Friday's "snow?"

[Anonymous]

I’m an MCPS employee and parent of a kid in MS and HS. Did I make it to work by 7:30 in my Honda Civic? Yes. Did the vast majority of students and staff make it to work even if they were late? Yes. The conditions were drivable.

I think a lot of people who say Friday was the right call have never worked in a school. I’ve gone to work with a 102 fever. I’ve gone to work the day following a miscarriage. I took 2 days of bereavement leave when my sibling died. I’ll speak for myself - I show up to work even when I probably shouldn’t. We don’t have jobs where we can just catch up on work the next day. We have to worry about coverage, subs, sub plans. Rescheduling meetings that at least 7 other people have on their calendar. We worry about teaching all of the material. We worry about burdening our colleagues.
We don’t have a flexible schedule like so many other professionals do. Yes, we have unpaid leave in the summer, but many of us work ESY or summer school. Yes, we have winter and spring break but paras don’t even get paid for all of those days.
We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.
A 2 hour delay doesn’t mean learning doesn’t take place. We don’t even need to add that day onto the calendar.
Staff works hard. Really hard. I’ve had students physically assault me. I’ve been on my hands and knees cleaning diarrhea from a bathroom floor. Can we just a few days a year get some grace?
The email yesterday absolutely feels like gas lighting and makes me as a staff member feel completely unappreciated.
If you disagree with this post then I’m sorry. You also don’t work in a public school and you wouldn’t understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m an MCPS employee and parent of a kid in MS and HS. Did I make it to work by 7:30 in my Honda Civic? Yes. Did the vast majority of students and staff make it to work even if they were late? Yes. The conditions were drivable.

I think a lot of people who say Friday was the right call have never worked in a school. I’ve gone to work with a 102 fever. I’ve gone to work the day following a miscarriage. I took 2 days of bereavement leave when my sibling died. I’ll speak for myself - I show up to work even when I probably shouldn’t. We don’t have jobs where we can just catch up on work the next day. We have to worry about coverage, subs, sub plans. Rescheduling meetings that at least 7 other people have on their calendar. We worry about teaching all of the material. We worry about burdening our colleagues.
We don’t have a flexible schedule like so many other professionals do. Yes, we have unpaid leave in the summer, but many of us work ESY or summer school. Yes, we have winter and spring break but paras don’t even get paid for all of those days.
We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.
A 2 hour delay doesn’t mean learning doesn’t take place. We don’t even need to add that day onto the calendar.
Staff works hard. Really hard. I’ve had students physically assault me. I’ve been on my hands and knees cleaning diarrhea from a bathroom floor. Can we just a few days a year get some grace?
The email yesterday absolutely feels like gas lighting and makes me as a staff member feel completely unappreciated.
If you disagree with this post then I’m sorry. You also don’t work in a public school and you wouldn’t understand.

I know MCPS staff work hard. I think workload is a huge problem in public schools. I think there should be co-teaching models in Elementary school. I think high school teachers should have graders- particularly in English and Math. I think special education resource teachers should have much lower ratios.

But unscheduled school closures or delays aren't good alternatives to those things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m an MCPS employee and parent of a kid in MS and HS. Did I make it to work by 7:30 in my Honda Civic? Yes. Did the vast majority of students and staff make it to work even if they were late? Yes. The conditions were drivable.

I think a lot of people who say Friday was the right call have never worked in a school. I’ve gone to work with a 102 fever. I’ve gone to work the day following a miscarriage. I took 2 days of bereavement leave when my sibling died. I’ll speak for myself - I show up to work even when I probably shouldn’t. We don’t have jobs where we can just catch up on work the next day. We have to worry about coverage, subs, sub plans. Rescheduling meetings that at least 7 other people have on their calendar. We worry about teaching all of the material. We worry about burdening our colleagues.
We don’t have a flexible schedule like so many other professionals do. Yes, we have unpaid leave in the summer, but many of us work ESY or summer school. Yes, we have winter and spring break but paras don’t even get paid for all of those days.
We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.
A 2 hour delay doesn’t mean learning doesn’t take place. We don’t even need to add that day onto the calendar.
Staff works hard. Really hard. I’ve had students physically assault me. I’ve been on my hands and knees cleaning diarrhea from a bathroom floor. Can we just a few days a year get some grace?
The email yesterday absolutely feels like gas lighting and makes me as a staff member feel completely unappreciated.
If you disagree with this post then I’m sorry. You also don’t work in a public school and you wouldn’t understand.

