Unvaccinated Students & School Closures

[Anonymous]

You know what helps stop the mutations? Vaccines.

Again, the problem is those that can be vaxxed but have chosen not to.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:why would middle and high schools close when there is a positive case? CDC guidance says vaccinated people don't have to quarantine when exposed. Send the unvaccinated home and let the sane, vaccinated students continue their education.

This is a DCPS policy.

That is a pre-vaccination policy. I don't believe DCPS has updated its policies for this school year. Still waiting for DOH to issue new guidance following the CDC new guidance.

Actually how would it work if there are different quarantine rules for the vaccinated and unvaccinated? One would have to disclose vaccination status, but that brings privacy concerns. So why not just lie if one is unvaccinated? Since we won't be able to know who is vaccinated or not, and given that some people will lie about being vaccinated, that means erring on the side of safety and making everyone quarantine.

Schools have been collecting student vaccination info since forever. There has never been privacy concerns about your school knowing you got your tdap booster at age 11. I dont see why covid vaccine info would be any different. If there is a covid outbreak in a school, unvaccinated students should quarantine away, obviously, for their health and safety. Vaccinated students shouldn’t have to worry.

Privacy concerns are among the teachers.

The Mayor's Order dispenses with the privacy concerns and puts the burden on the teachers: show your proof of vaccination, then no mask required; no proof of vaccination, then you gots to wear the mask. Pretty simple stuff.

I thought the policy said the faxed still had to wear a mask in schools.

“Today, through a City Administrator Order, the policy for wearing face masks within DC Government buildings was updated. Under the new policy, which becomes effective Monday, July 12, DC Government employees and contractors who are fully vaccinated will only be required to wear a face covering when:

Interacting in person with a member of the public, including customers, constituents, clients, and patients;
In a space in a District government building where members of the public are routinely present, such as a customer service area or a public-serving area in a library or recreation center, when such space is open to the public;
In a shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness, a correctional facility, or another congregate facility;
In a school or other educational facility or setting;
In a childcare or healthcare facility or setting;
Required to wear a mask by a specific entity or establishment; or
On public transportation where the wearing of a mask is required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why would middle and high schools close when there is a positive case? CDC guidance says vaccinated people don't have to quarantine when exposed. Send the unvaccinated home and let the sane, vaccinated students continue their education.

This is a DCPS policy.

That is a pre-vaccination policy. I don't believe DCPS has updated its policies for this school year. Still waiting for DOH to issue new guidance following the CDC new guidance.

Actually how would it work if there are different quarantine rules for the vaccinated and unvaccinated? One would have to disclose vaccination status, but that brings privacy concerns. So why not just lie if one is unvaccinated? Since we won't be able to know who is vaccinated or not, and given that some people will lie about being vaccinated, that means erring on the side of safety and making everyone quarantine.

Schools have been collecting student vaccination info since forever. There has never been privacy concerns about your school knowing you got your tdap booster at age 11. I dont see why covid vaccine info would be any different. If there is a covid outbreak in a school, unvaccinated students should quarantine away, obviously, for their health and safety. Vaccinated students shouldn’t have to worry.

Privacy concerns are among the teachers.

The Mayor's Order dispenses with the privacy concerns and puts the burden on the teachers: show your proof of vaccination, then no mask required; no proof of vaccination, then you gots to wear the mask. Pretty simple stuff.

I thought the policy said the faxed still had to wear a mask in schools.

“Today, through a City Administrator Order, the policy for wearing face masks within DC Government buildings was updated. Under the new policy, which becomes effective Monday, July 12, DC Government employees and contractors who are fully vaccinated will only be required to wear a face covering when:

Interacting in person with a member of the public, including customers, constituents, clients, and patients;
In a space in a District government building where members of the public are routinely present, such as a customer service area or a public-serving area in a library or recreation center, when such space is open to the public;
In a shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness, a correctional facility, or another congregate facility;
In a school or other educational facility or setting;
In a childcare or healthcare facility or setting;
Required to wear a mask by a specific entity or establishment; or
On public transportation where the wearing of a mask is required.

Good catch. I hadn’t realized that. (I’m not the PP, though.)

[Anonymous]

If they stick with a quarantine policy if there is exposure to a COVID case at a high school, you would have 4 or 7 teachers out (depending on the school’s schedule) and upwards of 150 kids who have to quarantine because HS kids switch classes and have many teachers. They would have to adjust this policy because it would be a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know what helps stop the mutations? Vaccines.

