charter parents -- envious DCPS at least has a plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LAMB, DCI, DCB, MV, YY---None of them have any plans to open anytime soon. They're all sitting at home. Why have so-called charter schools if they're just going to follow the DCPS on all closings, from snow to Covid?

Worse. Follow DCPS when they say close, and then go their own way to stay closed when DCPS at least is trying to open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LAMB, DCI, DCB, MV, YY---None of them have any plans to open anytime soon. They're all sitting at home. Why have so-called charter schools if they're just going to follow the DCPS on all closings, from snow to Covid?

Uh nope. MV bringing some needier students back to class Nov and plan is hybrid in Nov. if everything goes as planned. They have been working on it for a while and communicating well with parents.

Plan is comprehensive, definite and actual, concrete steps have been implemented already in regards to HVAC, classroom restructuring, logistics, processes set up, etc...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB, DCI, DCB, MV, YY---None of them have any plans to open anytime soon. They're all sitting at home. Why have so-called charter schools if they're just going to follow the DCPS on all closings, from snow to Covid?

Uh nope. MV bringing some needier students back to class Nov and plan is hybrid in Nov. if everything goes as planned. They have been working on it for a while and communicating well with parents.

Plan is comprehensive, definite and actual, concrete steps have been implemented already in regards to HVAC, classroom restructuring, logistics, processes set up, etc...

Meant hybrid in Jan

[Anonymous]

Basis, albeit a MS/HS so a bit different, has been very transparent and the communication has been good. They have already brought back high-needs students and those needing childcare for in person support, and will either do a CARES set up for the rest of the school soon or will keep things as is since they are able to help kids who need it.

It's different with older kids for sure, but I do think the charter has been pretty communicative and transparent. We are satisfied pretty much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB, DCI, DCB, MV, YY---None of them have any plans to open anytime soon. They're all sitting at home. Why have so-called charter schools if they're just going to follow the DCPS on all closings, from snow to Covid?

Uh nope. MV bringing some needier students back to class Nov and plan is hybrid in Nov. if everything goes as planned. They have been working on it for a while and communicating well with parents.

Plan is comprehensive, definite and actual, concrete steps have been implemented already in regards to HVAC, classroom restructuring, logistics, processes set up, etc...

Meant hybrid in Jan

so you'll be super upset on December 19 when they say it's not happening?

Do you think all the rest of these schools had the same? LAMB also had a detailed plan, new HVAC, routing in and out of the building, all kinds of prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LAMB, DCI, DCB, MV, YY---None of them have any plans to open anytime soon. They're all sitting at home. Why have so-called charter schools if they're just going to follow the DCPS on all closings, from snow to Covid?

NOT true! DCI is bringing back priority populations in the next weeks and plans to do part-time in-person learning after winter break. Problem is District agencies won't give permission yet. They are definitely not following DCPS even though the Mayor is trying to strong-arm them into doing so. You seem very unaware of the myriad of political factors charters face from above.

[Anonymous]

I am a DCPS parent who has been long committed to staying out of charters because I think we need to invest in the public school system.

I am, for the first time, incredibly jealous of everyone in a charter. They seem to be handling DL much better than DCPS, and are able to problem solve more quickly because they don't have to run everything through Central Office. That's become so important during Covid. Also, the charters seem to have so much more control of how they allocate their budget, whereas in DCPS there are huge inequities between schools with large PTO funds and those without.

I think we may aim for a charter in the lottery in the spring. I never thought I'd say that, but we have been talking about moving within the city next year anyway and potentially moving schools as a result. I'm watching how charters and other DCPS schools are handling the crisis and taking notes. I'm extremely unhappy with how our IB has handled it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a DCPS parent who has been long committed to staying out of charters because I think we need to invest in the public school system.

I am, for the first time, incredibly jealous of everyone in a charter. They seem to be handling DL much better than DCPS, and are able to problem solve more quickly because they don't have to run everything through Central Office. That's become so important during Covid. Also, the charters seem to have so much more control of how they allocate their budget, whereas in DCPS there are huge inequities between schools with large PTO funds and those without.

I think we may aim for a charter in the lottery in the spring. I never thought I'd say that, but we have been talking about moving within the city next year anyway and potentially moving schools as a result. I'm watching how charters and other DCPS schools are handling the crisis and taking notes. I'm extremely unhappy with how our IB has handled it.

I think you are right, but I really think this is more about the size of things. Its very hard to turn the titanic, regardless of who is running things. Size, and a lack of trust between teachers and admin are really the root problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LAMB had a plan. They worked on for a long time. In the end, it didn't matter. The teachers wouldnt go back to work, and there was nothing LAMB could do to convince them otherwise.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/lamb-charter-school-dc-closed-covid/2020/10/24/a9061dba-0d5b-11eb-8074-0e943a91bf08_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0wXZmGNTsDhMYPKdfGBvEJZ_Sow26h8Ric7gxE_ixUqo7TwKp-i5OcdQM

Ah, just more proof that even without a union teachers here are fearful of returning. But isn't LAMB a 'nice school?' And what I mean by this is a nice building and facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB, DCI, DCB, MV, YY---None of them have any plans to open anytime soon. They're all sitting at home. Why have so-called charter schools if they're just going to follow the DCPS on all closings, from snow to Covid?

