What happens with positive tests? Let’s predict the fall for elementary schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect my kid to be in person, five days a week, for the entire school year.

HAHAHA. Aww, you’re cute.

This is a reasonable assumption for a vaccinated kid.

I'm impressed by the number of people on this thread that are waking up and realizing they don't know the new OSSE guidance, how masks factor in to "close contacts", and how vaccination factors into quarantine.

Most kids in elementary school are not vaccinated. And the post is about elementary schools.

[Anonymous]

So if I don't send my kid because I am afraid of transmission and there is no virtual option, they will call CPS on me? Or can I just fake symptoms or exposure to keep them out for as long as I don't feel comfortable? I don't see how DCPS can enforce anything at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if I don't send my kid because I am afraid of transmission and there is no virtual option, they will call CPS on me? Or can I just fake symptoms or exposure to keep them out for as long as I don't feel comfortable? I don't see how DCPS can enforce anything at this point.

As I see it, one option might be to let OSSE know that you are homeschooling. According to the website, you have to submit the form 15 days in advance, and notify 15 deals in advance of a return to school. Homeschooled children are not eligible for services.

https://osse.dc.gov/service/homeschooling-district-columbia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if I don't send my kid because I am afraid of transmission and there is no virtual option, they will call CPS on me? Or can I just fake symptoms or exposure to keep them out for as long as I don't feel comfortable? I don't see how DCPS can enforce anything at this point.

I think you could fake symptoms or exposure. How would they ever know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if I don't send my kid because I am afraid of transmission and there is no virtual option, they will call CPS on me? Or can I just fake symptoms or exposure to keep them out for as long as I don't feel comfortable? I don't see how DCPS can enforce anything at this point.

As I see it, one option might be to let OSSE know that you are homeschooling. According to the website, you have to submit the form 15 days in advance, and notify 15 deals in advance of a return to school. Homeschooled children are not eligible for services.

https://osse.dc.gov/service/homeschooling-district-columbia

But if you are at a charter, you lose the spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many type A parents in DC. No one can predict with any certainty. Just roll with it. Why is that so hard?

Do you have a job and need to be able to plan your availability and hours in order to keep it? I don't think its type A to need to remain employed, which partly depends on a structured workday even for people lucky enough to work from home. For people doing retail and service jobs, not being able to plan ahead is a disaster. I don't think you have any sense of what most people are dealing with here.

+1

Easy to "roll with it" if you're a SAHM. But even if I'm working from home, I still need to be able to plan my workdays in advance -- schedule meetings, be able to focus, etc. And if I have to go into work, I need childcare, because I can't just take a week of leave every time my kid has to quarantine or whatever. How easy do you think it is to find a reliable babysitter on very short notice who can watch your kids during the day, all day, for a week? This is hard for working parents; if you don't need the job or the money, good for you, but most people do.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here. Of course it’s difficult to not know how this will go. Parents need to work and kids need supervision. But the truth is that we just don’t know and that’s tough for many people. Considering the amount of time being given to professional development around virtual teaching and setting up new virtual classrooms next week, I suspect DCPS has planned more than anyone realizes for what will happen in the event of whole class quarantine. There might even be an asynchronous virtual class for individual students who quarantine (though it’s not likely to be well coordinated with what’s happening in regular classroom). As for a fully virtual option for anyone who wants it? That would likely be more harmful to more children than the risk of in person. Maybe not to any particular child, but overall. But if quarantine is necessary, I think there will be backup in terms of education, though not childcare obviously. And that’s really hard but maybe cannot be helped at this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Of course it’s difficult to not know how this will go. Parents need to work and kids need supervision. But the truth is that we just don’t know and that’s tough for many people. Considering the amount of time being given to professional development around virtual teaching and setting up new virtual classrooms next week, I suspect DCPS has planned more than anyone realizes for what will happen in the event of whole class quarantine. There might even be an asynchronous virtual class for individual students who quarantine (though it’s not likely to be well coordinated with what’s happening in regular classroom). As for a fully virtual option for anyone who wants it? That would likely be more harmful to more children than the risk of in person. Maybe not to any particular child, but overall. But if quarantine is necessary, I think there will be backup in terms of education, though not childcare obviously. And that’s really hard but maybe cannot be helped at this time.

