Not sure what the new form looks like but I plan to opt out my vaccinated student. I will keep my child home if they are symptomatic and we will handle testing. There is no legit reason to do screening testing on an asymptomatic vaccinated student in a school environment where everyone has the option of getting vaccinated. And I'm not risking the possibility that a false positive will derail my child's education.

I also happen to think the "opt out" model is illegal and the school district has no business doing medical testing on my child without my consent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Testing should NOT be optional. Every one, regardless of vaccinated status, should be tested every single week during the school year, and failing that, should not be admitted to school until a negative PCR test can be provided.

Nope. That's not the policy. Many of us are opting out.

Why? (serious question, interested in the reasons)

I'm not opting out, but the main reason would be false positives. I'm also skeptical that DCPS will have rigorous controls and won't switch samples. But on balance, I'm not going to opt out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is good, but I also think it's funny that the "it's unsaaaafee" crowd will celebrate opt-in (which is generally understood to impair choice and autonomy) when they were making such a huge fuss about the supposed liablity waiver (which had basically no legally binding impact and minimal effect on rights.)

No idea what you're talking about. Has to be garbage, as usual.

that's an interesting take.

I'll be opting out, due to high false positive rates and my lack of trust in DC schools with how they are running education during a pandemic.

Anonymous wrote:
Testing should NOT be optional. Every one, regardless of vaccinated status, should be tested every single week during the school year, and failing that, should not be admitted to school until a negative PCR test can be provided.

Up your nose, lady. The tests are invasive.

Opt out form has been filled. Easy peezy. Our child is not going to be doing it. We’re vaccinated and they’ll get it as soon as it’s allowed for their age group.

Thank goodness. The form to opt in was 5 pages and required to be printed and handed in. It was a total barrier to testing.

The more testing the better

Anonymous wrote:I hope this leads to a "test and stay" policy, where instead of quarantining, kids can just get tested every day. UK found that this was equally as effective as quarantine.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-07-23-daily-contact-covid-19-testing-students-effective-controlling-transmission-schools

This is really what they need to do. Statistically, most positives will be false.

Anonymous wrote:
Testing should NOT be optional. Every one, regardless of vaccinated status, should be tested every single week during the school year, and failing that, should not be admitted to school until a negative PCR test can be provided.

Schools need to stop playing doctor and focus on EDUCATION for our children.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above sounds great but too expensive to realistically be considered here. I am pleased our charter will test everyone weekly. I have no idea what the opt out rates will be but hopefully low. Why anyone would be afraid of free testing is beyond comprehension.

The person who I personally know is against testing had the wild assertion that the swabs used in testing already had the virus so testing was just being done to force them into quarantine.

And people think the vaccine will turn people into zombies. Seriously, what is wrong with people?

Anonymous wrote:The above sounds great but too expensive to realistically be considered here. I am pleased our charter will test everyone weekly. I have no idea what the opt out rates will be but hopefully low. Why anyone would be afraid of free testing is beyond comprehension.

The person who I personally know is against testing had the wild assertion that the swabs used in testing already had the virus so testing was just being done to force them into quarantine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Testing should NOT be optional. Every one, regardless of vaccinated status, should be tested every single week during the school year, and failing that, should not be admitted to school until a negative PCR test can be provided.

Nope. That's not the policy. Many of us are opting out.

Why? (serious question, interested in the reasons)

Did you opt-out folks read the release? If your reluctance is because your kids hate swabs up they nose or because you don't want to make them go through that so often or at school, the testing is actually described as a “non-invasive, saliva-based PCR test. Instead of a nasal swab, students will hold a small vial with a funnel attached and produce a saliva sample.”

The above sounds great but too expensive to realistically be considered here. I am pleased our charter will test everyone weekly. I have no idea what the opt out rates will be but hopefully low. Why anyone would be afraid of free testing is beyond comprehension.

Our principal told us yesterday that the test DCPS is now using is a saliva test. Kids have to spit in a tube. So for people who were concerned about the more invasive nasal swab, this shouldn't be an issue.