APS School Board meeting last night - who watched?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Our monitors are all extended day staff. We will need them back working their regular hours. There will be no shifts. Mary and Miranda’s platforms are both obsolete now.

Miranda’s platform was obsolete the minute it was clear five days per week would happen in the fall. Mary’s was never about opening schools or not. Look at her webpage from day 1 - she was and is focused on all the other issues facing APS and our students. She addressed the school closing/opening issue eventually, but wasn’t campaigning on it because it’s moot by the time Jan 1 2022 rolls around. By contrast, Miranda had nothing else in her quiver when this all started. She has no track record of engaging in APS or APS issues, and pulled her child from the system went she wasn’t happy. This is not a candidate invested in the long term of APS. Despite ALL CAPS screaming by some on AEM, the caucus is not a referendum on opening schools.

From my perspective, I do view the caucus as a referendum on the school board and APS. The school board sat on the side lines while APS decided to not teach any new material last spring. And they refuse to add more days now even for K-2 and level 1 kids. And they ahve allowed ipad/screens to be used in the classroom in inappropriate ways. I do think electing Miranda would send shock waves through APS , and the County quite frankly. We need a different perspective on the School Board. We are not served well by having all like-minded members on the board. And if they aren't like minded, I surely can't tell that since they don't vote.

YES YES YES!!!! Exactly.We need someone who will challenge them and hold them more accountable. So much has gone wrong with APS this past year. yes, we were in a pandemic but they just sat back and took the laziest and easiest approach to get through it.. At our kids' expense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG. STILL handwringing over RTS?

5 days in the fall. Done.

Time to move TF on.

I'm entirely resigned, I promise, but it's obtuse to fail to recognize how much APS has undermined collective trust over the last year. Hybrid option for the fall? Nope! Trauma-informed teaching? Nope! Concurrent teaching limited to only high school kids? Nope! 1:1 interventions for kids who are failing? Nope! There are even silly things like they said in the fall they absolutely would not have parts of the school day outdoors (and then organized a huge task force for outdoor lunch logistics, 9 months later). Dr. Duran and Bridget Loft said MANY things in the fall that were undone or walked back. So it's hard to trust that they will in fact have a 5-day return in the fall, and even if they do, they've failed on so many fronts this year that I think it's hard for those of us still dealing with the mess of the current year to just move on.

This is why it is so important to get more days this spring. We have been dicked around for too long. Show us you're serious about fall by doing it now. There is no reason Fairfax can do this and not APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG. STILL handwringing over RTS?

5 days in the fall. Done.

Time to move TF on.

I'm entirely resigned, I promise, but it's obtuse to fail to recognize how much APS has undermined collective trust over the last year. Hybrid option for the fall? Nope! Trauma-informed teaching? Nope! Concurrent teaching limited to only high school kids? Nope! 1:1 interventions for kids who are failing? Nope! There are even silly things like they said in the fall they absolutely would not have parts of the school day outdoors (and then organized a huge task force for outdoor lunch logistics, 9 months later). Dr. Duran and Bridget Loft said MANY things in the fall that were undone or walked back. So it's hard to trust that they will in fact have a 5-day return in the fall, and even if they do, they've failed on so many fronts this year that I think it's hard for those of us still dealing with the mess of the current year to just move on.

This is why it is so important to get more days this spring. We have been dicked around for too long. Show us you're serious about fall by doing it now. There is no reason Fairfax can do this and not APS.

YES to all of the above. I wish people would understand and evaluate life outside of the DMV and see just how weird and far behind we are because we have been obsessed with perfecting some sort of zero risk scenario (which is never possible in all areas of life--not just COVID). It's really sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Our monitors are all extended day staff. We will need them back working their regular hours. There will be no shifts. Mary and Miranda’s platforms are both obsolete now.

Miranda’s platform was obsolete the minute it was clear five days per week would happen in the fall. Mary’s was never about opening schools or not. Look at her webpage from day 1 - she was and is focused on all the other issues facing APS and our students. She addressed the school closing/opening issue eventually, but wasn’t campaigning on it because it’s moot by the time Jan 1 2022 rolls around. By contrast, Miranda had nothing else in her quiver when this all started. She has no track record of engaging in APS or APS issues, and pulled her child from the system went she wasn’t happy. This is not a candidate invested in the long term of APS. Despite ALL CAPS screaming by some on AEM, the caucus is not a referendum on opening schools.

