I don’t like the new concurrent plan (FCPS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like it a lot. I hope they get it off the ground.

+1

I emailed my school board members and the at large members and told them this. I'll email again this week and repeat that the concurrent plan sounds good and say how poorly my kid is doing right now, academically and emotionally, with DL.

Cool. I just did the opposite. Not so much as "oppose" concurrent but urged a slow approach that doesn't punish DL kids by taking away their teachers (and some other concerns), as some on here seem to be suggesting. Looks like I'll be doing that on the regular until a decision is make.
Thanks for the reminder.

So that’s what is really going on, dl folks are unhappy. Buckle up folks, it is all downhill for dl from here.

Of course it's downhill. It WILL end at some point, and I'm ok with that. But, in the interim, if you think for one minute I'll accept a substandard DL experience for my child while you rush yours out the door, you can think again.

And I said that if you thought you could keep my HS senior home because you were okay with DL for your kids you can think again. You won’t have a choice. The Board does not GAF about what parents want. If you like it up to now, great. But no one is going to be happy at all points this year.

Your HS senior is home . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do think that the school board needs to stop treating this as all the grades must do the same thing. Concurrent is the only option for HS. The hybrid plan staffing not working for HSs was why Brabrand said DL only for all. Whether ES goes with the previous hybrid plan or the concurrent plan or some mix probably depends on how the pilot goes and how the shools are set up, but the two should be considered separately. Thigs that would work in HS/MS like a teacher teaching from home while an IA monitors the class if needed would work for HS/MS but are entirely inappropriate for ES (or st least the younger grades of ES)

I also agree with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like it a lot. I hope they get it off the ground.

+1

I emailed my school board members and the at large members and told them this. I'll email again this week and repeat that the concurrent plan sounds good and say how poorly my kid is doing right now, academically and emotionally, with DL.

Cool. I just did the opposite. Not so much as "oppose" concurrent but urged a slow approach that doesn't punish DL kids by taking away their teachers (and some other concerns), as some on here seem to be suggesting. Looks like I'll be doing that on the regular until a decision is make.
Thanks for the reminder.

A slow approach? A SLOW APPROACH?!? February is too fast for you? What?!?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

TBH K-2 is such a failure online that any number of in-person instructional hours will be an improvement. And both Brabrand and the school board know it. That said, they need to get this age group back in classrooms full time ASAP. We're watching a slow motion educational and societal disaster unfold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

The hours T-F look about the same to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

The hours T-F look about the same to me.

I am guessing the "sample" is just that... and schools will create their own schedule. I feel like DS is getting more time than in the original "sample" schedules coming into Distance Learning too.

I am not crazy about the concurrent plan but after another asynchronous Monday, it is going to be FAR superior to 3 asynchronous days. Today sucked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like it a lot. I hope they get it off the ground.

+1

I emailed my school board members and the at large members and told them this. I'll email again this week and repeat that the concurrent plan sounds good and say how poorly my kid is doing right now, academically and emotionally, with DL.

Cool. I just did the opposite. Not so much as "oppose" concurrent but urged a slow approach that doesn't punish DL kids by taking away their teachers (and some other concerns), as some on here seem to be suggesting. Looks like I'll be doing that on the regular until a decision is make.
Thanks for the reminder.

So that’s what is really going on, dl folks are unhappy. Buckle up folks, it is all downhill for dl from here.

Of course it's downhill. It WILL end at some point, and I'm ok with that. But, in the interim, if you think for one minute I'll accept a substandard DL experience for my child while you rush yours out the door, you can think again.

It won’t be substandard, but the focus is going to be on transitioning to in person. You’ll have to deal just like everyone else had to deal with dL they felt was substandard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

Almost 2 hrs of independent desk work with 5 or 6 yos? Centers at home too? Or kids at home expected to do different stuff? This is why especially K-2 parents want dedicated online teachers for the kids who are doing full time DL. For the kids in person you can consider the afternoon they're online a wash because they'll get the same thing the day they're in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

Almost 2 hrs of independent desk work with 5 or 6 yos? Centers at home too? Or kids at home expected to do different stuff? This is why especially K-2 parents want dedicated online teachers for the kids who are doing full time DL. For the kids in person you can consider the afternoon they're online a wash because they'll get the same thing the day they're in person.

