Barriers to more fully opening schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s also difficult because the whole damn system is racist. The underfunding certain schools, standardized testing, school to prison pipeline. So in that sense, a call to return to that system is problematic. I understand the desire to burn the whole system to the ground. But I also worry that might be a pipe dream in a pandemic, and the collateral damage (to the very people they are claiming to speak for) might be huge. I’ve derailed the thread. I apologize.

No, your suggestion that schools can't reopen until racism is eradicated is ludicrous.

This comment in itself is racist. Thanks for caring about other children other than white ones. Sooooo appreciated.

OMG. I am a POC, and I this this whole rhetoric is insane and I am getting incredibly worried that this whole movement to call everything racist and take extreme actions in the name of eradicating such so-called racism is getting wildly out of hand and will backfire in a huge way. Not everything comes down to racism. Not even every situation that effects people differently is due to racism. And racism cannot be solved by dragging certain groups down or by hypersensationalizing everything as racism. In fact, that is more likely to further issues that contribute to racism. Keeping schools closed and thereby harming all families because a larger percentage of POC don’t want in-person is absolutely ludicrous. Saying someone is racist because they are pushing for inperson schooling since their kid is regressing academically and socially and their career is on the line due to virtual schools is pathetic, asinine, stupid, and actually dangerous to efforts to combat racism.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s also difficult because the whole damn system is racist. The underfunding certain schools, standardized testing, school to prison pipeline. So in that sense, a call to return to that system is problematic. I understand the desire to burn the whole system to the ground. But I also worry that might be a pipe dream in a pandemic, and the collateral damage (to the very people they are claiming to speak for) might be huge. I’ve derailed the thread. I apologize.

No, your suggestion that schools can't reopen until racism is eradicated is ludicrous.

This comment in itself is racist. Thanks for caring about other children other than white ones. Sooooo appreciated.

OMG. I am a POC, and I this this whole rhetoric is insane and I am getting incredibly worried that this whole movement to call everything racist and take extreme actions in the name of eradicating such so-called racism is getting wildly out of hand and will backfire in a huge way. Not everything comes down to racism. Not even every situation that effects people differently is due to racism. And racism cannot be solved by dragging certain groups down or by hypersensationalizing everything as racism. In fact, that is more likely to further issues that contribute to racism. Keeping schools closed and thereby harming all families because a larger percentage of POC don’t want in-person is absolutely ludicrous. Saying someone is racist because they are pushing for inperson schooling since their kid is regressing academically and socially and their career is on the line due to virtual schools is pathetic, asinine, stupid, and actually dangerous to efforts to combat racism.

+1

It’s really counterproductive. It makes people reluctant to leave their silos for fear of not knowing the most woke turn of phrase/vocabulary. The vast majority of people have good intentions. We need to look for the best in each other instead of desperately looking for some un-pc moment to use to cancel people.

[Anonymous]

I wish there was a way to report all of the off topic race posts on this thread at once. It’s too time consuming to do it individually. But this thread is so off topic now it is useless

[Anonymous]

Yep, just saying 'open schools.' will make you feel less racist.

Nothing about equity AND opening schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are WTU trolls demanding that UMC parents lower their expectations to match the LC parents who bought into the fears about reopening. These trolls are using unfounded accusations of racism to try to shame UMC parents into abandoning our own children's best interests. It won't work.

Yes and the demon troll parents thinking education makes you better are worse. Your schools don't deserve stimulus money or any more remodels. But you take it anyway, take and take and take.

Thanks for supporting the school to prison pipeline.

I sincerely hope our most vulnerable students do get in person first. I'm glad DCPS prioritized them to return. In fact if you want to return so badly you guys can switch schools with schools in ward 5,7,8. You can keep the staff but we'll take the better school buildings and playgrounds and neighborhoods with more than a 7-eleven/liquor store nearby.

Oooh yeah, demon troll. Call me that again. You know how I like hyperbolic degradation. Just spit on me.

