Positive covid-19 testing was reported in the last two weeks by a pair of Homestead Elementary School teachers have highlighted the lack of policy or guidelines requiring Harford County Public Schools to report such outbreaks to other staff or the community.
News of the positive tests traveled among Homestead staff by word of mouth, eventually reaching the Harford County Education Association, the union representing approximately 3,900 of the 5,000 HCPS employees, by Monday night. Association President Chrystie Crawford-Smick said the organization had verified that positive tests at the school had occurred in recent days, but said she could not confirm which grade levels any affected teachers taught, nor the timing of when those affected were in the buildings, around other staff, or around students.
Teachers returned to HCPS buildings on Tuesday, Oct. 13, ahead of a limited number of students returning one day per week this Monday.
At a Board of Education meeting on Monday, Oct. 12, Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Sean Bulson said a total of 12 HCPS employees had tested positive for COVID-19, including two that day.
HCPS Manager of Communications Jillian Lader said that any report of a positive test among students or staff at a school initiates a form of contact tracing led by that school’s nurse. However, a report of a positive test does not result in a mass communication to that school’s staff or community, she said.
“When the school system is notified about a positive case of COVID-19 or students/staff display COVID like illness as per the Maryland Department of Health Decision Aid, the school nurse works with the staff and family to identify close contacts (as defined by the Centers for Disease Control),” Lader said. “School nurses work in collaboration with our local health department to institute appropriate isolation/quarantine procedures.”
Lader added that a new COVID-19 dashboard would be launched on Friday, and updated on Friday each week, which “will notify our community about how schools and offices are impacted by community transmission.” The dashboard would include system-wide data, Lader added but only a list of affected schools or HCPS offices, rather than a building-by-building breakdown of the number of affected individuals at each facility. A building-specific breakdown could violate federal HIPAA guidelines governing medical privacy by enabling the identification of affected individuals, she said.
Crawford-Smick said that no federal or state guidelines mandate that school systems publicly notify either staff or the community about positive tests among school system employees. Maryland Department of Health spokesman Charles Gischlar told Fox 45 News on Oct. 9 that state officials do not plan to force county school systems to disclose data about outbreaks.
“Data on school outbreaks are collected by local health departments, and we are in discussions with state and local education officials about the best way to release,” Gischlar said at the time. “Some school systems have expressed concerns about the release of any identifying information.”
Crawford-Smick said other recent rumors about outbreaks in other Harford schools have turned out to be untrue or exaggerated, fueled by the lack of public information to the contrary. She said HCEA members would seek to improve the reporting requirements on HCPS, an effort mirrored statewide by the organization’s parent association, the Maryland State Educators Association.
“We have people who are high-risk who need to know that they’re at risk,” she said. “I think we’re creating more panic and more anxiety by not telling anyone anything.”
For educators, they sure are stupid by hiding information.
You think the teachers had any control over this? This is admin and central office worried about their PR.
They’re making secondary teachers come to work on Friday’s for literally no reason as it’s an asynchronous day. Just ups the exposure of everyone in the building for a power move.
Gordon, do you do drugs?
Incredible…..Simply incredible….Could Harford County Government be anymore inept if it tried? Maybe look at how Aberdeen Proving Ground is handling this if you need a clue. If I were a parent in that district my kids would not be returning to the schools. Home schooling is looking so appealing. Defund the Public Schools since they cant seem to get their crap together.
As is typical they hide behind HIPPA…..At APG every instance where a positive case enters a building is reported out to all Employees. No names. Just where and when the individual was there. If for nothing else so people can get themselves checked or not worry about it because they were not in that location. HCPS decides to keep is a freaking secret that cases are in their buildings? Who the hell came up with that idea?
This PHD you have running the place should be held accountable. Common Sense people. You dont need to be a PHD to figure this one out.
Not Exactly – at APG they may report cases to Gov employees (1/2 of whom are still “working” from home) but nobody tells the thousands of contractors who work at APG every day anything.
Open those schools up, not every child is going to make it but big deal if it’s not your little one who croaks. I hear it’s a horrible way to die but if you don’t know the person does it really matter? These poor kids need socializing so they can go home and sit in their rooms playing video games and watching porn. We didn’t have kids so we would be forced to take care of them, that’s what school is for.
I totally agree… couldn’t have said it better. Thanks so much for being the voice of reason!
