DL program for those who can't abide by rules and don't want to come into the school. Select DL teachers and assign kids to them from the entire county population.. A kid might not get a teacher from their school, but we all must make sacrifices.
Unless you ask parents what option they want, you can't really plan, and they haven't even done that.

There are so many staff who aren't working, but getting paid...assign jobs to them, there is plenty for everyone to do.

At the end of the day, you will not please anyone, but you will have attempted to do what you are supposed to do...educate the kids.

If we all have to make sacrifices, we should stick with the current system, which at least requires the same sacrifice of everyone. All kids are doing DL. All teachers are doing DL. Once we start shifting some students at week 10 to teachers they have not started to build a relationship with, it creates a second first two weeks of school. My daughter has a great relationship with her AP teacher. We also had to share some sensitive info about a foster son with several teachers who now understand that he is so eager to not be trouble that he will suffer in all kind of silence rather than ask for help. All know to really check in on him even if he gives the thumbs up in Zoom in response to a generally query.

The only ones making sacrifices are the parents and above all the kids. The teachers wanted this and continue to want it.

It always amazes how y'all think each and every one of the 13,000 teachers in MCPS are just part of a monolithic bloc of "the teachers".

(Ducking. Covering. Waiting for the vitriol.)

PP here. You are right, and I apologize to the teachers who do want to go back for generalizing. It would be nice though if you guys would advocate more loudly for returning in person. If there is a sizable contingent of teachers who want to go back, administrators and the union should hear from them.

+100

SO MUCH OF THIS COULD BE AVOIDED if teachers would speak up about wanting to go back.

Are you willing to sub when they get sick and there is a shortage?

You're right, but don't bother. They'll just clap back "I can't. I have a REAL JOB!"

Cool story. Well, take a personal day, put in for some vacation time in your "real job" and hop on in there and show everyone how it's done.

I mean, it's so easy, right? And you know better than administrators and educators? So put your money and your health where your mouth is or SHUT THE HELL UP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
1. Mask enforcement.

2. Air filtration.

3. Overcrowding at many schools, particularly high schools.

4. Second wave in our area due to White House.


For all these reasons, we cannot return right now.

Which of those things is ever going to be different in the future, besides the White House outbreak?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

*In theory*, MCPS can enforce masks and upgrade its air filtration system.
In practice, you know there are cultural barriers to the former (just read DCUM!), and financial barriers to the latter. And no, they don't regulate clothing 100%, that is a myth; the masks they would need to enforce 100%, no exceptions, and MCPS has never done that for anything.

Overcrowding they can't do anything about right now, sadly. It's part of a years-long capital improvement plan that has been extremely laborious. MCPS has had to beg the State and County for money for years. The price tag for additions and new schools is astronomical.

And yes, indeed, the White House is the center of an outbreak that will affect the entire region, because contrary to other outbreaks that authorities deal with, this time it's the people who are least likely to take precautions and who are in power that are spreading the virus! The virus is already out, with all the hundreds of staffers who live in our area.

No, they wouldn't. They would just need to enforce it enough.

Whether the White House outbreak is going to cause a second wave in the entire region - I guess we'll find out. But it seems unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to article in Bethesda Beat, MCPS hasn't even started planning for returning to school. Since March, they have not made any effort to make schools safe.

MCPS NEVER had an intention to bring kids back. it's just too hard so we aren't going to do it.
Smith makes 300k with the sweetest benefits packet. We have hundreds of overpaid staff in central office. And none of them have the leadership skills to get the kids back in school.

Other districts here in the US and in other countries are moving forward. They have real leaders who aren't going to let the desires and special requests from each individual in the district stop them from meeting the educational needs of the larger population of kids.

They know how this is affecting kids mentally, they just hired more counselors!! They know that a lot of teachers are realizing this isn't working, parents realize this isn't working. And I am not talking the small percentage of kids who are doing ok with DL, I am talking of the majority of kids. But they still haven't started outlining the plan for return.

How hard is it to make few calls to other superintendents to get some guidance since no one has any clue what to do?
Secure PPE, set up schools/classrooms with social distance desks with partitions, set out sanitizer stations throughout school, survey parents to find out who will be returning and who needs bus transportation, require masks and handwashing breaks (make these MANDATORY), work with building services to sanitize high touch areas, set up isolation room, involve school nurse, establish DL program for those who can't abide by rules and don't want to come into the school. Select DL teachers and assign kids to them from the entire county population.. A kid might not get a teacher from their school, but we all must make sacrifices.
Unless you ask parents what option they want, you can't really plan, and they haven't even done that.

