APS VPL is a dumpster fire

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you can't just sign up for VV now. They have deadlines.

Sounds like you have the option of homeschool or private online school. That's the only options that parents who wanted in-person education last year had until March (which was ALWAYS the majority of APS kids). Last year, those 15,000+ kids were left with "virtually" nothing. I have very little sympathy for these parents wanting their 10 or so non-medical kids to attend school online after so many kids suffered last year (and I'm sure the majority of these same parents wanting virtual school now also wanted schools closed last year).

Virtual Virginia's spring registration is open now so they can start there in January.
https://www.virtualvirginia.org/21-22-reg/

So much for saying you just wanted a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS FOIA office just confirmed:
* VLP enrollment is only 2.7% of student body as of August 31 (739 of 26,911 students) (4.4% decline in total enrollment since June 2020 and 9.9% under projected enrollment (last done in January 2019))
* VLP enrollment was 3.0% of student body as of August 5 (786 of 26,420 students)

Thus, during the absolute height of the "delta surge", the virtual enrollment shrank in actual numbers (-47) while almost 500 more students enrolled at APS during the same time period, shrinking from 3.0% to 2.7% of total enrollment.

You're forgetting that they were only letting students leave the VLP, no students (except new to APS) were permitted to switch from in-person to VLP. So the program had no option but to shrink.

NOT true at all. If you have a medical reason you are allowed in. This is such a small population regardless. There are not droves of families trying to get into VPL. SO much money for less than 800 kids. Wow.

We and a handful of families we know have been trying to get into the virtual program for the better part of the past 8 weeks. We don’t qualify under their medical exemption category, but we have been watching Delta and the situation with children and schools, and we are uncomfortable with sending our child to her in person public school. We selected in person back in May or June or whenever it was, because education is really important to us and we wanted her im school. At the time, we were super optimistic with cases falling and vaccine uptake high. Over the course of watching things develop this summer, we became much less comfortable. If we had to choose now, we would pick virtual. Despite multiple phone calls, and efforts to argue our case, we can’t get in. I suspect, just based on my personal experience and talking with other families who are our friends, that we aren’t alone. We are just trapped now in in person unless we pull entirely to home school.

The government can't cater to a "handful" of families' fears, such that they irrationally want their children to be in school online for no medical reason (which has been proven to be an inferior form of education). COVID is less than a flu level risk for healthy children and we don't do such things for the flu. Those kids with medical risks (i.e., greater than flu level risk) do have the option to go back in.

Virtual Virginia's fall registration window was open until July 15th, which would have been in the 8-week time period you were discussing. If you really were that scared, you would have sent them to Virtual Virginia.

It was at the beginning of the time our concern grew and well before the public school laid out the full extent of its very basic Covid protocols. My point was simply that it’s not accurate to say no one wants it and enrollment is declining. It was set up in such a way as to make it unattractive and then they are refusing to open it to more students who do want it given today’s conditions. Also, the money is already spent/allocated for it, so why do you care if my kid uses it? In fact, fewer in person kids would make in person school safer for your kid and less crowded for your kid. Lastly, it’s not the same as the flu. It’s a once in a 100 year global pandemic. But again, you are good with in person, so fine, do that. Why do you care if my kid is in a virtual program that theoretically already exists? Now, the question of whether $10 million or whatever dollars spent on it was money well spent if there are no teachers and kids have no classes is a separate issue. I agree that people should be fired if that’s the case.

1) The money is not all "already spent." Most of that money in the ARP chart is for FTE. With the staffing problems, there's a major lack of FTE and they're paying subs and 3rd party providers on a temporary basis.

2) School is safe. The science is clear. Reducing the amount of children in school will just decrease the already extremely tiny risk by a non-significant amount.

3) It's actually much less harmful to healthy children than the flu. And there are vaccines available for anyone over 12 (so this "once in a 100 year pandemic" statement is irrelevant).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you can't just sign up for VV now. They have deadlines.