I see we're getting weird here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reducing the number of required live teaching hours for third, fourth and fifth graders. At our school, K-2 kids are able to come in for half days and so most kids who wanted to were able to get an IPL spot. But the principal told us this was not an option for the older elementary grades because the required number of live learning hours per day was too high to be met by a half day of in person instruction and DCPS wouldn’t waive the requirement. Personally, my fourth grader would get so much extra benefit from being in person half day, even if it means losing an hour of live virtual learning.

Which school is this?

Janney

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reducing the number of required live teaching hours for third, fourth and fifth graders. At our school, K-2 kids are able to come in for half days and so most kids who wanted to were able to get an IPL spot. But the principal told us this was not an option for the older elementary grades because the required number of live learning hours per day was too high to be met by a half day of in person instruction and DCPS wouldn’t waive the requirement. Personally, my fourth grader would get so much extra benefit from being in person half day, even if it means losing an hour of live virtual learning.

Which school is this?

Janney

That is not true that most parents who wanted a seat in k-2 got it. 80% wanted in person, only 40% got it... i know many people, myself included, who has kids in those grades and wanted a spot but didn’t get it. And don’t me started on PK. They ended up opening only a single class of 10 in person and over 80% of the over 50 kids wanted a spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s also difficult because the whole damn system is racist. The underfunding certain schools, standardized testing, school to prison pipeline. So in that sense, a call to return to that system is problematic. I understand the desire to burn the whole system to the ground. But I also worry that might be a pipe dream in a pandemic, and the collateral damage (to the very people they are claiming to speak for) might be huge. I’ve derailed the thread. I apologize.

No, your suggestion that schools can't reopen until racism is eradicated is ludicrous.

This comment in itself is racist. Thanks for caring about other children other than white ones. Sooooo appreciated.

OMG. I am a POC, and I this this whole rhetoric is insane and I am getting incredibly worried that this whole movement to call everything racist and take extreme actions in the name of eradicating such so-called racism is getting wildly out of hand and will backfire in a huge way. Not everything comes down to racism. Not even every situation that effects people differently is due to racism. And racism cannot be solved by dragging certain groups down or by hypersensationalizing everything as racism. In fact, that is more likely to further issues that contribute to racism. Keeping schools closed and thereby harming all families because a larger percentage of POC don’t want in-person is absolutely ludicrous. Saying someone is racist because they are pushing for inperson schooling since their kid is regressing academically and socially and their career is on the line due to virtual schools is pathetic, asinine, stupid, and actually dangerous to efforts to combat racism.

Amen. Thank you.

Come on. Saying that people are being called racist just for pushing in-person schooling is a red herring. Not everyone pushing for IPL is a racist and not everyone opposing it is an anti-racist. It depends on how selfish your advocacy is, how much you are willing to consider other's situations and your impact on them, your willingness to compromise some of your demands for the greater good, etc. If you're a white parent who's just yelling, get my kid back into school NOW, that is one thing. If you're a white parent who is working as part of a diverse group of parents to constructively push for faster reopening, while taking time to listen and consider other viewpoints, that is another.

There's no requirement for white parents to consult with black and brown parents prior to advocating for their children. Enough with this crap that centuries of systemic racism must be eradicated before children get to go to full-time school again.

Of course there's no requirement. But parents who fail to even consider the impact of their choices on others should not get their feathers ruffled when they are called out for perpetuating racism. Regarding your second sentence, you must be referring to something else, because I definitely didn't say that.

Uh, but that’s just it. Where is the negative effect on someone else? Why does my choice to have in person school available hurt someone else’s ability to stay home?

Because it is a system. Schools despite what you see do not act autonomously they are inter connected and the system is obligated to provide equal access. If white schools open and not BIPOC schools that is not equal and without equal you can't get to equity.

I don't need to recycle - it doesn't affect me right. But it affects the planet so it affects me. Because the planet is a system!!!!!!

If there is a major traffic jam on 66 it can affect DC because we have a traffic system. It can make traffic in DC better but it still affects us.

So when you are demanding the attention from DCPS to open schools you aren't saying can we have an exception and just open our school, you are saying juggle 2,000 different variables and do it now.

