BOE Fall Plan Meeting

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[Post New]07/14/2020 15:23
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HS courses with only 1 or 2 teachers (some electives) - student may be in-person at school, but for that class they would be learning online with the teacher if the teacher is unavailable to come in to school.


Unreal.

Real. If you found this surprising, you don't understand HS scheduling. I'm more surprised that they clearly said it out loud.

Even assuming the teacher wanted to be in-person, as soon as they have a health issue, they are not available. But there are teachers who should not come in, and the system can't force them.


+1 I am amazed that many posters don't understand the complexity of scheduling and that many of the HS teachers (and some MS teachers) are specialized.

+2. My incoming 9th grader signed up to take Latin and Photography. Guess how many Latin teachers are at her high school? Guess how many photography teachers are at her high school. 1.

How can that one teacher teach both in person and online classes at the same time? Those classes will be done online even for those students who choose blended learning.
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:24
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Karla Silvestre asked if today were August 31 with our current numbers could schools open and his response was so long-winded and vague. She rephrased the question based on what Phase we are in and he's still being super vague.

It's either Phase 3 or 4, depending on what exactly you are talking about. He did say if today was Aug 31, we would not allow school in-person.
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:26
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Anonymous
Excellent first question from new SMOB. (What happens if a student tests positive?)

MCPS and Health department will coordinate. They will do full contact tracing in the building and will identify close contacts to quarantine and spaces that need cleaning. Might be just a classroom, might be the whole school.
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:28
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Gayle just said children can catch it and have complications.


https://montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/data/

0 deaths in MoCo in 0-17 age group.

447 cases out of 100,000 population


If you don’t trust him, how can we reopen schools?
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:30
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Excellent first question from new SMOB. (What happens if a student tests positive?)

MCPS and Health department will coordinate. They will do full contact tracing in the building and will identify close contacts to quarantine and spaces that need cleaning. Might be just a classroom, might be the whole school.


How is that possible given the current testing lag? It's 5-7 business days right now. First of all, at best we'd only know someone was positive a week after they got the test. Second, what is the school supposed to do while waiting for the test results from the contact tracing?
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:32
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Excellent first question from new SMOB. (What happens if a student tests positive?)

MCPS and Health department will coordinate. They will do full contact tracing in the building and will identify close contacts to quarantine and spaces that need cleaning. Might be just a classroom, might be the whole school.


How is that possible given the current testing lag? It's 5-7 business days right now. First of all, at best we'd only know someone was positive a week after they got the test. Second, what is the school supposed to do while waiting for the test results from the contact tracing?


Exactly! It took my BIL 8 days to get test rests from two different places.
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:32
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Anonymous
Did they just make mention of no fall high school sports? Is there more clarity on that?
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:37
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Anonymous
Did they just make mention of no fall high school sports? Is there more clarity on that?


Smondrowski said that there wouldn't be any fall sports but also that parents are waiting to get definitive answers on questions like this. She's proposed assembling an "official" FAQ to help address the volume of emails she's getting from parents with questions like this. She's saying she will email a proposal for this FAQ to other board members.
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:39
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Gayle just said children can catch it and have complications.


https://montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/data/

0 deaths in MoCo in 0-17 age group.

447 cases out of 100,000 population


If you don’t trust him, how can we reopen schools?


I think ALL the evidence is pointing to schools not being vectors and he should address that instead of consistently pandering to whatever he perceives the current party line to be.
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:39
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:42% parents, 25% staff indicated preference for in-person
22% parents, 52% staff indicated virtual preference
35% parents, 22% staff unsure


I’m both a parent and staff. Before I saw the plan, my kids wanted to return (HS) and I was leaning toward return for myself (MS). The plan is so unattractive that it pushed us towards DL for both our kids and me. The hybrid HS plan is too little in person contact with teachers for the risk. And the 3 week cycle is not going to help facilitate student attendance. For me, I can’t imagine both teaching in person AND online simultaneously. I don’t see it as fair to myself or the students at home. If I could, I would teach all of my regular classes face to face outdoors or in a huge, well-ventilated space. Neither is going to happen. The next best alternative is DL.


Is that how this will work? Teachers teach the kids in the class and online simultaneously? I can't figure out how there are enough teachers if they don't do this. What about classes with only 1 class section like Advanced Theater or Photography 2? Is this "simultaneous" teaching how they'll address this?
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:41
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Anonymous
They should really separate elementary, middle and high in these scenarios. The experiences and needs are SO different.
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:41
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Gayle just said children can catch it and have complications.


Obviously children can catch it. But how common is it? And how common is it for children to show symptoms/transmit infection/have complications?
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:41
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dcmom
Member Offline
Wow, Smondroski has her own super detailed plan.
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:41
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Gayle just said children can catch it and have complications.


https://montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/data/

0 deaths in MoCo in 0-17 age group.

447 cases out of 100,000 population


If you don’t trust him, how can we reopen schools?


I think ALL the evidence is pointing to schools not being vectors and he should address that instead of consistently pandering to whatever he perceives the current party line to be.


I assume that he's pandering to his own party line.
[Post New]07/14/2020 15:42
quote
dcmom
Member Offline
It involves DL for all MS and HS students, with ES students spread out among all schools. Also before and after care offered in HS.
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