There WILL (probably) be 5 days a week in-person in all districts this fall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a bad idea. I hope that Northam sees through it and doesn't sign the bill. I don't understand why they are caving to the crazies. They need to leave some room for the school systems to make choices based on their needs and what they have to work with. The PP about the teacher shortage is right to bring that up.

We saw what happened when school systems were allowed to make choices- that's the whole reason the language passed

I don't have a problem with what the school systems have done. I think they've taken the right paths, and that includes ACPS, APS, FCPS, LCPS, etc. The legislature is hamstringing themselves with that language and it is going to bite them in the bottoms. Let the people who know what they're doing, the superintendents, make the right choices.

Said a teacher who does not want in school

I'm a parent who said that. We are completely happy with how the school systems have handled the pandemic and schools. They did the right thing by shutting down inschool learning and transitioning to DL. It kept teachers, kids and families safe.

We are very pleased with the quality of education our children have received via DL. Our kids are happy and learning. Our kids are relaxed and enjoying themselves. They love all the extra time they have. They LOVE that all the "bad" kids have been sidelined and aren't taking up 80% of their teachers' time and wasting all the other students' time. They LOVE that their teachers are able to be on track and focus on communicating educational material and not having to monitor behavior. They use their teachers' Office Hours to positive effect.

Do I realize that some families, like yours perhaps, haven't been able to have as good of experience? Sure. I don't think that is the school systems' faults though. Mostly I think that responsibility falls onto the parents. In my mind, it would have behooved you to change your attitude and that would have changed your outcome. Even for those people with little kids.

The successful DL families I know with kinders, and 1st through 3rd grade kids, worked with their kids teachers to set up reasonable schedules. Those parents also made sure that one parent or adult was with the kid the whole time helping them with the online aspects, even when it meant substantially rearranging their day to accommodate that.

In my house, we walk our talk. For our family, my husband and I began work at 5 am and then took 2 hour shifts with the kids during the day in the schoolroom. It means long days and effort but a major reason why our kids have been successful with DL is because of the efforts that my husband and I put forth.

Again, the school systems did the right things at the right time. They kept teachers, kids and families safe. The push to return to 5 days a week school in the fall is premature at this time in our opinion. When there is more data, because right now we only have weeks of data about vaccinations and how they will help keep transmissions low (we all hope!), then it will be the right time to think about the fall. Right now is too soon and puts the cart before the horse.

You, PP, are the utter worst. Trash.

You know what? My first grader is struggling mightily with online learning. And listen, we walked the walk. We hired a full time nanny who was an IA in FCPS to basically facilitate online school. We turned our basement into a bright classroom. We followed up, brought on consequences, hired a reading teacher who comes to our house every day for an hour at 7 am (because my son's first grade class starts at 10 and ends at 4:45...you know when he's basically done learning. 1 maybe 2 pm.

I am so over people like you PP. And it's NOT parenting jerk. My kid who is 20 months older and in AAP in 3rd grade also struggles - though to a less degree -- because the amount of executive functioning required is NUTS. Distance ed as packaged now is NOT developmentally appropriate. The i-ready is NOT appropriate (I mean testing these kids until they get frustrated is cruel for a 5 year old...convince me otherwise).

And you -- you big jerk -- probably espoused the whole "no screens, blah blah blah judgment" and now effortlessly have your kids code python during their brainbreaks.

Take a seat, jack. You are insufferable, the worst, and everything that is terrible about the DC area.

And for the record -- I think our teachers are doing an amazing job managing a terrible situation. But to pretend the same learning is happening is quite frankly stupid as hell.

Wait a second...your first grade son goes to school 6.75 hours a day PLUS an hour at 7 am for reading, AND you're wondering why it isn't working??? Sheesh. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. You're doing exactly the opposite of what the other mother proposed. No wonder your kid is having problems. Stupid parenting leads to bad things for your kids. You're crazy.

No, before he did tutoring, he didn't go to school basically. We basically make him go to math and language arts and morning meeting after months and months of meltdowns and trying to get him to do "online" learning. We added tutoring when it was clear that he's NOT learning online. Jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a bad idea. I hope that Northam sees through it and doesn't sign the bill. I don't understand why they are caving to the crazies. They need to leave some room for the school systems to make choices based on their needs and what they have to work with. The PP about the teacher shortage is right to bring that up.

Leaving room for choices leads to continued DL/hybrid. I support this bill.

[Anonymous]

Way too many school boards in the state have shown an inability to make rational decisions or are too easily swayed by a vocal minority of teachers or parents.

When is he expected to sign?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers have been telling you this for months. It’s 5 day with masks. Nothing else is being discussed AT ALL.

Nothing other than 5 day school "in the fall" was being discussed last spring either. They started murmuring about "hybrid" in what May or June, and the pulled the plug completely in July. There is still time for us to lose 5 days.

