Parents bullied the SBOE member

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be fair, what she said about masks was really really dumb.

No, that’s not at all fair. She said the school should follow CDC guidance. Maybe you don’t agree with that but it’s not really really dumb.

She said the perception is that masks make us safer. And that was good enough reason to keep the mask mandate: so people can 'feel' safe. That's the dumb part

She is a minor child. The article says that she was 11 when the bullying got really bad. And your response is "what she said is dumb"? Are you f kidding with that? As an adult, your response should be - Oh my goodness, I cannot believe that those adults behaved in that way regardless of what that minor child said. Her safety and well being should and must come first.

What the hell is wrong with adults in this world?

Nobody should ever be bullied but the SMOB is not 11, she's 17 or 18. The discussion about masks happened recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be fair, what she said about masks was really really dumb.

No, that’s not at all fair. She said the school should follow CDC guidance. Maybe you don’t agree with that but it’s not really really dumb.

She said the perception is that masks make us safer. And that was good enough reason to keep the mask mandate: so people can 'feel' safe. That's the dumb part

She is a minor child. The article says that she was 11 when the bullying got really bad. And your response is "what she said is dumb"? Are you f kidding with that? As an adult, your response should be - Oh my goodness, I cannot believe that those adults behaved in that way regardless of what that minor child said. Her safety and well being should and must come first.

What the hell is wrong with adults in this world?

LOL. Honestly, you need to slow down and focus on your reading comprehension.

The article on the SMOB ends....and then there is a new blurb/video which is AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STORY ABOUT AN 11 YEAR OLD.

The SMOB is young woman named Hannah O'Looney. The 11 year old girl is named Joelle's .

The SMOB is a senior in High School. An 11 year old girl is in either 5th or 6th grade.

My god. No wonder people like you believe the horsesh*t you see posted everywhere;

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be fair, what she said about masks was really really dumb.

No, that’s not at all fair. She said the school should follow CDC guidance. Maybe you don’t agree with that but it’s not really really dumb.

She said the perception is that masks make us safer. And that was good enough reason to keep the mask mandate: so people can 'feel' safe. That's the dumb part

She is a minor child. The article says that she was 11 when the bullying got really bad. And your response is "what she said is dumb"? Are you f kidding with that? As an adult, your response should be - Oh my goodness, I cannot believe that those adults behaved in that way regardless of what that minor child said. Her safety and well being should and must come first.

What the hell is wrong with adults in this world?

You think an 11 year old has a voting position on the Montgomery County Board of Education? Maybe you might consider working on your critical readings/comprehension skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be fair, what she said about masks was really really dumb.

No, that’s not at all fair. She said the school should follow CDC guidance. Maybe you don’t agree with that but it’s not really really dumb.

She said the perception is that masks make us safer. And that was good enough reason to keep the mask mandate: so people can 'feel' safe. That's the dumb part

She is a minor child. The article says that she was 11 when the bullying got really bad. And your response is "what she said is dumb"? Are you f kidding with that? As an adult, your response should be - Oh my goodness, I cannot believe that those adults behaved in that way regardless of what that minor child said. Her safety and well being should and must come first.

What the hell is wrong with adults in this world?

LOL. Honestly, you need to slow down and focus on your reading comprehension.

The article on the SMOB ends....and then there is a new blurb/video which is AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STORY ABOUT AN 11 YEAR OLD.

The SMOB is young woman named Hannah O'Looney. The 11 year old girl is named Joelle's .

The SMOB is a senior in High School. An 11 year old girl is in either 5th or 6th grade.

My god. No wonder people like you believe the horsesh*t you see posted everywhere;

Those are good clues.

But the biggest clue might be when the page had the big bold text "READ NEXT", or even further down the page "WATCH NEXT"

Those are pretty good indicators that the previous article has ended and a new one is about to begin

But in PP's defense, she 'felt' that the article continued. It was her 'perception' that the SMOB was 11 years old and as we all know, perception is reality.

[Anonymous]

I think people did not realize she's a student member. The National Review article didn't mention that so the tweets I saw and follow up coverage just implied she is a regular board member.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She said the perception of masks making us safer was all that matters. That makes no sense and is worthy of ridicule.

