Three cheers for this article

[Anonymous]

I don't get the point of this conversation. Only healthy teachers will teach in person.

The others will teach DL OR if there are no more DL positions at their school they will take FMLA for 4 months, which would mean they'd have until Mid-March to either find another job, take a few sick days to stall and then quit.

So all that was to say only some kids will get in person, unless DCPS adopts some kind of hybrid model where each teacher has 2 classes of like 10-12. One teaches the DL portion and the other in person.

[Anonymous]

The point is just that no one is looking at the situation clearly. Bowser won't even talk to the union, and likes to rule like a dictator. Meanwhile everyone is making individual decisions based on their feeling of safety when a good policy maker weighs ALL the risks and benefits and goes from there. It's far too easy to just say, it's not safe, when "safe" is not an either/or determination.

Also: "any policy analysis must ask, “Compared with what?” While remote learning is often called the “safest option,” that view assumes children are at home, safely distancing from others. But policymakers must consider that in many households, parents have to work, meaning children are often in teaching “pods,” nanny shares or group hangouts at local playgrounds. This leads to a series of mixed interactions between children and adults."

PP, are you saying that because of legal protections offered teachers (FMLA), we simply won't have in person school until everyone is vaccinated? That is simply unacceptable.

[Anonymous]

The only places in America where schools are still completely closed are big cities run by Democrats where teachers unions are still powerful.

In most of the country, kids are back at school in some form.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only places in America where schools are still completely closed are big cities run by Democrats where teachers unions are still powerful.

In most of the country, kids are back at school in some form.

Which doesn't mean that schools are opened safely. My parents live in an area where the schools are open, and masks are not required or worn, but there are teachers who have vulnerabilities who are teaching because if they don't, they will be unpaid for 12 weeks and then lose their jobs. That doesn't seem ideal, either.

And I think it's too easy to blame the unions. IAs a PP noted, the mayor won't talk to the union, and is dumping these half-baked plans onto the schools, so that if they don't work, she can blame the schools. I'm not seeing any real leadership here, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only places in America where schools are still completely closed are big cities run by Democrats where teachers unions are still powerful.

In most of the country, kids are back at school in some form.

You are welcome to move to Mississippi or Alabama or West Virginia or Louisiana - bastions of putting education first

[Anonymous]

How far behind will our kids be after a year a half of DL?

Has the policy analysis gone so far as to discuss remedial measures for the millions of kids that will fall behind their peers? Summer school? Additional resource teachers to help in Fall 2021? After school tutoring?

There is nothing. The impact on children is never discussed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:100% agree.

I am tired of being screamed at by both sides for wanting a pragmatic approach to this longterm problem. The people who are arguing that we cannot open schools until a vaccine are doing a terrible disservice to all the many, many families who do not have the resources to weather a school shut down of that length. And meanwhile, the people who claim Covid is overblown and advocate for full opening with little to no precautions only undermine efforts to open schools in a responsible way.

I'm exhausted. We live across the street from our kid's school and it just sits there empty every day, a wasted resources, as the kids who should be attending it are cared for and provided educations by parents (some of whom have had to quit or scale back jobs, putting family finances at risk), in group care that pose the exact same risks of exposure as school but at greater financial cost to parents, or in-home care that also carries exposure risks. It is baffling to me. It reminds me of back in May when we were told to social distance but all the city parks were closed so we were all crowded onto sidewalks together.

I do not understand why we can't have a rational conversation about how to best balance the competing risks, not just Covid but also the risks of children falling behind, the risks to parents and lower-paid childcare workers of becoming the defacto early education system, and the risks to families of bearing the brunt of the Covid crisis. I really do not understand.

There is a trust element that has been lost over the years.
Parents sent kids in sick. A child would be picked up from school one afternoon with a high fever and back at school the next day. The rule was 24 hours fever free - which clearly was not the case.

Parents time and again lied about the health of their child as it was inconvenient for them. Now the stakes are a lot higher.

This attitude is frankly what has turned me off to teachers/the WTU. If compromise is impossible, I choose Mayor Bowser over literally nothing, which is what WTU offers. At this point, I think they’d oppose opening once there’s a vaccine.

[Anonymous]

DL has not been academically detrimental for all kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:100% agree.

I am tired of being screamed at by both sides for wanting a pragmatic approach to this longterm problem. The people who are arguing that we cannot open schools until a vaccine are doing a terrible disservice to all the many, many families who do not have the resources to weather a school shut down of that length. And meanwhile, the people who claim Covid is overblown and advocate for full opening with little to no precautions only undermine efforts to open schools in a responsible way.

I'm exhausted. We live across the street from our kid's school and it just sits there empty every day, a wasted resources, as the kids who should be attending it are cared for and provided educations by parents (some of whom have had to quit or scale back jobs, putting family finances at risk), in group care that pose the exact same risks of exposure as school but at greater financial cost to parents, or in-home care that also carries exposure risks. It is baffling to me. It reminds me of back in May when we were told to social distance but all the city parks were closed so we were all crowded onto sidewalks together.

I do not understand why we can't have a rational conversation about how to best balance the competing risks, not just Covid but also the risks of children falling behind, the risks to parents and lower-paid childcare workers of becoming the defacto early education system, and the risks to families of bearing the brunt of the Covid crisis. I really do not understand.

