ACPS - scant communications on mitigation strategies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am furious that ALXNow reported that Dr. Hutchings said that ACPS is not going to require teachers and staff to be vaccinated. Do you think they are waiting until the vaccine is approved?

He’s potentially protecting a vax hesitant AA community….? It wouldn’t be a surprising.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am furious that ALXNow reported that Dr. Hutchings said that ACPS is not going to require teachers and staff to be vaccinated. Do you think they are waiting until the vaccine is approved?

He’s potentially protecting a vax hesitant AA community….? It wouldn’t be a surprising.

BINGO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am furious that ALXNow reported that Dr. Hutchings said that ACPS is not going to require teachers and staff to be vaccinated. Do you think they are waiting until the vaccine is approved?

He’s potentially protecting a vax hesitant AA community….? It wouldn’t be a surprising.

I hadn’t thought about that until you mentioned it, but the Alexandria Chapter NAACP President has made anti-vaxx statements and thinks it should be a personal choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am furious that ALXNow reported that Dr. Hutchings said that ACPS is not going to require teachers and staff to be vaccinated. Do you think they are waiting until the vaccine is approved?

He’s potentially protecting a vax hesitant AA community….? It wouldn’t be a surprising.

I hadn’t thought about that until you mentioned it, but the Alexandria Chapter NAACP President has made anti-vaxx statements and thinks it should be a personal choice.

I saw that too. Interesting.

[Anonymous]

Arlington Public Schools is requiring students athletes to be tested daily, encouraging staff and students to be tested weekly (opt-in), allowing outdoor lunches if a school can manage to do it, and has mandated vaccination for all employees. ACPS is not planning to do any of this (well, asymptomatic screening testing is a pending issue).

I believe that ACPS does not deserve much of the flogging it receives but I am beginning to lose faith. These policy decisions should not be difficult and with millions from CARES/ARP funds at hand (ACPS received 56.7 million from CARES, will receive 34.9 mill from ARP/ESSER, and will have some other programs and projects funded from additional Commonwealth grants), these mitigation policies are also logistically possible to implement.

The proposed spending plan for the $34.8 million from the ARP/ESSER grant does not appear to funnel any money into testing or outdoor meals - but rather, proposes to spend 55% on SEAL programs was up for public comment on August 3.

The grant application for the ARP/ESSER funds is supposed to be submitted on August 25 and ACPS.

The School Board is scheduled to go on a retreat/work session on August 26.

The purpose of the ARP/ESSER funds is to "help reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools" (quoted from ACPS Board memo).

It may be a long shot but parents should not feel they have no voice. There is still time to submit comments seeking change to the Board before August 24.

Mandating vaccinations (with medical and religious exceptions and weekly testing for unvaccinated) should be the top ask followed by weekly testing for staff and students. Outdoor lunch is likely a staffing and equipment issue but 34.8 million is a lot of money.

Here is the school board contact form: https://acpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/m15ihgzj1ffvsg9/

Here are other points of contact:
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Mail: Alexandria City School Board
Clerk of the School Board
1340 Braddock Place
Alexandria, VA 22314

[Anonymous]

Remember, teachers had access to the vaccine before stage 4 cancer patients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Public Schools is requiring students athletes to be tested daily, encouraging staff and students to be tested weekly (opt-in), allowing outdoor lunches if a school can manage to do it, and has mandated vaccination for all employees. ACPS is not planning to do any of this (well, asymptomatic screening testing is a pending issue).

I believe that ACPS does not deserve much of the flogging it receives but I am beginning to lose faith. These policy decisions should not be difficult and with millions from CARES/ARP funds at hand (ACPS received 56.7 million from CARES, will receive 34.9 mill from ARP/ESSER, and will have some other programs and projects funded from additional Commonwealth grants), these mitigation policies are also logistically possible to implement.

The proposed spending plan for the $34.8 million from the ARP/ESSER grant does not appear to funnel any money into testing or outdoor meals - but rather, proposes to spend 55% on SEAL programs was up for public comment on August 3.

The grant application for the ARP/ESSER funds is supposed to be submitted on August 25 and ACPS.

The School Board is scheduled to go on a retreat/work session on August 26.

The purpose of the ARP/ESSER funds is to "help reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools" (quoted from ACPS Board memo).

It may be a long shot but parents should not feel they have no voice. There is still time to submit comments seeking change to the Board before August 24.

Mandating vaccinations (with medical and religious exceptions and weekly testing for unvaccinated) should be the top ask followed by weekly testing for staff and students. Outdoor lunch is likely a staffing and equipment issue but 34.8 million is a lot of money.

Here is the school board contact form: https://acpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/m15ihgzj1ffvsg9/

Here are other points of contact:
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Mail: Alexandria City School Board
Clerk of the School Board
1340 Braddock Place
Alexandria, VA 22314

You must be new to Alexandria. Parents don't have a voice. It's sweet that you think this will work. The School Board agrees with the decision. They agree with ALL of Hutchings decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember, teachers had access to the vaccine before stage 4 cancer patients.

What's your point? Teachers are returning

[Anonymous]

The best thing you can do if you live in Alexandria is vote out the current school board in November.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember, teachers had access to the vaccine before stage 4 cancer patients.

What's your point? Teachers are returning

The point is they are returning even if not vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really hope there's some sort of an accounting of where all the cares/recovery money was spent. As far as I can tell it's some nebulous SEAL support, and thousands of foam blocks ready to fill the landfills. Not allowing kids to eat outside??? That was a freaking fall 2020 problem. They couldn't figure out a solution (ie tents) at anytime during the last year with millions of dollars? ACPS is just the worst.

https://www.pandemicoversight.gov/

There is. It's ongoing, though probably not at the level you're looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am furious that ALXNow reported that Dr. Hutchings said that ACPS is not going to require teachers and staff to be vaccinated. Do you think they are waiting until the vaccine is approved?

He’s potentially protecting a vax hesitant AA community….? It wouldn’t be a surprising.

Yeah let's just sacrifice the kids and vulnerable family members for people who can't be bothered to get the vaccine. Unless someone's doctor told them not to get the vaccine, I'm not interested in their selfish excuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best thing you can do if you live in Alexandria is vote out the current school board in November.

+ 1000

[Anonymous]

Purportedly, these issues are to be discussed at a specially called school board meeting on Thursday but there is little posted yet on it:

https://www.acps.k12.va.us/Page/2#calendar1/20210815/event/14981

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Purportedly, these issues are to be discussed at a specially called school board meeting on Thursday but there is little posted yet on it:

https://www.acps.k12.va.us/Page/2#calendar1/20210815/event/14981

Yes I bet they will announce a vaccine madate/testing here. Does superintendant recommend it and school board votes to approve?