Secondary school BATHROOMS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The bathrooms at my child’s HS are constantly locked or unsafe. In thinking about how MCPs spends money, they really need to sort that could help keep bathrooms both safe and open. Lots of schools need more security guards and more paraeducators to be able to better create safe halls and safe bathrooms. Removing bathroom doors (leaving stalls) seems like it might help for schools with unsafe bathrooms in order to prevent bathroom closures.

I think a part of this issue and why it has gone on so long is middle and high school students can be embarrassed to talk openly about bathroom needs. Most girls experiencing periods, especially in MS, are already stressed so then advocating for bathrooms access to prevent accidents would be super embarrassing. And many kids are embarrassed to discussion poop. If schools want to require attendance, at a very basic human rights level they also need to provide reliable safe and consistent bathroom access. What kid with a sensitive stomach wants to risk popping themself at school?

Contact 'hrc' DOT org. Raise hell. MCPS hates negative publicity. And sue MCPS. No one in MCPS is doing anything despite hearing about what's going on.

And to the poster saying lock some Central Office bathrooms - great idea. Let them experience it. They can't be bothered to visit schools, let them have the school experience in their offices!

[Anonymous]

Agree, pediatricians speak up!

[Anonymous]

Sounds silly but can't security guards, or any staff willing to give up their lunch period, stand outside the few bathrooms that are open to manage the number of students who go in? Maybe check student IDs? Jot the name down. Cross it off when they come back out. Those smoking vaping can go outside. Oh wait, MCPS doesn't want students outside smoking because that would look bad on schools? Did I understand this correctly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds silly but can't security guards, or any staff willing to give up their lunch period, stand outside the few bathrooms that are open to manage the number of students who go in? Maybe check student IDs? Jot the name down. Cross it off when they come back out. Those smoking vaping can go outside. Oh wait, MCPS doesn't want students outside smoking because that would look bad on schools? Did I understand this correctly?

Hilarious. You must not be familiar with a little group called MCEA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds silly but can't security guards, or any staff willing to give up their lunch period, stand outside the few bathrooms that are open to manage the number of students who go in? Maybe check student IDs? Jot the name down. Cross it off when they come back out. Those smoking vaping can go outside. Oh wait, MCPS doesn't want students outside smoking because that would look bad on schools? Did I understand this correctly?

Sounds like MCPS needs to hire bouncers like tbose at a bar club!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds silly but can't security guards, or any staff willing to give up their lunch period, stand outside the few bathrooms that are open to manage the number of students who go in? Maybe check student IDs? Jot the name down. Cross it off when they come back out. Those smoking vaping can go outside. Oh wait, MCPS doesn't want students outside smoking because that would look bad on schools? Did I understand this correctly?

Hilarious. You must not be familiar with a little group called MCEA.

DP. Staff can pull up a chair, a stool (no pun intended), eat lunch while they check students going in to bathrooms. If you're referring to staff lunch time.?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the PTSAs for these schools saying/doing about it?

PTAs are ignored. Principals deflect and ignore when this topic is raised.

How about MCCPTA? Or is it same when they bring it up?!

What exactly would PTA bring up? Kids are doing stupid stuff in bathrooms. Ya’ll screamed and hollered about that and overdoses last year. Not some bathrooms are closed and doors are off the bathrooms and security patrols those areas more or stays closer to them. Now you’re complaining that bathrooms are closed. What exactly do you want to happen? There are only so many resources. Kids are dealing.

Between going to the bathroom before school, lunch and essentially have a quater’s worth of passes I feel like most HS kids should be able to manage.

Whoa, someone got off on the wrong side today.
Can the school call caretakers of the students under 18 yrs of age who are repeatedly in the bathrooms for non-bathroom purposes? Have parents come to the bathroom and take a look. Yes, even if that means you leave your work to do so. Drag your kid out of the bathroom! Any other ideas?

This. This is the obvious solution. Make it parents' problem.

[Anonymous]

Get scanners. Students scan their student IDs before entering a school bathroom and when leaving. A security guard can be there to make sure they do so. Alas, where will MCPS find the $ to buy scanners? Answer: by reducing CO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds silly but can't security guards, or any staff willing to give up their lunch period, stand outside the few bathrooms that are open to manage the number of students who go in? Maybe check student IDs? Jot the name down. Cross it off when they come back out. Those smoking vaping can go outside. Oh wait, MCPS doesn't want students outside smoking because that would look bad on schools? Did I understand this correctly?

Sounds like MCPS needs to hire bouncers like tbose at a bar club!

Or bring back the armed SROs to guard the toilets!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds silly but can't security guards, or any staff willing to give up their lunch period, stand outside the few bathrooms that are open to manage the number of students who go in? Maybe check student IDs? Jot the name down. Cross it off when they come back out. Those smoking vaping can go outside. Oh wait, MCPS doesn't want students outside smoking because that would look bad on schools? Did I understand this correctly?

There is not enough staff. Too many students, not enough security staff to do this. Not even close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the PTSAs for these schools saying/doing about it?

PTAs are ignored. Principals deflect and ignore when this topic is raised.

How about MCCPTA? Or is it same when they bring it up?!

What exactly would PTA bring up? Kids are doing stupid stuff in bathrooms. Ya’ll screamed and hollered about that and overdoses last year. Not some bathrooms are closed and doors are off the bathrooms and security patrols those areas more or stays closer to them. Now you’re complaining that bathrooms are closed. What exactly do you want to happen? There are only so many resources. Kids are dealing.

Between going to the bathroom before school, lunch and essentially have a quater’s worth of passes I feel like most HS kids should be able to manage.

