DC charters - which ones are open? hybrid model? plans of reopening?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In summary, so far schools opening include:

Sela
MV
YY
LAMB - not definite, dependent on numbers

Anyone else?

What about some of the non-immersion schools such as ITDS, TR, SWW?

Half of the campuses have opened their buildings to students in some form, according to the D.C. Public Charter School Board.
...
The city’s two largest charter networks — KIPP DC and Friendship — enroll more than 20 percent of the District’s charter school students and have been bringing back hundreds of students to school buildings since the fall.

Friendship is bringing in more than 350 of its 4,000 students for in-person tutoring and virtual learning supervision a few times a week, prioritizing students of essential workers and students who may have critical needs and have struggled with distance learning.

KIPP DC is serving 412 of its 7,000 students in person each week for academic support. There are about 200 staff members who go into KIPP buildings to serve lunches, maintain the buildings, and supervise and teach students in person.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/district-charter-schools-reopening/2021/01/27/e4cab1ae-6043-11eb-9061-07abcc1f9229_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In summary, so far schools opening include:

Sela
MV
YY
LAMB - not definite, dependent on numbers

Anyone else?

What about some of the non-immersion schools such as ITDS, TR, SWW?

Latin is supposed to open for some form of hybrid in April. Not sure yet how many students, but it's implied that it won't be all grades. They are using outdoor space for at least some of the classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In summary, so far schools opening include:

Sela
MV
YY
LAMB - not definite, dependent on numbers

Anyone else?

What about some of the non-immersion schools such as ITDS, TR, SWW?

Half of the campuses have opened their buildings to students in some form, according to the D.C. Public Charter School Board.
...
The city’s two largest charter networks — KIPP DC and Friendship — enroll more than 20 percent of the District’s charter school students and have been bringing back hundreds of students to school buildings since the fall.

Friendship is bringing in more than 350 of its 4,000 students for in-person tutoring and virtual learning supervision a few times a week, prioritizing students of essential workers and students who may have critical needs and have struggled with distance learning.

KIPP DC is serving 412 of its 7,000 students in person each week for academic support. There are about 200 staff members who go into KIPP buildings to serve lunches, maintain the buildings, and supervise and teach students in person.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/district-charter-schools-reopening/2021/01/27/e4cab1ae-6043-11eb-9061-07abcc1f9229_story.html

Friendship sounds like CARES classroom not hybrid. I suspect KIPP might be CARES too with “academic support” but can’t say for sure.

Although numbers in hundreds, if you look at the total students, it’s a small percentage similar to smaller schools CARES classes.

[Anonymous]

ITS is bringing back 20 kids for CARES type classrooms. No chance of in person school for anyone for 6-8 weeks at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a Stokes parent and did not get any email about a plan would anyone be willing to post the email? I f*ucking love that school but if they don't open in the fall I will lose all respect.

+1 at least hybrid. If other schools can figure it out so can Stokes. Once teachers are vaccinated DL shouldn’t be an option.

Stokes classrooms are very cluttered and the building is quite old so they might have more behind the scenes work to do that you aren’t aware of

Puhlease! You are going to use "clutter" as an excuse for not being able to offer hybrid? I will happily volunteer (and I know plenty of parents who will join me) to Marie Kondo the school so they can fit more students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a Stokes parent and did not get any email about a plan would anyone be willing to post the email? I f*ucking love that school but if they don't open in the fall I will lose all respect.

+1 at least hybrid. If other schools can figure it out so can Stokes. Once teachers are vaccinated DL shouldn’t be an option.

Stokes classrooms are very cluttered and the building is quite old so they might have more behind the scenes work to do that you aren’t aware of

Puhlease! You are going to use "clutter" as an excuse for not being able to offer hybrid? I will happily volunteer (and I know plenty of parents who will join me) to Marie Kondo the school so they can fit more students.

Not PP, but the Stokes building and classrooms are physically very small. That makes it harder to get the required amount of space around each human.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In summary, so far schools opening include:

Sela
MV
YY
LAMB - not definite, dependent on numbers

Anyone else?

What about some of the non-immersion schools such as ITDS, TR, SWW?

Half of the campuses have opened their buildings to students in some form, according to the D.C. Public Charter School Board.
...
The city’s two largest charter networks — KIPP DC and Friendship — enroll more than 20 percent of the District’s charter school students and have been bringing back hundreds of students to school buildings since the fall.

Friendship is bringing in more than 350 of its 4,000 students for in-person tutoring and virtual learning supervision a few times a week, prioritizing students of essential workers and students who may have critical needs and have struggled with distance learning.

KIPP DC is serving 412 of its 7,000 students in person each week for academic support. There are about 200 staff members who go into KIPP buildings to serve lunches, maintain the buildings, and supervise and teach students in person.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/district-charter-schools-reopening/2021/01/27/e4cab1ae-6043-11eb-9061-07abcc1f9229_story.html

Friendship sounds like CARES classroom not hybrid. I suspect KIPP might be CARES too with “academic support” but can’t say for sure.

Although numbers in hundreds, if you look at the total students, it’s a small percentage similar to smaller schools CARES classes.

So KIPP brought back 5% of its students. At our elementary school that would be a single classroom. Hardly impressive, especially considering the populations that KIPP claims to serve so well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In summary, so far schools opening include:

Sela
MV
YY
LAMB - not definite, dependent on numbers

Anyone else?

