Anyone heard from your teacher about classes today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will never forgive my child's teacher. He was slated for an in person slot. He can't learn over a screen. She called in sick. And now we will be virtual all academic year.

Yeah punish that b****! She and she alone caused this. It’s all her fault!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s wild the way some of y’all scream about how terrible and lazy teachers are, but you can’t do without one day of their distance learning. Which is it?

Collective action isn’t meant to be comfy.

You don't know shit about striking though. It's meant to hurt the management and not confused kids. This isn't a good look. God. You don't target the most vulnerable! You punch UP not DOWN! How is the WTU so stupid as to not realize that they need parents as allies?

Well it worked, so....

This strike has accomplished literally nothing other than pissing off families. It does not put any pressure on the administration at all.

What?!!! Then why did the administration delay in-person approximately one hour into the sick-out?

DCPS sent an email at 9:30 this morning, check your email.

I'd file this under "won the battle, lost the war". You have no idea how much parental support you've lost with this mental health day. I'm irate, and I didn't even have an in-person spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This one from one of our Wilson teachers really burned me:

"I will be taking a mental health day today, Monday 11/2, due to the stress and demands of virtual learning and anxiety about the current DCPS reopening plan. My ability to do my job with the effort and heart that it deserves requires my own personal wellbeing as well."

We all have tons of anxiety right now - and the plan doesn't effect middle/high school so why not teach our kids? Given that our kids will have school one day this week - the last day in the advisory and I am just pissed. Plus, teachers are not returning emails to my kids and getting grades updated for work turned in 4-6 weeks ago still. Finally, science is showing this isn't a huge issue. Why are teachers not essential?

But, yes DCPS needs to get it's act together. Did everyone see the email just sent from Ferebee pushing back reopening? I feel for you elementary school parents.

So far - half & half showing up with my Deal/Wilson kids...we will see how it goes.

Ugh it's like they think they have the hardest job ever, even though they get to do it virtually.

It is the day before the damn election. ALL of us are stressed out, including the kids. And they want to take the day off of the election to relax on a day when our kids could probably use some normalcy? This might be the last damn normal day we have for a while and the teachers won't be there for our kids. Because they just don't want to be.

You’re going to blow a head gasket if you don’t calm down. Teachers don’t set the school calendar, so being off on Election Day was not their call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2nd grader just found out and has no clue what happened. I sympathize with the teachers but honestly the only ones who are suffering are the children who can’t comprehend this at all.. is there no other way to make a statement instead of dragging children who have no fault in this. I am all for teacher and safety but honestly there has to be a better way

yeah I am normally very honest with my kid but can’t be now. He got an in-person slot so how am I supposed to explain that his teachers don’t want to teach him?

2nd grade is a great time for a lesson in nuance. Kids at that age are very bright and if lead through reasoning about a situation can walk away without feeling bad and learning a lot about empathy.

yeah, no. who’s going to have empathy for him? trying to explain this will only make him scared to return, think his teachers don’t like him, or that his teachers are wrong/stupid. “The teachers are so scared of covid they don’t want to teach you! And the other kids parents are mad their class sizes will be bigger. but you shouldn’t be worried.”

Right. So you have a great opportunity to teach empathy and about the world and instead you actually just want him to be coddled. If you choose to talk to him in a manner that this is an affront on him of course he will feel bad. You, as the adult, have a chance to frame the world as being bigger than him and more complicated than his initial emotional reaction. But that will require you to step outside of your own desires and emotions and use it as a growth opportunity.

Agreed- I do think this is a good opportunity to teach children about collective responsibility to society. That is, doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery store employees, food producers, and many other people are doing their jobs at personal risk because their jobs are essential to society. But teachers don't want to do their part, apparently because their parents never instilled in them a similar sense of responsibility.

This is the part that really gets me. I *agree* that teachers are essential workers. But there are responsibilities that come with that tag as well as benefits. The notion that teachers shouldn't have to go back until they are completely safe is really misplaced. As the PP said, there are myriad other workers who *are* back at work in less than ideal conditions. What is the reasoned argument that teachers should be treated differently? (I'm actually asking - can anyone make the case?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s wild the way some of y’all scream about how terrible and lazy teachers are, but you can’t do without one day of their distance learning. Which is it?