Uh nope. MV bringing some needier students back to class Nov and plan is hybrid in Nov. if everything goes as planned. They have been working on it for a while and communicating well with parents.

Plan is comprehensive, definite and actual, concrete steps have been implemented already in regards to HVAC, classroom restructuring, logistics, processes set up, etc...

Meant hybrid in Jan

so you'll be super upset on December 19 when they say it's not happening?

Do you think all the rest of these schools had the same? LAMB also had a detailed plan, new HVAC, routing in and out of the building, all kinds of prep.

You know what the difference is? MV has been polling families frequently about their DL, what their needs are, etc.. It seems like every 1-2 weeks, there’s a survey. They are now communicating biweekly to families regarding reopening updates. So if that is the case, I would bet they are in frequent communication with teachers too.

LAMB did no such thing. Just like DCPS, top down decision making with no transparency to staff or parents.

Why don’t you touch base here in Jan. If numbers stay low, very good chance of hybrid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a DCPS parent who has been long committed to staying out of charters because I think we need to invest in the public school system.

I am, for the first time, incredibly jealous of everyone in a charter. They seem to be handling DL much better than DCPS, and are able to problem solve more quickly because they don't have to run everything through Central Office. That's become so important during Covid. Also, the charters seem to have so much more control of how they allocate their budget, whereas in DCPS there are huge inequities between schools with large PTO funds and those without.

I think we may aim for a charter in the lottery in the spring. I never thought I'd say that, but we have been talking about moving within the city next year anyway and potentially moving schools as a result. I'm watching how charters and other DCPS schools are handling the crisis and taking notes. I'm extremely unhappy with how our IB has handled it.

I think you are right, but I really think this is more about the size of things. Its very hard to turn the titanic, regardless of who is running things. Size, and a lack of trust between teachers and admin are really the root problem.

PP here, and I agree. There are lots of issues in DCPS that are made more difficult by the size of the system. But I've never encountered an issue in which DCPS's inability to adapt was so catastrophic. And I think my family is actually probably better positioned than most to handle it (though I worry terribly about my youngest, who has always been such an easy going, school loving, child and is really struggling with DL). But I worry so much about many of the kids I know at our school who don't have the same resources.

For the last several months, whenever my husband and I discuss the challenges of DL or we talk to other families about how they are doing, I've had this idea in the back of my head that this is a temporary challenge that we are rising to in order to help our community. But that's shifted in the last two weeks. I now have no faith that this challenge is temporary, and instead of feeling like a part of a community working together, I feel abandoned. I understand why teachers are frustrated. I understand why it's hard. But I increasingly feel like I am on my own in all of this, and that is leading me to think much more selfishly about education than I ever have before. There is a good chance we unenroll and shift to homeschool for at least one of our children before the year is out, if we can make it work with our jobs.

I no longer believe the cavalry is coming.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I feel abandoned by my charter, and will look to going to my IB school next year if the charter fails to open for any in-person learning. Either that or move to the nearest suburb that I can afford that has in-person learning.

As much as the DCPS plan sounds like a disaster, it is SOMETHING. It is moving forward. If we see that rates don't jump when they implement the plan, that says a lot. And if rates don't increase and charters STILL stay closed....well...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB had a plan. They worked on for a long time. In the end, it didn't matter. The teachers wouldnt go back to work, and there was nothing LAMB could do to convince them otherwise.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/lamb-charter-school-dc-closed-covid/2020/10/24/a9061dba-0d5b-11eb-8074-0e943a91bf08_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0wXZmGNTsDhMYPKdfGBvEJZ_Sow26h8Ric7gxE_ixUqo7TwKp-i5OcdQM

Ah, just more proof that even without a union teachers here are fearful of returning. But isn't LAMB a 'nice school?' And what I mean by this is a nice building and facilities.

Yep. Brand new building. State of the art. Teachers still said no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB had a plan. They worked on for a long time. In the end, it didn't matter. The teachers wouldnt go back to work, and there was nothing LAMB could do to convince them otherwise.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/lamb-charter-school-dc-closed-covid/2020/10/24/a9061dba-0d5b-11eb-8074-0e943a91bf08_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0wXZmGNTsDhMYPKdfGBvEJZ_Sow26h8Ric7gxE_ixUqo7TwKp-i5OcdQM

Ah, just more proof that even without a union teachers here are fearful of returning. But isn't LAMB a 'nice school?' And what I mean by this is a nice building and facilities.

Yep. Brand new building. State of the art. Teachers still said no.

Do we even know what the charter teachers want in terms of safety? At least the WTU has stated what it wants (as impossible as a couple of its wants are).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope - the DCPS plan is a disaster and my child has actually been learning during DL. No "wait and see" - the school went headfirst into DL and is doing it pretty well, with lots of room for communication and adjustments.

I'm with this poster. I'm very worried about pulling teachers and resources around in a half-hazard manner. This should have been planned out much better. Plus, we were just told that the elementary schools might be pulling staff from Wilson High School....WHAT???!