Reformatted: Advocate for five days a week by fall

[Anonymous]

I wrote a message with a very similar message to this to Councilmember McDuffie and recommend that all of us who share the perspective do so as well.

We can't wait for organization to do our job for us. We are our children's parents and owe it to them to advocate on their behalf with our elected representatives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I don't understand why people aren't working with existing groups like Empower DC

Empower DC is all about getting schools to reopen? That's news to me.

Yeah I looked at the webpage and they haven't done any campaigns related to education. They certainly seem to do other good work, but I don't know that their advocacy is in the realm of education.

I think they meant Empower K-12: https://www.empowerk12.org/

I think EmpowerK12 is a data and evaluation firm, not an advocacy firm. I think they were employed by the city to do the December report on educational losses during covid. But hey, worth a shot to see if they do any advocacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Relax OP. Things are looking good for the fall. You might not get your way exactly the way YOU want it, but hopefully it was be another safe opening for the ENTIRE city, ALL the school staff, and the secondary impacts surrounding schools - like bus drivers, cafeteria workers, local business. We are ALL in this together, don't forget.

Thank you. A voice of reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Relax OP. Things are looking good for the fall. You might not get your way exactly the way YOU want it, but hopefully it was be another safe opening for the ENTIRE city, ALL the school staff, and the secondary impacts surrounding schools - like bus drivers, cafeteria workers, local business. We are ALL in this together, don't forget.

Thank you. A voice of reason.

Yeah, you're right. If we are all trying to open safely (whatever that means), we won't be opening full-time in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I listened to a hearing once where some childrens' advocacy groups showed up. I believe one or two did advocate for reopening and one or two were focussed on IEPs. Openschools has done a great advocacy effort and has certainly publicized its message widely. I know plenty of non-whites who are supportive. I believe that demographics reflect that most of the rallying for schools reopening has come from affluent schools, and that school buildings in other neighborhoods tend to be the ones with more safety issues having suffered from years of neglect, where confidence in political leaders to keep children safe is much lower, and where covid has been much more deadly. Given that Openschools does offer an inclusive message to accept people's choices, I do not see how these issues should hinder opening public schools. Furthermore, declaring school reopening victory because most families opted to keep children home in most neighborhoods at one point in the year, however, is misleading. I can speak for my child's school, and can say that the way they are defining having accommodated demand for in person learning is having offered an in-person slot once to each family at one time in the year. They are saying for term 4 that no additional offers will be made to a family that rejected an offer for term 3. However, when they made the offers they did not inform families at the time that these offers were made that a refusal would mean forfeiting any opportunity for in-person learning for the entire school year. Furthermore, offers were made during the post holidays January spike at a time when families may been particularly reluctant to opt in for IPL. I find the narrative that DCPS has completed a successful reopening of its schools on the basis of these onetime offers disturbing. Perhaps DCPS cannot make more offers to the same families for practical reasons - that is not what bothers me as much as their discourse that they have met much of the demand for in-person learning across the city (Deputy Mayor for Education recently said this) and their capitalizing on the reluctance of families to sign on at a single time during the year.

Signing on some pro child organizations is a great idea, but ultimately parents are going to need to lobby their elected representatives if we are to make any meaningful progress by the time the next school year comes along.

While certainly some W3 buildings are amazing, it’s just not true that others have not been remodeled. That can’t be the excuse for every school

https://dgs.dc.gov/node/843682

[Anonymous]

I hope they maintain this site to track positive cases in the fall:
https://dcpsreopenstrong.com/category/articles/

[Anonymous]

Many teachers do want full time IPL in the Fall, please don't think the WTU will stop that.

But I am asking you to fight with us on fully funding our schools. Why are high needs schools having to excess teachers? Especially when enrollment doesn't warrant it?

And even if it did aren't smaller classrooms a GOOD idea? Even before covid, smaller class sizes equals better learning for all.

I stand with you for full time, I am sure this time teachers who don't agree will speak up because we know another year of DL is insane. But we need you to call the mayor out too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many teachers do want full time IPL in the Fall, please don't think the WTU will stop that.

