MCPS 2020-2021 School Year

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know when decisions are going to be made about the upcoming school year?
Is any direction coming from the state or is it up to each jurisdiction to formulate its own plan?
Will potential plans be discussed at the next Board meeting on 6/29? Is that the first time we will hear of any options?

Have any other MD jurisdictions announced any plans or options?

Seems like Fairfax County is way ahead of us with their planning efforts?

[Anonymous]

The state guidance that came out requires counties to publish their state-approved plans for the 20-21 school year on or before Aug 14.

While some Virginia counties seem to be coming out with plans now, I like that MD is waiting a bit longer to see the lay of the land. A lot can change in 6 or 7 weeks! I know they're working up options, but dont know exactly what is being considered for MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Virginia is considering everything from back to normal to 100% DL. They are talking a lot but haven’t decided anything. It seems a bit silly to waste time and resources communicating all the options now - wait and see what is happening in our area at a relevant time and then decide.

Just because they have not published a 100 page report saying nothing doesn’t mean they aren’t planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The state guidance that came out requires counties to publish their state-approved plans for the 20-21 school year on or before Aug 14.

While some Virginia counties seem to be coming out with plans now, I like that MD is waiting a bit longer to see the lay of the land. A lot can change in 6 or 7 weeks! I know they're working up options, but dont know exactly what is being considered for MCPS.

Thanks - but 8/14 seems very late in the game with school scheduled to start 8/31.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The state guidance that came out requires counties to publish their state-approved plans for the 20-21 school year on or before Aug 14.

While some Virginia counties seem to be coming out with plans now, I like that MD is waiting a bit longer to see the lay of the land. A lot can change in 6 or 7 weeks! I know they're working up options, but dont know exactly what is being considered for MCPS.

Thanks - but 8/14 seems very late in the game with school scheduled to start 8/31.

Yeah, how are schools supposed to wffectively set up and communicate with families with 2 weeks before the first day? Sounds like a recipe for disaster

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The state guidance that came out requires counties to publish their state-approved plans for the 20-21 school year on or before Aug 14.

While some Virginia counties seem to be coming out with plans now, I like that MD is waiting a bit longer to see the lay of the land. A lot can change in 6 or 7 weeks! I know they're working up options, but dont know exactly what is being considered for MCPS.

Thanks - but 8/14 seems very late in the game with school scheduled to start 8/31.

No sense in making decisions far ahead of time based on current facts, then having to rescind/revise the decision as the time approaches because the facts changed.

[Anonymous]

Hopefully If it looks like there will be DL they will have a plan in place by August 1st to give families time to plan as needed. It says that it needs to be by the 14th, not on that date.

[Anonymous]

The state has published a plan. The latest version is here:
http://marylandpublicschools.org/newsroom/Documents/MSDERecoveryPlan.pdf

It's up to counties to make up their own plans, with that guidance. The reason is infection rates vary widely across MD, so what's good for MCPS may not be appropriate for Wicomico County.

From what I've seen as an MCPS parent, they are way behind. They still haven't even sent a survey to parents (they will "in the coming weeks") and are still negotiating with the teacher's union on their contract:
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-teachers-union-nearing-impasse-in-contract-negotiations/

As I understand it, plans for the fall will only take place after that contract is negotiated.

School starts in 10 weeks. They don't have a plan formulated yet from what I can see. My money is on it being distance learning again, at least for the first marking period. Unless they have already started the steps to prepare schools for reopening (installed sanitizer dispensers outside each classroom, etc), then there's no way they can make it happen logistically in 10 weeks.

Anyone on the inside who can comment? If you were a teacher and you walked through your school recently, did you see changes being made in preparation for opening?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As I understand it, plans for the fall will only take place after that contract is negotiated.

School starts in 10 weeks. They don't have a plan formulated yet from what I can see. My money is on it being distance learning again, at least for the first marking period. Unless they have already started the steps to prepare schools for reopening (installed sanitizer dispensers outside each classroom, etc), then there's no way they can make it happen logistically in 10 weeks.

No no no no no no no no no no. No distance "learning". Absolutely not.

i will set up a tent city in the parking lot of the Carver building. Who's with me?

[Anonymous]

Agree with the poster above, MCPS doesn't need to have a plan until August 14th but that seems far too late. My guess is that they'll do a combination of distance learning and in-person classes but we'll see how MCPS actually addresses this or whether they lack preparation per the usual and go back to ineffective distance learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As I understand it, plans for the fall will only take place after that contract is negotiated.

School starts in 10 weeks. They don't have a plan formulated yet from what I can see. My money is on it being distance learning again, at least for the first marking period. Unless they have already started the steps to prepare schools for reopening (installed sanitizer dispensers outside each classroom, etc), then there's no way they can make it happen logistically in 10 weeks.

No no no no no no no no no no. No distance "learning". Absolutely not.

i will set up a tent city in the parking lot of the Carver building. Who's with me?

Don't worry. There would be a huge crowd. Enough is enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As I understand it, plans for the fall will only take place after that contract is negotiated.

School starts in 10 weeks. They don't have a plan formulated yet from what I can see. My money is on it being distance learning again, at least for the first marking period. Unless they have already started the steps to prepare schools for reopening (installed sanitizer dispensers outside each classroom, etc), then there's no way they can make it happen logistically in 10 weeks.

No no no no no no no no no no. No distance "learning". Absolutely not.

i will set up a tent city in the parking lot of the Carver building. Who's with me?

Please do. And, stay there when you have COVID and don't go to the hospital and infect our medical workers as you are really selfish. There will be a huge upswing in the fall as most people don't care.

[Anonymous]

I just filled out the staff survey. The survey questions seem to recognize that there are varied concerns among staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As I understand it, plans for the fall will only take place after that contract is negotiated.

School starts in 10 weeks. They don't have a plan formulated yet from what I can see. My money is on it being distance learning again, at least for the first marking period. Unless they have already started the steps to prepare schools for reopening (installed sanitizer dispensers outside each classroom, etc), then there's no way they can make it happen logistically in 10 weeks.

No no no no no no no no no no. No distance "learning". Absolutely not.

i will set up a tent city in the parking lot of the Carver building. Who's with me?

Please do. And, stay there when you have COVID and don't go to the hospital and infect our medical workers as you are really selfish. There will be a huge upswing in the fall as most people don't care.

What's selfish? Please explain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As I understand it, plans for the fall will only take place after that contract is negotiated.

School starts in 10 weeks. They don't have a plan formulated yet from what I can see. My money is on it being distance learning again, at least for the first marking period. Unless they have already started the steps to prepare schools for reopening (installed sanitizer dispensers outside each classroom, etc), then there's no way they can make it happen logistically in 10 weeks.

No no no no no no no no no no. No distance "learning". Absolutely not.

i will set up a tent city in the parking lot of the Carver building. Who's with me?

Please do. And, stay there when you have COVID and don't go to the hospital and infect our medical workers as you are really selfish. There will be a huge upswing in the fall as most people don't care.

There is no way to know is that HUGE UPSWING In the fall. Literally no way. Remember when we were told "next week we will peak and cases will be out of control!" And that never happened and was alway 2 weeks away? Yeah...nobody knows.