Paras don't get paid for school closures, either. Meeting and services, like IEP meetings and special education therapies, don't occur for some or all students.

If you want or need more work or vacation days, then those should go into the calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m an MCPS employee and parent of a kid in MS and HS. Did I make it to work by 7:30 in my Honda Civic? Yes. Did the vast majority of students and staff make it to work even if they were late? Yes. The conditions were drivable.

I think a lot of people who say Friday was the right call have never worked in a school. I’ve gone to work with a 102 fever. I’ve gone to work the day following a miscarriage. I took 2 days of bereavement leave when my sibling died. I’ll speak for myself - I show up to work even when I probably shouldn’t. We don’t have jobs where we can just catch up on work the next day. We have to worry about coverage, subs, sub plans. Rescheduling meetings that at least 7 other people have on their calendar. We worry about teaching all of the material. We worry about burdening our colleagues.
We don’t have a flexible schedule like so many other professionals do. Yes, we have unpaid leave in the summer, but many of us work ESY or summer school. Yes, we have winter and spring break but paras don’t even get paid for all of those days.
We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.
A 2 hour delay doesn’t mean learning doesn’t take place. We don’t even need to add that day onto the calendar.
Staff works hard. Really hard. I’ve had students physically assault me. I’ve been on my hands and knees cleaning diarrhea from a bathroom floor. Can we just a few days a year get some grace?
The email yesterday absolutely feels like gas lighting and makes me as a staff member feel completely unappreciated.
If you disagree with this post then I’m sorry. You also don’t work in a public school and you wouldn’t understand.

Paras don't get paid for school closures, either. Meeting and services, like IEP meetings and special education therapies, don't occur for some or all students.

If you want or need more work or vacation days, then those should go into the calendar.

DP

That teacher was simply asking for grace. (“Can we just a few days a year get some grace?”) and then says the email felt like gaslighting and she felt unappreciated.

She didn’t ask for more vacation days. She simply asked for grace, something teachers almost never get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m an MCPS employee and parent of a kid in MS and HS. Did I make it to work by 7:30 in my Honda Civic? Yes. Did the vast majority of students and staff make it to work even if they were late? Yes. The conditions were drivable.

I think a lot of people who say Friday was the right call have never worked in a school. I’ve gone to work with a 102 fever. I’ve gone to work the day following a miscarriage. I took 2 days of bereavement leave when my sibling died. I’ll speak for myself - I show up to work even when I probably shouldn’t. We don’t have jobs where we can just catch up on work the next day. We have to worry about coverage, subs, sub plans. Rescheduling meetings that at least 7 other people have on their calendar. We worry about teaching all of the material. We worry about burdening our colleagues.
We don’t have a flexible schedule like so many other professionals do. Yes, we have unpaid leave in the summer, but many of us work ESY or summer school. Yes, we have winter and spring break but paras don’t even get paid for all of those days.
We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.
A 2 hour delay doesn’t mean learning doesn’t take place. We don’t even need to add that day onto the calendar.
Staff works hard. Really hard. I’ve had students physically assault me. I’ve been on my hands and knees cleaning diarrhea from a bathroom floor. Can we just a few days a year get some grace?
The email yesterday absolutely feels like gas lighting and makes me as a staff member feel completely unappreciated.
If you disagree with this post then I’m sorry. You also don’t work in a public school and you wouldn’t understand.

Paras don't get paid for school closures, either. Meeting and services, like IEP meetings and special education therapies, don't occur for some or all students.

If you want or need more work or vacation days, then those should go into the calendar.

DP

That teacher was simply asking for grace. (“Can we just a few days a year get some grace?”) and then says the email felt like gaslighting and she felt unappreciated.

