LOL, so you started it so you could shame us all with your bold questioning? Like no one here noticed that this is a long-term problem until you came along to tell us? The responses all seem pretty thoughtful and measured and you come off as a little obsessed. |
I haven’t seen any thoughtful answers. Care to give one? |
Of course they aren't. But that's not the point. If it becomes clear that white families will return their kids to the classrooms but Black and Hispanic families will not because they don't feel safe, there will be no in person school. Opening will create equity issues, and schools will remain in DL, not just in DC, but throughout the DMV. |
so everyone will get demonstrably worse educations for “equity” including minority kids? makes zero sense. if in school is so much better (implied by your equity argument) then schools should open for everyone, no DL. You can’t simultaneously argue DL is inferior and creates equity issues compared to in person, and then refuse to open the schools. |
Why did you start this thread to get answers to your question if you won't even read them honestly? Seems to me most people think DCPS just needs to come up with a solid, thorough plan and we'd support it. There so far has been NO PLAN. How does that make us ready to go back? How can you feel safe sending your child into an environment where the teachers don't even feel safe? |
there was A PLAN. the union tanked it with a purposefully unreasonable demand (to allow teachers to opt out at will). saying “DCPS needs to come up with a better plan” doesn’t answer the question: how long are you prepared to accept DL? |
I'm not making the argument, but I am speculating that the argument will be made. It is the same reason that hardly any instruction was offered in the spring. The thinking, which I personally do not agree with, is that if what is being offered cannot be accessed in an equitable way, then it is better to offer less. Of course, as you suggest, another way to address the problem from an equity perspective would be to reopen schools without offering a DL option. I don't see that happening, but it a potential solution. |
Yes, this argument will be made and is being made. Not offering a DL option is even less equitable because many students actually cannot attend in person, due to high risk households or their own medical needs. I was wondering if anyone would point out the bias in the article around certain scientific views. There is NOT consensus on what's safe, clearly, see quoted health professionals in the article. It's also a good point that minority communities have been hit hardest and also have poor healthcare, so good reason to fear this disease. To make the argument for reopening, you would need to win on the level of making those minority families, or enough of them, feel safe enough to send kids back in enough numbers. I don't see that happening. I do think it's a little crazy to, as you said, offer less because of equity - lower all boats so to speak. That's really the DC way though. Then everyone simply pours their private money into their own personal family solutions (or used to be, into the PTO). This is sort of like the tiresome and neverending argument around gifted education. |
I'm actually grateful to OP--the frequency with which she's been posting and reposting the same stuff in this thread all morning has helped me see that the I-hate-teachers posts in the other threads really could be the work of just a handful of very agitated, very repetitive people making themselves sound bigger than they are. That gives me hope for humanity on a tough day. So, thanks OP! |
| I've accepted that we're not going back this year and will deal with it. I can't accept that we will not be going back if a vaccine become available by next academic year (for teachers, not kids). |
I won't be taking any vaccine until there's one available for children. DL Spring 2022! |
What if it is just 50% effective after two shots? That is the FDA threshold for approval? That means you have a 50% change of getting covid once you are vaccinated. At very best we might be looking at 70% effective rate. What then? |
Nice “hope” you have there for humanity - there are thousands of devastated parents today trying to carry on. And as much as you want to believe it, I am far from alone. |
THIS!!! |
+1 |