Half-days on Wednesdays!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

Not that mind boggling...Giving teachers a time to grade work, make groups, improve their craft, will greatly enhance children’s learning experience. Missing ~2 hrs/week of instruction isn’t the apocalypse some of you think it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

Not that mind boggling...Giving teachers a time to grade work, make groups, improve their craft, will greatly enhance children’s learning experience. Missing ~2 hrs/week of instruction isn’t the apocalypse some of you think it is.

They had planning time to do this before. And PD days. So, no. The pandemic should not normalize fewer instructional hours.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think anyone is confusing this rumor with the apocalypse. Speaking for my family, I’m just tired. Neither kid has school on Wednesdays at the moment. Nothing zilch nada. And neither kid has aftercare. And we’re one of the lucky families who got offered spots 4 days a week. DCPS doesn’t have a lot of good will built up to be making changes to next year reducing class time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

I think a major reason DCPS has never tried it before is that there is a cadre of DCPS parents who are super intense and combative and will absolutely lose their minds if schools *consider* doing anything that does not mesh with their strict mental image of what school is and should be. Granted, the teachers also often have this extremely unproductive attitude, as do many people at Central. It's a serious problem with the district.

And yes, it's also a big reason why we had no in person school this year. We had teachers dig in their heals on "only when it's safe" but then we also had administrators and parents dig in too. There were ideas floating around that would have gotten kids in school, at least part time, and offered teachers more safety. Namely, outdoor school. But people in this district don't know what to do with an outside the box idea like that. When we tried to propose it at our school, we were told 90 reasons it was "impossible" (most of which were actually addressable problems) and it never went anywhere and now here we are, a year later, with most kids not getting a single second of IPL this year.

Which is why, I beg of you: just wait to hear what the plan is for Wednesdays before deciding it's terrible. Could you stay open to the idea that it might be a good idea? We're talking about maybe 2 fewer hours of instruction, to be replaced by something else. Do you really believe that there is nothing as beneficial to your child as that two hours of instruction? Don't you want to find out what it might be before you bring the hammer down? Come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

Not that mind boggling...Giving teachers a time to grade work, make groups, improve their craft, will greatly enhance children’s learning experience. Missing ~2 hrs/week of instruction isn’t the apocalypse some of you think it is.

I personally have zero interest in reducing instructional time to "improve their craft" at this point in time. Come on. If DCPS wants to give extra teacher training time, do it in the summer. It's absolutely insane that anyone would be trying to figure out how to reduce instructional time in response to the biggest loss in instructional time DC kids will ever experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

I think a major reason DCPS has never tried it before is that there is a cadre of DCPS parents who are super intense and combative and will absolutely lose their minds if schools *consider* doing anything that does not mesh with their strict mental image of what school is and should be. Granted, the teachers also often have this extremely unproductive attitude, as do many people at Central. It's a serious problem with the district.

And yes, it's also a big reason why we had no in person school this year. We had teachers dig in their heals on "only when it's safe" but then we also had administrators and parents dig in too. There were ideas floating around that would have gotten kids in school, at least part time, and offered teachers more safety. Namely, outdoor school. But people in this district don't know what to do with an outside the box idea like that. When we tried to propose it at our school, we were told 90 reasons it was "impossible" (most of which were actually addressable problems) and it never went anywhere and now here we are, a year later, with most kids not getting a single second of IPL this year.

Which is why, I beg of you: just wait to hear what the plan is for Wednesdays before deciding it's terrible. Could you stay open to the idea that it might be a good idea? We're talking about maybe 2 fewer hours of instruction, to be replaced by something else. Do you really believe that there is nothing as beneficial to your child as that two hours of instruction? Don't you want to find out what it might be before you bring the hammer down? Come on.

DCPS literally just cancelled school for over a year. So no, I don't think this has to do with a "cadre of DCPS parents" doing anything. And no, I don't need to hear anything about this stupid plan before I reject it. It reduces instructional time, is all I need to know. There's nothing "innovative" about it. You're naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

I think a major reason DCPS has never tried it before is that there is a cadre of DCPS parents who are super intense and combative and will absolutely lose their minds if schools *consider* doing anything that does not mesh with their strict mental image of what school is and should be. Granted, the teachers also often have this extremely unproductive attitude, as do many people at Central. It's a serious problem with the district.