There are so many staff who aren't working, but getting paid...assign jobs to them, there is plenty for everyone to do.

At the end of the day, you will not please anyone, but you will have attempted to do what you are supposed to do...educate the kids.

It takes real courage and leadership to do the right thing and keep the schools closed in a pandemic. Sorry Trumper go peddle this nonsense somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At one of the back-to-school town halls last month, I heard our assistant principal (of a Bethesda-area high school) basically say that we won't be back in person during 2020-2021.

That should come as a surprise to no one.

DP- my concern is that if a vaccine isn’t available next summer, we may not even go back next year. There’s just so much inertia and paralysis, the lack of leadership is really stunning.

PP, to make you feel better:

MCPS WILL DO WHAT THE OTHER DISTRICTS DO.

They won't be the only one to be closed when everyone else is open. They won't be the only one to be open when everyone else is closed. All of the districts in the area are going to more-or-less do what all of the other districts in the area are doing.

Except MoCO has Dr Travis Gayle's who wants the magic number to be less than 30 classes a day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to article in Bethesda Beat, MCPS hasn't even started planning for returning to school. Since March, they have not made any effort to make schools safe.

MCPS NEVER had an intention to bring kids back. it's just too hard so we aren't going to do it.
Smith makes 300k with the sweetest benefits packet. We have hundreds of overpaid staff in central office. And none of them have the leadership skills to get the kids back in school.

Other districts here in the US and in other countries are moving forward. They have real leaders who aren't going to let the desires and special requests from each individual in the district stop them from meeting the educational needs of the larger population of kids.

They know how this is affecting kids mentally, they just hired more counselors!! They know that a lot of teachers are realizing this isn't working, parents realize this isn't working. And I am not talking the small percentage of kids who are doing ok with DL, I am talking of the majority of kids. But they still haven't started outlining the plan for return.

How hard is it to make few calls to other superintendents to get some guidance since no one has any clue what to do?
Secure PPE, set up schools/classrooms with social distance desks with partitions, set out sanitizer stations throughout school, survey parents to find out who will be returning and who needs bus transportation, require masks and handwashing breaks (make these MANDATORY), work with building services to sanitize high touch areas, set up isolation room, involve school nurse, establish DL program for those who can't abide by rules and don't want to come into the school. Select DL teachers and assign kids to them from the entire county population.. A kid might not get a teacher from their school, but we all must make sacrifices.
Unless you ask parents what option they want, you can't really plan, and they haven't even done that.

There are so many staff who aren't working, but getting paid...assign jobs to them, there is plenty for everyone to do.

At the end of the day, you will not please anyone, but you will have attempted to do what you are supposed to do...educate the kids.

If we all have to make sacrifices, we should stick with the current system, which at least requires the same sacrifice of everyone. All kids are doing DL. All teachers are doing DL. Once we start shifting some students at week 10 to teachers they have not started to build a relationship with, it creates a second first two weeks of school. My daughter has a great relationship with her AP teacher. We also had to share some sensitive info about a foster son with several teachers who now understand that he is so eager to not be trouble that he will suffer in all kind of silence rather than ask for help. All know to really check in on him even if he gives the thumbs up in Zoom in response to a generally query.

The only ones making sacrifices are the parents and above all the kids. The teachers wanted this and continue to want it.

It always amazes how y'all think each and every one of the 13,000 teachers in MCPS are just part of a monolithic bloc of "the teachers".

(Ducking. Covering. Waiting for the vitriol.)

PP here. You are right, and I apologize to the teachers who do want to go back for generalizing. It would be nice though if you guys would advocate more loudly for returning in person. If there is a sizable contingent of teachers who want to go back, administrators and the union should hear from them.

+100

SO MUCH OF THIS COULD BE AVOIDED if teachers would speak up about wanting to go back.

Are you willing to sub when they get sick and there is a shortage?

You're right, but don't bother. They'll just clap back "I can't. I have a REAL JOB!"

Cool story. Well, take a personal day, put in for some vacation time in your "real job" and hop on in there and show everyone how it's done.

I mean, it's so easy, right? And you know better than administrators and educators? So put your money and your health where your mouth is or SHUT THE HELL UP.

I'd love to see all these know it alla try and sub and see if they could last a day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM: MCPS sucks at everything! They can't plan!

