APS Thursday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 10 yo just woke up and is so pissed off about today’s snow day. She really dislikes virtual learning, and is frustrated that the next time we get snow, she will be sitting in her room doing virtual school instead of playing in the snow.

Tell her the alternative is to go into the summer. Mine was fine with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look, this was probably the wrong call today- they should have done a 2 hour delay and reassessed in the morning but APS isn’t an outlier here- everyone is closed- even FCC. This is a case where the forecast didn’t match what actually happened- which is part of meteorology…

Maybe you guys should just lynch the weatherman?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Exactly. And if their childcare falls through then they get a taxpayer paid day off while the rest of us burn leave or scramble to find alternative arrangements.



What you are failing to see is that APS is reacting to teachers using their leave as needed. You can’t compare your office drone job that can go on with or without you for a day. If you aren’t there and take a day of leave your company can still operate without you. It’s not APS school staff fault that teachers are using their earned leave for childcare when other districts close which then puts APS in a bind and unable to operate because they can’t operate with less than a certain number of staff to supervise kids. Then APS has to make a decision on if they can operate.

And we can’t act like decisions of other counties, especially one as large as FCPS with over 180,000 students, won’t impact APS which is tiny comparatively. A large portion of APS staff lives in Fairfax and Alexandria.



+1

Clueless complainers complaining again…



What if pilots, nurses, doctors, EMTs, police, garbage collectors used their leave as needed en masse every time they had a childcare hiccup?

Teachers just don’t view themselves as essential and don’t act like they are. And they make more money than most of the professions listed above. So it’s not that. It’s just how they are treated and think of themselves.



Have you flown lately? Flights are getting cancelled left and right because the airline staff are taking sick leave. Hello?!



Different situation. Follow along. Post was about teachers calling out sick due to childcare created by surrounding districts not opening.

Wrong. The problem is that there are no subs this year. That's because people like you won't come into the schools this year to sub. That's why this year is different. If you don't like it, sign up to be a sub. YOU need to follow along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, this was probably the wrong call today- they should have done a 2 hour delay and reassessed in the morning but APS isn’t an outlier here- everyone is closed- even FCC. This is a case where the forecast didn’t match what actually happened- which is part of meteorology…

Which is why the deadline for making the announcement is 5 am day-of, not 5 pm the night before.

I know- I’ve been in APS since Smith was superintendent. We used to regularly get the call at 5 am and I know that was tough for parents and there was a lot of feedback that families needed more time to prepare for childcare for snow days. So they started trying to make the calls earlier which results in situations like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, this was probably the wrong call today- they should have done a 2 hour delay and reassessed in the morning but APS isn’t an outlier here- everyone is closed- even FCC. This is a case where the forecast didn’t match what actually happened- which is part of meteorology…

Maybe you guys should just lynch the weatherman?

Exactly. Get out your pitchforks, entitled bro dads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Exactly. And if their childcare falls through then they get a taxpayer paid day off while the rest of us burn leave or scramble to find alternative arrangements.

What you are failing to see is that APS is reacting to teachers using their leave as needed. You can’t compare your office drone job that can go on with or without you for a day. If you aren’t there and take a day of leave your company can still operate without you. It’s not APS school staff fault that teachers are using their earned leave for childcare when other districts close which then puts APS in a bind and unable to operate because they can’t operate with less than a certain number of staff to supervise kids. Then APS has to make a decision on if they can operate.

And we can’t act like decisions of other counties, especially one as large as FCPS with over 180,000 students, won’t impact APS which is tiny comparatively. A large portion of APS staff lives in Fairfax and Alexandria.

If you run a public service that must be staffed (which I do, not a school) it is common and understood that the service stays open and not all leave requests get approved. Staff know there has to be coverage for them to have leave approved. Sure they could, on a day like this, lie and call in sick. But when you set the expectations and culture that not all leave requests will be approved, the public service is going to open, your colleagues are showing up and if you don’t you’re leaving them in a lurch… people behave differently and somehow manage to figure it out.

Do you think hospitals, doctor’s offices, libraries, grocery stores, or anything much else will be closed today? No. People who are supposed to work will figure it out.

This. There is now an expectation that if enough of them call out they’ll get the paid snow day. What incentive is there for them to pay for snow day camps, backup sitters, ask their spouse to take off, etc.? We act as if it’s impossible for APS to do what many other organizations do. And don’t just disregard “complainers” as being in the office working class and not understanding. Do you think hourly workers have the luxury of just calling out and not losing their jobs? Somehow grocery stores will manage to stay staffed. Essential workers have to figure out a way to go in.

APS has now created a certain culture of catering to leave requests that could be hard to overcome. We weren’t bound to larger jurisdictions like Fairfax and Loudoun when it came to reopening schools more days last year, but now we are tying our decisions to them when they close.