Collective action isn’t meant to be comfy.

You don't know shit about striking though. It's meant to hurt the management and not confused kids. This isn't a good look. God. You don't target the most vulnerable! You punch UP not DOWN! How is the WTU so stupid as to not realize that they need parents as allies?

Well it worked, so....

This strike has accomplished literally nothing other than pissing off families. It does not put any pressure on the administration at all.

Yeah, this is the equivalent of the Trumpers blocking the Garden State Parkway yesterday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2nd grader just found out and has no clue what happened. I sympathize with the teachers but honestly the only ones who are suffering are the children who can’t comprehend this at all.. is there no other way to make a statement instead of dragging children who have no fault in this. I am all for teacher and safety but honestly there has to be a better way

yeah I am normally very honest with my kid but can’t be now. He got an in-person slot so how am I supposed to explain that his teachers don’t want to teach him?

2nd grade is a great time for a lesson in nuance. Kids at that age are very bright and if lead through reasoning about a situation can walk away without feeling bad and learning a lot about empathy.

yeah, no. who’s going to have empathy for him? trying to explain this will only make him scared to return, think his teachers don’t like him, or that his teachers are wrong/stupid. “The teachers are so scared of covid they don’t want to teach you! And the other kids parents are mad their class sizes will be bigger. but you shouldn’t be worried.”

Shitty undesirable job. None of these parents want to take care of their kids all day, they want other people to do it. But those people must also be properly educated. It creates a supply and demand curve that is in favor of the teachers. The district can’t replace them quickly enough (at all?) and are required to provide some flavor of education.

We could affect the supply curve by paying a lot more but no one wants more taxes. We could lower the demand curve by reducing requirements but no one wants that either. This is the equilibrium we as a society have created. These people aren’t saints, they should advocate for what is best for themselves just as we should advocate for our children as parents. And we should all accept responsibility for the society we have created.
Right. So you have a great opportunity to teach empathy and about the world and instead you actually just want him to be coddled. If you choose to talk to him in a manner that this is an affront on him of course he will feel bad. You, as the adult, have a chance to frame the world as being bigger than him and more complicated than his initial emotional reaction. But that will require you to step outside of your own desires and emotions and use it as a growth opportunity.

Agreed- I do think this is a good opportunity to teach children about collective responsibility to society. That is, doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery store employees, food producers, and many other people are doing their jobs at personal risk because their jobs are essential to society. But teachers don't want to do their part, apparently because their parents never instilled in them a similar sense of responsibility.

This is the part that really gets me. I *agree* that teachers are essential workers. But there are responsibilities that come with that tag as well as benefits. The notion that teachers shouldn't have to go back until they are completely safe is really misplaced. As the PP said, there are myriad other workers who *are* back at work in less than ideal conditions. What is the reasoned argument that teachers should be treated differently? (I'm actually asking - can anyone make the case?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Normally I contribute quite generously to the group fund for our teacher’s holiday bonus. I will not be making a contribution this year, as they’re protesting not wanting to teach my SN child who sorely needs in-person to learn. Feels like a slap in her face.

I have zero respect for my kid’s teachers right now.

Hi! As a Special ed teacher, my heart goes out to you and your family. This is an extremely difficult time for all students, but the lack of consistency is especially hard for SpEd kids, who may not have the tools and resources to deal with these changes. I want to go back to school to be with my students. DL is so hard and I know that I'm not able to reach all my students in the ways I can in person. However, I worry about the additional stress students will have returning to an unsafe environment. Going back to school does not mean going back to normal. There will be new norms and procedures, some that don't even make sense to teachers. The other thing, teachers haven't been given ANY guidance on what returning looks like. I've heard some people say that recess and specials are cancelled, another says that students will have to remain 6 feet apart in classrooms. And what about our students who need physical proximity? My students have a lot of trauma and sometimes the only way to calm them down is to give them a hug or pat their back- can I safely give students the emotional care they need to make it through the day? I don't know. And that's what is so frustrating because DCPS is not giving teachers (or administrators) any guidance or real answers to the questions we have. Looking at the health aspect, I am truly terrified of catching COVID and spreading it to my family (two high-risk individuals). We don't know the long term effects and there have been studies done in Germany (I may be wrong on the location) that shows people who had it mild now are suffering from heart conditions.

