How can kids go 5 days in the fall when school can’t allow 4 days a week now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

I did some part time virtual teaching this year. I wAnt to be back in the classroom next year. But this is giving me pause. I’m a little nervous to apply for jobs and then find concurrent to be happening. Wondering if other people feel the same.

Brabrand needs to come out and say FOR SURE that there will be no concurrent. That was a temporary solution many schools used but not sustainable for regular education.

A teacher friend of mine in Fairfax said Brabrand said it will be concurrent. The hope apparently is if the choice for virtual is concurrent fewer families will pick it. My friend is freaking out because they don’t know if they can do concurrent again. Hoping the board overrides if that’s indeed the plan. It is not ok to do concurrent for another year. Teachers nor parents think so.

They aren’t letting just anyone pick virtual. It will be based on medical need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

I did some part time virtual teaching this year. I wAnt to be back in the classroom next year. But this is giving me pause. I’m a little nervous to apply for jobs and then find concurrent to be happening. Wondering if other people feel the same.

Brabrand needs to come out and say FOR SURE that there will be no concurrent. That was a temporary solution many schools used but not sustainable for regular education.

A teacher friend of mine in Fairfax said Brabrand said it will be concurrent. The hope apparently is if the choice for virtual is concurrent fewer families will pick it. My friend is freaking out because they don’t know if they can do concurrent again. Hoping the board overrides if that’s indeed the plan. It is not ok to do concurrent for another year. Teachers nor parents think so.

He can't say no to it all together. They do t have enough plannedbfor the fall to eliminate it completely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

I did some part time virtual teaching this year. I wAnt to be back in the classroom next year. But this is giving me pause. I’m a little nervous to apply for jobs and then find concurrent to be happening. Wondering if other people feel the same.

Brabrand needs to come out and say FOR SURE that there will be no concurrent. That was a temporary solution many schools used but not sustainable for regular education.

A teacher friend of mine in Fairfax said Brabrand said it will be concurrent. The hope apparently is if the choice for virtual is concurrent fewer families will pick it. My friend is freaking out because they don’t know if they can do concurrent again. Hoping the board overrides if that’s indeed the plan. It is not ok to do concurrent for another year. Teachers nor parents think so.

They aren’t letting just anyone pick virtual. It will be based on medical need.

That’s obviously ideal but with 188k students it could still be a sizable enough number that Brabrand doesn’t seem to think it will be possible for virtual students to be run separately from the in person classes. Only sharing what my friend did, hopefully it changes. Because a year of concurrent with maybe only 2-3 kids online you’re trying to juggle with a full on person class is a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

I did some part time virtual teaching this year. I wAnt to be back in the classroom next year. But this is giving me pause. I’m a little nervous to apply for jobs and then find concurrent to be happening. Wondering if other people feel the same.

Brabrand needs to come out and say FOR SURE that there will be no concurrent. That was a temporary solution many schools used but not sustainable for regular education.

A teacher friend of mine in Fairfax said Brabrand said it will be concurrent. The hope apparently is if the choice for virtual is concurrent fewer families will pick it. My friend is freaking out because they don’t know if they can do concurrent again. Hoping the board overrides if that’s indeed the plan. It is not ok to do concurrent for another year. Teachers nor parents think so.

He can't say no to it all together. They do t have enough plannedbfor the fall to eliminate it completely.

I’m saying this as a teacher and a parent, every single resource needs to be going to the plan that ensures concurrent doesn’t have to happen. It is not effective. It isn’t sustainable. And when MOST kids are in person and only a couple are at home but we have to teach them too, they will be forgotten and left behind. It isn’t possible to balance 20+ in person kids’ needs and supervision AND equitably teach a few on the device. It NEEDS to be separate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

I did some part time virtual teaching this year. I wAnt to be back in the classroom next year. But this is giving me pause. I’m a little nervous to apply for jobs and then find concurrent to be happening. Wondering if other people feel the same.

Brabrand needs to come out and say FOR SURE that there will be no concurrent. That was a temporary solution many schools used but not sustainable for regular education.

A teacher friend of mine in Fairfax said Brabrand said it will be concurrent. The hope apparently is if the choice for virtual is concurrent fewer families will pick it. My friend is freaking out because they don’t know if they can do concurrent again. Hoping the board overrides if that’s indeed the plan. It is not ok to do concurrent for another year. Teachers nor parents think so.

He can't say no to it all together. They do t have enough plannedbfor the fall to eliminate it completely.

I’m saying this as a teacher and a parent, every single resource needs to be going to the plan that ensures concurrent doesn’t have to happen. It is not effective. It isn’t sustainable. And when MOST kids are in person and only a couple are at home but we have to teach them too, they will be forgotten and left behind. It isn’t possible to balance 20+ in person kids’ needs and supervision AND equitably teach a few on the device. It NEEDS to be separate.

