Disappointing - meetings must be in person this year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see both sides.

Large attendance online meetings and school events are not ideal for virtual and neither are issues or topics where you're trying to have a thoughtful and dynamic conversation among a lot of people. It can be done but it's hard. There is zero accountability to show even basic decency of engaging and paying attention and a whole bunch of people half listen with their cameras turned off. It's just so flat compared to an in-person experience where people are forced to engage and behave respectfully and "show up". It's also not fun to be the presenter speaking into the void or trying to facilitate a conversation during one of these large group setups. I've done it a bunch. But definitely a lot more convenient.

If you can get critical mass to return voluntarily (or I guess force them to return), then there is a tipping point where the overall quality of the conversation and presentation goes up for everybody.

And doing the events hybrid well is also fairly challenging for the people who have to plan the logistics. From having done these hybrid events, the online people are often checked out and don't participate at the same level as people in person. Which is pretty normal. Different energy in the room with the live humans.

That may all be true. Nonetheless, greater participation is a plus.
It seems ridiculous to limit the # of times an individual can participate via zoom. I think many people participating virtually are less likely to be more vocal or engaged in person anyway. The zoom option at least loops people in who otherwise would never loop in or engage. The more people aware of discussions and what's going on in their school or community, the better - they'll engage when they find something important enough, or maybe they'll step up for a small volunteer role they otherwise never would have considered doing.

Everyone in-person isn't always particularly engaged or contributory to discussions. I think it's the right move to require in-person meetings again; but it's just part of the typical conservative type efforts to diminish participation by a wider and more diverse group. Think about it: who is more likely to attend in-person PTA or Board meetings, and who is more likely to take the log-in option?

Yes, I know the equity talking points and think they are very valid. I've said them myself to many people. I am the PP you are responding to.

My thoughts still stand. The online large group meetings are pretty terrible. And if you give people the option to stay home, too many will and you never gain back critical mass.

I don't have great answers.

I think having an online aspect is still worthwhile and it would be very reasonable to establish a policy that on-liners don't get the same opportunity to speak or comment. They can submit comments and questions in the chat - which should be made available for everyone to see, and a facilitator in the actual meeting can forward or point out something that's especially noteworthy to the discussion. Some will claim that's just as "inequitable" as in-person only; but there's a balance to be achieved for practicality and effectiveness. It isn't like there are NO opportunities for people to weigh-in with their opinions through various other means.

[Anonymous]

It is stupid and shortsighted to legislate this.

What if we get another different pandemic: we have to meet in person regardless?

I prefer in person the having a law is not smart.

[Anonymous]

Back to school night is not a public meeting by a public body. Whoever is interpreting the law this way is mistaken.

[Anonymous]

Please provide input to your principals! They are under the impression that everyone wants it back in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please provide input to your principals! They are under the impression that everyone wants it back in person.

Are you suggesting that it shouldn't be in person because not everyone wants to go in person? Versus having it via MST even though not everyone wants to have it virtually?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please provide input to your principals! They are under the impression that everyone wants it back in person.

Are you suggesting that it shouldn't be in person because not everyone wants to go in person? Versus having it via MST even though not everyone wants to have it virtually?

I'm suggesting principals should hear from their community, and hybrid or pre-recorded would be a good option. Who, with multiple children who also have evening activities, can swing this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please provide input to your principals! They are under the impression that everyone wants it back in person.

Are you suggesting that it shouldn't be in person because not everyone wants to go in person? Versus having it via MST even though not everyone wants to have it virtually?

I'm suggesting principals should hear from their community, and hybrid or pre-recorded would be a good option. Who, with multiple children who also have evening activities, can swing this?

What principal hears some free wheeling community input at BTSN? BTSN is for your student's teacher to let you know what the students are going to work on that year, how best to communicate with the teacher, and for there to be introductions to basic school rules/norms. At very most it's like an hour? If you're going in there with an agenda to share, please take it offline. No one else wants your drama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm suggesting principals should hear from their community, and hybrid or pre-recorded would be a good option. Who, with multiple children who also have evening activities, can swing this?

What principal hears some free wheeling community input at BTSN? BTSN is for your student's teacher to let you know what the students are going to work on that year, how best to communicate with the teacher, and for there to be introductions to basic school rules/norms. At very most it's like an hour? If you're going in there with an agenda to share, please take it offline. No one else wants your drama.

