Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'd say the difference is significant not only because of the numbers themselves (maybe double the dashboard, although 2 x a fairly low number is still a fairly low number), but also because of distribution of the cases (I know from other families that some are clustered). I am grateful to the principal for keeping the school community informed, of course, but for those who are trying to observe patterns at a higher altitude, it would be good if the MCPS dashboard were . . . accurate-er. I didn't know myself that the Google form was the key to dashboard registration.

Ok, but I still don’t see how it practically makes a difference. Schools are open and will stay open. Kids will occasionally get covid, and the vast majority will be just fine. If you're not willing to accept the small risk that covid presents, then homeschool and isolate for the rest of your life.

It really doesn't matter as you will send your kids and they will not close schools but some will have serious issues getting covid and all of them will bring it home to their families, causing more spread and issues, but clearly this poster doesn't care about anyone but themselves.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'd say the difference is significant not only because of the numbers themselves (maybe double the dashboard, although 2 x a fairly low number is still a fairly low number), but also because of distribution of the cases (I know from other families that some are clustered). I am grateful to the principal for keeping the school community informed, of course, but for those who are trying to observe patterns at a higher altitude, it would be good if the MCPS dashboard were . . . accurate-er. I didn't know myself that the Google form was the key to dashboard registration.

Ok, but I still don’t see how it practically makes a difference. Schools are open and will stay open. Kids will occasionally get covid, and the vast majority will be just fine. If you're not willing to accept the small risk that covid presents, then homeschool and isolate for the rest of your life.

I can understand your perspective, but I am personally more aligned with the OP. A family might have something important coming up this weekend where getting covid this week would be supremely inconvenient. Knowing there is an outbreak in their child’s school or class they might ask the child to wear a more protective mask or even pull their child out of school in very specific cases. They might ask kids to rapid test before a sleepover if cases are higher. Some of us are still adjusting our behavior in response to level of community spread. I personally fully expect to get covid but I really wouldn’t want to test positive the day before my sister’s wedding for instance.

You’re kidding yourself if you think we’re actually catching enough cases to be able significantly reduce the chance of exposure.

Through April 29th, the MCPS cases were dropping and the number of new cases were improving, but now they're not. Since rain will be here Friday and most of next week, it doesn't bode well for in-cafeteria exposure.

Sat Apr 30, 53 new student cases, 10 staff
Sun May 1, 64 new student cases, 10 staff
Mon May 2, 128 new student cases, 29 staff
Tues May 3, 240 new student cases, 23 staff

Last month the schools normally did not exceed 2% infections, however this month some have. If your child attends one of these schools, recommend encouraging the other parents to have their children wear masks.

Location Last 10 Days (#) Total Staff & Students School Cases (%)
Central Office 24 N/A
Thurgood Marshall Elementary 35 589 5.90%
Viers Mill Elementary 27 549 4.90%
Belmont Elementary 15 384 3.90%
Rosa Parks Middle 32 929 3.40%
Thomas W. Pyle Middle 42 1,454 2.90%
Rosemary Hills Elementary 16 610 2.60%
Bannockburn Elementary 12 469 2.60%
Bethesda Elementary 18 732 2.50%
Julius West Middle 36 1,502 2.40%
Sligo Creek Elementary 17 716 2.40%
Ritchie Park Elementary 10 420 2.40%
Westbrook Elementary 8 335 2.40%
Farmland Elementary 20 888 2.30%
Beverly Farms Elementary 13 612 2.10%
Wood Acres Elementary 12 582 2.10%
John Poole Middle 10 482 2.10%

102 of 209 schools have 4 or more 10-day-cases.

