How many DCPS parents might be willing to file a lawsuit against DCPS to ensure fall reopening?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sue on failure to educate; children have a right to a minimum basic education. Scientific evidence is clear on the matter of in-person instruction in the classroom being safe (esp with vaccination now available) and the overwhelming evidence that hybrid and virtual learning environments harm the most at-risk students -- to say nothing of the emotional/psychological damage that a year without schooling has caused. NJ's case in South Orange is a lot like DC: city officials and union were squabbling and couldn't agree. Only the lawsuit moved the needle and got kids back in the classroom

Seems unlikely that a court would find that the distance learning isn't at least attempting to provide a minimum basic education. It'd be one thing if DCPS never planned to do in-person school again, but that's not what's going on.

My middle schooler is getting exactly 2:15 of online instruction with a teacher 4 times a weeks. Each subject, he’s getting 1:30 of instruction PER WEEK when the norm was what, 4:15 per week for each subject and 30 hours of instruction per week.

[Anonymous]

This has been my high schoolers' experience (at two different DCPS high schools). Often they will have a teacher Zoom in for 10 minutes of "class," then the teacher leaves them w/ an assignment and that's it. Very little feedback or instruction, and in several cases teachers don't bother to show up to the Zoom class at all. In some classes they are lucky to get a full hour with a teacher over the course of the 4-day school week. There are zero consequences for this, which is why they continue to do it. Imagine if they just walked out of class halfway through during in-person instruction? Some school official might bother to notice. (caveat: Not all teachers, etc etc but the overwhelming takeaway here is a severely reduced amount of instruction for students).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious how many DCPS parents would be willing to go the route of public school parents in New Jersey and elsewhere who have successfully sued their school districts for in-person INSTRUCTION (not IPL, which is a farce, especially for middle school and high schoolers who sit in CARES classrooms on their computers while their teachers teach from home). After a year of getting the runaround from school administrators, Bowser, and the WTU, I'm pessimistic that they won't do more of the same in the fall (especially as they are running out the clock for Term 4 and not offering meaningful return to classroom instruction). Walls HS hasn't offered a single in-person class all year. Wilson is allowing one class a week in person for some students but it's still hybrid so the teacher is focused on the virtual students, not the ones in front of him/her.

The mayor claiming schools are open is ridiculous; they are not open and the surveys they have sent out to parents all year haven't even offered a return to in-person instruction as an option. Their reassurances that they "plan" to reopen in the fall are what they said over the winter break about the spring. I don't believe them.

Given the declining case rates, vaccination, new CDC guidance, etc. there is now plenty of objective scientific evidence that it is safe to return to full time, 5 days a week school. Other school districts have done it; private schools have done it since the fall. The threat of a lawsuit might help the mayor see some sense and clarify plans for the fall and perhaps finally give the WTU a response to their year-long goalpost shifting and dishonest stunts (body bags in front of the mayor's office, "mental health day" strikes, etc) with regard to getting back to the classroom. Thoughts?

Where is your support for the notion that it was a successful lawsuit that led to IPL in NJ or anywhere else?

[Anonymous]

I think you guys would have more success suing China.

[Anonymous]

I understand everyone frustrations. I get it. As a healthcare worker when you see children dying from this as young as 2 months old you all need to take this Shkt seriously. Yes you can send your child to school but they can be asymptomatic and come home and spread it to you, the parents, which put more strain on healthcare workers. Stop whining about allowing your children to get back to school. Understand there is NEVER going to be a normal. The cases are rising and believe it or not trust what I say kids, toddlers and teens are dying from this and they have no underlying health condition. I don’t want to have to see another healthcare worker quarantine themselves to avoid not coming home infecting their families staying away for 2 weeks or seeing coworkers who have passed away from this disease working with COVID patients. I want my son to to attend school again and he definitely does also because he feels he can learn more but not at the risk of killing his dad because of his underlying health conditions. It’s just not safe, furthermore I see children not wearing masks along with their parents!!
Last thing don’t blame the mayor she is taking precautions as she should. If you want to blame someone. I’ll leave politics out of this. She is not to blame she is doing what a parent and mayor should do for her community so if you guys want to leave DCPS good!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand everyone frustrations. I get it. As a healthcare worker when you see children dying from this as young as 2 months old you all need to take this Shkt seriously. Yes you can send your child to school but they can be asymptomatic and come home and spread it to you, the parents, which put more strain on healthcare workers. Stop whining about allowing your children to get back to school. Understand there is NEVER going to be a normal. The cases are rising and believe it or not trust what I say kids, toddlers and teens are dying from this and they have no underlying health condition. I don’t want to have to see another healthcare worker quarantine themselves to avoid not coming home infecting their families staying away for 2 weeks or seeing coworkers who have passed away from this disease working with COVID patients. I want my son to to attend school again and he definitely does also because he feels he can learn more but not at the risk of killing his dad because of his underlying health conditions. It’s just not safe, furthermore I see children not wearing masks along with their parents!!
Last thing don’t blame the mayor she is taking precautions as she should. If you want to blame someone. I’ll leave politics out of this. She is not to blame she is doing what a parent and mayor should do for her community so if you guys want to leave DCPS good!!!