Sounds like you have the option of homeschool or private online school. That's the only options that parents who wanted in-person education last year had until March (which was ALWAYS the majority of APS kids). Last year, those 15,000+ kids were left with "virtually" nothing. I have very little sympathy for these parents wanting their 10 or so non-medical kids to attend school online after so many kids suffered last year (and I'm sure the majority of these same parents wanting virtual school now also wanted schools closed last year).

Virtual Virginia's spring registration is open now so they can start there in January.
https://www.virtualvirginia.org/21-22-reg/

So much for saying you just wanted a choice.

Those who actually need the program do have a choice - children with certified medical reasons can switch to the virtual program at any time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS FOIA office just confirmed:
* VLP enrollment is only 2.7% of student body as of August 31 (739 of 26,911 students) (4.4% decline in total enrollment since June 2020 and 9.9% under projected enrollment (last done in January 2019))
* VLP enrollment was 3.0% of student body as of August 5 (786 of 26,420 students)

Thus, during the absolute height of the "delta surge", the virtual enrollment shrank in actual numbers (-47) while almost 500 more students enrolled at APS during the same time period, shrinking from 3.0% to 2.7% of total enrollment.

You're forgetting that they were only letting students leave the VLP, no students (except new to APS) were permitted to switch from in-person to VLP. So the program had no option but to shrink.

NOT true at all. If you have a medical reason you are allowed in. This is such a small population regardless. There are not droves of families trying to get into VPL. SO much money for less than 800 kids. Wow.

We and a handful of families we know have been trying to get into the virtual program for the better part of the past 8 weeks. We don’t qualify under their medical exemption category, but we have been watching Delta and the situation with children and schools, and we are uncomfortable with sending our child to her in person public school. We selected in person back in May or June or whenever it was, because education is really important to us and we wanted her im school. At the time, we were super optimistic with cases falling and vaccine uptake high. Over the course of watching things develop this summer, we became much less comfortable. If we had to choose now, we would pick virtual. Despite multiple phone calls, and efforts to argue our case, we can’t get in. I suspect, just based on my personal experience and talking with other families who are our friends, that we aren’t alone. We are just trapped now in in person unless we pull entirely to home school.

The government can't cater to a "handful" of families' fears, such that they irrationally want their children to be in school online for no medical reason (which has been proven to be an inferior form of education). COVID is less than a flu level risk for healthy children and we don't do such things for the flu. Those kids with medical risks (i.e., greater than flu level risk) do have the option to go back in.

Virtual Virginia's fall registration window was open until July 15th, which would have been in the 8-week time period you were discussing. If you really were that scared, you would have sent them to Virtual Virginia.

It was at the beginning of the time our concern grew and well before the public school laid out the full extent of its very basic Covid protocols. My point was simply that it’s not accurate to say no one wants it and enrollment is declining. It was set up in such a way as to make it unattractive and then they are refusing to open it to more students who do want it given today’s conditions. Also, the money is already spent/allocated for it, so why do you care if my kid uses it? In fact, fewer in person kids would make in person school safer for your kid and less crowded for your kid. Lastly, it’s not the same as the flu. It’s a once in a 100 year global pandemic. But again, you are good with in person, so fine, do that. Why do you care if my kid is in a virtual program that theoretically already exists? Now, the question of whether $10 million or whatever dollars spent on it was money well spent if there are no teachers and kids have no classes is a separate issue. I agree that people should be fired if that’s the case.

1) The money is not all "already spent." Most of that money in the ARP chart is for FTE. With the staffing problems, there's a major lack of FTE and they're paying subs and 3rd party providers on a temporary basis.

2) School is safe. The science is clear. Reducing the amount of children in school will just decrease the already extremely tiny risk by a non-significant amount.

3) It's actually much less harmful to healthy children than the flu. And there are vaccines available for anyone over 12 (so this "once in a 100 year pandemic" statement is irrelevant).

