APS concurrent for grades 3-5

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to AEM, Glebe is also planning concurrent for 2nd graders. I'm not sure if other elementary schools are considering expanding concurrent to even lower grades.

The Glebe principal is considering concurrent for 2nd grade. But no final decision yet as of the PTA meeting last week.

[Anonymous]

We'd have 20% more in person capacity if teachers went back to teaching 5 days a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. Color me confused, but, how does this line up with the teachers receiving vaccinations? Wasn't ahem, the point of that, so they could safely return to the classroom? Why now this latest concurrent pivot? My ten months of COVID brain is tired. So, apologies if I am missing the obvious, but, I thought that the vaccine prioritization would theoretically help to smooth over the safety in the classroom for teachers concerns............

We don't have enough teachers to cover both virtual and in person because you can only have a certain amount of kids in the building at a time. Nothing to do with vacc.

Can't they adjust and have kids 3 feet apart (wearing masks) instead of 6 feet apart and then have kids there 4 days a week? For kids doing DL they could be taught separately by teachers who are not coming back in person. Or at least buy some cameras/tripods and let the teacher move around while the aide monitors Qs from the kids who are still at home. The current plan sounds like a disaster. And if they couldn't hire enough aides, they should pay them more -- that typically fixes that type of problem.

For those of us that don’t have the luxury of choosing hybrid bc of family member medical conditions, I’m sure We would be thrilled if hybrid/open schools now parents would be willing to take that risk. That being said, I 💯 percent understand if they wouldn’t want to. With the new variant, cases surging and lunch is inside classroom, no way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. Color me confused, but, how does this line up with the teachers receiving vaccinations? Wasn't ahem, the point of that, so they could safely return to the classroom? Why now this latest concurrent pivot? My ten months of COVID brain is tired. So, apologies if I am missing the obvious, but, I thought that the vaccine prioritization would theoretically help to smooth over the safety in the classroom for teachers concerns............

We don't have enough teachers to cover both virtual and in person because you can only have a certain amount of kids in the building at a time. Nothing to do with vacc.

Can't they adjust and have kids 3 feet apart (wearing masks) instead of 6 feet apart and then have kids there 4 days a week? /quote]

The novel coronavirus and it's mutated, more transmissible strain that will be here soon have conferred on this and said they can't reduce the size of the social distancing that has been deemed effective.

I found there op-ed by an expert on healthy buildings to be helpful. There is nothing magical about 6 feet. Also teachers will be vaccinated and kids are not at high risk of COVID.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/12/three-feet-social-distancing-schools-coronavirus/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/12/three-feet-social-distancing-schools-coronavirus/

[Anonymous]

For classes that can't be spaced at 6' distance, you can safely increase the class size by increasing ventilation and using HEPA filters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For classes that can't be spaced at 6' distance, you can safely increase the class size by increasing ventilation and using HEPA filters.

Yes this. I'd like to see the rooms packed with air filters. Granted they are loud so you may need to mic up the teachers, which could actually benefit the DL kids too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OPEN SCHOOLS NOW!

*monkey paw curls*

Lolllol! This, exactly!

[Anonymous]

In the concurrent model, families that chose hybrid that really didn’t intend on sending their kids (if cases were this high) are able to keep them home Since their teacher will be available online to them every day. The same parents have ability to then to send their kids and whenever they feel it is safer since they already taken a “spot” in hybrid. MS parents had already wised up to this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the concurrent model, families that chose hybrid that really didn’t intend on sending their kids (if cases were this high) are able to keep them home Since their teacher will be available online to them every day. The same parents have ability to then to send their kids and whenever they feel it is safer since they already taken a “spot” in hybrid. MS parents had already wised up to this.

I guess that is a plus, but the question is what are we sending them back to? It sounds worse than the status quo (which is not good).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok. Color me confused, but, how does this line up with the teachers receiving vaccinations? Wasn't ahem, the point of that, so they could safely return to the classroom? Why now this latest concurrent pivot? My ten months of COVID brain is tired. So, apologies if I am missing the obvious, but, I thought that the vaccine prioritization would theoretically help to smooth over the safety in the classroom for teachers concerns............

It gets the teachers back in, but the hybrid/virtual option still exists for kids and they've decided not to re-divide them into hybrid and virtual homerooms but to put all kids together.

It's a non-starter to just have an aide "monitor for questions". That's exactly the way to marginalize kids not in the room rather than having a single integrated class of kids.

[Anonymous]

LOL at your suggestions to pay assistants more to get more hired or give teachers microphones etc. THERES NO MONEY for any of this. Not enough HEPA filtration either.

[Anonymous]

I feel like this model may allow for more teacher exceptions to work virtually as there could be assistants and extended day staff in the classrooms to monitor the hybrid learners. There is no reason to now force the teachers back into the classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like this model may allow for more teacher exceptions to work virtually as there could be assistants and extended day staff in the classrooms to monitor the hybrid learners. There is no reason to now force the teachers back into the classrooms.

So we care about teachers but don’t give two 💩about the assistants or extend a day staff? Oh my.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like this model may allow for more teacher exceptions to work virtually as there could be assistants and extended day staff in the classrooms to monitor the hybrid learners. There is no reason to now force the teachers back into the classrooms.

OMG .. seriously? This is obviously a teacher who wants to remain remote.

[Anonymous]

There are many many fewer people authorized virtual. I am an APS teacher and many educators are discussing this on our private discussion group. Not a single person so far has said they were authorized this time around. No one who is pregnant, breastfeeding, has an at risk family member in their home.