She didn’t ask for more vacation days. She simply asked for grace, something teachers almost never get.

Read the message again. She wasn't asking for grace. She was asking for a partial or full day off, despite acknowledging the conditions were fine for school. For no apparent reason she called the email gaslighting, despite it not criticizing teachers in any way or even contradicting anything she acknowledged herself.

[Anonymous]

Selecting snow days like they're employee perks is a terrible idea. The purpose of snow days is not leisurely breakfasts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Selecting snow days like they're employee perks is a terrible idea. The purpose of snow days is not leisurely breakfasts.

That PP is saying it’s better to err on the side of caution. What’s the problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m an MCPS employee and parent of a kid in MS and HS. Did I make it to work by 7:30 in my Honda Civic? Yes. Did the vast majority of students and staff make it to work even if they were late? Yes. The conditions were drivable.

I think a lot of people who say Friday was the right call have never worked in a school. I’ve gone to work with a 102 fever. I’ve gone to work the day following a miscarriage. I took 2 days of bereavement leave when my sibling died. I’ll speak for myself - I show up to work even when I probably shouldn’t. We don’t have jobs where we can just catch up on work the next day. We have to worry about coverage, subs, sub plans. Rescheduling meetings that at least 7 other people have on their calendar. We worry about teaching all of the material. We worry about burdening our colleagues.
We don’t have a flexible schedule like so many other professionals do. Yes, we have unpaid leave in the summer, but many of us work ESY or summer school. Yes, we have winter and spring break but paras don’t even get paid for all of those days.
We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.
A 2 hour delay doesn’t mean learning doesn’t take place. We don’t even need to add that day onto the calendar.
Staff works hard. Really hard. I’ve had students physically assault me. I’ve been on my hands and knees cleaning diarrhea from a bathroom floor. Can we just a few days a year get some grace?
The email yesterday absolutely feels like gas lighting and makes me as a staff member feel completely unappreciated.
If you disagree with this post then I’m sorry. You also don’t work in a public school and you wouldn’t understand.

Paras don't get paid for school closures, either. Meeting and services, like IEP meetings and special education therapies, don't occur for some or all students.

If you want or need more work or vacation days, then those should go into the calendar.

DP

That teacher was simply asking for grace. (“Can we just a few days a year get some grace?”) and then says the email felt like gaslighting and she felt unappreciated.

She didn’t ask for more vacation days. She simply asked for grace, something teachers almost never get.

Read the message again. She wasn't asking for grace. She was asking for a partial or full day off, despite acknowledging the conditions were fine for school. For no apparent reason she called the email gaslighting, despite it not criticizing teachers in any way or even contradicting anything she acknowledged herself.

I disagree with you. She found the message patronizing, and you don’t get to take that away from her simply because you didn’t. Plenty of others on this thread have said they did, as well.

So try kindness over criticism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Selecting snow days like they're employee perks is a terrible idea. The purpose of snow days is not leisurely breakfasts.

That PP is saying it’s better to err on the side of caution. What’s the problem?

The problem is the PP is a teacher and this thread is notorious for cutting them down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Selecting snow days like they're employee perks is a terrible idea. The purpose of snow days is not leisurely breakfasts.

That PP is saying it’s better to err on the side of caution. What’s the problem?

Her reason for wanting a delay or closure wasn't safety. She said she wanted time for breakfast and to potentially catch up on other work:

We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Selecting snow days like they're employee perks is a terrible idea. The purpose of snow days is not leisurely breakfasts.

I have a lot of friends who aren’t teachers and it’s not uncommon for parents to take into account the ability to WFH or to take liberal leave on a snowy day, or to flex your work half an hour later sometimes as a perks when they select their job. These things are certainly not available at every job, but they aren’t rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Selecting snow days like they're employee perks is a terrible idea. The purpose of snow days is not leisurely breakfasts.

That PP is saying it’s better to err on the side of caution. What’s the problem?

Her reason for wanting a delay or closure wasn't safety. She said she wanted time for breakfast and to potentially catch up on other work:

We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.

