Lafayette OPEN in a real way!

[Anonymous]

Options are good and bad.

Kids that want to go full time in person should have an option to do so (except for paying the privates). Second option should be DL. In this case DCPS should create a virtual school and merge resources across different schools. It is waste of school resources for each school to have not ipl and Dl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I empathize with you about simulcast, but DCPS has already committed to providing DL in the fall, and it has already declined to create a distance wide academy in it's budget, so the only way to offer DL in schools is committing classroom teachers to DL only. This serves the teachers union because the ADA accommodations can continue and simulcast is more work. However it does not serve children well. With this system a child cannot switch to an in-person classroom during the year. DL parents need flexibility to switch to IPL. Ever other school district in the DC area (eg MCPS FCPS and Arlington is using simulcast.nalso every private I have heard of.

Why would anyone want simulcasting rather than dedicating teachers for DL within a school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does this apply for ALL students who want to come back? Or just a lucky few? my understanding is some schools (Stoddert) can only accomodate some students- not all who want in person can get it.

Thanks for any insight

Stoddert parent here. Yes, there are less teachers in the classroom than at other schools and hybrid was only introduced in second and fourth grades. Instead it was decided to offer one classroom per grade level of 11 students only instead of including more children with a hybrid system. In term four there will be a second classroom of hybrid added to each grade level. Not the worst reopening in DCPS -- and to their credit they resisted the ridiculous option of adding cares classrooms (their is only one - the minimum) -- but when compared to Key for example Stoddert has been much less open. I believe that Key parents are much more involved, and this is part of the reason. I also think that as another poster said principals at schools that are open have helpe to motivate their teachers to understand the importance of in-person learning.

Do you expect to see an improvement to this in the fall. thanks!

I believe that for five full days per week in the fall the advocacy needs to continue. DCPS needs also to commit to simulcast. If there are DL only classrooms it may throw off the spacing. DCPS needs to not offer the ADA exemptions for the fall. It should be informing teachers and staff as of now that these will not be offered.

I disagree with simulcast. Families who wish to remain virtual in the Fall should "attend" virtual schools like Friendship. It's too hard for a school to try to both IPL and virtual well, so give the virtual kids a real chance by giving them placements at a school that provides all resources just for virtual and let everyone else have real school. Otherwise everyone gets half measures.

I completely concur that DCPS shouldn't offer ADA exemptions. There's no reason to offer them now, except the Mayor is afraid of losing the votes from WTU supporters. Very few people have a true medical reason to not get the vaccine. I'd be shocked if more than a couple DCPS teachers actually qualified as having a *valid* medical reason they can't get the vaccine.

I agree with you. Simulcast should not be the goal for fall and ADA exemptions should only exist for those who have contraindication to the vaccine as defined by CDC. This should be few to none.
Below are the contraindications to the current COVID-19 vaccines. These are not common allergens.

CDC considers a history of the following to be a contraindication to vaccination with COVID-19 vaccines:

Severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) after a previous dose or to a component of the COVID-19 vaccine
Immediate allergic reaction of any severity to a previous dose or known (diagnosed) allergy to a component of the vaccine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem for those who are concerned about the (undeniably less safe) changes to IPL is that the Lafayette principal refused to explain what the teacher changes would be for virtual students, so parents are asked to make a “binding” decision that involves a cost-benefit analysis based on incomplete information.

Huh? It was abundantly clear. If your teacher is virtual and you are in person, or vice versa, you will switch teachers. The end.

+1. Plus it's not "undeniably less safe" than the current IPL.

This is not what all parents were told. We were told this was still being worked out. If a decision has been made but was not shared with only some parents that's concerning. DCUM shouldn't be where Lafayette parents hear any news related to reopening for the first time, although if this is the case thanks for doing the Principal's job and sharing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I empathize with you about simulcast, but DCPS has already committed to providing DL in the fall, and it has already declined to create a distance wide academy in it's budget, so the only way to offer DL in schools is committing classroom teachers to DL only. This serves the teachers union because the ADA accommodations can continue and simulcast is more work. However it does not serve children well. With this system a child cannot switch to an in-person classroom during the year. DL parents need flexibility to switch to IPL. Ever other school district in the DC area (eg MCPS FCPS and Arlington is using simulcast.nalso every private I have heard of.

Why would anyone want simulcasting rather than dedicating teachers for DL within a school?