Still pushing that flu thing huh? It's ok, when someone says that it's a signal not to take them seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS FOIA office just confirmed:
* VLP enrollment is only 2.7% of student body as of August 31 (739 of 26,911 students) (4.4% decline in total enrollment since June 2020 and 9.9% under projected enrollment (last done in January 2019))
* VLP enrollment was 3.0% of student body as of August 5 (786 of 26,420 students)

Thus, during the absolute height of the "delta surge", the virtual enrollment shrank in actual numbers (-47) while almost 500 more students enrolled at APS during the same time period, shrinking from 3.0% to 2.7% of total enrollment.

You're forgetting that they were only letting students leave the VLP, no students (except new to APS) were permitted to switch from in-person to VLP. So the program had no option but to shrink.

NOT true at all. If you have a medical reason you are allowed in. This is such a small population regardless. There are not droves of families trying to get into VPL. SO much money for less than 800 kids. Wow.

We and a handful of families we know have been trying to get into the virtual program for the better part of the past 8 weeks. We don’t qualify under their medical exemption category, but we have been watching Delta and the situation with children and schools, and we are uncomfortable with sending our child to her in person public school. We selected in person back in May or June or whenever it was, because education is really important to us and we wanted her im school. At the time, we were super optimistic with cases falling and vaccine uptake high. Over the course of watching things develop this summer, we became much less comfortable. If we had to choose now, we would pick virtual. Despite multiple phone calls, and efforts to argue our case, we can’t get in. I suspect, just based on my personal experience and talking with other families who are our friends, that we aren’t alone. We are just trapped now in in person unless we pull entirely to home school.

The government can't cater to a "handful" of families' fears, such that they irrationally want their children to be in school online for no medical reason (which has been proven to be an inferior form of education). COVID is less than a flu level risk for healthy children and we don't do such things for the flu. Those kids with medical risks (i.e., greater than flu level risk) do have the option to go back in.

Virtual Virginia's fall registration window was open until July 15th, which would have been in the 8-week time period you were discussing. If you really were that scared, you would have sent them to Virtual Virginia.

It was at the beginning of the time our concern grew and well before the public school laid out the full extent of its very basic Covid protocols. My point was simply that it’s not accurate to say no one wants it and enrollment is declining. It was set up in such a way as to make it unattractive and then they are refusing to open it to more students who do want it given today’s conditions. Also, the money is already spent/allocated for it, so why do you care if my kid uses it? In fact, fewer in person kids would make in person school safer for your kid and less crowded for your kid. Lastly, it’s not the same as the flu. It’s a once in a 100 year global pandemic. But again, you are good with in person, so fine, do that. Why do you care if my kid is in a virtual program that theoretically already exists? Now, the question of whether $10 million or whatever dollars spent on it was money well spent if there are no teachers and kids have no classes is a separate issue. I agree that people should be fired if that’s the case.

1) The money is not all "already spent." Most of that money in the ARP chart is for FTE. With the staffing problems, there's a major lack of FTE and they're paying subs and 3rd party providers on a temporary basis.

2) School is safe. The science is clear. Reducing the amount of children in school will just decrease the already extremely tiny risk by a non-significant amount.

3) It's actually much less harmful to healthy children than the flu. And there are vaccines available for anyone over 12 (so this "once in a 100 year pandemic" statement is irrelevant).

Still pushing that flu thing huh? It's ok, when someone says that it's a signal not to take them seriously.

You’re not interested in contextualizing risk (like how COVID is less a risk to them than the car ride to school), just fear porn. COVID doom really is a religion now.

Meanwhile, see this weekend all the parties, packed bars, and college football. The vast majority of people have returned to normal life, which was the entire point of vaccines for adults.

