How can we force our school to reopen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it is teachers union politics why are almost all charters closed?

Charters were some of the first to dip their toes into reopening. Some charters (Sojourner) are open. My guess is that charters will reopen starting in November.

Charters aren't leading the way on this. I am hopeful that adjacent districts will open hybrid in January and then DC will feel a lot of pressure to as well and perhaps we'll go back in February. Charters will follow dcps as they always do.

They are only open to a small number of kids. Our chartet (ITS) had said November and is now postponing. Definitely not leading the way (and not offering anything yet for SPED either).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you want to sue to:

-remove federally regulated FMLA
-remove federally regulated ADA accommodations
-repeal DC paid family leave
-force DCPS to hire new teachers to replace the ones they either fire when your first three lawsuits are successful or put on eligible leave status when your lawsuit is unsuccessful
-force people to take teaching jobs?
-or force people to become teachers?
(The last two have question marks bc I’m not sure what you’d be suing to ask for in terms of having staffing available to teach.)

Not a lawyer, but I’d say you definitely have a case here. When you are successful, it would definitely mean I go back to teaching in person!

No, you definitely are not a lawyer. Opening schools would not require repealing any of the laws you mentioned. That's not to say that I think a lawsuit would be successful, but not for the reasons you cite.

Ok, so maybe we disagree on “open the schools.” My building is open and people work there daily. So they are already open and no lawsuit is needed. OR, you want students back without teachers? If you want students back in class you need teachers to teach them. This is the only impediment and the only reason we can’t reopen. So yes, you would need to sue to force teachers back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lawsuit will not open the schools. You can't "force" the schools to reopen. If you want them to reopen, contact the DC government and push them to accelerate the necessary upgrades to school HVAC systems, develop a plan for surveillance testing, explain the rules for how they will handle kids getting sick during the day, a student or teacher testing positive, a student's family member testing positive, a plan for the necessary supplies, etc. Suing the district won't help. Pushing the politicians will.

+1

I really want schools open but it won't happen until they actually put a viable plan for reopening in place. Right now their plan seems to be "Make it seem like we want to open schools, then blame teachers when it doesn't happen, thus avoiding any liability issues around Covid outbreaks in schools."

We need to hold elected officials accountable. I sincerely wish it were a mayoral election year because I am DONE with Bowser.

+2

It’s a really impressive trick that Bowser has managed to deflect attention from her total lack of leadership and accountability here. Bring the relevant parties to the table. Don’t send surveys. Don’t issue half-assed plans and then blame teachers, principals, parents, and staff—the very people you didn’t engage in developing the plans—when they point out the massive flaws.

Also...remind me again why restaurants are open for indoor dining and we’re piloting indoor concerts before schools are open?

This. She's got everyone blaming the teachers. If she had put forward a real plan, she might get some traction with that with me, but she hasn't. They put out PowerPoint slides and generic bullet points and then act surprised when the people who would have to implement them point out the holes and problems. Their half-assedness about this is infuriating.

Teachers are 100 percent the reason schools are closed. It's very Orwellian how teachers pretend they have nothing to do with this. Talk about gaslighting.

+1. Bowser has some blame too, but the main reason kids aren't back in school is the politicization of COVID and WTU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eventually there will be lawsuits based on racial disparities. That New Yorker article showed a huge disparity based on race for whether kids are in school in person right now or not. Ultimately this relates to kids being in urban areas, but given that the policy to keep urban schools closed is not rational, I think that a disparate impact theory would have some legs.

Agreed.

[Anonymous]

You can move. Or you can run for office, win and make a different decision. Those are your two options. The government makes decisions, some of which you will agree and some not so much. You don't get to sue if you don't like decisions unless those decisions violate some sort of law. "Because you disagree "isn't on the books.

At this point you'd be better served spending your time and energy researching other jurisdictions to find out where else you want to live. Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are tons of lawsuits around the country on this. Some are parents trying to force schools to open. Some are teachers trying to force schools to close.

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/08/21/covid-19-school-reopening-battle-moves-to-the.html

Yes, but the PP claimed that lawsuits had "worked," presumably meaning forced a district to open against its will. That lawsuits have been filed is a very different thing.

We have friends (not in the DMV) whose school opened against its will in order to make a lawsuit go away.