Imagine you dedicate a classroom to DL, and there are two other in person classrooms on that grade level. Then imagine ten have selected DL making for classrooms of 30 each in the IPL classrooms. The IPL classrooms have to do hybrid with at risk and ell children possibly given prioirty. This is probably why DCPS will not commit to five full days of IPL in the fall, because with this model they cannot make that commitment. This model creates room for dc to give out ADA accommodations. It also makes it impossible or difficult for those in the DL classroom to switch to IPL during the year. Friends in privates say that simulcast works fine. No it is not ideal but it is better than the alternative that is being planned. If DC were going to create a virtual academy that would be in the budget and planning would need to take place. Furthermore DME said that this would "degrade" DL students relationship with their neighborhood schools. DCPS has already told schools that DL will be offered.

[Anonymous]

Excuse me I meant "their schools" not "their neighborhood schools"

[Anonymous]

I think distance learning should be on a district wide basis. That will help fill the dl classes. You aren't entitled to a dl class only of people who live inbounds for or who lotteried into lafayette, or a teacher who has worked at lafayette before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think distance learning should be on a district wide basis. That will help fill the dl classes. You aren't entitled to a dl class only of people who live inbounds for or who lotteried into lafayette, or a teacher who has worked at lafayette before.

DME said that they would not create a district wide DL academy that this would degrade students relationships to their schools and that there is already a charter that does this. They have said that they will offer DL so the presumption is that they will dedicate entire classrooms to this or it would have to be simulcast, but there do not seem to be plans for simulcast at the elementary school level (all middle and high schools will use it)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think distance learning should be on a district wide basis. That will help fill the dl classes. You aren't entitled to a dl class only of people who live inbounds for or who lotteried into lafayette, or a teacher who has worked at lafayette before.

DME said that they would not create a district wide DL academy that this would degrade students relationships to their schools and that there is already a charter that does this. They have said that they will offer DL so the presumption is that they will dedicate entire classrooms to this or it would have to be simulcast, but there do not seem to be plans for simulcast at the elementary school level (all middle and high schools will use it)

Well I hope DME is wrong or lots of kids who want to be IL will be stuck DL, which is insane.

Of course, it doesn’t matter for DME because his kids have IL already...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem for those who are concerned about the (undeniably less safe) changes to IPL is that the Lafayette principal refused to explain what the teacher changes would be for virtual students, so parents are asked to make a “binding” decision that involves a cost-benefit analysis based on incomplete information.

Huh? It was abundantly clear. If your teacher is virtual and you are in person, or vice versa, you will switch teachers. The end.

+1. Plus it's not "undeniably less safe" than the current IPL.

This is not what all parents were told. We were told this was still being worked out. If a decision has been made but was not shared with only some parents that's concerning. DCUM shouldn't be where Lafayette parents hear any news related to reopening for the first time, although if this is the case thanks for doing the Principal's job and sharing it.

She can’t tell you who your teacher is going to be until she gets the survey results. And seriously, the lunch thing is going to be fine. You risk adverse virtual people are seriously going to wreck this for everyone. Your kids are not going to be irreparably harmed for nine weeks with a new teacher. It’s really hard to have any sympathy for such a group of self absorbed drama queens. Seriously- wreck this for us and I promise you will be permanently banned from the auction wine party - but of course you’ll still be self isolating then!

[Anonymous]

Everyone would at least get hybrid I think, possibly give days per weel of the numbers work out perfectly.

[Anonymous]

Excuse me five days per week

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem for those who are concerned about the (undeniably less safe) changes to IPL is that the Lafayette principal refused to explain what the teacher changes would be for virtual students, so parents are asked to make a “binding” decision that involves a cost-benefit analysis based on incomplete information.

Huh? It was abundantly clear. If your teacher is virtual and you are in person, or vice versa, you will switch teachers. The end.

+1. Plus it's not "undeniably less safe" than the current IPL.

This is not what all parents were told. We were told this was still being worked out. If a decision has been made but was not shared with only some parents that's concerning. DCUM shouldn't be where Lafayette parents hear any news related to reopening for the first time, although if this is the case thanks for doing the Principal's job and sharing it.

She can’t tell you who your teacher is going to be until she gets the survey results. And seriously, the lunch thing is going to be fine. You risk adverse virtual people are seriously going to wreck this for everyone. Your kids are not going to be irreparably harmed for nine weeks with a new teacher. It’s really hard to have any sympathy for such a group of self absorbed drama queens. Seriously- wreck this for us and I promise you will be permanently banned from the auction wine party - but of course you’ll still be self isolating then!

I’m a NP. But did you read your post? Calling others Self absorbed drama queens? Look in the mirror.

[Anonymous]

For everyone on this thread claiming "It's not the unions!" Read this and weep:

https://www.the74million.org/article/analysis-randi-weingarten-says-her-aft-has-been-trying-to-reopen-schools-since-last-april-what-the-unions-locals-actually-did/

[Anonymous]

How could it possibly not be more unsafe with double the students in a room, double the days in-person in a week, and more transmissible more harmful variants?