APS Parent - incredibly disappointed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ones who you think are “taking advantage” of the distance learning format were probably crappy teachers anyway. There are always people who are unmotivated and bad at their jobs. So yeah there is no connection to the amount of in-person time our kids get and the quality of the teacher.

Also when my child is doing independent work, the teacher is usually working in small groups with other kids. Just because you don’t see the teacher on the screen doesn’t mean the teacher isn’t working!

So one of my kids teachers JUST started small groups this week— and it’s only for math. She said at our conference that she had no evidence for determining his reading level or if he was meeting expectations for writing. That’s shocking! I get she’s overwhelmed but what reading instruction has my kid been getting for the past eight weeks?
There is such a discrepancy between schools that I don’t think you can really compare...

PP, what grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just stop. It isn’t minimal effort. It isn’t teachers taking advantage. I’m so tired of you privileged APS whiners complaining.

x1 million

Just stop. The pandemic sucks. DL sucks. Teachers are doing their best in a crappy situation.

No they aren’t. Their best would be pushing the administration to be in person providing appropriate education. Any thing else is less than the best.

YES, this. From my understanding, *most* teachers, even healthy, young teachers, are opting/hoping to remain remote/DL, knowing the damage it is causing for the early learners, where they could be providing support and input on how to make schools safe to return to. This is why some parents are questioning motive.

You may be able to guess at age, but you don’t know about people’s health conditions. MYOB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What you are all missing is this situation is now artificially horrible. Schools don't make community spread worse. Now there is higher community spread but we should have been back months ago, and we should go back in January. Take precautions and accept some risk, in exchange for a lot of benefit.

We should not be going back in January. You’re insane.

Your right, we shouldn't go back in January- we should go back next week. We should never have been closed. School spread matches community spread, it doesn't increase it. If anything it decreases it because there is much more mask compliance etc. That scare photo that's been circulating on facebook about a little girl with COVID who got it from her teacher? Her "teacher' was/is a nanny that was hired to help with DL- no masks, no heath screenings etc. That transmission would not have happened if the little girl had been in school where she belongs.

No- the teachers aren't working hard and I for one am sick of pretending that they are. If they are spending all day Monday in meetings, that's on them/ their admin. Its not improving the product. I have twins in different classes in elementary school. The teachers are using the exact same lesson plan. One is much better at delivering it that the other one is- but neither of them is putting effort into these plans. DL in elementary school is truly horrific. We need to get these kids back in school now. If we are not going to do this- we need to admit to mass failure and plan for mass grade retention.

This is what the OP is talking about. There is one lesson plan for the entire grade at our school. Teachers are taking turns delivering video messages on Mondays and recording "live readings". We are now 2.5 months into DL and most of the tech glitches have been figured out. So tired of teachers saying this is the hardest they've ever worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What you are all missing is this situation is now artificially horrible. Schools don't make community spread worse. Now there is higher community spread but we should have been back months ago, and we should go back in January. Take precautions and accept some risk, in exchange for a lot of benefit.

We should not be going back in January. You’re insane.

Your right, we shouldn't go back in January- we should go back next week. We should never have been closed. School spread matches community spread, it doesn't increase it. If anything it decreases it because there is much more mask compliance etc. That scare photo that's been circulating on facebook about a little girl with COVID who got it from her teacher? Her "teacher' was/is a nanny that was hired to help with DL- no masks, no heath screenings etc. That transmission would not have happened if the little girl had been in school where she belongs.

No- the teachers aren't working hard and I for one am sick of pretending that they are. If they are spending all day Monday in meetings, that's on them/ their admin. Its not improving the product. I have twins in different classes in elementary school. The teachers are using the exact same lesson plan. One is much better at delivering it that the other one is- but neither of them is putting effort into these plans. DL in elementary school is truly horrific. We need to get these kids back in school now. If we are not going to do this- we need to admit to mass failure and plan for mass grade retention.

This is what the OP is talking about. There is one lesson plan for the entire grade at our school. Teachers are taking turns delivering video messages on Mondays and recording "live readings". We are now 2.5 months into DL and most of the tech glitches have been figured out. So tired of teachers saying this is the hardest they've ever worked.

Sounds like an APS issue. I can tell you for a 100% fact this isn’t happening in my county or school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What you are all missing is this situation is now artificially horrible. Schools don't make community spread worse. Now there is higher community spread but we should have been back months ago, and we should go back in January. Take precautions and accept some risk, in exchange for a lot of benefit.

We should not be going back in January. You’re insane.

Your right, we shouldn't go back in January- we should go back next week. We should never have been closed. School spread matches community spread, it doesn't increase it. If anything it decreases it because there is much more mask compliance etc. That scare photo that's been circulating on facebook about a little girl with COVID who got it from her teacher? Her "teacher' was/is a nanny that was hired to help with DL- no masks, no heath screenings etc. That transmission would not have happened if the little girl had been in school where she belongs.

