Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The principal to our ES has said nothing has come in from county to help them prepare. They also are not allowed to replace the water fountains with contactless bottle refill stations yet - per upper management. They have no hand sanitizers stations yet. No PPE for teachers yet.

MCPS has had 8 months to start acquiring all of this, and they have done nothing.

Those things take $$$ and the county is experiencing a funding shortfall so I wouldn't hold my breath, but they could double property taxes I guess to pay for it and reopen schools.

They aren't heating or air conditioning buildings. They are uses buses and paying for gas. They should't be paying for any PT workers (and should have furloughed all the FT workers not needed in April.)

They are still making money renting their facilities to daycares and sports.

Why is there a shortfall from this year's budget? Can you show me the numbers from last year to this year to show how we can't supply refill stations, and get some hand sanitizers. Truly wondering.

I don't understand the shortfall as well. They can ask parents to provide protection (masks & sanitizers) for their own children, ask big companies to sponsor or donations, and do fundraising something like that.
For contactless refill water bottles and public area sanitization station, I don't think that they are that expensive. State or county government should sign a deal from those providers for big discounts for public schools.
We are in DMV area, I think we can squeeze some money here & there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The principal to our ES has said nothing has come in from county to help them prepare. They also are not allowed to replace the water fountains with contactless bottle refill stations yet - per upper management. They have no hand sanitizers stations yet. No PPE for teachers yet.

MCPS has had 8 months to start acquiring all of this, and they have done nothing.

Those things take $$$ and the county is experiencing a funding shortfall so I wouldn't hold my breath, but they could double property taxes I guess to pay for it and reopen schools.

They aren't heating or air conditioning buildings. They are uses buses and paying for gas. They should't be paying for any PT workers (and should have furloughed all the FT workers not needed in April.)

They are still making money renting their facilities to daycares and sports.

Why is there a shortfall from this year's budget? Can you show me the numbers from last year to this year to show how we can't supply refill stations, and get some hand sanitizers. Truly wondering.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The principal to our ES has said nothing has come in from county to help them prepare. They also are not allowed to replace the water fountains with contactless bottle refill stations yet - per upper management. They have no hand sanitizers stations yet. No PPE for teachers yet.

MCPS has had 8 months to start acquiring all of this, and they have done nothing.

Those things take $$$ and the county is experiencing a funding shortfall so I wouldn't hold my breath, but they could double property taxes I guess to pay for it and reopen schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

To play devils advocate, what is the incentive for MCPS to put out a reopening plan given that what you said is true- i.e., it could be years before the county meets those numbers? I 100% agree that Elrich/Gayles are putting a goal out there that does not make sense, but MCPS surely recognizes this as well and as such is in no hurry to come up with a plan.

Yeah. Ok. But I guess my bigger objection then is for someone (ANYONE) in a position of authority to show a little backbone here.

You're right; they have no incentive to talk about re-opening when they know they can't meet those numbers.

But Smith is supposed to be a leader in the community. It would be nice if he showed a little courage and stood up for the people that he is supposed to be servicing (i.e the students)

Given the blowback proponents of DL are getting from everyone from President Trump to Gov. Hogan to you, one could argue that it takes more courage for Elrich/Gayles/Smith to rule out in-person instruction right now than it would to start it back up in some fashion.

I mean I'm no Trump fan, but there's a key difference between Trump/Hogan and Elrich etc in this extraordinarily liberal area. Come on.

Elrich cares about people. GOP cares about their donors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

To play devils advocate, what is the incentive for MCPS to put out a reopening plan given that what you said is true- i.e., it could be years before the county meets those numbers? I 100% agree that Elrich/Gayles are putting a goal out there that does not make sense, but MCPS surely recognizes this as well and as such is in no hurry to come up with a plan.

Yeah. Ok. But I guess my bigger objection then is for someone (ANYONE) in a position of authority to show a little backbone here.

You're right; they have no incentive to talk about re-opening when they know they can't meet those numbers.

But Smith is supposed to be a leader in the community. It would be nice if he showed a little courage and stood up for the people that he is supposed to be servicing (i.e the students)

Given the blowback proponents of DL are getting from everyone from President Trump to Gov. Hogan to you, one could argue that it takes more courage for Elrich/Gayles/Smith to rule out in-person instruction right now than it would to start it back up in some fashion.

I mean I'm no Trump fan, but there's a key difference between Trump/Hogan and Elrich etc in this extraordinarily liberal area. Come on.

