Why are DC privates the most conservative when in comes to COVID precautions?

[Anonymous]

Why are DC privates seemingly the only private schools in the country that are doing full DL? I have friends with kids in privates in Chicago, Seattle, CT, Florida and even Manhattan (FFS) who are back at school between two and five days a week. Our COVID rates are just as low or lower than most of those places. And we have space to have the kids outside (versus some of the NYC schools.). Every day that goes by, we get closer to winter/cold weather/flu season, and I get more frustrated. What will it take for DC privates to have kids on campus in any capacity?

[Anonymous]

You make it sound like no schools are in person in this area and all schools are open elsewhere. Neither is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You make it sound like no schools are in person in this area and all schools are open elsewhere. Neither is true.

I never said either of those things. Most DC private schools are in fact in DL, at least those with MS/HS. I’ve been frustrated by the many examples of privates that are open, based on my unscientific sample of schools in other places with similar or worse COVID numbers. It seems that DC is the most conservative jurisdiction in the country when it comes to private school reopening. Even SF privates are preparing to reopen next week.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/amp/SF-private-schools-inch-closer-to-reopening-but-15576381.php

[Anonymous]

Don't worry about it. Our school had a visit hour a couple of days ago and it was like they made the event up to convince us to choose DL. It's clear that they are doing the bare minimum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are DC privates seemingly the only private schools in the country that are doing full DL? I have friends with kids in privates in Chicago, Seattle, CT, Florida and even Manhattan (FFS) who are back at school between two and five days a week. Our COVID rates are just as low or lower than most of those places. And we have space to have the kids outside (versus some of the NYC schools.). Every day that goes by, we get closer to winter/cold weather/flu season, and I get more frustrated. What will it take for DC privates to have kids on campus in any capacity?

No one wants to get sued and the DC schools are way overloaded with lawyer parents and board members. No DC school is looking at what schools are doing in NY - orFL, Seattle, or Chicago - in deciding whether to re-open or not. The closer we get to flu season, though and the more news there is about schools closing as a result of infection scares, the more likely it will be that DC schools dig in an stay closed.

[Anonymous]

Don't blame it on all the lawyers. NY has lawyer board members and parents too. It is one lawyer at one school and he is married to a teacher. Plenty of us do not want to sue our kid's school. We are not all idiots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't blame it on all the lawyers. NY has lawyer board members and parents too. It is one lawyer at one school and he is married to a teacher. Plenty of us do not want to sue our kid's school. We are not all idiots.

I signed a waiver and still my kid has not been on campus.

[Anonymous]

Liability.

[Anonymous]

I believe some of it is the requirements that DC government has placed on the schools. These are the three that seem the most restrictive to adhere to:

No more than 12 total individuals clustered in one group, and no more than one group per room (so a school can't put more than 11 students in a huge space, like the gymnasium.)

Grouping the same students and staff together each day and throughout the day. (I'm not sure what this requirement means - but if it means students 1 through 10 need to stay together each time they are at school, high school is going to be almost impossible. High school students don't all take the same identical classes.)

No mixing between groups to include entry and exit of the building, at meal time, in the rest room, on the playground, in the hallway, and other shared spaces

[Anonymous]

My private has been open since late August and it has been great. No reason for other private schools to remain close other than politics, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Liability.

Politics

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Liability.

Politics

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are DC privates seemingly the only private schools in the country that are doing full DL? I have friends with kids in privates in Chicago, Seattle, CT, Florida and even Manhattan (FFS) who are back at school between two and five days a week. Our COVID rates are just as low or lower than most of those places. And we have space to have the kids outside (versus some of the NYC schools.). Every day that goes by, we get closer to winter/cold weather/flu season, and I get more frustrated. What will it take for DC privates to have kids on campus in any capacity?

More leftist politics from schools, teachers and small group of parents. Everyone else remains silent. Kids in DC get another semester of subpar education and social development. And then another and another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe some of it is the requirements that DC government has placed on the schools. These are the three that seem the most restrictive to adhere to:

No more than 12 total individuals clustered in one group, and no more than one group per room (so a school can't put more than 11 students in a huge space, like the gymnasium.)

Grouping the same students and staff together each day and throughout the day. (I'm not sure what this requirement means - but if it means students 1 through 10 need to stay together each time they are at school, high school is going to be almost impossible. High school students don't all take the same identical classes.)

No mixing between groups to include entry and exit of the building, at meal time, in the rest room, on the playground, in the hallway, and other shared spaces

It's this.

Most DC schools simply can't meet these requirements that exist in Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the reopening guidelines. They don't have enough space.

Also worth noting DC has some very strict metrics when it comes to reopening, as they are pretty much the only state/government reporting "percentage of infections from close contacts" which tracks how widespread the virus is moving vs. the effectiveness of contact tracers. The goal is 60% of new cases coming from contacts of existing cases (as it is in places like Hong Kong and Korea) but DC is currently averaging about 4 or 5%, meaning 95% of the cases are coming from unknown sources. Absent meeting that rather strict goal Phase 3 is far off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe some of it is the requirements that DC government has placed on the schools. These are the three that seem the most restrictive to adhere to:

No more than 12 total individuals clustered in one group, and no more than one group per room (so a school can't put more than 11 students in a huge space, like the gymnasium.)

Grouping the same students and staff together each day and throughout the day. (I'm not sure what this requirement means - but if it means students 1 through 10 need to stay together each time they are at school, high school is going to be almost impossible. High school students don't all take the same identical classes.)

No mixing between groups to include entry and exit of the building, at meal time, in the rest room, on the playground, in the hallway, and other shared spaces

That’s called politics.

When bowser adds new hardly achievement off-market goalposts every month that is politics.

When she and her paid consultants came out with their phases and her phase 4 was everyone else’s phase 2= more politics.

On another planet frankly.