And yes, it's also a big reason why we had no in person school this year. We had teachers dig in their heals on "only when it's safe" but then we also had administrators and parents dig in too. There were ideas floating around that would have gotten kids in school, at least part time, and offered teachers more safety. Namely, outdoor school. But people in this district don't know what to do with an outside the box idea like that. When we tried to propose it at our school, we were told 90 reasons it was "impossible" (most of which were actually addressable problems) and it never went anywhere and now here we are, a year later, with most kids not getting a single second of IPL this year.

Which is why, I beg of you: just wait to hear what the plan is for Wednesdays before deciding it's terrible. Could you stay open to the idea that it might be a good idea? We're talking about maybe 2 fewer hours of instruction, to be replaced by something else. Do you really believe that there is nothing as beneficial to your child as that two hours of instruction? Don't you want to find out what it might be before you bring the hammer down? Come on.

DCPS literally just cancelled school for over a year. So no, I don't think this has to do with a "cadre of DCPS parents" doing anything. And no, I don't need to hear anything about this stupid plan before I reject it. It reduces instructional time, is all I need to know. There's nothing "innovative" about it. You're naive.

And let me guess that you yourself were adamantly opposed to bringing kids back in November, while pushing your silly vision of "outdoor school" instead. you're part of the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

I think a major reason DCPS has never tried it before is that there is a cadre of DCPS parents who are super intense and combative and will absolutely lose their minds if schools *consider* doing anything that does not mesh with their strict mental image of what school is and should be. Granted, the teachers also often have this extremely unproductive attitude, as do many people at Central. It's a serious problem with the district.

And yes, it's also a big reason why we had no in person school this year. We had teachers dig in their heals on "only when it's safe" but then we also had administrators and parents dig in too. There were ideas floating around that would have gotten kids in school, at least part time, and offered teachers more safety. Namely, outdoor school. But people in this district don't know what to do with an outside the box idea like that. When we tried to propose it at our school, we were told 90 reasons it was "impossible" (most of which were actually addressable problems) and it never went anywhere and now here we are, a year later, with most kids not getting a single second of IPL this year.

Which is why, I beg of you: just wait to hear what the plan is for Wednesdays before deciding it's terrible. Could you stay open to the idea that it might be a good idea? We're talking about maybe 2 fewer hours of instruction, to be replaced by something else. Do you really believe that there is nothing as beneficial to your child as that two hours of instruction? Don't you want to find out what it might be before you bring the hammer down? Come on.

My child has received zero hours of in person learning during the past year and a half. There is nothing else he needs than instructional time in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

I think a major reason DCPS has never tried it before is that there is a cadre of DCPS parents who are super intense and combative and will absolutely lose their minds if schools *consider* doing anything that does not mesh with their strict mental image of what school is and should be. Granted, the teachers also often have this extremely unproductive attitude, as do many people at Central. It's a serious problem with the district.

And yes, it's also a big reason why we had no in person school this year. We had teachers dig in their heals on "only when it's safe" but then we also had administrators and parents dig in too. There were ideas floating around that would have gotten kids in school, at least part time, and offered teachers more safety. Namely, outdoor school. But people in this district don't know what to do with an outside the box idea like that. When we tried to propose it at our school, we were told 90 reasons it was "impossible" (most of which were actually addressable problems) and it never went anywhere and now here we are, a year later, with most kids not getting a single second of IPL this year.

Which is why, I beg of you: just wait to hear what the plan is for Wednesdays before deciding it's terrible. Could you stay open to the idea that it might be a good idea? We're talking about maybe 2 fewer hours of instruction, to be replaced by something else. Do you really believe that there is nothing as beneficial to your child as that two hours of instruction? Don't you want to find out what it might be before you bring the hammer down? Come on.

DCPS literally just cancelled school for over a year. So no, I don't think this has to do with a "cadre of DCPS parents" doing anything. And no, I don't need to hear anything about this stupid plan before I reject it. It reduces instructional time, is all I need to know. There's nothing "innovative" about it. You're naive.

