Wilson in the fall. Any thoughts/ideas/concerns about what model it will be?

[Anonymous]

From the Beacon -
DCPS mandated the continuation of the 4×4 schedule because they are still uncertain about the circumstances in which in-person instruction will take place next school year. Despite the unpredictability, Martin is confident that Wilson students will return to the building.

“All indications are that we’re going back to [school] in-person. I’m planning [to] go back to in-person instruction,” Martin said.

[Anonymous]

The budget proposed by DCPS calls for over 2000 students at Wilson.

That's insane under normal circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I imagine that doing a 4 x 4 schedule in the fall will prove particularly challenging for the teachers if this is in person. It takes quite a bit of stamina to teach for an hour and 20 minutes. Or will the teacher bail out after an hour with the kids getting used to not doing much of anything?

.

No decent teacher is actually lecturing for 80 minutes straight ( pre-college at least). You would have a room of teenagers with their heads on their desks getting an imprint of their spiral notebooks on them...asleep! There is time for independent or group work while teacher circulates or works with smaller groups. It’s not hard to do that, stamina-wise. Signed, an IPL teacher who goes for 3 hour blocks at a time.

[Anonymous]

The unofficial line from people not in authority is that Wilson has been told to plan for full, in-person learning in August. But every single person who has said that - up to and including the Chancellor - has caveated that by saying they have no decision making authority on the subject.

The pessimist in me thinks that somehow DCPS will manage to repeat history and have a second year of distance learning that was somehow not planned for.

[Anonymous]

In person with 2000+ students?

[Anonymous]

Is renting space being discussed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine that doing a 4 x 4 schedule in the fall will prove particularly challenging for the teachers if this is in person. It takes quite a bit of stamina to teach for an hour and 20 minutes. Or will the teacher bail out after an hour with the kids getting used to not doing much of anything?

.

No decent teacher is actually lecturing for 80 minutes straight ( pre-college at least). You would have a room of teenagers with their heads on their desks getting an imprint of their spiral notebooks on them...asleep! There is time for independent or group work while teacher circulates or works with smaller groups. It’s not hard to do that, stamina-wise. Signed, an IPL teacher who goes for 3 hour blocks at a time.

My Wilson student just got off an 80 minute DL Teams lecture. Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is renting space being discussed?

how would that work? wouldn't you need more staff? Is there really budget for more space and teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A wrinkle for fall- teachers union could demand students be vaccinated before teachers feel comfortable re-entering school.

Yeah and they could also go you know where

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine that doing a 4 x 4 schedule in the fall will prove particularly challenging for the teachers if this is in person. It takes quite a bit of stamina to teach for an hour and 20 minutes. Or will the teacher bail out after an hour with the kids getting used to not doing much of anything?

.

No decent teacher is actually lecturing for 80 minutes straight ( pre-college at least). You would have a room of teenagers with their heads on their desks getting an imprint of their spiral notebooks on them...asleep! There is time for independent or group work while teacher circulates or works with smaller groups. It’s not hard to do that, stamina-wise. Signed, an IPL teacher who goes for 3 hour blocks at a time.

My Wilson student just got off an 80 minute DL Teams lecture. Yikes.

The AP psychology teacher does this every class. It’s awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine that doing a 4 x 4 schedule in the fall will prove particularly challenging for the teachers if this is in person. It takes quite a bit of stamina to teach for an hour and 20 minutes. Or will the teacher bail out after an hour with the kids getting used to not doing much of anything?

.

No decent teacher is actually lecturing for 80 minutes straight ( pre-college at least). You would have a room of teenagers with their heads on their desks getting an imprint of their spiral notebooks on them...asleep! There is time for independent or group work while teacher circulates or works with smaller groups. It’s not hard to do that, stamina-wise. Signed, an IPL teacher who goes for 3 hour blocks at a time.

My Wilson student just got off an 80 minute DL Teams lecture. Yikes.

The AP psychology teacher does this every class. It’s awful.

Thanks for the intel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine that doing a 4 x 4 schedule in the fall will prove particularly challenging for the teachers if this is in person. It takes quite a bit of stamina to teach for an hour and 20 minutes. Or will the teacher bail out after an hour with the kids getting used to not doing much of anything?

.

No decent teacher is actually lecturing for 80 minutes straight ( pre-college at least). You would have a room of teenagers with their heads on their desks getting an imprint of their spiral notebooks on them...asleep! There is time for independent or group work while teacher circulates or works with smaller groups. It’s not hard to do that, stamina-wise. Signed, an IPL teacher who goes for 3 hour blocks at a time.

My Wilson student just got off an 80 minute DL Teams lecture. Yikes.

This is PP and in defense of that teacher, who may be excellent, it’s bit different in a DL format. Sometimes you do keep the lecture going that long when you’re DL I suppose! Shouldn’t have been so quick to criticize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine that doing a 4 x 4 schedule in the fall will prove particularly challenging for the teachers if this is in person. It takes quite a bit of stamina to teach for an hour and 20 minutes. Or will the teacher bail out after an hour with the kids getting used to not doing much of anything?

.

No decent teacher is actually lecturing for 80 minutes straight ( pre-college at least). You would have a room of teenagers with their heads on their desks getting an imprint of their spiral notebooks on them...asleep! There is time for independent or group work while teacher circulates or works with smaller groups. It’s not hard to do that, stamina-wise. Signed, an IPL teacher who goes for 3 hour blocks at a time.

My Wilson student just got off an 80 minute DL Teams lecture. Yikes.

This is PP and in defense of that teacher, who may be excellent, it’s bit different in a DL format. Sometimes you do keep the lecture going that long when you’re DL I suppose! Shouldn’t have been so quick to criticize.

80 minutes of class every class is....a long class. Every single class. I’ll leave it at that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much depends on the timing and outcomes of the Pfizer and moderna trials in 12-17 yos. Results are expected in the next month or two. If they're good, given Biden's announcement of enough vaccine for adults by end of May, teenagers could be vaccinated in time for school in the fall.

Exactly! Not enough information.

FWIW, Moderna is already approved for ages 16+. So all teachers, seniors, and (almost) all juniors could almost certainly be vaccinated by fall, even without further authorizations. Assuming the supply is what is now projected, the majority of adults in DC should be vaccinated too and I imagine community spread will be very low (maybe even close to herd immunity). There will be enormous pressure for students to at least have the option of being in person.

It’s Pfizer that’s approved for 16 and up.

You're right- my mistake. But the point is the same--currently authorized vaccines could cover all teachers and staff and (almost) half of students at Wilson. And there should be adequate supply/distribution to actually vaccinate all of them. I'm hoping that DCPS will require vaccines of those who are able to get them, considering they require all other vaccines (including the HPV vaccine, which some people are opposed to on moral grounds).

Are you kidding? We have teachers refusing to get them. You cannot force them.
We have some teachers vaccinated and they don’t want to return to the classroom.

You cannot legally make an EUA vaccine required, for anyone. So that’s not an option.

The city is now vaccinating 16-17 yo students with risk factors now - from a separate pool and signup process than adults via Children’s Hospital. My teens’ pediatrician works for Children's and told me that my kid will be able to be vaccinated by or during the summer. She was less confident about the timeline for younger children because you just can’t rush the clinical trials.


Not true

Not true. Would a state and or DC make this vaccine compulsory, it will
Be deemed a requirement for kids going to school. They can also override any religious exception, which the Supreme Ct has agreed with in the past when it comes to communicable diseases.

[Anonymous]

Wilson DL sounds like a dream compared to Deal with three 40 minute classes 4 times a week.