Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are many things we can gripe about re MCPS, but I am quite alright with school staying open. We can't shut down because a few people want things closed. Should they communicate and report better than they have? Absolutely. But no more shutdowns.

Schools open does not equate to schools teaching students.

I’m not sure what is happening at the elementary and middle school levels, but high school students are being housed in cafeterias and auditoriums because teachers are absent and there are not enough substitutes. For these classes, all teaching has come to a halt. Students with disabilities are the most affected because their supports and services have ended.

We need to know exactly how many schools this is happening in. Because it’s not happening in my kids high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are many things we can gripe about re MCPS, but I am quite alright with school staying open. We can't shut down because a few people want things closed. Should they communicate and report better than they have? Absolutely. But no more shutdowns.

Schools open does not equate to schools teaching students.

I’m not sure what is happening at the elementary and middle school levels, but high school students are being housed in cafeterias and auditoriums because teachers are absent and there are not enough substitutes. For these classes, all teaching has come to a halt. Students with disabilities are the most affected because their supports and services have ended.

My elementary kid has had full classes all week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you Dr McKnight for following the science and having balls unlike your predecessor.

+1

What a load of bs. When Smith closed schools, much, much less was known about the virus, no one was vaccinated, there was wholly inadequate testing, there weren’t enough masks, there was no effective treatment, we didn’t even have PPE for the doctors and nurses treating Covid patients. By the time McNight took over, we were in a radically different place. There’s no comparison.

You would think.

Yet, here we were, almost two years later talking about the ludicrous idea of shutting down school AGAIN for 2 weeks, for no valid reason. As I’d it were 2020 again.

Still, you can’t say McNight has bigger balls than her predecessor, because they never faced the same level of crisis.

Funny because the virtual crowd would make you think they ARE facing the same level of crisis, maybe even worse.

Anonymous wrote:There are many things we can gripe about re MCPS, but I am quite alright with school staying open. We can't shut down because a few people want things closed. Should they communicate and report better than they have? Absolutely. But no more shutdowns.

Schools open does not equate to schools teaching students.

I’m not sure what is happening at the elementary and middle school levels, but high school students are being housed in cafeterias and auditoriums because teachers are absent and there are not enough substitutes. For these classes, all teaching has come to a halt. Students with disabilities are the most affected because their supports and services have ended.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you Dr McKnight for following the science and having balls unlike your predecessor.

+1

What a load of bs. When Smith closed schools, much, much less was known about the virus, no one was vaccinated, there was wholly inadequate testing, there weren’t enough masks, there was no effective treatment, we didn’t even have PPE for the doctors and nurses treating Covid patients. By the time McNight took over, we were in a radically different place. There’s no comparison.

You would think.

Yet, here we were, almost two years later talking about the ludicrous idea of shutting down school AGAIN for 2 weeks, for no valid reason. As I’d it were 2020 again.

Still, you can’t say McNight has bigger balls than her predecessor, because they never faced the same level of crisis.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wrong PP

Schools are open. Students may attend if they wish and simply need to wear a mask

Teachers per recent stats have been present save for this past week and an occasional miss.

But yes, let us all shut down because a small but vocal minority of parents want everyone to wait while they get comfortable with numbers.

Nope, not again, not another long shutdown that hurts the mental well-being of students.

Well that’s wrong. Over 400 classrooms are closed. Those kids can’t go to school.

And those damn hospitals! Why don’t they just shut up and deal with the surge in covid cases so you can get your kid out of the house!

Talk about mental ill, pp. Good example!

Covid cases have been flat in MoCo since kids returned to school. Hospital bed usage continues to be in the "low" category.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/data/

+1. Our curve is flat and looks remarkably like PG County's, despite their decision to switch to virtual. It's really good evidence that shutting down in person schooling is pointless even in the face of a surge in cases.

+1 million

I hope our health officials look to this when making decisions for the next surge. No more school shutdowns. They are not effective and not necessary.

Actually, it's the opposite. If they had shutdown when they should've we'd be in a much better situation now. Schools are just superspreaders and have only made the situation 10X worse.

There is no data to support this position, which is why all the top medical authorities support having kids in school.

Imaginary “facts” are the only thing keeping the virtual crowd going. Leave them be. They lost.

I know that the acting Superintendent and her staff is doing their best, and that the BOE is doing their best, and that all these people only have the best interests of our children and their teachers in mind. I am aware MCPS administrators must be very stressed. I thank them for working so hard.











But my goodness. Their best is abysmal.

Every time teachers unions pull this stuff, they build support for an even bigger Republican wave this Fall, and probably in 2024. Parents and kids have been railroaded on this for two straight years. I guess Virginia didn't sink in. It's crazy to me that Biden hasn't called teachers out forcefully yet; he's committing political suicide.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you Dr McKnight for following the science and having balls unlike your predecessor.