[Anonymous]

Re COVID, kids and flu: the general statement that it’s less problematic for kids than flu is overly simplistic and not fully accurate.

https://www.thelancet.com/article/S2213-2600(20)30527-0/fulltext

Popular press art. re adolescents which should encourage vaccination for 12 and up:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2021/06/04/health/covid-flu-hospitalizations-children.amp.html

More: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/patient-safety-outcomes/covid-19-in-kids-tied-to-more-complications-than-flu.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS FOIA office just confirmed:
* VLP enrollment is only 2.7% of student body as of August 31 (739 of 26,911 students) (4.4% decline in total enrollment since June 2020 and 9.9% under projected enrollment (last done in January 2019))
* VLP enrollment was 3.0% of student body as of August 5 (786 of 26,420 students)

Thus, during the absolute height of the "delta surge", the virtual enrollment shrank in actual numbers (-47) while almost 500 more students enrolled at APS during the same time period, shrinking from 3.0% to 2.7% of total enrollment.

You're forgetting that they were only letting students leave the VLP, no students (except new to APS) were permitted to switch from in-person to VLP. So the program had no option but to shrink.

NOT true at all. If you have a medical reason you are allowed in. This is such a small population regardless. There are not droves of families trying to get into VPL. SO much money for less than 800 kids. Wow.

We and a handful of families we know have been trying to get into the virtual program for the better part of the past 8 weeks. We don’t qualify under their medical exemption category, but we have been watching Delta and the situation with children and schools, and we are uncomfortable with sending our child to her in person public school. We selected in person back in May or June or whenever it was, because education is really important to us and we wanted her im school. At the time, we were super optimistic with cases falling and vaccine uptake high. Over the course of watching things develop this summer, we became much less comfortable. If we had to choose now, we would pick virtual. Despite multiple phone calls, and efforts to argue our case, we can’t get in. I suspect, just based on my personal experience and talking with other families who are our friends, that we aren’t alone. We are just trapped now in in person unless we pull entirely to home school.

The government can't cater to a "handful" of families' fears, such that they irrationally want their children to be in school online for no medical reason (which has been proven to be an inferior form of education). COVID is less than a flu level risk for healthy children and we don't do such things for the flu. Those kids with medical risks (i.e., greater than flu level risk) do have the option to go back in.

Virtual Virginia's fall registration window was open until July 15th, which would have been in the 8-week time period you were discussing. If you really were that scared, you would have sent them to Virtual Virginia.

It was at the beginning of the time our concern grew and well before the public school laid out the full extent of its very basic Covid protocols. My point was simply that it’s not accurate to say no one wants it and enrollment is declining. It was set up in such a way as to make it unattractive and then they are refusing to open it to more students who do want it given today’s conditions. Also, the money is already spent/allocated for it, so why do you care if my kid uses it? In fact, fewer in person kids would make in person school safer for your kid and less crowded for your kid. Lastly, it’s not the same as the flu. It’s a once in a 100 year global pandemic. But again, you are good with in person, so fine, do that. Why do you care if my kid is in a virtual program that theoretically already exists? Now, the question of whether $10 million or whatever dollars spent on it was money well spent if there are no teachers and kids have no classes is a separate issue. I agree that people should be fired if that’s the case.

1) The money is not all "already spent." Most of that money in the ARP chart is for FTE. With the staffing problems, there's a major lack of FTE and they're paying subs and 3rd party providers on a temporary basis.

2) School is safe. The science is clear. Reducing the amount of children in school will just decrease the already extremely tiny risk by a non-significant amount.

3) It's actually much less harmful to healthy children than the flu. And there are vaccines available for anyone over 12 (so this "once in a 100 year pandemic" statement is irrelevant).

Still pushing that flu thing huh? It's ok, when someone says that it's a signal not to take them seriously.

You’re not interested in contextualizing risk (like how COVID is less a risk to them than the car ride to school), just fear porn. COVID doom really is a religion now.

Meanwhile, see this weekend all the parties, packed bars, and college football. The vast majority of people have returned to normal life, which was the entire point of vaccines for adults.

Yes I see all that, that's why we're in the fourth surge now.