But I am asking you to fight with us on fully funding our schools. Why are high needs schools having to excess teachers? Especially when enrollment doesn't warrant it?

And even if it did aren't smaller classrooms a GOOD idea? Even before covid, smaller class sizes equals better learning for all.

I stand with you for full time, I am sure this time teachers who don't agree will speak up because we know another year of DL is insane. But we need you to call the mayor out too.

Totally with you on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many teachers do want full time IPL in the Fall, please don't think the WTU will stop that.

But I am asking you to fight with us on fully funding our schools. Why are high needs schools having to excess teachers? Especially when enrollment doesn't warrant it?

And even if it did aren't smaller classrooms a GOOD idea? Even before covid, smaller class sizes equals better learning for all.

I stand with you for full time, I am sure this time teachers who don't agree will speak up because we know another year of DL is insane. But we need you to call the mayor out too.

While I am supportive of the things in your post, I’m lost as to why you think parents have any power. We are ridiculed here daily for wanting change, and for trying to create that change. We are told that parents have no power, by people who are saying they are teachers. Do we have a voice or not, in your opinion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many teachers do want full time IPL in the Fall, please don't think the WTU will stop that.

But I am asking you to fight with us on fully funding our schools. Why are high needs schools having to excess teachers? Especially when enrollment doesn't warrant it?

And even if it did aren't smaller classrooms a GOOD idea? Even before covid, smaller class sizes equals better learning for all.

I stand with you for full time, I am sure this time teachers who don't agree will speak up because we know another year of DL is insane. But we need you to call the mayor out too.

It's disgusting that you're withholding educating children as a bargaining chip to get better employment terms for yourself. After all WTU's actions that have profoundly harmed my children, I wouldn't join forces with WTU for ANYTHING.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confident kids are back full time in the Fall. Fairfax just announced. Every other school system in the area will follow suit. Relax OP.

DP here, but I'm not confident that kids will be back full time in the Fall. My MS student hasn't been in the school building in over a year. WTU doesn't want to send teachers back and they're still keeping up the narrative that it's not safe, equitable, etc. DCPS still has no plan to provide full-time in-person school in the Fall for those who want it. DC isn't Fairfax, and we have one of the worst public school systems in the area with a lot of very poor people who are terrified of the virus and vaccines.

If you're actually a parent (and not a WTU troll trying to silence parents), then you're a fool if you don't start advocating now for full-time school in the Fall.

I am a parent. 2 kids at Deal but one will be in HS next year. We are planning for in person learning. I have faith in teachers, the union, and the administration. As for WTU, today is not the Fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confident kids are back full time in the Fall. Fairfax just announced. Every other school system in the area will follow suit. Relax OP.

DP here, but I'm not confident that kids will be back full time in the Fall. My MS student hasn't been in the school building in over a year. WTU doesn't want to send teachers back and they're still keeping up the narrative that it's not safe, equitable, etc. DCPS still has no plan to provide full-time in-person school in the Fall for those who want it. DC isn't Fairfax, and we have one of the worst public school systems in the area with a lot of very poor people who are terrified of the virus and vaccines.

If you're actually a parent (and not a WTU troll trying to silence parents), then you're a fool if you don't start advocating now for full-time school in the Fall.

I am a parent. 2 kids at Deal but one will be in HS next year. We are planning for in person learning. I have faith in teachers, the union, and the administration. As for WTU, today is not the Fall.

1. If you look at history, your faith in teachers, the union, and the administration is misplaced.
2. Your Deal children likely have no in person instruction now. My Deal student doesn't.
3. If you truly believe that Deal will get to full-time in-person school in the Fall without strong advocacy from parents, then I have a bridge to sell you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Emails should read:

[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],
[e-mail],

+1

[Anonymous]

Interesting discussion about kids back in school.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/958490.page

Seems like covid is making its way through schools right now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting discussion about kids back in school.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/958490.page

Seems like covid is making its way through schools right now

I don't know if you know this, but people from all over the country post to DCUM. I mean, your post seems a bit fear-mongering as it is grounded in a series of posts (from somewhere), but your comment is that "covid is making its way through schools."