APS: It's too hard to go back 5 days/week

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No district is doing 5 until fall. Not even the ones doing 4.

Falls Church City. April 6. Feet away from Arlington.

Enough with comparing to the tiny FCC district. Its not a fair comparison.

No it’s not. They’re far more competent and thinking about the kids first.

What are the terms of Duran's contract?? Are we just stuck??

Well, I mean, yes. The people you elected are not required to do what you want them to do. Your chance to replace them will come at election time.

Superintendent is not elected. School Board is the elected body and the superintendent is on a contract.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duran needs to set the parameters and let individual principals figure out what works best for their schools. Focusing on elementary schools here b/c I am most familiar and this is the most urgent.
needed parameters
1. return to 5 full days of instruction- with regular school hours, not shortened by an hour and 20 minutes.
2. plan on outdoor lunch when at all feasible, come up with a plan for indoor lunch. such a plan could include;
a. sending 1/2 the class out to the hallway to eat and staggering lunch times by room rather than by grade.
b. sending every other class to the cafeteria, and splitting classes into the other room.
c. use spaces like gym, music room, art room, etc for lunch on these rainy days.
d. purchasing tents.
the point is, there are lots of ways to solve the 'lunch problem' but what the optimum way to solve it is may vary by school.
3. Give principals the flexibility to ditch concurrent teaching and consolidate classes as makes sense.

for transportation;
1. tell them to open the windows mask the kids and fill up the busses. They can assign seats, siblings can sit together. These are short bus rides, they can make it work. Possibly jettison transportation for the option schools if this is the real sticking point.

1) lunch. Sitting in halls is not feasible. Fist there are only air cleaners in currently used classrooms. Halls are smaller enclosed areas at many schools and there is not room to basically line kids up 6-10’ apart and then be unmasked eating with no ventilation. On top of that there isn’t enough supervision. Extended day works we cover lunch right now, 1 per class. Who would also watch 50 kids in the hall spread out over hundreds of feet of hallway?
2)gym is being used for PE. Music room is acting as a classroom at my school. Art room too.
3) we have not started outdoor lunch yet at my school.
4) I agree the buses need higher capacity. 1 kid per seat masked with windows down should be fine.

We are not using all the classrooms at my school building every day but we are using many and the issue is that grades 3-5 require the largest classrooms available and we are mostly sharing them on the alternate days we are I person. I already have 16 in person kids and I don’t think the remaining 4 plan to come back for any reason this year.

I do think K-2 may be able to go back into one space and then do 4 days if the transportation and lunch can be sorted out. Adding additional grades on in person days they normally weren’t there will change the feasibility of lunches and transportation too.

I is pups love to have more in person days with my students- I’m an APS teacher. My job is easier, more effective, and more efficient in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No district is doing 5 until fall. Not even the ones doing 4.

Falls Church City. April 6. Feet away from Arlington.

Enough with comparing to the tiny FCC district. Its not a fair comparison.

Sure they have less buildings but we have more staff, more principals, more admin, more teachers, who can all be working on this. And is the entire damn state of Florida smaller than us? How about 50% of other districts who are open 5 days a week in this country? Are we bigger than all of them or have some sort of special insurmountable issue that none of them did? We are one of the smaller districts and we still can't get it together. We are one of the most funded districts and we still can't get it together. This is a lack of will, period.

This. 1000%

APS also has tons of resources. Tell us what is needed for tents so we can have school 5 days a week with distanced outdoor lunch on rainy days and they will be funded. The PTAs at the rich schools will cover them. Set up a GoFundMe for any school that can't cover it. I bet they'll be fully funded in two days. Plus there are federal funds. This isn't that hard. Elementary schools should be back 5 days a week after spring break. Seriously.

GoFundMe for the schools whose PTAs can't afford it?! So, the rich folks are fine and can go ahead; but to heck with those who can't afford it? How about those rich PTAs buying the necessities for the schools that can't afford them?

Simmer down! PP is saying, where PTAs cannot afford it, set up a go fund me like they did for the earphones and teacher masks. The “rich” parents will end up paying for it all.

