NPR Article on Public Schools

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think (hope) what comes out of this is a new way of doing school. One that embraces the 21st century and technology and the good parts of DL for kids who have issues that make it necessary. But, at the same time, diversifying school options and really getting creative with school choice so that charters, magnets, longer school days, year round school, vouchers for private and parochial, etc all co-exist, and parents can find accessible educational options that meet their kids’ and they family’s needs.

The great resignation is obvious in the broader world of work. The interesting thing is that the parents who shifted or are shifting jobs to better fit their lives now want their kids education to do the same. Hopefully education keeps up, and in 5-10 years there are many more options beyond traditional public school.

Um, they can't even find enough bus drivers and subs this year. Unless they start offering a hell of a lot more money, this dream of free childcare for parents ain't happening.

Yup. We can’t even get people vaccinated FFS. No way are we capable of making big changes.

Which is why we need charter schools and vouchers and privates. And the per pupil FCPS expenditure being given as vouchers. Free up the money, and options will come.

Nope. We aren’t going to destroy public schools just so rich people can subsidize their private schools.

Public schools have lost the faith of the community. Talk to the SB and the unions. If a significant % parents don’t trust or support public schools, there is the political will for something else. If FCPS had real competition, they would have opened last year.

Youngkin promised charters and is talking to parent groups in NOVA about vouchers. And the exit polls and focus groups have been clear—- he won on parent anger over school closures and teachers being prioritized over parents and kids. He won. A significant piece of NOVA wants this. Youngkin wants to deliver and challenge Warner or Kaine. He’ll deliver.

Most parents know that vouchers are crap. Won’t fly in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think (hope) what comes out of this is a new way of doing school. One that embraces the 21st century and technology and the good parts of DL for kids who have issues that make it necessary. But, at the same time, diversifying school options and really getting creative with school choice so that charters, magnets, longer school days, year round school, vouchers for private and parochial, etc all co-exist, and parents can find accessible educational options that meet their kids’ and they family’s needs.

The great resignation is obvious in the broader world of work. The interesting thing is that the parents who shifted or are shifting jobs to better fit their lives now want their kids education to do the same. Hopefully education keeps up, and in 5-10 years there are many more options beyond traditional public school.

Um, they can't even find enough bus drivers and subs this year. Unless they start offering a hell of a lot more money, this dream of free childcare for parents ain't happening.

Yup. We can’t even get people vaccinated FFS. No way are we capable of making big changes.

Which is why we need charter schools and vouchers and privates. And the per pupil FCPS expenditure being given as vouchers. Free up the money, and options will come.

Nope. We aren’t going to destroy public schools just so rich people can subsidize their private schools.

Public schools have lost the faith of the community. Talk to the SB and the unions. If a significant % parents don’t trust or support public schools, there is the political will for something else. If FCPS had real competition, they would have opened last year.

Youngkin promised charters and is talking to parent groups in NOVA about vouchers. And the exit polls and focus groups have been clear—- he won on parent anger over school closures and teachers being prioritized over parents and kids. He won. A significant piece of NOVA wants this. Youngkin wants to deliver and challenge Warner or Kaine. He’ll deliver.

Most parents know that vouchers are crap. Won’t fly in FCPS.

Let me guess. You said Youngkin would never win?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think (hope) what comes out of this is a new way of doing school. One that embraces the 21st century and technology and the good parts of DL for kids who have issues that make it necessary. But, at the same time, diversifying school options and really getting creative with school choice so that charters, magnets, longer school days, year round school, vouchers for private and parochial, etc all co-exist, and parents can find accessible educational options that meet their kids’ and they family’s needs.

The great resignation is obvious in the broader world of work. The interesting thing is that the parents who shifted or are shifting jobs to better fit their lives now want their kids education to do the same. Hopefully education keeps up, and in 5-10 years there are many more options beyond traditional public school.

Um, they can't even find enough bus drivers and subs this year. Unless they start offering a hell of a lot more money, this dream of free childcare for parents ain't happening.

Yup. We can’t even get people vaccinated FFS. No way are we capable of making big changes.

Which is why we need charter schools and vouchers and privates. And the per pupil FCPS expenditure being given as vouchers. Free up the money, and options will come.

Nope. We aren’t going to destroy public schools just so rich people can subsidize their private schools.

Public schools have lost the faith of the community. Talk to the SB and the unions. If a significant % parents don’t trust or support public schools, there is the political will for something else. If FCPS had real competition, they would have opened last year.

Youngkin promised charters and is talking to parent groups in NOVA about vouchers. And the exit polls and focus groups have been clear—- he won on parent anger over school closures and teachers being prioritized over parents and kids. He won. A significant piece of NOVA wants this. Youngkin wants to deliver and challenge Warner or Kaine. He’ll deliver.

Most parents know that vouchers are crap. Won’t fly in FCPS.

Let me guess. You said Youngkin would never win?