Yeah, I'm thinking they know there are going to me tons of quarantined classes but don't want to come out and say it because they want it to appear that they are 100% reopening, no questions asked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many type A parents in DC. No one can predict with any certainty. Just roll with it. Why is that so hard?

Do you have a job and need to be able to plan your availability and hours in order to keep it? I don't think its type A to need to remain employed, which partly depends on a structured workday even for people lucky enough to work from home. For people doing retail and service jobs, not being able to plan ahead is a disaster. I don't think you have any sense of what most people are dealing with here.

+1

Easy to "roll with it" if you're a SAHM. But even if I'm working from home, I still need to be able to plan my workdays in advance -- schedule meetings, be able to focus, etc. And if I have to go into work, I need childcare, because I can't just take a week of leave every time my kid has to quarantine or whatever. How easy do you think it is to find a reliable babysitter on very short notice who can watch your kids during the day, all day, for a week? This is hard for working parents; if you don't need the job or the money, good for you, but most people do.

I work as well. The point is that no one knows what is going to happen. Screaming about it on DCUM will not change anything. The fall is going to be anything but predictable and it is best to just make peace with that. Humans are not great at making predictions in general

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Of course it’s difficult to not know how this will go. Parents need to work and kids need supervision. But the truth is that we just don’t know and that’s tough for many people. Considering the amount of time being given to professional development around virtual teaching and setting up new virtual classrooms next week, I suspect DCPS has planned more than anyone realizes for what will happen in the event of whole class quarantine. There might even be an asynchronous virtual class for individual students who quarantine (though it’s not likely to be well coordinated with what’s happening in regular classroom). As for a fully virtual option for anyone who wants it? That would likely be more harmful to more children than the risk of in person. Maybe not to any particular child, but overall. But if quarantine is necessary, I think there will be backup in terms of education, though not childcare obviously. And that’s really hard but maybe cannot be helped at this time.

Yeah, I'm thinking they know there are going to me tons of quarantined classes but don't want to come out and say it because they want it to appear that they are 100% reopening, no questions asked.

But this is what is so frustrating.

Just tell us what the freaking rules for quarantining kids will be! They're not being clear right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, actual prediction here.

I think that like school reopening in the spring, there are going to be massive disparities between schools in terms of cases, quarantines, and this indoor instruction.

Schools in NW, on the Hill, and sought-after charters will largely weather this ok. There will be cases and quarantined. However, if you have friends and family in places that opened schools last year but followed mitigation measures (do talking Colorado, not Florida or Texas here), you know it was a pain but also okay. Yes, sometimes kids have to stay home. But they are in school more than not. No kids got seriously ill. You guys will be fine.

Those of us in schools where most families must work in person, where kids are much more likely to live in multi-family housing, and where families don’t have the same access to quality healthcare? I expect rolling quarantined and limited in person instruction.

Just like last year, and always, rich white families will be fine while complaining the loudest. The rest of us will struggle but what we want/need will get drowned out by the rich white patents arguing with each other.

This makes sense to me except all signs are pointing to no quarantines in DCPS this year. And unlike schools in the south our teachers will be vaxed so they won’t be out sick as much. So the problem won’t be kids out of school due to quarantines. The problem will be rampant covid spread in elementary schools at least. Even when most parents are vaccinated this doesn’t help once a case enters a school where the vast majority if its occupants is too young to be vaccinated. I agree it will hit the lower income schools first. But I don’t think that the NW schools will be too far behind.

I agree with this prediction. No quarantines/closures, thus significant spread among unvaxed under 12, and even middle/high school bc many of them are unvaxxed. Just my prediction. We will see.

I think you will see quarantines in spite of the DCPS policy. Anytime there is a COVID test the result is reported to DOH. Kids will be at home. Once parents realize 4-5 kids are out of their kids classes more will pull out.

I think it’s going to be a disaster because central office is so incompetent. I don’t think upper nw will be spared at all.

Good point. I assume schools have to notify parents when there is a positive in the class, right?

We have no idea.

I agree we have no idea but I think you'll only be notified if your kid is a 'close contact'.

[Anonymous]

Honestly I don't think they will quarantine whole classes this year like they did last year. The new CDC guidance allows the possibility that if one kid tests positive it's possible that no kids will have to quarantine (depending on how lunch is interpreted).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, actual prediction here.

I think that like school reopening in the spring, there are going to be massive disparities between schools in terms of cases, quarantines, and this indoor instruction.

