EmpowerEd DC Petition - Explore outdoor learning this fall

[Anonymous]

Here's where I think outside stuff could be helpful - Spending some time as a whole class outside in the first few weeks just so people get to know each other and the class. A period or two a week where all 24 kids and the teacher for social stuff only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys act likes its deathly cold in October. Kids play outside in cold climates you know. This would work through Dec.

This. Our teachers are huge whiners about "cold" weather and it is a struggle to get 30 minute recess under ideal conditions. Whoever came up with this is an idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys act likes its deathly cold in October. Kids play outside in cold climates you know. This would work through Dec.

This. Our teachers are huge whiners about "cold" weather and it is a struggle to get 30 minute recess under ideal conditions. Whoever came up with this is an idiot.

I'm pretty sure the teachers would be the first ones to shoot this down at our school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys act likes its deathly cold in October. Kids play outside in cold climates you know. This would work through Dec.

This. Our teachers are huge whiners about "cold" weather and it is a struggle to get 30 minute recess under ideal conditions. Whoever came up with this is an idiot.

I'm pretty sure the teachers would be the first ones to shoot this down at our school.

Parents would never believe that this could be implemented, because of how the teachers are about recess.

[Anonymous]

I think the idea about closing streets for children is an idea worth exploring, even if it isn't intended for teaching. Imagine how much more outdoor space closing a street would create for students at recess/gym time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the idea about closing streets for children is an idea worth exploring, even if it isn't intended for teaching. Imagine how much more outdoor space closing a street would create for students at recess/gym time.

That makes a lot more sense than the EmpowerEd nonsense. In our planning, students have to enter socially distanced and having more space outside where they can queue 6 feet apart will help a lot. We are getting tents for inclement whether for right outside the front entrance. We still need more space than our cramped main entrance lobby and the small walkway to the front of the school. Closing the street at my school seems possible because it’s wide and can be made one way. This may not be possible at many other schools though. I also wonder how schools could get neighbors on board.

[Anonymous]

So how would science works for MS and HS students? AP history?

[Anonymous]

I would definitely feel more comfortable if school were outside, but keeping the windows open would also be a huge improvement. Windows open makes far more sense than rotating days or temperature checks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS has enough on its plate than to spend time becoming a pretzel to make this happen. It's a lovely idea, but totally silly.

- what to do when its too hot, cold, windy, raining
- how to you manage kids who have health conditions that mean they can't be outside
- How to manage kids with SN that would make learning outside inequitable (hearing issues, behavior issues, etc.)
- How to change teacher contracts to make them do it
- How to deal with furniture and equipment for outside use (do you take tables and chairs out every day? Then run them back in if it looks like rain?)
- How to deal with kids whose parents don't want them outside
-How to manage applying sunscreen (which as we all know teachers cannot do for kids)


The list is endless. DCPS doesn't have time to play with this.

Yes dumbest idea ever, who ever wrote this should have to work outside for the foreseeable future!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS has enough on its plate than to spend time becoming a pretzel to make this happen. It's a lovely idea, but totally silly.

- what to do when its too hot, cold, windy, raining
- how to you manage kids who have health conditions that mean they can't be outside
- How to manage kids with SN that would make learning outside inequitable (hearing issues, behavior issues, etc.)
- How to change teacher contracts to make them do it
- How to deal with furniture and equipment for outside use (do you take tables and chairs out every day? Then run them back in if it looks like rain?)
- How to deal with kids whose parents don't want them outside
-How to manage applying sunscreen (which as we all know teachers cannot do for kids)


The list is endless. DCPS doesn't have time to play with this.

Yes dumbest idea ever, who ever wrote this should have to work outside for the foreseeable future!

The volunteers who comprise EmpowerEd tend to operate void of reality and the litany of issues and trade-offs that school leaders deal with every day. They're a bunch of cranky charter school teachers (mostly), who want higher pay, smaller class sizes, more benefits but assume the money will just get printed to make that possible. Yeah, yeah - a couple of the 100 charter schools are guilty of fiscal mismanagement, paying rediculous sums of money to TenSquare or self-dealing but it "ain't" the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS has enough on its plate than to spend time becoming a pretzel to make this happen. It's a lovely idea, but totally silly.

- what to do when its too hot, cold, windy, raining
- how to you manage kids who have health conditions that mean they can't be outside
- How to manage kids with SN that would make learning outside inequitable (hearing issues, behavior issues, etc.)
- How to change teacher contracts to make them do it
- How to deal with furniture and equipment for outside use (do you take tables and chairs out every day? Then run them back in if it looks like rain?)
- How to deal with kids whose parents don't want them outside
-How to manage applying sunscreen (which as we all know teachers cannot do for kids)


The list is endless. DCPS doesn't have time to play with this.

Yes dumbest idea ever, who ever wrote this should have to work outside for the foreseeable future!

The volunteers who comprise EmpowerEd tend to operate void of reality and the litany of issues and trade-offs that school leaders deal with every day. They're a bunch of cranky charter school teachers (mostly), who want higher pay, smaller class sizes, more benefits but assume the money will just get printed to make that possible. Yeah, yeah - a couple of the 100 charter schools are guilty of fiscal mismanagement, paying rediculous sums of money to TenSquare or self-dealing but it "ain't" the norm.

If DCPS has a year to work out a plan for outdoor learning, maybe maybe it's something they could make happen. But they have 8 weeks and a host of other critical issues they need to focus on.

It's a lovely idea but a non starter in this situation.

[Anonymous]

Glad to see the petition already has 1000 signatures - despite all the whiners on DCUM. https://www.change.org/p/dcps-educate-every-child-at-school-with-outdoor-learning-this-fall?recruiter=494249110&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&recruited_by_id=4e5c52a0-d9a6-11e5-a9e4-1d248e61ac25&utm_content=fht-22906342-en-us%3A3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see the petition already has 1000 signatures - despite all the whiners on DCUM. https://www.change.org/p/dcps-educate-every-child-at-school-with-outdoor-learning-this-fall?recruiter=494249110&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&recruited_by_id=4e5c52a0-d9a6-11e5-a9e4-1d248e61ac25&utm_content=fht-22906342-en-us%3A3

Do any of those 1000 signers have an answer to any of the above questions? It seems like someone posted it not intending to engage in any discussion. I hope you know DCPS doesn’t care about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see the petition already has 1000 signatures - despite all the whiners on DCUM. https://www.change.org/p/dcps-educate-every-child-at-school-with-outdoor-learning-this-fall?recruiter=494249110&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&recruited_by_id=4e5c52a0-d9a6-11e5-a9e4-1d248e61ac25&utm_content=fht-22906342-en-us%3A3

Do any of those 1000 signers have an answer to any of the above questions? It seems like someone posted it not intending to engage in any discussion. I hope you know DCPS doesn’t care about this.

I think those 1000 parents are so desperate for in-person school in the fall that they are willing to explore any possibility, including ones that are impractical and not well thought out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see the petition already has 1000 signatures - despite all the whiners on DCUM. https://www.change.org/p/dcps-educate-every-child-at-school-with-outdoor-learning-this-fall?recruiter=494249110&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&recruited_by_id=4e5c52a0-d9a6-11e5-a9e4-1d248e61ac25&utm_content=fht-22906342-en-us%3A3

Do any of those 1000 signers have an answer to any of the above questions? It seems like someone posted it not intending to engage in any discussion. I hope you know DCPS doesn’t care about this.

I think those 1000 parents are so desperate for in-person school in the fall that they are willing to explore any possibility, including ones that are impractical and not well thought out.

I think it's interesting that you cannot see who signs the petition.