And let me guess that you yourself were adamantly opposed to bringing kids back in November, while pushing your silly vision of "outdoor school" instead. you're part of the problem.

Wrong. I always prioritized getting kids back in school and only proposed outdoor school as an option when it became clear that the teachers and the administration were too far apart to make in person instruction likely in the fall. But your response demonstrates why it's impossible to get anything productive done in DCPS. You hate everyone, you assume everyone is stupid and irredeemable, you dismiss any new idea as wrong and bad, you are convinced of your own righteousness and unwilling to even listen another point of view. You are not merely a part of the problem. You, and people like you (including many teachers, administrators, and people in Central) Are. The. Problem.

There is no willingness to problem solve in DCPS. Just infighting and viciousness. I am so tired of it. Our kids suffer because of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

I think a major reason DCPS has never tried it before is that there is a cadre of DCPS parents who are super intense and combative and will absolutely lose their minds if schools *consider* doing anything that does not mesh with their strict mental image of what school is and should be. Granted, the teachers also often have this extremely unproductive attitude, as do many people at Central. It's a serious problem with the district.

And yes, it's also a big reason why we had no in person school this year. We had teachers dig in their heals on "only when it's safe" but then we also had administrators and parents dig in too. There were ideas floating around that would have gotten kids in school, at least part time, and offered teachers more safety. Namely, outdoor school. But people in this district don't know what to do with an outside the box idea like that. When we tried to propose it at our school, we were told 90 reasons it was "impossible" (most of which were actually addressable problems) and it never went anywhere and now here we are, a year later, with most kids not getting a single second of IPL this year.

Which is why, I beg of you: just wait to hear what the plan is for Wednesdays before deciding it's terrible. Could you stay open to the idea that it might be a good idea? We're talking about maybe 2 fewer hours of instruction, to be replaced by something else. Do you really believe that there is nothing as beneficial to your child as that two hours of instruction? Don't you want to find out what it might be before you bring the hammer down? Come on.

DCPS literally just cancelled school for over a year. So no, I don't think this has to do with a "cadre of DCPS parents" doing anything. And no, I don't need to hear anything about this stupid plan before I reject it. It reduces instructional time, is all I need to know. There's nothing "innovative" about it. You're naive.

And let me guess that you yourself were adamantly opposed to bringing kids back in November, while pushing your silly vision of "outdoor school" instead. you're part of the problem.

Wrong. I always prioritized getting kids back in school and only proposed outdoor school as an option when it became clear that the teachers and the administration were too far apart to make in person instruction likely in the fall. But your response demonstrates why it's impossible to get anything productive done in DCPS. You hate everyone, you assume everyone is stupid and irredeemable, you dismiss any new idea as wrong and bad, you are convinced of your own righteousness and unwilling to even listen another point of view. You are not merely a part of the problem. You, and people like you (including many teachers, administrators, and people in Central) Are. The. Problem.

There is no willingness to problem solve in DCPS. Just infighting and viciousness. I am so tired of it. Our kids suffer because of it.

I mean yes, at this point, I am going to assume that nobody looks out for the interests of kids unless they are pushing getting kids back into school to the max. You seem to be afraid of confrontation. If you can't understand why many parents are completely appalled that this is even being floated, at a point when DCPS is being coy about what "5 days a week in person" even means, then you don't really have any understanding of the actual dynamics here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

I think a major reason DCPS has never tried it before is that there is a cadre of DCPS parents who are super intense and combative and will absolutely lose their minds if schools *consider* doing anything that does not mesh with their strict mental image of what school is and should be. Granted, the teachers also often have this extremely unproductive attitude, as do many people at Central. It's a serious problem with the district.

And yes, it's also a big reason why we had no in person school this year. We had teachers dig in their heals on "only when it's safe" but then we also had administrators and parents dig in too. There were ideas floating around that would have gotten kids in school, at least part time, and offered teachers more safety. Namely, outdoor school. But people in this district don't know what to do with an outside the box idea like that. When we tried to propose it at our school, we were told 90 reasons it was "impossible" (most of which were actually addressable problems) and it never went anywhere and now here we are, a year later, with most kids not getting a single second of IPL this year.

