Do you think there will be any in-person learning this spring?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Yes, there will be in-person this spring. Coronaviruses start losing power after February anyway. Add to that tens of millions of vaccinated people (close to 100 million by the end of February), no one will be able to keep schools closed. We just need to go through a few more tough weeks. Hang in there.

Numbers are going up, not down. Its not going to lose power except if people stay home and stop all the creative social contact.

I did not say the numbers are going down now (well, strictly speaking it actually went down for the past week or so, but that's not my point). My point is, with the arrival of spring and significant number of vaccinations, our numbers will go down significantly. It does not take a genius to see that. Look at historical coronavirus statistics in northern and southern hemisphere as a function of time of the year.

There will be some vaccinations but none for kids. The only way to get numbers down is to stay home and that is not happening. We will have more surges with Christmas and New Years.

As long as you are vaccinated, you are 95% protected. Kids' vaccination is not important unless the kid herself is a high risk individual.

Kids spread the virus. Are you just picking what you want to meet your needs?

Did I say anything about kids spreading or not spreading? You have problem understanding scientific process. Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials are performed in real world. They both conclude that if you are vaccinated, you are 95% protected from getting infected and almost 100% protected from developing serious illness IN THE PRESENCE of SPREADING PEOPLE, KIDS or NOT.

So, what will happen if we go back and kids are not vaccinated? I understand the problem and until it’s under control DL is our only safe option.

We will almost certainly hit the metrics for hybrid (2 week avg new infection rate of 15/100k and <5% positivity) before kids are vaccinated. If you do t want your kids to go in person, you just choose virtual only model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We will almost certainly hit the metrics for hybrid (2 week avg new infection rate of 15/100k and <5% positivity) before kids are vaccinated. If you do t want your kids to go in person, you just choose virtual only model.

I just hope we can avoid any sort of "hybrid" model. I just can't envision that working better. Give us mixed full-time-in-person and DL-only.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Yeah, we did that. Montgomery County was pretty much shut down for two months in the spring.

It didn’t make a difference for the teacher union.

Summer happened. Then Fall happened. Now Winter is happening. Things haven't gotten better. Quite the opposite. No one has the balls for a serious shut down again.

The point is things were good going into the fall semester. But schools still didn't open. It's never going to be enough for MCEA until there's zero cases. They're not acting in good faith during reopening negotiations. MCPS should leave them out of the discussions and let them decide later if they want to keep their jobs.

Almost all big school districts in the US didn't open. Is that MCEA's fault?

Currently, about half of students in the US are doing Zoom school only. Is that MCEA's fault?

We're not talking about other districts. We're talking about MCPS. I don't know what specific decisions other districts made, what led to them, or what community spread is in those communities. What is known, however, is that MCPS has among the strictest requirements for returning to classrooms.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We will almost certainly hit the metrics for hybrid (2 week avg new infection rate of 15/100k and <5% positivity) before kids are vaccinated. If you do t want your kids to go in person, you just choose virtual only model.

I just hope we can avoid any sort of "hybrid" model. I just can't envision that working better. Give us mixed full-time-in-person and DL-only.

If it makes you feel any better, that is what MCPS seems to be leaning towards if you believe the leaks and vague comments made at board meetings.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:At my middle school at least, it would be two days in person and two at home. But everyone on a screen anyway. No group work around a single table.

Same at high school. No hands on projects, no group work. Basically just a chrome book or a worksheet at your desk.

Lectures and independent work may look much the same but whatever else may happen, group discussions are more effective in person than via zoom.

Not when the group is spaced 3-6 feet apart. Some members in groups will likely need to be in DL.

MCEA has made it clear they will fight any attempt to impose concurrent instruction models.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:At my middle school at least, it would be two days in person and two at home. But everyone on a screen anyway. No group work around a single table.

Same at high school. No hands on projects, no group work. Basically just a chrome book or a worksheet at your desk.

Lectures and independent work may look much the same but whatever else may happen, group discussions are more effective in person than via zoom.

Not when the group is spaced 3-6 feet apart. Some members in groups will likely need to be in DL.

This is clearly written by someone that doesn't have a job that includes videoconferences.

Being spread out is fine for discussions. And yes, the discussion go much, much better in-person. People are generally much more engaged.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I highly doubt it as numbers are rising and probably will not go down till Feb, then spring break travel will hit. There is no vaccine for kids either.

Ya can't see it happening. I mean I think they'd like to please all the super whiney rich folks that want their daycare but just can't see them putting kids at risk.

If people really cared about schools, they would stay home, not socialize, travel and only do necessary appointments and shopping outside of work and child care. Those who aren't doing that and claim to care about kids/schools are fake and selfish.