I think PP was saying that we should email our principals if we want them to continue to offer a virtual option for PTA meetings or BTSN or other activities that parents might not easily attend in person but would like to listen in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please provide input to your principals! They are under the impression that everyone wants it back in person.

Are you suggesting that it shouldn't be in person because not everyone wants to go in person? Versus having it via MST even though not everyone wants to have it virtually?

I'm suggesting principals should hear from their community, and hybrid or pre-recorded would be a good option. Who, with multiple children who also have evening activities, can swing this?

What principal hears some free wheeling community input at BTSN? BTSN is for your student's teacher to let you know what the students are going to work on that year, how best to communicate with the teacher, and for there to be introductions to basic school rules/norms. At very most it's like an hour? If you're going in there with an agenda to share, please take it offline. No one else wants your drama.

Well that’s a reach. As I said I was suggesting that they provide a hybrid or virtual option. No one‘s talking about screaming at a principal at back to school night. Good grief. But when I have the president of the PTA telling me that the principal is saying all the parents want it back in person meanwhile most of the parents at who are hearing about being back in person are not happy, there’s a disconnect. Yes parent should have the right to email the principal.

[Anonymous]

The problem is so many parents complained they wanted it in person. They haven’t heard from those of us that liked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our lovely legislature passed a law now requiring all public meetings to again be in person, with a limit to the number of people who can attend online and a limit to how many times each person can attend online. Regardless of feelings about Covid and risk, this upsets me if it applies to things like PTAs or even a Teams option for things like BTSN. We've been at 2 schools since Covid and attendance has gone way up since people could attend by Teams and listen in. I can understand this if it's talking about forums such as the legislature or county or school boards, but it appears to devolve down to lower levels including advisory boards and possibly even to the school level.

It seems as if it throws the baby out with the bathwater by not acknowledging some of the good to come out of the ability to stream or do business online.

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title2.2/chapter37/section2.2-3708.2/

Can you point to the place in the text that says meetings have to be in person? I’m not seeing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our lovely legislature passed a law now requiring all public meetings to again be in person, with a limit to the number of people who can attend online and a limit to how many times each person can attend online. Regardless of feelings about Covid and risk, this upsets me if it applies to things like PTAs or even a Teams option for things like BTSN. We've been at 2 schools since Covid and attendance has gone way up since people could attend by Teams and listen in. I can understand this if it's talking about forums such as the legislature or county or school boards, but it appears to devolve down to lower levels including advisory boards and possibly even to the school level.

It seems as if it throws the baby out with the bathwater by not acknowledging some of the good to come out of the ability to stream or do business online.

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title2.2/chapter37/section2.2-3708.2/

Can you point to the place in the text that says meetings have to be in person? I’m not seeing it.

It’s in the heading. Meetings of public bodies were allowed in person until recently. More info here:

https://www.virginiamercury.com/2021/06/28/governance-via-zoom-is-coming-to-an-end-in-virginia-should-it/

But, again, Back to School Night is not a public meeting by a public body. Let’s get this straight rather than misapplying the law to any school function!

[Anonymous]

"Public body" means any legislative body, authority, board, bureau, commission, district or agency of the Commonwealth or of any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, including cities, towns and counties, municipal councils, governing bodies of counties, school boards and planning commissions; boards of visitors of public institutions of higher education; and other organizations, corporations or agencies in the Commonwealth supported wholly or principally by public funds.

"Meeting" or "meetings" means the meetings including work sessions, when sitting physically, or through telephonic or video equipment pursuant to § 2.2-3708 or 2.2-3708.1, as a body or entity, or as an informal assemblage of (i) as many as three members or (ii) a quorum, if less than three, of the constituent membership, wherever held, with or without minutes being taken, whether or not votes are cast, of any public body. The gathering of employees of a public body shall not be deemed a "meeting" subject to the provisions of this chapter.

[Anonymous]

Our public middle and high schools both had virtual BTSN - not even synchronous, the teachers all just posted 2 minute videos and the principal is still having monthly parent zooms for updates/questions.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if this would include IEP meetings? As a special education teacher I am more than happy to accommodate parents who want to come in. However I have had 100% attendance of parents since Covid because of the opportunity to attend virtually. Getting the school team together in person is doable but if the parent stays virtual, the logistics don’t make sense and it is more difficult.