I get what was being said. What was being said is, "We'll take care of ours kids and then those who can't can set-up a Go-Fund me account and hope and wait for whomever to fund it. Meanwhile, our kids will have what's needed and hopefully those other schools will eventually get what they need. Meanwhile, we'll just go happily on with our lives, re-initiate our tunnel vision believing everyone's taken care of while those poor PTA schools wait and wait and maybe get what we got our kids." Rather than, "We've got the money. We'll help APS identify what other schools need help getting theirs and pay for theirs, too, or pool our resources with other affluent PTAs and make sure all the schools (ie children) are taken care of like ours."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Inside … outside. Hybrid … virtual. No matter what side you debate I think everyone can agree that APS has done a horrific job. I gave them a pass last spring. I gave them a VERY reluctant pass this fall. But now even our principal is writing in the weekly newsletter "As we wrap up the school year, …"

It is March for crying out loud. They don't even pretend that that want to educate our children. Top to bottom, it is REALLY bad.

can we get Duran fired somehow for complete mismanagement throughout the pandemic?

Arguably the worst part was before his tenure

That's really not all that arguable. It's quite clear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who would have sent my kids back for 5 days/week last fall, I have to say I knew this was not going to happen this school year. This would have meant that APS had a plan at the ready that just hinged on CDC guidance changing to 3'. WHO guidance has already said this, since last summer, and when there was even discussion about changing from 6' to 3' at that time people went ballistic. APS at that time was working hard to make a plan to teach virtually since this was something they did not even attempt in the spring. They have then taken months and months just to come up with concurrent.

I am also concerned about the fall. Planning for 5 days/week of in-person summer school is encouraging although plenty of kids who have struggled this year won't qualify, as PPs have said. Meanwhile there is still a loud crowd of parents who, while appearing to be smaller and smaller, are not going to stop until their kids have a fully virtual education which in every way matches in-person (i.e. if they do an option school, they want virtual school but with all of the benefits of their option school).

The one area in which I am a little encouraged is that the Board last night seemed to push back on some of what was being claimed by Duran. I generally like Duran (not saying I like or agree with his every decision, but I think he has done well in a nightmare scenario in which it is impossible to please even a sliver of the different factions). But I think we do need SB members who will push a bit and ask questions instead of just cheering for the APS teachers and staff.

I agree with everything you said, pp.

I am deeply concerned and could not sleep last night because I am wildly unclear on several points:

1. Having to return from Virtual to Hybrid to Full In Person was always a natural outgrowth of the initial choices to shift to virtual and then hybrid. This is the consequence. It was inevitable that there would eventually have to be a return to in person. To even pretend otherwise or as though there was no need to be prepared is just flat out stupid. Resisting or not fully embracing the need to offer APS children as much education as possible with the time remaining in this school year is foolish and short sighted.

2. What will be radically different between now and fall? COVID will still be here. Transportation issues and distancing will still be the challenges and realities we are facing. This is just passing the buck, and honestly makes me wonder if Duran just plans resign or something and has no intentions of trying to tackle this.

Duran will likely be retired or on his way to retiring when the youngest learners who have been impacted by this nightmare are grappling with college applications and how to make their way in the adult world. This lost year will not be inconsequential. And I regret that he will be likely far enough removed away from it all to not feel the intense sting of the repercussions of these decisions.

I agree with you both completely. Who are you supporting for SB? Assuming you’re a Democrat.

I’m one of those PPs. I’m not registered with any party affiliation and never have been but lean way left. I actually think Arlington Dems should stay out of the school board race. Most of their members do not have kids in APS and have not for decades, if ever. Not committed to either of the SB candidates yet but I think that discussion of full-time, in-person school has to be top priority. I was glad to hear some pushback this week from Kanninen and Priddy. For much of the last year the Board meetings have been cheering sessions for how great they’re doing (and, they’re not doing great).

That's not true. BK's son graduated fairly recently. NVD's kids are not "decades" out either. DP and MO have kids in right now. RG is probably the farthest from APS parent days and CDT is the only one I recall during my APS tenure (12 years now) who has not had any children, let alone children in APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No district is doing 5 until fall. Not even the ones doing 4.

Falls Church City. April 6. Feet away from Arlington.

Enough with comparing to the tiny FCC district. Its not a fair comparison.

Sure they have less buildings but we have more staff, more principals, more admin, more teachers, who can all be working on this. And is the entire damn state of Florida smaller than us? How about 50% of other districts who are open 5 days a week in this country? Are we bigger than all of them or have some sort of special insurmountable issue that none of them did? We are one of the smaller districts and we still can't get it together. We are one of the most funded districts and we still can't get it together. This is a lack of will, period.

