Welcome! A blog, run by Jennifer Abell, Vice Chair of the Charles County Board of Education, involving topics and issues on education and children. Comments are not official communications of the Charles County School Board but are a personal effort to be more transparent. Both complimentary comments and constructive criticism are not only appreciated but encouraged. Student participation is also encouraged and therefore the use of proper language and decorum is requested at all times.
As national estimates focus on an increase in serious infections caused by an antibiotic-resistant germ, officials in the Washington region have identified more than a dozen cases among students and are organizing extensive cleanups of numerous schools.
Read more HERE.
What you need to know to Avoid, Identify And Treat Staph Germ
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Jennifer Abell
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7:51 AM
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"I will serve as an educational advocate on behalf of our community in order to advance the educational vision for our schools, pursue its goals, and encourage progress as we work together in a diverse society."
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7 comments:
If anybody reading this has a child who has had MRSA Staph this year or last year, please feel free to send me a note at
bartlett@thebaynet.com
Given the state and local outbreak, has anyone at CCPS bothered to track the stats on community acquired MRSA for CCPS students? The grapevine and bleacher chatter is that a minimum of 4 or 5 CCPS students have already been treated for MRSA so far THIS SCHOOL YEAR. Seems like this issue ought to at least command a cooperative effort between the Health Department, the community hospital, and the Board of Education. Has it been addressed at the commissioners' VITAL meetings? When is the next report from the Health Department to the Board due? Will the issue be raised - IN PUBLIC? Hopefully the administrators at CCPS will not treat this illness the same way they - for years - have treated the number of juvenile offenders wearing ankle bracelets in our schools. I just don't swallow their claim that their access to sheer numbers (not specific names, just numbers) is denied. (Doesn't Montgomery County publish that information?) I hope this is not another issue the school system is attempting to sweep under its big, infamous rug. Parents have complained about the incidence of CCPS MRSA infected students for about 3 years now. So what hush money is keeping CCPS out of the news?
It's been going on for longer than that, Margaret. The sharing of sports equipment, to include clothes, gloves, headgear, etc. has been waved in the collective CCPS face for at least six years now -- and the collective response has been a big yawn. Coaches (and you would think their backgrounds would have required some sound health education) don't care. Administrators don't think it's a big deal.
Parents -- next time you visit your child's school (not on Open House night!), take a look at his/her desktop. Ugh!
With national concerns about a flu pandemic, this whole issue of good hygiene may get more than a drowsy nod, but I wouldn't be surprised if nothing much at all happens unless/until the school system deals with a nasty outbreak of some sort.
Why do these kids have to share all this stuff when Richmond is getting over 345 grand a year?
The next time the elected board votes to raise any of these salaries, please reconsider sending them out to get a real job, and spending about 200 grand on equipment for our children.
And these fools are telling us that all the violence that occurs in the schools and on school property is being reported?
It's not until one of our illustrious teachers are caught smoking crack that they actually break down and stick it in the local rag.
And as for visiting your child's school, make sure that you bring some jack-booted thugs->You ain't getting into to observe your child's classes except for a total of twice per quarter. Unless of course, you bring some milk and cookies.
What a bunch of crap.
Margaret,
I have been told that MRSA is NOT a reportable communicable disease, therefore CCPS does NOT have stats. However, a letter did go home to parents stating that "CCPS has not had any reported cases of CA-MRSA". Now your other questions.
1. Vital Meetings and commissioners - I don't attend those, I believe our chairman does.
2. Health Department report - We just had one, I will try to request another during our next work session
3. Montgomery County - Last I heard, they will begin publicizing their report of suspension cases during the next school year.
4. Hush money???
Legalbeaglette & anonymous,
Thanks for the comments
The sad thing is that this information was NOT disseminated to staff (some of whom have very sick or terminally ill spouses).
Yes, this happened, and yes, dumb, stupid, as well as ignorant and shady decisions were made.
I would be plain dumbfounded if my spouse had a very compromised immune system and I unknowingly may be bringing home a staph infection.
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