DC charters - which ones are open? hybrid model? plans of reopening?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:MV parent of PK4’er here. I’m really starting to regret our decision to go with a language immersion school at this point. Our son has lost an entire year of immersion now, and I’m concerned that they won’t be open full time in the fall now. We may join the lottery again last-minute just to have some options.

They should be able to catch up next year in K.

Funny, I just lotteried for MV because I think our immersion school is doing DL poorly and won’t open!

They haven’t said they aren’t reopening, but they haven’t provided a reopening date or details. We have missed out on the full year of immersion and will have to look in to other ways to get our son some Spanish exposure. Kindergarten isn’t full immersion. The updates from the school are all very vague and don’t have any specifics

What is most concerning about MV is, in their latest communications, seem not to have changed anything about their approach despite the impact of the vaccine and its availability to teachers/staff. By the looks of things, they are keeping to an approach to reopening based on transmission metrics which may or may not improve in time for fall. And even when these metrics improve, they haven't committed to opening for non-SES disadvantaged kids.

Within our household we're now debating on whether to put our rising K kid in the local Title I DCPS or a private school or moving because this past year has been awful for our kids social and academic progress. We can't take another year of this.

PP here... just wanted to say we’re right there with you. This year has been incredibly frustrating. We were so thrilled to get a spot at MV after the lottery, and we are incredibly frustrated with how reopening is going. They seem to be sticking to these metrics despite other schools moving forward. Our child is having such a hard time right now it’s very disheartening. We plan to stop participating in DL for now.

I saw a chart where covid rate has to go below 15 - is that what you mean?

Yes, they are referring to metrics from the city. Some of these include the percent of positive cases who are contacted by contact tracers. Other schools are figuring out ways to move forward despite city monitoring of metrics. There is plenty of space at the school to open up additional classrooms too. They should have been working on reopening this whole time.

MV8 family here. First of all whoever said K isn’t full immersion obviously is a troll and don’t have a child at the school. It is full immersion in Spanish in K.

Also MV has been transparent with families what they have done with the school in regards to hvac changes and ventilation system for the past 6 months. These changes are now done.

There will be an update later in the week from this past weekly bulletin about more definitive plans for timeline for hybrid, etc., so hang tight.

MV8 parent here- do you happen to know whether they will simply expand the on-site distance learning program that is ongoing? Or will they be bringing students on campus for in-person instruction? My kid is struggling big time and is not learning a thing from zoom.

PP, hope you saw the communication yesterday that MV is starting hybrid in Feb for ECE and 1st grade and phasing in 100 students to start. Link will be sent shortly to families asking if they want hybrid or DL. They said they are starting with these grades, because they understand how difficult and challenging DL can be for the younger kids.

I think once the 1st 100 students and teachers are doing well with hybrid, then potential to bring back more students after March.

We are at a different charter but interested in hearing details about MVs plans if you feel comfortable sharing. Are they bringing back 100 kids across both campuses or at each and is this for in person learning or a CAREs type classroom? Is everyone who wants an in person slot guaranteed? If parents don’t want hybrid can they continue with full remote? Hoping this info will push our school to expanded it’s in person offering.

PP here. My interpretation of the email is that they will be both expanding cares classrooms and opening a couple hybrid rooms- it wasn’t clear what their main focus is. We are not interested in continuing with virtual learning for our 3 yo son so are not interested in a cares set up. Cares will be 4 days per week and hybrid will be 2 days live instruction per week

[Anonymous]

ITS is also showing zero urgency on this. Apparently they are doing two phases of CARES and then maybe hybrid PK3. Or not. And they haven't officially told us anything. The lack of communication is really frustrating.

[Anonymous]

A friend said Yu Ying is opening Feb. 16th for hybrid (2 weeks home, 1 week in person). DCI is also planing to bring more kids back next month. If there's a will, there's a way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A friend said Yu Ying is opening Feb. 16th for hybrid (2 weeks home, 1 week in person). DCI is also planing to bring more kids back next month. If there's a will, there's a way.

YY is 3 weeks home, 1 week in person. I’m surprised they aren’t striving for more in-person time because Chinese is such a difficult language to learn

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:MV parent of PK4’er here. I’m really starting to regret our decision to go with a language immersion school at this point. Our son has lost an entire year of immersion now, and I’m concerned that they won’t be open full time in the fall now. We may join the lottery again last-minute just to have some options.

They should be able to catch up next year in K.

Funny, I just lotteried for MV because I think our immersion school is doing DL poorly and won’t open!

They haven’t said they aren’t reopening, but they haven’t provided a reopening date or details. We have missed out on the full year of immersion and will have to look in to other ways to get our son some Spanish exposure. Kindergarten isn’t full immersion. The updates from the school are all very vague and don’t have any specifics

What is most concerning about MV is, in their latest communications, seem not to have changed anything about their approach despite the impact of the vaccine and its availability to teachers/staff. By the looks of things, they are keeping to an approach to reopening based on transmission metrics which may or may not improve in time for fall. And even when these metrics improve, they haven't committed to opening for non-SES disadvantaged kids.