^that was a really long way to say that I want to go back. That I am fighting to go back to a safe school environment.

P.S. Do you use token boards at home? I've worked with my families to incorporate token boards into their daily routines and they've reported back very positive results!

[Anonymous]

Agreed- I do think this is a good opportunity to teach children about collective responsibility to society. That is, doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery store employees, food producers, and many other people are doing their jobs at personal risk because their jobs are essential to society. But teachers don't want to do their part, apparently because their parents never instilled in them a similar sense of responsibility.

This is the part that really gets me. I *agree* that teachers are essential workers. But there are responsibilities that come with that tag as well as benefits. The notion that teachers shouldn't have to go back until they are completely safe is really misplaced. As the PP said, there are myriad other workers who *are* back at work in less than ideal conditions. What is the reasoned argument that teachers should be treated differently? (I'm actually asking - can anyone make the case?)

Education is not necessary to support human life. Therefore, not essential, though important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Normally I contribute quite generously to the group fund for our teacher’s holiday bonus. I will not be making a contribution this year, as they’re protesting not wanting to teach my SN child who sorely needs in-person to learn. Feels like a slap in her face.

I have zero respect for my kid’s teachers right now.

Hi! As a Special ed teacher, my heart goes out to you and your family. This is an extremely difficult time for all students, but the lack of consistency is especially hard for SpEd kids, who may not have the tools and resources to deal with these changes. I want to go back to school to be with my students. DL is so hard and I know that I'm not able to reach all my students in the ways I can in person. However, I worry about the additional stress students will have returning to an unsafe environment. Going back to school does not mean going back to normal. There will be new norms and procedures, some that don't even make sense to teachers. The other thing, teachers haven't been given ANY guidance on what returning looks like. I've heard some people say that recess and specials are cancelled, another says that students will have to remain 6 feet apart in classrooms. And what about our students who need physical proximity? My students have a lot of trauma and sometimes the only way to calm them down is to give them a hug or pat their back- can I safely give students the emotional care they need to make it through the day? I don't know. And that's what is so frustrating because DCPS is not giving teachers (or administrators) any guidance or real answers to the questions we have. Looking at the health aspect, I am truly terrified of catching COVID and spreading it to my family (two high-risk individuals). We don't know the long term effects and there have been studies done in Germany (I may be wrong on the location) that shows people who had it mild now are suffering from heart conditions.

^that was a really long way to say that I want to go back. That I am fighting to go back to a safe school environment.

P.S. Do you use token boards at home? I've worked with my families to incorporate token boards into their daily routines and they've reported back very positive results!

DC is not a special snowflake. Schools across the country have done it. Children and thriving and happy and teachers have made it work. Heck, most school districts across the country (most of which have much higher rates of infection) went back months ago with much less planning time than DC has had. And it worked and infections are not rising due to going back. This is all a farce by incompetent DCPS administrators, teachers, and the union. And to the extent you sign on by defending, by you too. Shameful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will never forgive my child's teacher. He was slated for an in person slot. He can't learn over a screen. She called in sick. And now we will be virtual all academic year.

Yeah punish that b****! She and she alone caused this. It’s all her fault!!!

Clearly she has contributed to a worse outcome for this person's son through her selfishness and utter lack of scientific reasoning. Yeah, she's right to be pissed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Normally I contribute quite generously to the group fund for our teacher’s holiday bonus. I will not be making a contribution this year, as they’re protesting not wanting to teach my SN child who sorely needs in-person to learn. Feels like a slap in her face.

I have zero respect for my kid’s teachers right now.

Hi! As a Special ed teacher, my heart goes out to you and your family. This is an extremely difficult time for all students, but the lack of consistency is especially hard for SpEd kids, who may not have the tools and resources to deal with these changes. I want to go back to school to be with my students. DL is so hard and I know that I'm not able to reach all my students in the ways I can in person. However, I worry about the additional stress students will have returning to an unsafe environment. Going back to school does not mean going back to normal. There will be new norms and procedures, some that don't even make sense to teachers. The other thing, teachers haven't been given ANY guidance on what returning looks like. I've heard some people say that recess and specials are cancelled, another says that students will have to remain 6 feet apart in classrooms. And what about our students who need physical proximity? My students have a lot of trauma and sometimes the only way to calm them down is to give them a hug or pat their back- can I safely give students the emotional care they need to make it through the day? I don't know. And that's what is so frustrating because DCPS is not giving teachers (or administrators) any guidance or real answers to the questions we have. Looking at the health aspect, I am truly terrified of catching COVID and spreading it to my family (two high-risk individuals). We don't know the long term effects and there have been studies done in Germany (I may be wrong on the location) that shows people who had it mild now are suffering from heart conditions.

