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

[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.

They can protest if they want, but staging a student sit-in and arguing that in-person school is not a safe option for your child are contradictory statements and actions. Both things can't be true. If it's safe for your kid to protest, it's safe for them to come to school to learn.

But the sit in kids will largely be masked. Masks have gone away in classrooms. Big difference.

Kids are free to wear masks in classrooms. Not sure who told you otherwise.

Then they should starve at lunch. You know, all kids eat lunch not just your kid.

Your logic is beyond bizzare.

It's your logic.

[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.

They can protest if they want, but staging a student sit-in and arguing that in-person school is not a safe option for your child are contradictory statements and actions. Both things can't be true. If it's safe for your kid to protest, it's safe for them to come to school to learn.

But the sit in kids will largely be masked. Masks have gone away in classrooms. Big difference.

Kids are free to wear masks in classrooms. Not sure who told you otherwise.

They cannot mask at lunch and masks don’t protect from viruses on surfaces. So, you will not do your part and mask your kids, so why would you assume it’s safe.

Sip mask. And how exactly are you going to catch a respiratory virus through surfaces if you keep a mask on? Not that surface transmission is a serious risk. Or covid at all, for that matter.

Because it’s not just Covid for some. Wake up and listen. Your narrow view are hurting yourself and others.

Mcps never cleans desks, supplies or surfaces.

By all means, please share with us what kind of surface transmission you're afraid of that masks won't protect you from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just sharing the link for reference if anyone interested in looking at the budget. What are the problems? It is clearly listed out

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/05/28/are-layoffs-necessary-at-mcps

“MCPS is not getting cut. It’s getting an increase. Since the pandemic began, MCPS has received significant budget increases despite a drop in enrollment. In the past, the county council has often given MCPS less than the school board wants and there have not been layoffs. MCPS had a significant fund balance as recently as 11 months ago, raising questions about what it has now. Finally, contractual services have been a major factor in rising spending but MCPS is discussing layoffs of union members.”

There's no big secret. The vast majority of the increase in spending comes from staff salaries and benefits.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/05/28/are-layoffs-necessary-at-mcps/

To be more specific, there’s a line item under Fact #6 where contractual services is up to $99M+. Where are all these money goes? It’s so vague listed as a line item and after being questioned for weeks by the union still no one can come up with a detailed break down. Why taking up extra $30M from the budget in upcoming school year? Would it be a continuous trend? This will indicate if it will continue to jeopardize so many other existing programs and services within the county in upcoming years that all of us should care. I hope truely there’s no big secrets there.

Contracts didn't go up by $30M. And the budget does break it down by category.

That brain fog must be hitting you hard.

Are these paid responders here? Kept going around circles but not providing details. Share if you have the breakdown.

And once again being so disrespectful?!

In other words, you haven't even bothered to open the budget document? Weird. You should do that next time before you make a fool of yourself.

But I guess you're going to do that at the Board meeting again anyway.

Take all your time working here. I hope they do pay you well for what you do here
And yes, you sound like a fool making all the assumptions.

[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.

The MVA’s academic results are significantly worse than in-person schools. Especially among the youngest and poorest members of the virtual program. Its enrollment has declined by more than 67% since it started. It is not a good program. Maybe for some based on anecdotes but based on the objective data, it’s failing its mission and hemorrhaging participants.

Please do make the case to the BOE that, as an alternative to shutting down this program, we instead close brick and mortar schools that are underperforming.

[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.

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.

The MVA’s academic results are significantly worse than in-person schools. Especially among the youngest and poorest members of the virtual program. Its enrollment has declined by more than 67% since it started. It is not a good program. Maybe for some based on anecdotes but based on the objective data, it’s failing its mission and hemorrhaging participants.

Please do make the case to the BOE that, as an alternative to shutting down this program, we instead close brick and mortar schools that are underperforming.

No it’s not worse and new data has not been released. Likewise many students choose not to test for a variety of reasons making the data inaccurate.

Enrollment was expected to decline as some were in it for Covid and went back and others choose long term. There is a waitlist but without more teachers they could not let students in.

[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.

They can protest if they want, but staging a student sit-in and arguing that in-person school is not a safe option for your child are contradictory statements and actions. Both things can't be true. If it's safe for your kid to protest, it's safe for them to come to school to learn.

