Has your school communicated a plan with teachers and families?

[Anonymous]

Our principal hosted a meeting for parents last night. It was abundantly clear that she was doing the best she could within the constraints imposed by DCPS, but that the central office was calling the shots. The in-person and CARES lotteries are being conducted by DCPS.

Apparently the HVAC for our building was yesterday. Which implies that DCPS had no real expectation of implementing the hybrid model in August, regardless of the mayor's pronouncements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Apparently the HVAC survey for our building was yesterday.

[Anonymous]

I've heard nothing from our principal. We are at a small school with only 2 classes per grade so I really don't understand how this is going to work if one teacher is pulled back to school to teach less than 1/4 of the students in the grade. What happens to the other 3/4 of the students? Are they now all dumped together in one large unruly virtual class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If no teachers in the grade at the school can come back (health reasons, etc), then there will not be an in-person option for that grade. Cares classrooms depend on size of school and space. In our smaller school, we were told only one cares class and one in-person class per grade. If no teachers are coming back for that grade, then there will be two cares classes per grade. Only 9 kids per cares class for our smaller school (it’s based on size of school).

This is such an AWFUL plan, DCPS. Why aren’t we parents up in arms over this!?!

Uh who told that? Another teacher from the school would teach that grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard nothing from our principal. We are at a small school with only 2 classes per grade so I really don't understand how this is going to work if one teacher is pulled back to school to teach less than 1/4 of the students in the grade. What happens to the other 3/4 of the students? Are they now all dumped together in one large unruly virtual class.

YUP. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is such an AWFUL plan, DCPS. Why aren’t we parents up in arms over this!?!

Because we're too busy trying to keep our jobs and teach our kids at the same time - no one has the energy to advocate or organize. Plus what are we even up in arms about? The vague ambiguous - it's like fighting a blob.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If no teachers in the grade at the school can come back (health reasons, etc), then there will not be an in-person option for that grade. Cares classrooms depend on size of school and space. In our smaller school, we were told only one cares class and one in-person class per grade. If no teachers are coming back for that grade, then there will be two cares classes per grade. Only 9 kids per cares class for our smaller school (it’s based on size of school).

This is such an AWFUL plan, DCPS. Why aren’t we parents up in arms over this!?!

I don’t think it’s an awful plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If no teachers in the grade at the school can come back (health reasons, etc), then there will not be an in-person option for that grade. Cares classrooms depend on size of school and space. In our smaller school, we were told only one cares class and one in-person class per grade. If no teachers are coming back for that grade, then there will be two cares classes per grade. Only 9 kids per cares class for our smaller school (it’s based on size of school).

This is such an AWFUL plan, DCPS. Why aren’t we parents up in arms over this!?!

I don’t think it’s an awful plan.

Why don't you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If no teachers in the grade at the school can come back (health reasons, etc), then there will not be an in-person option for that grade. Cares classrooms depend on size of school and space. In our smaller school, we were told only one cares class and one in-person class per grade. If no teachers are coming back for that grade, then there will be two cares classes per grade. Only 9 kids per cares class for our smaller school (it’s based on size of school).

This is such an AWFUL plan, DCPS. Why aren’t we parents up in arms over this!?!

Uh who told that? Another teacher from the school would teach that grade level.

That isn't what we were told at my school. We were told exactly what is written above.

[Anonymous]

I think they are doing the best they can to deal with WTU. It’s the teachers/union at fault.

[Anonymous]

Newsflash:

I'm a teacher who is expected to be brought back to teach as I have no accommodations. I selected the virtual option but I know that's unlikely.

If I'm forced to teach in person I'm going to quit. And I know that I'm not the only one. Mark my words.

That's why it's important for each principal to know in advance prior to making the final plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash:

I'm a teacher who is expected to be brought back to teach as I have no accommodations. I selected the virtual option but I know that's unlikely.

If I'm forced to teach in person I'm going to quit. And I know that I'm not the only one. Mark my words.

That's why it's important for each principal to know in advance prior to making the final plan.

I'm a former teacher, so I sympathize with everyone still in the classroom. With that said, I think the unemployment rate is too high right now for there to be a mass exodus of teachers. It may push a lot of eligible retirees out of the classroom, but I don't see a lot of people quitting. It was already difficult to get out of teaching pre-Covid. During a pseudo-depression with tens of millions of people out of work and companies scaling down operations to stay afloat, I think a lot of people are saying that out of exasperation. Again, I sympathize because it's a terrible position to be in, but we won't lose a lot of teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash:

I'm a teacher who is expected to be brought back to teach as I have no accommodations. I selected the virtual option but I know that's unlikely.

If I'm forced to teach in person I'm going to quit. And I know that I'm not the only one. Mark my words.

That's why it's important for each principal to know in advance prior to making the final plan.

I'm a former teacher, so I sympathize with everyone still in the classroom. With that said, I think the unemployment rate is too high right now for there to be a mass exodus of teachers. It may push a lot of eligible retirees out of the classroom, but I don't see a lot of people quitting. It was already difficult to get out of teaching pre-Covid. During a pseudo-depression with tens of millions of people out of work and companies scaling down operations to stay afloat, I think a lot of people are saying that out of exasperation. Again, I sympathize because it's a terrible position to be in, but we won't lose a lot of teachers.

Agreed. I don't know many teachers who work even though they don't need the paycheck and can just walk away tomorrow. I get it; I'm a nurse and we're in the same boat except we've been working in-person all along. There are very few nurses who work for fun. We might love our jobs but we do it for the income.
The city (and surrounding districts) need to call teachers on their bluff regarding quitting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash:

I'm a teacher who is expected to be brought back to teach as I have no accommodations. I selected the virtual option but I know that's unlikely.

If I'm forced to teach in person I'm going to quit. And I know that I'm not the only one. Mark my words.

That's why it's important for each principal to know in advance prior to making the final plan.

I'm a former teacher, so I sympathize with everyone still in the classroom. With that said, I think the unemployment rate is too high right now for there to be a mass exodus of teachers. It may push a lot of eligible retirees out of the classroom, but I don't see a lot of people quitting. It was already difficult to get out of teaching pre-Covid. During a pseudo-depression with tens of millions of people out of work and companies scaling down operations to stay afloat, I think a lot of people are saying that out of exasperation. Again, I sympathize because it's a terrible position to be in, but we won't lose a lot of teachers.

Take FMLA, get your parents in on it if you have to.

And with all do respect to the person who replied, former teacher or not no one want your sympathy, you don't know what teachers are dealing with right now. No one likes DL but most people can't or are afraid to teach in person.

I think we'll lose enough, even 5% would be too many, you're forgetting a lot of people qualify for FMLA so they don't have to quit. And they could use those 4 months to find a new job, and believe it or not the online teaching world is booming...especially teaching English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If no teachers in the grade at the school can come back (health reasons, etc), then there will not be an in-person option for that grade. Cares classrooms depend on size of school and space. In our smaller school, we were told only one cares class and one in-person class per grade. If no teachers are coming back for that grade, then there will be two cares classes per grade. Only 9 kids per cares class for our smaller school (it’s based on size of school).

This is such an AWFUL plan, DCPS. Why aren’t we parents up in arms over this!?!

Uh who told that? Another teacher from the school would teach that grade level.

That isn't what we were told at my school. We were told exactly what is written above.

Interesting, our admin said we might just have to teach a different grade because the district will require 1 per grade level.