ACPS Arts, Music, PE, and Specialists teaching at more than one school

[Anonymous]

Cora Kelly is not a wealthy school. It is very diverse economically, ethnically, and racially. There is also a misnomer that Brooks is a "rich" school. We have kids way below the poverty level from the Adkins community housing. I really wish people would stop calling the school "Maury" unless you are an alumni. The school's name has been changed for years!

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/06/02/alexandria-encore-teachers-multiple-schools/

ACPS will assign under utilized specialist teachers (arts, music, physical education, special needs) to more than one school.

Judging by the supposed pushback and teachers speaking out and that it made Washington Post, the dissent is only and predictably from Del Ray (Cora Kelly and Maury/Brooks), against the more populated but poorer, less powerful, under staffed West End.

[Anonymous]

East end parent here. Our school PTA president was also begging for resources. Mental health resources and additional teachers. Don't pit east end versus west end schools. A lot of the schools not receiving encore are at east end schools too. ACPS wants nothing more than for us to divide and argue. Then they will do whatever they want with the teachers with no regard for the lack of transparency and communication. I definitely think ALL students deserve the same instructional time. But you can't change a teacher's contract at the last minute. We have teachers at our school who do not have cars and rely on public transportation and walking/bike riding. Are they now supposed to drive all over the city of Alexandria? Is a car now required?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're at a small, east end elementary, although not one of the named ones, and I can't imagine our school without our full-time Encore teachers. They basically make the school. In addition to their own classes, the Encore teachers have been subbing during the substitute shortage, and have been the only constant during my 5th grader's experience. They've been there the whole time, including through the pandemic. None of the classroom teachers K-4th remain, which is probably why my kids feel closest to the Encore teachers.

That's really great for your child's east end school. But that's not what the west end has gotten and so that isn't equitable.

Please stop to consider your privilege.

Why should the PP and her child pay the price for ACPS' falling asleep at the wheel? Why not increase encore staffing at Ferdinand Day, Pol, Adams and other elementary schools? Why erode one school's educational opportunities just to bring it in line with schools that lack adequate resources? This race to the bottom you're endorsing makes no sense. But hey, "equity" and all that jazz...

They should pay the price because they support the Alexandria establishment and the push for equity. This is equity in ACPS. They asked for this and it's immoral that they don't have the exact same experience at their east end school as a school in the west end.

The west end PTAs were at School Board meetings this year begging for resources. You don't see that from the privileged east end schools. If these parents were being true to their equity ideals, they would be advocating for the west end schools to get more or better than them. This is the systemic racism and classism that the east side likes to ignore.

The fact remains that ACPS has 54 million dollars from covid that they haven't spent despite previously saying it was all earmarked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cora Kelly is not a wealthy school. It is very diverse economically, ethnically, and racially. There is also a misnomer that Brooks is a "rich" school. We have kids way below the poverty level from the Adkins community housing. I really wish people would stop calling the school "Maury" unless you are an alumni. The school's name has been changed for years!


This is your concern on this topic? Tell me you're an AWFL who lives in rosemont without telling me you're an AWFL who lives in rosemont.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/06/02/alexandria-encore-teachers-multiple-schools/

ACPS will assign under utilized specialist teachers (arts, music, physical education, special needs) to more than one school.

Judging by the supposed pushback and teachers speaking out and that it made Washington Post, the dissent is only and predictably from Del Ray (Cora Kelly and Maury/Brooks), against the more populated but poorer, less powerful, under staffed West End.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:East end parent here. Our school PTA president was also begging for resources. Mental health resources and additional teachers. Don't pit east end versus west end schools. A lot of the schools not receiving encore are at east end schools too. ACPS wants nothing more than for us to divide and argue. Then they will do whatever they want with the teachers with no regard for the lack of transparency and communication. I definitely think ALL students deserve the same instructional time. But you can't change a teacher's contract at the last minute. We have teachers at our school who do not have cars and rely on public transportation and walking/bike riding. Are they now supposed to drive all over the city of Alexandria? Is a car now required?

ACPS has a fleet of cars.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're at a small, east end elementary, although not one of the named ones, and I can't imagine our school without our full-time Encore teachers. They basically make the school. In addition to their own classes, the Encore teachers have been subbing during the substitute shortage, and have been the only constant during my 5th grader's experience. They've been there the whole time, including through the pandemic. None of the classroom teachers K-4th remain, which is probably why my kids feel closest to the Encore teachers.

That's really great for your child's east end school. But that's not what the west end has gotten and so that isn't equitable.

Please stop to consider your privilege.

Why should the PP and her child pay the price for ACPS' falling asleep at the wheel? Why not increase encore staffing at Ferdinand Day, Pol, Adams and other elementary schools? Why erode one school's educational opportunities just to bring it in line with schools that lack adequate resources? This race to the bottom you're endorsing makes no sense. But hey, "equity" and all that jazz...