Anonymous wrote:The principal to our ES has said nothing has come in from county to help them prepare. They also are not allowed to replace the water fountains with contactless bottle refill stations yet - per upper management. They have no hand sanitizers stations yet. No PPE for teachers yet.

MCPS has had 8 months to start acquiring all of this, and they have done nothing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

To play devils advocate, what is the incentive for MCPS to put out a reopening plan given that what you said is true- i.e., it could be years before the county meets those numbers? I 100% agree that Elrich/Gayles are putting a goal out there that does not make sense, but MCPS surely recognizes this as well and as such is in no hurry to come up with a plan.

Yeah. Ok. But I guess my bigger objection then is for someone (ANYONE) in a position of authority to show a little backbone here.

You're right; they have no incentive to talk about re-opening when they know they can't meet those numbers.

But Smith is supposed to be a leader in the community. It would be nice if he showed a little courage and stood up for the people that he is supposed to be servicing (i.e the students)

Given the blowback proponents of DL are getting from everyone from President Trump to Gov. Hogan to you, one could argue that it takes more courage for Elrich/Gayles/Smith to rule out in-person instruction right now than it would to start it back up in some fashion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent, even we have high risk at home, I want to take a risk to send my kid to school in person in Fall 2021. It is not healthy for kid to stay virtual distance like this long. I hope after spring, covid rate will go down no matter if vaccine is available or not.

I don't think Fall 2021 is going to be a problem. The question to me really is how much sooner will they open.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

To play devils advocate, what is the incentive for MCPS to put out a reopening plan given that what you said is true- i.e., it could be years before the county meets those numbers? I 100% agree that Elrich/Gayles are putting a goal out there that does not make sense, but MCPS surely recognizes this as well and as such is in no hurry to come up with a plan.

Yeah. Ok. But I guess my bigger objection then is for someone (ANYONE) in a position of authority to show a little backbone here.

You're right; they have no incentive to talk about re-opening when they know they can't meet those numbers.

But Smith is supposed to be a leader in the community. It would be nice if he showed a little courage and stood up for the people that he is supposed to be servicing (i.e the students)

Given the blowback proponents of DL are getting from everyone from President Trump to Gov. Hogan to you, one could argue that it takes more courage for Elrich/Gayles/Smith to rule out in-person instruction right now than it would to start it back up in some fashion.

I agree. It's tough to fight Trump and his Russian allies.

Anonymous wrote:As a parent, even we have high risk at home, I want to take a risk to send my kid to school in person in Fall 2021. It is not healthy for kid to stay virtual distance like this long. I hope after spring, covid rate will go down no matter if vaccine is available or not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

To play devils advocate, what is the incentive for MCPS to put out a reopening plan given that what you said is true- i.e., it could be years before the county meets those numbers? I 100% agree that Elrich/Gayles are putting a goal out there that does not make sense, but MCPS surely recognizes this as well and as such is in no hurry to come up with a plan.

Yeah. Ok. But I guess my bigger objection then is for someone (ANYONE) in a position of authority to show a little backbone here.

You're right; they have no incentive to talk about re-opening when they know they can't meet those numbers.

But Smith is supposed to be a leader in the community. It would be nice if he showed a little courage and stood up for the people that he is supposed to be servicing (i.e the students)

Given the blowback proponents of DL are getting from everyone from President Trump to Gov. Hogan to you, one could argue that it takes more courage for Elrich/Gayles/Smith to rule out in-person instruction right now than it would to start it back up in some fashion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

To play devils advocate, what is the incentive for MCPS to put out a reopening plan given that what you said is true- i.e., it could be years before the county meets those numbers? I 100% agree that Elrich/Gayles are putting a goal out there that does not make sense, but MCPS surely recognizes this as well and as such is in no hurry to come up with a plan.

Yeah. Ok. But I guess my bigger objection then is for someone (ANYONE) in a position of authority to show a little backbone here.

You're right; they have no incentive to talk about re-opening when they know they can't meet those numbers.

But Smith is supposed to be a leader in the community. It would be nice if he showed a little courage and stood up for the people that he is supposed to be servicing (i.e the students)

Anonymous wrote:

To play devils advocate, what is the incentive for MCPS to put out a reopening plan given that what you said is true- i.e., it could be years before the county meets those numbers? I 100% agree that Elrich/Gayles are putting a goal out there that does not make sense, but MCPS surely recognizes this as well and as such is in no hurry to come up with a plan.