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

[Anonymous]

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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.

Uh, no. Vote for whomever you want as many times as you want in the May caucus. You will see no candidate for superintendent on the ballot. Dr. Duran will continue on until his contract expires or he is fired by the school board. One board member is going to change whether you vote in the caucus or not because an existing member isn't running for a second term.

[Anonymous]

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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.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. I don't mean SB members, I mean members of the Arlington Dems. From local politics and neighborhood issues, my experience has been that they recall an APS from the 1970s-1980s, if they even have kids and/or if their kids attended APS. In an extremely left-leaning area, the argument for having partisan political races just becomes kind of silly. I know there are Republicans in Arlington but it's incredibly unlikely we would wind up with some heavily right-wing school board (or County board) if they were run as non-partisan. My concern is that people are vetted by party affiliation and not because they have any actual ideas about how things are going in APS, and this year, even more so.

[Anonymous]

Who would want this job in this weird county?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who would want this job in this weird county?

Isn't Duran making over $250K with $650/month vehicle stipend? Not too shabby.. Too bad he's horrible at his job.

[Anonymous]

I bet Duran gets canned. Then, good luck to him trying to get another Superintendent job anywhere.

He's making a public embarrassment of himself and APS. APS will be tarnished for his lack of planning and creativity. He should act NOW to fix this or he's going to have a very hard time finding another job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bet Duran gets canned. Then, good luck to him trying to get another Superintendent job anywhere.

He's making a public embarrassment of himself and APS. APS will be tarnished for his lack of planning and creativity. He should act NOW to fix this or he's going to have a very hard time finding another job.

I don’t think he’ll get fired. Too hard to find a new person. He made the classic Arlington mistake of listening to the loudest voices instead of looking at the big picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet Duran gets canned. Then, good luck to him trying to get another Superintendent job anywhere.

He's making a public embarrassment of himself and APS. APS will be tarnished for his lack of planning and creativity. He should act NOW to fix this or he's going to have a very hard time finding another job.

I don’t think he’ll get fired. Too hard to find a new person. He made the classic Arlington mistake of listening to the loudest voices instead of looking at the big picture.

Personally I'm still holding on to SB1303 with the emergency clause getting signed from Northam. Duran is useless. Even if he was listening to the loudest voices, how did he not see that a plan was needed? The meeting last week made it so clear that he's been banking on hiding behind metrics and 6-foot distancing through the end of the school year. He had zero plan to get the kids back in class more. Such a poor leader and just a follower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet Duran gets canned. Then, good luck to him trying to get another Superintendent job anywhere.

He's making a public embarrassment of himself and APS. APS will be tarnished for his lack of planning and creativity. He should act NOW to fix this or he's going to have a very hard time finding another job.

I don’t think he’ll get fired. Too hard to find a new person. He made the classic Arlington mistake of listening to the loudest voices instead of looking at the big picture.

Personally I'm still holding on to SB1303 with the emergency clause getting signed from Northam. Duran is useless. Even if he was listening to the loudest voices, how did he not see that a plan was needed? The meeting last week made it so clear that he's been banking on hiding behind metrics and 6-foot distancing through the end of the school year. He had zero plan to get the kids back in class more. Such a poor leader and just a follower.

You better be calling him AND your legislators today and tomorrow, then. He has to put that emergency clause on by end of day tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet Duran gets canned. Then, good luck to him trying to get another Superintendent job anywhere.

He's making a public embarrassment of himself and APS. APS will be tarnished for his lack of planning and creativity. He should act NOW to fix this or he's going to have a very hard time finding another job.

I don’t think he’ll get fired. Too hard to find a new person. He made the classic Arlington mistake of listening to the loudest voices instead of looking at the big picture.

The loudest voices were APEs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet Duran gets canned. Then, good luck to him trying to get another Superintendent job anywhere.

He's making a public embarrassment of himself and APS. APS will be tarnished for his lack of planning and creativity. He should act NOW to fix this or he's going to have a very hard time finding another job.

