Are they joking? No schedules until 8/24?

[Anonymous]

You can expect your elementary child to be learning live from about 8:30-12:30 with small groups and some time offline for asynchronous learning. Teacher meetings in afternoon and following up with kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am making plans and the kids (4th and 1st) will just have to work around. Ex: back in July when they punted the opening decision, I started interviewing nanny/tutors. Now that outdoor activities are starting to offer school day classes, I’m signing them up. They won’t be able to attend classes a few days a week. I don’t know, I just can’t see that being a problem and if it is, ffs I’ll pull them and “homeschool”.

Can you share what activities? Where are you finding out about them? I'd like to do the same.

Calleva

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Families have had since March to set up a schedule that works for themselves."

this means nothing if our kids are now required to be present at designated times throughout the day. How can you be so confident that what you figured out in the spring will work in the fall?

Yes. Our principal sent an email out saying specifically that the Fall will look much different than the spring.

I understand this situation is unprecedented but I do wonder sometimes what DCPS Central Office was doing all summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Families have had since March to set up a schedule that works for themselves."

this means nothing if our kids are now required to be present at designated times throughout the day. How can you be so confident that what you figured out in the spring will work in the fall?

Yes. Our principal sent an email out saying specifically that the Fall will look much different than the spring.

I understand this situation is unprecedented but I do wonder sometimes what DCPS Central Office was doing all summer.

It’s unprecedented and every day the guidance and the public health numbers change. I am going with the theory that everyone is doing the best they can and we need to give some grace for the complete upending of everything we’ve ever known about education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Families have had since March to set up a schedule that works for themselves."

this means nothing if our kids are now required to be present at designated times throughout the day. How can you be so confident that what you figured out in the spring will work in the fall?

Yes. Our principal sent an email out saying specifically that the Fall will look much different than the spring.

I understand this situation is unprecedented but I do wonder sometimes what DCPS Central Office was doing all summer.

It’s unprecedented and every day the guidance and the public health numbers change. I am going with the theory that everyone is doing the best they can and we need to give some grace for the complete upending of everything we’ve ever known about education.

Maybe if it was an organization that has earned that good will. I'm not sure the Central Office has that luxury.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Families have had since March to set up a schedule that works for themselves."

this means nothing if our kids are now required to be present at designated times throughout the day. How can you be so confident that what you figured out in the spring will work in the fall?

Yes. Our principal sent an email out saying specifically that the Fall will look much different than the spring.

I understand this situation is unprecedented but I do wonder sometimes what DCPS Central Office was doing all summer.

It’s unprecedented and every day the guidance and the public health numbers change. I am going with the theory that everyone is doing the best they can and we need to give some grace for the complete upending of everything we’ve ever known about education.

Maybe if it was an organization that has earned that good will. I'm not sure the Central Office has that luxury.

+1 my interactions with the pre-covid planning team down there left me incredibly underwhelmed.

[Anonymous]

TO be fair to Central, a lot of the disorganization is coming from the top. The Mayor. She didn't want distance learning, she didn't want city money spent on technology, she wanted to find private funding for technology, she wanted to ignore COVID and get people back to work, she wanted to ignore the requests of the teachers union, etc. The Chancellor, doing what the Mayor told him to do, tells the Board of Education/City Council that DCPS doesn't need money, that the situation is under control, etc. All roads lead to the Mayor. The Chancellor, if he wants to keep his job, does whatever she tells him to do. Even if it isn't in the best interest of the schools/children. He is completely worthless- the Mayor's mouthpiece.

Central Office staffers are just as confused as the teachers/schools. They are being told different things on a daily basis. Their managers do not know any more information. Everything is changing constantly. The technology team is worthless... in a time when they are most needed to shine. The good ones are working insane hours, are stressed out of their minds, and doing their best to help the situation- to the detriment of their own physical and mental well being. Burn-out is rampant. It is a mess...all the way up the organization and to the top.

So yes, Central Office is problematic. But let us lay the blame squarely where it belongs. The Mayor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can expect your elementary child to be learning live from about 8:30-12:30 with small groups and some time offline for asynchronous learning. Teacher meetings in afternoon and following up with kids.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Families have had since March to set up a schedule that works for themselves."

this means nothing if our kids are now required to be present at designated times throughout the day. How can you be so confident that what you figured out in the spring will work in the fall?

Yes. Our principal sent an email out saying specifically that the Fall will look much different than the spring.

I understand this situation is unprecedented but I do wonder sometimes what DCPS Central Office was doing all summer.

They were not doing much. I work there and our time was filled mostly with useless meetings. We would be told to prepare something but then that would be thrown out as leadership had changed direction. Every week was like this. DCPS leadership appears panic stricken and trying to please the mayor. Many folks were supposedly working but not really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can expect your elementary child to be learning live from about 8:30-12:30 with small groups and some time offline for asynchronous learning. Teacher meetings in afternoon and following up with kids.

This.

I thought that was only true for K-2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took that to mean the latest possible date we'll get it. I expect to know more from my dcps school on monday.

Because our principal said she was sending more information on Monday. She is also doing live sessions answering parent questions every Thursday. I think central office is giving individual schools the deadline - as in no later than this date. Schools can set their schedules and tell parents earlier, right? I'd contact your principal.

