Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There definitely needs to be a distance-learning option, for people who are at high risk or who live with people who are at high risk.

The question is whether people who aren't at high risk will also have to do distance learning.

+1. We need both. DL for teachers and families who are scared and/or high risk. And regular for everyone else.

I doubt MCPS will do both.

I guess. But I wish they would. It would calm everyone’s stress and anger and offer a workable, respectful solution to all sides.

They will have to offer distance learning, and perhaps face to face as a special offering to families with no other childcare options, with strict distancing measures.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There definitely needs to be a distance-learning option, for people who are at high risk or who live with people who are at high risk.

The question is whether people who aren't at high risk will also have to do distance learning.

+1. We need both. DL for teachers and families who are scared and/or high risk. And regular for everyone else.

I doubt MCPS will do both.

I guess. But I wish they would. It would calm everyone’s stress and anger and offer a workable, respectful solution to all sides.

MCPS will plan for 100% DL and then it’s a bonus for any F2F that happens. Once DL curriculum is developed, it can be used for anyone choosing DL, for absences, and for F2F supplements. The hired teachers to write 4th quarter online curriculum, and they are in process to hire for summer to write 1st & 2nd qtr.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There definitely needs to be a distance-learning option, for people who are at high risk or who live with people who are at high risk.

The question is whether people who aren't at high risk will also have to do distance learning.

+1. We need both. DL for teachers and families who are scared and/or high risk. And regular for everyone else.

I doubt MCPS will do both.

I guess. But I wish they would. It would calm everyone’s stress and anger and offer a workable, respectful solution to all sides.

Anonymous wrote:We’re not going back F2F FT on 8/31. Maybe in Jan.

MoCo is still in the first wave and unlikely to exit before wave 1.5-2 sweeps back over the DMV.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There definitely needs to be a distance-learning option, for people who are at high risk or who live with people who are at high risk.

The question is whether people who aren't at high risk will also have to do distance learning.

+1. We need both. DL for teachers and families who are scared and/or high risk. And regular for everyone else.

I doubt MCPS will do both.

I guess. But I wish they would. It would calm everyone’s stress and anger and offer a workable, respectful solution to all sides.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There definitely needs to be a distance-learning option, for people who are at high risk or who live with people who are at high risk.

The question is whether people who aren't at high risk will also have to do distance learning.

+1. We need both. DL for teachers and families who are scared and/or high risk. And regular for everyone else.

I doubt MCPS will do both.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There definitely needs to be a distance-learning option, for people who are at high risk or who live with people who are at high risk.

The question is whether people who aren't at high risk will also have to do distance learning.

+1. We need both. DL for teachers and families who are scared and/or high risk. And regular for everyone else.

Anonymous wrote:There definitely needs to be a distance-learning option, for people who are at high risk or who live with people who are at high risk.

The question is whether people who aren't at high risk will also have to do distance learning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://wtop.com/education/2020/06/teenagers-are-showing-signs-of-anxiety-disconnection-without-in-person-learning/

Guess who doesn’t feel depressed and disconnected? People dead of COVID. Their families sure are hurting though.

Sure, but the number of teenagers and younger kids being hurt by closed schools is several magnitudes higher than those impacted by Covid. And we have no evidence that opening schools would significantly increase Covid deaths. Sure, we can prevent SOME deaths by keeping schools closed, not just Covid deaths, but also flu deaths, meningitis deaths, school shooting deaths, commuting deaths... But usually we keep schools running despite these risks. It is all a matter of costs vs benefits.

Very well said.

Kids are impacted when their grandparents die. And black and brown students are likely to be impacted not just emotionally but financially when a grandparent dies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The data is very encouraging. https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/ The positivity rate dropped from 27% to 7.6%, number of currently hospitalized dropped from 1700 to 1000, number of death dropped from more than 50 to 9 over about a month.
And we still have almost 3 months until school starts. Planning to keep schools closed is totally unacceptable. Other areas/countries are planning to have students in class earlier than usual to make up for the lost instruction. I agree that if schools still do not open for ALL students in MoCo, it will not be swallowed easily by public.

Here's data by county:
https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/Documents/Positivity%20by%20Jurisdiction.pdf

MoCo has a 10.8% positive rate, 3rd highest in the state.

