All schools should offer an all-virtual option

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the mentality we are dealing with. A woman I know from my kids' school, (upper class wealthy white family with 2 kids in a charter) relentlessly coopted ward 8 voices and claimed to be speaking for POC (even though POC would literally confront you on your page) about the harms to that population through school closing. Even when people would say "actually, POC are more at risk from this disease and actually are the ones who want the virtual option) would say all the reasons why her opinion on their needs was more right than the parents. Despite all this, same person just posted about "joy and relief" in the air with kids going back to school...when a friend said to the contrary, many of us were worried, this person doled out unsolicited advice to friends, telling them to avoid mainstream media and read Emily Oster so they can be less anxious. I mean honestly, this is what we are dealing with, and this person has lots of free time and is organizing, organizing, organizing. Reason to post this is that, this is just one person. For every other person actively trying to limit the ability of scared parents (JUSTIFIABLY scared parents including the ones with medically vulnerable family members at home but also just any parent has a damn good reason to be wary given Delta's hospitalization rate for kids), just know we see you all in real life, and while we may not say something, we think so much less of you for what you're doing to take away OUR kids right to be safe - making us choose between their safety and their education. Literally ZERO people in the past 10 - 20 pages have advocated for "no in person school." you're just not even willing to share the table scraps that Covid has left all of us, and truly, you should be damn ashamed of your greed. This is not a zero sum game, DCPS made a foolish, bad decision, propped up by all the petitions and letter writing of people like this, who are COVID kid impact deniers. Best wishes to your kids, truly, but as for you, you suck.

Sounds like you should defriend this person and stop worrying about it. Her point of view is totally valid. Honestly sounds like you're angry someone you know is openly making cogent arguments for open schools instead of being cowed. And kudos to her. I'm not brave enough to do it with my name attached.

+1

The reality is that that person’s position is completely in line with what any expert in education or any social worker would tell you. Remember the RN case worker on this thread? Just because you think your acquaintance doesn’t have the expertise or street cred to make this argument doesn’t mean she is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the mentality we are dealing with. A woman I know from my kids' school, (upper class wealthy white family with 2 kids in a charter) relentlessly coopted ward 8 voices and claimed to be speaking for POC (even though POC would literally confront you on your page) about the harms to that population through school closing. Even when people would say "actually, POC are more at risk from this disease and actually are the ones who want the virtual option) would say all the reasons why her opinion on their needs was more right than the parents. Despite all this, same person just posted about "joy and relief" in the air with kids going back to school...when a friend said to the contrary, many of us were worried, this person doled out unsolicited advice to friends, telling them to avoid mainstream media and read Emily Oster so they can be less anxious. I mean honestly, this is what we are dealing with, and this person has lots of free time and is organizing, organizing, organizing. Reason to post this is that, this is just one person. For every other person actively trying to limit the ability of scared parents (JUSTIFIABLY scared parents including the ones with medically vulnerable family members at home but also just any parent has a damn good reason to be wary given Delta's hospitalization rate for kids), just know we see you all in real life, and while we may not say something, we think so much less of you for what you're doing to take away OUR kids right to be safe - making us choose between their safety and their education. Literally ZERO people in the past 10 - 20 pages have advocated for "no in person school." you're just not even willing to share the table scraps that Covid has left all of us, and truly, you should be damn ashamed of your greed. This is not a zero sum game, DCPS made a foolish, bad decision, propped up by all the petitions and letter writing of people like this, who are COVID kid impact deniers. Best wishes to your kids, truly, but as for you, you suck.

Sounds like you should defriend this person and stop worrying about it. Her point of view is totally valid. Honestly sounds like you're angry someone you know is openly making cogent arguments for open schools instead of being cowed. And kudos to her. I'm not brave enough to do it with my name attached.

+1

The reality is that that person’s position is completely in line with what any expert in education or any social worker would tell you. Remember the RN case worker on this thread? Just because you think your acquaintance doesn’t have the expertise or street cred to make this argument doesn’t mean she is wrong.

I actually think I may know this person and they work in global health policy. So they have a base of applicable knowledge.

And she is very brave to be posting on FB. I had to withdraw from all mom's groups/school listservs last fall because I was so incredibly mad at the selfish people and crazy politics that created so much harm. Now we're so far down the hole that the Delta quarantines are going to be much more harmful than they would have been if we just kept the d*mn schools open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the argument that virtual would take resources from a school. If I unenroll my kid from the school (homeschool, charter, private, whatever) then you lose the resources from the school.