Also if you think all those people got vaccinated, think again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It was at the beginning of the time our concern grew and well before the public school laid out the full extent of its very basic Covid protocols. My point was simply that it’s not accurate to say no one wants it and enrollment is declining. It was set up in such a way as to make it unattractive and then they are refusing to open it to more students who do want it given today’s conditions. Also, the money is already spent/allocated for it, so why do you care if my kid uses it? In fact, fewer in person kids would make in person school safer for your kid and less crowded for your kid. Lastly, it’s not the same as the flu. It’s a once in a 100 year global pandemic. But again, you are good with in person, so fine, do that. Why do you care if my kid is in a virtual program that theoretically already exists? Now, the question of whether $10 million or whatever dollars spent on it was money well spent if there are no teachers and kids have no classes is a separate issue. I agree that people should be fired if that’s the case.

1) The money is not all "already spent." Most of that money in the ARP chart is for FTE. With the staffing problems, there's a major lack of FTE and they're paying subs and 3rd party providers on a temporary basis.

2) School is safe. The science is clear. Reducing the amount of children in school will just decrease the already extremely tiny risk by a non-significant amount.

3) It's actually much less harmful to healthy children than the flu. And there are vaccines available for anyone over 12 (so this "once in a 100 year pandemic" statement is irrelevant).

Still pushing that flu thing huh? It's ok, when someone says that it's a signal not to take them seriously.

You’re not interested in contextualizing risk (like how COVID is less a risk to them than the car ride to school), just fear porn. COVID doom really is a religion now.

Meanwhile, see this weekend all the parties, packed bars, and college football. The vast majority of people have returned to normal life, which was the entire point of vaccines for adults.

Yes I see all that, that's why we're in the fourth surge now.

Also if you think all those people got vaccinated, think again.

ZeroCOVID proponent in this comment there. Doesn't realize COVID is here to stay forever as an endemic (a non-sterilizing vaccine for a virus with animal reservoirs will somehow be eliminated). Thinks vaccinated people need to stay locked inside their houses and never return to normal.

[Anonymous]

Big difference between packed no masks bars and stadiums and staying locked up at home. Do you really not see the difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Big difference between packed no masks bars and stadiums and staying locked up at home. Do you really not see the difference?

What is your end goal? Zero COVID?

COVID isn't going away. The vaccine is a non-sterilizing vaccine and the virus has animal reservoirs. If 100% of people get vaccinated, then it will still be here and spreading.

Again, what is your end goal? Masks forever?

I'll choose Sweden and the UK, with life returning to normal and accepting a number of deaths just as we do with everyday life, like with cars, the flu and swimming pools. At this point, all people who are at risk have had the chance to be vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS FOIA office just confirmed:
* VLP enrollment is only 2.7% of student body as of August 31 (739 of 26,911 students) (4.4% decline in total enrollment since June 2020 and 9.9% under projected enrollment (last done in January 2019))
* VLP enrollment was 3.0% of student body as of August 5 (786 of 26,420 students)

Thus, during the absolute height of the "delta surge", the virtual enrollment shrank in actual numbers (-47) while almost 500 more students enrolled at APS during the same time period, shrinking from 3.0% to 2.7% of total enrollment.

You're forgetting that they were only letting students leave the VLP, no students (except new to APS) were permitted to switch from in-person to VLP. So the program had no option but to shrink.

NOT true at all. If you have a medical reason you are allowed in. This is such a small population regardless. There are not droves of families trying to get into VPL. SO much money for less than 800 kids. Wow.

We and a handful of families we know have been trying to get into the virtual program for the better part of the past 8 weeks. We don’t qualify under their medical exemption category, but we have been watching Delta and the situation with children and schools, and we are uncomfortable with sending our child to her in person public school. We selected in person back in May or June or whenever it was, because education is really important to us and we wanted her im school. At the time, we were super optimistic with cases falling and vaccine uptake high. Over the course of watching things develop this summer, we became much less comfortable. If we had to choose now, we would pick virtual. Despite multiple phone calls, and efforts to argue our case, we can’t get in. I suspect, just based on my personal experience and talking with other families who are our friends, that we aren’t alone. We are just trapped now in in person unless we pull entirely to home school.