No, that is not what she said. This is what she said:

“The last thing I want is for schools to be a source of anxiety for our students and it feels like making masks optional because of all the messaging, especially at the beginning of the pandemic, that my mask not only protects me, it protects my community,” O’Looney said at the meeting. “… That’s still a lingering sentiment. Regardless of what data says, perception is reality for students and families. I’m really afraid that if we get rid of the mask mandate, it’s going to cause a lot of fear for our students and families.”

She refers to masking policies and beliefs from two years ago as a reason to keep them on now. That is also dumb (new poster here by the way).

If you watched the meeting you would have heard her describe how she had been visiting schools over the last few weeks talking with students, and this was a common sentiment she was hearing from them. As the student representative on the board, it seems appropriate that she would formulate her positions based on the feedback from her constituents. I will also note that at that meeting she said she would be unable to attend the 3/8 meeting when the voting would be taking place, so she was making her comments then, probably assuming that the vote would go the other way, but still wanting her thoughts to be included.

+1. Her testimony came at a time when the CDC was still recommending masks in all school settings, and her position was based on actual sentiments of the students she represents. Judging by how many adults are choosing to still mask in public settings even with the mandate lifted in MoCo, it stands to reason that a decent majority of students will choose to remain masked. It doesn’t mean that the policy shouldn’t be considered/changed, but it is a perspective that should be elevated. Also, the same people who bullied her online just so happen to be the same mask choice bullies who just so happen to be the open the schools screamers who just so happen to bully everyone on various Facebook pages. These parents are toxic and reprehensible and out of touch with everyone not in their little echo chamber.

+1
I know of multiple petitions from students to keep masks in schools.
I don't have a personal opinion either way but my child got several of these petitions forwarded to her so there is definitely a loud student contingency supporting what she said

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She said the perception of masks making us safer was all that matters. That makes no sense and is worthy of ridicule.

This is one more reason why there shouldn't be a full-fledge student member of the board. They are taking a position where they are able to make broad decisions regarding our school system and yet it is not politically correct to criticize them when they say things that don't make sense.

+100

+1

Agreed. Kids can have a voice but not a vote.

Not having a vote is exactly what it means to not have a voice. If the SMOB is non-voting, it's a waste of the student's time re: pushing the dialogue based on their current experiences and it'd be a waste of the BOE's time as a body. They don't make decisions on personnel, etc. so it's not "broad" decisions. After all, they are the ones who will have to follow those policies in their respective schools. Name one area/sector where the consumer doesn't have a voice that's almost co-equal.

No, she can talk at every board meeting. That's a voice. Children should not get to make policy. Adults do know better than children. Adults can become better informed adults by listening to children. But they are still children. Adults should be making the decisions.

Is this how your family functions? I listen to my kids, but I am the one who makes the decisions and accepts responsibility.

"Is this how your family functions?" I see that DCUM posters still haven't learned respect but will always gaslight, etc. She's literally 18 ... there's no point of talking but then not being able to take action. These "children" you derisively refer to, many times, make smarter and more inclusive decisions than adults. Adults don't always know what they're doing, and I'm sorry for those children who have to deal with you. It's not "children are the future - as long as they know their place". These decisions made at the table affect them everyday.

As someone who routinely reads the Tweens/Teens board, I see a lot more mixed sentiment about the capacity of 18 years -- and what to do about it -- then you acknowledge here.

OK - that's what you've read. I'm a recent MCPS alum and I've lived it. I've seen my peers and I protest gun violence, put together award-winning magazines, and make actionable changes towards racial equity and justice. Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation, and, again, they need to be fully heard. The SMOB, especially our current one, plays a critical role in that.

Your statement here proves that children should not have an actual vote in matters as important as education. Your lack of history knowledge and critical thinking lead you to say "Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation" which is simply absurd. Millennials had Sept 11th and everything that followed, Gen Xers had the constant threat of nuclear war, Boomers had Viet Nam, the Silent Generation had WWII and the Great Depression, the Greatest Generation had WWI and the Flu pandemic, and so on. At your age, your worldview is so myopic that you can't comprehend all the moving parts in an organization as large and complicated as a school system with a $3 billion budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She said the perception of masks making us safer was all that matters. That makes no sense and is worthy of ridicule.

