APS has highest regional percentage learning in person

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like how APS handled the expansion of students in the classroom the last few months. There wasn't enough room to bring everyone back this past school year, including this past spring, certainly not if there was any intent to adhere to CDC and VDH health guidelines. I think of it like pie. Those who selected IPL last fall got a piece of the IPL pie. As circumstances changed for both adults and children -- in the form of changing guidance and the big one, vaccines -- APS could have followed FFX's lead and made those pieces of pie bigger for those folks, while refusing any pie to those who had selected VL in the fall before these changed circumstances. Instead, APS told the first group of IPL that their pie pieces would remain the same size, while offering a comparable piece of the pie to the formerly VL families. At the end of the day, APE is crying because they wanted a bigger piece of the pie and are pissed that they had to share it with others.

I completely agree. As conditions improved and more adults were able to be vaccinated, more parents wanted their kids back in buildings and I appreciate that APS accommodated them as best they could. This is so much more equitable than 4 days for those who were already there for 2.

DP. I really don’t know, but was it APE’s position that a greater number or in person days wouldn’t be available for everyone? I thought they wanted a full reopening for everyone. If I’ve misunderstood, ok. But I’m not seeing the nefarious resource hoarding that the pie analogy seems to suggest.

Yes, they wanted 4/5 days for everyone, ignoring the reality that APS couldn't make that happen for a variety of reasons, including significant overcrowding that prevented adherence to distancing requirements. So the choice that APS had was between offering 4/5 days to those who had signed up for IPL in the fall or keeping everyone at 2 days but allowing families to move into IPL even if they had previously selected VL in the fall. In general, APE denied or dismissed the idea that APS couldn't bring everyone back, so that was issue #1. Issue #2 is that I don't think we would have seen such massive resistance from them in the last few months if their precious children had been allowed back for the 4/5 days. APS adopted the different approach of allowing more children instead of more days. At best, APE wanted both. Really, they wanted both for their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for posting. I tried to post about this before but it was deleted.

But the purposefully excluded Falls Church City? Why was that?

and yes percentage wise, compared to huge counties like Fairfax, I would expect Arlington to have a percentage.

[Anonymous]

I’m just one teacher in one APS school (and not a far N Arlington one). But our SOL scores at the grade level did not offer any big surprises. We didn’t see kids not pass who seemed to be doing well this year or came to us without concern. We had a few on the border kids who just barely passed, but they passed. A few kids who barely missed passing that I wish we could do remediation and retakes but it’s not offered this year. But overall not a huge drop. I’ll be interested to see how the scores aggregate across schools and all of APS.

[Anonymous]

This, along with the results of the SB primary, shows that APE was a vocal, spoiled minority in Arlington that was out of touch with the statistical reality. Thank god.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This, along with the results of the SB primary, shows that APE was a vocal, spoiled minority in Arlington that was out of touch with the statistical reality. Thank god.

How so? Again, the point of the article was actually that most kids in the DC region won’t see the inside of a classroom this school year (so for roughly 18 months unless they opt for in-person summer school....assuming they made APS’s drastically reduced cut). APE absolutely did not advocate for 4-5 days this year for “everyone.” They initially pushed for the offered hybrid option to actually happen BUT ALSO for APS to keep the virtual option for anyone who wanted it. I know DCUM wants to say that APE “screamed” all year but #OneAPS “screamed” just as loudly. And who won, if you can call it that?

What this data shows is that MOST APS families wanted in-person learning. The fact that APS could not accommodate this does not mean it’s not the case. Maybe it means they never should have offered a hybrid option. Maybe it speaks to really low trust and morale among APS teachers. But I read it as another mark of a floundering school system that is not meeting the needs of most of its families.

[Anonymous]

Huh. Never should have offered hybrid? Why? Because APE argued it was safe to be back in school at full capacity in December? Whatever. What it says to me is that Arlington had more families who wanted to see the inside of a classroom AND they were able to accommodate them. And that Arlington wasn't appreciably worse than other districts in getting its kids back. But hey, no need to fight about it. It is what it is. And kids will be back in the fall. But I would say that this, combined with the SB primary, means most voters weren't outraged in the same way as the nasty APE minority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huh. Never should have offered hybrid? Why? Because APE argued it was safe to be back in school at full capacity in December? Whatever. What it says to me is that Arlington had more families who wanted to see the inside of a classroom AND they were able to accommodate them. And that Arlington wasn't appreciably worse than other districts in getting its kids back. But hey, no need to fight about it. It is what it is. And kids will be back in the fall. But I would say that this, combined with the SB primary, means most voters weren't outraged in the same way as the nasty APE minority.

