I swear those of you saying there is no way we go back in the fall have no concept of how well the county has been doing. Have you even looked at the dashboard at all? Seen how things are literally getting notably better every single day?

And that's with daycares being open. Some being open since the beginning and others recently.

And we still have more than two months. If the trend continues what are you scared of exactly?

Of course a second wave is possible but do you really think it's responsible to keep kids out of school for something that MIGHT happen?

Could you imagine if we did DL until January just as a means of caution and the state never spikes at all? I'm sure you would all still say "it never happened because we weren't in school" but there is no way to know that. Yet the lasting negative effects on our children are absolutely going to happen if they stay out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If Maryland districts must have a plan to the State by July 10, they have to quickly obtain input from all stakeholders and make difficult decisions. I have had plenty of concerns about teachers over the years, but seriously people. These are professionals who can’t even get cleaning supplies and tissues in their classroom under normal circumstances and you want them to walk back into schools without significant protections in place?

Do you know if this date is firm? Schools in MD will have a plan presented to the public by 7/10? That would be great, whatever it is, so everyone can plan.

Where did Hogan say that they must have plans by then?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As apart of phase 2, restaurants opened with 50% capacity. The larger chains have opened and have 200+ folks in their restaurant which is all in one open floor plan indoor room. If restaurants can open up like this and have 200+ folks in one room to eat/socialize, then schools can open up too. When these folks are eating, they aren't wearing masks etc. Each table has upto 6 people sitting around/eating/chatting etc. If the MD and VA governors allow this, schools need to be opened up.

And one of the options in play does exactly this—reduces school capacity by 50%, splitting the kids into two groups and sending each into school on alternate days, with distance learning on the days they’re not in school.

In fact, I’d put my money on some form this hybrid model for MCPS this fall. I don’t know that it’s necessarily the right call, but I think it’s their only option for getting kids face to face with teachers for at least some live instruction, while reducing capacity to allow kids and staff enough distance that they can make masks optional.

It doesn’t help parents who need child care, and still involves some elements of distance learning, of course. But MCPS truly can’t win no matter what they decide to do, so I’m guessing they’ll find some middle ground that covers their own butts, and satisfies neither the “open everything now” or “we’re all going to die” crowds.

I think it will be next to impossible for parents who need child care.

No way we are doing this. Distance learning in MoCo is a failure. We might do a temporary move or consider private but MCPS needs to be fulltime or I'm not bothering to send my kids to the pathetic version of school they've been doing for months now.

Childcare costs are also going through the roof and you will impact women who will stay at home (after all women are generally paid less than men) so this is also a feminist issue IMO.

Frankly, they will see some kids just drop out of school altogether if you take this approach and that will hit the lower income folks the hardest, which also has racial implications.

I can't even believe this is considered a viable option. They have lost all sense of reality here.

The age to legally drop out is now 18. If you receive any social services and have a child below 18 who drops out, your aid packet can be cut.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As apart of phase 2, restaurants opened with 50% capacity. The larger chains have opened and have 200+ folks in their restaurant which is all in one open floor plan indoor room. If restaurants can open up like this and have 200+ folks in one room to eat/socialize, then schools can open up too. When these folks are eating, they aren't wearing masks etc. Each table has upto 6 people sitting around/eating/chatting etc. If the MD and VA governors allow this, schools need to be opened up.

And one of the options in play does exactly this—reduces school capacity by 50%, splitting the kids into two groups and sending each into school on alternate days, with distance learning on the days they’re not in school.

In fact, I’d put my money on some form this hybrid model for MCPS this fall. I don’t know that it’s necessarily the right call, but I think it’s their only option for getting kids face to face with teachers for at least some live instruction, while reducing capacity to allow kids and staff enough distance that they can make masks optional.

It doesn’t help parents who need child care, and still involves some elements of distance learning, of course. But MCPS truly can’t win no matter what they decide to do, so I’m guessing they’ll find some middle ground that covers their own butts, and satisfies neither the “open everything now” or “we’re all going to die” crowds.

I think it will be next to impossible for parents who need child care.

No way we are doing this. Distance learning in MoCo is a failure. We might do a temporary move or consider private but MCPS needs to be fulltime or I'm not bothering to send my kids to the pathetic version of school they've been doing for months now.

Childcare costs are also going through the roof and you will impact women who will stay at home (after all women are generally paid less than men) so this is also a feminist issue IMO.

Frankly, they will see some kids just drop out of school altogether if you take this approach and that will hit the lower income folks the hardest, which also has racial implications.

I can't even believe this is considered a viable option. They have lost all sense of reality here.

If you want to continue working and have your husband stay home with YOUR kids, then that is a FAMILY choice that you can make together. Why don't you lean in and ask your boss for a raise?