Location Last 10 Days (#) Total Staff & Students School Cases (%)
Thomas W. Pyle Middle 42 1,454 2.90%
Julius West Middle 36 1,502 2.40%
Thurgood Marshall Elementary 35 589 5.90%
Rosa Parks Middle 32 929 3.40%
Thomas S. Wootton High 30 2,132 1.40%
Walter Johnson High 28 3,139 0.90%
Northwest High 27 2,773 1.00%
Viers Mill Elementary 27 549 4.90%
Winston Churchill High 27 2,459 1.10%
Richard Montgomery High 26 2,583 1.00%
Central Office 24 N/A
Damascus High 24 1,533 1.60%
Farmland Elementary 20 888 2.30%
Montgomery Blair High 20 3,501 0.60%
Poolesville High 20 1,382 1.40%
Bethesda Elementary 18 732 2.50%
Earle B. Wood Middle 18 1,174 1.50%
Walt Whitman High 18 2,213 0.80%
Lakelands Park Middle 17 1,214 1.40%
Sligo Creek Elementary 17 716 2.40%
Takoma Park Middle 17 1,247 1.40%
Bethesda-Chevy. Chase High 16 2,530 0.60%
Clarksburg High 16 2,546 0.60%
Rosemary Hills Elementary 16 610 2.60%
Belmont Elementary 15 384 3.90%
Garrett Park Elementary 14 762 1.80%
Quince Orchard High 14 2,320 0.60%
Westland Middle 14 897 1.60%
Albert Einstein High 13 2,127 0.60%
Beverly Farms Elementary 13 612 2.10%
Bannockburn Elementary 12 469 2.60%
Luxmanor Elementary 12 730 1.60%
Roberto W Clemente Middle 12 1,061 1.10%
William H. Farquhar Middle 12 738 1.60%
Wood Acres Elementary 12 582 2.10%
Rockville High 11 1,613 0.70%
Chevy Chase Elementary 10 509 2.00%
Col. Zadok Magruder High 10 1,797 0.60%
John Poole Middle 10 482 2.10%
North Bethesda Middle 10 1,270 0.80%
Ritchie Park Elementary 10 420 2.40%
Wayside Elementary 10 502 2.00%
Fallsmead Elementary 9 587 1.50%
Piney Branch Elementary 9 682 1.30%
Greenwood Elementary 8 596 1.30%
Kensington Parkwood Elementary 8 668 1.20%
Silver Creek Middle 8 891 0.90%
Westbrook Elementary 8 335 2.40%
Ashburton Elementary 7 939 0.70%
Burning Tree Elementary 7 476 1.50%
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle 7 1,002 0.70%
Glen Haven Elementary 7 569 1.20%
Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary 7 778 0.90%
Rock Creek Forest Elementary 7 795 0.90%
Rocky Hill Middle 7 1,116 0.60%
Seven Locks Elementary 7 433 1.60%
Sherwood Elementary 7 551 1.30%
Sherwood High 7 1,966 0.40%
Wheaton High 7 2,666 0.30%
Brooke Grove Elementary 6 519 1.20%
Cold Spring Elementary 6 370 1.60%
Darnestown Elementary 6 377 1.60%
Diamond Elementary 6 815 0.70%
Goshen Elementary 6 568 1.10%
Oak View Elementary 6 464 1.30%
Olney Elementary 6 680 0.90%
Potomac Elementary 6 463 1.30%
Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary 6 679 0.90%
Springbrook High 6 1,902 0.30%
Twinbrook Elementary 6 602 1.00%
Candlewood Elementary 5 420 1.20%
Clarksburg Elementary 5 856 0.60%
Gaithersburg High 5 2,615 0.20%
Herbert Hoover Middle 5 1,114 0.40%
James Hubert Blake High 5 1,946 0.30%
John T. Baker Middle 5 934 0.50%
Robert Frost Middle 5 1,088 0.50%
Seneca Valley High 5 2,243 0.20%
Tilden Middle 5 1,146 0.40%
White Oak Middle 5 938 0.50%
Wyngate Elementary 5 773 0.60%
A. Mario Loiederman Middle 4 1,059 0.40%
Cabin John Middle 4 1,155 0.30%
Carderock Springs Elementary 4 378 1.10%
Clopper Mill Elementary 4 520 0.80%
East Silver Spring Elementary 4 547 0.70%
Fields Road Elementary 4 543 0.70%
Forest Knolls Elementary 4 551 0.70%
Hallie Wells Middle 4 1,086 0.40%
Kemp Mill Elementary 4 496 0.80%
Kingsview Middle 4 1,105 0.40%
Mill Creek Towne Elementary 4 551 0.70%
Neelsville Middle 4 908 0.40%
Northwood High 4 2,046 0.20%
Ridgeview Middle 4 876 0.50%
Ronald McNair Elementary 4 861 0.50%
Silver Spring International Middle 4 1,289 0.30%
Sligo Middle 4 823 0.50%
Travilah Elementary 4 401 1.00%
Whetstone Elementary 4 768 0.50%
William Tyler Page Elementary 4 703 0.60%
Woodfield Elementary 4 363 1.10%