I guess y’all don’t go to the library much. Not big readers, I take it?

https://library.arlingtonva.us/2022/01/17/operations-update-covid-19-related-staffing-shortages/

The stuff you’re talking about is nonsense. For years and years and years APS has been fully operational during weather events when other districts have not been. In every industry, you have folks that must use their leave to care for their children at some time or another. APS is no different. However, in the middle of a pandemic, things happen, and that closure, that once, did affect their ability of operate that Thursday. You guys are going to believe what you want to, but this stuff about teachers not wanting to come to work is just not true. Flights have been cancelled. Supply chains broken down. But God forbid your children’s teachers should get a pass.

Why would you post that announcement from Arlington Public Library? What point are you making?

We all know there are covid-related staffing issues. We all know that on top of those covid-related staffing issues, if more staff take off due to childcare when a neighbor district is closing, this is now apparently going to tip the scales and we will close too. The point some people are trying to make is to check the underlying assumption that childcare issues on a weather day are an automatic pass for all the teachers. When this is not generally the case in any other industry.

By the way, except for those two locations. Arlington's libraries are open today business as usual. Do you think some of those library staff have school aged children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, this was probably the wrong call today- they should have done a 2 hour delay and reassessed in the morning but APS isn’t an outlier here- everyone is closed- even FCC. This is a case where the forecast didn’t match what actually happened- which is part of meteorology…

Maybe you guys should just lynch the weatherman?

I’m not advocating for the lynching of anyone- this is a bad call and no one, Duran, teachers, meteorologists, no one deserves to be lynched- mistakes happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Exactly. And if their childcare falls through then they get a taxpayer paid day off while the rest of us burn leave or scramble to find alternative arrangements.



What you are failing to see is that APS is reacting to teachers using their leave as needed. You can’t compare your office drone job that can go on with or without you for a day. If you aren’t there and take a day of leave your company can still operate without you. It’s not APS school staff fault that teachers are using their earned leave for childcare when other districts close which then puts APS in a bind and unable to operate because they can’t operate with less than a certain number of staff to supervise kids. Then APS has to make a decision on if they can operate.

And we can’t act like decisions of other counties, especially one as large as FCPS with over 180,000 students, won’t impact APS which is tiny comparatively. A large portion of APS staff lives in Fairfax and Alexandria.



+1

Clueless complainers complaining again…



What if pilots, nurses, doctors, EMTs, police, garbage collectors used their leave as needed en masse every time they had a childcare hiccup?

Teachers just don’t view themselves as essential and don’t act like they are. And they make more money than most of the professions listed above. So it’s not that. It’s just how they are treated and think of themselves.



Have you flown lately? Flights are getting cancelled left and right because the airline staff are taking sick leave. Hello?!



Different situation. Follow along. Post was about teachers calling out sick due to childcare created by surrounding districts not opening.

Wrong. The problem is that there are no subs this year. That's because people like you won't come into the schools this year to sub. That's why this year is different. If you don't like it, sign up to be a sub. YOU need to follow along.

I'm off to my full-time in-person job where things are still open today and I'm expected to show up. I just looked out my window to assess my drive and it looks fine. All systems go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, this was probably the wrong call today- they should have done a 2 hour delay and reassessed in the morning but APS isn’t an outlier here- everyone is closed- even FCC. This is a case where the forecast didn’t match what actually happened- which is part of meteorology…

Which is why the deadline for making the announcement is 5 am day-of, not 5 pm the night before.

I know- I’ve been in APS since Smith was superintendent. We used to regularly get the call at 5 am and I know that was tough for parents and there was a lot of feedback that families needed more time to prepare for childcare for snow days. So they started trying to make the calls earlier which results in situations like this.

This goes back to the poor planning comment. Parents don’t actually need the announcement the night before to make a contingency plan, they can do it based on the expectation that there could be a snow day the next day. Too many people don’t want to take responsibility for advanced planning and then whine and complain when their failure to take responsibility for making a back up plan for a known risk comes back to bite them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Exactly. And if their childcare falls through then they get a taxpayer paid day off while the rest of us burn leave or scramble to find alternative arrangements.

What you are failing to see is that APS is reacting to teachers using their leave as needed. You can’t compare your office drone job that can go on with or without you for a day. If you aren’t there and take a day of leave your company can still operate without you. It’s not APS school staff fault that teachers are using their earned leave for childcare when other districts close which then puts APS in a bind and unable to operate because they can’t operate with less than a certain number of staff to supervise kids. Then APS has to make a decision on if they can operate.

And we can’t act like decisions of other counties, especially one as large as FCPS with over 180,000 students, won’t impact APS which is tiny comparatively. A large portion of APS staff lives in Fairfax and Alexandria.

If you run a public service that must be staffed (which I do, not a school) it is common and understood that the service stays open and not all leave requests get approved. Staff know there has to be coverage for them to have leave approved. Sure they could, on a day like this, lie and call in sick. But when you set the expectations and culture that not all leave requests will be approved, the public service is going to open, your colleagues are showing up and if you don’t you’re leaving them in a lurch… people behave differently and somehow manage to figure it out.

Do you think hospitals, doctor’s offices, libraries, grocery stores, or anything much else will be closed today? No. People who are supposed to work will figure it out.

