Organizing to lobby DC to allow larger class sizes under Phase 2/3

[Anonymous]

Responding to the original poster: I think it would be smart to open schools with larger class sizes, and there does need to be more of a lobby for this point of view. DCPS could make it a priority in it's budget wherever possible to keep class sizes to a minimum (if it aims for 20 students per classroom, kids could still have probably four/five feet between them). In France schools were made a priority. France recently abolished the hybrid model and simply changed the recommendation of six feet of distance between children to three feet of distance - same in Australia, China and other countries. There seems to be a consensus building that opening schools is not a big source of spread for covid. Having n95 masks for the teachers is a good idea. That being said I really do sympathize with teachers, but for some this will at least allow for a full time childcare option. The kids are really losing out with the current scenario, and as people have pointed out there is no guarantee of a vaccine meaning that this situation could be our new reality for the foreseeable future. Also whatever dcps decides will impact private and parochial schools. Many people depend on employment related to schools and on the schools for childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Responding to the original poster: I think it would be smart to open schools with larger class sizes, and there does need to be more of a lobby for this point of view. DCPS could make it a priority in it's budget wherever possible to keep class sizes to a minimum (if it aims for 20 students per classroom, kids could still have probably four/five feet between them). In France schools were made a priority. France recently abolished the hybrid model and simply changed the recommendation of six feet of distance between children to three feet of distance - same in Australia, China and other countries. There seems to be a consensus building that opening schools is not a big source of spread for covid. Having n95 masks for the teachers is a good idea. That being said I really do sympathize with teachers, but for some this will at least allow for a full time childcare option. The kids are really losing out with the current scenario, and as people have pointed out there is no guarantee of a vaccine meaning that this situation could be our new reality for the foreseeable future. Also whatever dcps decides will impact private and parochial schools. Many people depend on employment related to schools and on the schools for childcare.

Have you been in classroom in the last 10 years? My classroom every kid is within one foot of another and we have 22. We don’t have desks we have tables. In fact it’s 4 to a table. There is not a single classroom in my school that has individual desks. Please have some common sense before you post that.

[Anonymous]

Loudon County announces two days in person three days distance learning. Start making plans parents.

[Anonymous]

I 100 percent disagree with the original poster and am lobbying DC to keep our children and the adults in their lives safe.

[Anonymous]

Our principal said that with 12 children in the classroom the children are six feet apart. That means with 20 they would be 4/5 feet apart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our principal said that with 12 children in the classroom the children are six feet apart. That means with 20 they would be 4/5 feet apart.

Your school must have desks. There is no way kids can sit at a table and be 4-5 feet apart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which training made sure we are compliant with IDEA??? The 2 hour OSSE webinar where they told us to make a distance learning plan? That’s compliance?
We will be back- in August. Start figuring out how to go back to work. Or, quit and let folks who want to teach do the job.

PP here
Yes, the individualized distance learning plan. They stated in I think the 40 min one we also had to take that this will keep us compliant with IDEA.

Not sure why you're surprised if you're also a sped teacher. All students get the short end of the stick but especially sped kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loudon County announces two days in person three days distance learning. Start making plans parents.

I looked at their plan after reading your post, and I actually find their planning very reassuring. They are clearly thinking it through. I hope DCPS will be similarly thorough when they share their plan.

[Anonymous]

How many people do you know who have died from Covid19? I know more than a dozen and the lives lost are at the front of my mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Responding to the original poster: I think it would be smart to open schools with larger class sizes, and there does need to be more of a lobby for this point of view. DCPS could make it a priority in it's budget wherever possible to keep class sizes to a minimum (if it aims for 20 students per classroom, kids could still have probably four/five feet between them). In France schools were made a priority. France recently abolished the hybrid model and simply changed the recommendation of six feet of distance between children to three feet of distance - same in Australia, China and other countries. There seems to be a consensus building that opening schools is not a big source of spread for covid. Having n95 masks for the teachers is a good idea. That being said I really do sympathize with teachers, but for some this will at least allow for a full time childcare option. The kids are really losing out with the current scenario, and as people have pointed out there is no guarantee of a vaccine meaning that this situation could be our new reality for the foreseeable future. Also whatever dcps decides will impact private and parochial schools. Many people depend on employment related to schools and on the schools for childcare.

How many square feet does a classroom have to be to get 20 kids 4-5 feet apart? My room is 20x25 feet. Desks are two feet wide. Please, lay it out for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lobby away. Dcps is just following health guidelines set by DC Health.

But DCPS and the teachers union aren't innovating like they could. Not at all. Come on, in the Nordic countries and Germany, elementary school classes are often taking place outside, e.g. in public parks. No way will the teachers unions permit that in this country. I bet you're going to see charter schools take the lead in keeping learning rolling in the fall, not DCPS. I see charter innovation during the pandemic pushing the District over the cliff into greater enrollment in charters than in DCPS for the first time, within the next two years. I'm not a charter booster, but with elementary school-age kids in DCPS facing 1-2 days a week of in-person learning in the fall, I might become one if local friends with kids in charters are getting considerably more in-person learning than we are (and I bet they will find a way).

