Support the Montgomery Virtual Academy (MVA) from Budget Cuts!

[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:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

They're going to cut something. They can cut something that will impact the 800 students in MVA, or they can cut things that will impact the 159,000 kids in the rest of the system.

As long as it’s not your kid, right? This impacts all schools and all students.

Yes, it will. Some for the better.

Found another anti-MVAer. What should we call them? It’s getting weird people. Go find something to do with your own family.

Weird? You know it's not normal to emulate the Turpin family, right?

If you were only 1/2 as invested in your own kids a you are ours maybe your could do well in virtual too.

Bless your cruel heart.

Not all attention is good attention.

And a kindergartener and fourth grader should have friends besides their mom and dad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

MVA families are doing that. It's a zero sum game and they're advocating to keep their program at the expense of others. I'm being honest that I'm advocating for a program to end.

And I'm not "assuming," I'm advocating for what works both based on data and in my experience. If MVA proponents are allowed to advocating based on their experience, I'm allowed to advocate based on mine, and our elected representatives will decide who to support.

How is it at the expense of others? You have no idea what you are talking about. Go away and give your own kids some attention.

You're suggesting cutting from other MCPS programs, like the contracted speech therapists helping kids throughout the district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

MVA families are doing that. It's a zero sum game and they're advocating to keep their program at the expense of others. I'm being honest that I'm advocating for a program to end.

And I'm not "assuming," I'm advocating for what works both based on data and in my experience. If MVA proponents are allowed to advocating based on their experience, I'm allowed to advocate based on mine, and our elected representatives will decide who to support.

How is it at the expense of others? You have no idea what you are talking about. Go away and give your own kids some attention.

Money from the budget goes to MVA rather than other programs that serve other students. Do you understand how budgeting works?

Meanwhile the insistence that people who disagree with you must be bad parents is embarrassing. If your program could stand on its merits, you wouldn't need to resort to such silliness.

[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:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

They're going to cut something. They can cut something that will impact the 800 students in MVA, or they can cut things that will impact the 159,000 kids in the rest of the system.

As long as it’s not your kid, right? This impacts all schools and all students.

Yes, it will. Some for the better.

Found another anti-MVAer. What should we call them? It’s getting weird people. Go find something to do with your own family.

Weird? You know it's not normal to emulate the Turpin family, right?

If you were only 1/2 as invested in your own kids a you are ours maybe your could do well in virtual too.

Bless your cruel heart.

Not all attention is good attention.

And a kindergartener and fourth grader should have friends besides their mom and dad.

Why do you assume they don't? Is it because your kids don't?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

MVA families are doing that. It's a zero sum game and they're advocating to keep their program at the expense of others. I'm being honest that I'm advocating for a program to end.

And I'm not "assuming," I'm advocating for what works both based on data and in my experience. If MVA proponents are allowed to advocating based on their experience, I'm allowed to advocate based on mine, and our elected representatives will decide who to support.

How is it at the expense of others? You have no idea what you are talking about. Go away and give your own kids some attention.

Money from the budget goes to MVA rather than other programs that serve other students. Do you understand how budgeting works?

Meanwhile the insistence that people who disagree with you must be bad parents is embarrassing. If your program could stand on its merits, you wouldn't need to resort to such silliness.

No, a good chunk of money does not serve students directly. The MVA does.

It is a good program. One could argue in person is bad because look at the numbers within the schools. We have no current data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

If this cut is an unfair surprise, then any cut they make is going to be an unfair surprise. But they have to do some, because they decided to pass a budget proposal that they knew wouldn't be funded.

At least this is a cut they telegraphed that they'd be making at some point soon.

Wrong thread. This is about MCPS where budget decisions are to be made in a public, open, clear, transparent process. They are never to be surprises. That's per the Board of Education's Policy. Policies are actionable.

Sue them then.

Know any attorneys willing to help?

For free? Good luck. But if this issue is that important to you, you can hire a law firm on your dime. Or fundraise for legal representation, since you all can get 800 people to sign an online petition.

Weird, you said you could list names of attorney's and now you cannot. Please, share the names.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

MVA families are doing that. It's a zero sum game and they're advocating to keep their program at the expense of others. I'm being honest that I'm advocating for a program to end.

And I'm not "assuming," I'm advocating for what works both based on data and in my experience. If MVA proponents are allowed to advocating based on their experience, I'm allowed to advocate based on mine, and our elected representatives will decide who to support.