He didn’t win in Fairfax County. Decisions will be made by local school districts. Womp womp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think (hope) what comes out of this is a new way of doing school. One that embraces the 21st century and technology and the good parts of DL for kids who have issues that make it necessary. But, at the same time, diversifying school options and really getting creative with school choice so that charters, magnets, longer school days, year round school, vouchers for private and parochial, etc all co-exist, and parents can find accessible educational options that meet their kids’ and they family’s needs.

The great resignation is obvious in the broader world of work. The interesting thing is that the parents who shifted or are shifting jobs to better fit their lives now want their kids education to do the same. Hopefully education keeps up, and in 5-10 years there are many more options beyond traditional public school.

Um, they can't even find enough bus drivers and subs this year. Unless they start offering a hell of a lot more money, this dream of free childcare for parents ain't happening.

Yup. We can’t even get people vaccinated FFS. No way are we capable of making big changes.

Which is why we need charter schools and vouchers and privates. And the per pupil FCPS expenditure being given as vouchers. Free up the money, and options will come.

If you are relying on the the state’s portion of the per pupil FCPs expenditure, it won’t be much. If privates accept state funding would they have to adhere to the same state regulations as publics? With the whole anti “Parents shouldn’t be able to tell schools what they can teach” campaign, will I then have a say in what private schools are teaching if they are using my tax dollars?

State, plus Fairfax Co. $$$. About $12k. Seem fantastical? Money following kids has passed in several states and localities this year. If you think we aren’t going to end up with a far right SB in 2023, you are delusional. There is no primary for SB. Dem party will put the current SB members back up. 75% lose to whatever RWNJ Rs run.

And no. The point of school choice is that if you don’t like what a private or charter teaches, you can take you money and go elsewhere. Your kid isn’t being harmed. And why do you care what kids learn in a charter school your kids don’t attend? Take your money and go the t School of the Bible.

Wouldn’t the County BOS have to be the ones to budget FFX tax dollars? That wouldn’t be up to the state or school board.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Listen - you need to understand that we live in a society where there is a balance between supply and demand. Teachers are in serious demand and in low supply. The counties need to keep them as happy as possible and they don’t have any money to give them decent pay increases. So they give them time off. We had huge turnover at my kids school over the last 1 1/2 years. I will gladly take a couple days off rather than go back to online or have 50 kids in a class. If you want to keep your kids in school, take care of your teachers. Seriously.

Then we really, really need to adapt the European model of year round school. 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off.

Let’s go already.

That would be a nightmare for MS and HS where kids work, swim team and other activities.

That would be a nightmare for working parents to have to constantly arrange child care.

And yet Europe somehow manages! It boggles the mind.

Not sure where you live in Europe, but in my Europe, school children get themselves to school and home. They can be home alone until parents get there.
They can even stay home alone when sick. Parents may or may not take a day off to stay home with them. Kids go to school at 7 and no 7-year old needs a grown-up with them at all times. Also, most kids live within walking distance to school. Fewer take public transportation and even fewer have a school bus organized by the county. Parents are not involved in schooling like they are here, and definitely not saddled with taking kids to school.

[Anonymous]

(Not in DC area) At my last school board meeting they were crying about not being able to find substitutes for any amount of money. The sub pool consists of retired teachers and they are not amenable to a phone call at 6:30 am asking them to be in by 7:30; they want plenty of advance notice. At the same time they are not allowing any parent volunteers on school property due to Covid. A friend suggested that SAHMs could get a substitute license so they can be part of the sub pool and surprise, the school board wanted absolutely nothing to do with this idea. All of these SAHMs who would be interested in this are highly educated. Why the hostility to parent involvement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(Not in DC area) At my last school board meeting they were crying about not being able to find substitutes for any amount of money. The sub pool consists of retired teachers and they are not amenable to a phone call at 6:30 am asking them to be in by 7:30; they want plenty of advance notice. At the same time they are not allowing any parent volunteers on school property due to Covid. A friend suggested that SAHMs could get a substitute license so they can be part of the sub pool and surprise, the school board wanted absolutely nothing to do with this idea. All of these SAHMs who would be interested in this are highly educated. Why the hostility to parent involvement?

Most of my school’s subs (FCPS ES) are SAHMs. We’ve lost a few lately because the school has hired them on as instructional assistants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listen - you need to understand that we live in a society where there is a balance between supply and demand. Teachers are in serious demand and in low supply. The counties need to keep them as happy as possible and they don’t have any money to give them decent pay increases. So they give them time off. We had huge turnover at my kids school over the last 1 1/2 years. I will gladly take a couple days off rather than go back to online or have 50 kids in a class. If you want to keep your kids in school, take care of your teachers. Seriously.

Then we really, really need to adapt the European model of year round school. 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off.

Let’s go already.

