EmpowerEd DC Petition - Explore outdoor learning this fall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the petition: "Each child can go to school every day by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. Teachers believe this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
The acres of land at the Zoo ( already car free)
The acres of land at DC Arboretum ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the petition: "Each child can go to school every day by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. Teachers believe this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
The acres of land at the Zoo ( already car free)
The acres of land at DC Arboretum ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.

I assume you are being facetious. Because it's possible you are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the petition: "Each child can go to school every day by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. Teachers believe this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
The acres of land at the Zoo ( already car free)
The acres of land at DC Arboretum ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.

While I think it’s perfectly legal for the federal government to take control of DC, I doubt DC can “commandeer” federal property. Ideas like these work for a few schools but not many. They work for the ones WOTP with lots of land, or ones near these open spaces. They don’t work for the ones far from parks or with near daily shootings near by. People are up in arms about losing a few parking spaces for outdoor dining and then people talk about a 180-day closure of full blocks. We need answers to questions that aren’t just about location. We can throw kids anywhere. We can’t drag desks, chairs and supplies around all day. What will we do when it rains? Will we have tents? Will they withstand wind and rain so we can keep teaching? What happens when they can’t? Do we cram everyone back in the school building? Or cancel school any day inclement weather is forecast, thus adding to the chaos of finding childcare? How will we shelter in place when a shooting happens? How long will it take kids to walk inside or are we just sitting ducks waiting outside? Answer these and the others questions posed and let’s have a real conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the petition: "Each child can go to school every day by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. Teachers believe this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
The acres of land at the Zoo ( already car free)
The acres of land at DC Arboretum ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.

I'm going to assume you are joking. Call us when the shuttle lands. You think that schools are the most important thing on the planet because you have school-aged children. The rest of society definitely doesn't agree with you. They aren't going to shut down the rest of the city so your child can be bussed all around to run free in zoos and sports stadiums. You really think the kids would learn there? How exactly would materials magically appear in those places? Do you have any idea how much this plan would cost? You are truly amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the petition: "Each child can go to school every day by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. Teachers believe this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
The acres of land at the Zoo ( already car free)
The acres of land at DC Arboretum ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.

While I think it’s perfectly legal for the federal government to take control of DC, I doubt DC can “commandeer” federal property. Ideas like these work for a few schools but not many. They work for the ones WOTP with lots of land, or ones near these open spaces. They don’t work for the ones far from parks or with near daily shootings near by. People are up in arms about losing a few parking spaces for outdoor dining and then people talk about a 180-day closure of full blocks. We need answers to questions that aren’t just about location. We can throw kids anywhere. We can’t drag desks, chairs and supplies around all day. What will we do when it rains? Will we have tents? Will they withstand wind and rain so we can keep teaching? What happens when they can’t? Do we cram everyone back in the school building? Or cancel school any day inclement weather is forecast, thus adding to the chaos of finding childcare? How will we shelter in place when a shooting happens? How long will it take kids to walk inside or are we just sitting ducks waiting outside? Answer these and the others questions posed and let’s have a real conversation.

Nonsense. when there is a will, there is a way.

schools WOTP have their own land and don't need to be given public land.

The Old JFK stadium could serve SE Cap Hill as could Lincoln park
When farmer's market on Cap hill had its fire, the market was in outdoor tents across the street for like 2 years

Nats stadium, the park land at National Marina can serve ward 7
The DC Arboretum can serve Ward 5
There is an ice rink and park down in Ward 7/8 ( I forget the name, but it has LOTS of space)
Frederic Douglas house in Ward 8 has lots of land

East of Park:
Old Soldiers Home has TONS of land
Old DC Resevoir across from CNMC has tons of land

The National mall , each museum has gardens, steps as does the capitol
Let the kids have class on steps of SCOTUS

Do what the colleges are doing : open in Aug/ close for thanksgiving until Jan/ cancel spring break/ end school in may

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the petition: "Each child can go to school every day by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. Teachers believe this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
The acres of land at the Zoo ( already car free)
The acres of land at DC Arboretum ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.