The government can't cater to a "handful" of families' fears, such that they irrationally want their children to be in school online for no medical reason (which has been proven to be an inferior form of education). COVID is less than a flu level risk for healthy children and we don't do such things for the flu. Those kids with medical risks (i.e., greater than flu level risk) do have the option to go back in.

Virtual Virginia's fall registration window was open until July 15th, which would have been in the 8-week time period you were discussing. If you really were that scared, you would have sent them to Virtual Virginia.

It was at the beginning of the time our concern grew and well before the public school laid out the full extent of its very basic Covid protocols. My point was simply that it’s not accurate to say no one wants it and enrollment is declining. It was set up in such a way as to make it unattractive and then they are refusing to open it to more students who do want it given today’s conditions. Also, the money is already spent/allocated for it, so why do you care if my kid uses it? In fact, fewer in person kids would make in person school safer for your kid and less crowded for your kid. Lastly, it’s not the same as the flu. It’s a once in a 100 year global pandemic. But again, you are good with in person, so fine, do that. Why do you care if my kid is in a virtual program that theoretically already exists? Now, the question of whether $10 million or whatever dollars spent on it was money well spent if there are no teachers and kids have no classes is a separate issue. I agree that people should be fired if that’s the case.

1) The money is not all "already spent." Most of that money in the ARP chart is for FTE. With the staffing problems, there's a major lack of FTE and they're paying subs and 3rd party providers on a temporary basis.

2) School is safe. The science is clear. Reducing the amount of children in school will just decrease the already extremely tiny risk by a non-significant amount.

3) It's actually much less harmful to healthy children than the flu. And there are vaccines available for anyone over 12 (so this "once in a 100 year pandemic" statement is irrelevant).

They mentioned in one of the town halls that the money was budgeted but if it is not all needed it will be returned for other COVID related expenses. Considering that they haven't hired all the staff they budgeted I think it will come in under budget.

[Anonymous]

VLP solutions, anyone?

I think the state should intervene if our local elected officials (ie the School Board) are not going to do anything. Maybe some kids can go to Virtual Virginia.

They're not pulling the extra staffing out of thin air. They supposedly have 3rd party providers and subs, but something seriously went wrong with the subs last week (probably not enough subs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big difference between packed no masks bars and stadiums and staying locked up at home. Do you really not see the difference?

What is your end goal? Zero COVID?

COVID isn't going away. The vaccine is a non-sterilizing vaccine and the virus has animal reservoirs. If 100% of people get vaccinated, then it will still be here and spreading.

Again, what is your end goal? Masks forever?

I'll choose Sweden and the UK, with life returning to normal and accepting a number of deaths just as we do with everyday life, like with cars, the flu and swimming pools. At this point, all people who are at risk have had the chance to be vaccinated.

so you're just good with the number of deaths and hospitalizations we have now? and hospitals overwhelmed, people avoiding ERs so they don't get exposed, elective surgeries pushed off and HCWs burned out and quitting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big difference between packed no masks bars and stadiums and staying locked up at home. Do you really not see the difference?

What is your end goal? Zero COVID?

COVID isn't going away. The vaccine is a non-sterilizing vaccine and the virus has animal reservoirs. If 100% of people get vaccinated, then it will still be here and spreading.

Again, what is your end goal? Masks forever?

I'll choose Sweden and the UK, with life returning to normal and accepting a number of deaths just as we do with everyday life, like with cars, the flu and swimming pools. At this point, all people who are at risk have had the chance to be vaccinated.

so you're just good with the number of deaths and hospitalizations we have now? and hospitals overwhelmed, people avoiding ERs so they don't get exposed, elective surgeries pushed off and HCWs burned out and quitting?

In Arlington? The number of hospitalizations and deaths are quite low, even with the Delta surge. We can’t make policy here based on what’s happening in areas with incredibly low vaccination rates and no precautions.

[Anonymous]

Sure, if only the virus respected lines on a map.

Look around you. It's heading our way. SC is now the hot spot. Kentucky, WV are bad too.