Anyone heard from your teacher about classes today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No, but those jobs are not essential. Their opening is driven by market capitalism. Arguably, those things should remain closed so we can prioritize reopening schools!

[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.”

How about the message the teachers have been communicating: Your teacher wants to stay your teacher, not for you to go in to school and have a different teacher. Your teacher wants to be able to hear your thoughts and ideas in the virtual classroom, if that’s where you stay, and we know how hard that is now with __ students in the class. Imagine having even more students in your live sessions! Your teachers want to make sure it’s the absolute safest environment possible so no one has to worry about you or your family and so when you do return to a school, you can feel safe and comfortable because you know they made sure of it.

Wow so their messaging doesn't say anything about the most vulnerable kids who were supposed to go in person? What about those kids? Mine wasn't offered a slot, but there are kids who absolutely need it who need to go in person.

You mean the kids in self contained? DCPS never even ran the lottery for them. The MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS IN THE DISTRICT were not offered any types of seats. Family were never communicated with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No, but those jobs are not essential. Their opening is driven by market capitalism. Arguably, those things should remain closed so we can prioritize reopening schools!


Essential workers are ALLOWED to work at peak of the virus. Not REQUIRED to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You have mentioned this many times before, so you must be the same person. For clarification purposes do you not want us to not forget the air traffic controllers union who had a "sick-out" in 1969-1970 that resulted in accelerated and immediate installation and repairs to automated systems, the opening of a new air traffic controller training academy, funding to hire more air traffic controllers, and a salary raise. If so, I do not think comparing this mental health day/sick out to a sick out nearly 50 years ago really supports your point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No, but those jobs are not essential. Their opening is driven by market capitalism. Arguably, those things should remain closed so we can prioritize reopening schools!

Essential workers are ALLOWED to work at peak of the virus. Not REQUIRED to.

Really? I don't recall my wife or many of our friends working in medicine being given a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No, but those jobs are not essential. Their opening is driven by market capitalism. Arguably, those things should remain closed so we can prioritize reopening schools!

Essential workers are ALLOWED to work at peak of the virus. Not REQUIRED to.

Really? I don't recall my wife or many of our friends working in medicine being given a choice.

Is your employment not at will?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Is that really what this teacher said? Or are you cherry picking to try and prove your point? They clearly said that they are frustrated by DCPS's plans to return because there isn't actually a plan and that they do want to go back to in person teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No, but those jobs are not essential. Their opening is driven by market capitalism. Arguably, those things should remain closed so we can prioritize reopening schools!

Essential workers are ALLOWED to work at peak of the virus. Not REQUIRED to.

Really? I don't recall my wife or many of our friends working in medicine being given a choice.

Most people who won’t go to work will lose their jobs - because their companies won’t make money. Last year, the Mayor/Council prioritized the education budget even with tax revenue falling. The DC education budget is safe (for this year) and do are teacher jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Is that really what this teacher said? Or are you cherry picking to try and prove your point? They clearly said that they are frustrated by DCPS's plans to return because there isn't actually a plan and that they do want to go back to in person teacher.

does dcps actually have to give guidance on hugging children for teachers to go back? come on. teachers can’t be that helplessly stupid.