Which is why, I beg of you: just wait to hear what the plan is for Wednesdays before deciding it's terrible. Could you stay open to the idea that it might be a good idea? We're talking about maybe 2 fewer hours of instruction, to be replaced by something else. Do you really believe that there is nothing as beneficial to your child as that two hours of instruction? Don't you want to find out what it might be before you bring the hammer down? Come on.

You want to add two hours a week to aftercare (for the kids who even attend), when one of the huge complaints about after care at several schools is that the kids get parked in front of a TV? No. Anyone who supports this idea is absurd.

My kids go to a school with an awesome aftercare. It's a charter, meaning aftercare was expensive. So frankly, I don't really care if MY KIDS are in aftercare for an additional two hours a day, because their aftercare was great.

That is absolutely not the case at all schools---charter, DCPS, Title I, non-Title I.

Eliminating any instructional time is a big deal. And I don't think it's a strategic move on teachers' parts to take the position that eliminating half a day of what they do is no big deal. Just like this past year, they're taking the position that what they do isn't that important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

I think a major reason DCPS has never tried it before is that there is a cadre of DCPS parents who are super intense and combative and will absolutely lose their minds if schools *consider* doing anything that does not mesh with their strict mental image of what school is and should be. Granted, the teachers also often have this extremely unproductive attitude, as do many people at Central. It's a serious problem with the district.

And yes, it's also a big reason why we had no in person school this year. We had teachers dig in their heals on "only when it's safe" but then we also had administrators and parents dig in too. There were ideas floating around that would have gotten kids in school, at least part time, and offered teachers more safety. Namely, outdoor school. But people in this district don't know what to do with an outside the box idea like that. When we tried to propose it at our school, we were told 90 reasons it was "impossible" (most of which were actually addressable problems) and it never went anywhere and now here we are, a year later, with most kids not getting a single second of IPL this year.

Which is why, I beg of you: just wait to hear what the plan is for Wednesdays before deciding it's terrible. Could you stay open to the idea that it might be a good idea? We're talking about maybe 2 fewer hours of instruction, to be replaced by something else. Do you really believe that there is nothing as beneficial to your child as that two hours of instruction? Don't you want to find out what it might be before you bring the hammer down? Come on.

DCPS literally just cancelled school for over a year. So no, I don't think this has to do with a "cadre of DCPS parents" doing anything. And no, I don't need to hear anything about this stupid plan before I reject it. It reduces instructional time, is all I need to know. There's nothing "innovative" about it. You're naive.

And let me guess that you yourself were adamantly opposed to bringing kids back in November, while pushing your silly vision of "outdoor school" instead. you're part of the problem.

Wrong. I always prioritized getting kids back in school and only proposed outdoor school as an option when it became clear that the teachers and the administration were too far apart to make in person instruction likely in the fall. But your response demonstrates why it's impossible to get anything productive done in DCPS. You hate everyone, you assume everyone is stupid and irredeemable, you dismiss any new idea as wrong and bad, you are convinced of your own righteousness and unwilling to even listen another point of view. You are not merely a part of the problem. You, and people like you (including many teachers, administrators, and people in Central) Are. The. Problem.

There is no willingness to problem solve in DCPS. Just infighting and viciousness. I am so tired of it. Our kids suffer because of it.

I mean yes, at this point, I am going to assume that nobody looks out for the interests of kids unless they are pushing getting kids back into school to the max. You seem to be afraid of confrontation. If you can't understand why many parents are completely appalled that this is even being floated, at a point when DCPS is being coy about what "5 days a week in person" even means, then you don't really have any understanding of the actual dynamics here.

Afraid of confrontation? Because I don't agree with you?

I understand all the dynamics here. I just don't agree with you. I get that you are appalled. You've made that clear. I think you need to recalibrate what you consider appalling.

I think most people who are responding angrily to this (rumored) proposal are simply afraid that they will have to pick their kids up early on Wednesdays. I think if a proposal was floated that provided some form of programming for kids during the teacher's PD time, but made it optional, you'd see the majority of parents open to the idea. Most parents understand that sitting at a desk "to the max" is not necessarily beneficial to kids. A lot of parents worry about info overload and whether their kids are really absorbing material, and studies have shown that regular breaks from study actually increase info uptake. There are families with SAHPs who would probably appreciate the chance to do other activities with their kids on Wednesdays, and there are also plenty of working parents who could see the benefit of setting aside time for remedial acceleration for kids who need it (helping kids catch up actually benefits all kids because it improves the classroom experience for kids who are at grade level as well). You assume the only way to care about kids or education is the way you do it, and you are wrong about that.