Ummm no. You are wrong. 5 day fall was NEVER being discussed in the schools. In fact my AP told us the week we shut down prepare not to come back til 2021. The general public might have been thinking 5 day fall but never in the schools was that the plan.

Please stop acting like you have any idea what will happen.

Our superintendent has said 5 day fall is the plan. You’re the one who refuses to enter 2021. Numbers are dropping sharply and people are getting vaccinated. Nothing is going to prevent 5 days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope this happens. The parents who got spots at private schools are not coming back unless public schools open 5 days a week. This needs to happen.

The local Catholic school has kids 3 ft apart and has been open for in-person learning almost the entire school year. No spread in the school. Public systems can be open next year, and need to. We are harming our kids.

Good for you parents who can rearrange your lives to make it happen, but I have three kids at three levels and a full time job and I'm not qualified to teach HS math or science to my teens. How good of a chemistry education do you think DS is getting at home? It's crappy. And even when schools re-open, the chemistry teacher is not coming back, so still no labs. So basically, my kid has learned very little this year.

Why do we care what they do? If they’re happier at private they can stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers have been telling you this for months. It’s 5 day with masks. Nothing else is being discussed AT ALL.

Nothing other than 5 day school "in the fall" was being discussed last spring either. They started murmuring about "hybrid" in what May or June, and the pulled the plug completely in July. There is still time for us to lose 5 days.

Ummm no. You are wrong. 5 day fall was NEVER being discussed in the schools. In fact my AP told us the week we shut down prepare not to come back til 2021. The general public might have been thinking 5 day fall but never in the schools was that the plan.

Please stop acting like you have any idea what will happen.

Our superintendent has said 5 day fall is the plan. You’re the one who refuses to enter 2021. Numbers are dropping sharply and people are getting vaccinated. Nothing is going to prevent 5 days.

You know, it isn't. I am a DP. I just heard that at one school in our district they already have 2 people in the same school who have tested positive, kids, and school isn't even partially reopened at that school. They are special needs kids. Now the teachers are worried they'll be positive. Forcing schools to reopen to 5 days a week is a BAD IDEA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers have been telling you this for months. It’s 5 day with masks. Nothing else is being discussed AT ALL.

Nothing other than 5 day school "in the fall" was being discussed last spring either. They started murmuring about "hybrid" in what May or June, and the pulled the plug completely in July. There is still time for us to lose 5 days.

Ummm no. You are wrong. 5 day fall was NEVER being discussed in the schools. In fact my AP told us the week we shut down prepare not to come back til 2021. The general public might have been thinking 5 day fall but never in the schools was that the plan.

Please stop acting like you have any idea what will happen.

Our superintendent has said 5 day fall is the plan. You’re the one who refuses to enter 2021. Numbers are dropping sharply and people are getting vaccinated. Nothing is going to prevent 5 days.

You know, it isn't. I am a DP. I just heard that at one school in our district they already have 2 people in the same school who have tested positive, kids, and school isn't even partially reopened at that school. They are special needs kids. Now the teachers are worried they'll be positive. Forcing schools to reopen to 5 days a week is a BAD IDEA.

That’s now. We are talking about fall. We will not and cannot keep schools closed or hybrid until there’s zero spread ever. It is endemic now. We will live with it seasonally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How will this be possible if they have to maintain 3 or 6 feet distance between the desks?

It's not, it still says that they need to follow CDC guidelines and that in person instruction can be altered to meet those guidelines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a bad idea. I hope that Northam sees through it and doesn't sign the bill. I don't understand why they are caving to the crazies. They need to leave some room for the school systems to make choices based on their needs and what they have to work with. The PP about the teacher shortage is right to bring that up.

We saw what happened when school systems were allowed to make choices- that's the whole reason the language passed

I don't have a problem with what the school systems have done. I think they've taken the right paths, and that includes ACPS, APS, FCPS, LCPS, etc. The legislature is hamstringing themselves with that language and it is going to bite them in the bottoms. Let the people who know what they're doing, the superintendents, make the right choices.

Said a teacher who does not want in school

I'm a parent who said that. We are completely happy with how the school systems have handled the pandemic and schools. They did the right thing by shutting down inschool learning and transitioning to DL. It kept teachers, kids and families safe.

We are very pleased with the quality of education our children have received via DL. Our kids are happy and learning. Our kids are relaxed and enjoying themselves. They love all the extra time they have. They LOVE that all the "bad" kids have been sidelined and aren't taking up 80% of their teachers' time and wasting all the other students' time. They LOVE that their teachers are able to be on track and focus on communicating educational material and not having to monitor behavior. They use their teachers' Office Hours to positive effect.

Do I realize that some families, like yours perhaps, haven't been able to have as good of experience? Sure. I don't think that is the school systems' faults though. Mostly I think that responsibility falls onto the parents. In my mind, it would have behooved you to change your attitude and that would have changed your outcome. Even for those people with little kids.