This is one more reason why there shouldn't be a full-fledge student member of the board. They are taking a position where they are able to make broad decisions regarding our school system and yet it is not politically correct to criticize them when they say things that don't make sense.

+100

+1

Agreed. Kids can have a voice but not a vote.

Not having a vote is exactly what it means to not have a voice. If the SMOB is non-voting, it's a waste of the student's time re: pushing the dialogue based on their current experiences and it'd be a waste of the BOE's time as a body. They don't make decisions on personnel, etc. so it's not "broad" decisions. After all, they are the ones who will have to follow those policies in their respective schools. Name one area/sector where the consumer doesn't have a voice that's almost co-equal.

No, she can talk at every board meeting. That's a voice. Children should not get to make policy. Adults do know better than children. Adults can become better informed adults by listening to children. But they are still children. Adults should be making the decisions.

Is this how your family functions? I listen to my kids, but I am the one who makes the decisions and accepts responsibility.

"Is this how your family functions?" I see that DCUM posters still haven't learned respect but will always gaslight, etc. She's literally 18 ... there's no point of talking but then not being able to take action. These "children" you derisively refer to, many times, make smarter and more inclusive decisions than adults. Adults don't always know what they're doing, and I'm sorry for those children who have to deal with you. It's not "children are the future - as long as they know their place". These decisions made at the table affect them everyday.

As someone who routinely reads the Tweens/Teens board, I see a lot more mixed sentiment about the capacity of 18 years -- and what to do about it -- then you acknowledge here.

OK - that's what you've read. I'm a recent MCPS alum and I've lived it. I've seen my peers and I protest gun violence, put together award-winning magazines, and make actionable changes towards racial equity and justice. Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation, and, again, they need to be fully heard. The SMOB, especially our current one, plays a critical role in that.

Your statement here proves that children should not have an actual vote in matters as important as education. Your lack of history knowledge and critical thinking lead you to say "Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation" which is simply absurd. Millennials had Sept 11th and everything that followed, Gen Xers had the constant threat of nuclear war, Boomers had Viet Nam, the Silent Generation had WWII and the Great Depression, the Greatest Generation had WWI and the Flu pandemic, and so on. At your age, your worldview is so myopic that you can't comprehend all the moving parts in an organization as large and complicated as a school system with a $3 billion budget.

+100

We've failed this kids if they are unable to see if the difference between "putting together award winning magazines" and waiting for your draft number to go die in Vietnam. The relief you would feel when your number wasn't called vs the guilt when you learned a peer or friend would have to go.

My Dad served in Vietnam. While posts like this are offensive, its more testament to how poorly we've educated this generation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She said the perception of masks making us safer was all that matters. That makes no sense and is worthy of ridicule.

This is one more reason why there shouldn't be a full-fledge student member of the board. They are taking a position where they are able to make broad decisions regarding our school system and yet it is not politically correct to criticize them when they say things that don't make sense.

+100

+1

Agreed. Kids can have a voice but not a vote.

Not having a vote is exactly what it means to not have a voice. If the SMOB is non-voting, it's a waste of the student's time re: pushing the dialogue based on their current experiences and it'd be a waste of the BOE's time as a body. They don't make decisions on personnel, etc. so it's not "broad" decisions. After all, they are the ones who will have to follow those policies in their respective schools. Name one area/sector where the consumer doesn't have a voice that's almost co-equal.

No, she can talk at every board meeting. That's a voice. Children should not get to make policy. Adults do know better than children. Adults can become better informed adults by listening to children. But they are still children. Adults should be making the decisions.

Is this how your family functions? I listen to my kids, but I am the one who makes the decisions and accepts responsibility.

"Is this how your family functions?" I see that DCUM posters still haven't learned respect but will always gaslight, etc. She's literally 18 ... there's no point of talking but then not being able to take action. These "children" you derisively refer to, many times, make smarter and more inclusive decisions than adults. Adults don't always know what they're doing, and I'm sorry for those children who have to deal with you. It's not "children are the future - as long as they know their place". These decisions made at the table affect them everyday.

