Reply to Allegedly there are several options for the fall none of which include being back full time?

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Reply to "Allegedly there are several options for the fall none of which include being back full time?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]All of this black and white thinking is ridiculous. It is not a choice between going back the way we used to or full-time distance learning for everyone. The reality is that it will be a hybrid of the two, and exactly what that looks like will vary across the country because there are different densities of people, different resources, and different community needs. As soon as Maryland put out the guidelines, it should have been apparent to anyone with an understanding of how a school actually functions that MCPS will have a hybrid model next year. These are the three most obvious reasons IMO:

1. If schools don't attempt to follow at least some of the guidelines and a child gets seriously sick and suffers permanent health problems or dies, there will be lawsuits.
2. There are going to be a significant number of parents who don't want to send their kids to school buildings. Because of this, the schools will have to offer some type of distance learning.
3. There are going to be a significant number of teachers who don't want to go in to school buildings. Because of this, the schools will need to offer distance learning. (And you can be flippant and say the teachers should just quit if they don't want to teach. Yes, yes they will. Mid-July is the date to retire, take leave of absence, or resign without prejudice. Then who will you have to teach your kids that you insisted had to be back in the schools?)

As a result of the above, two other challenges come to mind:
4. We know that DL isn't working for many kids, especially elementary, SPED, and ESOL. There is absolutely a priority to get as many kids back in the classroom as possible. The question right now is who and how?
5. In order to meet guidelines, the density of students in school buildings needs to be at least 50% of what it is normally. The question is, how to do this? Alternating days/weeks? Half-days with morning or afternoon shifts? Some students mostly in school and some students mostly at home?
5a. And yes, public schools do also function as daycare for the youngest students (under 8). Our economy as it is currently structured assumes that. How does this need to be adapted? Part of the day inside for learning, and then part of the day outside for play/daycare? Community co-ops for watching kids?

It's time for people to get over the idea that MCPS will start 2020 school year like it started 2019 in the fall. It is just not going to happen. Not because people are brainwashed, or hate your children, or don't want to teach. It's because as a society we know that we have to balance health, economic, and social concerns of all of the different people who live in our communities. Part of that balance will be a hybrid model for schools next year.[/quote]

Sort of smart. Hybrid models won't happen. People keep talking about accommodations, which cost $$$. Which MCPS doesn't have. This is political.

Logistics are paramount, not health and "safety" lol. There will be no new capital investments. No new buses or drivers. No new teachers. No new buildings. No janitors, ESOL teachers, specials teachers (if SD is supposed to be enforced in classes with kids blowing wind on instruments), or lunch ladies for basically day-long SD spreading lunchroom protocols.

The budget is locked in for this year, but it sure isn't for next year when we'll see 20% cuts. That is the real conversation, not how much money we don't have that can be spent this year on temporary and mostly ineffective protocols.

All or nothing. Half days or alternating days or weeks will never happen. The logistics are impossible to implement on this short notice. Forget quality and effectiveness of DL, just attempting the jumble of logistics will collapse the capacity and budget of schools, the patience of teachers and parents and students, significant learning, parents' personal finances and careers and sanity, and on and on.

If MCPS attempts a convoluted hybrid model with not a single proof-of-concept example to show us, or other cases to highlight where hybrids worked, or even an internal study showing feasibility, and it collapses, there will be a revolt. So it's a political decision. These "leaders" better know they're playing with fire.
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