[Anonymous]

If you travel around the country, you realize how anomalous DC is. In most of the country, in red states and in blue states, school is back in session at least part time. The number of places where schools are completely closed like in DC is rapidly shrinking. It's just some big cities where teachers unions are powerful where schools are still closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lawsuit will not open the schools. You can't "force" the schools to reopen. If you want them to reopen, contact the DC government and push them to accelerate the necessary upgrades to school HVAC systems, develop a plan for surveillance testing, explain the rules for how they will handle kids getting sick during the day, a student or teacher testing positive, a student's family member testing positive, a plan for the necessary supplies, etc. Suing the district won't help. Pushing the politicians will.

+1

I really want schools open but it won't happen until they actually put a viable plan for reopening in place. Right now their plan seems to be "Make it seem like we want to open schools, then blame teachers when it doesn't happen, thus avoiding any liability issues around Covid outbreaks in schools."

We need to hold elected officials accountable. I sincerely wish it were a mayoral election year because I am DONE with Bowser.

+2

It’s a really impressive trick that Bowser has managed to deflect attention from her total lack of leadership and accountability here. Bring the relevant parties to the table. Don’t send surveys. Don’t issue half-assed plans and then blame teachers, principals, parents, and staff—the very people you didn’t engage in developing the plans—when they point out the massive flaws.

Also...remind me again why restaurants are open for indoor dining and we’re piloting indoor concerts before schools are open?

+3

[Anonymous]

I don't think a lawsuit is the way to go. Something like an open letter to Bowser and the Council that is published in the Post and online that is signed by 10 thousand families with students enrolled in that says - You must start prioritizing schools and education. Stop fooling around with bars and indoor dining and concerts. Do the work necessary and dedicate the funding necessary to meet the needs of our students.

I wish the editorial board of the Post would do that on their own.

I would not include a list of demands like the WTU keeps putting out there because it's very divisive and not productive.

[Anonymous]

The bigger issue is that Bowser as usual is cheaping out and is doing a half assed job of making the schools safe. If they actually followed CDC guidelines and didn’t try to intimidate principals by firing the squeaky wheel, the union would not have a leg to stand on. But right now things are a mess due to the mayor and chancellor. I want schools to open but am disgusted by their behavior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you travel around the country, you realize how anomalous DC is. In most of the country, in red states and in blue states, school is back in session at least part time. The number of places where schools are completely closed like in DC is rapidly shrinking. It's just some big cities where teachers unions are powerful where schools are still closed.

As far as I know, the entire state of CA is closed. We have family and friends in Northern and Southern CA and not one of them is doing anything but virtual.

[Anonymous]

Tell your city council. They only hear from teacher’s unions.

[Anonymous]

It's really not that simple. My best friend's kids go to school in North Carolina. They have been doing hybrid. People generally thought it was going well, even though a teacher in their district actually died of Covid. Now, cases are rising and they are going virtual again at least until they end of their first quarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you want to sue to:

-remove federally regulated FMLA
-remove federally regulated ADA accommodations
-repeal DC paid family leave
-force DCPS to hire new teachers to replace the ones they either fire when your first three lawsuits are successful or put on eligible leave status when your lawsuit is unsuccessful
-force people to take teaching jobs?
-or force people to become teachers?
(The last two have question marks bc I’m not sure what you’d be suing to ask for in terms of having staffing available to teach.)

Not a lawyer, but I’d say you definitely have a case here. When you are successful, it would definitely mean I go back to teaching in person!

No, you definitely are not a lawyer. Opening schools would not require repealing any of the laws you mentioned. That's not to say that I think a lawsuit would be successful, but not for the reasons you cite.

Ok, so maybe we disagree on “open the schools.” My building is open and people work there daily. So they are already open and no lawsuit is needed. OR, you want students back without teachers? If you want students back in class you need teachers to teach them. This is the only impediment and the only reason we can’t reopen. So yes, you would need to sue to force teachers back.

By your rationale, ALL workers could just stay home and claim FMLA/Family leave indefinitely. That's not how the law works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you travel around the country, you realize how anomalous DC is. In most of the country, in red states and in blue states, school is back in session at least part time. The number of places where schools are completely closed like in DC is rapidly shrinking. It's just some big cities where teachers unions are powerful where schools are still closed.

As far as I know, the entire state of CA is closed. We have family and friends in Northern and Southern CA and not one of them is doing anything but virtual.

Nope. Many school districts in California and open and many more are getting ready to open. Even LA is starting to open.

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/10/06/dr-mark-ghaly-california-school-openings-covid-19-no-link-so-far/