Also DCUM: Why don't teachers trust MCPS, who I have just said suck at everything, to not suck at planning for employee safety?

Dcum: MCPS teachers are garbage humans who are lazy and selfish!

Also DCUM: I trust that teachers can provide my children with a high quality in person education and make sure every child is keeping their masks in and social distancing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At one of the back-to-school town halls last month, I heard our assistant principal (of a Bethesda-area high school) basically say that we won't be back in person during 2020-2021.

That should come as a surprise to no one.

DP- my concern is that if a vaccine isn’t available next summer, we may not even go back next year. There’s just so much inertia and paralysis, the lack of leadership is really stunning.

PP, to make you feel better:

MCPS WILL DO WHAT THE OTHER DISTRICTS DO.

They won't be the only one to be closed when everyone else is open. They won't be the only one to be open when everyone else is closed. All of the districts in the area are going to more-or-less do what all of the other districts in the area are doing.

Except MoCO has Dr Travis Gayle's who wants the magic number to be less than 30 classes a day

It's not his decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM: MCPS sucks at everything! They can't plan!

Also DCUM: Why don't teachers trust MCPS, who I have just said suck at everything, to not suck at planning for employee safety?

Dcum: MCPS teachers are garbage humans who are lazy and selfish!

Also DCUM: I trust that teachers can provide my children with a high quality in person education and make sure every child is keeping their masks in and social distancing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At one of the back-to-school town halls last month, I heard our assistant principal (of a Bethesda-area high school) basically say that we won't be back in person during 2020-2021.

That should come as a surprise to no one.

DP- my concern is that if a vaccine isn’t available next summer, we may not even go back next year. There’s just so much inertia and paralysis, the lack of leadership is really stunning.

PP, to make you feel better:

MCPS WILL DO WHAT THE OTHER DISTRICTS DO.

They won't be the only one to be closed when everyone else is open. They won't be the only one to be open when everyone else is closed. All of the districts in the area are going to more-or-less do what all of the other districts in the area are doing.

Except MoCO has Dr Travis Gayle's who wants the magic number to be less than 30 classes a day

It's not his decision.

So who makes the choice) Ehlrich? Smith? A secret cabal of hooded teacher union members whose identities are only known to each other?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM: MCPS sucks at everything! They can't plan!

Also DCUM: Why don't teachers trust MCPS, who I have just said suck at everything, to not suck at planning for employee safety?

Dcum: MCPS teachers are garbage humans who are lazy and selfish!

Also DCUM: I trust that teachers can provide my children with a high quality in person education and make sure every child is keeping their masks in and social distancing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to article in Bethesda Beat, MCPS hasn't even started planning for returning to school. Since March, they have not made any effort to make schools safe.

MCPS NEVER had an intention to bring kids back. it's just too hard so we aren't going to do it.
Smith makes 300k with the sweetest benefits packet. We have hundreds of overpaid staff in central office. And none of them have the leadership skills to get the kids back in school.

Other districts here in the US and in other countries are moving forward. They have real leaders who aren't going to let the desires and special requests from each individual in the district stop them from meeting the educational needs of the larger population of kids.

They know how this is affecting kids mentally, they just hired more counselors!! They know that a lot of teachers are realizing this isn't working, parents realize this isn't working. And I am not talking the small percentage of kids who are doing ok with DL, I am talking of the majority of kids. But they still haven't started outlining the plan for return.

How hard is it to make few calls to other superintendents to get some guidance since no one has any clue what to do?
Secure PPE, set up schools/classrooms with social distance desks with partitions, set out sanitizer stations throughout school, survey parents to find out who will be returning and who needs bus transportation, require masks and handwashing breaks (make these MANDATORY), work with building services to sanitize high touch areas, set up isolation room, involve school nurse, establish DL program for those who can't abide by rules and don't want to come into the school. Select DL teachers and assign kids to them from the entire county population.. A kid might not get a teacher from their school, but we all must make sacrifices.
Unless you ask parents what option they want, you can't really plan, and they haven't even done that.

There are so many staff who aren't working, but getting paid...assign jobs to them, there is plenty for everyone to do.

At the end of the day, you will not please anyone, but you will have attempted to do what you are supposed to do...educate the kids.

It takes real courage and leadership to do the right thing and keep the schools closed in a pandemic. Sorry Trumper go peddle this nonsense somewhere else.

Yes, it takes real courage to keep the bars and malls open.