How is it at the expense of others? You have no idea what you are talking about. Go away and give your own kids some attention.

Money from the budget goes to MVA rather than other programs that serve other students. Do you understand how budgeting works?

Meanwhile the insistence that people who disagree with you must be bad parents is embarrassing. If your program could stand on its merits, you wouldn't need to resort to such silliness.

No, a good chunk of money does not serve students directly. The MVA does.

It is a good program. One could argue in person is bad because look at the numbers within the schools. We have no current data.

Data takes time to collect and analyze. There's no chance you'll ever admit that data is current, even if we did another study. I'm advocating based on the data that doesn't support keeping the MVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

If this cut is an unfair surprise, then any cut they make is going to be an unfair surprise. But they have to do some, because they decided to pass a budget proposal that they knew wouldn't be funded.

At least this is a cut they telegraphed that they'd be making at some point soon.

Wrong thread. This is about MCPS where budget decisions are to be made in a public, open, clear, transparent process. They are never to be surprises. That's per the Board of Education's Policy. Policies are actionable.

Sue them then.

That is exactly what will happen. That is what always happens when MCPS violates Policy or the law. Then the outside lawyers take money for their fees and that takes away from the education of all children. Montgomery County prefers that to educating children. Lawyers are more important than children and so MCPS is free to violate their Policies and get sued.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

They're going to cut something. They can cut something that will impact the 800 students in MVA, or they can cut things that will impact the 159,000 kids in the rest of the system.

As long as it’s not your kid, right? This impacts all schools and all students.

Yes, it will. Some for the better.

Found another anti-MVAer. What should we call them? It’s getting weird people. Go find something to do with your own family.

Weird? You know it's not normal to emulate the Turpin family, right?

If you were only 1/2 as invested in your own kids a you are ours maybe your could do well in virtual too.

Bless your cruel heart.

Not all attention is good attention.

And a kindergartener and fourth grader should have friends besides their mom and dad.

Why do you assume they don't? Is it because your kids don't?

They look pretty sad in all the pictures when you parade them around in front of the media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

MVA families are doing that. It's a zero sum game and they're advocating to keep their program at the expense of others. I'm being honest that I'm advocating for a program to end.

And I'm not "assuming," I'm advocating for what works both based on data and in my experience. If MVA proponents are allowed to advocating based on their experience, I'm allowed to advocate based on mine, and our elected representatives will decide who to support.

How is it at the expense of others? You have no idea what you are talking about. Go away and give your own kids some attention.

You're suggesting cutting from other MCPS programs, like the contracted speech therapists helping kids throughout the district.

Not at all. Look up the difference between the words contracted and consulting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

MVA families are doing that. It's a zero sum game and they're advocating to keep their program at the expense of others. I'm being honest that I'm advocating for a program to end.

And I'm not "assuming," I'm advocating for what works both based on data and in my experience. If MVA proponents are allowed to advocating based on their experience, I'm allowed to advocate based on mine, and our elected representatives will decide who to support.

How is it at the expense of others? You have no idea what you are talking about. Go away and give your own kids some attention.

You're suggesting cutting from other MCPS programs, like the contracted speech therapists helping kids throughout the district.

Not at all. Look up the difference between the words contracted and consulting.

How odd coming from the poster that previously claimed we could pay for MVA and a couple schools with the money budgeted for consultants ($1.2M). I take it you finally looked at the budget?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

MVA families are doing that. It's a zero sum game and they're advocating to keep their program at the expense of others. I'm being honest that I'm advocating for a program to end.

And I'm not "assuming," I'm advocating for what works both based on data and in my experience. If MVA proponents are allowed to advocating based on their experience, I'm allowed to advocate based on mine, and our elected representatives will decide who to support.

How is it at the expense of others? You have no idea what you are talking about. Go away and give your own kids some attention.

You're suggesting cutting from other MCPS programs, like the contracted speech therapists helping kids throughout the district.

Not at all. Look up the difference between the words contracted and consulting.

How odd coming from the poster that previously claimed we could pay for MVA and a couple schools with the money budgeted for consultants ($1.2M). I take it you finally looked at the budget?

Please do look at the budget. It's $100,000,000 for contractual services that is unidentified in the budget. It is the massive increase in that category that is unexplained.

[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:Ok. The MVA advocates are nuts and shooting themselves in the foot.