I agree, but they haven't surveyed the families or asked for documentation. We have no idea how large or small the group will be.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know why concurrent would be needed. FCPS has 180,000 students. If 10% of them choose online, that’s 18k students. If even 5% choose online that’s 9k! Those are both bigger amounts of students than many districts in states that divide their districts by town instead of by county (common in the northeast and upper Midwest/Great Lakes states). It seems like they could give those students dedicated online teachers and still offer most AP/honors/advanced classes, though some of the language immersion options for elementary might not be possible. For context the district where I grew up has around 5500 students total in preK-12 and we had most of the common AP classes available and a few career and technical classes as well.

Why can’t they just ask for a full year commitment for 100% online students and teachers and do the same stuff they were doing this year? That way no one has to teach concurrent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

Are you a teacher?

+1

ES Teacher

I’m not pp, I teach 5th and I’ve already told my principal I’m quitting if they make us teach concurrently next year. I’ve been teaching for 15 years and this set up is totally inappropriate and not effective for virtual or in person students.

PP here. At my school I know of three teachers who are done after this year, largely because this year and the uncertainty of the next. One is eligible for retirement. I think she would have kept teaching but her decision is now made. The other two are younger. I’d guess one maybe has 6 or 7 years in and the other a bit less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I understood it, the rationale for two days instead of four was to allow smaller class sizes and 6ft of distancing, which is no longer needed.

The rationale for four days instead of five was to have a planning day because the combination of virtual and in person, ie concurrent learning, required some logistics and planning that were a larger lift than normal.

So, as long as there is no virtual at all next year (OR virtual is segregated out completely, and there's like a district wide virtual option with totally different teachers for high-risk students only), then you should be fine with five days.

This is all true as long as the CDC drops the 6 foot distancing guidance for any time masks are down (breakfast, lunch, ES snack). If they don't, there are OF COURSE a million creative solutions to deal with it. Unfortunately many FCPS schools have already said they cannot deal with it and are keeping classes at 6 feet.

If the CDC/VDH don't change that, what do you expect to happen for fall?

If CDC/VDH drop the 6 ft distancing guidance for any time when masks are down in the building, then they would no longer be following the science. The link below contains the exhibit that the guest pediatrician during the town hall (the president of the Virginia Chapter of the AAP) used to show transmission at 1 ft, 3 ft, and 6 ft. You will need to scroll down -- the exhibit is labeled, "Exposure Risk Based on Masking and Distancing."

https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-research-confirms-critical-role-of-masks-in-preventing-covid-19-infection/

PP here. I've sent that graphic to the SB many times. I see the transmission possibility at 3' is greater than at 6' with everyone unmasked. I question, however, if that graphic is intended to represent the general adult population or the general youth population. Halve the percentages for kids and 3/4 them for adolescents if I read Tracy Hoeg (author the CDC Wisconsin study) right on this. For ES, at least, I think a 3' spacing at lunch still "follows the science." YMMV what you think about MS/HS.

Even IF you think they need 6' at lunch in fall, FCPS has to have a plan to handle that, right?

Thank you PP for pointing this out to me! If what you're saying is true, then it sounds like the science is there for 3 ft spacing during lunch at least for elementary.

What I hope FCPS will do is start planning for 5 days of in-person learning in the fall with 3 feet at all times because the science is not there for 18 inches. They should start planning for a 5 day virtual option as well (because not everyone who wants this option is high risk, but they will still need families to choose this option).

I have talked to leadership. That is not what they are planning. They claim they cannot stand up the 5 day full virtual option for 21-22. It will be limited concurrent.

We're already doing concurrent, and we would be happy to continue this model until kids under 12 are vaccinated. Like the father who called into the town hall on Wednesday, we're not being given the choice.

Oh gosh.

They cannot listen to fear monger8ng science deniers who want this horrible virtual concurrent crap to continue.

You people need to all switch to virtual Virginia next year.

Or homeschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is virtual Virginia for students that can’t go into the classroom. That’s what the rest of Virginia is doing.

What if you can't afford full time enrollment at Virtual Virginia (FCPS does not cover full time enrollment)? It's $5,500 per student. "Public education" at private parochial school cost.

All of us parents need to work together to make 5 days a week of "public education" happen for all students next year (in person and virtual).

Fcps needs to remove virtual students from any discussion of next year.

ALSO

Fcps needs to make in person school attendance a requirement for sports and activity participation.

There is no escuse what happened this year, where droves of kids switched to staying home because of sports.

If you cannot be at in person school, then you cannot do sports. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

I did some part time virtual teaching this year. I wAnt to be back in the classroom next year. But this is giving me pause. I’m a little nervous to apply for jobs and then find concurrent to be happening. Wondering if other people feel the same.

Brabrand needs to come out and say FOR SURE that there will be no concurrent. That was a temporary solution many schools used but not sustainable for regular education.

