The prospect of kids not going back to school until 2021

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But they won’t make their employees enforce it, I bet. So, it will be up to patrons to either leave the theater or risk their health. Much like public school teachers. Sorry that you just paid $35 for tickets, plus $10 in parking and $100 to the sitter, but this dude has just as much right as you to sit there —although he’s breathing out COVID as he snarfs up his contraband snacks.

No, not at all like public school teachers.

DCUM says teachers should put up with the risks or leave. How is that not like you in a movie theater during fellow patron Average Joe’s maskless cough-a-thon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting article posted a few hours ago about negotiations with the teacher's union:
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-teachers-union-nearing-impasse-in-contract-negotiations/

It also gives some hints about the fall, or at least when we'll know more:

Once the next MCEA contract is finalized, union and MCPS officials will begin a new round of bargaining “on everything related to” fall classes, “because we definitely will not be bringing 166,000 kids back to classes in August for the first day of school,” Lloyd said.

and

MCPS has not yet released a plan for fall teaching, but Turner said the school board is expected to receive a briefing in July.

So as I read this:

1. The earliest we'll know about fall plans is in July.
2. They haven't started working on fall plans, as it needs to be negotiated with the teacher's union first.

No kids in classroom until Jan. 2021 or later

Yeh didn’t the first report accidentally even have that date in it. Than they said ignore? I saw that date too a month ago

You should ignore that PP. She comes onto absolutely every thread about this topic and plasters it with her unhelpful little remark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting article posted a few hours ago about negotiations with the teacher's union:
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-teachers-union-nearing-impasse-in-contract-negotiations/

It also gives some hints about the fall, or at least when we'll know more:

Once the next MCEA contract is finalized, union and MCPS officials will begin a new round of bargaining “on everything related to” fall classes, “because we definitely will not be bringing 166,000 kids back to classes in August for the first day of school,” Lloyd said.

and

MCPS has not yet released a plan for fall teaching, but Turner said the school board is expected to receive a briefing in July.

So as I read this:

1. The earliest we'll know about fall plans is in July.
2. They haven't started working on fall plans, as it needs to be negotiated with the teacher's union first.

No kids in classroom until Jan. 2021 or later

Why the heck is it completely up to the teachers?? No way. Keeping the kids out of school is not ok.

Of course the union is pushing it. There are safety concerns, but DL means most teachers are working, at best, a few hours a day. Regular instruction is a much longer day. Any union would be negligent to not push for far shorter working hours for the same pay.

In the private sector, they would have to somewhat balance that against the company going under and jobs being lost, but that won’t happen with a school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But they won’t make their employees enforce it, I bet. So, it will be up to patrons to either leave the theater or risk their health. Much like public school teachers. Sorry that you just paid $35 for tickets, plus $10 in parking and $100 to the sitter, but this dude has just as much right as you to sit there —although he’s breathing out COVID as he snarfs up his contraband snacks.

No, not at all like public school teachers.

DCUM says teachers should put up with the risks or leave. How is that not like you in a movie theater during fellow patron Average Joe’s maskless cough-a-thon?

Well, let's see.

1. Customer (movie patron) vs employee
2. Environment not under person's control (movie theater) vs environment under person's control (classroom)
3. Entertainment (a movie) vs essential societal function (school)

Other than that, though...

Also, aside from the poster who believes masks will make us all suffocate on our own carbon dioxide, I haven't seen anybody on this forum on DCUM advocate for school without masks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Of course the union is pushing it. There are safety concerns, but DL means most teachers are working, at best, a few hours a day. Regular instruction is a much longer day. Any union would be negligent to not push for far shorter working hours for the same pay.

In the private sector, they would have to somewhat balance that against the company going under and jobs being lost, but that won’t happen with a school system.

The job of the union is not to push for full pay for no work. Stop union-bashing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting article posted a few hours ago about negotiations with the teacher's union:
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-teachers-union-nearing-impasse-in-contract-negotiations/

It also gives some hints about the fall, or at least when we'll know more:

Once the next MCEA contract is finalized, union and MCPS officials will begin a new round of bargaining “on everything related to” fall classes, “because we definitely will not be bringing 166,000 kids back to classes in August for the first day of school,” Lloyd said.

and

MCPS has not yet released a plan for fall teaching, but Turner said the school board is expected to receive a briefing in July.

So as I read this:

1. The earliest we'll know about fall plans is in July.
2. They haven't started working on fall plans, as it needs to be negotiated with the teacher's union first.

No kids in classroom until Jan. 2021 or later

Why the heck is it completely up to the teachers?? No way. Keeping the kids out of school is not ok.

Of course the union is pushing it. There are safety concerns, but DL means most teachers are working, at best, a few hours a day. Regular instruction is a much longer day. Any union would be negligent to not push for far shorter working hours for the same pay.

In the private sector, they would have to somewhat balance that against the company going under and jobs being lost, but that won’t happen with a school system.