If you set up a virtual academy, which costs about half or 3/4 of normal school, then the school can keep the rest while teaching fewer in-person. Smaller class size.

Yes, if you unenroll, the school loses resources, and it also does not have to expend resources to educate your child.

A "virtual option", depending on how it is done, could indeed take resources away from IPL. For example, the title of this thread, what OP was arguing for incessantly for pages, was a "virtual option at every school." If you can't see how having two concurrent programs (one fully IPL and one fully virtual) at every school would be infeasible for the majority of schools, I don't know what to tell you. It's an absurd notion to say that it can be done easily without new teachers, computers, training, etc. Simulcasting is a hellscape for all, teachers hate it, WTU hates it, and would indeed hurt learning for all kids.

Setting up a central all-virtual option for the entirety of DC is a different thing. But standing up robust virtual academy (an entirely new school) is difficult on a good day. For whatever reason, DCPS doesn't think it's the way to go right now, maybe because they know there are a few charters with all-virtual options and they think those wanting all-virtual can go to those charters. Maybe it's just wildly difficult and DCPS can't figure its way out a paper bag.

A central virtual academy is not, however, what the people pushing for a virtual option seem to want. They seem (as this thread shows, over and over and over) to want to have their charters/schools all over individual virtual options. Allowing more people into the DCPS virtual academy is ALSO not something that the "virtual option" people seem to be arguing.

[Anonymous]

edit: all *offer*, not all over

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PG isn’t comparable in that they don’t have half of kids attending charters. Logistically a very different story.

That makes things EASIER for DCPS.

No, offering a virtual option at every school means charters as well, and no central option for the entirety of DC.

I also think charters (and the entire lottery system, for that matter) inhibit DCPS's ability to offer strong centralized leadership as PGPS has. There are so many competing interests in DCPS, it's very hard to unite school communities behind any big idea.

I also think the way DC public schooling is structured contributes to a culture of families not really caring about each other on a basic level. You compete in a lottery for spots, even IB spots at the PK level can be competitive. And then you have school themselves competing with one another for resources. It's a system that isolates families within it. And I think that's one reason you see some of the attitudes on display on this thread and in the whole IPL versus virtual debate. There is always a sense that someone is trying to take something away from you, whether it's a slot at a school or resources or access to a program. That may not be the intention of the system, but that's the effect.

So now parents who have the means to keep their kids virtual want to do so. And I get that, honestly. If I had a way of keeping my kid out of school this year I'd be seriously considering it. The problem is that I don't have that option -- for me, it's in person public school or just sheer misery (maybe job loss, maybe a mental breakdown, it's hard to say at this point). And when I see parents agitating for virtual options in a way that feels designed to undermine in person schooling, yeah, I get anxious. Because I need in person school. Like NEED it.

I wish DCPS could figure out a way to do this that gave everyone what the wanted and needed. But I'm afraid they won't (they never do) and I don't want to wind up with the short end of the stick this time. I can't afford it, frankly.

I’m one of the virtual option proponents and I agree with almost everything you say, but would offer that I and many others I know that are pushing for virtual do not want to remove the option for IPL. In fact I don’t even want simulcast or every school to have virtual as that works less well for everyone (my view only). An irony on the other side is that those digging their heels in against virtual for others could hurt their own cause. As many have reflected expanding the virtual academy doesn’t happen easily. If we had been working on a plan B for risk averse parents, or in case things go south as they are for many schools now closing, there wohld has been much less change that the answer would be to simulcast. But I bet that’s what they’ll do. DCPS right now feels painted into a corner. They, backed by parents willing to call pandemic cautious people names “anxious” and “fear mongering” “afraid of their own shadow” were emboldened into tripling down on a poor choice. It does seem to be the Bowser administrations way (and I voted for her and want to support her, but that’s over..).

I do want to say that if there is a shift to virtual, I will push hard as someone who wants virtual for a system that wont add more undue harm to those who want IPL.

I just would so appreciate the same consideration.

No. You don't get the "same consideration" after 1.5 years of closed schools. Now is the time to pour all resources into reopening schools. Parents who are risk averse can ALWAYS homeschool - which does not take much more resources than virtual.

