Why is testing not part of the reopening plan?

[Anonymous]

I am going to be charitable and assume there is some reason that asymptomatic testing is not part of the school reopening plan (and doesn't seem like WTU is pushing for it either) - but what is it?

[Anonymous]

I thought they were going to continue their random testing protocol.

[Anonymous]

My guess is that it costs money, DCPS doesn't see the point in testing random kids, DCPS doesn't want to know how many kids are positive, too much of a hassle to coordinate and organize. I think it is the last option.

[Anonymous]

I wish it was.

Probably money

Dumb

[Anonymous]

$$$

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought they were going to continue their random testing protocol.

There was no single protocol.
As far as I could see, halfway through a term of chaotic under-performance of a district-led testing protocol, they downgrading it to less testing, and then that was still too much so they passed it on to individual schools, that got real creative and did whatever the heck they wanted and/or what parents pressured them to (not) do.

The letters sent out only represented a portion, unknowable, of the actual infections at school.
The numbers reported on the DCPS website or the DCDOH covid website never came with the numbers of tests administered.

AND: a lot of you are reading this, not outraged one bit, and nodding approvingly, because you don't want to know and you don't want to be inconvenienced by quarantines.

[Anonymous]

They don't want to know the spread.

[Anonymous]

Asymptomatic testing, at least in vaccinated people, is mostly meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they are worried too many students will opt out of testing making it meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They don't want to know the spread.

Ding ding ding!

[Anonymous]

DC has really ratcheted back Covid testing availability in general. Tried to get one for my kid the other day and nearly impossible to quickly find an appointment in ward 3. Awesome that they are de prioritizing testing just in time for Delta, yet still pocketing all the federal aid .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish it was.

Probably money

Dumb

CDC released $10 billion to states in March to support K-12 testing specifically. Some of the ESSER funds can be used for testing too.

[Anonymous]

Is it useful if so many opt out? People were complaining last year that it was an issue that it wasn’t complete enough. Now, with people tired and untrusting of guidelines, you are going to get less opt in. Shame people all you want, but that isn’t likely to change their behaviors. So it seems it isn’t likely to be 1) satisfactory to the loudest parents, and 2) particularly useful , and 3) probably cost beneficial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it useful if so many opt out? People were complaining last year that it was an issue that it wasn’t complete enough. Now, with people tired and untrusting of guidelines, you are going to get less opt in. Shame people all you want, but that isn’t likely to change their behaviors. So it seems it isn’t likely to be 1) satisfactory to the loudest parents, and 2) particularly useful , and 3) probably cost beneficial.

It is very useful to know the spread and stop the spread. Parents and the school systems don't want to know so they can fully open as normal to appease parents who demand full reopening. It has nothing to do with cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it useful if so many opt out? People were complaining last year that it was an issue that it wasn’t complete enough. Now, with people tired and untrusting of guidelines, you are going to get less opt in. Shame people all you want, but that isn’t likely to change their behaviors. So it seems it isn’t likely to be 1) satisfactory to the loudest parents, and 2) particularly useful , and 3) probably cost beneficial.

It is very useful to know the spread and stop the spread. Parents and the school systems don't want to know so they can fully open as normal to appease parents who demand full reopening. It has nothing to do with cost.

NP but what PP is saying is that you won’t necessarily know the spread if too many kids opt out.