Our unionized school is innovating in exactly that way. But that can expand capacity only marginally -- for instance, did you know that there are periods of inclimate weather? Seriously, teachers are supposed to educate our children in 45 degree weather? How well would you learn in that environment?

Leaving aside that the fall is when we should be MORE CAUTIOUS given that modeling predicts a resurgence then.

To echo a previous poster, you can't lobby, sue, or petition a virus. Use your heads people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lobby away. Dcps is just following health guidelines set by DC Health.

But DCPS and the teachers union aren't innovating like they could. Not at all. Come on, in the Nordic countries and Germany, elementary school classes are often taking place outside, e.g. in public parks. No way will the teachers unions permit that in this country. I bet you're going to see charter schools take the lead in keeping learning rolling in the fall, not DCPS. I see charter innovation during the pandemic pushing the District over the cliff into greater enrollment in charters than in DCPS for the first time, within the next two years. I'm not a charter booster, but with elementary school-age kids in DCPS facing 1-2 days a week of in-person learning in the fall, I might become one if local friends with kids in charters are getting considerably more in-person learning than we are (and I bet they will find a way).

Our unionized school is innovating in exactly that way. But that can expand capacity only marginally -- for instance, did you know that there are periods of inclimate weather? Seriously, teachers are supposed to educate our children in 45 degree weather? How well would you learn in that environment?

Leaving aside that the fall is when we should be MORE CAUTIOUS given that modeling predicts a resurgence then.

To echo a previous poster, you can't lobby, sue, or petition a virus. Use your heads people.

ignore this booster of holding classes outside. They are some white knight riding in to tell us that we are not innovative because they think teachers are too stupid to innovate or sheep just following along with admin. My school is innovating and teachers are doing it. Posts that try to raise the scare of charters versus DCPS aren't enough to move people to consider some oddball idea as being innovative.

[Anonymous]

educatedc wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

educatedc wrote:Per the ReOpen guidelines, schools, under each of Phase 2 and 3 must limit class sizes to 10, inclusive of the teachers, so really a max of 8 or 9. Restaurants and bars are allowed much more. Gatherings up to 250 are permitted. DC has chosen bars/restaurants over schools - no surprises that the school system is a failed system.

Schools cannot educate under these constraints - public schools are far worse off due to higher class sizes. The alternative is to sit your child alone at home on zoom - numerous studies have demonstrated this to be ineffective, and developmentally, lead to diminished social capacity.

DC Government needs to be heavily lobbied, and if that doesn't work, suing DC to revoke Mayor Bowser's order, which she has issued on shaky legal ground.

I am a lawyer, but more importantly, a parent. Anyone interested send an email to [e-mail] to get a group started.

[e-mail] is also posting the same message on the private school forum.

Weird flex, bro.

Yeah - this impacts everyone - why let the mayor implement a policy that, frankly, private schools have the financial resources to navigate, further exacerbating inequality?

Sounds like educateddc wants to use public school parents to break the restrictions to benefit the privates.

[Anonymous]

Privates and public share the predicament because both mist comply with the rules. It is logical to involve parents from both communities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lobby away. Dcps is just following health guidelines set by DC Health.

But DCPS and the teachers union aren't innovating like they could. Not at all. Come on, in the Nordic countries and Germany, elementary school classes are often taking place outside, e.g. in public parks. No way will the teachers unions permit that in this country. I bet you're going to see charter schools take the lead in keeping learning rolling in the fall, not DCPS. I see charter innovation during the pandemic pushing the District over the cliff into greater enrollment in charters than in DCPS for the first time, within the next two years. I'm not a charter booster, but with elementary school-age kids in DCPS facing 1-2 days a week of in-person learning in the fall, I might become one if local friends with kids in charters are getting considerably more in-person learning than we are (and I bet they will find a way).

Our unionized school is innovating in exactly that way. But that can expand capacity only marginally -- for instance, did you know that there are periods of inclimate weather? Seriously, teachers are supposed to educate our children in 45 degree weather? How well would you learn in that environment?

Leaving aside that the fall is when we should be MORE CAUTIOUS given that modeling predicts a resurgence then.

To echo a previous poster, you can't lobby, sue, or petition a virus. Use your heads people.

Lots to be learned from the detailed plans of US Universities who are tuition dependent and also need their high revenue sports teams to play to earn the Millions for the school that they do every year ( just google any university) And no one is being allowed to defer:

Ironic that HS seniors are being treated like they are a risk to their HS teachers, while just a few months later ( June 15th at Univ of Michigan ) those same 18 year olds are being brought to campus to train for fall football, and covid tested regularly, cohorted together: https://mgoblue.com/news/2020/6/15/general-michigan-athletics-announces-process-for-student-athlete-return-to-sports.aspx

In other words, the economics demanded colleges open so suddenly they are finding all the data in the WORLD to show every state official why IT IS SAFE

Also, for those worried about the cold: standard Uni plan in every US school is :
students go home for Thanksgiving and then take finals at home in early December, not return until January
same thing in Spring : no Spring Break ( sorry Lauderdale ) , just go home in April/ finals early May