Building on ACPS Virtual Thread--what will the fall be like? Best guesses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you all see the Director of the Alexandria Health Department just abruptly retired? What is going on?

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/04/09/just-in-dr-stephen-haering-suddenly-retires-as-director-of-alexandria-health-department/?fbclid=IwAR3krgKodqfDSpk4U2ezZYmQQmtl6jr9us44g-dK0dIKO0qjKf86orXpof8

This has scapegoat written all over it. Someone has to take the blame for Hutchings', Alderton's and the rest of the SB's negligence.

Hope he tells his side of the story. I think he has a lot to tell on a number of issues.

Our take is the opposite...that he resigned rather than cave because of pressure from the Mayor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you all see the Director of the Alexandria Health Department just abruptly retired? What is going on?

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/04/09/just-in-dr-stephen-haering-suddenly-retires-as-director-of-alexandria-health-department/?fbclid=IwAR3krgKodqfDSpk4U2ezZYmQQmtl6jr9us44g-dK0dIKO0qjKf86orXpof8

This has scapegoat written all over it. Someone has to take the blame for Hutchings', Alderton's and the rest of the SB's negligence.

Hope he tells his side of the story. I think he has a lot to tell on a number of issues.

Our take is the opposite...that he resigned rather than cave because of pressure from the Mayor.

I would really like to know the reason. He was the person the Mayor threw under the bus when the “equity distribution” of vaccine policy was used by the City where they gave priority to certain 10 year old census tracts over disabled citizens. The Mayor was heavily criticized for it, and he would justify the decision by saying it was the health department director’s decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you all see the Director of the Alexandria Health Department just abruptly retired? What is going on?

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/04/09/just-in-dr-stephen-haering-suddenly-retires-as-director-of-alexandria-health-department/?fbclid=IwAR3krgKodqfDSpk4U2ezZYmQQmtl6jr9us44g-dK0dIKO0qjKf86orXpof8

This has scapegoat written all over it. Someone has to take the blame for Hutchings', Alderton's and the rest of the SB's negligence.

Hope he tells his side of the story. I think he has a lot to tell on a number of issues.

Our take is the opposite...that he resigned rather than cave because of pressure from the Mayor.

I would really like to know the reason. He was the person the Mayor threw under the bus when the “equity distribution” of vaccine policy was used by the City where they gave priority to certain 10 year old census tracts over disabled citizens. The Mayor was heavily criticized for it, and he would justify the decision by saying it was the health department director’s decision.

I missed this issue totally. Well, it seems likely that they are/were going to blame all of Hutchings decisions on Haering. Which is a shame, I haven't agreed with a number of Haering's decisions on different issues but the Health Department has been working 24/7 for the past year. Which is NOT what has been happening at central office which Hutchings stated clearly at various meetings over this year.

I hope Haering tells his side of all of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you all see the Director of the Alexandria Health Department just abruptly retired? What is going on?

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/04/09/just-in-dr-stephen-haering-suddenly-retires-as-director-of-alexandria-health-department/?fbclid=IwAR3krgKodqfDSpk4U2ezZYmQQmtl6jr9us44g-dK0dIKO0qjKf86orXpof8

This has scapegoat written all over it. Someone has to take the blame for Hutchings', Alderton's and the rest of the SB's negligence.

Hope he tells his side of the story. I think he has a lot to tell on a number of issues.

Our take is the opposite...that he resigned rather than cave because of pressure from the Mayor.

I would really like to know the reason. He was the person the Mayor threw under the bus when the “equity distribution” of vaccine policy was used by the City where they gave priority to certain 10 year old census tracts over disabled citizens. The Mayor was heavily criticized for it, and he would justify the decision by saying it was the health department director’s decision.

I missed this issue totally. Well, it seems likely that they are/were going to blame all of Hutchings decisions on Haering. Which is a shame, I haven't agreed with a number of Haering's decisions on different issues but the Health Department has been working 24/7 for the past year. Which is NOT what has been happening at central office which Hutchings stated clearly at various meetings over this year.

I hope Haering tells his side of all of this.