No- the teachers aren't working hard and I for one am sick of pretending that they are. If they are spending all day Monday in meetings, that's on them/ their admin. Its not improving the product. I have twins in different classes in elementary school. The teachers are using the exact same lesson plan. One is much better at delivering it that the other one is- but neither of them is putting effort into these plans. DL in elementary school is truly horrific. We need to get these kids back in school now. If we are not going to do this- we need to admit to mass failure and plan for mass grade retention.

This is what the OP is talking about. There is one lesson plan for the entire grade at our school. Teachers are taking turns delivering video messages on Mondays and recording "live readings". We are now 2.5 months into DL and most of the tech glitches have been figured out. So tired of teachers saying this is the hardest they've ever worked.

Sounds like an APS issue. I can tell you for a 100% fact this isn’t happening in my county or school.

Not my experience with APS either (which is actually kind of annoying because he does Monday assignments with friends) (socially distanced, outdoors, with masks)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What you are all missing is this situation is now artificially horrible. Schools don't make community spread worse. Now there is higher community spread but we should have been back months ago, and we should go back in January. Take precautions and accept some risk, in exchange for a lot of benefit.

We should not be going back in January. You’re insane.

Your right, we shouldn't go back in January- we should go back next week. We should never have been closed. School spread matches community spread, it doesn't increase it. If anything it decreases it because there is much more mask compliance etc. That scare photo that's been circulating on facebook about a little girl with COVID who got it from her teacher? Her "teacher' was/is a nanny that was hired to help with DL- no masks, no heath screenings etc. That transmission would not have happened if the little girl had been in school where she belongs.

No- the teachers aren't working hard and I for one am sick of pretending that they are. If they are spending all day Monday in meetings, that's on them/ their admin. Its not improving the product. I have twins in different classes in elementary school. The teachers are using the exact same lesson plan. One is much better at delivering it that the other one is- but neither of them is putting effort into these plans. DL in elementary school is truly horrific. We need to get these kids back in school now. If we are not going to do this- we need to admit to mass failure and plan for mass grade retention.

This is what the OP is talking about. There is one lesson plan for the entire grade at our school. Teachers are taking turns delivering video messages on Mondays and recording "live readings". We are now 2.5 months into DL and most of the tech glitches have been figured out. So tired of teachers saying this is the hardest they've ever worked.

You are uninformed. Tech glitches still happen on a daily basis. And prerecorded lessons take up a very small portion of the week.

Go find a new target for your hate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What you are all missing is this situation is now artificially horrible. Schools don't make community spread worse. Now there is higher community spread but we should have been back months ago, and we should go back in January. Take precautions and accept some risk, in exchange for a lot of benefit.

We should not be going back in January. You’re insane.

Your right, we shouldn't go back in January- we should go back next week. We should never have been closed. School spread matches community spread, it doesn't increase it. If anything it decreases it because there is much more mask compliance etc. That scare photo that's been circulating on facebook about a little girl with COVID who got it from her teacher? Her "teacher' was/is a nanny that was hired to help with DL- no masks, no heath screenings etc. That transmission would not have happened if the little girl had been in school where she belongs.

No- the teachers aren't working hard and I for one am sick of pretending that they are. If they are spending all day Monday in meetings, that's on them/ their admin. Its not improving the product. I have twins in different classes in elementary school. The teachers are using the exact same lesson plan. One is much better at delivering it that the other one is- but neither of them is putting effort into these plans. DL in elementary school is truly horrific. We need to get these kids back in school now. If we are not going to do this- we need to admit to mass failure and plan for mass grade retention.

This is what the OP is talking about. There is one lesson plan for the entire grade at our school. Teachers are taking turns delivering video messages on Mondays and recording "live readings". We are now 2.5 months into DL and most of the tech glitches have been figured out. So tired of teachers saying this is the hardest they've ever worked.

Rotating responsibility for asynchronous video lessons? Sounds efficient to me. Sorry your brain is broke to get severely offended by the idea.

[Anonymous]

At least at our school/grade, there is one video lesson pre-recorded on Monday's which is basically greeting, and one video/day of a teacher reading a book (both rotated). No videos of lessons or instruction, etc.

[Anonymous]

Why would someone go above and beyond when treated so poorly? What a nasty thread we have here. Public education is in such a state where you get what you get even if you pitch a fit. If you want something different best be prepared to pay for private or a tutor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would someone go above and beyond when treated so poorly? What a nasty thread we have here. Public education is in such a state where you get what you get even if you pitch a fit. If you want something different best be prepared to pay for private or a tutor.

Public school teacher just DO NOT WANT TO WORK. We went private. The difference is astounding. Good luck educating your kids. We’ll be ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ones who you think are “taking advantage” of the distance learning format were probably crappy teachers anyway. There are always people who are unmotivated and bad at their jobs. So yeah there is no connection to the amount of in-person time our kids get and the quality of the teacher.

