Anonymous wrote:I feel sorry for preschoolers wearing masks for 7h

Don’t. Masks are far easier for them than those of us who have lived decades mask free. My 4 year old views masks to be no different than socks or a coat. I have to remind him to take it off in the car.

I have no issue with mask mandate. I just wonder how they will handle covid positive cases? Close down for the week?

Anonymous wrote:DCPS teacher here. Let’s make this a bit simpler. If you’re vax-eligible and are vaccinated, you get in person school, mask-free. If not, you learn at home. Teachers, unless you have a documented medical excuse, you should be vaccinated and at school. For those too young to be vaccinated, mask up and come to school and get tested weekly. How’s that?

Exactly!

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In letter just sent out. Also here: https://dcpsreopenstrong.com/sy21-22/

Won't require the adults to vax, but they'll force little children to wear masks. Idiots. Maddening idiots.

Take that up with the AAP. GOLD STANDARD. EVERYONE IN A MASK.

It’s so funny how the people who spent all year shrieking “look the AAP, the experts, say schools should be open!!!” but now that AAP is endorsing universal masking which these parents don’t like, suddenly radio silence.

Do you like reiterating statements from pages ago? You do recognize there are different groups of people among parents, right? Some of have indeed consistently followed AAP, and aren’t mad about masking.

I feel sorry for preschoolers wearing masks for 7h

I really like the AAP guidance. It is simple and prudent. Mask up in schools. I wish my office would do the same.

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Anonymous wrote:This is not new. DCPS announced that info last month as well, that masks would be required for all.

And especially since AAP just made that same recommendation this week, for all to be wearing masks in schools, not sure why there's any surprises here.

+1

I expected that my kid would have to wear a mask. I see no reason to kick up a fuss about it.

outdoors? I expected indoors, but not outdoors.

Delta is transmissible from 15 feet away with an exposure time of under a minute. They need to be masking outside.

No, they don’t. That’s absurd.

Well, sorry you feel that way, but they will indeed be required to mask outside.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In letter just sent out. Also here: https://dcpsreopenstrong.com/sy21-22/

Won't require the adults to vax, but they'll force little children to wear masks. Idiots. Maddening idiots.

Take that up with the AAP. GOLD STANDARD. EVERYONE IN A MASK.

It’s so funny how the people who spent all year shrieking “look the AAP, the experts, say schools should be open!!!” but now that AAP is endorsing universal masking which these parents don’t like, suddenly radio silence.

DCPS teacher here. Let’s make this a bit simpler. If you’re vax-eligible and are vaccinated, you get in person school, mask-free. If not, you learn at home. Teachers, unless you have a documented medical excuse, you should be vaccinated and at school. For those too young to be vaccinated, mask up and come to school and get tested weekly. How’s that?

These district-wide decisions are idiotic. There is a difference between high school children who are old enough to be vaxed and know how to remain distanced compared to children under 12. No good reason to have the same rules apply to all students regardless of age. I personally believe it is ridiculous that schools claim they can’t require vaccination even though for the past 12 years I’ve had to complete a health screening indicating all my children’s immunizations. families should at least be allowed to voluntarily report if their child is vaxed. I bet 80% of families would volunteer this info, which should go a long way in making people feel more safe.

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Is anyone surprised?

It's obvious this was going to happen.
Public schools cannot require proof of vaccination, so they can't trust that adults or kids will be vaccinated and therefore all they can do is require masks.

Private schools CAN require proof of vaccination, and have the luxury of not starting out with masks in their upper schools, although, they'll be forced to when cases surge in our area in the fall. They'll be able to buy a few months, that's all.

Of course they can require proof of vaccination. We fill out vaccination forms every year.

+1
Seriously, schools have been requiring vaccinations since I was a child. Not a new concept.

Yes but DC still has the stupid religious exemption so you can just say your religion forbids vaccines (or whatever vaccine you don’t feel like getting) and your kids can come to school, so even if they mandated Covid vaccines, people would just fill out that paperwork too and their unvaxxes kids would be free to mingle! I really wish they’d adopt the NY state policy: no shots, no school for real. If you don’t vaccinate your kids (for the standard diseases), you homeschool them.

Anonymous wrote:Also, I find it funny that last fall the cry was ‘kids don’t get Covid- open up! Now it’s ‘kids get Covid- mask up’

Why is that so funny? Two years ago we didn’t even know about this virus. We’ve learned and incredible amount since then. As a teacher, you should know that when you learn new information, you can change how you respond to situations in order to manage them better. Also, not only are we learning, but it is changing - meaning more new things to learn and adapt to!

Good!

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Anonymous wrote:By far the biggest risk factor to a child is living with an unvaccinated adult. Schools should focus resources on testing students that live with unvaccinated people rather than putting in place extensive travel bans and masking vaccinated teenagers. I’m sick of coddling adults who won’t get vaccinated.

+1

I don’t disagree but you have to be realistic. Unvaxxed people are the last ones who will allow identification and testing of their children in these circumstances. Vaxxed people would bring it on.

So, given the actual situation on the ground, what can the schools do?

I'm fine with masking. Open windows where you can. I think that's kind of all you can do (given the realm of possible) that would actually be effective at mitigating spread. Who knows if random asymptomatic testing does more harm than good, or if it is even useful in the context of low spread.

I hope that DC will decide on a mandate to vaccinate teachers/staff (like NYC).

NYC is not currently requiring vaccination in teachers.

But likely will announce that on Monday.

"New York City will require all municipal workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus by the time schools reopen in mid-September or face weekly testing, Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to announce on Monday morning, according to a city official."

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/26/nyregion/new-york-vaccinations-workers.html?fbclid=IwAR3QHbtfSo6U7AK1wFzj5uVllIGypf4j7YgAb0iPMQ7S3yK_5xAyx5-Re08

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By far the biggest risk factor to a child is living with an unvaccinated adult. Schools should focus resources on testing students that live with unvaccinated people rather than putting in place extensive travel bans and masking vaccinated teenagers. I’m sick of coddling adults who won’t get vaccinated.

+1

I don’t disagree but you have to be realistic. Unvaxxed people are the last ones who will allow identification and testing of their children in these circumstances. Vaxxed people would bring it on.

So, given the actual situation on the ground, what can the schools do?

I'm fine with masking. Open windows where you can. I think that's kind of all you can do (given the realm of possible) that would actually be effective at mitigating spread. Who knows if random asymptomatic testing does more harm than good, or if it is even useful in the context of low spread.

I hope that DC will decide on a mandate to vaccinate teachers/staff (like NYC).

NYC is not currently requiring vaccination in teachers.