Anonymous
12/16/2025 05:59
Subject: Damascus closed
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's on the Damascus High School website.
FINALLY. MCPS is understanding that they need to adjust according to location. I know it's complicated for students who are bussed to special programs, and I hope everyone was adequately warned...
It's not about students, it's about staff who live in these areas. Were all staff who live in Damascus able to stay home too? What happens when there is zero administrators who show up to work in a Silver Spring school? Or there's not a single kindergarten teacher who is able to come in? Or their kids are home from school today?
There has always been a lower bar for closing schools vs. closing workplaces. It's about student safety. MCPS staff can do what other adult workers do- get up early to allow extra time for cleaning the car/walkways and driving to work. If they can't make it out of their street (was there this much snow anywhere?) they call in and say they can't make it. If their kids attend Damascus and they don't have a backup childcare plan, same. The DMV is filled with people who live somewhere different than they work- we do as well- and you have to adjust accordingly.
But the point you are missing is the safety issue.
When office workers call out, meetings may be canceled but it isn’t a safety issue. Nobody has to guard a desk.
When teachers call out, someone has to now monitor those students. If multiple teachers call out, then situations can get tricky very fast. I’ve had to watch over 70 children by myself before because of short staffing. I’d rather not do that again. Bad memories.
Anonymous
12/16/2025 02:47
Subject: Damascus closed
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's on the Damascus High School website.
FINALLY. MCPS is understanding that they need to adjust according to location. I know it's complicated for students who are bussed to special programs, and I hope everyone was adequately warned...
It's not about students, it's about staff who live in these areas. Were all staff who live in Damascus able to stay home too? What happens when there is zero administrators who show up to work in a Silver Spring school? Or there's not a single kindergarten teacher who is able to come in? Or their kids are home from school today?
There has always been a lower bar for closing schools vs. closing workplaces. It's about student safety. MCPS staff can do what other adult workers do- get up early to allow extra time for cleaning the car/walkways and driving to work. If they can't make it out of their street (was there this much snow anywhere?) they call in and say they can't make it. If their kids attend Damascus and they don't have a backup childcare plan, same. The DMV is filled with people who live somewhere different than they work- we do as well- and you have to adjust accordingly.
Anonymous
12/16/2025 00:26
Subject: Damascus closed
Anonymous wrote:Have you seen the driveway to get up to Hallie Wells and the steep incline? You would close too. It was all icy when I passed by this morning.
I think you're thinking of a different school. There's no steep slope.
Anonymous
12/16/2025 00:05
Subject: Damascus closed
Have you seen the driveway to get up to Hallie Wells and the steep incline? You would close too. It was all icy when I passed by this morning.
Anonymous
12/15/2025 23:33
Subject: Damascus closed
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How is this equitable for students and staff. Will they be required to make up a school day at the end of the year? How are those staff able to work one less day than all other staff.
You do know that individual school closures happen from time to time all the time right? Such as if there are building issues (gas leak, pipe bursting, etc.)
This would be treated no differently than those incidents.
+1. It’s good that MCPS is actually trying to tailor actions to school specific conditions.
Anonymous
12/15/2025 23:16
Subject: Damascus closed
I saw somewhere online that at one of the Damascus elementary schools, the entire parking lot was closed due to ice, forcing all of the teachers (and anyone else who was coming to the school today) to park along the roads in the neighborhood and walk to the school.
Anonymous
12/15/2025 18:41
Subject: Damascus closed
The funniest part is that Damascus Elementary was open and it's directly across from the high school. Both parking lots were equally icy. I figure they opened the elementary schools as those are often viewed as daycare by many parents.
Anonymous
12/15/2025 17:48
Subject: Damascus closed
Anonymous wrote:So how will make ups work? If mcps as a whole uses up all the days will Damascus end a day later?
No, there will not be a makeup day just for Damascus.
Anonymous
12/15/2025 17:44
Subject: Damascus closed
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It was because of parking lots and sidewalkes at those specific schools. Roads were fine.
Did the workers go on a strange targeted strike only for those schools? They had a whole day to address those schools. How did they drop the ball so badly?
It’s not like conditions were identical at every school. A few years ago, my school’s upper and lower lots were addressed at the same time. The upper lot took three times a long despite being slightly smaller.
Sure, but there was an entire day.
Anonymous
12/15/2025 17:44
Subject: Damascus closed
So how will make ups work? If mcps as a whole uses up all the days will Damascus end a day later?
Anonymous
12/15/2025 17:42
Subject: Damascus closed
Since the temps didn't go above freezing today could the lots be treated and improved today or will they be in the same shape?
Anonymous
12/15/2025 17:41
Subject: Damascus closed
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It was because of parking lots and sidewalkes at those specific schools. Roads were fine.
Did the workers go on a strange targeted strike only for those schools? They had a whole day to address those schools. How did they drop the ball so badly?
It’s not like conditions were identical at every school. A few years ago, my school’s upper and lower lots were addressed at the same time. The upper lot took three times a long despite being slightly smaller.
Anonymous
12/15/2025 17:16
Subject: Damascus closed
Anonymous wrote:It was because of parking lots and sidewalkes at those specific schools. Roads were fine.
Did the workers go on a strange targeted strike only for those schools? They had a whole day to address those schools. How did they drop the ball so badly?
Anonymous
12/15/2025 17:04
Subject: Damascus closed
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's on the Damascus High School website.
FINALLY. MCPS is understanding that they need to adjust according to location. I know it's complicated for students who are bussed to special programs, and I hope everyone was adequately warned...
It's not about students, it's about staff who live in these areas. Were all staff who live in Damascus able to stay home too? What happens when there is zero administrators who show up to work in a Silver Spring school? Or there's not a single kindergarten teacher who is able to come in? Or their kids are home from school today?
Wrong. Students are minors, and the school system has a particular duty of care towards the minors they serve. Staff are adults, they signed a work contract and they are required to show up to work. Leniency or using leave will depend on the school, JUST LIKE FOR EVERY OTHER EMPLOYEE OF EVERY OTHER BUSINESS.
Calm down, Jesus Christ. Teaching ISN'T like every other profession and you as a parent, should know that. Absent teachers just means subs. Once again, proving you don't actually care about education, you just care about free daycare.
Anonymous
12/15/2025 15:54
Subject: Damascus closed
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's on the Damascus High School website.
FINALLY. MCPS is understanding that they need to adjust according to location. I know it's complicated for students who are bussed to special programs, and I hope everyone was adequately warned...
It's not about students, it's about staff who live in these areas. Were all staff who live in Damascus able to stay home too? What happens when there is zero administrators who show up to work in a Silver Spring school? Or there's not a single kindergarten teacher who is able to come in? Or their kids are home from school today?
Wrong. Students are minors, and the school system has a particular duty of care towards the minors they serve. Staff are adults, they signed a work contract and they are required to show up to work. Leniency or using leave will depend on the school, JUST LIKE FOR EVERY OTHER EMPLOYEE OF EVERY OTHER BUSINESS.
I don’t think this is about leave. It’s about enough staff for supervision. Which is a safety issue.