Again, the problem is those that can be vaxxed but have chosen not to.

the problem is bigger than that unfortunately. this is a pandemic = a worldwide illness. few countries have vaccines, the US being the one country with the most, followed by Europe. most other countries have little to none, even first word countries like Australia or Canada. the virus mutates where it can run unchecked and then the new strain spreads all over including the US. concerning variants were first detected in the UK (thanks to JOhnson's irresponsible handling of the pandemic when it first reached the UK), Brazil, India and South Africa. none of these strains developed in the US but they all reached the US, including the Delta variant that is spreading fast.

so it is correct that vaccines spread mutations but they should be given wordwide. if we let covid run wild in South America, Africa and Asia, we will pay the price too because the variant will find its way to the US. agree with you that no vaxxers in the US are a huge problem (the virus, even variants would spread much less if people were all vaccinated) but the problem with mutation is worldwide

[Anonymous]

Why do you think schools must close down if an unvaccinated student gets covid?

[Anonymous]

I also love the kids who make 1.5-2 years with of growth all the way through ES. By that logic- when they graduate 5th grade they should jump to HS, correct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think schools must close down if an unvaccinated student gets covid?

Not the OP, but certainly all those exposed would have to be quarantined for two weeks (under current rules). In a high school with students switching classes this means the exposure could range across several groups of kids and teachers. So is not the whole school, but it could be a number of kids/teachers. And that’s just one positive test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what helps stop the mutations? Vaccines.

Again, the problem is those that can be vaxxed but have chosen not to.

the problem is bigger than that unfortunately. this is a pandemic = a worldwide illness. few countries have vaccines, the US being the one country with the most, followed by Europe. most other countries have little to none, even first word countries like Australia or Canada. the virus mutates where it can run unchecked and then the new strain spreads all over including the US. concerning variants were first detected in the UK (thanks to JOhnson's irresponsible handling of the pandemic when it first reached the UK), Brazil, India and South Africa. none of these strains developed in the US but they all reached the US, including the Delta variant that is spreading fast.

so it is correct that vaccines spread mutations but they should be given wordwide. if we let covid run wild in South America, Africa and Asia, we will pay the price too because the variant will find its way to the US. agree with you that no vaxxers in the US are a huge problem (the virus, even variants would spread much less if people were all vaccinated) but the problem with mutation is worldwide

Not that I disagree, but this is a bit of a nonsequiter for the thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Be intellectually consistent, teachers. Either no one, including children, should ever have to report any health information to schools, or everyone should, including you.

Teachers don’t decide the policy for child vaccination.

Likely for next year I will opt out of having my children tested for covid at school. Because privacy.

And why can't they do a saline test? If it's so contagious? Should be in. Their saliva. Doesn't need to go way up their noses.
PCR tests not meant to determine if someone is infectious.
Why don't we all fight against the use of the PCR test to determine a case that shuts down the class for a week.
It's insane what we have allowed to accept for testing our children.

[Anonymous]

PP here: meant saliva not test

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they stick with a quarantine policy if there is exposure to a COVID case at a high school, you would have 4 or 7 teachers out (depending on the school’s schedule) and upwards of 150 kids who have to quarantine because HS kids switch classes and have many teachers. They would have to adjust this policy because it would be a nightmare.

Wait, have they really not fixed this yet? They are going to make vaccinated teachers quarantine if a student is positive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they stick with a quarantine policy if there is exposure to a COVID case at a high school, you would have 4 or 7 teachers out (depending on the school’s schedule) and upwards of 150 kids who have to quarantine because HS kids switch classes and have many teachers. They would have to adjust this policy because it would be a nightmare.

Wait, have they really not fixed this yet? They are going to make vaccinated teachers quarantine if a student is positive?

Vaccinated teachers don’t quarantine. I’m at an elementary school and my class had to quarantine but I still had to come in and teach in an empty classroom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Be intellectually consistent, teachers. Either no one, including children, should ever have to report any health information to schools, or everyone should, including you.

Teachers don’t decide the policy for child vaccination.

Likely for next year I will opt out of having my children tested for covid at school. Because privacy.

And why can't they do a saline test? If it's so contagious? Should be in. Their saliva. Doesn't need to go way up their noses.
PCR tests not meant to determine if someone is infectious.
Why don't we all fight against the use of the PCR test to determine a case that shuts down the class for a week.
It's insane what we have allowed to accept for testing our children.

You don’t have to allow it. It’s voluntary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they stick with a quarantine policy if there is exposure to a COVID case at a high school, you would have 4 or 7 teachers out (depending on the school’s schedule) and upwards of 150 kids who have to quarantine because HS kids switch classes and have many teachers. They would have to adjust this policy because it would be a nightmare.

Wait, have they really not fixed this yet? They are going to make vaccinated teachers quarantine if a student is positive?

Vaccinated teachers don’t quarantine. I’m at an elementary school and my class had to quarantine but I still had to come in and teach in an empty classroom

Did you tell your admin that you were vaccinated? And is this DCPS?

I'm wondering how teachers' concerns with letting anyone know their vaccination status (and the adjacent union negotiations over this) will interact with these types of quarantines.