You are so angry, and you don’t have the faintest idea of how involved homeschooling is. It’s not about the same as virtual but you either know that and don’t mind being absurd or you’re, well, I won’t meet you where you are with your anger. It’s not helping anything. I’m not your enemy. I want what’s best for my kids but don’t want to limit what you can do for yours. You aren’t the same. You don’t want me to have the ability to keep my not medically fragile 8 year old in virtual for the sake of my medically fragile 10 year old. One of my kids is exempt from IPL and one would be forced to go. There’s nothing ethical about your position. What if my healthy kid brings something home to my immunocompromised kid? What outcome for MY child are YOU comfortable with?

Many, many of us are intimately familiar with what homeschooling involves. You are free to buy a video curriculum and have the exact same experience as last year.

Fact: You’re the kind of person who wants to fight a worried parent of an immunocompromised kid with no options, because you think your kids in person needs are more important than my kids in person needs, you’re callous and tedious. I won’t convince you and don’t care to. You are soooo angry. Covid took your kids 2020 away, I didn’t.

DP. That's pretty condescending of you. My kid is severely dyslexic, with a IEP since first grade. I cannot teach him because he needs specialized, in-person help that I can't provide. So my question back to you, what do you say to the worried parent of a disabled child with no options? You are worried about your child's life? Well, I'm worried about mine. This isn't "socialization" or whatever phrase you use to demean IPL. This is my kid's life and ability to survive as well.

Allow me to repeat myself. I don’t want to take your in person away. I recognize it’s vital for your family. As virtual is for mine to keep my medically vulnerable kid safe. My healthy kid will catch and bring it home. I don’t want to lose my 10 year old child. Have a heart.

You are the heartless one. You have many, many other options. You can homeschool. You can enroll in one of the many online academies. You can unschool for a year (which is essentially what many kids did last year).

But no. That's not enough. You instead want to divert resources from the IPL population -- who are in general a much more vulnerable population who DO NOT have other options, unlike you -- because you don't really want to solve your problem, you just want to have a temper tantrum about it.

I am a single (widowed) mom with two kids including one sick kid. Virtual academy is full. My in bounds school wouldn’t be suitable for most of you but that’s what I’m willing to do - unenroll in my OOB and effectively unschool. I make well under 6 figures and between my modest mortgage and health care costs we don’t have room for a lot of extras. Can’t afford private, and can’t afford a “pay for” virtual school. God knows I need childcare school provides and my kids need an education but I want both of them to live. Please you check your very obvious privilege while you coopt the voices you pretend to stand for. Guarantee you are a who’re woman with a HHI over 100k crying about your lack of options but pretending to care about ward 8 kids. If you are not, many others on this thread are. It’s a sad day for this dumpster fire of a forum when a parent of a sick kid gets bullied for asking for a virtual option by someone who can’t see beyond her own families needs. Never once have I said I want to take your options away. You’re happy to let my kid get sick so yours can attend school. Literally something wrong with you.

Sorry, what is your evidence that she doesn't actually care about ward 8 kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's the mentality we are dealing with. A woman I know from my kids' school, (upper class wealthy white family with 2 kids in a charter) relentlessly coopted ward 8 voices and claimed to be speaking for POC (even though POC would literally confront you on your page) about the harms to that population through school closing. Even when people would say "actually, POC are more at risk from this disease and actually are the ones who want the virtual option) would say all the reasons why her opinion on their needs was more right than the parents. Despite all this, same person just posted about "joy and relief" in the air with kids going back to school...when a friend said to the contrary, many of us were worried, this person doled out unsolicited advice to friends, telling them to avoid mainstream media and read Emily Oster so they can be less anxious. I mean honestly, this is what we are dealing with, and this person has lots of free time and is organizing, organizing, organizing. Reason to post this is that, this is just one person. For every other person actively trying to limit the ability of scared parents (JUSTIFIABLY scared parents including the ones with medically vulnerable family members at home but also just any parent has a damn good reason to be wary given Delta's hospitalization rate for kids), just know we see you all in real life, and while we may not say something, we think so much less of you for what you're doing to take away OUR kids right to be safe - making us choose between their safety and their education. Literally ZERO people in the past 10 - 20 pages have advocated for "no in person school." you're just not even willing to share the table scraps that Covid has left all of us, and truly, you should be damn ashamed of your greed. This is not a zero sum game, DCPS made a foolish, bad decision, propped up by all the petitions and letter writing of people like this, who are COVID kid impact deniers. Best wishes to your kids, truly, but as for you, you suck.