But the sit in kids will largely be masked. Masks have gone away in classrooms. Big difference.

Kids are free to wear masks in classrooms. Not sure who told you otherwise.

They cannot mask at lunch and masks don’t protect from viruses on surfaces. So, you will not do your part and mask your kids, so why would you assume it’s safe.

Sip mask. And how exactly are you going to catch a respiratory virus through surfaces if you keep a mask on? Not that surface transmission is a serious risk. Or covid at all, for that matter.

Because it’s not just Covid for some. Wake up and listen. Your narrow view are hurting yourself and others.

Mcps never cleans desks, supplies or surfaces.

By all means, please share with us what kind of surface transmission you're afraid of that masks won't protect you from.

Cold and flu. Not all kids are in it for Covid. You should be grateful you are healthy as are your kids. Life might look very different if you or your kids had serious health issues.

[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.

They can protest if they want, but staging a student sit-in and arguing that in-person school is not a safe option for your child are contradictory statements and actions. Both things can't be true. If it's safe for your kid to protest, it's safe for them to come to school to learn.

But the sit in kids will largely be masked. Masks have gone away in classrooms. Big difference.

Kids are free to wear masks in classrooms. Not sure who told you otherwise.

They cannot mask at lunch and masks don’t protect from viruses on surfaces. So, you will not do your part and mask your kids, so why would you assume it’s safe.

Sip mask. And how exactly are you going to catch a respiratory virus through surfaces if you keep a mask on? Not that surface transmission is a serious risk. Or covid at all, for that matter.

Because it’s not just Covid for some. Wake up and listen. Your narrow view are hurting yourself and others.

Mcps never cleans desks, supplies or surfaces.

By all means, please share with us what kind of surface transmission you're afraid of that masks won't protect you from.

Cold and flu. Not all kids are in it for Covid. You should be grateful you are healthy as are your kids. Life might look very different if you or your kids had serious health issues.

Interesting. Do you think those will infect you by passing through your skin?

[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.

They can protest if they want, but staging a student sit-in and arguing that in-person school is not a safe option for your child are contradictory statements and actions. Both things can't be true. If it's safe for your kid to protest, it's safe for them to come to school to learn.

But the sit in kids will largely be masked. Masks have gone away in classrooms. Big difference.

Kids are free to wear masks in classrooms. Not sure who told you otherwise.

They cannot mask at lunch and masks don’t protect from viruses on surfaces. So, you will not do your part and mask your kids, so why would you assume it’s safe.

Sip mask. And how exactly are you going to catch a respiratory virus through surfaces if you keep a mask on? Not that surface transmission is a serious risk. Or covid at all, for that matter.

Because it’s not just Covid for some. Wake up and listen. Your narrow view are hurting yourself and others.

Mcps never cleans desks, supplies or surfaces.

By all means, please share with us what kind of surface transmission you're afraid of that masks won't protect you from.

Cold and flu. Not all kids are in it for Covid. You should be grateful you are healthy as are your kids. Life might look very different if you or your kids had serious health issues.

Interesting. Do you think those will infect you by passing through your skin?

Grow up. Spend time with your kids. It will make you a better person.

[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.

They can protest if they want, but staging a student sit-in and arguing that in-person school is not a safe option for your child are contradictory statements and actions. Both things can't be true. If it's safe for your kid to protest, it's safe for them to come to school to learn.

But the sit in kids will largely be masked. Masks have gone away in classrooms. Big difference.

Kids are free to wear masks in classrooms. Not sure who told you otherwise.

They cannot mask at lunch and masks don’t protect from viruses on surfaces. So, you will not do your part and mask your kids, so why would you assume it’s safe.

Sip mask. And how exactly are you going to catch a respiratory virus through surfaces if you keep a mask on? Not that surface transmission is a serious risk. Or covid at all, for that matter.

Because it’s not just Covid for some. Wake up and listen. Your narrow view are hurting yourself and others.

Mcps never cleans desks, supplies or surfaces.

By all means, please share with us what kind of surface transmission you're afraid of that masks won't protect you from.

Cold and flu. Not all kids are in it for Covid. You should be grateful you are healthy as are your kids. Life might look very different if you or your kids had serious health issues.

Interesting. Do you think those will infect you by passing through your skin?

Grow up. Spend time with your kids. It will make you a better person.

I'm really interested to know how you think you'd get a cold or flu infection through touch while wearing a mask.

