If DMV schools don't open in the fall, are you moving?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 8 year-old needs school. She toughs DL out, but was a happier child and much better learner when she could attend school in-person. She plays outside with friends after school, but that doesn't make up for the fact that she often finds Microsoft Team instruction frustrating and uninspiring. We may have a have a hybrid spot at our DCPS EotP come February - we'll know in a few days.

If there's no DCPS school for her through the spring, and no full-time school into the fall, we plan for one parent to take a break from DC with grandparents in a fairly upscale small New England town in the fall, near to the homes of cousins their age. This is a no brainer because our two children like staying with their grandparents/cousins and don't like learning from home. My in-laws town is offering full-time public school right now, and has since Labor Day. Schools in their town put the odd class on hiatus, after a teacher or student tests positive, but they don't shut down the entire school or school system. The superintendent of schools and the school board have threatened to fire teachers who refuse to teach in person without medical documentation. The arrangement is working, that's New England for you.

She doesn’t need in person you want in person. Easier for you.

NP. Shut up already. You don't know her or her kid, and you are in no position to judge what her kid needs or not. Repulsive.

What's repulsive is the stream of hateful comments on teachers demanding that they risk their lives or lose their jobs, when distance learning exists. What's repulsive is that some posters choose to spend their time writing those hateful comments, referring to their presumed children who are presumably suffering and not learning anything, when they could be helping their own children instead. Their posts show that while they're not super logical, or science literate, they're at least educated enough to help their kids with their elementary education and have at least enough time to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Virginia is now pushing schools to open, and teachers are getting vaccines. I have no expectation of local schools remaining closed in the fall.

I do.

[Anonymous]

Without quoting several responses, but replying:

1) For stores like Safeway or Harris Teeter, the employees doing the shopping are already there. No one new is going to the store. By ordering groceries, you are reducing their risk because they are not exposed to you and all your contacts.

2) The number of times a product is touched seems irrelevant at this point. It can transfer via surface, but the chances are very low. Way, way, way more likely to get it airborne indoors from someone else.

3) Plexiglass barriers do something, but not much. It's really just theater to make us feel safer. Grocery stores don't have windows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Since when are 6,7 and 8 critical teaching years? Please point to existing science on that. There isn’t any. Kids lose years of school for a variety of reasons and they can still read as adults.

2. I do think kids learn better in person because of all the other externalities but again my son is learning to read through DL and a lot of YouTube videos.

It’s a pandemic. It’s not a snow storm, it’s not a teachers strike, it’s a pandemic. It’s a pandemic from an airborne disease.

We need to wait until it’s safe. And we are getting closer to that.

How are we getting closer to that? Numbers are up, up, up...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 8 year-old needs school. She toughs DL out, but was a happier child and much better learner when she could attend school in-person. She plays outside with friends after school, but that doesn't make up for the fact that she often finds Microsoft Team instruction frustrating and uninspiring. We may have a have a hybrid spot at our DCPS EotP come February - we'll know in a few days.

If there's no DCPS school for her through the spring, and no full-time school into the fall, we plan for one parent to take a break from DC with grandparents in a fairly upscale small New England town in the fall, near to the homes of cousins their age. This is a no brainer because our two children like staying with their grandparents/cousins and don't like learning from home. My in-laws town is offering full-time public school right now, and has since Labor Day. Schools in their town put the odd class on hiatus, after a teacher or student tests positive, but they don't shut down the entire school or school system. The superintendent of schools and the school board have threatened to fire teachers who refuse to teach in person without medical documentation. The arrangement is working, that's New England for you.

you seem New England-obsessed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 8 year-old needs school. She toughs DL out, but was a happier child and much better learner when she could attend school in-person. She plays outside with friends after school, but that doesn't make up for the fact that she often finds Microsoft Team instruction frustrating and uninspiring. We may have a have a hybrid spot at our DCPS EotP come February - we'll know in a few days.

If there's no DCPS school for her through the spring, and no full-time school into the fall, we plan for one parent to take a break from DC with grandparents in a fairly upscale small New England town in the fall, near to the homes of cousins their age. This is a no brainer because our two children like staying with their grandparents/cousins and don't like learning from home. My in-laws town is offering full-time public school right now, and has since Labor Day. Schools in their town put the odd class on hiatus, after a teacher or student tests positive, but they don't shut down the entire school or school system. The superintendent of schools and the school board have threatened to fire teachers who refuse to teach in person without medical documentation. The arrangement is working, that's New England for you.