^that was a really long way to say that I want to go back. That I am fighting to go back to a safe school environment.

P.S. Do you use token boards at home? I've worked with my families to incorporate token boards into their daily routines and they've reported back very positive results!

DC is not a special snowflake. Schools across the country have done it. Children and thriving and happy and teachers have made it work. Heck, most school districts across the country (most of which have much higher rates of infection) went back months ago with much less planning time than DC has had. And it worked and infections are not rising due to going back. This is all a farce by incompetent DCPS administrators, teachers, and the union. And to the extent you sign on by defending, by you too. Shameful

Yeah seriously. "I can't go back because some students want hugs!" Spare me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s wild the way some of y’all scream about how terrible and lazy teachers are, but you can’t do without one day of their distance learning. Which is it?

Collective action isn’t meant to be comfy.

You don't know shit about striking though. It's meant to hurt the management and not confused kids. This isn't a good look. God. You don't target the most vulnerable! You punch UP not DOWN! How is the WTU so stupid as to not realize that they need parents as allies?

Well it worked, so....

This strike has accomplished literally nothing other than pissing off families. It does not put any pressure on the administration at all.

What?!!! Then why did the administration delay in-person approximately one hour into the sick-out?

DCPS sent an email at 9:30 this morning, check your email.

I'd file this under "won the battle, lost the war". You have no idea how much parental support you've lost with this mental health day. I'm irate, and I didn't even have an in-person spot.

Exactly. Did the union forget that what they're doing is illegal? Did you forget that there are more parents and families than there are active union members? What really happens to teachers and the unions depends on the public and the amount of pressure that can be put onto political and school administration.

You have alienated the allies that you needed for this. You have demonstrated that you cannot be satisfied with any arrangement. You make it clear that you don't care about families by not communicating with them until the morning of your strike.

Don't forget the air traffic controllers union.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Agreed- I do think this is a good opportunity to teach children about collective responsibility to society. That is, doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery store employees, food producers, and many other people are doing their jobs at personal risk because their jobs are essential to society. But teachers don't want to do their part, apparently because their parents never instilled in them a similar sense of responsibility.

This is the part that really gets me. I *agree* that teachers are essential workers. But there are responsibilities that come with that tag as well as benefits. The notion that teachers shouldn't have to go back until they are completely safe is really misplaced. As the PP said, there are myriad other workers who *are* back at work in less than ideal conditions. What is the reasoned argument that teachers should be treated differently? (I'm actually asking - can anyone make the case?)

Education is not necessary to support human life. Therefore, not essential, though important.

Oh, is it only jobs that are necessary to support human life which are open then? Because I see a lot of retail, personal services, restaurants open...

I expect teachers to have at least marginally better reasoning than a fifth grader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2nd grader just found out and has no clue what happened. I sympathize with the teachers but honestly the only ones who are suffering are the children who can’t comprehend this at all.. is there no other way to make a statement instead of dragging children who have no fault in this. I am all for teacher and safety but honestly there has to be a better way

yeah I am normally very honest with my kid but can’t be now. He got an in-person slot so how am I supposed to explain that his teachers don’t want to teach him?

2nd grade is a great time for a lesson in nuance. Kids at that age are very bright and if lead through reasoning about a situation can walk away without feeling bad and learning a lot about empathy.

yeah, no. who’s going to have empathy for him? trying to explain this will only make him scared to return, think his teachers don’t like him, or that his teachers are wrong/stupid. “The teachers are so scared of covid they don’t want to teach you! And the other kids parents are mad their class sizes will be bigger. but you shouldn’t be worried.”