You rotate around. Sometimes you’re with the teacher, sometimes you’re around the room at different centers, sometimes you’re at your seat.
They can probably do the centers at home too. They’ll probably have to be boring ones like asynchronous time now so everyone can do it - like read, write, draw, ST math, have MYON read you a book aloud. This is why we need people to use their brains and try to come up solutions not just complain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

Almost 2 hrs of independent desk work with 5 or 6 yos? Centers at home too? Or kids at home expected to do different stuff? This is why especially K-2 parents want dedicated online teachers for the kids who are doing full time DL. For the kids in person you can consider the afternoon they're online a wash because they'll get the same thing the day they're in person.

You rotate around. Sometimes you’re with the teacher, sometimes you’re around the room at different centers, sometimes you’re at your seat.
They can probably do the centers at home too. They’ll probably have to be boring ones like asynchronous time now so everyone can do it - like read, write, draw, ST math, have MYON read you a book aloud. This is why we need people to use their brains and try to come up solutions not just complain.

It seems like my 2nd grader's teacher has spent a lot of time basically setting up online LA and math centers, preparing for when students will go back in to the building and also working at home. Obviously she didn't know that concurrent would be the form of hybrid but she's well prepared for it already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

Almost 2 hrs of independent desk work with 5 or 6 yos? Centers at home too? Or kids at home expected to do different stuff? This is why especially K-2 parents want dedicated online teachers for the kids who are doing full time DL. For the kids in person you can consider the afternoon they're online a wash because they'll get the same thing the day they're in person.

You rotate around. Sometimes you’re with the teacher, sometimes you’re around the room at different centers, sometimes you’re at your seat.
They can probably do the centers at home too. They’ll probably have to be boring ones like asynchronous time now so everyone can do it - like read, write, draw, ST math, have MYON read you a book aloud. This is why we need people to use their brains and try to come up solutions not just complain.

I've used my brain. They're not going to encourage kids to rotate around the room and use shared materials. Many of the classrooms barely have enough space to do 6ft distancing with just desks, let alone additional space for stations. They're not going to be able to expect the kids in person in K-2 to be taking laptops back and forth each day. Kids at home will be expected to do 30 min of ST math while kids in person get 30 min of actual math activities. Would you be as okay with that if they said instead kids in person would get 2 hrs of recess or extra PE while kids at home get small group and other learning activities every day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else noticed that the sample K-2 schedule for concurrent learning has even fewer instructional hours than we are getting now? PLUS possible nothing at all on Mondays?

Slide 38:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BUEMCE5A1525/$file/ReturntoSchoolUpdate10_15_20.pdf

Also they basically end up with 1:30-3:20 as "small group" or "independent activities" is that even realistic for K-2? How does the teacher effectively run a small group with students online and interact with them while kids are in the classroom screen free but socially distanced entertaining themselves for almost 2 hrs. I've never been a teacher but at home with my K-2 that would require bribing and probably videos to watch. Seeing that I can understand why teachers are freaking out.

There can be centers and independent work at desks when your group is not meeting with the teacher. That is the standard language arts blocks even during non pandemic times in the lower grades. They don’t even need to re-invent the wheel.

Almost 2 hrs of independent desk work with 5 or 6 yos? Centers at home too? Or kids at home expected to do different stuff? This is why especially K-2 parents want dedicated online teachers for the kids who are doing full time DL. For the kids in person you can consider the afternoon they're online a wash because they'll get the same thing the day they're in person.

You rotate around. Sometimes you’re with the teacher, sometimes you’re around the room at different centers, sometimes you’re at your seat.
They can probably do the centers at home too. They’ll probably have to be boring ones like asynchronous time now so everyone can do it - like read, write, draw, ST math, have MYON read you a book aloud. This is why we need people to use their brains and try to come up solutions not just complain.

I've used my brain. They're not going to encourage kids to rotate around the room and use shared materials. Many of the classrooms barely have enough space to do 6ft distancing with just desks, let alone additional space for stations. They're not going to be able to expect the kids in person in K-2 to be taking laptops back and forth each day. Kids at home will be expected to do 30 min of ST math while kids in person get 30 min of actual math activities. Would you be as okay with that if they said instead kids in person would get 2 hrs of recess or extra PE while kids at home get small group and other learning activities every day?

I’m fully picking in person for social reasons and yes would be ok with recess. I support play based learning for all ages. I also think social skills are just important for a future job as academic skills.

I was also a teacher before I went to law school.