WTU/DCPS reach agreement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread just shows how dependent even the wealthy are on public education, which is usually a good thing, but this year has worked against DC kids. Ask yourselves why we’ve had so little momentum to reopen from parents? Other places opened because there was pressure. Why not here?

I think most wealthy parents can MacGuiver some options. They assessed the situation and don't want their children in unsafe settings with salty, unsupported teachers. In suburban school system. probably more trust around safe and transparent implementation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like we said that before November, and then it still blew up. I'll believe it when my kids walk through the doors.

This. DCPS always had the authority to assign teachers back to work, but they chose not to use it. This agreement gave the union some extra terms they wanted including the right for some teachers to not return to work, but didn't give DCPS anything they didn’t already have. WTU already has a no strike clause so they couldn’t strike/ refuse to return to work. That’s why the teachers who went on strike on November 2nd were so careful to frame it as not a strike, but a sick day.

Then DCPS allowed each school to come up with their own reopening plan, which was a horrible shirking of duties. Some schools have plans that include no in person learning for some grades.

I’ll believe that schools are reopening after I’ve dropped my kids off.

I am never in the camp of defending DCPS and I am aware that with mayoral control Bowser always had the authority to order teachers to return to work, but in spite of the no strike clause the WTU was likely entertaining the idea (maybe they still are.) Of course doing so would bankrupt the union for sure and teachers would immediately lose benefits but I wouldn't be so sure that threat of strike wasn't something that was, at the very least, alluded to, during the negotiations. After the Silverman bill was withdrawn the only thing left the union has is threatening a strike, they know they lost so they signed the MOA.Honestly, teachers were better off with return to work options before the PERB lawsuit.

I am optimistic for Term 3, not all kids are going back to school. Mine probably aren't, they are middle schoolers, but having some portion of students going back into the school to learn is moving forward. I supposed I would also be skeptical if I were only thinking about my kids.

Teachers (and parents!) were talking about striking when the chancellor was ignoring what teachers wanted a few months ago. And sustained pressure from teachers and parents got the chancellor to back down.

[Anonymous]

You all are moving to MD or NoVa and going to public schools over this? Where teachers and leadership have the same problems and no one is back to school. Makes sense.

[Anonymous]

The federal CARES Act right to extended paid leave expires 12/31. That’s a big part of what’s going on and DCPS would have trouble staffing its buildings while it existed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread just shows how dependent even the wealthy are on public education, which is usually a good thing, but this year has worked against DC kids. Ask yourselves why we’ve had so little momentum to reopen from parents? Other places opened because there was pressure. Why not here?

I think most wealthy parents can MacGuiver some options. They assessed the situation and don't want their children in unsafe settings with salty, unsupported teachers. In suburban school system. probably more trust around safe and transparent implementation?

What’s worked against DC kids is the chancellor.

Tell me why we didn’t have a plan in September when the chancellors office had the whole summer to plan? Tell me why he fired SWW principal and there were big parent/child protests?

And polls showed it was the schools outside of Ward 3 that had lowest desire to reopen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all are moving to MD or NoVa and going to public schools over this? Where teachers and leadership have the same problems and no one is back to school. Makes sense.

Some of what’s going on in this thread is conservatives who are mainly interested in their ideological agenda— breaking unions, harming public schools. (This is a big part of conservative ideology because local govts collect a lot of tax dollars and spend it on schools. So anti-tax/anti-society conservative are also anti-school.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The federal CARES Act right to extended paid leave expires 12/31. That’s a big part of what’s going on and DCPS would have trouble staffing its buildings while it existed.

Aha. Right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all are moving to MD or NoVa and going to public schools over this? Where teachers and leadership have the same problems and no one is back to school. Makes sense.

Some of what’s going on in this thread is conservatives who are mainly interested in their ideological agenda— breaking unions, harming public schools. (This is a big part of conservative ideology because local govts collect a lot of tax dollars and spend it on schools. So anti-tax/anti-society conservative are also anti-school.)

No, this is the narrative you're pushing to get what you want. In DC, it's liberals who want the schools open, and liberals who want the schools closed. And some liberals (like me) have now reconsidered blind support for teacher's unions. That's a lose for unions in the long term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all are moving to MD or NoVa and going to public schools over this? Where teachers and leadership have the same problems and no one is back to school. Makes sense.

Some of what’s going on in this thread is conservatives who are mainly interested in their ideological agenda— breaking unions, harming public schools. (This is a big part of conservative ideology because local govts collect a lot of tax dollars and spend it on schools. So anti-tax/anti-society conservative are also anti-school.)

No, this is the narrative you're pushing to get what you want. In DC, it's liberals who want the schools open, and liberals who want the schools closed. And some liberals (like me) have now reconsidered blind support for teacher's unions. That's a lose for unions in the long term.