From my perspective, I do view the caucus as a referendum on the school board and APS. The school board sat on the side lines while APS decided to not teach any new material last spring. And they refuse to add more days now even for K-2 and level 1 kids. And they ahve allowed ipad/screens to be used in the classroom in inappropriate ways. I do think electing Miranda would send shock waves through APS , and the County quite frankly. We need a different perspective on the School Board. We are not served well by having all like-minded members on the board. And if they aren't like minded, I surely can't tell that since they don't vote.

YES YES YES!!!! Exactly.We need someone who will challenge them and hold them more accountable. So much has gone wrong with APS this past year. yes, we were in a pandemic but they just sat back and took the laziest and easiest approach to get through it.. At our kids' expense.

Mary knows the right questions to ask. Miranda and her side just scream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so I read everything. I still fail to understand how letting k-2 go 4 days a week 'hurts' low income students.
I have heard it said that it is to difficult for low income students to access due to APS changes to transportation, shortened day, and lack of extended day. But isn't that the same barrier for VPI? (which they announced was in fact going back 4 days next week). Isn't that the same barrier for 2 days?
I 100% agree its a major barrier- and in fact think the onworkability of the schedule is a reason that many parents (of all income levels) opted to stay virtual. But getting 4 days instead of two doesn't make this harder- it makes it more 'worth it.'
They already redid the classes- so kids who are virtual k-2 are in virtual only classes, they wouldn't be impacted.

I read the statements to be saying that these populations are less able to make new transportation and after school arrangements in a short period of time. They have work schedules that go to 5pm and so can't necessarily change either those schedules, their child's transportation needs, or after school arrangements, in the time needed to allow kids who are currently 2-day hybrid to switch to 4-day in person. They could have really struggled to move schedules to make bus or school pickup before work ended for 2 days a week, but be absolutely unable to make that happen 4 days a week.

Whatever the VPI schedules turned out to be, they warned parents about that a month ago and parents have made those arrangements now and no one is trying to switch them again before the end of the year. Here, parents were also warned about what options were available about a month ago, parents made the best arrangements that worked for their families, and now all of a sudden if low-income families can't make new child care and possibly even transportation arrangements for another two days a week, their kid loses their chance at 2 days of school in person. It's not as much of a problem for parents who are working from home to be around for pickup or dropoff from school, but it is for these parents.

People keep saying well then just have these kids move from half in person to fully virtual, but they didn't choose virtual, they chose hybrid, and frankly may really need that in person contact for those two days more than other kids need the extra two days of in person.

Also, these families in hybrid may feel they can deal with the risk of 2 days in person right now but not want the additional risk of 4 days in person.

That being said, I'm sure that there are also families from these communities that would make 4 day return to school work. I'm not speaking with these families and I don't know. I'm just reading the statements of the latino ladies that talked at the board meeting and several of them said that they thought what was being offered now was what they could deal with and they did not want to change to a full return to school. And that the options of the vocal parents were not more important in the long run than the options of these sections of the community that were being hit hard by the virus.

I’m a K-2 parent and I do hear all this. I really do. But I’m also concerned APS is using equity as an excuse for inaction. Why is it that lower income populations in FCPS (of which there are many) are not having similar issues getting their kids to school? Is FCPS doing a better job of providing transportation for them? Has Fairfax County better facilitated vaccinations in these neighborhoods. Or conversely is Fairfax just ignoring their struggles in which case APS is doing a better job of listening to these voices? Shouldn’t we be trying to figure this out?

I don’t think parents should shout over people at meetings. But I also do think people should be able to press the SB and Dr. Duran for answers without being dismissed as privileged. At this point I’ve given up on more days this year, but I want to know what about the existing logistical challenges will be different by the fall? I’m concerned they’re simply hoping CDC guidance will change so they don’t have to figure this all out. How will bussing be different next year, especially as (likely) even more kids opt to return? What is preventing APS from offering aftercare this year to these communities who are citing this as a barrier to getting their children in class more days? Does APS realistically expect to be able to offer aftercare next year?