Just because I want my kids in school in May after case numbers went down does not mean I wanted them in person back in the winter surge. Apples and oranges.

[Anonymous]

Did anyone see the tantrum APE parents threw today on AEM? At first I was amused but then I was just sad for these bitter people. Why can't they move on? School's nearly over!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone see the tantrum APE parents threw today on AEM? At first I was amused but then I was just sad for these bitter people. Why can't they move on? School's nearly over!

No, I’m not on AEM and I’m not a tantrum thrower. But is it possible that some of these parents you’re so into trashing have had an awful year? A year after which they will be dealing with fallout for months or years to come? A year in which even a little acknowledgment from APS that this has been truly hard for many would have gone such a long way? I don’t begrudge anyone who chose DL or has stayed virtual all year. I don’t judge them and I’m glad they’ve had that choice. But this year has been a real struggle and it’s not over, not at all, just because people are saying we’re going back full time this fall. For all of the claims on here that APE is full of crazies (and I’ll grant you there are some!) it’s amazing to me that so many parents can’t fathom how bad this year has been for many. I’d suggest you try to meet or interact with some folks who, let’s just say, don’t have 2-parent families, can’t WFH, can’t manage the technology, don’t speak English, have no local family support, have special needs kids....The list goes on but if this year has been good or even okay for you and yours, please know some of us would love to trade places.

[Anonymous]

Myth 1 - ape wanted school open at any cost. Not true. I remember seeing a press conference from their rally in February where they said they wanted hybrid.

Myth 2 - ape should be happy with 2 days because more days wasn’t possible given %of families that opted for in-person. From what I’ve seen ape has said if the choice is between space or in-person school, school matter more. This is because schools around the country have been open at full capacity using minimal mitigation. APS upgraded ventilation and offered a virtual program for those not able to do in-person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Myth 1 - ape wanted school open at any cost. Not true. I remember seeing a press conference from their rally in February where they said they wanted hybrid.

Myth 2 - ape should be happy with 2 days because more days wasn’t possible given %of families that opted for in-person. From what I’ve seen ape has said if the choice is between space or in-person school, school matter more. This is because schools around the country have been open at full capacity using minimal mitigation. APS upgraded ventilation and offered a virtual program for those not able to do in-person.

Make up your mind - are they ok with hybrid or not?

APS didn’t upgrade sufficiently for 3’ and 2x number of bodies per room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Myth 1 - ape wanted school open at any cost. Not true. I remember seeing a press conference from their rally in February where they said they wanted hybrid.

Myth 2 - ape should be happy with 2 days because more days wasn’t possible given %of families that opted for in-person. From what I’ve seen ape has said if the choice is between space or in-person school, school matter more. This is because schools around the country have been open at full capacity using minimal mitigation. APS upgraded ventilation and offered a virtual program for those not able to do in-person.

Make up your mind - are they ok with hybrid or not?

APS didn’t upgrade sufficiently for 3’ and 2x number of bodies per room.

They were when cases were high and teachers were not fully vaccinated. Low case rates and vaccinated teachers means kids should be in school 5 days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Myth 1 - ape wanted school open at any cost. Not true. I remember seeing a press conference from their rally in February where they said they wanted hybrid.

Myth 2 - ape should be happy with 2 days because more days wasn’t possible given %of families that opted for in-person. From what I’ve seen ape has said if the choice is between space or in-person school, school matter more. This is because schools around the country have been open at full capacity using minimal mitigation. APS upgraded ventilation and offered a virtual program for those not able to do in-person.

Make up your mind - are they ok with hybrid or not?

APS didn’t upgrade sufficiently for 3’ and 2x number of bodies per room.

They were when cases were high and teachers were not fully vaccinated. Low case rates and vaccinated teachers means kids should be in school 5 days.

We were orange not that long ago. And we still have 3’ for classroom and 6’ rec for lunch...

I don’t think you realize how overcrowded the schools are.

[Anonymous]

Isn’t Falls Church City at around 90-95%. 5 days a week for elementary and 4 days a week for secondary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t Falls Church City at around 90-95%. 5 days a week for elementary and 4 days a week for secondary.

Yes. The reporting is just wrong.