This. 1000%

APS also has tons of resources. Tell us what is needed for tents so we can have school 5 days a week with distanced outdoor lunch on rainy days and they will be funded. The PTAs at the rich schools will cover them. Set up a GoFundMe for any school that can't cover it. I bet they'll be fully funded in two days. Plus there are federal funds. This isn't that hard. Elementary schools should be back 5 days a week after spring break. Seriously.

GoFundMe for the schools whose PTAs can't afford it?! So, the rich folks are fine and can go ahead; but to heck with those who can't afford it? How about those rich PTAs buying the necessities for the schools that can't afford them?

Simmer down! PP is saying, where PTAs cannot afford it, set up a go fund me like they did for the earphones and teacher masks. The “rich” parents will end up paying for it all.

I get what was being said. What was being said is, "We'll take care of ours kids and then those who can't can set-up a Go-Fund me account and hope and wait for whomever to fund it. Meanwhile, our kids will have what's needed and hopefully those other schools will eventually get what they need. Meanwhile, we'll just go happily on with our lives, re-initiate our tunnel vision believing everyone's taken care of while those poor PTA schools wait and wait and maybe get what we got our kids." Rather than, "We've got the money. We'll help APS identify what other schools need help getting theirs and pay for theirs, too, or pool our resources with other affluent PTAs and make sure all the schools (ie children) are taken care of like ours."

That's not what was said. All of the schools should get adequate funding for tents before reopening. It will just happen via different mechanisms.

[Anonymous]

I have kids in middle school and elementary school. I respectfully disagree with the PPs that elementary school is the worst off. Yes, elementary school is bad -- but you still have years to catch up. There is so much overlap between what the teach one grade versus the next and you as a parent can help your kid succeed if you have the time to do so. You can read with your kid and teach them basic math. In middle school and high school, there isn't time to catch up anymore. You only learn a subject for one year -- particularly in math and science-- where the classes are cumulative. Most parents don't remember geometry or pre-calc or trig or calc well enough to help their kids with it anymore. It is extremely important that they have a plan for all grade levels, and even though the loudest voices are in elementary, we should really keep in mind that everyone is getting equally screwed here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have kids in middle school and elementary school. I respectfully disagree with the PPs that elementary school is the worst off. Yes, elementary school is bad -- but you still have years to catch up. There is so much overlap between what the teach one grade versus the next and you as a parent can help your kid succeed if you have the time to do so. You can read with your kid and teach them basic math. In middle school and high school, there isn't time to catch up anymore. You only learn a subject for one year -- particularly in math and science-- where the classes are cumulative. Most parents don't remember geometry or pre-calc or trig or calc well enough to help their kids with it anymore. It is extremely important that they have a plan for all grade levels, and even though the loudest voices are in elementary, we should really keep in mind that everyone is getting equally screwed here.

Yep, pretty much everyone is screwed. My HS senior has learned a bit this year but it's a miserable experience. She's just hanging on until June. Neither of us have any hope that anything will change before then. Luckily we're done with this circus soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No district is doing 5 until fall. Not even the ones doing 4.

Falls Church City. April 6. Feet away from Arlington.

Enough with comparing to the tiny FCC district. Its not a fair comparison.

Sure they have less buildings but we have more staff, more principals, more admin, more teachers, who can all be working on this. And is the entire damn state of Florida smaller than us? How about 50% of other districts who are open 5 days a week in this country? Are we bigger than all of them or have some sort of special insurmountable issue that none of them did? We are one of the smaller districts and we still can't get it together. We are one of the most funded districts and we still can't get it together. This is a lack of will, period.

This. 1000%

APS also has tons of resources. Tell us what is needed for tents so we can have school 5 days a week with distanced outdoor lunch on rainy days and they will be funded. The PTAs at the rich schools will cover them. Set up a GoFundMe for any school that can't cover it. I bet they'll be fully funded in two days. Plus there are federal funds. This isn't that hard. Elementary schools should be back 5 days a week after spring break. Seriously.

GoFundMe for the schools whose PTAs can't afford it?! So, the rich folks are fine and can go ahead; but to heck with those who can't afford it? How about those rich PTAs buying the necessities for the schools that can't afford them?

Simmer down! PP is saying, where PTAs cannot afford it, set up a go fund me like they did for the earphones and teacher masks. The “rich” parents will end up paying for it all.