I mean, I hear these parents saying they can’t get their kids to school more days because of XYZ issues and there is a subset of parents out there saying “see, we shouldn’t do anything because equity!” as if they are such activists for these families. And I guess I just wish we had a school district that actually had a fire under its butt to at least get the youngest kids back and decided to at least solve XYZ issues for the youngest learners. Even just expanding for the K crowd who have never even had a normal school year EVER would be some improvement.

I feel like the SB has been watching the clock count down ever since Feb. when they clearly decided hybrid is all they would offer this year. I think they were counting on surrounding jurisdictions to also only stay 2 days and didn’t count on looking inferior for not being able to manage 4 days like the other Virginia districts.

100% agree with you, as a 1st grade parent

So you guys should probably feel comforted by Dr. Duran's announcement this afternoon that due to the enthusiastic response of parents to the return to school in person/virtual survey for next fall (overwhelming response for in person), APS was going to have to drop the 3 foot distancing between desks, where needed (possibly everywhere) in order to fit all the kids who wanted to attend into the schools. He said that he was extending the deadline to respond in case that made anyone change their mind about going, but that the numbers indicated that they would not be able to enforce those guidelines given the large number of kids intending to return.

I think this should comfort you for next year given that your priority is returning to school -- now APS is clearly stating that they will preference returning over this distancing guideline so that this guideline, which is part of the reason why returning kids was difficult this Spring, should not be standing in the way next Fall. It should show folks here that Dr. Duran is serious about return to school in the Fall.

I’m the K mom who posted and I do feel better. Because without dropping the distancing guideline, APS never could have delivered on what it was promising with 5 normal days.

Yes but now there is plenty of time for the backlash to mobilize. Just wait for OneAPS 2.0. Kadera already is raising school shifts as a way to comply w sb1303 and maintain distancing. Of course we can’t hire that many teachers for shifts, but I could see us utilizing our robust monitor force to supervise school hours w asynchronous work.

OneAPS hasn't been in anyone's mouth for almost a year. It's not coming back. It seems to have morphed into SR. There is definitely more to complain about now that SR isn't getting their way, but they do not have the best spokespeople, IMO. They accuse APE of doing underhanded tactics that they do themselves.

I think there is room to improve the virtual school, particularly for the option schools, who sounds like they are upset that their model won't be followed until their children can return back to in-person school. I'm not an option school parent, but I understand their viewpoint and hope that they can get APS to figure out how those virtual kids can get the same education as those in the in person school.

There are going to be so few people that choose virtual school next year. APS is so out of touch that they actually thought more than a tiny sliver of families woudl choose virtual. It's so dumb that they promised an APS virtual program before verifying the demand for it. It really demonstrates that they have no idea what families need or want.

THIS is why there was an uproar at the last meeting. The SB is not asking or surveying or communicating with families. They have selectively listened to those they wanted to listen to, but not the vast majority of APS families. it's such a display of poor leadership from Duran and the SB that there was "overwhelming amount of families choosing FT, in-person school". This should NOT have been a surprise to them, had they been communicating with families. They were clearly assuming the speakers at the meetings represent a fraction of families and they were clearly wrong. Because they didn't engage the damn community.

Shame on Duran and the SB.. this should not be a surprise AT ALL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Our monitors are all extended day staff. We will need them back working their regular hours. There will be no shifts. Mary and Miranda’s platforms are both obsolete now.

Miranda’s platform was obsolete the minute it was clear five days per week would happen in the fall. Mary’s was never about opening schools or not. Look at her webpage from day 1 - she was and is focused on all the other issues facing APS and our students. She addressed the school closing/opening issue eventually, but wasn’t campaigning on it because it’s moot by the time Jan 1 2022 rolls around. By contrast, Miranda had nothing else in her quiver when this all started. She has no track record of engaging in APS or APS issues, and pulled her child from the system went she wasn’t happy. This is not a candidate invested in the long term of APS. Despite ALL CAPS screaming by some on AEM, the caucus is not a referendum on opening schools.