As someone who routinely reads the Tweens/Teens board, I see a lot more mixed sentiment about the capacity of 18 years -- and what to do about it -- then you acknowledge here.

OK - that's what you've read. I'm a recent MCPS alum and I've lived it. I've seen my peers and I protest gun violence, put together award-winning magazines, and make actionable changes towards racial equity and justice. Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation, and, again, they need to be fully heard. The SMOB, especially our current one, plays a critical role in that.

Your statement here proves that children should not have an actual vote in matters as important as education. Your lack of history knowledge and critical thinking lead you to say "Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation" which is simply absurd. Millennials had Sept 11th and everything that followed, Gen Xers had the constant threat of nuclear war, Boomers had Viet Nam, the Silent Generation had WWII and the Great Depression, the Greatest Generation had WWI and the Flu pandemic, and so on. At your age, your worldview is so myopic that you can't comprehend all the moving parts in an organization as large and complicated as a school system with a $3 billion budget.

+1 million

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She said the perception of masks making us safer was all that matters. That makes no sense and is worthy of ridicule.

This is one more reason why there shouldn't be a full-fledge student member of the board. They are taking a position where they are able to make broad decisions regarding our school system and yet it is not politically correct to criticize them when they say things that don't make sense.

+100

+1

Agreed. Kids can have a voice but not a vote.

Not having a vote is exactly what it means to not have a voice. If the SMOB is non-voting, it's a waste of the student's time re: pushing the dialogue based on their current experiences and it'd be a waste of the BOE's time as a body. They don't make decisions on personnel, etc. so it's not "broad" decisions. After all, they are the ones who will have to follow those policies in their respective schools. Name one area/sector where the consumer doesn't have a voice that's almost co-equal.

No, she can talk at every board meeting. That's a voice. Children should not get to make policy. Adults do know better than children. Adults can become better informed adults by listening to children. But they are still children. Adults should be making the decisions.

Is this how your family functions? I listen to my kids, but I am the one who makes the decisions and accepts responsibility.

"Is this how your family functions?" I see that DCUM posters still haven't learned respect but will always gaslight, etc. She's literally 18 ... there's no point of talking but then not being able to take action. These "children" you derisively refer to, many times, make smarter and more inclusive decisions than adults. Adults don't always know what they're doing, and I'm sorry for those children who have to deal with you. It's not "children are the future - as long as they know their place". These decisions made at the table affect them everyday.

As someone who routinely reads the Tweens/Teens board, I see a lot more mixed sentiment about the capacity of 18 years -- and what to do about it -- then you acknowledge here.

OK - that's what you've read. I'm a recent MCPS alum and I've lived it. I've seen my peers and I protest gun violence, put together award-winning magazines, and make actionable changes towards racial equity and justice. Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation, and, again, they need to be fully heard. The SMOB, especially our current one, plays a critical role in that.

Lol. Yes, all those kids that were worried about being drafted at 18 and sent to die in Vietnam....that was nothing compared to the pressure these MCPS kids feel on if their pronouns will be used by their peers....

Gimme a break

You are the one who is incredibly immature if you cannot understand that just because it might have been worse for your generation, doesn’t change what this generation is going through. Yeah Vietnam happened. Right now? The global pandemic is what is facing these kids, not Vietnam. Don’t equate the two because they are not equal, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are going through something too. Also, you can’t have it both ways. According to most people anti- mask, this is the worst that that’s ever happened and is a total crisis for these kids. Either it is or it isnt. Can’t claim that then claim “but it’s not Vietnam!” In the same breath. So immature, misguided, delusional, hypocritical…list goes on and on for certain parents in this county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She said the perception of masks making us safer was all that matters. That makes no sense and is worthy of ridicule.

This is one more reason why there shouldn't be a full-fledge student member of the board. They are taking a position where they are able to make broad decisions regarding our school system and yet it is not politically correct to criticize them when they say things that don't make sense.