What about some of the non-immersion schools such as ITDS, TR, SWW?

Half of the campuses have opened their buildings to students in some form, according to the D.C. Public Charter School Board.
...
The city’s two largest charter networks — KIPP DC and Friendship — enroll more than 20 percent of the District’s charter school students and have been bringing back hundreds of students to school buildings since the fall.

Friendship is bringing in more than 350 of its 4,000 students for in-person tutoring and virtual learning supervision a few times a week, prioritizing students of essential workers and students who may have critical needs and have struggled with distance learning.

KIPP DC is serving 412 of its 7,000 students in person each week for academic support. There are about 200 staff members who go into KIPP buildings to serve lunches, maintain the buildings, and supervise and teach students in person.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/district-charter-schools-reopening/2021/01/27/e4cab1ae-6043-11eb-9061-07abcc1f9229_story.html

So, the largest charters aren't even bring back 10% of there population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ITS is bringing back 20 kids for CARES type classrooms. No chance of in person school for anyone for 6-8 weeks at least.

We have been told IF they bring kids back things like specials, IEP services will stay virtual. It kind of makes since due to those teachers and service providers having too many interactions and opportunities for virus spread between groups. But also those are some of the most important services to have in-person not offering them in-person is not a equitable arrangement.
If ITDS is DL in the fall I imagine there will be more families leaving for DCPs, private or moving. I like the school but another year of this wouldn't be the best for our children. We would be better off having hiring tutor's or at dcps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ITS is bringing back 20 kids for CARES type classrooms. No chance of in person school for anyone for 6-8 weeks at least.

We have been told IF they bring kids back things like specials, IEP services will stay virtual. It kind of makes since due to those teachers and service providers having too many interactions and opportunities for virus spread between groups. But also those are some of the most important services to have in-person not offering them in-person is not a equitable arrangement.
If ITDS is DL in the fall I imagine there will be more families leaving for DCPs, private or moving. I like the school but another year of this wouldn't be the best for our children. We would be better off having hiring tutor's or at dcps.

Did ITDS say anything about the fall? Or are you just thinking ahead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ITS is bringing back 20 kids for CARES type classrooms. No chance of in person school for anyone for 6-8 weeks at least.

We have been told IF they bring kids back things like specials, IEP services will stay virtual. It kind of makes since due to those teachers and service providers having too many interactions and opportunities for virus spread between groups. But also those are some of the most important services to have in-person not offering them in-person is not a equitable arrangement.
If ITDS is DL in the fall I imagine there will be more families leaving for DCPs, private or moving. I like the school but another year of this wouldn't be the best for our children. We would be better off having hiring tutor's or at dcps.

Did ITDS say anything about the fall? Or are you just thinking ahead?

They have told us literally nothing about spring or fall. It is really frustrating. I am not in a huge rush to get my own kids back to school, but the lack of communication is unacceptable.

[Anonymous]

in a meeting with the head of school last week, she shared towards the end of an hour of discussion that they are still working towards their rolled out hybrid learning approach, but starting first with the 20 kids in CARES pods, and then another 20, and then hopefully after that (I think?) feeling ready to start rolling out the hybrid beginning with the youngest classes. so it feels like older students may not get in but I guess it depends on how quickly they can get this moving. I don't know if they'd be willing to do a different pacing than originally outlined once MS teachers are also vaccinated.

will be following up to ask for that information to be shared with all but there is another open meeting with the HOS this week

I don't think anyone can speak to plans for the fall yet, not knowing what restrictions on gathering sizes might be. If they are still held to a cap of 11 or 12 people in a room, and they don't have control over outdoor spaces to use, then they'd be in the same bind as others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:in a meeting with the head of school last week, she shared towards the end of an hour of discussion that they are still working towards their rolled out hybrid learning approach, but starting first with the 20 kids in CARES pods, and then another 20, and then hopefully after that (I think?) feeling ready to start rolling out the hybrid beginning with the youngest classes. so it feels like older students may not get in but I guess it depends on how quickly they can get this moving. I don't know if they'd be willing to do a different pacing than originally outlined once MS teachers are also vaccinated.

will be following up to ask for that information to be shared with all but there is another open meeting with the HOS this week

I don't think anyone can speak to plans for the fall yet, not knowing what restrictions on gathering sizes might be. If they are still held to a cap of 11 or 12 people in a room, and they don't have control over outdoor spaces to use, then they'd be in the same bind as others.

I heard that from a friend, but when is the school going to tell people officially? I do not have all day for these calls that are 99% her rambling!

[Anonymous]

I don't know the answer to that. I have asked for them to share it, and I think others on the call have/will be asking too. also: I'd recommend writing the HOS directly and saying you heard about this from last week's call, you can't attend this week's, but what is the plan to share all of the info with all families. Hopefully hearing from more voices asking for this information will help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know the answer to that. I have asked for them to share it, and I think others on the call have/will be asking too. also: I'd recommend writing the HOS directly and saying you heard about this from last week's call, you can't attend this week's, but what is the plan to share all of the info with all families. Hopefully hearing from more voices asking for this information will help.

Thank you. I sincerely hope the new HOS communicates better with families. I started listening to the call last week but the sad, sad tale of her waiting in line for a shot and teachers having to reschedule their shots for later in the week just annoyed me. What is the big rush for shots if she has no intention on bringing most kids back until much later or maybe never at all this year?