From my perspective, I do view the caucus as a referendum on the school board and APS. The school board sat on the side lines while APS decided to not teach any new material last spring. And they refuse to add more days now even for K-2 and level 1 kids. And they ahve allowed ipad/screens to be used in the classroom in inappropriate ways. I do think electing Miranda would send shock waves through APS , and the County quite frankly. We need a different perspective on the School Board. We are not served well by having all like-minded members on the board. And if they aren't like minded, I surely can't tell that since they don't vote.

YES YES YES!!!! Exactly.We need someone who will challenge them and hold them more accountable. So much has gone wrong with APS this past year. yes, we were in a pandemic but they just sat back and took the laziest and easiest approach to get through it.. At our kids' expense.

Mary knows the right questions to ask. Miranda and her side just scream.

Mary would be a vast improvement to the current members. But I found her spoiler alert emails to be very discouraging. There was nothing there about return to school, level 1 students, advocating for new instruction last spring, or the inadequate distance learning program. And the fact that she was sending thank yous to the school board when they have literally been a complete failure this pandemic. She seems just as out of touch as the school board.

[Anonymous]

theory: the people on this board who are ranting about the school board and APS and referring to it's members as "lazy" have never been in charge of a similar institution which is as large as a ship and requires lead time to do basic things like stop and turn around.

If they ever volunteered for a APS committee and observed the inner workings of the school board, they would have a much better understanding of institutional speedbumps etc and would take back this nonsense in a minute. But no, these sweet summer children who haven't done anything besides volunteer at their own school must know better. *blech*

(that said, I don't like Bridget Loft either. But Duran is fine.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:theory: the people on this board who are ranting about the school board and APS and referring to it's members as "lazy" have never been in charge of a similar institution which is as large as a ship and requires lead time to do basic things like stop and turn around.

If they ever volunteered for a APS committee and observed the inner workings of the school board, they would have a much better understanding of institutional speedbumps etc and would take back this nonsense in a minute. But no, these sweet summer children who haven't done anything besides volunteer at their own school must know better. *blech*

(that said, I don't like Bridget Loft either. But Duran is fine.)

Okay but that ignores the fact that APS makes terrible decisions and the school board doesn't step in on important policy decision. See: no new instruction last spring, no vote on RTS, no vote on Concurrent for 3rd graders, no vote on virtual academy next year, no vote on abandoning 3 ft distancing next year. That is not what happens in other districts. APS school board is alone in its utter disregard for accountability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:theory: the people on this board who are ranting about the school board and APS and referring to it's members as "lazy" have never been in charge of a similar institution which is as large as a ship and requires lead time to do basic things like stop and turn around.

If they ever volunteered for a APS committee and observed the inner workings of the school board, they would have a much better understanding of institutional speedbumps etc and would take back this nonsense in a minute. But no, these sweet summer children who haven't done anything besides volunteer at their own school must know better. *blech*

(that said, I don't like Bridget Loft either. But Duran is fine.)

OR, people on this board work for the USG and are routinely pressed to find solutions to complex problems--national security? border crisis? COVID mitigation and vaccine rollout? And, because of their experiences working on extremely complex and challenging issues they expect that APS also figure it out and get it done....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:theory: the people on this board who are ranting about the school board and APS and referring to it's members as "lazy" have never been in charge of a similar institution which is as large as a ship and requires lead time to do basic things like stop and turn around.

If they ever volunteered for a APS committee and observed the inner workings of the school board, they would have a much better understanding of institutional speedbumps etc and would take back this nonsense in a minute. But no, these sweet summer children who haven't done anything besides volunteer at their own school must know better. *blech*

(that said, I don't like Bridget Loft either. But Duran is fine.)

+ 1. They have never been involved in the school system and don't know how things work. Neither has Miranda.

They don't know what a disaster Murphy was and how much better Duran is. I am worried he will leave after how they treat him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:theory: the people on this board who are ranting about the school board and APS and referring to it's members as "lazy" have never been in charge of a similar institution which is as large as a ship and requires lead time to do basic things like stop and turn around.

If they ever volunteered for a APS committee and observed the inner workings of the school board, they would have a much better understanding of institutional speedbumps etc and would take back this nonsense in a minute. But no, these sweet summer children who haven't done anything besides volunteer at their own school must know better. *blech*

(that said, I don't like Bridget Loft either. But Duran is fine.)

+ 1. They have never been involved in the school system and don't know how things work. Neither has Miranda.