I'm going to assume you are joking. Call us when the shuttle lands. You think that schools are the most important thing on the planet because you have school-aged children. The rest of society definitely doesn't agree with you. They aren't going to shut down the rest of the city so your child can be bussed all around to run free in zoos and sports stadiums. You really think the kids would learn there? How exactly would materials magically appear in those places? Do you have any idea how much this plan would cost? You are truly amazing.

Its you who can't think outside the box.

Are you suggesting that children in 3rd world aren't learning ANYTHING at school all day BECAUSE they don't have A/C , because they share a small black board, not a high tech white board ?
You know the kids who walk 5 miles to school a day or RUN... and then kick our ass in the NY Marathon or Olympics every year... or wait also beat us in math, reading level

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the petition: "Each child can go to school every day by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. Teachers believe this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
The acres of land at the Zoo ( already car free)
The acres of land at DC Arboretum ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.

I'm going to assume you are joking. Call us when the shuttle lands. You think that schools are the most important thing on the planet because you have school-aged children. The rest of society definitely doesn't agree with you. They aren't going to shut down the rest of the city so your child can be bussed all around to run free in zoos and sports stadiums. You really think the kids would learn there? How exactly would materials magically appear in those places? Do you have any idea how much this plan would cost? You are truly amazing.

There are only about 70,000 kids in school in he District every day.

That is a smaller crowd than attends a Big 10 Football game every weekend.
We have civil engineers in this town.
heck we have the army corps of engineers
FIGURE it out
use tents
solve the problem

we are not talking a full city evacuation of 700,000 people, we talking about 60K-70 kids / 20, 000 of which are off your books as they are in DC Privates

[Anonymous]

Just open the windows! All of them, all the time.

And, yes, I agree that using outdoor space is logical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the petition: "Each child can go to school every day by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. Teachers believe this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
The acres of land at the Zoo ( already car free)
The acres of land at DC Arboretum ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.

I'm going to assume you are joking. Call us when the shuttle lands. You think that schools are the most important thing on the planet because you have school-aged children. The rest of society definitely doesn't agree with you. They aren't going to shut down the rest of the city so your child can be bussed all around to run free in zoos and sports stadiums. You really think the kids would learn there? How exactly would materials magically appear in those places? Do you have any idea how much this plan would cost? You are truly amazing.

There are only about 70,000 kids in school in he District every day.

That is a smaller crowd than attends a Big 10 Football game every weekend.
We have civil engineers in this town.
heck we have the army corps of engineers
FIGURE it out
use tents
solve the problem

we are not talking a full city evacuation of 700,000 people, we talking about 60K-70 kids / 20, 000 of which are off your books as they are in DC Privates

There are 98,000 public schools in DC, not 70,000. And this president isn’t giving squat to DC.

School in DC will be hybrid at best — just like in every other district in the country. The achievement gap will get bigger. Poor and minority people will have it the worst. A study that came out yesterday said that 1 in 3 Black people know someone who died of COVID.

Our federal government failed this really big test. Now we are arguing with each other over which is the least bad plan to survive this. Direct your anger in the right direction.

[Anonymous]

NP. I agree the federal government has failed. But there is still plenty of room for state and local governments to get creative and fast. Watch for this to happen elsewhere. DC is too entrenched probably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just open the windows! All of them, all the time.

And, yes, I agree that using outdoor space is logical.

My classroom doesn’t have windows. Should I take a sledgehammer to the wall to open it up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the petition: "Each child can go to school every day by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. Teachers believe this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
The acres of land at the Zoo ( already car free)
The acres of land at DC Arboretum ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.

I'm going to assume you are joking. Call us when the shuttle lands. You think that schools are the most important thing on the planet because you have school-aged children. The rest of society definitely doesn't agree with you. They aren't going to shut down the rest of the city so your child can be bussed all around to run free in zoos and sports stadiums. You really think the kids would learn there? How exactly would materials magically appear in those places? Do you have any idea how much this plan would cost? You are truly amazing.

