Allegedly there are several options for the fall none of which include being back full time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NoVa is entering Phase 3 on July 1st. Phase 3 in Virginia means all students are allowed back to school buildings (protection details TBA). MoCo is even in better shape than NoVa.

Fairfax County is offering a choice of 100% distance learning or a hybrid of some in school instruction and some distance learning for the fall.

Fairfax County parents have to choose 100% distance learning for next fall or the hybrid plan for next fall by July 10th. Hybrid will include a minimum of 2 days in person and my be more, depending on how many parents choose distance learning for their kids. The more students in distance learning, the more space the kids in the building can spread out.

Can you change you mind or will you be stuck with the decision for the whole year? I was just wondering if they addressed this - say in case things get better or worse with the pandemic.

The county is currently saying that the decision is for the entire year, but parents are pushing for a semester option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NoVa is entering Phase 3 on July 1st. Phase 3 in Virginia means all students are allowed back to school buildings (protection details TBA). MoCo is even in better shape than NoVa.

Fairfax County is offering a choice of 100% distance learning or a hybrid of some in school instruction and some distance learning for the fall.

Fairfax County parents have to choose 100% distance learning for next fall or the hybrid plan for next fall by July 10th. Hybrid will include a minimum of 2 days in person and my be more, depending on how many parents choose distance learning for their kids. The more students in distance learning, the more space the kids in the building can spread out.

Can you change you mind or will you be stuck with the decision for the whole year? I was just wondering if they addressed this - say in case things get better or worse with the pandemic.

The county is currently saying that the decision is for the entire year, but parents are pushing for a semester option.

That would make sense. An entire year of distance learning will be quite damaging. It should be a semester by semester decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They will open the schools. There will be outbreaks among students, teachers and staff. They will close the schools.

They will open all of the schools. There will be outbreaks among students, teachers, and staff at some schools. They will close those schools, then re-open them.

I love all these experts.

You don't need to be an expert to see how this is going to go. Americans have demonstrated that they won't have the patience to endure more than a few months of lockdowns. They want to get back to "normal", consequences be damned. That's what's happening in general now. It'll happen with schools in the fall. When the outbreaks start, and kids get a little sick and staff, teachers and parents get very sick, and some of them die, the pendulum will swing in the other direction and schools will close again. Rinse and repeat. Everything is reactionary to whatever sentiment is ascendant at the moment. There is no guiding strategy to get us through this pandemic, which is a failure of leadership at all levels, but starting at the top.

Nobody else did either. The difference is that other countries used the lockdown time to take effective measures. We in the US just wasted ours.

This. I'm from Germany, and I can tell you people there are just as eager to get back to normal as they are here. They also didn't comply with their lockdown any more stringently than people in the DC area. No need to bash Americans for their supposed lack of discipline. It's your government that is the problem, and the general unhealthiness and therefore vulnerability of the population. Germany is also more attentive to scientific findings that kids don't really contribute to the spread of the virus or are at risk from it. Their association of pediatricians made a statement to that effect. That is one reason they are opening schools normally after the summer. It is also possible that they consider education a higher priority. But it's definitely not the case that they are more patient about lockdowns.

Why school is lower priority in US? Why? Extremely frustrating.

The German system has its faults, too. Many students are only in formal school until the age of 14, and then move on to a hybrid internship/work training program. Personally, I like their system. But we have a system that tries to treat everyone equally and Germany is more accepting of tracking, which gives them a more flexible system. I don't think it is accurate to say they care more about education. They implement differently, based on their values, which has less emphasis on equal opportunity for higher education. They also respect the trades A LOT more so Americans wouldn't view much of their education as "education" but rather "job training."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That would make sense. An entire year of distance learning will be quite damaging. It should be a semester by semester decision.

So will just another semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That would make sense. An entire year of distance learning will be quite damaging. It should be a semester by semester decision.

So will just another semester.

So will one quarter. The achievement gap will grow considerably as people of means hire tutors and add other educational enrichment while the kids with less will get none of that and many will fall behind and give up. From what we saw in the spring, Distance Learning really means "Learn on your own. Read this, watch this video, and let me know if you have any questions. There will be a test on Wednesday." Parents who don't speak or read English are not going to be much help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in favor of taking care of the most vulnerable. Bring back the low income and IEP kids and others identified by staff, spread them out over all the schools and the rest of us somehow manage because we are decent human beings and we take care of the weakest amongst us be they physically at risk of dying of needing extra resources to learn. Accept that maybe our kids won't get every single advantage to which we think they are entitled but they will still be ok and maybe the gift they will get is understanding that we rise or fall together.

F u

WoW - it is funny how upsetting you find kindness.

PP’s response wasn’t appropriate but do you understand that perpetual DL isn’t really an option for many, especially the disadvantaged? It seems like your heart is in the right place but you are considering only the educationally and medically fragile and not the economically or socially disadvantaged.

Except that I explicitly said those kids should be included. See bolded. The idea that everything should be the same for everyone is a big part of the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in favor of taking care of the most vulnerable. Bring back the low income and IEP kids and others identified by staff, spread them out over all the schools and the rest of us somehow manage because we are decent human beings and we take care of the weakest amongst us be they physically at risk of dying of needing extra resources to learn. Accept that maybe our kids won't get every single advantage to which we think they are entitled but they will still be ok and maybe the gift they will get is understanding that we rise or fall together.