Whoa, someone got off on the wrong side today.
Can the school call caretakers of the students under 18 yrs of age who are repeatedly in the bathrooms for non-bathroom purposes? Have parents come to the bathroom and take a look. Yes, even if that means you leave your work to do so. Drag your kid out of the bathroom! Any other ideas?

This. This is the obvious solution. Make it parents' problem.

You are not familiar with how things work. Lots of parents simply don’t have time to deal with this. They are low-income families with multiple kids, working two jobs. And many who do not speak English. They are not even answering their phones, no way they are coming to school to get their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In addition to physical limitations (closing facilities) many schools also limit numbers of passes for students. I counted what my child is "entitled to" based on the policies at his school and he can go 5x/class during a marking period, and has 7 classes, so he can go to the bathroom 35/45 days. I guess the other days he just has to go during lunch or hold it.

I have given him permission to just leave the room if he's denied access to a bathroom and needs it. I'll deal with the discipline. His doctor is willing to write a note because my kid has suffered from health consequences related to holding pee and poop before.

+1 we ended up in the ER due to blockage from DC holding it too much.

It really makes me mad that all kids are being punished for the actions of a few. If those kids want to vape, let them vape their little hearts out. Why should my kid be punished for the bad things those kids do?

That’s just the way things are now in Montgomery County.

The Fallsgrove Panera had to quit leaving coffee cups out because people were stealing them. It’s a pain for both staff and customers who used to use them.

Our Giant had to lock the second set of doors because of too much shoplifting where people would just take stuff and walk right out. Again, more hassle for people.

We have created a culture where nobody follows rules anymore here in Montgomery County (people ignore housing codes, residency requirments for school attendance, immigration rules) and it’s accepted and embraced.

There are rules in place for expected behavior in high school bathrooms. But those rules are universally ignored and the bathrooms are a sh&tshow, so it’s easier to just close them.

I went to buy my kid a Panera gift card for Christmas. They didn't have any gift cards -- people had stolen them all. They hadn't even been activated -- people are just jerks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In addition to physical limitations (closing facilities) many schools also limit numbers of passes for students. I counted what my child is "entitled to" based on the policies at his school and he can go 5x/class during a marking period, and has 7 classes, so he can go to the bathroom 35/45 days. I guess the other days he just has to go during lunch or hold it.

I have given him permission to just leave the room if he's denied access to a bathroom and needs it. I'll deal with the discipline. His doctor is willing to write a note because my kid has suffered from health consequences related to holding pee and poop before.

+1 we ended up in the ER due to blockage from DC holding it too much.

It really makes me mad that all kids are being punished for the actions of a few. If those kids want to vape, let them vape their little hearts out. Why should my kid be punished for the bad things those kids do?

That’s just the way things are now in Montgomery County.

The Fallsgrove Panera had to quit leaving coffee cups out because people were stealing them. It’s a pain for both staff and customers who used to use them.

Our Giant had to lock the second set of doors because of too much shoplifting where people would just take stuff and walk right out. Again, more hassle for people.

We have created a culture where nobody follows rules anymore here in Montgomery County (people ignore housing codes, residency requirments for school attendance, immigration rules) and it’s accepted and embraced.

There are rules in place for expected behavior in high school bathrooms. But those rules are universally ignored and the bathrooms are a sh&tshow, so it’s easier to just close them.

I went to buy my kid a Panera gift card for Christmas. They didn't have any gift cards -- people had stolen them all. They hadn't even been activated -- people are just jerks.

MCPS already has rules in place with its Code of Conduct. Students are expected to behave appropriately in bathrooms.

But that is not happening. The kids have learned that they can ignore the rules (just like adults do) and get away with it.

What else can schools do? MCPS would prefer to spend money on random initiatives, versus hire more staff. It’s kind of a mess. Easier to just close bathrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the PTSAs for these schools saying/doing about it?

PTAs are ignored. Principals deflect and ignore when this topic is raised.

How about MCCPTA? Or is it same when they bring it up?!

What exactly would PTA bring up? Kids are doing stupid stuff in bathrooms. Ya’ll screamed and hollered about that and overdoses last year. Not some bathrooms are closed and doors are off the bathrooms and security patrols those areas more or stays closer to them. Now you’re complaining that bathrooms are closed. What exactly do you want to happen? There are only so many resources. Kids are dealing.

Between going to the bathroom before school, lunch and essentially have a quater’s worth of passes I feel like most HS kids should be able to manage.

Whoa, someone got off on the wrong side today.
Can the school call caretakers of the students under 18 yrs of age who are repeatedly in the bathrooms for non-bathroom purposes? Have parents come to the bathroom and take a look. Yes, even if that means you leave your work to do so. Drag your kid out of the bathroom! Any other ideas?

This. This is the obvious solution. Make it parents' problem.

You are not familiar with how things work. Lots of parents simply don’t have time to deal with this. They are low-income families with multiple kids, working two jobs. And many who do not speak English. They are not even answering their phones, no way they are coming to school to get their kids.

BS. Have you gone to the bathrooms? Many we hear about are from entitled upper-middle or middle income families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds silly but can't security guards, or any staff willing to give up their lunch period, stand outside the few bathrooms that are open to manage the number of students who go in? Maybe check student IDs? Jot the name down. Cross it off when they come back out. Those smoking vaping can go outside. Oh wait, MCPS doesn't want students outside smoking because that would look bad on schools? Did I understand this correctly?

There is not enough staff. Too many students, not enough security staff to do this. Not even close.

You need staff to babysit HS students OUTSIDE? Of course they can make students go outside to smoke. There are no smoking zones. Do you see people smoking inside a hospital?