Barriers to more fully opening schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, the current state of emergency or (??) that allows teachers to leave at 66% of salary to take care of kids

And those who are being allowed to work from home due to health concerns related to the virus.

The MOU with the union that those with ada accommodations get them until the end of the school year is a big obstacle to school five days per week, but since half of teachers do not have the accommodation hybrid should be possible. Perhaps dcps could negotiate a new agreement with wtu - teachers are due for a pay raise anyway. According to the CDC, DC is not far from the orange zone where schools can reopen five days per week with as much distancing as possible of six feet is not possible. DC is currently at 140 case per 100,000 residents per week and needs to be under 100. Asymptomatic testing was a mitigating strategy for schools recommended by the CDC. DCPS should consider weekly or biweekly testing to get our middle and high schoolers back. WIS is testing high schoolers twice per week.

Thank you for writing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS needs to open a virtual-only school like Friendship. Then students who cannot attend in person in the fall can temporarily enroll (or permanently if DL is working well for them) to that virtual school. DCPS could technically "hold their spot" at their current school for the year (I know many people are worried about losing a lottery spot or overcrowding because IB kids will be coming back eventually.) That would create a lot of efficiencies so that every school at every grade didn't have to have a DL teacher to accommodate those students.

I wonder about whether just putting them all at Friendship. At least temporarily. Since that is a program that’s already established. It might just need to be scaled up. Not sure of the issues with that.

Also, is it hard to lottery into the Friendship virtual only option, generally?

A former student attended and her mom said they returned to in person because it was more like hone schooling than online learning. Parents needed to be very involved. I know it’s the same now for most DCPS, just pointing out it may not be as great an option as it would seem.

I think DCPS would not be inclined to give up the per-pupil funding to Friendship (though I realize DCPS is based on projection and charters a reconciliation based on the audit). But I still think they would be hesitant. And I hear you pp on your friend. I’m sure DL at Friendship has it flaws. But I see this as something families that can’t go back in person (for whatever reason), as well
As families loving DL (which there seem to be some...not my family!) to accommodate their needs. It would probably run similar to DL now? But anyway, I’m way overthinking something that no one is charge is actually going to seek my advice on. LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS needs to open a virtual-only school like Friendship. Then students who cannot attend in person in the fall can temporarily enroll (or permanently if DL is working well for them) to that virtual school. DCPS could technically "hold their spot" at their current school for the year (I know many people are worried about losing a lottery spot or overcrowding because IB kids will be coming back eventually.) That would create a lot of efficiencies so that every school at every grade didn't have to have a DL teacher to accommodate those students.

I wonder about whether just putting them all at Friendship. At least temporarily. Since that is a program that’s already established. It might just need to be scaled up. Not sure of the issues with that.

Also, is it hard to lottery into the Friendship virtual only option, generally?

A former student attended and her mom said they returned to in person because it was more like hone schooling than online learning. Parents needed to be very involved. I know it’s the same now for most DCPS, just pointing out it may not be as great an option as it would seem.

I think DCPS would not be inclined to give up the per-pupil funding to Friendship (though I realize DCPS is based on projection and charters a reconciliation based on the audit). But I still think they would be hesitant. And I hear you pp on your friend. I’m sure DL at Friendship has it flaws. But I see this as something families that can’t go back in person (for whatever reason), as well
As families loving DL (which there seem to be some...not my family!) to accommodate their needs. It would probably run similar to DL now? But anyway, I’m way overthinking something that no one is charge is actually going to seek my advice on. LOL

Another question would be what happens to their seat? What if they were OOB or in a charter? Would the school fill their seat or have to leave it open?

[Anonymous]

Staffing, funding, and space.

Not all schools even have the space for a bunch of tents and can you imagine how angry the teachers in tents would feel teaching in a hot tent while their counterparts were in a classroom, air conditioned or not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, the current state of emergency or (??) that allows teachers to leave at 66% of salary to take care of kids

And those who are being allowed to work from home due to health concerns related to the virus.