My thinking is that MoCo will make a more restrictive decision compared to many MD counties (except PG and Baltimore), because the numbers and rates are so high comparatively.

The MoCo data dashboard says it’s 12% (using three-day average): https://montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS/RightNav/Coronavirus-data.html

In less than 2 weeks, it will be less than 8%. In less than 4 weeks it will be less than 5%. By the end of July, it will be less than 3%. By the end of August, it will be less than 1%. This assumes MoCo continues to open up. Save this post.

I came up with the above prediction through my statistical programming two days ago. I'm still behind it.

From your mouth to gods ears!

Based on all the publicly available data since the beginning of this, each one of those predictions have a probability of 98% to be true. If you call that wishful thinking so be it. I'm just curious analyzing all this.

Anonymous wrote:Saw this today:

We don’t have much information yet about what the fall will look like in MCPS, but I think there will be some online learning and some in-person learning.

MCPS has decided to use a single platform (myMCPS) in the fall rather than two (myMCPS and Google Classroom).
MCPS considers “continuation of learning” in marking period 4 a temporary response to the national crisis, and doesn’t continue when 2019-2020 school year ends. Distance learning in the fall will be more robust than what we experienced in MP4. MCPS aiming for more synchronous instruction, more teacher-led instruction, less centralized content, and more traditional assessments, grading and reporting.
MCPS still pressing forward with curricula rollout, with no desire to fall back to curriculum 2.0. There will be more vendor-supported teacher training this summer.
Testing: Apparently the College Board has decided not to try to conduct a 3-hour online SAT. MCPS is investigating whether it can hold an SAT day for students in the Class of 2021 (whose SAT day in the spring had to be cancelled).
State-required assessments that were cancelled in the spring might take place in the fall.
Challenges for reopening school buildings: limit size of groups, maintain social distancing, close communal areas (such as cafeterias), have staff (and probably many or most students) wear masks, restrict building visitors, more frequent hand sanitizing and building cleaning. Classrooms typically have room for 30 students; limiting to 10-12 requires substantial revision of classroom use. Schools are designed for group collaboration and socializing, so not using the cafeteria and having students eat at desks is also a major adjustment. Schools buses typically hold up to 60 children, but might be limited to half of that, or even as few as 10, which might require more staggered schedules, arrivals, and dismissals. MCPS must also account for students, family members and school staff who are at high risk from COVID-19 and may not feel comfortable with the increased risk of exposure in school buildings, so there may need to be options. There are many other considerations.

Rodney Peele
VP for Educational Issues

Anonymous wrote:Saw this today:

We don’t have much information yet about what the fall will look like in MCPS, but I think there will be some online learning and some in-person learning.

MCPS has decided to use a single platform (myMCPS) in the fall rather than two (myMCPS and Google Classroom).
MCPS considers “continuation of learning” in marking period 4 a temporary response to the national crisis, and doesn’t continue when 2019-2020 school year ends. Distance learning in the fall will be more robust than what we experienced in MP4. MCPS aiming for more synchronous instruction, more teacher-led instruction, less centralized content, and more traditional assessments, grading and reporting.
MCPS still pressing forward with curricula rollout, with no desire to fall back to curriculum 2.0. There will be more vendor-supported teacher training this summer.
Testing: Apparently the College Board has decided not to try to conduct a 3-hour online SAT. MCPS is investigating whether it can hold an SAT day for students in the Class of 2021 (whose SAT day in the spring had to be cancelled).
State-required assessments that were cancelled in the spring might take place in the fall.
Challenges for reopening school buildings: limit size of groups, maintain social distancing, close communal areas (such as cafeterias), have staff (and probably many or most students) wear masks, restrict building visitors, more frequent hand sanitizing and building cleaning. Classrooms typically have room for 30 students; limiting to 10-12 requires substantial revision of classroom use. Schools are designed for group collaboration and socializing, so not using the cafeteria and having students eat at desks is also a major adjustment. Schools buses typically hold up to 60 children, but might be limited to half of that, or even as few as 10, which might require more staggered schedules, arrivals, and dismissals. MCPS must also account for students, family members and school staff who are at high risk from COVID-19 and may not feel comfortable with the increased risk of exposure in school buildings, so there may need to be options. There are many other considerations.

Rodney Peele
VP for Educational Issues