According to this MoCo 360 article, they're planning on staging a student sit-in: https://moco360.media/2024/05/31/mcps-decision-to-close-virtual-academy-a-gut-punch-for-families-students/

Academy families say they are planning to advocate for the program by staging a student sit-in Monday at the school board headquarters in Rockville

If students are capable of showing up to Rockville to participate in a sit-in, then clearly they're capable of showing up to a school building regularly. This undercuts their point that the MVA is an ESSENTIAL solution because otherwise, their children have no way to learn.

Good for them. I would support any family whose program got pulled last minute. They should have pulled the plug earlier if this was always going to be the case. This doesn’t affect anyone complaining. I don’t know why you are running your mouth. But you know, this change could pull resources now from all of your kids’ schools. This is essentially the size of an entire (small) middle school that is being displaced. Now everyone has to figure out accommodations with only a few days left in the school year before most staff leave. Good job MCPS. Good job. Spineless idiots.

No, this means there's over $4M in cuts that *won't* have to come out of our schools.

And the size of MVA is insignificant once you spread the kids back out to their home schools.

Totally went over your head, but that’s ok. You don’t get to tell people what to be passionate about. This is important to them. I support them because this was done irresponsibly. I would do the same for any program because it’s the right thing to do. I can’t say the same for anyone here. The lack of empathy in the area is astounding. You all should be embarrassed of yourselves. I grew up in the Midwest; we took care of each other, even if we didn’t agree all the time.

DP. They're allowed to be passionate about whatever they want, but so are the rest of us. I work with parents of kids with special needs, and I've seen what happens when parents enroll their kids in online schools. Often parents think it's working, but virtually all of them are doing their kids a disservice. The education is ineffective, it exacerbates social problems and school refusal, and kids suffer. The one or two possible success stories that advocates can trot out don't trump the data and, for me, they don't trump my personal experience of the majority of cases.

I've written (again, like I did in February) to the school board to voice my opinion as a voter that this program needs to end. I do that because of my empathy for the kids who are in it. You can decide that that's embarrassing, but I'm not remotely ashamed to be advocating for ending an ineffective program.

No, no you aren’t. You are assuming you know what’s best for these families. How embarrassing for you to spend all of this time trying to take down what works for somebody else. How bizarre would it be for MVA families to write to the board to advocate for shutting down other programs? It’s just so odd. You are odd.

MVA families are doing that. It's a zero sum game and they're advocating to keep their program at the expense of others. I'm being honest that I'm advocating for a program to end.

And I'm not "assuming," I'm advocating for what works both based on data and in my experience. If MVA proponents are allowed to advocating based on their experience, I'm allowed to advocate based on mine, and our elected representatives will decide who to support.

How is it at the expense of others? You have no idea what you are talking about. Go away and give your own kids some attention.

You're suggesting cutting from other MCPS programs, like the contracted speech therapists helping kids throughout the district.

Not at all. Look up the difference between the words contracted and consulting.

How odd coming from the poster that previously claimed we could pay for MVA and a couple schools with the money budgeted for consultants ($1.2M). I take it you finally looked at the budget?

Please do look at the budget. It's $100,000,000 for contractual services that is unidentified in the budget. It is the massive increase in that category that is unexplained.

You just said "Look up the difference between the words contracted and consulting."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh and I had plenty of experience with “virtual” learning for my ES kids and no thanks. I would never willingly sign them up for that.

You don’t have to but why refuse others the opportunity if it works best for their kids.

Because funding MVA would mean cutting other programs at MCPS that would affect a much larger number of kids.

False. MCPS has yet to justify the massive increase in consultants. Cut them and then classrooms/MVA are not touched.

Wrong. The budget for consultants dropped by $100k, and is much less than MVA anyway.

You might be thinking of contractors, which includes a variety of student-facing positions, such as speech therapists.

Yes money for contractors has increased by millions not sure why people are calling them consultants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh and I had plenty of experience with “virtual” learning for my ES kids and no thanks. I would never willingly sign them up for that.

You don’t have to but why refuse others the opportunity if it works best for their kids.

Because funding MVA would mean cutting other programs at MCPS that would affect a much larger number of kids.

False. MCPS has yet to justify the massive increase in consultants. Cut them and then classrooms/MVA are not touched.

Wrong. The budget for consultants dropped by $100k, and is much less than MVA anyway.

You might be thinking of contractors, which includes a variety of student-facing positions, such as speech therapists.

Yes money for contractors has increased by millions not sure why people are calling them consultants.

Yes, mostly for instructional costs, special education, maintenance, and health services.