A health concern that gives you a virtual placement to teach is obesity.

[Anonymous]

Just FYI, but it’s 121 cases out of 100k (average for last 7 days) and has been falling steadily. https://covidactnow.org/us/district_of_columbia-dc/?s=1602544

[Anonymous]

#2 is not true bc at our ES, one teacher teaches two cohorts (one AM and one PM) with 2 hours in between to sanitize, eat lunch at home etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:#2 is not true bc at our ES, one teacher teaches two cohorts (one AM and one PM) with 2 hours in between to sanitize, eat lunch at home etc.

Thank you. Does anyone have a link to the OSSE/DOH guidelines and rules on this?

[Anonymous]

I live across the street from a DCPS elementary school and watch the kids at recess. Some have their masks hanging off their face. Most of them are not distancing 1 foot apart, let alone 6 feet. All this while a staff member looks on. I’m sure it’s not all bad. At least they’re outside and not breathing in recirculating air. But my point it’s just impossible to keep all these rules in place. It’s not happening. It may look good on paper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live across the street from a DCPS elementary school and watch the kids at recess. Some have their masks hanging off their face. Most of them are not distancing 1 foot apart, let alone 6 feet. All this while a staff member looks on. I’m sure it’s not all bad. At least they’re outside and not breathing in recirculating air. But my point it’s just impossible to keep all these rules in place. It’s not happening. It may look good on paper.

I mean, where do you see any COVID guidance being followed precisely and completely? It’s all to mitigate spread, not eliminate it. There is no reasonable way of monitoring these things, and so the goal is to do as much as possible, not freak out that it’s not perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live across the street from a DCPS elementary school and watch the kids at recess. Some have their masks hanging off their face. Most of them are not distancing 1 foot apart, let alone 6 feet. All this while a staff member looks on. I’m sure it’s not all bad. At least they’re outside and not breathing in recirculating air. But my point it’s just impossible to keep all these rules in place. It’s not happening. It may look good on paper.

Is this supposed to be an argument against opening schools? The reality is, you will never enforce guidelines 100%, not only with kids. Are you seeing everything enforced perfectly at businesses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live across the street from a DCPS elementary school and watch the kids at recess. Some have their masks hanging off their face. Most of them are not distancing 1 foot apart, let alone 6 feet. All this while a staff member looks on. I’m sure it’s not all bad. At least they’re outside and not breathing in recirculating air. But my point it’s just impossible to keep all these rules in place. It’s not happening. It may look good on paper.

Is this supposed to be an argument against opening schools? The reality is, you will never enforce guidelines 100%, not only with kids. Are you seeing everything enforced perfectly at businesses?

Not PP but partially yes, outside is no biggie but in the classroom it can certainly be a cause of concern.

Being in a grocery store is not the same as being in a classroom for 7 hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live across the street from a DCPS elementary school and watch the kids at recess. Some have their masks hanging off their face. Most of them are not distancing 1 foot apart, let alone 6 feet. All this while a staff member looks on. I’m sure it’s not all bad. At least they’re outside and not breathing in recirculating air. But my point it’s just impossible to keep all these rules in place. It’s not happening. It may look good on paper.

Is this supposed to be an argument against opening schools? The reality is, you will never enforce guidelines 100%, not only with kids. Are you seeing everything enforced perfectly at businesses?

Not PP but partially yes, outside is no biggie but in the classroom it can certainly be a cause of concern.

Being in a grocery store is not the same as being in a classroom for 7 hours.

No, it’s not the same. Working in a grocery store is more risky than being with the same cohort of young children all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Staffing, funding, and space.

Not all schools even have the space for a bunch of tents and can you imagine how angry the teachers in tents would feel teaching in a hot tent while their counterparts were in a classroom, air conditioned or not?

Regular, ongoing surveillance testing of all, including students, to catch asymptomatic cases.

[Anonymous]

That a lot of parents think the rules don’t apply to them and are traveling to hot spots.