Schools in NW, on the Hill, and sought-after charters will largely weather this ok. There will be cases and quarantined. However, if you have friends and family in places that opened schools last year but followed mitigation measures (do talking Colorado, not Florida or Texas here), you know it was a pain but also okay. Yes, sometimes kids have to stay home. But they are in school more than not. No kids got seriously ill. You guys will be fine.

Those of us in schools where most families must work in person, where kids are much more likely to live in multi-family housing, and where families don’t have the same access to quality healthcare? I expect rolling quarantined and limited in person instruction.

Just like last year, and always, rich white families will be fine while complaining the loudest. The rest of us will struggle but what we want/need will get drowned out by the rich white patents arguing with each other.

This makes sense to me except all signs are pointing to no quarantines in DCPS this year. And unlike schools in the south our teachers will be vaxed so they won’t be out sick as much. So the problem won’t be kids out of school due to quarantines. The problem will be rampant covid spread in elementary schools at least. Even when most parents are vaccinated this doesn’t help once a case enters a school where the vast majority if its occupants is too young to be vaccinated. I agree it will hit the lower income schools first. But I don’t think that the NW schools will be too far behind.

I agree with this prediction. No quarantines/closures, thus significant spread among unvaxed under 12, and even middle/high school bc many of them are unvaxxed. Just my prediction. We will see.

I think you will see quarantines in spite of the DCPS policy. Anytime there is a COVID test the result is reported to DOH. Kids will be at home. Once parents realize 4-5 kids are out of their kids classes more will pull out.

I think it’s going to be a disaster because central office is so incompetent. I don’t think upper nw will be spared at all.

Good point. I assume schools have to notify parents when there is a positive in the class, right?

We have no idea.

I agree we have no idea but I think you'll only be notified if your kid is a 'close contact'.

They said today that parents in the class will be told there is a positive and the school community will also be told there has been a case within the school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, actual prediction here.

I think that like school reopening in the spring, there are going to be massive disparities between schools in terms of cases, quarantines, and this indoor instruction.

Schools in NW, on the Hill, and sought-after charters will largely weather this ok. There will be cases and quarantined. However, if you have friends and family in places that opened schools last year but followed mitigation measures (do talking Colorado, not Florida or Texas here), you know it was a pain but also okay. Yes, sometimes kids have to stay home. But they are in school more than not. No kids got seriously ill. You guys will be fine.

Those of us in schools where most families must work in person, where kids are much more likely to live in multi-family housing, and where families don’t have the same access to quality healthcare? I expect rolling quarantined and limited in person instruction.

Just like last year, and always, rich white families will be fine while complaining the loudest. The rest of us will struggle but what we want/need will get drowned out by the rich white patents arguing with each other.

This makes sense to me except all signs are pointing to no quarantines in DCPS this year. And unlike schools in the south our teachers will be vaxed so they won’t be out sick as much. So the problem won’t be kids out of school due to quarantines. The problem will be rampant covid spread in elementary schools at least. Even when most parents are vaccinated this doesn’t help once a case enters a school where the vast majority if its occupants is too young to be vaccinated. I agree it will hit the lower income schools first. But I don’t think that the NW schools will be too far behind.

I agree with this prediction. No quarantines/closures, thus significant spread among unvaxed under 12, and even middle/high school bc many of them are unvaxxed. Just my prediction. We will see.

I think you will see quarantines in spite of the DCPS policy. Anytime there is a COVID test the result is reported to DOH. Kids will be at home. Once parents realize 4-5 kids are out of their kids classes more will pull out.

I think it’s going to be a disaster because central office is so incompetent. I don’t think upper nw will be spared at all.

Good point. I assume schools have to notify parents when there is a positive in the class, right?

We have no idea.

I agree we have no idea but I think you'll only be notified if your kid is a 'close contact'.

They said today that parents in the class will be told there is a positive and the school community will also be told there has been a case within the school

Who is "they" and where?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly I don't think they will quarantine whole classes this year like they did last year. The new CDC guidance allows the possibility that if one kid tests positive it's possible that no kids will have to quarantine (depending on how lunch is interpreted).

OSSE has stated that the close contact rules do not apply to lunch. If your child is sitting within 6 feet of a student who later tests positive your child will have to quarantine (unless vaccinated). Ferebee stated today all lunchrooms will have assigned seating.