+1. This idea that the people on this board who argue schools should open are conservative trolls is pathetic. I do think there is a lot of political pressure on the liberal side to support continued closures until it's "safe" to return, which is why many liberals will keep quiet about their views on reopening in real life. It is exactly this pressure that the PP who keeps trying to politicize this wants to keep on and reinforce with these posts. It has been a useful tool for the WTU to keep the groupthink going and the opposition quiet. But it's despicable when you consider who is most harmed by the continued closures, and who has no voice in this whatsoever: kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all are moving to MD or NoVa and going to public schools over this? Where teachers and leadership have the same problems and no one is back to school. Makes sense.

Some of what’s going on in this thread is conservatives who are mainly interested in their ideological agenda— breaking unions, harming public schools. (This is a big part of conservative ideology because local govts collect a lot of tax dollars and spend it on schools. So anti-tax/anti-society conservative are also anti-school.)

No, this is the narrative you're pushing to get what you want. In DC, it's liberals who want the schools open, and liberals who want the schools closed. And some liberals (like me) have now reconsidered blind support for teacher's unions. That's a lose for unions in the long term.

No it’s not. People’s memory of this is going to be short term two to three years from now. It happens all over the us on lots of issues. People move on with their lives and onto other things to be outraged about. You may brew over it but most people will just move on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all are moving to MD or NoVa and going to public schools over this? Where teachers and leadership have the same problems and no one is back to school. Makes sense.

Some of what’s going on in this thread is conservatives who are mainly interested in their ideological agenda— breaking unions, harming public schools. (This is a big part of conservative ideology because local govts collect a lot of tax dollars and spend it on schools. So anti-tax/anti-society conservative are also anti-school.)

No, this is the narrative you're pushing to get what you want. In DC, it's liberals who want the schools open, and liberals who want the schools closed. And some liberals (like me) have now reconsidered blind support for teacher's unions. That's a lose for unions in the long term.

No it’s not. People’s memory of this is going to be short term two to three years from now. It happens all over the us on lots of issues. People move on with their lives and onto other things to be outraged about. You may brew over it but most people will just move on

DP. You’re wrong about that. I won’t forget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll believe it when my kid is actually in school. So mad. I want vouchers!!

You and Betsy DeVos both want vouchers!

It’s clear whose side you’re on— the side of the oligarchs who want to destroy public education.

Meanwhile I’m on the side of the teachers— of the union. Which came to an agreement today as was clear they would.

oh ffs. if this sorry episode has taught us anything, it’s that the unions are not on the side of the kids. the liberal orthodoxy is shattered - charters, vouchers, all on the table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like we said that before November, and then it still blew up. I'll believe it when my kids walk through the doors.

This. DCPS always had the authority to assign teachers back to work, but they chose not to use it. This agreement gave the union some extra terms they wanted including the right for some teachers to not return to work, but didn't give DCPS anything they didn’t already have. WTU already has a no strike clause so they couldn’t strike/ refuse to return to work. That’s why the teachers who went on strike on November 2nd were so careful to frame it as not a strike, but a sick day.

Then DCPS allowed each school to come up with their own reopening plan, which was a horrible shirking of duties. Some schools have plans that include no in person learning for some grades.

I’ll believe that schools are reopening after I’ve dropped my kids off.

it was a strike, obviously. DCPS showed restraint in not pursuing that violation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all are moving to MD or NoVa and going to public schools over this? Where teachers and leadership have the same problems and no one is back to school. Makes sense.

Some of what’s going on in this thread is conservatives who are mainly interested in their ideological agenda— breaking unions, harming public schools. (This is a big part of conservative ideology because local govts collect a lot of tax dollars and spend it on schools. So anti-tax/anti-society conservative are also anti-school.)

No, this is the narrative you're pushing to get what you want. In DC, it's liberals who want the schools open, and liberals who want the schools closed. And some liberals (like me) have now reconsidered blind support for teacher's unions. That's a lose for unions in the long term.

No it’s not. People’s memory of this is going to be short term two to three years from now. It happens all over the us on lots of issues. People move on with their lives and onto other things to be outraged about. You may brew over it but most people will just move on

DP. You’re wrong about that. I won’t forget.

Let’s remember to start a thread in two years and see what happens. I know I’m right. 1000% confident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all are moving to MD or NoVa and going to public schools over this? Where teachers and leadership have the same problems and no one is back to school. Makes sense.

Some of what’s going on in this thread is conservatives who are mainly interested in their ideological agenda— breaking unions, harming public schools. (This is a big part of conservative ideology because local govts collect a lot of tax dollars and spend it on schools. So anti-tax/anti-society conservative are also anti-school.)

you are truly, truly delusional. the current candidates for Biden’s Ed secretary are outspoken school reopening proponents. The union leader candidates have faded - because Biden knows the teachers unions have behaved abysmally.