I don’t think he’ll get fired. Too hard to find a new person. He made the classic Arlington mistake of listening to the loudest voices instead of looking at the big picture.

The loudest voices were APEs.

Smart Restart, esp ventliation lady, were extremely vocal with strong teacher support. And, I think Duran LOVED Smart Restart because it supported his lack of effort to get kids back in class until 2022.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet Duran gets canned. Then, good luck to him trying to get another Superintendent job anywhere.

He's making a public embarrassment of himself and APS. APS will be tarnished for his lack of planning and creativity. He should act NOW to fix this or he's going to have a very hard time finding another job.

I don’t think he’ll get fired. Too hard to find a new person. He made the classic Arlington mistake of listening to the loudest voices instead of looking at the big picture.

The loudest voices were APEs.

Smart Restart, esp ventliation lady, were extremely vocal with strong teacher support. And, I think Duran LOVED Smart Restart because it supported his lack of effort to get kids back in class until 2022.

And let’s not forget the “One APS” bs in the fall that brought us “robust” full virtual instead of any attempt at hybrid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet Duran gets canned. Then, good luck to him trying to get another Superintendent job anywhere.

He's making a public embarrassment of himself and APS. APS will be tarnished for his lack of planning and creativity. He should act NOW to fix this or he's going to have a very hard time finding another job.

I don’t think he’ll get fired. Too hard to find a new person. He made the classic Arlington mistake of listening to the loudest voices instead of looking at the big picture.

The loudest voices were APEs.

Smart Restart, esp ventliation lady, were extremely vocal with strong teacher support. And, I think Duran LOVED Smart Restart because it supported his lack of effort to get kids back in class until 2022.

And let’s not forget the “One APS” bs in the fall that brought us “robust” full virtual instead of any attempt at hybrid.

Exactly this. I have no idea how Duran and SB fell for that OneAPS horseshit. The very premise that forcing everyone to be DL together was equitable or fair was absurd. DL widens the equity gap. That's the same thinking that got us no instruction in the spring. We need to try to get at least some kids (K-2) but really all elementary and SPED in 5 days a week with real in-person instruction. No babysitters while kids are on devices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet Duran gets canned. Then, good luck to him trying to get another Superintendent job anywhere.

He's making a public embarrassment of himself and APS. APS will be tarnished for his lack of planning and creativity. He should act NOW to fix this or he's going to have a very hard time finding another job.

I don’t think he’ll get fired. Too hard to find a new person. He made the classic Arlington mistake of listening to the loudest voices instead of looking at the big picture.

The loudest voices were APEs.

Smart Restart, esp ventliation lady, were extremely vocal with strong teacher support. And, I think Duran LOVED Smart Restart because it supported his lack of effort to get kids back in class until 2022.

And let’s not forget the “One APS” bs in the fall that brought us “robust” full virtual instead of any attempt at hybrid.

Exactly this. I have no idea how Duran and SB fell for that OneAPS horseshit. The very premise that forcing everyone to be DL together was equitable or fair was absurd. DL widens the equity gap. That's the same thinking that got us no instruction in the spring. We need to try to get at least some kids (K-2) but really all elementary and SPED in 5 days a week with real in-person instruction. No babysitters while kids are on devices.

Its so obvious that DL solves a lot of problems that Duran and the SB prefer not to deal with (mainly Duran and Loft). Completely unacceptable. I even know of some folks that were anti-opening that are starting to realize how pathetic the SB is.

[Anonymous]

Just a post to note that the voices posting in here now are not representative of me or the parents I talk to in APS. Most (though not all) of the APS parents I know are mildly worried about another surge and in any case not looking to get their kids in school more days a week before summer. These are mostly folks who are already working from home and have this year down to a routine and are not keen to play mix up the teachers or have their kids taking additional risks this year just before everyone gets vaccinated, whatever the CDC says about 3 feet.

But comment after comment in here is parent with a pitchfork and a clear agenda. Okay, but that's not what I'm seeing among my friends fwiw.

[Anonymous]

My friends and I are parents of middle schoolers and above, though, so YMMV as a parent of an elementary school child.