Virginia schools are announcing their plans soon. Won't MCPS be likely to follow them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Virginia schools are announcing their plans soon. Won't MCPS be likely to follow them?

Virginia and Maryland are different states, and MCPS is following Maryland, so the likely answer to this question, in my opinion, is: no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Of course the union is pushing it. There are safety concerns, but DL means most teachers are working, at best, a few hours a day. Regular instruction is a much longer day. Any union would be negligent to not push for far shorter working hours for the same pay.

In the private sector, they would have to somewhat balance that against the company going under and jobs being lost, but that won’t happen with a school system.

The job of the union is not to push for full pay for no work. Stop union-bashing.

I haven’t heard or read about MCEA pushing for any particular plan for fall. Can you cite?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But they won’t make their employees enforce it, I bet. So, it will be up to patrons to either leave the theater or risk their health. Much like public school teachers. Sorry that you just paid $35 for tickets, plus $10 in parking and $100 to the sitter, but this dude has just as much right as you to sit there —although he’s breathing out COVID as he snarfs up his contraband snacks.

No, not at all like public school teachers.

DCUM says teachers should put up with the risks or leave. How is that not like you in a movie theater during fellow patron Average Joe’s maskless cough-a-thon?

Well, let's see.

1. Customer (movie patron) vs employee
2. Environment not under person's control (movie theater) vs environment under person's control (classroom)
3. Entertainment (a movie) vs essential societal function (school)

Other than that, though...

Also, aside from the poster who believes masks will make us all suffocate on our own carbon dioxide, I haven't seen anybody on this forum on DCUM advocate for school without masks.

Schools are not going to insist students wear masks. VA already said that. A teacher who puts out a student for not wearing a mask will be disciplined by his or her principal and DCUM will tell the teacher to quit if she doesn’t want to teach in a room with an unmasked student.

[Anonymous]

MLB does not bode well for school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MLB does not bode well for school.

Yeah.

I have two rising 9th graders. They would love F2F school in the fall. Even they don’t think it will happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Schools are not going to insist students wear masks. VA already said that. A teacher who puts out a student for not wearing a mask will be disciplined by his or her principal and DCUM will tell the teacher to quit if she doesn’t want to teach in a room with an unmasked student.

Maryland is not Virginia, and mask-wearing is widely endorsed except by people who think of masks as "suppression muzzles". (Not sure if they think of hardhats as "suppression headcoverings" or seatbelts as "suppression straps", but whatever.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Of course the union is pushing it. There are safety concerns, but DL means most teachers are working, at best, a few hours a day. Regular instruction is a much longer day. Any union would be negligent to not push for far shorter working hours for the same pay.

In the private sector, they would have to somewhat balance that against the company going under and jobs being lost, but that won’t happen with a school system.

The job of the union is not to push for full pay for no work. Stop union-bashing.

The job of the union is to fight for things that benefit its members. In what industry wouldn’t the workers want less (not no) work for the same pay?

I would. You would. Teachers would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Of course the union is pushing it. There are safety concerns, but DL means most teachers are working, at best, a few hours a day. Regular instruction is a much longer day. Any union would be negligent to not push for far shorter working hours for the same pay.

In the private sector, they would have to somewhat balance that against the company going under and jobs being lost, but that won’t happen with a school system.

The job of the union is not to push for full pay for no work. Stop union-bashing.

The job of the union is to fight for things that benefit its members. In what industry wouldn’t the workers want less (not no) work for the same pay?

I would. You would. Teachers would.

Stop union-bashing.

Here's what is ACTUALLY happening.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-teachers-union-nearing-impasse-in-contract-negotiations/

Once the next MCEA contract is finalized, union and MCPS officials will begin a new round of bargaining “on everything related to” fall classes, “because we definitely will not be bringing 166,000 kids back to classes in August for the first day of school,” Lloyd said.

So there will need to be “impact bargaining” in which MCPS and MCEA reach agreements about everything ranging from what an average work day looks like for teachers to safety precautions needed for both staff and students. Mask requirements, supplies of hand sanitizer and possible installation of plexiglass in some situations might be part of discussions, Lloyd said.

Lloyd said many older teachers and those who are immunocompromised have told him they might not be comfortable returning to school buildings in the fall. But, Lloyd said, Superintendent Jack Smith has been clear with union leaders that teachers and students will have the flexibility to decide if they need to work remotely.

MCPS spokesman Derek Turner said the school district anticipates that many teachers and students won’t be able to return to school buildings when they reopen, or will not feel safe.

“We do understand that, and we want to make sure we’re not putting anyone in danger,” Turner said.

MCPS has not yet released a plan for fall teaching, but Turner said the school board is expected to receive a briefing in July.

[Anonymous]

^^^SO CONTACT THE BOE *NOW* AND TELL THEM WHAT YOU WANT.