The successful DL families I know with kinders, and 1st through 3rd grade kids, worked with their kids teachers to set up reasonable schedules. Those parents also made sure that one parent or adult was with the kid the whole time helping them with the online aspects, even when it meant substantially rearranging their day to accommodate that.

In my house, we walk our talk. For our family, my husband and I began work at 5 am and then took 2 hour shifts with the kids during the day in the schoolroom. It means long days and effort but a major reason why our kids have been successful with DL is because of the efforts that my husband and I put forth.

Again, the school systems did the right things at the right time. They kept teachers, kids and families safe. The push to return to 5 days a week school in the fall is premature at this time in our opinion. When there is more data, because right now we only have weeks of data about vaccinations and how they will help keep transmissions low (we all hope!), then it will be the right time to think about the fall. Right now is too soon and puts the cart before the horse.

You, PP, are the utter worst. Trash.

You know what? My first grader is struggling mightily with online learning. And listen, we walked the walk. We hired a full time nanny who was an IA in FCPS to basically facilitate online school. We turned our basement into a bright classroom. We followed up, brought on consequences, hired a reading teacher who comes to our house every day for an hour at 7 am (because my son's first grade class starts at 10 and ends at 4:45...you know when he's basically done learning. 1 maybe 2 pm.

I am so over people like you PP. And it's NOT parenting jerk. My kid who is 20 months older and in AAP in 3rd grade also struggles - though to a less degree -- because the amount of executive functioning required is NUTS. Distance ed as packaged now is NOT developmentally appropriate. The i-ready is NOT appropriate (I mean testing these kids until they get frustrated is cruel for a 5 year old...convince me otherwise).

And you -- you big jerk -- probably espoused the whole "no screens, blah blah blah judgment" and now effortlessly have your kids code python during their brainbreaks.

Take a seat, jack. You are insufferable, the worst, and everything that is terrible about the DC area.

And for the record -- I think our teachers are doing an amazing job managing a terrible situation. But to pretend the same learning is happening is quite frankly stupid as hell.

Wait a second...your first grade son goes to school 6.75 hours a day PLUS an hour at 7 am for reading, AND you're wondering why it isn't working??? Sheesh. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. You're doing exactly the opposite of what the other mother proposed. No wonder your kid is having problems. Stupid parenting leads to bad things for your kids. You're crazy.

Exactly. If he has lost focus at 1:00 p.m. - log off. I mean you already have an IA and a reading specialist coming surely they could help him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a bad idea. I hope that Northam sees through it and doesn't sign the bill. I don't understand why they are caving to the crazies. They need to leave some room for the school systems to make choices based on their needs and what they have to work with. The PP about the teacher shortage is right to bring that up.

We saw what happened when school systems were allowed to make choices- that's the whole reason the language passed

Yep. I'm a Dem and I hope he signs it. If something happened and Covid got really terrible again, he has wiggle room. He could simply waive the requirement for 990 hours to allow for hybrid. But that gives the state the control and not the individual school districts who have proved incompetent at making plans and decisions.

Yep, the PP needs to read the room; he or she is now part of the "crazies."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How will this be possible if they have to maintain 3 or 6 feet distance between the desks?

It's not, it still says that they need to follow CDC guidelines and that in person instruction can be altered to meet those guidelines.

It says follow guidelines “to the maximum extent possible.” Sure they’re can use space creatively (rent empty offices? Get rec center meeting rooms? But trailers out the wazoo?), but the in-person part trumps the using mitigation part except in cases of high in-building spread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How will this be possible if they have to maintain 3 or 6 feet distance between the desks?

It's not, it still says that they need to follow CDC guidelines and that in person instruction can be altered to meet those guidelines.

Nope. 5 days supersedes that. It says mitigation to the “maximum extent possible” within the parameter of the 5 days a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How will this be possible if they have to maintain 3 or 6 feet distance between the desks?

It's not, it still says that they need to follow CDC guidelines and that in person instruction can be altered to meet those guidelines.

It says follow guidelines “to the maximum extent possible.” Sure they’re can use space creatively (rent empty offices? Get rec center meeting rooms? But trailers out the wazoo?), but the in-person part trumps the using mitigation part except in cases of high in-building spread.

FCPS is not going to be renting other spaces. We all know that, get with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How will this be possible if they have to maintain 3 or 6 feet distance between the desks?

It's not, it still says that they need to follow CDC guidelines and that in person instruction can be altered to meet those guidelines.

Nope. 5 days supersedes that. It says mitigation to the “maximum extent possible” within the parameter of the 5 days a week.

It's actually you that doesn't understand it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How will this be possible if they have to maintain 3 or 6 feet distance between the desks?

It's not, it still says that they need to follow CDC guidelines and that in person instruction can be altered to meet those guidelines.

Nope. 5 days supersedes that. It says mitigation to the “maximum extent possible” within the parameter of the 5 days a week.

It's actually you that doesn't understand it.

Ok, so explain it to me like I am 8. The Senator who sponsored the bill explained it as 5 days in-person with a real teacher as the key feature.