Within our household we're now debating on whether to put our rising K kid in the local Title I DCPS or a private school or moving because this past year has been awful for our kids social and academic progress. We can't take another year of this.

PP here... just wanted to say we’re right there with you. This year has been incredibly frustrating. We were so thrilled to get a spot at MV after the lottery, and we are incredibly frustrated with how reopening is going. They seem to be sticking to these metrics despite other schools moving forward. Our child is having such a hard time right now it’s very disheartening. We plan to stop participating in DL for now.

I saw a chart where covid rate has to go below 15 - is that what you mean?

Yes, they are referring to metrics from the city. Some of these include the percent of positive cases who are contacted by contact tracers. Other schools are figuring out ways to move forward despite city monitoring of metrics. There is plenty of space at the school to open up additional classrooms too. They should have been working on reopening this whole time.

MV8 family here. First of all whoever said K isn’t full immersion obviously is a troll and don’t have a child at the school. It is full immersion in Spanish in K.

Also MV has been transparent with families what they have done with the school in regards to hvac changes and ventilation system for the past 6 months. These changes are now done.

There will be an update later in the week from this past weekly bulletin about more definitive plans for timeline for hybrid, etc., so hang tight.

MV8 parent here- do you happen to know whether they will simply expand the on-site distance learning program that is ongoing? Or will they be bringing students on campus for in-person instruction? My kid is struggling big time and is not learning a thing from zoom.

PP, hope you saw the communication yesterday that MV is starting hybrid in Feb for ECE and 1st grade and phasing in 100 students to start. Link will be sent shortly to families asking if they want hybrid or DL. They said they are starting with these grades, because they understand how difficult and challenging DL can be for the younger kids.

I think once the 1st 100 students and teachers are doing well with hybrid, then potential to bring back more students after March.

We are at a different charter but interested in hearing details about MVs plans if you feel comfortable sharing. Are they bringing back 100 kids across both campuses or at each and is this for in person learning or a CAREs type classroom? Is everyone who wants an in person slot guaranteed? If parents don’t want hybrid can they continue with full remote? Hoping this info will push our school to expanded it’s in person offering.

PP here. My interpretation of the email is that they will be both expanding cares classrooms and opening a couple hybrid rooms- it wasn’t clear what their main focus is. We are not interested in continuing with virtual learning for our 3 yo son so are not interested in a cares set up. Cares will be 4 days per week and hybrid will be 2 days live instruction per week

The hybrid will be 2 days of live instruction/in person learning with a lead teacher each week and 2 days DL. It is not a Cares classroom although they are also running and expanding the Cares classroom.
So yes the hybrid is an option and families who want DL can stay full DL remotely. As to if all families who want in person gets spots now, it will be dependent on the number of families who choose hybrid so not known yet.

MV in the fall had presented to us what they had already done to the physical spaces in the classroom, bathrooms, hallways for social distancing. At that time they were starting the hvac updates which are now done. Then they started Cares classrooms and expanded that and now expanding even more and have been monitoring and seeing how those were going.

So they have physically implemented what is needed in the schools to social distance this whole time and kept families updated on their re-opening sessions and board meetings if you had attended all like I have. Also there will be a nurse from Children's hospital at each campus (already had pre-Covid at P St and now added to 8th St) in addition to a 2nd nurse at both campuses so there is access to medical professionals throughout the day. They said they have a detailed plan to limit health risks. They mentioned weekly surveillance testing and also working with city for symptomatic testing thru Children’s hospital.

Although families were not given a definite re-opening plan until now, it was because they needed to have a detailed health safety plan physically at the school and also logistically with medical support. I’m in the medical field and understand the logistical challenges of this and have been following this. I think they have a detailed oriented plan so far which they have presented and communicated to families.

Families don’t understand what it takes and everyone is so focused on re-opening. But the end point of re-opening and how successful that is depends on the processes and support you set up. So far, I think they are doing a good job with this and communication of it to families.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

I love how self centered ECE parents are. (We al were, it is an observation not an indictment). Sure 80% of ES school students are not in ECE but to hear ECE parents talk you'd think having a small cohort of PK3 kids going back is somehow a solution for COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love how self centered ECE parents are. (We al were, it is an observation not an indictment). Sure 80% of ES school students are not in ECE but to hear ECE parents talk you'd think having a small cohort of PK3 kids going back is somehow a solution for COVID.

I don’t have a child in ECE but in a language immersion program, absolutely the ECE and younger kids in K and 1st should go back and be top priority. They cannot stay focused on zoom for any extended period of time. It is also not developmentally appropriate.

For the older kids 2nd-5th, they are able to stay more focused.

No one said anything about a complete solution for all the kids at this point. But at least MV has taken definitive steps to start a safe hybrid program in a limited group of kids who are best served with in person learning. I hope that this might help motivate other charters to do the same as the PP above who asked for details so she could push her school.

Once you have a running hybrid program in place for a limited number of students and it does well, then it’s much easier to get buy in from more teachers to expand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love how self centered ECE parents are. (We al were, it is an observation not an indictment). Sure 80% of ES school students are not in ECE but to hear ECE parents talk you'd think having a small cohort of PK3 kids going back is somehow a solution for COVID.

