NPR Article on Public Schools

[Anonymous]

Don’t you get a higher wage for working during the holidays and the ability to use those vacation days elsewhere? I work in the medical field and constantly volunteer for those shifts aside from Christmas. My family never cares about doing anything special on those days and would rather use that vacation time for a trip at a time of our choosing and take the extra money.

I really couldn’t care less about having say Columbus Day off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think (hope) what comes out of this is a new way of doing school. One that embraces the 21st century and technology and the good parts of DL for kids who have issues that make it necessary. But, at the same time, diversifying school options and really getting creative with school choice so that charters, magnets, longer school days, year round school, vouchers for private and parochial, etc all co-exist, and parents can find accessible educational options that meet their kids’ and they family’s needs.

The great resignation is obvious in the broader world of work. The interesting thing is that the parents who shifted or are shifting jobs to better fit their lives now want their kids education to do the same. Hopefully education keeps up, and in 5-10 years there are many more options beyond traditional public school.

Um, they can't even find enough bus drivers and subs this year. Unless they start offering a hell of a lot more money, this dream of free childcare for parents ain't happening.

Yup. We can’t even get people vaccinated FFS. No way are we capable of making big changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dont know what to make of it. There seems no interest by anyone anymore in being a community. I work in government and we have issues too - some age groups don’t like the idea of not getting every holiday off, or having to taking turns. They aren’t willing to sacrifice for the greater good anymore. I spent years voluntarily doing my family Thanksgiving the week before real Thanksgiving so that I could work that week. It wasn’t a big deal and my family was fine with it.

As for teachers…I do think some frame of reference for the rest of our realities is lacking. It was very obvious during the pandemic…millions of us worked in person in crowded places with no mask or distance mandate like was provided for teachers. And then we had to find a way to be home to monitor virtual school. It often felt like the very vocal teachers thought all parents were work at home rich lawyers with nannies or some thing and were mad at them for that.

I have lost faith in schools. It doesn’t seem like any of the teachers actually enjoy teaching.

Many of us do and many of us wanted the students in the classroom last fall. I teach an ES grade and there were a number of teachers working from the school because we did not want to be home. I’d say most of us hated being online and were very happy when students started returning in the spring. We were somewhat jealous of one team member who was able to get all of her students back in person last April.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Don’t you get a higher wage for working during the holidays and the ability to use those vacation days elsewhere? I work in the medical field and constantly volunteer for those shifts aside from Christmas. My family never cares about doing anything special on those days and would rather use that vacation time for a trip at a time of our choosing and take the extra money.

I really couldn’t care less about having say Columbus Day off.

No, this is the not correct for almost every other professional job.

[Anonymous]

In that case, Teachers are fully entitled to refuse to work those days. The state and federal holidays are a right to all workers and the compensation should reflect workers giving those up for the business to keep running.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think (hope) what comes out of this is a new way of doing school. One that embraces the 21st century and technology and the good parts of DL for kids who have issues that make it necessary. But, at the same time, diversifying school options and really getting creative with school choice so that charters, magnets, longer school days, year round school, vouchers for private and parochial, etc all co-exist, and parents can find accessible educational options that meet their kids’ and they family’s needs.

The great resignation is obvious in the broader world of work. The interesting thing is that the parents who shifted or are shifting jobs to better fit their lives now want their kids education to do the same. Hopefully education keeps up, and in 5-10 years there are many more options beyond traditional public school.

Um, they can't even find enough bus drivers and subs this year. Unless they start offering a hell of a lot more money, this dream of free childcare for parents ain't happening.

Yup. We can’t even get people vaccinated FFS. No way are we capable of making big changes.

Which is why we need charter schools and vouchers and privates. And the per pupil FCPS expenditure being given as vouchers. Free up the money, and options will come.

[Anonymous]

Charter schools don’t necessarily compensate their employees better than public schools so might not attract enough staff.
You will just be excluding kids who can’t afford or don’t have access to transportation to non local schools or have too many after school obligations to be able to travel far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think (hope) what comes out of this is a new way of doing school. One that embraces the 21st century and technology and the good parts of DL for kids who have issues that make it necessary. But, at the same time, diversifying school options and really getting creative with school choice so that charters, magnets, longer school days, year round school, vouchers for private and parochial, etc all co-exist, and parents can find accessible educational options that meet their kids’ and they family’s needs.

The great resignation is obvious in the broader world of work. The interesting thing is that the parents who shifted or are shifting jobs to better fit their lives now want their kids education to do the same. Hopefully education keeps up, and in 5-10 years there are many more options beyond traditional public school.

Um, they can't even find enough bus drivers and subs this year. Unless they start offering a hell of a lot more money, this dream of free childcare for parents ain't happening.

Yup. We can’t even get people vaccinated FFS. No way are we capable of making big changes.

Which is why we need charter schools and vouchers and privates. And the per pupil FCPS expenditure being given as vouchers. Free up the money, and options will come.

If you are relying on the the state’s portion of the per pupil FCPs expenditure, it won’t be much. If privates accept state funding would they have to adhere to the same state regulations as publics? With the whole anti “Parents shouldn’t be able to tell schools what they can teach” campaign, will I then have a say in what private schools are teaching if they are using my tax dollars?