Even more reason to get back to school now because we have to adopt to the new realities, not forever hide in a bunker.

[Anonymous]

We are not hiding in a bunker. Kids are not going to wear a mask, they simply are not! Like I stated before send your kids elsewhere if you don’t like DCPS or how the mayor is taking action speaking as a healthcare worker.

[Anonymous]

If you do a bit of googling, you'll see that it's pretty common, at least outside DC, for parents to sue schools to force them to reopen. And many of those suits have been successful.

[Anonymous]

DCPS keeps saying it’s going in person in the Fall. Why are you so full of doubt and anger? (Without replying WTU because they voted against fighting)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sue on failure to educate; children have a right to a minimum basic education. Scientific evidence is clear on the matter of in-person instruction in the classroom being safe (esp with vaccination now available) and the overwhelming evidence that hybrid and virtual learning environments harm the most at-risk students -- to say nothing of the emotional/psychological damage that a year without schooling has caused. NJ's case in South Orange is a lot like DC: city officials and union were squabbling and couldn't agree. Only the lawsuit moved the needle and got kids back in the classroom

Seems unlikely that a court would find that the distance learning isn't at least attempting to provide a minimum basic education. It'd be one thing if DCPS never planned to do in-person school again, but that's not what's going on.

My middle schooler is getting exactly 2:15 of online instruction with a teacher 4 times a weeks. Each subject, he’s getting 1:30 of instruction PER WEEK when the norm was what, 4:15 per week for each subject and 30 hours of instruction per week.

Yes all MS kids are getting this. Why is your kid so special?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS keeps saying it’s going in person in the Fall. Why are you so full of doubt and anger? (Without replying WTU because they voted against fighting)

Maybe because DCPS gushes now that “schools are open!” when that’s barely true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand everyone frustrations. I get it. As a healthcare worker when you see children dying from this as young as 2 months old you all need to take this Shkt seriously. Yes you can send your child to school but they can be asymptomatic and come home and spread it to you, the parents, which put more strain on healthcare workers. Stop whining about allowing your children to get back to school. Understand there is NEVER going to be a normal. The cases are rising and believe it or not trust what I say kids, toddlers and teens are dying from this and they have no underlying health condition. I don’t want to have to see another healthcare worker quarantine themselves to avoid not coming home infecting their families staying away for 2 weeks or seeing coworkers who have passed away from this disease working with COVID patients. I want my son to to attend school again and he definitely does also because he feels he can learn more but not at the risk of killing his dad because of his underlying health conditions. It’s just not safe, furthermore I see children not wearing masks along with their parents!!
Last thing don’t blame the mayor she is taking precautions as she should. If you want to blame someone. I’ll leave politics out of this. She is not to blame she is doing what a parent and mayor should do for her community so if you guys want to leave DCPS good!!!

Even more reason to get back to school now because we have to adopt to the new realities, not forever hide in a bunker.

NP. You are one of those people who need to get a serious dose of Covid, or watch a loved one die from it to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sue on failure to educate; children have a right to a minimum basic education. Scientific evidence is clear on the matter of in-person instruction in the classroom being safe (esp with vaccination now available) and the overwhelming evidence that hybrid and virtual learning environments harm the most at-risk students -- to say nothing of the emotional/psychological damage that a year without schooling has caused. NJ's case in South Orange is a lot like DC: city officials and union were squabbling and couldn't agree. Only the lawsuit moved the needle and got kids back in the classroom

Seems unlikely that a court would find that the distance learning isn't at least attempting to provide a minimum basic education. It'd be one thing if DCPS never planned to do in-person school again, but that's not what's going on.

My middle schooler is getting exactly 2:15 of online instruction with a teacher 4 times a weeks. Each subject, he’s getting 1:30 of instruction PER WEEK when the norm was what, 4:15 per week for each subject and 30 hours of instruction per week.

Yes all MS kids are getting this. Why is your kid so special?

DP. Yes! The PP offers her experience as an example, not to claim any special injury. The injury is to all MS students who are getting 2/5 (or less) of the regular instructional time. This is the problem - for all the kids.

[Anonymous]

OP, I’d be in. I feel like I’m watching the total destruction of public education in slow motion.

[Anonymous]

And many of us feel like we're watching the total destruction of the sanity of posters like OP in slow motion. Jeez.