+1

What a load of bs. When Smith closed schools, much, much less was known about the virus, no one was vaccinated, there was wholly inadequate testing, there weren’t enough masks, there was no effective treatment, we didn’t even have PPE for the doctors and nurses treating Covid patients. By the time McNight took over, we were in a radically different place. There’s no comparison.

You would think.

Yet, here we were, almost two years later talking about the ludicrous idea of shutting down school AGAIN for 2 weeks, for no valid reason. As I’d it were 2020 again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

Data matters.

Barely 50% of union members voted.

94% of 50% = x

14,000 (members) * x

C'mon, you can do it!! Math is not that hard.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/montgomery-county-teachers-declare-no-confidence-in-mcps-handling-of-covid-19/

In a text message Thursday morning, Montgomery County Education Association President Jennifer Martin wrote that about 7,000 votes were cast in total. The union represents about 14,000 teachers.

Is that normal? Seems pretty underwhelming.

I don't know, but the headline the union is using is sensational and misleading. MCPS probably could interpret those numbers, looked at what the medical experts were saying, and said, "yea, we made the right call".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

Schools are for educating students, not a jobs program. The 94% of you can pound sand.

DP.. I'm normally very supportive of teachers. DC in MS tells me that none of their teachers want virtual, but then most of them are young.

IMO, the union represents the teachers' interests (the active union member teachers, who, I'm guessing are the lifers, old timers), NOT the interests of the students. The union wants what's best for the teachers; not the kids. These are supposed to be public servants, but their primary interests are themselves rather than the public that they serve.

During virtual last year, I saw which teachers had issues with technology, and they were mostly the older ones. My kids had to train the teachers how to use the tech. It was difficult to watch. In those situations, I'm not sure who learned more.. the teacher or the kids.. well, the kids learned that their teachers suck at navigating technology.

Yet, the union wants us to go virtual. Maybe they think these teachers now magically are able to deal with tech issues.

Also, I'm not that young.. I'm in my 50s, so nothing against old people.

I won't paint all teachers with a broad brush. It seems to me several are great at not only navigating tech, but want in person. I see several teachers going about their lives, out shopping, going on vacations, meeting up with family. So, I assume those teachers aren't the ones pushing for virtual (right?).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

Data matters.

Barely 50% of union members voted.

94% of 50% = x

14,000 (members) * x

C'mon, you can do it!! Math is not that hard.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/montgomery-county-teachers-declare-no-confidence-in-mcps-handling-of-covid-19/

In a text message Thursday morning, Montgomery County Education Association President Jennifer Martin wrote that about 7,000 votes were cast in total. The union represents about 14,000 teachers.

Is that normal? Seems pretty underwhelming.

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t 94% of teachers in union vote No Confidence i her? That is a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score. Not good. Very very bad.

Data matters.

Barely 50% of union members voted.

94% of 50% = x

14,000 (members) * x

C'mon, you can do it!! Math is not that hard.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/montgomery-county-teachers-declare-no-confidence-in-mcps-handling-of-covid-19/

In a text message Thursday morning, Montgomery County Education Association President Jennifer Martin wrote that about 7,000 votes were cast in total. The union represents about 14,000 teachers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you Dr McKnight for following the science and having balls unlike your predecessor.

+1

What a load of bs. When Smith closed schools, much, much less was known about the virus, no one was vaccinated, there was wholly inadequate testing, there weren’t enough masks, there was no effective treatment, we didn’t even have PPE for the doctors and nurses treating Covid patients. By the time McNight took over, we were in a radically different place. There’s no comparison.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wrong PP

Schools are open. Students may attend if they wish and simply need to wear a mask

Teachers per recent stats have been present save for this past week and an occasional miss.

But yes, let us all shut down because a small but vocal minority of parents want everyone to wait while they get comfortable with numbers.

Nope, not again, not another long shutdown that hurts the mental well-being of students.

Well that’s wrong. Over 400 classrooms are closed. Those kids can’t go to school.

And those damn hospitals! Why don’t they just shut up and deal with the surge in covid cases so you can get your kid out of the house!

Talk about mental ill, pp. Good example!

Covid cases have been flat in MoCo since kids returned to school. Hospital bed usage continues to be in the "low" category.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/data/

+1. Our curve is flat and looks remarkably like PG County's, despite their decision to switch to virtual. It's really good evidence that shutting down in person schooling is pointless even in the face of a surge in cases.

+1 million

I hope our health officials look to this when making decisions for the next surge. No more school shutdowns. They are not effective and not necessary.

Actually, it's the opposite. If they had shutdown when they should've we'd be in a much better situation now. Schools are just superspreaders and have only made the situation 10X worse.

There is no data to support this position, which is why all the top medical authorities support having kids in school.