I do too since I really see the initial problem here is Hutchings making an unilateral official announcement on the 6 feet versus three feet / plans for the rest of the year issues without getting Board approval. There are a lot of passionate views on this issue and it was especially important to go to the Board if the recommendation was to remain more conservative than CDC guidelines. Hutchings (as he has done in the past) felt like he speaks for the Board/all of ACPS. Regardless of where you stand on Covid issues, I think the Board voting its 9-0 rebuke of Hutchings is a very good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you all see the Director of the Alexandria Health Department just abruptly retired? What is going on?

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/04/09/just-in-dr-stephen-haering-suddenly-retires-as-director-of-alexandria-health-department/?fbclid=IwAR3krgKodqfDSpk4U2ezZYmQQmtl6jr9us44g-dK0dIKO0qjKf86orXpof8

This has scapegoat written all over it. Someone has to take the blame for Hutchings', Alderton's and the rest of the SB's negligence.

Hope he tells his side of the story. I think he has a lot to tell on a number of issues.

Our take is the opposite...that he resigned rather than cave because of pressure from the Mayor.

I would really like to know the reason. He was the person the Mayor threw under the bus when the “equity distribution” of vaccine policy was used by the City where they gave priority to certain 10 year old census tracts over disabled citizens. The Mayor was heavily criticized for it, and he would justify the decision by saying it was the health department director’s decision.

I missed this issue totally. Well, it seems likely that they are/were going to blame all of Hutchings decisions on Haering. Which is a shame, I haven't agreed with a number of Haering's decisions on different issues but the Health Department has been working 24/7 for the past year. Which is NOT what has been happening at central office which Hutchings stated clearly at various meetings over this year.

I hope Haering tells his side of all of this.

I do too since I really see the initial problem here is Hutchings making an unilateral official announcement on the 6 feet versus three feet / plans for the rest of the year issues without getting Board approval. There are a lot of passionate views on this issue and it was especially important to go to the Board if the recommendation was to remain more conservative than CDC guidelines. Hutchings (as he has done in the past) felt like he speaks for the Board/all of ACPS. Regardless of where you stand on Covid issues, I think the Board voting its 9-0 rebuke of Hutchings is a very good thing.

Agree. I'm kind of happy Hutchings did what he did though - making a unilateral announcement without consulting the board, etc. If he had let the board know in advance, i'm sure they just would have gone along with it, like they do every single thing he proposes. Seemed like most of the board members were just pissed about being left out of the comms loop, rather than angry at remaining at 6 feet. At least this way there's a shot at getting more kids back in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you all see the Director of the Alexandria Health Department just abruptly retired? What is going on?

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/04/09/just-in-dr-stephen-haering-suddenly-retires-as-director-of-alexandria-health-department/?fbclid=IwAR3krgKodqfDSpk4U2ezZYmQQmtl6jr9us44g-dK0dIKO0qjKf86orXpof8

This has scapegoat written all over it. Someone has to take the blame for Hutchings', Alderton's and the rest of the SB's negligence.

Hope he tells his side of the story. I think he has a lot to tell on a number of issues.

Our take is the opposite...that he resigned rather than cave because of pressure from the Mayor.

I would really like to know the reason. He was the person the Mayor threw under the bus when the “equity distribution” of vaccine policy was used by the City where they gave priority to certain 10 year old census tracts over disabled citizens. The Mayor was heavily criticized for it, and he would justify the decision by saying it was the health department director’s decision.

I missed this issue totally. Well, it seems likely that they are/were going to blame all of Hutchings decisions on Haering. Which is a shame, I haven't agreed with a number of Haering's decisions on different issues but the Health Department has been working 24/7 for the past year. Which is NOT what has been happening at central office which Hutchings stated clearly at various meetings over this year.

I hope Haering tells his side of all of this.

I do too since I really see the initial problem here is Hutchings making an unilateral official announcement on the 6 feet versus three feet / plans for the rest of the year issues without getting Board approval. There are a lot of passionate views on this issue and it was especially important to go to the Board if the recommendation was to remain more conservative than CDC guidelines. Hutchings (as he has done in the past) felt like he speaks for the Board/all of ACPS. Regardless of where you stand on Covid issues, I think the Board voting its 9-0 rebuke of Hutchings is a very good thing.