A teacher friend of mine in Fairfax said Brabrand said it will be concurrent. The hope apparently is if the choice for virtual is concurrent fewer families will pick it. My friend is freaking out because they don’t know if they can do concurrent again. Hoping the board overrides if that’s indeed the plan. It is not ok to do concurrent for another year. Teachers nor parents think so.

They aren’t letting just anyone pick virtual. It will be based on medical need.

That’s obviously ideal but with 188k students it could still be a sizable enough number that Brabrand doesn’t seem to think it will be possible for virtual students to be run separately from the in person classes. Only sharing what my friend did, hopefully it changes. Because a year of concurrent with maybe only 2-3 kids online you’re trying to juggle with a full on person class is a nightmare.

If fcps won't do virtual VA, then they need to disenroll all of the virtual holdout families from their zoned elementary school, and put them in mixed classes from kods around the entire district.

So 5th graders from a dozen or so elementary schools could be compined into an online class of 30 or so students, onljne with a random teacher not necessarily from their base school.

Everyone else is in person at their zoned school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

I did some part time virtual teaching this year. I wAnt to be back in the classroom next year. But this is giving me pause. I’m a little nervous to apply for jobs and then find concurrent to be happening. Wondering if other people feel the same.

Brabrand needs to come out and say FOR SURE that there will be no concurrent. That was a temporary solution many schools used but not sustainable for regular education.

A teacher friend of mine in Fairfax said Brabrand said it will be concurrent. The hope apparently is if the choice for virtual is concurrent fewer families will pick it. My friend is freaking out because they don’t know if they can do concurrent again. Hoping the board overrides if that’s indeed the plan. It is not ok to do concurrent for another year. Teachers nor parents think so.

He can't say no to it all together. They do t have enough plannedbfor the fall to eliminate it completely.

I’m saying this as a teacher and a parent, every single resource needs to be going to the plan that ensures concurrent doesn’t have to happen. It is not effective. It isn’t sustainable. And when MOST kids are in person and only a couple are at home but we have to teach them too, they will be forgotten and left behind. It isn’t possible to balance 20+ in person kids’ needs and supervision AND equitably teach a few on the device. It NEEDS to be separate.

I agree, but they haven't surveyed the families or asked for documentation. We have no idea how large or small the group will be.

The virtual group will be small, very small next year.

Tye only reason it ended up this size was the idotic 2 day and concurrent model with vaccinated teachers phoning it in from home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

I did some part time virtual teaching this year. I wAnt to be back in the classroom next year. But this is giving me pause. I’m a little nervous to apply for jobs and then find concurrent to be happening. Wondering if other people feel the same.

Brabrand needs to come out and say FOR SURE that there will be no concurrent. That was a temporary solution many schools used but not sustainable for regular education.

A teacher friend of mine in Fairfax said Brabrand said it will be concurrent. The hope apparently is if the choice for virtual is concurrent fewer families will pick it. My friend is freaking out because they don’t know if they can do concurrent again. Hoping the board overrides if that’s indeed the plan. It is not ok to do concurrent for another year. Teachers nor parents think so.

They aren’t letting just anyone pick virtual. It will be based on medical need.

I would be shocked if they can find enough people to teach concurrently next year. I'm in several FB groups and the consensus is that those of us who had to do concurrent this year would never, ever do it again. This is especially true at the lower elementary levels and across all types of special ed.

[Anonymous]

Vaccinations, that’s how.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

I did some part time virtual teaching this year. I wAnt to be back in the classroom next year. But this is giving me pause. I’m a little nervous to apply for jobs and then find concurrent to be happening. Wondering if other people feel the same.

Brabrand needs to come out and say FOR SURE that there will be no concurrent. That was a temporary solution many schools used but not sustainable for regular education.

A teacher friend of mine in Fairfax said Brabrand said it will be concurrent. The hope apparently is if the choice for virtual is concurrent fewer families will pick it. My friend is freaking out because they don’t know if they can do concurrent again. Hoping the board overrides if that’s indeed the plan. It is not ok to do concurrent for another year. Teachers nor parents think so.

Jesus, I just don’t know if I can do it. They will definitely need to keep to a 4 day schedule if it’s concurrent. I feel like I have been hit by a truck come Friday afternoon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been chill this year because this is a new and fluid situation. I will lose my shit next year if they do concurrent. There is no reason for it. Use Virtual Virginia or home school. Adults and teenagers will be vaccinated. There is no reason to not send kids to school.

No concurrent. Just no. Nope. Nope. Nope.

Are you a teacher?

+1

ES Teacher

I’m not pp, I teach 5th and I’ve already told my principal I’m quitting if they make us teach concurrently next year. I’ve been teaching for 15 years and this set up is totally inappropriate and not effective for virtual or in person students.

It is exhausting and ineffective. I hate it.