They should pay the price because they support the Alexandria establishment and the push for equity. This is equity in ACPS. They asked for this and it's immoral that they don't have the exact same experience at their east end school as a school in the west end.

The west end PTAs were at School Board meetings this year begging for resources. You don't see that from the privileged east end schools. If these parents were being true to their equity ideals, they would be advocating for the west end schools to get more or better than them. This is the systemic racism and classism that the east side likes to ignore.

The fact remains that ACPS has 54 million dollars from covid that they haven't spent despite previously saying it was all earmarked.

[Anonymous]

This is not related to student equity or teacher shortages (I don't think it's that hard to find encore teachers). They can't justify paying full-time encore teachers for an under-enrolled school. It's mainly about money and equity between teachers (not students). An encore teacher at one school might have a completely full schedule but makes the same amount as an encore teacher at an under-enrolled school that does not have a full schedule.

[Anonymous]

How long did ACPS know this? Are their projections accurate? Our school is marked as under enrolled and it is not. They turned away students who were in-bounds and sent to a neighboring school. Why did they wait so long to inform the impacted teachers?

[Anonymous]

I have no idea what an AWFL is but no I live in North Old Town and yes my children attend Brooks. If an AWFL is some sort of slur, save your name calling for ACPS leaders not parents at your school. We probably have way more in common that divides us.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cora Kelly is not a wealthy school. It is very diverse economically, ethnically, and racially. There is also a misnomer that Brooks is a "rich" school. We have kids way below the poverty level from the Adkins community housing. I really wish people would stop calling the school "Maury" unless you are an alumni. The school's name has been changed for years!


This is your concern on this topic? Tell me you're an AWFL who lives in rosemont without telling me you're an AWFL who lives in rosemont.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/06/02/alexandria-encore-teachers-multiple-schools/

ACPS will assign under utilized specialist teachers (arts, music, physical education, special needs) to more than one school.

Judging by the supposed pushback and teachers speaking out and that it made Washington Post, the dissent is only and predictably from Del Ray (Cora Kelly and Maury/Brooks), against the more populated but poorer, less powerful, under staffed West End.

[Anonymous]

Googled this. Actually I am not liberal nor affluent. Military mom who is conservative.

[Anonymous]

I understand that a teacher at a really large school might be paid the same as a teacher at a smaller school. The issue is how ACPS managed this. Their communication and transparency were horrendous.

[Anonymous]

Why is ACPS saying the Washington Post and WJLA news are spreading fake news? What is inaccurate? Have they issued anything to clarify the misinformation that is supposedly being spread around?

[Anonymous]

The teachers who spoke at the school board meeting are highly regarded and bright. I doubt they are spreading false narratives. Shame on ACPS for not correcting the record and blaming the teachers. That is really a new low!

[Anonymous]

I'm on the west end, and my kids attend one of the schools that is way over capacity. I'm begging you all not to turn this into an east vs west thing. That will only deflect from the gross incompetence coming from ACPS. I think we all agree that
1. All kids should have access to Encore teachers
2. Encore teachers provide a valuable role, in and outside of their area of license.
3. One might argue that all teachers and staff at our schools wear a million different hats for the benefit of our kids.

ACPS failed spectacularly, again, with the communications around this issue. Failing in communications is one of ACPSs core competencies.

ACPS has failed it's teachers, again, with their heartless approach, and defensive deflecting and silence on this issue.

There are other ways to deal with overcrowding in ACPS, but this feels especially punitive to all involved, and does nothing to fix the real issue of abysmal teacher to student ratios, outside of encore, on the west end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long did ACPS know this? Are their projections accurate? Our school is marked as under enrolled and it is not. They turned away students who were in-bounds and sent to a neighboring school. Why did they wait so long to inform the impacted teachers?

Maybe ask ACPS spokesperson, Ashley Baird that question. She's very happy about this and says everything being said is misinformation so she should have the answers...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How long did ACPS know this? Are their projections accurate? Our school is marked as under enrolled and it is not. They turned away students who were in-bounds and sent to a neighboring school. Why did they wait so long to inform the impacted teachers?

Maybe ask ACPS spokesperson, Ashley Baird that question. She's very happy about this and says everything being said is misinformation so she should have the answers...

You should. Baird actually explicitly acknowledged on Twitter that is what she is doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:East end parent here. Our school PTA president was also begging for resources. Mental health resources and additional teachers. Don't pit east end versus west end schools. A lot of the schools not receiving encore are at east end schools too. ACPS wants nothing more than for us to divide and argue. Then they will do whatever they want with the teachers with no regard for the lack of transparency and communication. I definitely think ALL students deserve the same instructional time. But you can't change a teacher's contract at the last minute. We have teachers at our school who do not have cars and rely on public transportation and walking/bike riding. Are they now supposed to drive all over the city of Alexandria? Is a car now required?

What school? I go to SB meetings and watch them but I may have missed an East End school PTA asking for resources. The east end PTAs tend to be very timid and gung ho about the ACPS establishment. It would be great to know if there is one that isn't part of that.