[Anonymous]

For professions outside of teaching, what happens to unused leave? Is it “use it or lose it” and if so, do you try to use up your leave before it is lost?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Charter schools don’t necessarily compensate their employees better than public schools so might not attract enough staff.
You will just be excluding kids who can’t afford or don’t have access to transportation to non local schools or have too many after school obligations to be able to travel far.

So, those kids can chose a different type of school. Which is the point of school choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think (hope) what comes out of this is a new way of doing school. One that embraces the 21st century and technology and the good parts of DL for kids who have issues that make it necessary. But, at the same time, diversifying school options and really getting creative with school choice so that charters, magnets, longer school days, year round school, vouchers for private and parochial, etc all co-exist, and parents can find accessible educational options that meet their kids’ and they family’s needs.

The great resignation is obvious in the broader world of work. The interesting thing is that the parents who shifted or are shifting jobs to better fit their lives now want their kids education to do the same. Hopefully education keeps up, and in 5-10 years there are many more options beyond traditional public school.

Um, they can't even find enough bus drivers and subs this year. Unless they start offering a hell of a lot more money, this dream of free childcare for parents ain't happening.

Yup. We can’t even get people vaccinated FFS. No way are we capable of making big changes.

Which is why we need charter schools and vouchers and privates. And the per pupil FCPS expenditure being given as vouchers. Free up the money, and options will come.

Nope. We aren’t going to destroy public schools just so rich people can subsidize their private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think (hope) what comes out of this is a new way of doing school. One that embraces the 21st century and technology and the good parts of DL for kids who have issues that make it necessary. But, at the same time, diversifying school options and really getting creative with school choice so that charters, magnets, longer school days, year round school, vouchers for private and parochial, etc all co-exist, and parents can find accessible educational options that meet their kids’ and they family’s needs.

The great resignation is obvious in the broader world of work. The interesting thing is that the parents who shifted or are shifting jobs to better fit their lives now want their kids education to do the same. Hopefully education keeps up, and in 5-10 years there are many more options beyond traditional public school.

Um, they can't even find enough bus drivers and subs this year. Unless they start offering a hell of a lot more money, this dream of free childcare for parents ain't happening.

Yup. We can’t even get people vaccinated FFS. No way are we capable of making big changes.

Which is why we need charter schools and vouchers and privates. And the per pupil FCPS expenditure being given as vouchers. Free up the money, and options will come.

If you are relying on the the state’s portion of the per pupil FCPs expenditure, it won’t be much. If privates accept state funding would they have to adhere to the same state regulations as publics? With the whole anti “Parents shouldn’t be able to tell schools what they can teach” campaign, will I then have a say in what private schools are teaching if they are using my tax dollars?

State, plus Fairfax Co. $$$. About $12k. Seem fantastical? Money following kids has passed in several states and localities this year. If you think we aren’t going to end up with a far right SB in 2023, you are delusional. There is no primary for SB. Dem party will put the current SB members back up. 75% lose to whatever RWNJ Rs run.

And no. The point of school choice is that if you don’t like what a private or charter teaches, you can take you money and go elsewhere. Your kid isn’t being harmed. And why do you care what kids learn in a charter school your kids don’t attend? Take your money and go the t School of the Bible.

[Anonymous]

Will the private schools who accept tax funded vouchers remove all their entrance criteria and be open enrolment so that they, like public school, give EVERY child equal right to an education? Will the full fee paying parents then accept their kid sharing the classroom with someone with severe behavioural problems or can’t speak a work of English?

What can go wrong with that ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think (hope) what comes out of this is a new way of doing school. One that embraces the 21st century and technology and the good parts of DL for kids who have issues that make it necessary. But, at the same time, diversifying school options and really getting creative with school choice so that charters, magnets, longer school days, year round school, vouchers for private and parochial, etc all co-exist, and parents can find accessible educational options that meet their kids’ and they family’s needs.

The great resignation is obvious in the broader world of work. The interesting thing is that the parents who shifted or are shifting jobs to better fit their lives now want their kids education to do the same. Hopefully education keeps up, and in 5-10 years there are many more options beyond traditional public school.

Um, they can't even find enough bus drivers and subs this year. Unless they start offering a hell of a lot more money, this dream of free childcare for parents ain't happening.

Yup. We can’t even get people vaccinated FFS. No way are we capable of making big changes.

Which is why we need charter schools and vouchers and privates. And the per pupil FCPS expenditure being given as vouchers. Free up the money, and options will come.

Nope. We aren’t going to destroy public schools just so rich people can subsidize their private schools.

Public schools have lost the faith of the community. Talk to the SB and the unions. If a significant % parents don’t trust or support public schools, there is the political will for something else. If FCPS had real competition, they would have opened last year.

Youngkin promised charters and is talking to parent groups in NOVA about vouchers. And the exit polls and focus groups have been clear—- he won on parent anger over school closures and teachers being prioritized over parents and kids. He won. A significant piece of NOVA wants this. Youngkin wants to deliver and challenge Warner or Kaine. He’ll deliver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will the private schools who accept tax funded vouchers remove all their entrance criteria and be open enrolment so that they, like public school, give EVERY child equal right to an education? Will the full fee paying parents then accept their kid sharing the classroom with someone with severe behavioural problems or can’t speak a work of English?

What can go wrong with that ?

Nope. Those kids will end up left in public or with parents paying a premium for school with real services. Which is sad for FCPS. But honestly, it’s too large and too broken and all the teachers are quitting anyway (or so I’m told). . We need some innovation and private partners willing to reimagine what school can be.