# Teacher shortage
MCPS teachers’ concerns and frustrations met with silence
Concerns about counterfeit masks, high transmissions rates, and lack of coverage met with silence. Woman starting at her laptop in frustrationElisa Ventur/Unsplash. The recent community updates from Montgomery County Public Schools have been muddy. There has been a lack of transparent information and no clear move in any direction, except for one: lowering the safety bar for staff and students.
Bay Area restaurateur donating 10K KN95 face masks to Oakland students
(Patrick Smith / Getty Images) (OAKLAND, Calif.) Eugene Lee, a business owner whose restaurant Noodle Belly opens on Saturday, jumped into action this week to provide KN95 masks for Oakland students after hearing about a potential student walk-out and mask shortage.
No more room for students, quarantined virtual classes maxed out
MCPS staff shortages by the numbers for Tuesday, January 12th. Schools across Montgomery County are asking, “When is it enough?” It’s all about the numbers. Montgomery County Public Schools’ Interim Superintendent, Dr. Monifa McKnight provided a guiding threshold to move schools to virtual. Within two days, there was a move to remove the threshold with a promise to monitor schools closely. Schools across the county are still waiting to hear guidance when high transmission rates cause individual classes to quarantine, as teachers call out sick, and classes are combined and shuffled to the cafeteria when there are not enough adults to provide class coverages.
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MCPS pushes in-person instruction, but staff shortages highlight inequity
Who benefits from the lack of access to transportation, meals, and curriculum?. Little girl lookin forlornly over a chairChinh Le Duc/Unsplash. Schools are facing a teacher shortage, and lack of coverage as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in Montgomery County. Many staff members are in isolation or quarantine or caring for a quarantined child. Those in the building are using an all-hands-on-deck approach, causing them to miss out on their planning time. Paraeducators who provide extra support to students are pulled for class coverage, leaving students without the extra help they could receive.