Also when my child is doing independent work, the teacher is usually working in small groups with other kids. Just because you don’t see the teacher on the screen doesn’t mean the teacher isn’t working!

So one of my kids teachers JUST started small groups this week— and it’s only for math. She said at our conference that she had no evidence for determining his reading level or if he was meeting expectations for writing. That’s shocking! I get she’s overwhelmed but what reading instruction has my kid been getting for the past eight weeks?
There is such a discrepancy between schools that I don’t think you can really compare...

PP, what grade?

Third. Fwiw, my two other kids (1st and 5th) have had small groups since September.
My third grader has had one writing assignment since the beginning of school— I can compare with his older sister so I know that isn’t normal— she had five graded writing pieces by this time in the year. He gets writing prompts but they are through seesaw, and all the kids just write 1-2 sentences. I can see other kids responses, I know it’s not just my kid slacking off. I compare with my friends at other schools, and it’s just appalling. There shouldn’t be such a discrepancy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ones who you think are “taking advantage” of the distance learning format were probably crappy teachers anyway. There are always people who are unmotivated and bad at their jobs. So yeah there is no connection to the amount of in-person time our kids get and the quality of the teacher.

Also when my child is doing independent work, the teacher is usually working in small groups with other kids. Just because you don’t see the teacher on the screen doesn’t mean the teacher isn’t working!

So one of my kids teachers JUST started small groups this week— and it’s only for math. She said at our conference that she had no evidence for determining his reading level or if he was meeting expectations for writing. That’s shocking! I get she’s overwhelmed but what reading instruction has my kid been getting for the past eight weeks?
There is such a discrepancy between schools that I don’t think you can really compare...

PP, what grade?

Third. Fwiw, my two other kids (1st and 5th) have had small groups since September.
My third grader has had one writing assignment since the beginning of school— I can compare with his older sister so I know that isn’t normal— she had five graded writing pieces by this time in the year. He gets writing prompts but they are through seesaw, and all the kids just write 1-2 sentences. I can see other kids responses, I know it’s not just my kid slacking off. I compare with my friends at other schools, and it’s just appalling. There shouldn’t be such a discrepancy.

We may be attending the same school. Our child is also in 3rd and literally nothing has been graded. Assignments submitted seem to go into a black hole. No wonder the kids are slacking off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You make no sense. Community spread is sky high right now. If school spread = community spread, then why would We send our teachers and students to school. I read the article in the post trying to convince us to open up schools because they are not super spreaders. Ok. They are not super spreaders. They spread at the same rate as the community. But the community is out of control. Why would we open school buildings??

Community spread was never “sky high” in Arlington Va or even in NOVA
Almost all the “spread” in Fairfax count the largest county in the area was sadly in care homes.

And today community spread is not sky high. It’s really low actually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You make no sense. Community spread is sky high right now. If school spread = community spread, then why would We send our teachers and students to school. I read the article in the post trying to convince us to open up schools because they are not super spreaders. Ok. They are not super spreaders. They spread at the same rate as the community. But the community is out of control. Why would we open school buildings??

Community spread was never “sky high” in Arlington Va or even in NOVA
Almost all the “spread” in Fairfax count the largest county in the area was sadly in care homes.

And today community spread is not sky high. It’s really low actually.

Nova had its 3rd highest single day total on Saturday. 1 million people flew on Friday alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What you are all missing is this situation is now artificially horrible. Schools don't make community spread worse. Now there is higher community spread but we should have been back months ago, and we should go back in January. Take precautions and accept some risk, in exchange for a lot of benefit.

We should not be going back in January. You’re insane.

Your right, we shouldn't go back in January- we should go back next week. We should never have been closed. School spread matches community spread, it doesn't increase it. If anything it decreases it because there is much more mask compliance etc. That scare photo that's been circulating on facebook about a little girl with COVID who got it from her teacher? Her "teacher' was/is a nanny that was hired to help with DL- no masks, no heath screenings etc. That transmission would not have happened if the little girl had been in school where she belongs.

No- the teachers aren't working hard and I for one am sick of pretending that they are. If they are spending all day Monday in meetings, that's on them/ their admin. Its not improving the product. I have twins in different classes in elementary school. The teachers are using the exact same lesson plan. One is much better at delivering it that the other one is- but neither of them is putting effort into these plans. DL in elementary school is truly horrific. We need to get these kids back in school now. If we are not going to do this- we need to admit to mass failure and plan for mass grade retention.

This is what the OP is talking about. There is one lesson plan for the entire grade at our school. Teachers are taking turns delivering video messages on Mondays and recording "live readings". We are now 2.5 months into DL and most of the tech glitches have been figured out. So tired of teachers saying this is the hardest they've ever worked.

Sounds like an APS issue. I can tell you for a 100% fact this isn’t happening in my county or school.

which is literally why the OP titled this thread "APS Parent"