Do you see how you are doing the exact thing you are criticizing? "Oh no, I know what these families TRULY want. It happens to be the same thing I want. Weird, right?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, I think it would be fine for you to have virtual for both of your kids. But don’t claim we have no idea what homeschooling means. I am a former education researcher who specialized in unschooling and homeschooling. What happened last year was essentially a combination of both. Depended on your school offerings

complete side note: what did you learn about unschooling? I actually had a friend who "unschooled" herself from about 15 - 25 until she finally got a degree (at Evergreen College, naturally.) It really worked for her but she's so unique and self-motivated. But then in Spring 2020 I gave up on online for a few weeks and miracles of miracles, my kid had this burst of self-directed creativity (mostly writing stories) that he never had before and has never had since. Definitely got me thinking.

I hate to be disappointing, but there is a reason I USED to work in this area. The evidence that it works is, well, complicated. We only have a few descriptive stats and then qualitative research. A lot of families are for obvious reasons resistant to any standardized measurements. If you want my informed opinion, I think what you saw is a good example of the utility of unschooling. Children will naturally find things to fill their time with that they enjoy. Most things that young children do are in some way educational, although sometimes we have to stretch that definition. Few of them are going to learn advanced math or chemistry. If I had my druthers, children would go to school to learn a pared down version of the curriculum and then spend the rest of the time, and all summer, in self-guided pursuits.

[Anonymous]

The push for a virtual option for all seems to largely be motivated by upper-class WW. Lots in this thread supports that. The person that is pushing the petition the most (and perhaps originated it) is an upper-class WW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The push for a virtual option for all seems to largely be motivated by upper-class WW. Lots in this thread supports that. The person that is pushing the petition the most (and perhaps originated it) is an upper-class WW.

Is the SBOE a WW?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the mentality we are dealing with. A woman I know from my kids' school, (upper class wealthy white family with 2 kids in a charter) relentlessly coopted ward 8 voices and claimed to be speaking for POC (even though POC would literally confront you on your page) about the harms to that population through school closing. Even when people would say "actually, POC are more at risk from this disease and actually are the ones who want the virtual option) would say all the reasons why her opinion on their needs was more right than the parents. Despite all this, same person just posted about "joy and relief" in the air with kids going back to school...when a friend said to the contrary, many of us were worried, this person doled out unsolicited advice to friends, telling them to avoid mainstream media and read Emily Oster so they can be less anxious. I mean honestly, this is what we are dealing with, and this person has lots of free time and is organizing, organizing, organizing. Reason to post this is that, this is just one person. For every other person actively trying to limit the ability of scared parents (JUSTIFIABLY scared parents including the ones with medically vulnerable family members at home but also just any parent has a damn good reason to be wary given Delta's hospitalization rate for kids), just know we see you all in real life, and while we may not say something, we think so much less of you for what you're doing to take away OUR kids right to be safe - making us choose between their safety and their education. Literally ZERO people in the past 10 - 20 pages have advocated for "no in person school." you're just not even willing to share the table scraps that Covid has left all of us, and truly, you should be damn ashamed of your greed. This is not a zero sum game, DCPS made a foolish, bad decision, propped up by all the petitions and letter writing of people like this, who are COVID kid impact deniers. Best wishes to your kids, truly, but as for you, you suck.

Do you see how you are doing the exact thing you are criticizing? "Oh no, I know what these families TRULY want. It happens to be the same thing I want. Weird, right?"

No, that's what the poster argued. I don't know what those families want, but I think they should speak for themselves. They did, and the survey data overwhelmingly showed that Ward 5 (which is offset by Brookland where many families favor in-person), 7 and 8 wanted a virtual option. These are parents who do not trust DCPS to keep their children safe. They are often the most poorly resourced schools. Those of you who are arguing equity, equity, equity are ignoring the fact that your upper NW ward 3 school or your Capitol Hill cluster school has better resources than schools across the river.

"Black D.C. residents make up about 45 percent of the population but 74 percent of the city’s COVID deaths. Some, despite DCPS’ school safety checklists, aren’t confident their school is safe, pointing to past instances where basics like hot water and soap were unavailable at their kids’ school." (see link below for source)

Less than 30% of wards 5, 7 and 8 want to keep their kids home!