F u

WoW - it is funny how upsetting you find kindness.

PP’s response wasn’t appropriate but do you understand that perpetual DL isn’t really an option for many, especially the disadvantaged? It seems like your heart is in the right place but you are considering only the educationally and medically fragile and not the economically or socially disadvantaged.

Except that I explicitly said those kids should be included. See bolded. The idea that everything should be the same for everyone is a big part of the problem.

It didn't used to be such a radical idea that all kids need school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That would make sense. An entire year of distance learning will be quite damaging. It should be a semester by semester decision.

So will just another semester.

So will one quarter. The achievement gap will grow considerably as people of means hire tutors and add other educational enrichment while the kids with less will get none of that and many will fall behind and give up. From what we saw in the spring, Distance Learning really means "Learn on your own. Read this, watch this video, and let me know if you have any questions. There will be a test on Wednesday." Parents who don't speak or read English are not going to be much help.

Oh I 100% agree with you. I just think that if they are going to do it anyway-locking it in for the whole year is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

I think we have to plan for the full year. Sorry to burst your bubbles, but plan for the worst, hope for the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we have to plan for the full year. Sorry to burst your bubbles, but plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Huh? No, if MCPS plans for the worst, then we'll all have no school for at least another year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we have to plan for the full year. Sorry to burst your bubbles, but plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Huh? No, if MCPS plans for the worst, then we'll all have no school for at least another year.

What I mean is, you as a parent, need to plan for the worst, hope for the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we have to plan for the full year. Sorry to burst your bubbles, but plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Huh? No, if MCPS plans for the worst, then we'll all have no school for at least another year.

What I mean is, you as a parent, need to plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Personally, I’m thinking about what additional supports and/or alternatives would be best for my kid, given that it is entirely possible that we are looking at a year of DL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we have to plan for the full year. Sorry to burst your bubbles, but plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Huh? No, if MCPS plans for the worst, then we'll all have no school for at least another year.

What I mean is, you as a parent, need to plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Another thing that I need to do as a parent: advocate for education for all kids, not just mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in favor of taking care of the most vulnerable. Bring back the low income and IEP kids and others identified by staff, spread them out over all the schools and the rest of us somehow manage because we are decent human beings and we take care of the weakest amongst us be they physically at risk of dying of needing extra resources to learn. Accept that maybe our kids won't get every single advantage to which we think they are entitled but they will still be ok and maybe the gift they will get is understanding that we rise or fall together.

F u

WoW - it is funny how upsetting you find kindness.

PP’s response wasn’t appropriate but do you understand that perpetual DL isn’t really an option for many, especially the disadvantaged? It seems like your heart is in the right place but you are considering only the educationally and medically fragile and not the economically or socially disadvantaged.

Except that I explicitly said those kids should be included. See bolded. The idea that everything should be the same for everyone is a big part of the problem.

It didn't used to be such a radical idea that all kids need school.

Don’t be obtuse - of course all kids need school, but when there is a scarcity of resources how do you allocate them? There is a significant set of children in MCPS who are fully able to get an adequate education with the current DL and support from Family members. There is another set who cannot get an adequate education by those means - so if we don’t have the resources to teach them all optimally, why not direct our resources to those most in need while the others get good enough. What I’m advocating is putting your money where your mouth is an accepting something slightly less so that others can have their most basic needs met. I find it funny that all of a sudden everyone here is so deeply concerned about the underprivileged. My children have more than enough - why is it that others like me can’t give a bit for the greater good? The elephants walk at the pace of the slowest member of the herd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in favor of taking care of the most vulnerable. Bring back the low income and IEP kids and others identified by staff, spread them out over all the schools and the rest of us somehow manage because we are decent human beings and we take care of the weakest amongst us be they physically at risk of dying of needing extra resources to learn. Accept that maybe our kids won't get every single advantage to which we think they are entitled but they will still be ok and maybe the gift they will get is understanding that we rise or fall together.

F u

WoW - it is funny how upsetting you find kindness.

PP’s response wasn’t appropriate but do you understand that perpetual DL isn’t really an option for many, especially the disadvantaged? It seems like your heart is in the right place but you are considering only the educationally and medically fragile and not the economically or socially disadvantaged.

Except that I explicitly said those kids should be included. See bolded. The idea that everything should be the same for everyone is a big part of the problem.

It didn't used to be such a radical idea that all kids need school.

Don’t be obtuse - of course all kids need school, but when there is a scarcity of resources how do you allocate them? There is a significant set of children in MCPS who are fully able to get an adequate education with the current DL and support from Family members. There is another set who cannot get an adequate education by those means - so if we don’t have the resources to teach them all optimally, why not direct our resources to those most in need while the others get good enough. What I’m advocating is putting your money where your mouth is an accepting something slightly less so that others can have their most basic needs met. I find it funny that all of a sudden everyone here is so deeply concerned about the underprivileged. My children have more than enough - why is it that others like me can’t give a bit for the greater good? The elephants walk at the pace of the slowest member of the herd.

NP. And that set includes the vast majority of elementary school kids - not just lower SES ones.