Oh, cut it out. This is a systemic issue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As apart of phase 2, restaurants opened with 50% capacity. The larger chains have opened and have 200+ folks in their restaurant which is all in one open floor plan indoor room. If restaurants can open up like this and have 200+ folks in one room to eat/socialize, then schools can open up too. When these folks are eating, they aren't wearing masks etc. Each table has upto 6 people sitting around/eating/chatting etc. If the MD and VA governors allow this, schools need to be opened up.

And one of the options in play does exactly this—reduces school capacity by 50%, splitting the kids into two groups and sending each into school on alternate days, with distance learning on the days they’re not in school.

In fact, I’d put my money on some form this hybrid model for MCPS this fall. I don’t know that it’s necessarily the right call, but I think it’s their only option for getting kids face to face with teachers for at least some live instruction, while reducing capacity to allow kids and staff enough distance that they can make masks optional.

It doesn’t help parents who need child care, and still involves some elements of distance learning, of course. But MCPS truly can’t win no matter what they decide to do, so I’m guessing they’ll find some middle ground that covers their own butts, and satisfies neither the “open everything now” or “we’re all going to die” crowds.

I think it will be next to impossible for parents who need child care.

No way we are doing this. Distance learning in MoCo is a failure. We might do a temporary move or consider private but MCPS needs to be fulltime or I'm not bothering to send my kids to the pathetic version of school they've been doing for months now.

Childcare costs are also going through the roof and you will impact women who will stay at home (after all women are generally paid less than men) so this is also a feminist issue IMO.

Frankly, they will see some kids just drop out of school altogether if you take this approach and that will hit the lower income folks the hardest, which also has racial implications.

I can't even believe this is considered a viable option. They have lost all sense of reality here.

If you want to continue working and have your husband stay home with YOUR kids, then that is a FAMILY choice that you can make together. Why don't you lean in and ask your boss for a raise?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As apart of phase 2, restaurants opened with 50% capacity. The larger chains have opened and have 200+ folks in their restaurant which is all in one open floor plan indoor room. If restaurants can open up like this and have 200+ folks in one room to eat/socialize, then schools can open up too. When these folks are eating, they aren't wearing masks etc. Each table has upto 6 people sitting around/eating/chatting etc. If the MD and VA governors allow this, schools need to be opened up.

And one of the options in play does exactly this—reduces school capacity by 50%, splitting the kids into two groups and sending each into school on alternate days, with distance learning on the days they’re not in school.

In fact, I’d put my money on some form this hybrid model for MCPS this fall. I don’t know that it’s necessarily the right call, but I think it’s their only option for getting kids face to face with teachers for at least some live instruction, while reducing capacity to allow kids and staff enough distance that they can make masks optional.

It doesn’t help parents who need child care, and still involves some elements of distance learning, of course. But MCPS truly can’t win no matter what they decide to do, so I’m guessing they’ll find some middle ground that covers their own butts, and satisfies neither the “open everything now” or “we’re all going to die” crowds.

I think it will be next to impossible for parents who need child care.

No way we are doing this. Distance learning in MoCo is a failure. We might do a temporary move or consider private but MCPS needs to be fulltime or I'm not bothering to send my kids to the pathetic version of school they've been doing for months now.

Childcare costs are also going through the roof and you will impact women who will stay at home (after all women are generally paid less than men) so this is also a feminist issue IMO.

Frankly, they will see some kids just drop out of school altogether if you take this approach and that will hit the lower income folks the hardest, which also has racial implications.

I can't even believe this is considered a viable option. They have lost all sense of reality here.

MoCo website now says we have met the contact tracing capability. Assuming that positivity rate continues to drop, there is absolutely no basis for DL even with all this hysteria.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does no one notice/mention that the metrics in Maryland and MoCo consistently improve? Those will be the biggest decision factors. And we still have more than two months.

I'd expect them to be -- we've been under restrictions for so long.

But there are still 13,000+ diagnosed cases in MoCo. Let's say we had no new cases from today onwards. Would even that be enough to make people comfortable with in-school instruction?

"People," who?

It's not like all 13,000 people who had coronavirus since March are still infectious.

Exactly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As apart of phase 2, restaurants opened with 50% capacity. The larger chains have opened and have 200+ folks in their restaurant which is all in one open floor plan indoor room. If restaurants can open up like this and have 200+ folks in one room to eat/socialize, then schools can open up too. When these folks are eating, they aren't wearing masks etc. Each table has upto 6 people sitting around/eating/chatting etc. If the MD and VA governors allow this, schools need to be opened up.

And one of the options in play does exactly this—reduces school capacity by 50%, splitting the kids into two groups and sending each into school on alternate days, with distance learning on the days they’re not in school.