[Anonymous]

I am DCPS teacher and we would never finish the curriculum if we lost that instructional time each week. There are already so many disruptions in the school schedule- we have lots of three day weekends, PD days, parent teacher conference days, etc. This year I have probably covered 80% of the material I would normally cover. And some of the stuff I did cover I rushed through because I am a HS teacher and the AP exams happen at a certain time no matter what the school district decides to do with the schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 55 years old and was educated in what was considered a very fine public school system in Massachusetts. We had half-day Wednesdays every week from 1st thru 6th grade and every other Wednesday in 7th and 8th grade. It was considered teacher development time, and so normal and routine that it was completely unremarkable. And yes, both my parents WOTH fulltime.

Was a large portion of your school system considered low income? Did a large portion not attend virtual school for an entire year? Was a large portion of your school system already below grade level? That is what DCPS is dealing with here. I went to a fine school system in NY- every year kids from my HS (250 kids per grade) went to all the Ivies, MIT, etc. I would never advocate that the systems at that school be used in DCPS, it’s apples and oranges.

Precisely.

Maybe you're trying to make us feel better with "I had half days once a week, and I turned out fine!" but it isn't helpful. There's probably a reason DCPS hasn't done half days before (or at least in a long time). Considering doing so now after the year we've had is mind-boggling.

I think a major reason DCPS has never tried it before is that there is a cadre of DCPS parents who are super intense and combative and will absolutely lose their minds if schools *consider* doing anything that does not mesh with their strict mental image of what school is and should be. Granted, the teachers also often have this extremely unproductive attitude, as do many people at Central. It's a serious problem with the district.

And yes, it's also a big reason why we had no in person school this year. We had teachers dig in their heals on "only when it's safe" but then we also had administrators and parents dig in too. There were ideas floating around that would have gotten kids in school, at least part time, and offered teachers more safety. Namely, outdoor school. But people in this district don't know what to do with an outside the box idea like that. When we tried to propose it at our school, we were told 90 reasons it was "impossible" (most of which were actually addressable problems) and it never went anywhere and now here we are, a year later, with most kids not getting a single second of IPL this year.

Which is why, I beg of you: just wait to hear what the plan is for Wednesdays before deciding it's terrible. Could you stay open to the idea that it might be a good idea? We're talking about maybe 2 fewer hours of instruction, to be replaced by something else. Do you really believe that there is nothing as beneficial to your child as that two hours of instruction? Don't you want to find out what it might be before you bring the hammer down? Come on.

You want to add two hours a week to aftercare (for the kids who even attend), when one of the huge complaints about after care at several schools is that the kids get parked in front of a TV? No. Anyone who supports this idea is absurd.

My kids go to a school with an awesome aftercare. It's a charter, meaning aftercare was expensive. So frankly, I don't really care if MY KIDS are in aftercare for an additional two hours a day, because their aftercare was great.

That is absolutely not the case at all schools---charter, DCPS, Title I, non-Title I.

Eliminating any instructional time is a big deal. And I don't think it's a strategic move on teachers' parts to take the position that eliminating half a day of what they do is no big deal. Just like this past year, they're taking the position that what they do isn't that important.

Well this proposal would only apply to DCPS, not charters, so maybe leave it to parents who are actually enrolled in DCPS to decide? Do what you want at your charter.

[Anonymous]

PP again, but I also think there is a big difference between half day at the elementary school level where schools can plan programming and extend after care to provide activities for students. Who would do that at the HS level? There is no other large body of adults available to provide instruction or enrichment to HS students for a half day every Wednesday. And if I were a betting man I would guess that at most high schools in the city attendance would be abysmal on Wednesdays. Kids don't show up to half days now (or snow delays). They won't show up to school on half day Wednesdays. That's probably the reason DCPS got rid of half days at the end of each advisory.