APS - Over/Under on Duran changing his mind if CDC reduces school distancing to 3 feet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No idea. I feel like for Duran there needs to be more outside pressure than there is now.

I am not sure how "difficult" it is to do or not. Is there really cost or difficulty, especially for elementary? If they wanted to they could turn on a dime I bet.

Personally, I think it is the right thing to do to get kids back in school. Not doing so is a cop out just like no school at all from March-June last year. It will harm education overall.

This said, they must reopen selections to all families if they offer more. It was already unfair enough to families to go with Fall 2020 selections and there would be rioting about the unfairness. Especially since there are wait-lists.

(On a personal level, my early elementary DC is enjoying hybrid and doing well, and for now I am quietly enjoying these last months home before life returns to normal and 5 day school in Fall, as it should be.)

I don't understand all of the complexities, but transportation has always been an issue even pre-pandemic. How are you getting 2x the numbers of kids (or more) to school?

Many of our schools were over 100% capacity pre-pandemic - classes in the hallway, etc. Can you fit the kids with 3' distancing?

And to remove concurrent you'd have to reassign many kids to new teachers. That would be so disruptive 3/4ths of the way through the school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No idea. I feel like for Duran there needs to be more outside pressure than there is now.

I am not sure how "difficult" it is to do or not. Is there really cost or difficulty, especially for elementary? If they wanted to they could turn on a dime I bet.

Personally, I think it is the right thing to do to get kids back in school. Not doing so is a cop out just like no school at all from March-June last year. It will harm education overall.

This said, they must reopen selections to all families if they offer more. It was already unfair enough to families to go with Fall 2020 selections and there would be rioting about the unfairness. Especially since there are wait-lists.

(On a personal level, my early elementary DC is enjoying hybrid and doing well, and for now I am quietly enjoying these last months home before life returns to normal and 5 day school in Fall, as it should be.)

I don't understand all of the complexities, but transportation has always been an issue even pre-pandemic. How are you getting 2x the numbers of kids (or more) to school?

Many of our schools were over 100% capacity pre-pandemic - classes in the hallway, etc. Can you fit the kids with 3' distancing?

And to remove concurrent you'd have to reassign many kids to new teachers. That would be so disruptive 3/4ths of the way through the school year.

I think they’d keep concurrent. The problem is that pre-k-2 classes are spread out across two rooms, so they share with upper grades on their off days. If everyone was back they couldn’t do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No idea. I feel like for Duran there needs to be more outside pressure than there is now.

I am not sure how "difficult" it is to do or not. Is there really cost or difficulty, especially for elementary? If they wanted to they could turn on a dime I bet.

Personally, I think it is the right thing to do to get kids back in school. Not doing so is a cop out just like no school at all from March-June last year. It will harm education overall.

This said, they must reopen selections to all families if they offer more. It was already unfair enough to families to go with Fall 2020 selections and there would be rioting about the unfairness. Especially since there are wait-lists.

(On a personal level, my early elementary DC is enjoying hybrid and doing well, and for now I am quietly enjoying these last months home before life returns to normal and 5 day school in Fall, as it should be.)

I don't understand all of the complexities, but transportation has always been an issue even pre-pandemic. Hor more) to school?

Many of our schools were over 100% capacity pre-pandemic - classes in the hallway, etc. Can you fit the kids with 3' distancing?

And to remove concurrent you'd have to reassign many kids to new teachers. That would be so disruptive 3/4ths of the way through the school year.

I don't think it WILL happen, but I was thinking you would get 2x more kids on buses by taking away the sibling rule so they can sit by each other and reducing rows between kids. Keep the windows open and will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point on his RTS announcement was that literally every surrounding school district announced and Duran stubbornly refused to, for no apparent reason, until the next SB meeting that was two weeks off. Then Northam issued his order, and Duran backtracked the next day and said he would announce on Tuesday. Of COURSE he already had dates in mind. His hand was nevertheless forced by the Governor.

This is, fundamentally, the problem when you have one unelected decision-maker and no meaningful oversight by the elected board.

He did not stubbornly refuse. WTF is the difference in knowing Feb 8 or Feb 18 about a return that is not until March. There really is no difference. In the end, my kids went back BEFORE my friend's kids in Fairfax even though Fairfax made the announcement first. I just don't understand why people care about the date of the announcement. The return is what mattered.