[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.

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.

The MVA’s academic results are significantly worse than in-person schools. Especially among the youngest and poorest members of the virtual program. Its enrollment has declined by more than 67% since it started. It is not a good program. Maybe for some based on anecdotes but based on the objective data, it’s failing its mission and hemorrhaging participants.

Please do make the case to the BOE that, as an alternative to shutting down this program, we instead close brick and mortar schools that are underperforming.

No it’s not worse and new data has not been released. Likewise many students choose not to test for a variety of reasons making the data inaccurate.

Enrollment was expected to decline as some were in it for Covid and went back and others choose long term. There is a waitlist but without more teachers they could not let students in.

Please cite to the data you’re using to make this statement that it’s not worse. For example, please tell me what data you’re seeing that makes the following inaccurate:

“Chronic absenteeism: elementary aged children have significantly higher rates of chronic absenteeism for virtual academy compared to similar students in person schooling“ see page 24 https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2023/Virtual%20Academy%20FINAL.pdf

See page 27 for the mva’s academic failures in math as compared to brick and mortar schools: “Students in grade 1 to 5 attending MVA were significantly less likely than their in-person peers to meet their projected growth in math in spring of 2022” Please direct me to the data that shows this is not accurate.

See page 29 for evidence of similarly significant failures in reading results. Please direct me to the data that shows this is not accurate.

Please also direct me to data that shows how large the waitlist is and whether it’s caused by a sudden turn in the rapid decline of enrollment in the program that saw more that 40% of enrollees abandon the program after each year it’s been in existence rather than being caused by a decision by MCPS to lock in current enrollment numbers so as not to throw additional resources at a failed program that’s run its course.

[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.

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.

The MVA’s academic results are significantly worse than in-person schools. Especially among the youngest and poorest members of the virtual program. Its enrollment has declined by more than 67% since it started. It is not a good program. Maybe for some based on anecdotes but based on the objective data, it’s failing its mission and hemorrhaging participants.

Please do make the case to the BOE that, as an alternative to shutting down this program, we instead close brick and mortar schools that are underperforming.

No it’s not worse and new data has not been released. Likewise many students choose not to test for a variety of reasons making the data inaccurate.

Enrollment was expected to decline as some were in it for Covid and went back and others choose long term. There is a waitlist but without more teachers they could not let students in.

Let Dawn fight to close all schools that don’t perform to her satisfaction. Let’s stop educating the children in RICA, in prison, in low performing schools, all the children that do not show up to her brick and mortar buildings, dump all the home schooled children. Time to clear the deck for her. Let’s discriminate like in the good old days. Never mind that children all over the USA are and have been attending online schools long before the pandemic. Never mind that MCPS has been buying technology for 15 years to do this exact type of virtual school. Let’s keep MCPS in the 1950’s.

[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.

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.

The MVA’s academic results are significantly worse than in-person schools. Especially among the youngest and poorest members of the virtual program. Its enrollment has declined by more than 67% since it started. It is not a good program. Maybe for some based on anecdotes but based on the objective data, it’s failing its mission and hemorrhaging participants.

Please do make the case to the BOE that, as an alternative to shutting down this program, we instead close brick and mortar schools that are underperforming.

No it’s not worse and new data has not been released. Likewise many students choose not to test for a variety of reasons making the data inaccurate.

Enrollment was expected to decline as some were in it for Covid and went back and others choose long term. There is a waitlist but without more teachers they could not let students in.

Let Dawn fight to close all schools that don’t perform to her satisfaction. Let’s stop educating the children in RICA, in prison, in low performing schools, all the children that do not show up to her brick and mortar buildings, dump all the home schooled children. Time to clear the deck for her. Let’s discriminate like in the good old days. Never mind that children all over the USA are and have been attending online schools long before the pandemic. Never mind that MCPS has been buying technology for 15 years to do this exact type of virtual school. Let’s keep MCPS in the 1950’s.

I'd rather live in the 50s than keep shoveling money at your failure. Maybe if your kids did better we wouldn't be here, but they didn't, and now all you can do is cry about it.

[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.

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.

The MVA’s academic results are significantly worse than in-person schools. Especially among the youngest and poorest members of the virtual program. Its enrollment has declined by more than 67% since it started. It is not a good program. Maybe for some based on anecdotes but based on the objective data, it’s failing its mission and hemorrhaging participants.

