WaPo: How D.C. and its teachers, with shifting plans and demands, failed to reopen schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Problem is that teachers have a lot of power here. There is a national teacher shortage. If we fire all the teachers, we will be in an even worse off position. Alienating teachers and principals was a very stupid move by the mayor and chancellor. I don’t fully blame teachers as the US worships at the altar of capitalism and why wouldn’t teachers act in their own best interests.

Teachers don’t actually have much power here.

1.) Teachers in DC are — by a mile — the best paid in America. It’s not uncommon for teachers to make six figures.

2.) If they quit, who is going to hire them? Governments across the country are cutting their budgets. Who is going to hire thousands of teachers suddenly on the market.

3.) In most of the country, schools are back in session — IN PERSON. Many of the places that might hire DC teachers who quit would require them to go back to the classroom.

The teachers are not dumb enough to go on strike. They value their jobs
Bowser should call their bluff and tell teachers who refuse to show up for work are fired immediately. 98 percent would show up.

Only she cant fire any of them. the union forbids firing for demanding work.

She can obviously fire them. And she should. They’re refusing to do their jobs. The government is not required to pay workers who refuse to work.

Wrong. She cannot arbitrarily fire teachers without due process to EACH teacher indivudually. Meaning they would get paid, while their cases work thorugh the bureaucracy. This is what unions do.

Actually, if teachers went on strike she could fire them collectively. However, to your point, they would still have rights to appeal. The city wouldn't fire teachers anyway for that reason, too expensive. Rather, the city would file suit and ask the courts to fine the union, probably Liz Davis and/or other union staff (agents as they are called in the agreement) individually. It would not take long to financially ruin the union. In meantime teachers wouldn't get paid because they wouldn't be working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no need to fire the teachers. As I said above, enough his enough. They need to be TOLD to teach in person or (1) request an exemption, (2) take leave, or (3) quit.

This is what my brother's superintendent did in August. He is an elementary school teacher in MA. They were told to go back to the building or leave. School has been open---first hybrid, now full-time---since September. They've had ONE closing due to COVID this entire time. This is leadership. Was he nervous about going back at first? Sure. But he knows it's his job to be there in person.

This is really what I don’t get. I have been working in person this whole time (no, I’m not a doctor, nurse, or police officer who “signed up” for this). We were all very nervous about it at first, but now we’ve all gotten used to the masks, distancing, and new policies. But our job is done in person. Only people who’ve been teleworking since March are still fretting about this.

I think that’s why they just need to get teachers back in the classroom. The fear and hysteria has been building because working from home has gone on so long. All of my family members who work in person (in schools, hospitals, offices, etc.) and are of ages ranging from 35 to 70 are way less anxious about getting COVID as compared to people I know who barely leave their homes. They realize it’s actually okay to leave the house.

[Anonymous]

Many teachers live outside DC and have awful commutes

[Anonymous]

There is no way we can go back in February with this awful UK Covid variant. Maybe April at the earliest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no need to fire the teachers. As I said above, enough his enough. They need to be TOLD to teach in person or (1) request an exemption, (2) take leave, or (3) quit.

This is what my brother's superintendent did in August. He is an elementary school teacher in MA. They were told to go back to the building or leave. School has been open---first hybrid, now full-time---since September. They've had ONE closing due to COVID this entire time. This is leadership. Was he nervous about going back at first? Sure. But he knows it's his job to be there in person.

This is really what I don’t get. I have been working in person this whole time (no, I’m not a doctor, nurse, or police officer who “signed up” for this). We were all very nervous about it at first, but now we’ve all gotten used to the masks, distancing, and new policies. But our job is done in person. Only people who’ve been teleworking since March are still fretting about this.

I think that’s why they just need to get teachers back in the classroom. The fear and hysteria has been building because working from home has gone on so long. All of my family members who work in person (in schools, hospitals, offices, etc.) and are of ages ranging from 35 to 70 are way less anxious about getting COVID as compared to people I know who barely leave their homes. They realize it’s actually okay to leave the house.

+1. Any therapist (or anyone ever having dealt with anxiety themselves) knows that avoidance increases anxiety. They need to realize that the vast majority of people who take appropriate precautions are not catching Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many teachers live outside DC and have awful commutes

What is your point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no way we can go back in February with this awful UK Covid variant. Maybe April at the earliest

But then it will be allergy season. Then Summer, it will be too hot to be in school. Then Fall it will be flu season. Then Winter when it's worse. Blah Blah Blah.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no way we can go back in February with this awful UK Covid variant. Maybe April at the earliest

But then it will be allergy season. Then Summer, it will be too hot to be in school. Then Fall it will be flu season. Then Winter when it's worse. Blah Blah Blah.

So true. If it wasn't such a travesty, it would be funny.

[Anonymous]

Why was the teacher vaccine thread deleted? Was their prioritization fake news?

[Anonymous]

Many other workers have returned to their workplace by taking necessary precautions, myself included.

But if teachers keep using any excuse possible to delay the inevitable return to schools we'll see how much they like teaching unmotivated, angry kids who are behind in their class & traumatized by this whole experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why was the teacher vaccine thread deleted? Was their prioritization fake news?

I reported it. The level of teacher bashing was disgusting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was the teacher vaccine thread deleted? Was their prioritization fake news?

I reported it. The level of teacher bashing was disgusting

Really? It seemed like a very important development to discuss. Would have made more sense to censor individual posts than the entire thread. Also, I didn't think the teacher bashing was worse than on other threads. It's going on all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was the teacher vaccine thread deleted? Was their prioritization fake news?

I reported it. The level of teacher bashing was disgusting

Really? It seemed like a very important development to discuss. Would have made more sense to censor individual posts than the entire thread. Also, I didn't think the teacher bashing was worse than on other threads. It's going on all the time.

It is an important development to discuss. It can be done without calling people names. I actually report all posts that contain any kind of bashing. I’ll have to look at some more threads, I’ve been off DCUM for the holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was the teacher vaccine thread deleted? Was their prioritization fake news?

I reported it. The level of teacher bashing was disgusting

Really? It seemed like a very important development to discuss. Would have made more sense to censor individual posts than the entire thread. Also, I didn't think the teacher bashing was worse than on other threads. It's going on all the time.

It is an important development to discuss. It can be done without calling people names. I actually report all posts that contain any kind of bashing. I’ll have to look at some more threads, I’ve been off DCUM for the holidays.

You need a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was the teacher vaccine thread deleted? Was their prioritization fake news?

I reported it. The level of teacher bashing was disgusting

Really? It seemed like a very important development to discuss. Would have made more sense to censor individual posts than the entire thread. Also, I didn't think the teacher bashing was worse than on other threads. It's going on all the time.

It is an important development to discuss. It can be done without calling people names. I actually report all posts that contain any kind of bashing. I’ll have to look at some more threads, I’ve been off DCUM for the holidays.

You need a job.

No kidding.