Its the same tenor of the rules apply to everyone except me. Why don't black men just follow the rules the cops say. Why can't people just, why can't people just - but you don't know what people are doing, living with, etc.

This kind of crap must get you lots of yassss queens on Twitter but I can’t overstate how angry it makes parents who have been stretched mentally and financially to the breaking point by a full year of distance learning.

Imagine being worried about your hours to pay ratio, having 3 kids in a 2 bedroom, no reliable transportation or medical care, etc. They are tired mentally and financially too and they aren't screaming for in person. Why? Do they not trust the science, the system, do they not love their children? Figure that out and then work on those problems to get your kid back in school.

So its a system whether you are tired mentally, financially, etc. And that is the point of the public good - it serves the public not the person who is trying to win the woe is me olympics.

You know what you are advocating for is? It’s holding children hostage in a way that will have lasting and significant negative impacts in order to get systematic change. You are literally using children to their detriment in order to advance widespread systematic goals. That is disgusting and wrong.

NP. You are not following the PP’s points. And you keep arguing against points that PP isn’t making.

Might be a more effective conversation if you actually attempted to listen to PP. Unless you’re just trying to make certain points regardless of what she says.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reducing the number of required live teaching hours for third, fourth and fifth graders. At our school, K-2 kids are able to come in for half days and so most kids who wanted to were able to get an IPL spot. But the principal told us this was not an option for the older elementary grades because the required number of live learning hours per day was too high to be met by a half day of in person instruction and DCPS wouldn’t waive the requirement. Personally, my fourth grader would get so much extra benefit from being in person half day, even if it means losing an hour of live virtual learning.

Which school is this?

Janney

That is not true that most parents who wanted a seat in k-2 got it. 80% wanted in person, only 40% got it... i know many people, myself included, who has kids in those grades and wanted a spot but didn’t get it. And don’t me started on PK. They ended up opening only a single class of 10 in person and over 80% of the over 50 kids wanted a spot.

Thanks for sharing this. We are one of the families who didn't get a spot, and I don't know anybody who wanted to but didn't get in.

[Anonymous]

So there are COVID cases - so what?

With vaccines circulating and the worse cases rapidly declining as a result - its over.

Like the flu (that other coronavirus) - Covid will always be around.

Back to life!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So there are COVID cases - so what?

With vaccines circulating and the worse cases rapidly declining as a result - its over.

Like the flu (that other coronavirus) - Covid will always be around.

Back to life!

We aren’t there yet lmao. You’re acting like most of the population is vaccinated, we aren’t even close. They are saying by ‘summertime’ which is what July, August? But that doesn’t mean OSSE is going to change the cap on the number of people that can be in a classroom.
You’re also forgetting children legally have to get the flu shot, there is no vaccine for children yet. And with that I fear we may be looking at hybrid for a long time....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So there are COVID cases - so what?

With vaccines circulating and the worse cases rapidly declining as a result - its over.

Like the flu (that other coronavirus) - Covid will always be around.

Back to life!

We aren’t there yet lmao. You’re acting like most of the population is vaccinated, we aren’t even close. They are saying by ‘summertime’ which is what July, August? But that doesn’t mean OSSE is going to change the cap on the number of people that can be in a classroom.
You’re also forgetting children legally have to get the flu shot, there is no vaccine for children yet. And with that I fear we may be looking at hybrid for a long time....

Children do not "legally have to get the flu shot". Where are you getting this misinformation? Only some children get it every year, and it is about 60% effective at best.

And don't tell me you "fear" we may be hybrid for a long time - you are secretly wishing for it because otherwise you won't FEEL safe. Hopefully, decision makers are going to be more rational than you. Experts agree it would be nuts to wait for a pediatric vaccine before letting schools open full time.

And to the previous PP: the flu is not "that other coronavirus". The flu is caused by influenza virus. Otherwise I agree with your post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So there are COVID cases - so what?

With vaccines circulating and the worse cases rapidly declining as a result - its over.