But feel free to keep pretending to speak for these communities when it aligns with what you want.

BTW, hat tip to the person who called a parent needing to protect a kid with cancer by an option to put her sibling in virtual "idiosyncratic" - way to show your heart DCUM. As usual the D should be an S.

Black D.C. residents make up about 45 percent of the population but 74 percent of the city’s COVID deaths. Some, despite DCPS’ school safety checklists, aren’t confident their school is safe, pointing to past instances where basics like hot water and soap were unavailable at their kids’ school.

The intensive focus on reopening “really frustrates me,” Ward 7 parent Patricia Stamper said. DCPS “surveyed the parents, the parents told you, ‘Hey I want to stay home.’ … And you’re like, ‘Nah, we’re going to open the schools.’ What?”

https://www.the74million.org/article/as-more-dcps-schools-open-many-black-parents-keeping-kids-home/

Bottom line: DCPS has completely screwed up in not creating a thoughtful, virtual option. They think that because "prefers virtual option" and "at risk" kids happen to live in the same ward, the answer is to ramrod in person learning. Guess what - the schools weren't exactly serving this population as well as they are serving other wards! And many, many many of these parents, who managed to get coveted OOB spots that your Larla might like to get your hands on, don't want to lose those as they try to "homeschool" their kids because, with good reason, they don't trust DCPS to keep their kids safe. Fact: DCPS steps to mitigate infection risk are woefully ineadequte. This is not just my opinion, this is compared to what the health experts recommend. They aren't even taking all the steps that were needed to address the pre- DELTA variant pandemic. Scan other pages of these forums for threatening to call CPS on parents for absences, yet parents should be then expected to keep mildly symptomatic kids home? Do all schools equally have the HVAC upgrades they needed? Do they have the best None of this works.

I think most people DO think that the mayor is going to offer some virtual options, but that it will take some real misfortunate first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, I think it would be fine for you to have virtual for both of your kids. But don’t claim we have no idea what homeschooling means. I am a former education researcher who specialized in unschooling and homeschooling. What happened last year was essentially a combination of both. Depended on your school offerings

complete side note: what did you learn about unschooling? I actually had a friend who "unschooled" herself from about 15 - 25 until she finally got a degree (at Evergreen College, naturally.) It really worked for her but she's so unique and self-motivated. But then in Spring 2020 I gave up on online for a few weeks and miracles of miracles, my kid had this burst of self-directed creativity (mostly writing stories) that he never had before and has never had since. Definitely got me thinking.

I hate to be disappointing, but there is a reason I USED to work in this area. The evidence that it works is, well, complicated. We only have a few descriptive stats and then qualitative research. A lot of families are for obvious reasons resistant to any standardized measurements. If you want my informed opinion, I think what you saw is a good example of the utility of unschooling. Children will naturally find things to fill their time with that they enjoy. Most things that young children do are in some way educational, although sometimes we have to stretch that definition. Few of them are going to learn advanced math or chemistry. If I had my druthers, children would go to school to learn a pared down version of the curriculum and then spend the rest of the time, and all summer, in self-guided pursuits.

Are there any ways to encourage kids in self-guided pursuits? I realize that this kind of goes against the whole notion of self-guided, but I don't know what my kid would do on his own other than daydream (assuming no screens of course).

[Anonymous]

PP above with an edit: Fewer than 30% of ward 5/7/8 want to send kids in person. Too bad a bolded a typo. Clearly emotions running high. I just want what's best for my kids, and I'm a little tired of anyone speaking for people who can and have spoken for themselves. White posters on this thread need to just stop with that - cite it, link it, show me a POC saying it, or shut it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP above with an edit: Fewer than 30% of ward 5/7/8 want to send kids in person. Too bad a bolded a typo. Clearly emotions running high. I just want what's best for my kids, and I'm a little tired of anyone speaking for people who can and have spoken for themselves. White posters on this thread need to just stop with that - cite it, link it, show me a POC saying it, or shut it.