Nope. They’re not going to do that and exacerbate the teacher shortage even further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listen - you need to understand that we live in a society where there is a balance between supply and demand. Teachers are in serious demand and in low supply. The counties need to keep them as happy as possible and they don’t have any money to give them decent pay increases. So they give them time off. We had huge turnover at my kids school over the last 1 1/2 years. I will gladly take a couple days off rather than go back to online or have 50 kids in a class. If you want to keep your kids in school, take care of your teachers. Seriously.

Then we really, really need to adapt the European model of year round school. 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off.

Let’s go already.

That would be a nightmare for MS and HS where kids work, swim team and other activities.

That would be a nightmare for working parents to have to constantly arrange child care.

And yet Europe somehow manages! It boggles the mind.

It’s not going to change here, but feel free to move there if you like their system so much better. Shrug.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Schools now have learned they can close whenever they want for any reason. Any change to this will require political action.

Which shouldn’t be coming.

Schools have only closed for valid reasons.

It is already here - Youngkin.

Youngkin was just selfish idiocy of spoiled NOVA mom new “one issue voters.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(Not in DC area) At my last school board meeting they were crying about not being able to find substitutes for any amount of money. The sub pool consists of retired teachers and they are not amenable to a phone call at 6:30 am asking them to be in by 7:30; they want plenty of advance notice. At the same time they are not allowing any parent volunteers on school property due to Covid. A friend suggested that SAHMs could get a substitute license so they can be part of the sub pool and surprise, the school board wanted absolutely nothing to do with this idea. All of these SAHMs who would be interested in this are highly educated. Why the hostility to parent involvement?

Parents top priority are their own children. You want employees of a school to, as far as reasonably possible, to be unbiased and to strive for the best is all the children equally. If a mother saw that her kids classmates was outperforming her kid at anything then they might not do right by them even subconsciously. It’s appropriate for school boards to avoid that conflict of interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ZERO SYMPATHY

You reap what you sew.

They complained and whined about returning last year even when there was no risk. So this is what they get. So no I don’t want to hear any of their complaints.

They should have went back last year in person as planned. It tells you a lot about teachers as a whole when they couldn’t foresee the major issue they were creating for themselves and didn’t plan accordingly.

You can’t spell, so you probably should skip judging teachers — and nobody gives a rat’s rear end about what you do or do not “want to hear.”

Get so very much over yourself.

[Anonymous]

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I am both a teacher and a parent. I teach at a private school but send my kids to public (I can’t justify the cost to send them to my school even with the significant discount). Anyway, we didn’t shut down for the 7 weeks FCPS did in March/April 2020. I kept working while my kids were off for seven weeks. It was maddening.

My kids aren’t behind because I supplement significantly at home but many of their peers are way behind what I am teaching my students. The time off, the virtual learning, the stress of the pandemic have all taken a hard toll on kids.

I am embarrassed by how others in this profession are behaving.

I was highly, highly critical of school closures and the hypocritical response to them on the left. But, I do see that my kid’s school is working extremely hard and with some staff shortages. I actually would be in support of additional time off this year but ONLY if carefully planned far in advance and with childcare options in place (free). where is all the covid money going??

No.
School is not just about providing (free) childcare. It is a place to actually get an EDUCATION. Middle and High school kids don't need (free) childcare--they need to LEARN.

school is partially about childcare. but keep on making that transparently stupid argument all the way to the next President Trump.

Yeah, that retort about school not being childcare is mystifying to me. For families with kids, their lives have been structured, for decades, around the expectation that their kids would be in school, five days a week at set times. If public schools can’t meet thst expectation, then it may be time to provide parents more options (such as vouchers).

Nobody is getting vouchers no matter how many times you demand them. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There are NO SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS.

This is not about complaining teachers or philosophies or whatever. It’s about the job market. If you look around your office and imagine that for every single person who takes a day or two off for Thanksgiving you need to hire a temporary worker to fill their job, then you understand the situation the school systems are in.

The office manager would probably have to deny leave for some of them.

ES Teacher

Right? Not sure why this is so hard to understand.

So they call in sick. Teachers know schools can’t afford to fire them right now. Not sure why this is so hard to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dont know what to make of it. There seems no interest by anyone anymore in being a community. I work in government and we have issues too - some age groups don’t like the idea of not getting every holiday off, or having to taking turns. They aren’t willing to sacrifice for the greater good anymore. I spent years voluntarily doing my family Thanksgiving the week before real Thanksgiving so that I could work that week. It wasn’t a big deal and my family was fine with it.

As for teachers…I do think some frame of reference for the rest of our realities is lacking. It was very obvious during the pandemic…millions of us worked in person in crowded places with no mask or distance mandate like was provided for teachers. And then we had to find a way to be home to monitor virtual school. It often felt like the very vocal teachers thought all parents were work at home rich lawyers with nannies or some thing and were mad at them for that.

I have lost faith in schools. It doesn’t seem like any of the teachers actually enjoy teaching.

Many teachers do enjoy TEACHING. They just reject the incorrect demands that they also be social workers and daycare staff.