The imitator is at it again….The schools need to open up and teach the kids because that is what is supposed to be going on. Parent’s can go back to work and kids can get the education they need. We are in dire danger of every person being a technology dependent idiot within the next 50 years. I blame the smart phone and tablet industry, but we also have this issue of schools teaching politics and false information about how the government is in charge of the people. We need laws banning politics in school and ANY educator that does teach politics in a partisan way should immediately be dismissed. Kids need to know how to do math and not be reliant on a phone or calculator for math. If a major disaster were to occur, we’d be thrust right back into the dark ages because nobody knows anything anymore and everyone is depending on a “google box” to give them answers….it’s the Democratic way…Right?
“If a major disaster were to occur, “…..it has already….it’s called Trump.
Seriously? You obviously have no clue what a major disaster is. I’m talking about an earth changing event, not a political fiasco. If an asteroid were to just pass by and scrape our satellites out of orbit, there would be no more “google boxes”. At that point, morons like you wouldn’t be able to do anything because your phone wouldn’t work. It goes double, no triple, for these kids that have been taught by half asses and that would do it. However, lets say that asteroid hits earth and prematurely plunges us into the next ice age, where would we be then? The Dark Ages…
My child will NOT be returning to AMS any time in the near future , lack of communication & poor planning has made homeschooling look like a very appealing option at this point . I’m just fine with virtual learning & knowing my child is safe
Here is the CDC statistics page https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#demographics
It looks to me like they show 100 deaths for people up to 17 years old since the beginning of COVID. That is 100 of about 75 million kids under 18 or .00000133 % It looks like kids are way safer in school than in Baltimores Inner Harbor.
It’s good the kids can’t spread the virus to other people…..(fkn idiot) Hey guess what…if you have it and “get better”…you still have issues. Drs and Nurses all say the same thing. You are technically “cured” from Covid but now you have life time issues. You are a stupid POS.
positive cases? yawn…how many were hospitalized?
75 million kids have had covid? and I thought they said we were up to 5 million.
Sounds like Biden wrote this article from his basement. Guess we should go away from conventional schooling and teach kids at home. Their personality’s will be glowing from all the interaction they will not be receiving.
I bet you are a Trump supporter. You haven’t the slightest clue on how this virus has effected people with the 2 million lives lost in this country from it. All you racist people can just bring up the Biden gaffes like the “corn pop” videos on YouTube. Biden has served this country for 47 years and we owe him for that. Instead, you push values of someone that is a racist. I bet you run around saying MAGA and fly Trump flags and yard signs.
Biden is going to win and racist like you will have to cry for 4 years.
The Biden “corn pop” videos actually are hilarious on YouTube. “Corn pop was a bad dude”.Just adds to the other stupid stuff that comes out of that guy’s mouth. As far as you, Jessie, you are probably some looser that trolls social media all day while you wait for your government assistance to come in. MAGA 2020 – Make liberals like you cry again
Hey Donald JT, why don’t you lay off? Just because my husband a I receive some help from the government doesn’t make us bad people. And seriously, what is up with the Biden Corn Pop video $hit on YouTube???
Sarah and Jessie, enjoy your government cheddar cheese. Corn Pop was a bad dude….
Heeeeeyyy! You guys are being so suuuper insensitive. And that is not fabulous at all. You all should do a great big group hug and settle out your differences.
Donald JT lives in one of those old beat up houses in rural Harford county…thinking Trump represents him. LOL. Prob. bought a MAGA hat and flag and flies it from his beat up truck while Trump makes millions and he lives in a sh!thole. LOL. HEY his stock portfolio and 501K is going to do great under trump….ah if he has one or even knows what those are. I love these Trailer park Trump supporters….LOLOL. What morons.
My 501k isn’t going to go up under Trump
Then you don’t know how to manage it at all.
I don’t like MAGA hats
WTF is a 501k? Anyway, I would expect nothing more from a Democratic Traitor living in public housing and drinking alcohol all the time with the stimulus checks that are bankrupting America. You’re just either too stupid or too drunk to realize that you have become a “Not See”.
Corn pop was bad dude. See it for yourself. https://youtu.be/gnOdKYE0Z4k
A 501k is a liberal retirement pension. How it works is that blue collar workers go to work and get deducted this thing called tax out of their pay. The pay is then converted into this thing called government cheese and is redistributed to the non-working population so that they can continue to sit at home all day and be internet trolls. The advantage to the 501k is that you can collect with minimal effort. The disadvantage is that others view you as being a turd of society. Hope that answers the question of what is a 501k. Please feel free to reach out if you have any other liberal socialist accounting questions. You can call my office anytime using your Obama-phone.
