APS - why hybrid if the numbers make sense for 4 days??

[Anonymous]

The problem is at the HS level some schools like Wakefield may have a class with only 3 kids attending in-person. They really should let kids there go 4 days a week so the teachers have someone to teach to. I think the restrictions will have to loosen after a while, but let's get the schools open again first. You need a critical mass, though, for this to work. The older kids don't want to be the only ones at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is at the HS level some schools like Wakefield may have a class with only 3 kids attending in-person. They really should let kids there go 4 days a week so the teachers have someone to teach to. I think the restrictions will have to loosen after a while, but let's get the schools open again first. You need a critical mass, though, for this to work. The older kids don't want to be the only ones at school.

It does seem that is an opportunity but it would be a nightmare administratively have to track which classes and which students are in person for two days versus four from a contact tracing perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is at the HS level some schools like Wakefield may have a class with only 3 kids attending in-person. They really should let kids there go 4 days a week so the teachers have someone to teach to. I think the restrictions will have to loosen after a while, but let's get the schools open again first. You need a critical mass, though, for this to work. The older kids don't want to be the only ones at school.

What are the hybrid/distance percentages at Wakefield?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is at the HS level some schools like Wakefield may have a class with only 3 kids attending in-person. They really should let kids there go 4 days a week so the teachers have someone to teach to. I think the restrictions will have to loosen after a while, but let's get the schools open again first. You need a critical mass, though, for this to work. The older kids don't want to be the only ones at school.

What are the hybrid/distance percentages at Wakefield?

At the last PTA meeting the Principal said about 50% had opted to go back, but someone on AEM said today it's down to 35% or something. I know several of DC's friends have opted out after initially opting in, because the parents are getting scared. And it seems like a domino thing -- the fewer kids go, the fewer want to go. If you assume 40% opted back, that means the class may only have 20% of the kids in class any given day. It won't be spread evenly, but it's very few kids. Combine that with 2-3 teachers who are virtual vs. coming back to school, and it makes hybrid start to sink.

We are making DC go because we believe in-person school is better and also because I think if no one goes back this spring the chance of a normal fall is almost zero.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know the numbers at the other high schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is at the HS level some schools like Wakefield may have a class with only 3 kids attending in-person. They really should let kids there go 4 days a week so the teachers have someone to teach to. I think the restrictions will have to loosen after a while, but let's get the schools open again first. You need a critical mass, though, for this to work. The older kids don't want to be the only ones at school.

What are the hybrid/distance percentages at Wakefield?

At the last PTA meeting the Principal said about 50% had opted to go back, but someone on AEM said today it's down to 35% or something. I know several of DC's friends have opted out after initially opting in, because the parents are getting scared. And it seems like a domino thing -- the fewer kids go, the fewer want to go. If you assume 40% opted back, that means the class may only have 20% of the kids in class any given day. It won't be spread evenly, but it's very few kids. Combine that with 2-3 teachers who are virtual vs. coming back to school, and it makes hybrid start to sink.

We are making DC go because we believe in-person school is better and also because I think if no one goes back this spring the chance of a normal fall is almost zero.

It IS scary with the way APS is handling secondary school lunches. It’s downright crazy. I think a lot of people will pull their kids unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only schools that have low enough numbers to make 4 days in person work are in S. Arlington. Can you even imagine the outrage from N. Arlington parents when they find out kids at high FRL schools on the other side of 50 are getting more in school days??

No, but maybe you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is at the HS level some schools like Wakefield may have a class with only 3 kids attending in-person. They really should let kids there go 4 days a week so the teachers have someone to teach to. I think the restrictions will have to loosen after a while, but let's get the schools open again first. You need a critical mass, though, for this to work. The older kids don't want to be the only ones at school.

What are the hybrid/distance percentages at Wakefield?

At the last PTA meeting the Principal said about 50% had opted to go back, but someone on AEM said today it's down to 35% or something. I know several of DC's friends have opted out after initially opting in, because the parents are getting scared. And it seems like a domino thing -- the fewer kids go, the fewer want to go. If you assume 40% opted back, that means the class may only have 20% of the kids in class any given day. It won't be spread evenly, but it's very few kids. Combine that with 2-3 teachers who are virtual vs. coming back to school, and it makes hybrid start to sink.

We are making DC go because we believe in-person school is better and also because I think if no one goes back this spring the chance of a normal fall is almost zero.

It IS scary with the way APS is handling secondary school lunches. It’s downright crazy. I think a lot of people will pull their kids unfortunately.

I don't know what other schools are doing, but Wakefield basically said it's only 400 kids in the building and they can spread out basically however they want OR go outside for lunch. That seems safe enough to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is at the HS level some schools like Wakefield may have a class with only 3 kids attending in-person. They really should let kids there go 4 days a week so the teachers have someone to teach to. I think the restrictions will have to loosen after a while, but let's get the schools open again first. You need a critical mass, though, for this to work. The older kids don't want to be the only ones at school.

What are the hybrid/distance percentages at Wakefield?