Please do make the case to the BOE that, as an alternative to shutting down this program, we instead close brick and mortar schools that are underperforming.

No it’s not worse and new data has not been released. Likewise many students choose not to test for a variety of reasons making the data inaccurate.

Enrollment was expected to decline as some were in it for Covid and went back and others choose long term. There is a waitlist but without more teachers they could not let students in.

Let Dawn fight to close all schools that don’t perform to her satisfaction. Let’s stop educating the children in RICA, in prison, in low performing schools, all the children that do not show up to her brick and mortar buildings, dump all the home schooled children. Time to clear the deck for her. Let’s discriminate like in the good old days. Never mind that children all over the USA are and have been attending online schools long before the pandemic. Never mind that MCPS has been buying technology for 15 years to do this exact type of virtual school. Let’s keep MCPS in the 1950’s.

I'd rather live in the 50s than keep shoveling money at your failure. Maybe if your kids did better we wouldn't be here, but they didn't, and now all you can do is cry about it.

Thank you for confirming that your plan for public school is massive discrimination.

[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.

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.

The MVA’s academic results are significantly worse than in-person schools. Especially among the youngest and poorest members of the virtual program. Its enrollment has declined by more than 67% since it started. It is not a good program. Maybe for some based on anecdotes but based on the objective data, it’s failing its mission and hemorrhaging participants.

Please do make the case to the BOE that, as an alternative to shutting down this program, we instead close brick and mortar schools that are underperforming.

No it’s not worse and new data has not been released. Likewise many students choose not to test for a variety of reasons making the data inaccurate.

Enrollment was expected to decline as some were in it for Covid and went back and others choose long term. There is a waitlist but without more teachers they could not let students in.

Let Dawn fight to close all schools that don’t perform to her satisfaction. Let’s stop educating the children in RICA, in prison, in low performing schools, all the children that do not show up to her brick and mortar buildings, dump all the home schooled children. Time to clear the deck for her. Let’s discriminate like in the good old days. Never mind that children all over the USA are and have been attending online schools long before the pandemic. Never mind that MCPS has been buying technology for 15 years to do this exact type of virtual school. Let’s keep MCPS in the 1950’s.

I'd rather live in the 50s than keep shoveling money at your failure. Maybe if your kids did better we wouldn't be here, but they didn't, and now all you can do is cry about it.

Lots of schools in mcps are failing as are individual kids. Shutting down a school is not the answer, giving them more support and strengthening education will.

That woman spends so much time on social media basing things you have to wonder about her mental health.

[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.

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.

The MVA’s academic results are significantly worse than in-person schools. Especially among the youngest and poorest members of the virtual program. Its enrollment has declined by more than 67% since it started. It is not a good program. Maybe for some based on anecdotes but based on the objective data, it’s failing its mission and hemorrhaging participants.

Please do make the case to the BOE that, as an alternative to shutting down this program, we instead close brick and mortar schools that are underperforming.

No it’s not worse and new data has not been released. Likewise many students choose not to test for a variety of reasons making the data inaccurate.

Enrollment was expected to decline as some were in it for Covid and went back and others choose long term. There is a waitlist but without more teachers they could not let students in.

Please cite to the data you’re using to make this statement that it’s not worse. For example, please tell me what data you’re seeing that makes the following inaccurate:

“Chronic absenteeism: elementary aged children have significantly higher rates of chronic absenteeism for virtual academy compared to similar students in person schooling“ see page 24 https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2023/Virtual%20Academy%20FINAL.pdf

See page 27 for the mva’s academic failures in math as compared to brick and mortar schools: “Students in grade 1 to 5 attending MVA were significantly less likely than their in-person peers to meet their projected growth in math in spring of 2022” Please direct me to the data that shows this is not accurate.

See page 29 for evidence of similarly significant failures in reading results. Please direct me to the data that shows this is not accurate.

Please also direct me to data that shows how large the waitlist is and whether it’s caused by a sudden turn in the rapid decline of enrollment in the program that saw more that 40% of enrollees abandon the program after each year it’s been in existence rather than being caused by a decision by MCPS to lock in current enrollment numbers so as not to throw additional resources at a failed program that’s run its course.

Pay attention. My kids are regularly marked absent when there. I gave up correcting it. Blame the teachers.