This. There is now an expectation that if enough of them call out they’ll get the paid snow day. What incentive is there for them to pay for snow day camps, backup sitters, ask their spouse to take off, etc.? We act as if it’s impossible for APS to do what many other organizations do. And don’t just disregard “complainers” as being in the office working class and not understanding. Do you think hourly workers have the luxury of just calling out and not losing their jobs? Somehow grocery stores will manage to stay staffed. Essential workers have to figure out a way to go in.

APS has now created a certain culture of catering to leave requests that could be hard to overcome. We weren’t bound to larger jurisdictions like Fairfax and Loudoun when it came to reopening schools more days last year, but now we are tying our decisions to them when they close.

I guess y’all don’t go to the library much. Not big readers, I take it?

https://library.arlingtonva.us/2022/01/17/operations-update-covid-19-related-staffing-shortages/

The stuff you’re talking about is nonsense. For years and years and years APS has been fully operational during weather events when other districts have not been. In every industry, you have folks that must use their leave to care for their children at some time or another. APS is no different. However, in the middle of a pandemic, things happen, and that closure, that once, did affect their ability of operate that Thursday. You guys are going to believe what you want to, but this stuff about teachers not wanting to come to work is just not true. Flights have been cancelled. Supply chains broken down. But God forbid your children’s teachers should get a pass.

Why would you post that announcement from Arlington Public Library? What point are you making?

We all know there are covid-related staffing issues. We all know that on top of those covid-related staffing issues, if more staff take off due to childcare when a neighbor district is closing, this is now apparently going to tip the scales and we will close too. The point some people are trying to make is to check the underlying assumption that childcare issues on a weather day are an automatic pass for all the teachers. When this is not generally the case in any other industry.

By the way, except for those two locations. Arlington's libraries are open today business as usual. Do you think some of those library staff have school aged children?

You post about libraries being open, but don’t like it when confronted with the reality that they, too, are short-staffed. I’m sure some of them are caring for children. “Only 2” of 10… so 80%? How does that play out in a school environment, do you think? There is a point where I believe it becomes a safety issue, don’t you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, this was probably the wrong call today- they should have done a 2 hour delay and reassessed in the morning but APS isn’t an outlier here- everyone is closed- even FCC. This is a case where the forecast didn’t match what actually happened- which is part of meteorology…

Maybe you guys should just lynch the weatherman?

Yup. They clearly need a scapegoat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, this was probably the wrong call today- they should have done a 2 hour delay and reassessed in the morning but APS isn’t an outlier here- everyone is closed- even FCC. This is a case where the forecast didn’t match what actually happened- which is part of meteorology…

Maybe you guys should just lynch the weatherman?

I’m not advocating for the lynching of anyone- this is a bad call and no one, Duran, teachers, meteorologists, no one deserves to be lynched- mistakes happen.

I know. 🙂

I’m poking fun at these other people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, this was probably the wrong call today- they should have done a 2 hour delay and reassessed in the morning but APS isn’t an outlier here- everyone is closed- even FCC. This is a case where the forecast didn’t match what actually happened- which is part of meteorology…

Maybe you guys should just lynch the weatherman?

I’m not advocating for the lynching of anyone- this is a bad call and no one, Duran, teachers, meteorologists, no one deserves to be lynched- mistakes happen.

It wasn’t a bad call. It was the right call with the info they had at the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, this was probably the wrong call today- they should have done a 2 hour delay and reassessed in the morning but APS isn’t an outlier here- everyone is closed- even FCC. This is a case where the forecast didn’t match what actually happened- which is part of meteorology…

Which is why the deadline for making the announcement is 5 am day-of, not 5 pm the night before.

I know- I’ve been in APS since Smith was superintendent. We used to regularly get the call at 5 am and I know that was tough for parents and there was a lot of feedback that families needed more time to prepare for childcare for snow days. So they started trying to make the calls earlier which results in situations like this.

This goes back to the poor planning comment. Parents don’t actually need the announcement the night before to make a contingency plan, they can do it based on the expectation that there could be a snow day the next day. Too many people don’t want to take responsibility for advanced planning and then whine and complain when their failure to take responsibility for making a back up plan for a known risk comes back to bite them.

And moreover, while a bad call like to us might be no big deal for a family with a SAHP or a nanny, for people who have to take time off work to stay home with their kids and have limited (or no) PTO, a wasted snow day like this is a big burden. But sure, let’s continue to coddle everyone else at the expense of people least able to accommodate these bad calls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, this was probably the wrong call today- they should have done a 2 hour delay and reassessed in the morning but APS isn’t an outlier here- everyone is closed- even FCC. This is a case where the forecast didn’t match what actually happened- which is part of meteorology…

Maybe you guys should just lynch the weatherman?

I’m not advocating for the lynching of anyone- this is a bad call and no one, Duran, teachers, meteorologists, no one deserves to be lynched- mistakes happen.

It wasn’t a bad call. It was the right call with the info they had at the time.

It was a bad call because it was made prematurely based on highly uncertain information.