You are correct.

To some degree it's not his fault for thinking he speaks for the board. The board has allowed that to happen since he was hired.

However their sudden reversal doesn't help, in my view. I've sat through too many SB meetings over the years and heard him attack parents and the board members said nothing and in some cases (Anderson, Lorber, Nolan and Alderton most notably) participated. It's all too late. We are soon to be out of ACPS and I feel an overwhelming sense of relief.

[Anonymous]

Did you all see the Director of the Alexandria Health Department just abruptly retired? What is going on?

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/04/09/just-in-dr-steph...jr9us44g-dK0dIKO0qjKf86orXpof8


This has scapegoat written all over it. Someone has to take the blame for Hutchings', Alderton's and the rest of the SB's negligence.

Hope he tells his side of the story. I think he has a lot to tell on a number of issues.



Our take is the opposite...that he resigned rather than cave because of pressure from the Mayor.

Unless he says his reason, we will not know, so I am not sure what good speculating either way does anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Did you all see the Director of the Alexandria Health Department just abruptly retired? What is going on?

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/04/09/just-in-dr-steph...jr9us44g-dK0dIKO0qjKf86orXpof8


This has scapegoat written all over it. Someone has to take the blame for Hutchings', Alderton's and the rest of the SB's negligence.

Hope he tells his side of the story. I think he has a lot to tell on a number of issues.



Our take is the opposite...that he resigned rather than cave because of pressure from the Mayor.

Unless he says his reason, we will not know, so I am not sure what good speculating either way does anyone.

I didn't know that he'd already been the scapegoat once for the mayor so I would say an exchange of information about Alexandria's government officials is good.

[Anonymous]

He has been the scapegoat of the mayor before so I don't doubt that the mayor is throwing him under the bus again. Our mayor is a crook. He doesn't deserve any respect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He has been the scapegoat of the mayor before so I don't doubt that the mayor is throwing him under the bus again. Our mayor is a crook. He doesn't deserve any respect.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He has been the scapegoat of the mayor before so I don't doubt that the mayor is throwing him under the bus again. Our mayor is a crook. He doesn't deserve any respect.

+1

+2

[Anonymous]

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/04/14/acps-will-go-to-3-feet-distancing-in-classrooms-on-april-26/

So according to Lorber, Hutchings did nothing wrong and the media is to blame for causing discontent. Come on. Hutchings needs to be held to account for his poor leadership and communication and usurping the Board’s authority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.alxnow.com/2021/04/14/acps-will-go-to-3-feet-distancing-in-classrooms-on-april-26/

So according to Lorber, Hutchings did nothing wrong and the media is to blame for causing discontent. Come on. Hutchings needs to be held to account for his poor leadership and communication and usurping the Board’s authority.

Lorber is awful. She has been for years & has made her distain for parents loud and clear. It's nothing new and she never wants any sunlight on anything ACPS does.

[Anonymous]

Lorber is disturbingly out of touch and anti-parent.

Last fall, she did a zoom with parents from our school (GM) and told them that she understood what they were going through because she takes care of her baby granddaughter a few hours a day.

And then told them they were wrong to want their kids back in school. The next day there was a SB meeting and she spoke about the zoom and how she had put the parents in their place and let them know that they are wrong.

[Anonymous]

Lorber also said during their work meeting last night that while she was surprised ACPS announced "6ft until the end of the year" decision over email, she totally supported that decision, because it would have been just so hard to do. For ACPS staff and teachers. I just wish for once ACPS would remember the reason they exist is to educate children, not to employ staff.

Also interesting that the new narrative is that the "6 feet until the end of the year", in bold, in the ACPS express, was just a misunderstanding, mistake by the comms staff. And that it was never ACPSs intention to remain at 6 feet. And the entire board was like "oh, well, mistakes happen". I can't believe the complete lies they let Hutchings get away with.