Why are we talking about Covid…Trump said it would disappear in March…by Easter…warmer weather in the Summer. You guys suck Trumps teeeet and just worship him. Lemmings. Living in your beat up homes, trash all over the place and a Trump sign. it’s classic. He hates you people but you love him. Ignorance is dangerous. The white trash love him and he hates you…..sad.
Lets meet…
Lets watch Monday Night Football tomorrow. Name the bar & time. I’ll go anywhere…
It’s a little bit out of the way for my, but more your speed…how about the Blue Oyster?
There is nothing wrong living at home in your mom’s basement. You supporters with all those flags and signs mean nothing to me. Punching your pillow is a healthy option to safely express anger.
LOL…typical republic chickensht…all talk. smh. Imitation is the best form of flattery.
Says the guy who won’t meet me. LMFAO. typical Trumper….all talk, no action. A fat guy who hides behind his trailer and keyboard. haahahahaha
I thought we were going to watch football tomorrow night?
I’ll be there…wearing orange Salt Life shirt. Lets talk politics.
You only speak in the treasonous tongue of the Democratic Traitors Against America. YOUR politics are indicative of Article 3 Section 3 violations and are the proof that all Democrats are in fact traitors. Name one policy or law that you wish to do that isn’t illegal and unconstitutional as well as being an act of fraud, war and treason…
Q. What’s the fastest way to cut the d!ck off of FatOrange???
A. Kick his sister in the jaw.
I went to this bloody bloke’s watering hole. Guess this wanker cuntt was getting his George Michael on, probably started off with a little foot tapping in a crapper stall and one thing led to another. Shame, because I bet he was wanting to get on his knees for the anthem for MNF…maybe he did, just chose a different private setting. I guess FatOrange is going to get his Orange Salt Life shirt salty tonight….Enjoy the extra starch you wanker cuntt.
LOL…bro you were no where to be found. We sat there for the whole game. LOL. typical keyboard warrior…some fat out of shape old ex high school football bench warmer. I’m done here loser. Don’t talk S when you can’t back it up. SMH….
And yes, we might have been in the bathroom getting our George Michael on, but that wasn’t the whole game. Nothing wrong with extra starch on a Salt Life Shirt.
FatOrange is an upscale citizen of my town. I hearby would like to formally recognize him and award him a key to the city. Please note that it will not open your mobile home or start your 1992 Honda Civic.
FatOrange is an upscale citizen of my town. I hearby would like to formally recognize him and award him a key to the city. Please note that it will not open your mobile home or start your 1992 Honda Civic.
Snowflakes like you won’t do shit and you know it. You are the type that cowards when being confronted. You are just some soft skin asshat that got picked on throughout school and it continues on in your adult life. Who the fuuck goes to watch football and wants to talk politics at the same time with some rando… I guess you over came your shyness when you started meeting randos on Grinder. Wanker Cunnt
HAAHAHHAH…proof I was there to “talk with this guy” and he was a chicken BTCH. Stop talking when you can’t back it up fat old man. LOL…..Get lost.
I bet this cunnt talks with a lot of guys on Grinder…he was walking lopsided Tuesday morning
When FatOrange farts it goes poof…
FatOrange has a fetish for mid 50 year olds that are out of shape with a little bit of extra weight on the belly…this isn’t the forum to pick those guys up. Stick to Craigslist and Grinder you wanker.
I repeat – positive cases? yawn…how many were hospitalized?
I was tucking my shirt in mom.
Was it an orange Salt Life shirt??
Little billy boys seems to know all about grinder. Lolololol. What does that say???!
Hey!!! Any guess what FatOrange is going to be for Halloween??? I bet He’s going to be a wanker cuntt in a Orange Salt Life shirt…
Well said you cunnt…FatOrange, I thought you were going to buggeroff??? Instead you stick around. You going back out Monday night to get your Salt Life shirt re-starched?
Only the cool kids wear Salt Life shitt.I bet you have a Yeti sticker on your vehicle too…
Corn pop was bad dude. See it for yourself. https://youtu.be/gnOdKYE0Z4k
FatOrange meets the definition of being a tool. I bet he still wears Crocks
Hcps is returning to all virtual instruction on Friday.
This wouldn’t happen if everyone would have just worn their damn mask just like Hogan said. If everyone would have worn a mask, MD would have been reopened and covid wouldn’t exist anymore throughout the world. I hope Hogan runs against Biden in 2024, I think he can take the Dem primary!
Now that schools are closed, COVID will have no chance. Can’t wait for Governor Lawrence to be creeping in on my windows Thursday to see if I’m exceeding his capacity. Good thing we have this awesome test kits from Korea. Really made MD lead the way for the country.