People did do that and got cases way down over the summer. It still wasn't good enough for MCEA. They've made it clear they will fight school reopening until the very end. Even school nurses want to go back. The teachers are the only ones holding this up.

They have done no such thing. I know it's hard right now, but please spend more time in real life and less time on line.

Yes, they have. Talk to anyone that's not part of MCEA that has been in MCPS's negotiations/meetings with the unions. They'll tell you MCEA is the hold up.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Yeah, we did that. Montgomery County was pretty much shut down for two months in the spring.

It didn’t make a difference for the teacher union.

Summer happened. Then Fall happened. Now Winter is happening. Things haven't gotten better. Quite the opposite. No one has the balls for a serious shut down again.

The point is things were good going into the fall semester. But schools still didn't open. It's never going to be enough for MCEA until there's zero cases. They're not acting in good faith during reopening negotiations. MCPS should leave them out of the discussions and let them decide later if they want to keep their jobs.

Almost all big school districts in the US didn't open. Is that MCEA's fault?

Currently, about half of students in the US are doing Zoom school only. Is that MCEA's fault?

We're not talking about other districts. We're talking about MCPS. I don't know what specific decisions other districts made, what led to them, or what community spread is in those communities. What is known, however, is that MCPS has among the strictest requirements for returning to classrooms.

Also, they could be “doing” 100% DL but still have an in-person option. -DP

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We will almost certainly hit the metrics for hybrid (2 week avg new infection rate of 15/100k and <5% positivity) before kids are vaccinated. If you do t want your kids to go in person, you just choose virtual only model.

I just hope we can avoid any sort of "hybrid" model. I just can't envision that working better. Give us mixed full-time-in-person and DL-only.

If it makes you feel any better, that is what MCPS seems to be leaning towards if you believe the leaks and vague comments made at board meetings.

Then why did they set thresholds for hybrid school?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Back to the original question right now I would say trending to no. But Biden will be taking office on 1/20 and he has explicit put out a goal to get most schools open by end of April (100 days). Reaching that goal would require a lot of clear federal messaging and attention to schools in the form of guidance docs and money and possibly other resources/infrastructure to do mass testing etc. I think all that is possible but maybe not likely if Republicans hold the senate. Also, what do my “only when it’s safe” people think of the 100 days goal? Are you quaking in your boots?

No, but you sound really pessimistic if you think that things still won’t be safe after 100 days of a full-on effort.

I think it’s safe now. I thought it was safe in August. I think the word safe is stupid btw. It’s safe enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back to OP: not a chance in hell do I think there will be any in-person learning for the 20-21 school year.

Sadly I agree. The board is too incompetent and moco parents are just taking it in the bum without complaint for the most part. It shocks me that my neighbors and friends are literally just like “ oh well guess Larla won’t have first grade in person. It’s a pandemic.” Nevermind that we are almost a year in and kids are going to school all over the country (not the majority yes but a lot of kids in a lot of normal places). It’s maddening. So yes. Back to the question. No school this year because moco parents are apparently fine with kids being home on the chrome book for more than a year.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If it makes you feel any better, that is what MCPS seems to be leaning towards if you believe the leaks and vague comments made at board meetings.

Then why did they set thresholds for hybrid school?

Same reason people close for "deep cleanings" - to appease certain people.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it makes you feel any better, that is what MCPS seems to be leaning towards if you believe the leaks and vague comments made at board meetings.

Then why did they set thresholds for hybrid school?

Same reason people close for "deep cleanings" - to appease certain people.

Ok, but we are going to hit those thresholds this spring. I think at that point they will have to reopen for those who indicated they wanted hybrid.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it makes you feel any better, that is what MCPS seems to be leaning towards if you believe the leaks and vague comments made at board meetings.

Then why did they set thresholds for hybrid school?

Same reason people close for "deep cleanings" - to appease certain people.

Ok, but we are going to hit those thresholds this spring. I think at that point they will have to reopen for those who indicated they wanted hybrid.

I also think we are going to hit the required metrics in the spring so that the people who opted for in person will be able to send their kids in person for the last quarter. At the last BOE meeting they implied that because less than 50% opted for in person it may not be just a 2 day a week schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it makes you feel any better, that is what MCPS seems to be leaning towards if you believe the leaks and vague comments made at board meetings.

Then why did they set thresholds for hybrid school?

Same reason people close for "deep cleanings" - to appease certain people.

Ok, but we are going to hit those thresholds this spring. I think at that point they will have to reopen for those who indicated they wanted hybrid.

I also think we are going to hit the required metrics in the spring so that the people who opted for in person will be able to send their kids in person for the last quarter. At the last BOE meeting they implied that because less than 50% opted for in person it may not be just a 2 day a week schedule.

Ooh that would be so great!! Though I imagine it would vary by school.