+100

+1

Agreed. Kids can have a voice but not a vote.

Not having a vote is exactly what it means to not have a voice. If the SMOB is non-voting, it's a waste of the student's time re: pushing the dialogue based on their current experiences and it'd be a waste of the BOE's time as a body. They don't make decisions on personnel, etc. so it's not "broad" decisions. After all, they are the ones who will have to follow those policies in their respective schools. Name one area/sector where the consumer doesn't have a voice that's almost co-equal.

No, she can talk at every board meeting. That's a voice. Children should not get to make policy. Adults do know better than children. Adults can become better informed adults by listening to children. But they are still children. Adults should be making the decisions.

Is this how your family functions? I listen to my kids, but I am the one who makes the decisions and accepts responsibility.

"Is this how your family functions?" I see that DCUM posters still haven't learned respect but will always gaslight, etc. She's literally 18 ... there's no point of talking but then not being able to take action. These "children" you derisively refer to, many times, make smarter and more inclusive decisions than adults. Adults don't always know what they're doing, and I'm sorry for those children who have to deal with you. It's not "children are the future - as long as they know their place". These decisions made at the table affect them everyday.

As someone who routinely reads the Tweens/Teens board, I see a lot more mixed sentiment about the capacity of 18 years -- and what to do about it -- then you acknowledge here.

OK - that's what you've read. I'm a recent MCPS alum and I've lived it. I've seen my peers and I protest gun violence, put together award-winning magazines, and make actionable changes towards racial equity and justice. Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation, and, again, they need to be fully heard. The SMOB, especially our current one, plays a critical role in that.

Your statement here proves that children should not have an actual vote in matters as important as education. Your lack of history knowledge and critical thinking lead you to say "Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation" which is simply absurd. Millennials had Sept 11th and everything that followed, Gen Xers had the constant threat of nuclear war, Boomers had Viet Nam, the Silent Generation had WWII and the Great Depression, the Greatest Generation had WWI and the Flu pandemic, and so on. At your age, your worldview is so myopic that you can't comprehend all the moving parts in an organization as large and complicated as a school system with a $3 billion budget.

+1 million

OMG, stop +1ing your own comments. And the whole, "I had to walk 500 miles to school when I was your age" doesn't work anymore. Come up with a new argument. You know what this generation faces that you didn't face? Crushing higher education debt, the inability to buy a home, global warming, post-pandemic crap and cluelesss numbnuts like you who helped create this situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She said the perception of masks making us safer was all that matters. That makes no sense and is worthy of ridicule.

No, that is not what she said. This is what she said:

“The last thing I want is for schools to be a source of anxiety for our students and it feels like making masks optional because of all the messaging, especially at the beginning of the pandemic, that my mask not only protects me, it protects my community,” O’Looney said at the meeting. “… That’s still a lingering sentiment. Regardless of what data says, perception is reality for students and families. I’m really afraid that if we get rid of the mask mandate, it’s going to cause a lot of fear for our students and families.”

Yes, and that was dumb. Perception is more important than data? Shouldn’t schools be educating people? They can do that about masks and covid, too.

What she's trying to say is making masks optional puts the onus on children to protect themselves and their community. I get that YOU think there's no need for them to do that. No doubt you were on of the sociopaths sending your kids to school sick in January and demanding masks be removed. But what she's saying is, again, making masks optional right now--right after a surge that was pretty damned traumatic for a lot of those kids and their teachers, btw--is putting the responsibility in the hands of minor children, who will then have to weigh the choice with the added fun of peer pressure, bullying etc. As you've taken a side and politicized this, so will your damaged children. No doubt they're already stalking asthmatics in their classrooms telling them "masks don't work," and whatever other nonsense you've put in their heads.

And no, again, this doesn't mean we mask forever. But we need to listen to our children too. We need to keep them safe. We need to stop demanding they have to make life or death decisions in middle school.

So much irrationality in this post. I'm sure it gives you comfort to think that mask wearers are the only ones who really care about societies and the ones who want mask optional is a bunch of bullies spreading sickness. It does not work like that -- I see you as the big bully demanding that other people's children stay masked to alleviate your mental health issues because the actual risk is minimal.