It was the blatant superficial about face when it all went down. He went from saying, the metrics don't support re-opening yet, but, I will announce dates soon. To, I'm pleased with how things are improving significantly in our community, and in accordance with the governor's orders....--in a matter of like two days or whatever. It was entirely disingenuous and just showed that the messaging is not actually based on reality if it changes in a matter of days without any real change otherwise to the data, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point on his RTS announcement was that literally every surrounding school district announced and Duran stubbornly refused to, for no apparent reason, until the next SB meeting that was two weeks off. Then Northam issued his order, and Duran backtracked the next day and said he would announce on Tuesday. Of COURSE he already had dates in mind. His hand was nevertheless forced by the Governor.

This is, fundamentally, the problem when you have one unelected decision-maker and no meaningful oversight by the elected board.

He did not stubbornly refuse. WTF is the difference in knowing Feb 8 or Feb 18 about a return that is not until March. There really is no difference. In the end, my kids went back BEFORE my friend's kids in Fairfax even though Fairfax made the announcement first. I just don't understand why people care about the date of the announcement. The return is what mattered.

It was the blatant superficial about face when it all went down. He went from saying, the metrics don't support re-opening yet, but, I will announce dates soon. To, I'm pleased with how things are improving significantly in our community, and in accordance with the governor's orders....--in a matter of like two days or whatever. It was entirely disingenuous and just showed that the messaging is not actually based on reality if it changes in a matter of days without any real change otherwise to the data, etc.

Those can both be true. The only thing that changed was how soon he announced dates. The RTS plan was already in motion.

Just stop. You sound ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

From Wtop, it's official: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxes its social distancing guidelines for schools, saying students can now sit 3 feet apart in classrooms.

[Anonymous]

THERE IT IS!!! CDC announces 3-feet distancing is enough for students!! Woo Hoo!!

Time to get them back in class at least 4 days ASAP!!!

[Anonymous]

The 6 ft ruler clutchers aren’t going to be happy about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:THERE IT IS!!! CDC announces 3-feet distancing is enough for students!! Woo Hoo!!

Time to get them back in class at least 4 days ASAP!!!

Is it hot in here, or am I just sitting in Duran's office???

PRESSURE IS ON AND UP!!!

TIME FOR FOUR DAYS A WEEK, MINIMUM!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been hoping/praying for the CDC to reduce the distancing guideline to 3 feet for schools (especially elementary). It seems like it may actually happen, but I'm skeptical and reluctant to think Duran will put the effort in place to open schools full-time ASAP. Hopefully Northam signs the bill with the emergency clause and takes the power away from Duran, but what are everyone's thoughts here?

It will not happen until the fall. Plan accordingly.

Why not, if CDC reduces guidelines to 3 feet? Other than Duran and the SB not wanting to deal with logistics, aka - doing their job?

Do you have any idea how complex the logistics are? Offering a choice to the ones who,had to decide about virtual in December. Teachers, classrooms, bus routes, etc. Our numbers in this area are still not great. Just stop.

LCPS did it without offering a change to families who chose virtual. Only families who chose hybrid will move to 4 days a week.

That is total Bs, and I am not the suing type, but I would 100% sue APS if they did this.

Exactly. I’ve been very quiet in this whole debate, but we chose virtual back in December when the option was only two days on the table and no clue about when people would be vaccinated. They also threatened three days of asynchronous learning with that model. They try to go four days a week only for those already there, I will also dust off my inner Arlington Karen and be up in their faces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THERE IT IS!!! CDC announces 3-feet distancing is enough for students!! Woo Hoo!!

Time to get them back in class at least 4 days ASAP!!!

Is it hot in here, or am I just sitting in Duran's office???

PRESSURE IS ON AND UP!!!

TIME FOR FOUR DAYS A WEEK, MINIMUM!

YESS!! NO MORE EXCUSES DURAN!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The 6 ft ruler clutchers aren’t going to be happy about this.

Nope - too bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:THERE IT IS!!! CDC announces 3-feet distancing is enough for students!! Woo Hoo!!

Time to get them back in class at least 4 days ASAP!!!

Did you read all the parts of the recommendation? Keep all the kids in one block through the day, and in secondary schools and areas with high transmission rates (we’re still red), keep to six feet. No one wants to read all the conditions,

[Anonymous]

And there go the irrational tantrums....

Grow TF up.

[Anonymous]

I think the only thing this will change it allowing more kids to join the hyrbid model in elementary school.

I do not think they'll add more in person days.