Like the flu (that other coronavirus) - Covid will always be around.

Back to life!

We aren’t there yet lmao. You’re acting like most of the population is vaccinated, we aren’t even close. They are saying by ‘summertime’ which is what July, August? But that doesn’t mean OSSE is going to change the cap on the number of people that can be in a classroom.
You’re also forgetting children legally have to get the flu shot, there is no vaccine for children yet. And with that I fear we may be looking at hybrid for a long time....

Children do not "legally have to get the flu shot". Where are you getting this misinformation? Only some children get it every year, and it is about 60% effective at best.

And don't tell me you "fear" we may be hybrid for a long time - you are secretly wishing for it because otherwise you won't FEEL safe. Hopefully, decision makers are going to be more rational than you. Experts agree it would be nuts to wait for a pediatric vaccine before letting schools open full time.

And to the previous PP: the flu is not "that other coronavirus". The flu is caused by influenza virus. Otherwise I agree with your post.

Ok but it is strongly recommended and other immunizations are mandatory.

And the hell? Why are you putting words in my mouth, hybrid is where I see DCPS headed for the fall. And ‘experts’ haven’t dictated school reopenings so far, why do you think it would in the future?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reducing the number of required live teaching hours for third, fourth and fifth graders. At our school, K-2 kids are able to come in for half days and so most kids who wanted to were able to get an IPL spot. But the principal told us this was not an option for the older elementary grades because the required number of live learning hours per day was too high to be met by a half day of in person instruction and DCPS wouldn’t waive the requirement. Personally, my fourth grader would get so much extra benefit from being in person half day, even if it means losing an hour of live virtual learning.

Which school is this?

Janney

That is not true that most parents who wanted a seat in k-2 got it. 80% wanted in person, only 40% got it... i know many people, myself included, who has kids in those grades and wanted a spot but didn’t get it. And don’t me started on PK. They ended up opening only a single class of 10 in person and over 80% of the over 50 kids wanted a spot.

Thanks for sharing this. We are one of the families who didn't get a spot, and I don't know anybody who wanted to but didn't get in.

I'm the PP who mentioned Janney. I didn't realize so many families who wanted it couldn't get spots in K-2 -- everyone we knew who wanted one got one (not denying your experience, just explaining my comment). But the situation is even worse in the upper grades -- only one 11 person class for each 3-5 along with a handful of CARES classrooms. For PK it is a staffing issue, but not for the upper grades -- we were told there is no staffing issue, but that half days are not an option for 3-5 unless DCPS reduces the live instruction requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So there are COVID cases - so what?

With vaccines circulating and the worse cases rapidly declining as a result - its over.

Like the flu (that other coronavirus) - Covid will always be around.

Back to life!

We aren’t there yet lmao. You’re acting like most of the population is vaccinated, we aren’t even close. They are saying by ‘summertime’ which is what July, August? But that doesn’t mean OSSE is going to change the cap on the number of people that can be in a classroom.
You’re also forgetting children legally have to get the flu shot, there is no vaccine for children yet. And with that I fear we may be looking at hybrid for a long time....

Children do not "legally have to get the flu shot". Where are you getting this misinformation? Only some children get it every year, and it is about 60% effective at best.

And don't tell me you "fear" we may be hybrid for a long time - you are secretly wishing for it because otherwise you won't FEEL safe. Hopefully, decision makers are going to be more rational than you. Experts agree it would be nuts to wait for a pediatric vaccine before letting schools open full time.

And to the previous PP: the flu is not "that other coronavirus". The flu is caused by influenza virus. Otherwise I agree with your post.

Ok but it is strongly recommended and other immunizations are mandatory.

And the hell? Why are you putting words in my mouth, hybrid is where I see DCPS headed for the fall. And ‘experts’ haven’t dictated school reopenings so far, why do you think it would in the future?

Never in the history of the flu vaccine and flu pandemics have open schools ever been made contingent on children getting a flu shot. This country needs to come to its senses and accept that a small risk of Covid will persist, just like it does with the flu and probably smaller even without pediatric vaccinations.