Sheesh, PP, you really have a high bar for comfort. All children need school and tough DL out and were happier in person. But the circumstances demand we all tough it out. What you describe in your first paragraph does not deserve our community risk further transmission and teachers' lives and certainly doesn't justify what you suggest doing in your second paragraph.

[Anonymous]

What I think is shocking is how many on the thread (teachers?) think DL is working. It’s not. Our kids are learning a tiny fraction of what they normally would. It’s not fine for more than a year. It’s dire and our kids (mainly younger kids - no idea about middle and high school) are going to be a year behind where they otherwise would have been. I’m so tired of the excuses about this. My child is not learning and most others aren’t either. Why does no one care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I think is shocking is how many on the thread (teachers?) think DL is working. It’s not. Our kids are learning a tiny fraction of what they normally would. It’s not fine for more than a year. It’s dire and our kids (mainly younger kids - no idea about middle and high school) are going to be a year behind where they otherwise would have been. I’m so tired of the excuses about this. My child is not learning and most others aren’t either. Why does no one care?

Because they are YOUR kids. That’s why 3/4 of the city doesn’t care about schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I think is shocking is how many on the thread (teachers?) think DL is working. It’s not. Our kids are learning a tiny fraction of what they normally would. It’s not fine for more than a year. It’s dire and our kids (mainly younger kids - no idea about middle and high school) are going to be a year behind where they otherwise would have been. I’m so tired of the excuses about this. My child is not learning and most others aren’t either. Why does no one care?

Because rich people can figure their way out of it and Comcast free internet is available for the poors. All is well!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 8 year-old needs school. She toughs DL out, but was a happier child and much better learner when she could attend school in-person. She plays outside with friends after school, but that doesn't make up for the fact that she often finds Microsoft Team instruction frustrating and uninspiring. We may have a have a hybrid spot at our DCPS EotP come February - we'll know in a few days.

If there's no DCPS school for her through the spring, and no full-time school into the fall, we plan for one parent to take a break from DC with grandparents in a fairly upscale small New England town in the fall, near to the homes of cousins their age. This is a no brainer because our two children like staying with their grandparents/cousins and don't like learning from home. My in-laws town is offering full-time public school right now, and has since Labor Day. Schools in their town put the odd class on hiatus, after a teacher or student tests positive, but they don't shut down the entire school or school system. The superintendent of schools and the school board have threatened to fire teachers who refuse to teach in person without medical documentation. The arrangement is working, that's New England for you.

She doesn’t need in person you want in person. Easier for you.

NP. Shut up already. You don't know her or her kid, and you are in no position to judge what her kid needs or not. Repulsive.

What's repulsive is the stream of hateful comments on teachers demanding that they risk their lives or lose their jobs, when distance learning exists. What's repulsive is that some posters choose to spend their time writing those hateful comments, referring to their presumed children who are presumably suffering and not learning anything, when they could be helping their own children instead. Their posts show that while they're not super logical, or science literate, they're at least educated enough to help their kids with their elementary education and have at least enough time to do it.

Stop pretending you have science on your side for keeping schools closed.

And stop pretending that all it takes to counteract the harmful effects of closed schools on children is an “involved” parent, or that this is only about the kids of the posters here. Your careless dismissal of the severity and depth of the problem is what is so despicable, along with your presumption that you know every poster’s or their child’s situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 8 year-old needs school. She toughs DL out, but was a happier child and much better learner when she could attend school in-person. She plays outside with friends after school, but that doesn't make up for the fact that she often finds Microsoft Team instruction frustrating and uninspiring. We may have a have a hybrid spot at our DCPS EotP come February - we'll know in a few days.

If there's no DCPS school for her through the spring, and no full-time school into the fall, we plan for one parent to take a break from DC with grandparents in a fairly upscale small New England town in the fall, near to the homes of cousins their age. This is a no brainer because our two children like staying with their grandparents/cousins and don't like learning from home. My in-laws town is offering full-time public school right now, and has since Labor Day. Schools in their town put the odd class on hiatus, after a teacher or student tests positive, but they don't shut down the entire school or school system. The superintendent of schools and the school board have threatened to fire teachers who refuse to teach in person without medical documentation. The arrangement is working, that's New England for you.

you seem New England-obsessed.