I get what was being said. What was being said is, "We'll take care of ours kids and then those who can't can set-up a Go-Fund me account and hope and wait for whomever to fund it. Meanwhile, our kids will have what's needed and hopefully those other schools will eventually get what they need. Meanwhile, we'll just go happily on with our lives, re-initiate our tunnel vision believing everyone's taken care of while those poor PTA schools wait and wait and maybe get what we got our kids." Rather than, "We've got the money. We'll help APS identify what other schools need help getting theirs and pay for theirs, too, or pool our resources with other affluent PTAs and make sure all the schools (ie children) are taken care of like ours."

That's not what was said. All of the schools should get adequate funding for tents before reopening. It will just happen via different mechanisms.

and in likely very different timeframes. A PTA already with the funds can get it done now. a GoFundMe effort may take time and may never raise the necessary amount.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have kids in middle school and elementary school. I respectfully disagree with the PPs that elementary school is the worst off. Yes, elementary school is bad -- but you still have years to catch up. There is so much overlap between what the teach one grade versus the next and you as a parent can help your kid succeed if you have the time to do so. You can read with your kid and teach them basic math. In middle school and high school, there isn't time to catch up anymore. You only learn a subject for one year -- particularly in math and science-- where the classes are cumulative. Most parents don't remember geometry or pre-calc or trig or calc well enough to help their kids with it anymore. It is extremely important that they have a plan for all grade levels, and even though the loudest voices are in elementary, we should really keep in mind that everyone is getting equally screwed here.

Older kids are more contagious and aren't cohorted. Please don't argue to hold up things can be done now for elementary students just because you're jealous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have kids in middle school and elementary school. I respectfully disagree with the PPs that elementary school is the worst off. Yes, elementary school is bad -- but you still have years to catch up. There is so much overlap between what the teach one grade versus the next and you as a parent can help your kid succeed if you have the time to do so. You can read with your kid and teach them basic math. In middle school and high school, there isn't time to catch up anymore. You only learn a subject for one year -- particularly in math and science-- where the classes are cumulative. Most parents don't remember geometry or pre-calc or trig or calc well enough to help their kids with it anymore. It is extremely important that they have a plan for all grade levels, and even though the loudest voices are in elementary, we should really keep in mind that everyone is getting equally screwed here.

Older kids are more contagious and aren't cohorted. Please don't argue to hold up things can be done now for elementary students just because you're jealous.

Yup. It would be great to get more time for the older kids, but the logistics are so much harder because they switch classes and are in adult bodies. Don’t hold up kindergartners because you can’t make a plan for 9th graders.

[Anonymous]

I think we some people need to slow their roll. Five days in fall is fine with me.

https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/virginias-new-covid-19-cases-at-highest-level-in-three-weeks/article_6ad45ad4-8f10-11eb-a68b-db982709b427.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No district is doing 5 until fall. Not even the ones doing 4.

Falls Church City. April 6. Feet away from Arlington.

Enough with comparing to the tiny FCC district. Its not a fair comparison.

Sure they have less buildings but we have more staff, more principals, more admin, more teachers, who can all be working on this. And is the entire damn state of Florida smaller than us? How about 50% of other districts who are open 5 days a week in this country? Are we bigger than all of them or have some sort of special insurmountable issue that none of them did? We are one of the smaller districts and we still can't get it together. We are one of the most funded districts and we still can't get it together. This is a lack of will, period.

This. 1000%

APS also has tons of resources. Tell us what is needed for tents so we can have school 5 days a week with distanced outdoor lunch on rainy days and they will be funded. The PTAs at the rich schools will cover them. Set up a GoFundMe for any school that can't cover it. I bet they'll be fully funded in two days. Plus there are federal funds. This isn't that hard. Elementary schools should be back 5 days a week after spring break. Seriously.

GoFundMe for the schools whose PTAs can't afford it?! So, the rich folks are fine and can go ahead; but to heck with those who can't afford it? How about those rich PTAs buying the necessities for the schools that can't afford them?

Simmer down! PP is saying, where PTAs cannot afford it, set up a go fund me like they did for the earphones and teacher masks. The “rich” parents will end up paying for it all.