Right. So you have a great opportunity to teach empathy and about the world and instead you actually just want him to be coddled. If you choose to talk to him in a manner that this is an affront on him of course he will feel bad. You, as the adult, have a chance to frame the world as being bigger than him and more complicated than his initial emotional reaction. But that will require you to step outside of your own desires and emotions and use it as a growth opportunity.

Agreed- I do think this is a good opportunity to teach children about collective responsibility to society. That is, doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery store employees, food producers, and many other people are doing their jobs at personal risk because their jobs are essential to society. But teachers don't want to do their part, apparently because their parents never instilled in them a similar sense of responsibility.

Doctors, nurses, and first responders took jobs knowing they'd be put in harms way. Not that they deserve any of this, but still, it is part of their jobs they may anticipate. The other jobs you listed do not involve sitting in an enclosed room with 12 individuals all day, with at least 20-30 minutes of that day being mask-less. They don't involve children's tears, or tantrums, or spontaneous hugs or "silly" play and jokes that could lead to exponentially more infections. We also aren't sending children into the grocery stores and restaurants. Children are precious. They are to be protected at all costs. This means having a return plan that is safe and trauma informed. Teachers have and are doing their part by reinventing their job and trying to deliver instruction as best they can during the pandemic. Attacking them is not going to help anyone, least of all your child. Try standing with them. We can do better than the Mayor and she will see what we can accomplish together.

In general, doctors and nurses have close, extended contact with about 10-20 patients a day. Over the course of a week, they might see 50-100 different patients, along with caregivers that accompany the patients, and staff at the the facilities. Depending on the type of provider, and the health complaints of the patients, they might be seeing patients without masks and work near their faces. My son, for instance, needed sutures on his chin, screaming bloody murder the whole time as three of us pinned him down.

And even when there's not a real issue, I'll note that my spouse has noted that elderly patients very frequently think they need to pull their masks down to be heard.

I definitely get the concerns about middle/high school students. I'm not sure there's a good way to handle them without reducing community spread first. But I don't think elementary and self-contained special needs classes are a problem.

Unfortunately I think the battle lines are drawn, so the main function of your well reasoned and rational post is to give me a chance to say how much I appreciate your spouses continued service through this time. I would imagine the added stress of dealing is felt by your whole family. Hope your son has a quick recovery. I remember holding my daughter down like that once and is wasn't fun. Best of luck to you all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2nd grader just found out and has no clue what happened. I sympathize with the teachers but honestly the only ones who are suffering are the children who can’t comprehend this at all.. is there no other way to make a statement instead of dragging children who have no fault in this. I am all for teacher and safety but honestly there has to be a better way

yeah I am normally very honest with my kid but can’t be now. He got an in-person slot so how am I supposed to explain that his teachers don’t want to teach him?

2nd grade is a great time for a lesson in nuance. Kids at that age are very bright and if lead through reasoning about a situation can walk away without feeling bad and learning a lot about empathy.

yeah, no. who’s going to have empathy for him? trying to explain this will only make him scared to return, think his teachers don’t like him, or that his teachers are wrong/stupid. “The teachers are so scared of covid they don’t want to teach you! And the other kids parents are mad their class sizes will be bigger. but you shouldn’t be worried.”

Right. So you have a great opportunity to teach empathy and about the world and instead you actually just want him to be coddled. If you choose to talk to him in a manner that this is an affront on him of course he will feel bad. You, as the adult, have a chance to frame the world as being bigger than him and more complicated than his initial emotional reaction. But that will require you to step outside of your own desires and emotions and use it as a growth opportunity.

Agreed- I do think this is a good opportunity to teach children about collective responsibility to society. That is, doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery store employees, food producers, and many other people are doing their jobs at personal risk because their jobs are essential to society. But teachers don't want to do their part, apparently because their parents never instilled in them a similar sense of responsibility.

This is the part that really gets me. I *agree* that teachers are essential workers. But there are responsibilities that come with that tag as well as benefits. The notion that teachers shouldn't have to go back until they are completely safe is really misplaced. As the PP said, there are myriad other workers who *are* back at work in less than ideal conditions. What is the reasoned argument that teachers should be treated differently? (I'm actually asking - can anyone make the case?)

Right? Are teachers now going to refuse to work during bad flu seasons? They can't be 100% safe, so why tf not.