Sheesh. In crisis situations, families consider going where they have support networks. We're considering FL for the fall if schools aren't open this spring because, a) public elementary schools are open there and b), my siblings live there.

If you're going to attack anybody who thinks DC public elementary schools should be open for in-person learning for the families who think it's worth a shot, you'll nitpick away. Get a life.

[Anonymous]

DL is working for us. No, I am not a teacher. Even if it wasn't working, I would be inclined to continue because the case rates are so bad and the daily death count is so high.

But most importantly, the vaccine is right around the corner! If this was something we'd have to live with for the foreseeable future, yeah send them back.

I missed an entire year of school due to a brain abnormality the doctors couldn't figure out. I didn't distance learn. I didn't do shit but throw up for 2 hours every morning and watch cartoons with one eye closed in the afternoon. I didn't get any extra tutoring after the fact. I didn't redo the grade. I just learned what I needed and it was fine. So missing a year of school will most likely be fine for most people posting here.

But for some disadvantaged kids, missing a year will be much more impactful and I am all for throwing resources at getting them caught up.

It just seems like we are forcing in person learning at the worst possible time when a vaccine will make it go away in the very near future. Just hang in there. Grind it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 8 year-old needs school. She toughs DL out, but was a happier child and much better learner when she could attend school in-person. She plays outside with friends after school, but that doesn't make up for the fact that she often finds Microsoft Team instruction frustrating and uninspiring. We may have a have a hybrid spot at our DCPS EotP come February - we'll know in a few days.

If there's no DCPS school for her through the spring, and no full-time school into the fall, we plan for one parent to take a break from DC with grandparents in a fairly upscale small New England town in the fall, near to the homes of cousins their age. This is a no brainer because our two children like staying with their grandparents/cousins and don't like learning from home. My in-laws town is offering full-time public school right now, and has since Labor Day. Schools in their town put the odd class on hiatus, after a teacher or student tests positive, but they don't shut down the entire school or school system. The superintendent of schools and the school board have threatened to fire teachers who refuse to teach in person without medical documentation. The arrangement is working, that's New England for you.

you seem New England-obsessed.

Sheesh. In crisis situations, families consider going where they have support networks. We're considering FL for the fall if schools aren't open this spring because, a) public elementary schools are open there and b), my siblings live there.

If you're going to attack anybody who thinks DC public elementary schools should be open for in-person learning for the families who think it's worth a shot, you'll nitpick away. Get a life.

This makes no sense. You are willing to risk covid for ipl because of your support network? I could understand going down to bubble down there and do DL down there where there would be some cousin interaction or sunshine backyard, etc. If your kids are IPL why do you need a support network?

Stop threatening and go now.

our classes can be smaller so teachers can focus on kid's whose parents don't want them to get covid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DL is working for us. No, I am not a teacher. Even if it wasn't working, I would be inclined to continue because the case rates are so bad and the daily death count is so high.

But most importantly, the vaccine is right around the corner! If this was something we'd have to live with for the foreseeable future, yeah send them back.

I missed an entire year of school due to a brain abnormality the doctors couldn't figure out. I didn't distance learn. I didn't do shit but throw up for 2 hours every morning and watch cartoons with one eye closed in the afternoon. I didn't get any extra tutoring after the fact. I didn't redo the grade. I just learned what I needed and it was fine. So missing a year of school will most likely be fine for most people posting here.

But for some disadvantaged kids, missing a year will be much more impactful and I am all for throwing resources at getting them caught up.

It just seems like we are forcing in person learning at the worst possible time when a vaccine will make it go away in the very near future. Just hang in there. Grind it out.

Thank you for pointing out the obvious. The vaccine is here. Just wait. The numbers are the worst ever. Just wait.

[Anonymous]

Waiting won't solve the problem of some teachers not getting the vaccine. At my kid's charter, teachers are not required to get it and some have already said they don't want it. So that won't help with reopening. Some of us are tired of shifting goalposts and being told kids will go back when its "safe" when really we are at the mercy of the teacher's choices.