At the last PTA meeting the Principal said about 50% had opted to go back, but someone on AEM said today it's down to 35% or something. I know several of DC's friends have opted out after initially opting in, because the parents are getting scared. And it seems like a domino thing -- the fewer kids go, the fewer want to go. If you assume 40% opted back, that means the class may only have 20% of the kids in class any given day. It won't be spread evenly, but it's very few kids. Combine that with 2-3 teachers who are virtual vs. coming back to school, and it makes hybrid start to sink.

We are making DC go because we believe in-person school is better and also because I think if no one goes back this spring the chance of a normal fall is almost zero.

It IS scary with the way APS is handling secondary school lunches. It’s downright crazy. I think a lot of people will pull their kids unfortunately.

I don't know what other schools are doing, but Wakefield basically said it's only 400 kids in the building and they can spread out basically however they want OR go outside for lunch. That seems safe enough to me.

PP, WMS is having 100 unmasked kids in the cafeteria for a 20 minute lunch. there will be four lunch shifts total per day. Kids are responsible for sanitizing their space in between. But imagine the viral load in that room once you get to the fourth shift.

[Anonymous]

Given that kindergartners and 1st graders can't do asynchronous work on their own and can't really learn from DL, why don't they have K and 1st attend on Monday and give those teachers Friday asynchronous? They'd be making much better use of staff and physical space. K and 1st could then have class Monday-Wednesday with DL on Thursday.

APS is not using its resources well by not using staff, buildings or buses on Mondays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Given that kindergartners and 1st graders can't do asynchronous work on their own and can't really learn from DL, why don't they have K and 1st attend on Monday and give those teachers Friday asynchronous? They'd be making much better use of staff and physical space. K and 1st could then have class Monday-Wednesday with DL on Thursday.

APS is not using its resources well by not using staff, buildings or buses on Mondays.

Why are we still having asynchronous Mondays at all? Speaking for elementary, our teachers have sufficient time during their day with already reduced hours to properly plan. They are hardly grading, and at our school, the entire grade has the same lesson plans. More than half of 9-2:20 is spent on breaks or asynchronous work. The "read aloud" is a recording that rotates through the teachers. The learning loss is real and giving them back Monday as a synchronous day would help at least a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Given that kindergartners and 1st graders can't do asynchronous work on their own and can't really learn from DL, why don't they have K and 1st attend on Monday and give those teachers Friday asynchronous? They'd be making much better use of staff and physical space. K and 1st could then have class Monday-Wednesday with DL on Thursday.

APS is not using its resources well by not using staff, buildings or buses on Mondays.

I’m guessing you don’t have any children who are being pulled out for support/interventions. That is what is happening with staff on Mondays, in addition to teacher PD, office hours and planning. Teachers and staff are not sitting around doing nothing on Mondays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given that kindergartners and 1st graders can't do asynchronous work on their own and can't really learn from DL, why don't they have K and 1st attend on Monday and give those teachers Friday asynchronous? They'd be making much better use of staff and physical space. K and 1st could then have class Monday-Wednesday with DL on Thursday.

APS is not using its resources well by not using staff, buildings or buses on Mondays.

I’m guessing you don’t have any children who are being pulled out for support/interventions. That is what is happening with staff on Mondays, in addition to teacher PD, office hours and planning. Teachers and staff are not sitting around doing nothing on Mondays.

I accounted for this. Have asynchronous for those kids on a day other than Monday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given that kindergartners and 1st graders can't do asynchronous work on their own and can't really learn from DL, why don't they have K and 1st attend on Monday and give those teachers Friday asynchronous? They'd be making much better use of staff and physical space. K and 1st could then have class Monday-Wednesday with DL on Thursday.

APS is not using its resources well by not using staff, buildings or buses on Mondays.

I’m guessing you don’t have any children who are being pulled out for support/interventions. That is what is happening with staff on Mondays, in addition to teacher PD, office hours and planning. Teachers and staff are not sitting around doing nothing on Mondays.

I accounted for this. Have asynchronous for those kids on a day other than Monday.

I understand that you’re trying to find a creative solution for getting more kids more time in school. Unfortunately It’s not as easy as just magically changing a whole grades asynchronous day to Friday. The specialists are currently available on Mondays. You would have to contract with them and rearrange schedules (at multiple schools even) to be available on Fridays. There’s even more administrative changes that would have to occur across an entire school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given that kindergartners and 1st graders can't do asynchronous work on their own and can't really learn from DL, why don't they have K and 1st attend on Monday and give those teachers Friday asynchronous? They'd be making much better use of staff and physical space. K and 1st could then have class Monday-Wednesday with DL on Thursday.

APS is not using its resources well by not using staff, buildings or buses on Mondays.

I’m guessing you don’t have any children who are being pulled out for support/interventions. That is what is happening with staff on Mondays, in addition to teacher PD, office hours and planning. Teachers and staff are not sitting around doing nothing on Mondays.

I accounted for this. Have asynchronous for those kids on a day other than Monday.

I understand that you’re trying to find a creative solution for getting more kids more time in school. Unfortunately It’s not as easy as just magically changing a whole grades asynchronous day to Friday. The specialists are currently available on Mondays. You would have to contract with them and rearrange schedules (at multiple schools even) to be available on Fridays. There’s even more administrative changes that would have to occur across an entire school.

So do contracted pull outs on Mondays. I 100% stand by position that APS is wasting tax payer resources by not using school buildings, school buses or (non teacher) staff on Mondays.