They definitely can. I imagine some/many will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My partner works at central office. She thinks they are starting to lay the groundwork for a delayed start date. They are no where near ready.x

Oh my.

I hope this isn't true...

What have they been doing all summer? Central office sounds very disorganized.

I'm a teacher and I've been taking online classes to learn Canvas and the MS suite better. As for downtown, I have NO idea. They certainly haven't told the staff at my school anything and it is very frustrating. They keep telling parents they have all these plans, but we know nothing about them. How can I implement a plan that I haven't seen? We have a staff meeting today and I am hoping for some info from my principal. Supposedly her and AP have been in DCPS leadership training this week.

Same. I took 6 hours for Microsoft and will start the canvas class on vacation next week. I was told I would get my schedule during pre-service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TO be fair to Central, a lot of the disorganization is coming from the top. The Mayor. She didn't want distance learning, she didn't want city money spent on technology, she wanted to find private funding for technology, she wanted to ignore COVID and get people back to work, she wanted to ignore the requests of the teachers union, etc. The Chancellor, doing what the Mayor told him to do, tells the Board of Education/City Council that DCPS doesn't need money, that the situation is under control, etc. All roads lead to the Mayor. The Chancellor, if he wants to keep his job, does whatever she tells him to do. Even if it isn't in the best interest of the schools/children. He is completely worthless- the Mayor's mouthpiece.

Central Office staffers are just as confused as the teachers/schools. They are being told different things on a daily basis. Their managers do not know any more information. Everything is changing constantly. The technology team is worthless... in a time when they are most needed to shine. The good ones are working insane hours, are stressed out of their minds, and doing their best to help the situation- to the detriment of their own physical and mental well being. Burn-out is rampant. It is a mess...all the way up the organization and to the top.

So yes, Central Office is problematic. But let us lay the blame squarely where it belongs. The Mayor.

The Mayor's plan sounded pretty good to me. A hybrid model if you want it or distance learning if you do not. The blame seems to fall on WTU for preventing the Mayor from staffing schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TO be fair to Central, a lot of the disorganization is coming from the top. The Mayor. She didn't want distance learning, she didn't want city money spent on technology, she wanted to find private funding for technology, she wanted to ignore COVID and get people back to work, she wanted to ignore the requests of the teachers union, etc. The Chancellor, doing what the Mayor told him to do, tells the Board of Education/City Council that DCPS doesn't need money, that the situation is under control, etc. All roads lead to the Mayor. The Chancellor, if he wants to keep his job, does whatever she tells him to do. Even if it isn't in the best interest of the schools/children. He is completely worthless- the Mayor's mouthpiece.

Central Office staffers are just as confused as the teachers/schools. They are being told different things on a daily basis. Their managers do not know any more information. Everything is changing constantly. The technology team is worthless... in a time when they are most needed to shine. The good ones are working insane hours, are stressed out of their minds, and doing their best to help the situation- to the detriment of their own physical and mental well being. Burn-out is rampant. It is a mess...all the way up the organization and to the top.

So yes, Central Office is problematic. But let us lay the blame squarely where it belongs. The Mayor.

The Mayor's plan sounded pretty good to me. A hybrid model if you want it or distance learning if you do not. The blame seems to fall on WTU for preventing the Mayor from staffing schools.

The Mayor's plan didn't work for all schools. There was no way for our kids to "social distance" in our over-crowded building with small class rooms. Not to mention the poor HVAC system that would have just spread the virus through out the school...

She has been and continues to be a terrible mayor for education. She does not invest in DCPS or in the buildings. Not to mention she can't attract high quality leadership to help her. I fully expect that she will run again and win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TO be fair to Central, a lot of the disorganization is coming from the top. The Mayor. She didn't want distance learning, she didn't want city money spent on technology, she wanted to find private funding for technology, she wanted to ignore COVID and get people back to work, she wanted to ignore the requests of the teachers union, etc. The Chancellor, doing what the Mayor told him to do, tells the Board of Education/City Council that DCPS doesn't need money, that the situation is under control, etc. All roads lead to the Mayor. The Chancellor, if he wants to keep his job, does whatever she tells him to do. Even if it isn't in the best interest of the schools/children. He is completely worthless- the Mayor's mouthpiece.

Central Office staffers are just as confused as the teachers/schools. They are being told different things on a daily basis. Their managers do not know any more information. Everything is changing constantly. The technology team is worthless... in a time when they are most needed to shine. The good ones are working insane hours, are stressed out of their minds, and doing their best to help the situation- to the detriment of their own physical and mental well being. Burn-out is rampant. It is a mess...all the way up the organization and to the top.

So yes, Central Office is problematic. But let us lay the blame squarely where it belongs. The Mayor.

The Mayor's plan sounded pretty good to me. A hybrid model if you want it or distance learning if you do not. The blame seems to fall on WTU for preventing the Mayor from staffing schools.

The WTU did NOT prevent the Mayor from staffing schools. All they requested was for the district to meet CDC requirements for a safe opening. The Mayor was unable to provide any assurance at all that the opening would be safe. And before anyone mentions other countries, daycares, etc, please note that education has been underfunded for decades and you can’t just scale up what works in a small organization to DCPS. If you really want to go up the chain of command, start with the federal government. Blaming teachers is both ridiculous and cruel.