The SMOB's point was not about what the data actually says. She said we have put so much mental burden on children that they are harming themselves and each other if they go maskless, even if the data says it is okay to go maskless. Why does that not concern you? How we have put so much mental pressure on children to keep up this theater?

I'm not a bully, Mr "Masks are Theater."

Her point--and mine--is that the transition involves more than just data. It involves time, and some respect for caution. It involves the acknowledgement that kids are social creatures and may not always act in their own best interest. Now, my kid will be fine regardless. They will wear a mask for the rest of March and then we will see where we are at. They are still planning to go to Europe in June. We are optimistic they won't have to mask most of that trip. I prefer optimism, on the whole.

Now, your kids are being pressured not to wear masks and seeing how much you like to pull the wings off flies yourself, I have no doubt that they're stalking kids in the hall and making fun of them and saying crap like "masks are theater!" "You're irrational!" Etc.

I'm sure they hear that language all the time at home. It seems pretty obvious that's how you talk about your wife.

I am truly truly sorry your own children are so weak that wearing masks has been a mental burden for them. However will they manage a AP class? Or doing their own laundry?

[Anonymous]

"We should continue to mask so as not to disrupt our summer in Europe"

Sigh, I just can't with you people

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"We should continue to mask so as not to disrupt our summer in Europe"

Sigh, I just can't with you people

Like I said, I'm an optimist. My kid hadn't seen the grandmother in three years. The woman isn't getting any younger.

But do go on, Ms. "We had twelve people over for Thanksgiving"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She said the perception of masks making us safer was all that matters. That makes no sense and is worthy of ridicule.

This is one more reason why there shouldn't be a full-fledge student member of the board. They are taking a position where they are able to make broad decisions regarding our school system and yet it is not politically correct to criticize them when they say things that don't make sense.

+100

+1

Agreed. Kids can have a voice but not a vote.

Not having a vote is exactly what it means to not have a voice. If the SMOB is non-voting, it's a waste of the student's time re: pushing the dialogue based on their current experiences and it'd be a waste of the BOE's time as a body. They don't make decisions on personnel, etc. so it's not "broad" decisions. After all, they are the ones who will have to follow those policies in their respective schools. Name one area/sector where the consumer doesn't have a voice that's almost co-equal.

No, she can talk at every board meeting. That's a voice. Children should not get to make policy. Adults do know better than children. Adults can become better informed adults by listening to children. But they are still children. Adults should be making the decisions.

Is this how your family functions? I listen to my kids, but I am the one who makes the decisions and accepts responsibility.

"Is this how your family functions?" I see that DCUM posters still haven't learned respect but will always gaslight, etc. She's literally 18 ... there's no point of talking but then not being able to take action. These "children" you derisively refer to, many times, make smarter and more inclusive decisions than adults. Adults don't always know what they're doing, and I'm sorry for those children who have to deal with you. It's not "children are the future - as long as they know their place". These decisions made at the table affect them everyday.

As someone who routinely reads the Tweens/Teens board, I see a lot more mixed sentiment about the capacity of 18 years -- and what to do about it -- then you acknowledge here.

OK - that's what you've read. I'm a recent MCPS alum and I've lived it. I've seen my peers and I protest gun violence, put together award-winning magazines, and make actionable changes towards racial equity and justice. Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation, and, again, they need to be fully heard. The SMOB, especially our current one, plays a critical role in that.

Your statement here proves that children should not have an actual vote in matters as important as education. Your lack of history knowledge and critical thinking lead you to say "Kids today go through way more pressure than any other generation" which is simply absurd. Millennials had Sept 11th and everything that followed, Gen Xers had the constant threat of nuclear war, Boomers had Viet Nam, the Silent Generation had WWII and the Great Depression, the Greatest Generation had WWI and the Flu pandemic, and so on. At your age, your worldview is so myopic that you can't comprehend all the moving parts in an organization as large and complicated as a school system with a $3 billion budget.

Exactly. A $2.96 BILLION budget for MCPS.

And a student gets a full vote on the BOE. That is absolutely nuts.