There is a trust element that has been lost over the years.
Parents sent kids in sick. A child would be picked up from school one afternoon with a high fever and back at school the next day. The rule was 24 hours fever free - which clearly was not the case.

Parents time and again lied about the health of their child as it was inconvenient for them. Now the stakes are a lot higher.

This attitude is frankly what has turned me off to teachers/the WTU. If compromise is impossible, I choose Mayor Bowser over literally nothing, which is what WTU offers. At this point, I think they’d oppose opening once there’s a vaccine.

my thoughts too. or they are using covid as a bargaining chip, which is execrable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DL has not been academically detrimental for all kids.

feel free to enroll in an online charter school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DL has not been academically detrimental for all kids.

I’d argue that it’s not detrimental for most kids. It’s the parents.
Your kid- who isn’t paying attention during DL also wasn’t focused IN school. You just never saw it.
I think the real run is that through DL parents are seeing the other kids. They’d always thought Johnny was smart as a whip... until they see the other kids in class know more than he does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DL has not been academically detrimental for all kids.

I’d argue that it’s not detrimental for most kids. It’s the parents.
Your kid- who isn’t paying attention during DL also wasn’t focused IN school. You just never saw it.
I think the real run is that through DL parents are seeing the other kids. They’d always thought Johnny was smart as a whip... until they see the other kids in class know more than he does.

Do you really think this is the complaint of PK3-2 parents? You really think kids aren’t missing out from DL? Really, really? If you’re talking middle school up, sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only places in America where schools are still completely closed are big cities run by Democrats where teachers unions are still powerful.

In most of the country, kids are back at school in some form.

Aye, see you've been drinkin that Trump koolaid. Nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:100% agree.

I am tired of being screamed at by both sides for wanting a pragmatic approach to this longterm problem. The people who are arguing that we cannot open schools until a vaccine are doing a terrible disservice to all the many, many families who do not have the resources to weather a school shut down of that length. And meanwhile, the people who claim Covid is overblown and advocate for full opening with little to no precautions only undermine efforts to open schools in a responsible way.

I'm exhausted. We live across the street from our kid's school and it just sits there empty every day, a wasted resources, as the kids who should be attending it are cared for and provided educations by parents (some of whom have had to quit or scale back jobs, putting family finances at risk), in group care that pose the exact same risks of exposure as school but at greater financial cost to parents, or in-home care that also carries exposure risks. It is baffling to me. It reminds me of back in May when we were told to social distance but all the city parks were closed so we were all crowded onto sidewalks together.

I do not understand why we can't have a rational conversation about how to best balance the competing risks, not just Covid but also the risks of children falling behind, the risks to parents and lower-paid childcare workers of becoming the defacto early education system, and the risks to families of bearing the brunt of the Covid crisis. I really do not understand.

There is a trust element that has been lost over the years.
Parents sent kids in sick. A child would be picked up from school one afternoon with a high fever and back at school the next day. The rule was 24 hours fever free - which clearly was not the case.

Parents time and again lied about the health of their child as it was inconvenient for them. Now the stakes are a lot higher.

This attitude is frankly what has turned me off to teachers/the WTU. If compromise is impossible, I choose Mayor Bowser over literally nothing, which is what WTU offers. At this point, I think they’d oppose opening once there’s a vaccine.

my thoughts too. or they are using covid as a bargaining chip, which is execrable.

A bargaining chip for what Karen? A better teaching environment? So horrible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:100% agree.

I am tired of being screamed at by both sides for wanting a pragmatic approach to this longterm problem. The people who are arguing that we cannot open schools until a vaccine are doing a terrible disservice to all the many, many families who do not have the resources to weather a school shut down of that length. And meanwhile, the people who claim Covid is overblown and advocate for full opening with little to no precautions only undermine efforts to open schools in a responsible way.

I'm exhausted. We live across the street from our kid's school and it just sits there empty every day, a wasted resources, as the kids who should be attending it are cared for and provided educations by parents (some of whom have had to quit or scale back jobs, putting family finances at risk), in group care that pose the exact same risks of exposure as school but at greater financial cost to parents, or in-home care that also carries exposure risks. It is baffling to me. It reminds me of back in May when we were told to social distance but all the city parks were closed so we were all crowded onto sidewalks together.

I do not understand why we can't have a rational conversation about how to best balance the competing risks, not just Covid but also the risks of children falling behind, the risks to parents and lower-paid childcare workers of becoming the defacto early education system, and the risks to families of bearing the brunt of the Covid crisis. I really do not understand.

There is a trust element that has been lost over the years.
Parents sent kids in sick. A child would be picked up from school one afternoon with a high fever and back at school the next day. The rule was 24 hours fever free - which clearly was not the case.

Parents time and again lied about the health of their child as it was inconvenient for them. Now the stakes are a lot higher.

This attitude is frankly what has turned me off to teachers/the WTU. If compromise is impossible, I choose Mayor Bowser over literally nothing, which is what WTU offers. At this point, I think they’d oppose opening once there’s a vaccine.

my thoughts too. or they are using covid as a bargaining chip, which is execrable.

A bargaining chip for what Karen? A better teaching environment? So horrible

No, they have explicitly asked for more money, actually.