In fact, I’d put my money on some form this hybrid model for MCPS this fall. I don’t know that it’s necessarily the right call, but I think it’s their only option for getting kids face to face with teachers for at least some live instruction, while reducing capacity to allow kids and staff enough distance that they can make masks optional.

It doesn’t help parents who need child care, and still involves some elements of distance learning, of course. But MCPS truly can’t win no matter what they decide to do, so I’m guessing they’ll find some middle ground that covers their own butts, and satisfies neither the “open everything now” or “we’re all going to die” crowds.

I think it will be next to impossible for parents who need child care.

Anonymous wrote:As apart of phase 2, restaurants opened with 50% capacity. The larger chains have opened and have 200+ folks in their restaurant which is all in one open floor plan indoor room. If restaurants can open up like this and have 200+ folks in one room to eat/socialize, then schools can open up too. When these folks are eating, they aren't wearing masks etc. Each table has upto 6 people sitting around/eating/chatting etc. If the MD and VA governors allow this, schools need to be opened up.

And one of the options in play does exactly this—reduces school capacity by 50%, splitting the kids into two groups and sending each into school on alternate days, with distance learning on the days they’re not in school.

In fact, I’d put my money on some form this hybrid model for MCPS this fall. I don’t know that it’s necessarily the right call, but I think it’s their only option for getting kids face to face with teachers for at least some live instruction, while reducing capacity to allow kids and staff enough distance that they can make masks optional.

It doesn’t help parents who need child care, and still involves some elements of distance learning, of course. But MCPS truly can’t win no matter what they decide to do, so I’m guessing they’ll find some middle ground that covers their own butts, and satisfies neither the “open everything now” or “we’re all going to die” crowds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does no one notice/mention that the metrics in Maryland and MoCo consistently improve? Those will be the biggest decision factors. And we still have more than two months.

I'd expect them to be -- we've been under restrictions for so long.

But there are still 13,000+ diagnosed cases in MoCo. Let's say we had no new cases from today onwards. Would even that be enough to make people comfortable with in-school instruction?

"People," who?

It's not like all 13,000 people who had coronavirus since March are still infectious.

Anonymous wrote:Why does no one notice/mention that the metrics in Maryland and MoCo consistently improve? Those will be the biggest decision factors. And we still have more than two months.

I'd expect them to be -- we've been under restrictions for so long.

But there are still 13,000+ diagnosed cases in MoCo. Let's say we had no new cases from today onwards. Would even that be enough to make people comfortable with in-school instruction?

Why does no one notice/mention that the metrics in Maryland and MoCo consistently improve? Those will be the biggest decision factors. And we still have more than two months.

Seventh State just published the result of a FOIA request from a state delegate to MCPS about distance learning:

http://www.theseventhstate.com/?p=13118

What gets me is their responses, like this:

Q: In the past week, what percentage of eligible students received at least one distance learning packet?

A: I have data about distance learning packets but cannot answer this question exactly as it is written.

Q: If you answered the previous question “I cannot answer this question exactly as it is written” or need to provide additional information about students receiving distance learning packets, please explain.

A: To date, MCPS has produced 405,583 instructional packets from the digital files provided by the Curriculum Office. These multi-page, two-sided, stapled booklets are grade-specific and course-specific.

MCPS is being intentionally unhelpful. They answer the question with "I can't answer", and the delegate had to anticipate this and word another question in anticipation of that. Why isn't MCPS forthcoming, to an inquiry from our elected representative? This kind of stuff just burns me up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

An orthopedic doctor does not deal with sick people.... just saying. I think you are missing my point. My daughter can't even go to her private riding lesson without a mask and a ton of rules and that is outdoors. What I'm saying is for better or worse, with the amount of rules and regulations out there right now, I can't see how school can open. Perhaps the rules and regulations are over the top (they seem that way to me a bit), but I don't see how they are going to suddenly do a 180 and allow everyone in somewhere.

OK, but people have been going into stores ALL ALONG with nothing but a mask.

Home Depot is an essential service. So are schools.

Because there is not sustained exposure at HD. You go in and get out.

Unless you happen to work there, of course.

Not exactly the same. Your risk depends on distance and duration of exposure. Being close is less of a risk when there is a shorter interaction; longer interactions call for greater distancing. Ideally, we want to minimize the amount of time that people are in close quarters, especially indoors. When they are indoors, we want them to be a distanced as possible. People don't spend an hour interacting with HD staff at close quarters.

This same argumentative poster will never accept distance learning as "school" so there is no way to reason with her. School is an essential service. It has been provided through distance learning. If you think what was provided sucks, that's fine. But it is still school.

NP. If DL is the new definition of "school", it is a severely modified product. Very different from what anyone thought of as "school" before, when social interaction with peers and in-person interaction with teachers was a substantial part of it.