Its you who can't think outside the box.

Are you suggesting that children in 3rd world aren't learning ANYTHING at school all day BECAUSE they don't have A/C , because they share a small black board, not a high tech white board ?
You know the kids who walk 5 miles to school a day or RUN... and then kick our ass in the NY Marathon or Olympics every year... or wait also beat us in math, reading level

The reason they beat us in math and reading is because other countries/states use high quality curriculum or run their school in a way no parent in this country would allow. Counties in Asia have students in class until almost 7 pm. Finland doesn’t start school until age 8. Have you seen all the hand wringing about the Relay program in another thread? That’s how Kipp and other countries run their schools. There is no way more than 5% of the people on this board would ever allow their child to attend a school like that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I agree the federal government has failed. But there is still plenty of room for state and local governments to get creative and fast. Watch for this to happen elsewhere. DC is too entrenched probably.

Where? I have yet to see a school district saying that all students are going back every day inside or out (governors distribute guidelines; localities figure out how to operate within them). Please tell me where an ‘outdoor public school’ is happening so I can read about it and follow their planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I agree the federal government has failed. But there is still plenty of room for state and local governments to get creative and fast. Watch for this to happen elsewhere. DC is too entrenched probably.

Where? I have yet to see a school district saying that all students are going back every day inside or out (governors distribute guidelines; localities figure out how to operate within them). Please tell me where an ‘outdoor public school’ is happening so I can read about it and follow their planning.

I didn’t say it is happening or has been announced. Everyone is figuring things out now. I bet we will see some innovation somewhere by fall. Other cities are doing more for example to shut down roads and creat open public spaces. Just my two cents. I very much doubt DC will be the innovator, but someone will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the petition: "Each child can go to school every day by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. Teachers believe this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
The acres of land at the Zoo ( already car free)
The acres of land at DC Arboretum ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.

While I think it’s perfectly legal for the federal government to take control of DC, I doubt DC can “commandeer” federal property. Ideas like these work for a few schools but not many. They work for the ones WOTP with lots of land, or ones near these open spaces. They don’t work for the ones far from parks or with near daily shootings near by. People are up in arms about losing a few parking spaces for outdoor dining and then people talk about a 180-day closure of full blocks. We need answers to questions that aren’t just about location. We can throw kids anywhere. We can’t drag desks, chairs and supplies around all day. What will we do when it rains? Will we have tents? Will they withstand wind and rain so we can keep teaching? What happens when they can’t? Do we cram everyone back in the school building? Or cancel school any day inclement weather is forecast, thus adding to the chaos of finding childcare? How will we shelter in place when a shooting happens? How long will it take kids to walk inside or are we just sitting ducks waiting outside? Answer these and the others questions posed and let’s have a real conversation.

Nonsense. when there is a will, there is a way.

schools WOTP have their own land and don't need to be given public land.

The Old JFK stadium could serve SE Cap Hill as could Lincoln park
When farmer's market on Cap hill had its fire, the market was in outdoor tents across the street for like 2 years

Nats stadium, the park land at National Marina can serve ward 7
The DC Arboretum can serve Ward 5
There is an ice rink and park down in Ward 7/8 ( I forget the name, but it has LOTS of space)
Frederic Douglas house in Ward 8 has lots of land

East of Park:
Old Soldiers Home has TONS of land
Old DC Resevoir across from CNMC has tons of land

The National mall , each museum has gardens, steps as does the capitol
Let the kids have class on steps of SCOTUS

Do what the colleges are doing : open in Aug/ close for thanksgiving until Jan/ cancel spring break/ end school in may

Can you answer the rest of the questions? I said it before, these people like coming up with locations (none for Ward 1 I see) but won’t answer any other logistical questions. They know they aren’t getting anywhere and are running out of options. This is just a distraction.