They don't know what a disaster Murphy was and how much better Duran is. I am worried he will leave after how they treat him.

Who cares if he’s better than Murphy. He’s worse than Fairfax loudon and falls church. Offering more days of school is objective metric. Other superintendents are getting it done, Duran/APS is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:theory: the people on this board who are ranting about the school board and APS and referring to it's members as "lazy" have never been in charge of a similar institution which is as large as a ship and requires lead time to do basic things like stop and turn around.

If they ever volunteered for a APS committee and observed the inner workings of the school board, they would have a much better understanding of institutional speedbumps etc and would take back this nonsense in a minute. But no, these sweet summer children who haven't done anything besides volunteer at their own school must know better. *blech*

(that said, I don't like Bridget Loft either. But Duran is fine.)

OR, people on this board work for the USG and are routinely pressed to find solutions to complex problems--national security? border crisis? COVID mitigation and vaccine rollout? And, because of their experiences working on extremely complex and challenging issues they expect that APS also figure it out and get it done....

Um, this is your actual response. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

The Federal government is slow as molasses and moves at glacial pace. Truly glacial. And often screws things up. LOOK AT YOUR EXAMPLES. You're holding up covid and the border as examples of the Feds sorting out a complex situation? Make a different argument.

And by the way, I worked in the Feds for 10 years. So not clueless about how it functions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:theory: the people on this board who are ranting about the school board and APS and referring to it's members as "lazy" have never been in charge of a similar institution which is as large as a ship and requires lead time to do basic things like stop and turn around.

If they ever volunteered for a APS committee and observed the inner workings of the school board, they would have a much better understanding of institutional speedbumps etc and would take back this nonsense in a minute. But no, these sweet summer children who haven't done anything besides volunteer at their own school must know better. *blech*

(that said, I don't like Bridget Loft either. But Duran is fine.)

OR, people on this board work for the USG and are routinely pressed to find solutions to complex problems--national security? border crisis? COVID mitigation and vaccine rollout? And, because of their experiences working on extremely complex and challenging issues they expect that APS also figure it out and get it done....

Um, this is your actual response. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

The Federal government is slow as molasses and moves at glacial pace. Truly glacial. And often screws things up. LOOK AT YOUR EXAMPLES. You're holding up covid and the border as examples of the Feds sorting out a complex situation? Make a different argument.

And by the way, I worked in the Feds for 10 years. So not clueless about how it functions.

Perfect response! (DCUM unicorn)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
theory: the people on this board who are ranting about the school board and APS and referring to it's members as "lazy" have never been in charge of a similar institution which is as large as a ship and requires lead time to do basic things like stop and turn around.

If they ever volunteered for a APS committee and observed the inner workings of the school board, they would have a much better understanding of institutional speedbumps etc and would take back this nonsense in a minute. But no, these sweet summer children who haven't done anything besides volunteer at their own school must know better. *blech*

(that said, I don't like Bridget Loft either. But Duran is fine.)



+ 1. They have never been involved in the school system and don't know how things work. Neither has Miranda.

They don't know what a disaster Murphy was and how much better Duran is. I am worried he will leave after how they treat him.



Who cares if he’s better than Murphy. He’s worse than Fairfax loudon and falls church. Offering more days of school is objective metric. Other superintendents are getting it done, Duran/APS is not.

You are an absolute fool. BTW, Fairfax has walked back on all kinds of things, as have lots of other people. Predicting a pandemic is not easy to do.

[Anonymous]

Okay but that ignores the fact that APS makes terrible decisions and the school board doesn't step in on important policy decision. See: no new instruction last spring, no vote on RTS, no vote on Concurrent for 3rd graders, no vote on virtual academy next year, no vote on abandoning 3 ft distancing next year. That is not what happens in other districts. APS school board is alone in its utter disregard for accountability.

With all due respect, the structure of the APS school board does not allow them to vote on decisions that lie with Dr. Duran. They have different powers of what they are able to vote on and pretty much all of the decisions you are talking about we’re not held to a vote. The board and Duran have specific responsibilities and they can’t just “take a vote” on something that they don’t have power over.

Also, there is 0 chance of more days for students for the rest of this year. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not changing. Move along.