She also said she’s come in to work after a miscarriage the day before. Basically that she only took time off for the death of a sibling. So I’m not getting the sense that this is someone who just wants to linger over breakfast while the roads are totally clear.

At any rate, there should have been a delay based on the road conditions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m an MCPS employee and parent of a kid in MS and HS. Did I make it to work by 7:30 in my Honda Civic? Yes. Did the vast majority of students and staff make it to work even if they were late? Yes. The conditions were drivable.

I think a lot of people who say Friday was the right call have never worked in a school. I’ve gone to work with a 102 fever. I’ve gone to work the day following a miscarriage. I took 2 days of bereavement leave when my sibling died. I’ll speak for myself - I show up to work even when I probably shouldn’t. We don’t have jobs where we can just catch up on work the next day. We have to worry about coverage, subs, sub plans. Rescheduling meetings that at least 7 other people have on their calendar. We worry about teaching all of the material. We worry about burdening our colleagues.
We don’t have a flexible schedule like so many other professionals do. Yes, we have unpaid leave in the summer, but many of us work ESY or summer school. Yes, we have winter and spring break but paras don’t even get paid for all of those days.
We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.
A 2 hour delay doesn’t mean learning doesn’t take place. We don’t even need to add that day onto the calendar.
Staff works hard. Really hard. I’ve had students physically assault me. I’ve been on my hands and knees cleaning diarrhea from a bathroom floor. Can we just a few days a year get some grace?
The email yesterday absolutely feels like gas lighting and makes me as a staff member feel completely unappreciated.
If you disagree with this post then I’m sorry. You also don’t work in a public school and you wouldn’t understand.

Paras don't get paid for school closures, either. Meeting and services, like IEP meetings and special education therapies, don't occur for some or all students.

If you want or need more work or vacation days, then those should go into the calendar.

DP

That teacher was simply asking for grace. (“Can we just a few days a year get some grace?”) and then says the email felt like gaslighting and she felt unappreciated.

She didn’t ask for more vacation days. She simply asked for grace, something teachers almost never get.

Read the message again. She wasn't asking for grace. She was asking for a partial or full day off, despite acknowledging the conditions were fine for school. For no apparent reason she called the email gaslighting, despite it not criticizing teachers in any way or even contradicting anything she acknowledged herself.

I disagree with you. She found the message patronizing, and you don’t get to take that away from her simply because you didn’t. Plenty of others on this thread have said they did, as well.

So try kindness over criticism.

What was patronizing in the email? It was a polite and accurate message. It acknowledged the challenges and didn't criticize anyone. It's wild anyone would complain about the message.

And in reality, they're not complaining about the message. They're complaining that there wasn't a delay or closure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Selecting snow days like they're employee perks is a terrible idea. The purpose of snow days is not leisurely breakfasts.

That PP is saying it’s better to err on the side of caution. What’s the problem?

Her reason for wanting a delay or closure wasn't safety. She said she wanted time for breakfast and to potentially catch up on other work:

We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.

DP. She literally wrote “erring on the side of caution.”

She’d rather work from home that day, perhaps even (gasp) casually drinking a cup of coffee, than driving on hazardous roads. Sure, she acknowledges she got in okay, but I’m guessing this is more about the principle than a particular day.

I don’t find anything to disagree with here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Selecting snow days like they're employee perks is a terrible idea. The purpose of snow days is not leisurely breakfasts.

That PP is saying it’s better to err on the side of caution. What’s the problem?

Her reason for wanting a delay or closure wasn't safety. She said she wanted time for breakfast and to potentially catch up on other work:

We, and most students and families appreciate erring on the side of caution. We get to sit down while we drink our coffee. We get to catch up on some work. We get to have breakfast with our families, without feeling like we’re rushing every single morning.

She also said she’s come in to work after a miscarriage the day before. Basically that she only took time off for the death of a sibling. So I’m not getting the sense that this is someone who just wants to linger over breakfast while the roads are totally clear.

At any rate, there should have been a delay based on the road conditions.

A previous miscarriage is obviously horrible, but I don't see how that's relevant to road conditions yesterday. Which she acknowledged were OK and didn't mention when describing her reasons for wanted a delay or closure.