NYC parents vs DC parents

[Anonymous]

As a native New Yorker, I am completely and totally sick of the Washington Teachers Union/ ELIZABETH DAVIS and her unrealistic notion of virtual school-going forever... My Kindergartener is new to her DCPS school and starting a BRAND NEW SCHOOL VIRTUALLY SUCKS. I hate everything about this. I'm beyond angry at the Mayor and "leadership" but mostly disgusted by the WTU and their complete lack of concern for how badly these new learners in elementary school are going to be behind due to the WTU's BS demands.
NYC managed to get the kids back in school in a much more complicated school district and after a Spring and Summer of MUCH worse conditions than DC but DC teachers can not? The parents in NYC are not standing for the city shutting down the schools and are FIGHTING BACK but in DC? every parent here is too Politically correct and scared to stand up to the WTU and demand we open schools. I'm so sick of this and can't believe parents are just lying down and taking this garbage.

[Anonymous]

The difference is that the city government does not care about parents at all here. We make up a tiny percentage of residents and are not their focus. They do not care if we move out of the city in fact they probably prefer that we move out of the city if we are going to be demanding and (to their way of thinking) entitled.

Start from that perspective and you won't be disappointed in the actions our city takes.

A more forward thinking mayor like Anthony Williams or even Fenty might have reacted differently, but with Mayor Bowser, bravery is not going to happen.

[Anonymous]

You do realize that the NYC schools were only open for about six weeks and are now closed right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do realize that the NYC schools were only open for about six weeks and are now closed right?

Thank-you. I thought OPs post was old. I also read that they are no closed.

[Anonymous]

They were also open for only 2 days a week for most students, which isn’t a marked improvement over DL imo. I’m not defending DCPS but every urban school district is struggling with this right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do realize that the NYC schools were only open for about six weeks and are now closed right?

Yes I do. Obviously. They were open for 8 weeks and closed and the parents are protesting for them to open. That’s kind of the entire point of my post...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You do realize that the NYC schools were only open for about six weeks and are now closed right?

Thank-you. I thought OPs post was old. I also read that they are no closed.

You do realize that NYC made every effort to open schools (and did!) and then sabotaged itself by setting a low barrier to closure - 3% positivity rate? Schools should be open, DiBlasio's hubris (or wishful thinking) of setting such a low metric he could not control put him in this situation.

Parents are not united here, teachers/WTU don't understand the science and most are following along like sheep.

[Anonymous]

I get where you’re coming from, OP. Even Montgomery County and Fairfax County have organized, public groups of parents calling for reopening. DCPS parents are much more likely to be a bit clueless and overly idealistic, so the official line is “support the teachers!!” If you go against that publicly, you risk your child’s reputation. It’s kind of a small-town feeling. I think also DCPS parents are so used to feeling like the school reflects their choice and identity, which makes them feel overly identified with the teachers. Basically they feel like the way to preserve their precious “school community” is to keep the schools closed until the teachers feel totally happy. They dread seeming mean or “unempathetic” and hence cannot publicly call out the WTU. What this all boils down to is that they only really care about their own kids, as a practical matter, and don’t really value school as education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They were also open for only 2 days a week for most students, which isn’t a marked improvement over DL imo. I’m not defending DCPS but every urban school district is struggling with this right now.

correction: every school district with a dominant teacher’s union is dealing with this right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The difference is that the city government does not care about parents at all here. We make up a tiny percentage of residents and are not their focus. They do not care if we move out of the city in fact they probably prefer that we move out of the city if we are going to be demanding and (to their way of thinking) entitled.

Start from that perspective and you won't be disappointed in the actions our city takes.

A more forward thinking mayor like Anthony Williams or even Fenty might have reacted differently, but with Mayor Bowser, bravery is not going to happen.

did you miss the part where the mayor tried to reopen schools and the teachers went on strike?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get where you’re coming from, OP. Even Montgomery County and Fairfax County have organized, public groups of parents calling for reopening. DCPS parents are much more likely to be a bit clueless and overly idealistic, so the official line is “support the teachers!!” If you go against that publicly, you risk your child’s reputation. It’s kind of a small-town feeling. I think also DCPS parents are so used to feeling like the school reflects their choice and identity, which makes them feel overly identified with the teachers. Basically they feel like the way to preserve their precious “school community” is to keep the schools closed until the teachers feel totally happy. They dread seeming mean or “unempathetic” and hence cannot publicly call out the WTU. What this all boils down to is that they only really care about their own kids, as a practical matter, and don’t really value school as education.

You might be right on this. I myself am certainly not about to publicly push back too hard (even if I have done so at our school). You will be ostracized. At charters it’s worse, major fissures are appearing and may harm the communities for years. Parents aren’t at all united, indeed it’s almost like politics in this country but we are all dems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get where you’re coming from, OP. Even Montgomery County and Fairfax County have organized, public groups of parents calling for reopening. DCPS parents are much more likely to be a bit clueless and overly idealistic, so the official line is “support the teachers!!” If you go against that publicly, you risk your child’s reputation. It’s kind of a small-town feeling. I think also DCPS parents are so used to feeling like the school reflects their choice and identity, which makes them feel overly identified with the teachers. Basically they feel like the way to preserve their precious “school community” is to keep the schools closed until the teachers feel totally happy. They dread seeming mean or “unempathetic” and hence cannot publicly call out the WTU. What this all boils down to is that they only really care about their own kids, as a practical matter, and don’t really value school as education.

Nailed it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get where you’re coming from, OP. Even Montgomery County and Fairfax County have organized, public groups of parents calling for reopening. DCPS parents are much more likely to be a bit clueless and overly idealistic, so the official line is “support the teachers!!” If you go against that publicly, you risk your child’s reputation. It’s kind of a small-town feeling. I think also DCPS parents are so used to feeling like the school reflects their choice and identity, which makes them feel overly identified with the teachers. Basically they feel like the way to preserve their precious “school community” is to keep the schools closed until the teachers feel totally happy. They dread seeming mean or “unempathetic” and hence cannot publicly call out the WTU. What this all boils down to is that they only really care about their own kids, as a practical matter, and don’t really value school as education.

Nailed it!

I think I did nail it, and it’s really perplexing. I think it’s a reflection of privilege (“Larla is bright and will be fine!”), an unshakeable belief in their child’s place in the meritocracy that someone dispenses with the need for education as long as the child is taking all the required steps in the meritocracy ladder. Right now, that step is “support the teacher’s! it’s not safe!” so all is well.

[Anonymous]

*somehow* dispenses with the need for education

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You do realize that the NYC schools were only open for about six weeks and are now closed right?

Thank-you. I thought OPs post was old. I also read that they are no closed.

You do realize that NYC made every effort to open schools (and did!) and then sabotaged itself by setting a low barrier to closure - 3% positivity rate? Schools should be open, DiBlasio's hubris (or wishful thinking) of setting such a low metric he could not control put him in this situation.

Parents are not united here, teachers/WTU don't understand the science and most are following along like sheep.

Parents in NYC are not united either, there is just a very vocal contingent of (mostly white, wealthy) parents agitating to open schools. Parents in poorer neighborhoods were not sending their kids to in person, largely- many schools where 70-90% of students opted for all virtual learning.