Hopefully the RN case worker will return and fulfill your request.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the mentality we are dealing with. A woman I know from my kids' school, (upper class wealthy white family with 2 kids in a charter) relentlessly coopted ward 8 voices and claimed to be speaking for POC (even though POC would literally confront you on your page) about the harms to that population through school closing. Even when people would say "actually, POC are more at risk from this disease and actually are the ones who want the virtual option) would say all the reasons why her opinion on their needs was more right than the parents. Despite all this, same person just posted about "joy and relief" in the air with kids going back to school...when a friend said to the contrary, many of us were worried, this person doled out unsolicited advice to friends, telling them to avoid mainstream media and read Emily Oster so they can be less anxious. I mean honestly, this is what we are dealing with, and this person has lots of free time and is organizing, organizing, organizing. Reason to post this is that, this is just one person. For every other person actively trying to limit the ability of scared parents (JUSTIFIABLY scared parents including the ones with medically vulnerable family members at home but also just any parent has a damn good reason to be wary given Delta's hospitalization rate for kids), just know we see you all in real life, and while we may not say something, we think so much less of you for what you're doing to take away OUR kids right to be safe - making us choose between their safety and their education. Literally ZERO people in the past 10 - 20 pages have advocated for "no in person school." you're just not even willing to share the table scraps that Covid has left all of us, and truly, you should be damn ashamed of your greed. This is not a zero sum game, DCPS made a foolish, bad decision, propped up by all the petitions and letter writing of people like this, who are COVID kid impact deniers. Best wishes to your kids, truly, but as for you, you suck.

Do you see how you are doing the exact thing you are criticizing? "Oh no, I know what these families TRULY want. It happens to be the same thing I want. Weird, right?"

No, that's what the poster argued. I don't know what those families want, but I think they should speak for themselves. They did, and the survey data overwhelmingly showed that Ward 5 (which is offset by Brookland where many families favor in-person), 7 and 8 wanted a virtual option. These are parents who do not trust DCPS to keep their children safe. They are often the most poorly resourced schools. Those of you who are arguing equity, equity, equity are ignoring the fact that your upper NW ward 3 school or your Capitol Hill cluster school has better resources than schools across the river.

"Black D.C. residents make up about 45 percent of the population but 74 percent of the city’s COVID deaths. Some, despite DCPS’ school safety checklists, aren’t confident their school is safe, pointing to past instances where basics like hot water and soap were unavailable at their kids’ school." (see link below for source)

Less than 30% of wards 5, 7 and 8 want to keep their kids home!


But feel free to keep pretending to speak for these communities when it aligns with what you want.

BTW, hat tip to the person who called a parent needing to protect a kid with cancer by an option to put her sibling in virtual "idiosyncratic" - way to show your heart DCUM. As usual the D should be an S.

Black D.C. residents make up about 45 percent of the population but 74 percent of the city’s COVID deaths. Some, despite DCPS’ school safety checklists, aren’t confident their school is safe, pointing to past instances where basics like hot water and soap were unavailable at their kids’ school.

The intensive focus on reopening “really frustrates me,” Ward 7 parent Patricia Stamper said. DCPS “surveyed the parents, the parents told you, ‘Hey I want to stay home.’ … And you’re like, ‘Nah, we’re going to open the schools.’ What?”

https://www.the74million.org/article/as-more-dcps-schools-open-many-black-parents-keeping-kids-home/

Bottom line: DCPS has completely screwed up in not creating a thoughtful, virtual option. They think that because "prefers virtual option" and "at risk" kids happen to live in the same ward, the answer is to ramrod in person learning. Guess what - the schools weren't exactly serving this population as well as they are serving other wards! And many, many many of these parents, who managed to get coveted OOB spots that your Larla might like to get your hands on, don't want to lose those as they try to "homeschool" their kids because, with good reason, they don't trust DCPS to keep their kids safe. Fact: DCPS steps to mitigate infection risk are woefully ineadequte. This is not just my opinion, this is compared to what the health experts recommend. They aren't even taking all the steps that were needed to address the pre- DELTA variant pandemic. Scan other pages of these forums for threatening to call CPS on parents for absences, yet parents should be then expected to keep mildly symptomatic kids home? Do all schools equally have the HVAC upgrades they needed? Do they have the best None of this works.

I think most people DO think that the mayor is going to offer some virtual options, but that it will take some real misfortunate first.

Do you have any more recent data? That article, which you seem to be getting your numbers from, is from Feb. 2021 or earlier. It seems to be talking about reopening in Spring, 2021.

[Anonymous]

Just suggesting that people's minds change, particularly in the context of vaccines.