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'd say the difference is significant not only because of the numbers themselves (maybe double the dashboard, although 2 x a fairly low number is still a fairly low number), but also because of distribution of the cases (I know from other families that some are clustered). I am grateful to the principal for keeping the school community informed, of course, but for those who are trying to observe patterns at a higher altitude, it would be good if the MCPS dashboard were . . . accurate-er. I didn't know myself that the Google form was the key to dashboard registration.

Ok, but I still don’t see how it practically makes a difference. Schools are open and will stay open. Kids will occasionally get covid, and the vast majority will be just fine. If you're not willing to accept the small risk that covid presents, then homeschool and isolate for the rest of your life.

I can understand your perspective, but I am personally more aligned with the OP. A family might have something important coming up this weekend where getting covid this week would be supremely inconvenient. Knowing there is an outbreak in their child’s school or class they might ask the child to wear a more protective mask or even pull their child out of school in very specific cases. They might ask kids to rapid test before a sleepover if cases are higher. Some of us are still adjusting our behavior in response to level of community spread. I personally fully expect to get covid but I really wouldn’t want to test positive the day before my sister’s wedding for instance.

Anonymous wrote:The principal has the real numbers. The dashboard is fake news from the central office that only reports the submissions parents make via the Google form. The dashboard is designed to give the feel that Covid is not spreading.

Who cares if it is spreading? We've been holding steady at two or fewer pediatric Covid hospitalizations across the entire state since February.

The principal has the real numbers. The dashboard is fake news from the central office that only reports the submissions parents make via the Google form. The dashboard is designed to give the feel that Covid is not spreading.

This has happened during all previous surges, OP. There must be a systemic reporting issue. Just one of the multiple problems in MCPS!

Bottom line, we're in a surge, just like Europe was in a month ago. It will be done by the time we start summer vacation, at least here. In the south, they're expecting the Covid surge to coincide with summer.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'd say the difference is significant not only because of the numbers themselves (maybe double the dashboard, although 2 x a fairly low number is still a fairly low number), but also because of distribution of the cases (I know from other families that some are clustered). I am grateful to the principal for keeping the school community informed, of course, but for those who are trying to observe patterns at a higher altitude, it would be good if the MCPS dashboard were . . . accurate-er. I didn't know myself that the Google form was the key to dashboard registration.

Ok, but I still don’t see how it practically makes a difference. Schools are open and will stay open. Kids will occasionally get covid, and the vast majority will be just fine. If you're not willing to accept the small risk that covid presents, then homeschool and isolate for the rest of your life.

OP here. I'd say the difference is significant not only because of the numbers themselves (maybe double the dashboard, although 2 x a fairly low number is still a fairly low number), but also because of distribution of the cases (I know from other families that some are clustered). I am grateful to the principal for keeping the school community informed, of course, but for those who are trying to observe patterns at a higher altitude, it would be good if the MCPS dashboard were . . . accurate-er. I didn't know myself that the Google form was the key to dashboard registration.

So what's the difference- like a handful or 50? What would the difference make you do differently?

My guess is that the principal is reporting on what they get day to day and that the dashboard can’t keep up/is delayed.

Ok? Not much you can do except mask your kids.

I think the dashboard is populated only from cases where a google form was submitted. I know our principal sent a letter yesterday referring to cases, and the numbers don’t match the dash. My child also said 2 teachers were out yesterday w covid and no staff cases are shown on the dashboard.

Where is the principal getting their numbers? It could be that people calling the school to report cases, but not filling out the MCPS form because they assume calling the school is enough.

The numbers on the dashboard don't match the numbers we have from our principal (the principal's numbers are higher). On the one hand, the net effect and what we would do about it is the same anyway: covid is going up, and those who want and need to take additional precautions should do so. On the other, it just feels like the dashboard is a bit behind or something.