I get what was being said. What was being said is, "We'll take care of ours kids and then those who can't can set-up a Go-Fund me account and hope and wait for whomever to fund it. Meanwhile, our kids will have what's needed and hopefully those other schools will eventually get what they need. Meanwhile, we'll just go happily on with our lives, re-initiate our tunnel vision believing everyone's taken care of while those poor PTA schools wait and wait and maybe get what we got our kids." Rather than, "We've got the money. We'll help APS identify what other schools need help getting theirs and pay for theirs, too, or pool our resources with other affluent PTAs and make sure all the schools (ie children) are taken care of like ours."

You’re delusional. The PP said they bet the tents for the underfunded schools will be paid for within 2 days. It’s an all or nothing thing with reopening, no one is suggesting only some rich schools reopen. The point is there is enough strong desire to get schools opened 5 days per week that the parents who can afford it will basically pitch in to buy any and everything that could possibly be needed to make this happen. You just have a stick up your rear and wanted to come off like some savior for the underfunded schools instead of actually using your reading comprehension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No district is doing 5 until fall. Not even the ones doing 4.

Falls Church City. April 6. Feet away from Arlington.

Enough with comparing to the tiny FCC district. Its not a fair comparison.

No it’s not. They’re far more competent and thinking about the kids first.

What are the terms of Duran's contract?? Are we just stuck??

Well, I mean, yes. The people you elected are not required to do what you want them to do. Your chance to replace them will come at election time.

Superintendent is not elected. School Board is the elected body and the superintendent is on a contract.

Wrong. Chance to replace them is during the may caucus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No district is doing 5 until fall. Not even the ones doing 4.

Falls Church City. April 6. Feet away from Arlington.

Enough with comparing to the tiny FCC district. Its not a fair comparison.

Sure they have less buildings but we have more staff, more principals, more admin, more teachers, who can all be working on this. And is the entire damn state of Florida smaller than us? How about 50% of other districts who are open 5 days a week in this country? Are we bigger than all of them or have some sort of special insurmountable issue that none of them did? We are one of the smaller districts and we still can't get it together. We are one of the most funded districts and we still can't get it together. This is a lack of will, period.

This. 1000%

APS also has tons of resources. Tell us what is needed for tents so we can have school 5 days a week with distanced outdoor lunch on rainy days and they will be funded. The PTAs at the rich schools will cover them. Set up a GoFundMe for any school that can't cover it. I bet they'll be fully funded in two days. Plus there are federal funds. This isn't that hard. Elementary schools should be back 5 days a week after spring break. Seriously.

GoFundMe for the schools whose PTAs can't afford it?! So, the rich folks are fine and can go ahead; but to heck with those who can't afford it? How about those rich PTAs buying the necessities for the schools that can't afford them?

Simmer down! PP is saying, where PTAs cannot afford it, set up a go fund me like they did for the earphones and teacher masks. The “rich” parents will end up paying for it all.

I get what was being said. What was being said is, "We'll take care of ours kids and then those who can't can set-up a Go-Fund me account and hope and wait for whomever to fund it. Meanwhile, our kids will have what's needed and hopefully those other schools will eventually get what they need. Meanwhile, we'll just go happily on with our lives, re-initiate our tunnel vision believing everyone's taken care of while those poor PTA schools wait and wait and maybe get what we got our kids." Rather than, "We've got the money. We'll help APS identify what other schools need help getting theirs and pay for theirs, too, or pool our resources with other affluent PTAs and make sure all the schools (ie children) are taken care of like ours."

You’re delusional. The PP said they bet the tents for the underfunded schools will be paid for within 2 days. It’s an all or nothing thing with reopening, no one is suggesting only some rich schools reopen. The point is there is enough strong desire to get schools opened 5 days per week that the parents who can afford it will basically pitch in to buy any and everything that could possibly be needed to make this happen. You just have a stick up your rear and wanted to come off like some savior for the underfunded schools instead of actually using your reading comprehension.

As for your reading comprehension, "betting" does not make it so. It does not guarantee it. It does not make it happen. It's taking care of yourself and then telling others good luck. I'd rather be a "savior" than the selfish entitled one pretending to care, justifying not taking any responsibility for others themselves because they can fundraise for themselves. If those with the resources are happy to wait until everyone else gets enough funding, then fine. I'll expect no complaints while they wait. Or, to reiterate my previous point, they can help directly by purchasing for one of those poor schools while they pay for their own and speed things along for everyone. The stick is yours.