What school are you talking about having a small cohort of prek3 going back?

Why don’t you tell us your school’s name and what, if any, plans do they have to bring the kids back?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how self centered ECE parents are. (We al were, it is an observation not an indictment). Sure 80% of ES school students are not in ECE but to hear ECE parents talk you'd think having a small cohort of PK3 kids going back is somehow a solution for COVID.

I don’t have a child in ECE but in a language immersion program, absolutely the ECE and younger kids in K and 1st should go back and be top priority. They cannot stay focused on zoom for any extended period of time. It is also not developmentally appropriate.

For the older kids 2nd-5th, they are able to stay more focused.

No one said anything about a complete solution for all the kids at this point. But at least MV has taken definitive steps to start a safe hybrid program in a limited group of kids who are best served with in person learning. I hope that this might help motivate other charters to do the same as the PP above who asked for details so she could push her school.

Once you have a running hybrid program in place for a limited number of students and it does well, then it’s much easier to get buy in from more teachers to expand.

It makes no sense to prioritize PK over other grades. K-5 in that order should be the priority of every public school and public charter immersion included. PK is NOT mandatory and shouldn’t be prioritized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A friend said Yu Ying is opening Feb. 16th for hybrid (2 weeks home, 1 week in person). DCI is also planing to bring more kids back next month. If there's a will, there's a way.

YY is 3 weeks home, 1 week in person. I’m surprised they aren’t striving for more in-person time because Chinese is such a difficult language to learn

NP. No, it’s one week in person, 2 weeks virtual. PP is correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how self centered ECE parents are. (We al were, it is an observation not an indictment). Sure 80% of ES school students are not in ECE but to hear ECE parents talk you'd think having a small cohort of PK3 kids going back is somehow a solution for COVID.

I don’t have a child in ECE but in a language immersion program, absolutely the ECE and younger kids in K and 1st should go back and be top priority. They cannot stay focused on zoom for any extended period of time. It is also not developmentally appropriate.

For the older kids 2nd-5th, they are able to stay more focused.

No one said anything about a complete solution for all the kids at this point. But at least MV has taken definitive steps to start a safe hybrid program in a limited group of kids who are best served with in person learning. I hope that this might help motivate other charters to do the same as the PP above who asked for details so she could push her school.

Once you have a running hybrid program in place for a limited number of students and it does well, then it’s much easier to get buy in from more teachers to expand.

It makes no sense to prioritize PK over other grades. K-5 in that order should be the priority of every public school and public charter immersion included. PK is NOT mandatory and shouldn’t be prioritized.

Well they are prioritizing K and 1st also.

You obviously don’t have a child in language immersion, and specifically at MV. Please tell me how a child is going to learn to read and write in K next year when all instruction and learning is given in Spanish, and the child can hardly understand Spanish. It will be very difficult and the children will struggle.

Grade level Spanish proficiency expectations are high at MV, especially starting in 1st. I know this from having a child at MV who did not start in PK.

[Anonymous]

So far it looks like MV and YY moving forward with hybrid live instruction in some form/schedule.

Any other charters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how self centered ECE parents are. (We al were, it is an observation not an indictment). Sure 80% of ES school students are not in ECE but to hear ECE parents talk you'd think having a small cohort of PK3 kids going back is somehow a solution for COVID.

I don’t have a child in ECE but in a language immersion program, absolutely the ECE and younger kids in K and 1st should go back and be top priority. They cannot stay focused on zoom for any extended period of time. It is also not developmentally appropriate.

For the older kids 2nd-5th, they are able to stay more focused.

No one said anything about a complete solution for all the kids at this point. But at least MV has taken definitive steps to start a safe hybrid program in a limited group of kids who are best served with in person learning. I hope that this might help motivate other charters to do the same as the PP above who asked for details so she could push her school.

Once you have a running hybrid program in place for a limited number of students and it does well, then it’s much easier to get buy in from more teachers to expand.

It makes no sense to prioritize PK over other grades. K-5 in that order should be the priority of every public school and public charter immersion included. PK is NOT mandatory and shouldn’t be prioritized.

Well they are prioritizing K and 1st also.

You obviously don’t have a child in language immersion, and specifically at MV. Please tell me how a child is going to learn to read and write in K next year when all instruction and learning is given in Spanish, and the child can hardly understand Spanish. It will be very difficult and the children will struggle.

Grade level Spanish proficiency expectations are high at MV, especially starting in 1st. I know this from having a child at MV who did not start in PK.

Wrong. I have a child in an immersion program and we did not start in PK. What happens to the poor kids in grades 2 -5 who are missing out on live instruction in subjects they are tested on while 3 and 4 year olds get free day care? Mandatory grades should be the priority. Kids start immersion in K and catch up just fine. It’s irresponsible of any public school to prioritize non mandatory grades not to mention it’s harder to enforce good hygiene, social distancing and mask wearing with 3-4 year old kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So far it looks like MV and YY moving forward with hybrid live instruction in some form/schedule.

Any other charters?

Sela is the furthest along. They've had kids in already and are expanding next week to bringing back about a 1/3 of the school full time.