APS Return to School Presentation Posted

[Anonymous]

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/arlington/Board...0Update%20010720.pdf

I don't understand how teachers can be pissed at this plan. All Duran is asking them to do is go teach in empty classrooms beginning at the end of the month. There is no firm date on even getting kids back physically in the classroom (likely due to the uncertainty with numbers and the new COVID strain). This at least gets them back in the practice of being back in the classroom and getting that "muscle memory" back. And prep can happen to return the kids to school. And hopefully with them in the school, they can provide vaccinations to them as soon as they are available.

[Anonymous]

The teachers will still complain.

[Anonymous]

The teachers are dead set on not going back in-person this year in any way. Someone just posted to APE (which I’m a member of just to see their side, not because I fully support their positions) that she had a meeting with Libby Garvey today, who said the teachers are the biggest impediment to reopening schools. Apparently APS is concerned if they reopen, so many teachers will refuse to return that they’ll have a teacher shortage for hybrid. It sounds like this may be part of the reason for bringing the teachers back earlier, that APS can get a sense of how much of a problem this is in advance rather than face an effective mass walkout just ask students are arriving at the building.

[Anonymous]

Very intetested in the commentary tonight regarding “TBD”.

[Anonymous]

They’ve determined it. They just won’t say. I thought a teacher on another thread said they plan to bring back students Feb. 9. Not sure what level though.

[Anonymous]

How long will we let the teachers hold our students hostage?

[Anonymous]

Not a teacher but having teachers in the building without students is dumb as F.

It increases their risk of exposure from other teachers (shared bathrooms, who knows how HVAC works, etc). For freaking theater.

WTF muscle memory? When they can go back safely and teach to students in person, they won’t forget how to stand in front of a whiteboard

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a teacher but having teachers in the building without students is dumb as F.

It increases their risk of exposure from other teachers (shared bathrooms, who knows how HVAC works, etc). For freaking theater.

WTF muscle memory? When they can go back safely and teach to students in person, they won’t forget how to stand in front of a whiteboard

Unless they haven't left their house since the pandemic began, this is no more risky than their every day activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The teachers are dead set on not going back in-person this year in any way. Someone just posted to APE (which I’m a member of just to see their side, not because I fully support their positions) that she had a meeting with Libby Garvey today, who said the teachers are the biggest impediment to reopening schools. Apparently APS is concerned if they reopen, so many teachers will refuse to return that they’ll have a teacher shortage for hybrid. It sounds like this may be part of the reason for bringing the teachers back earlier, that APS can get a sense of how much of a problem this is in advance rather than face an effective mass walkout just ask students are arriving at the building.

I'm sure its this. APS thinks its teachers are going to quit en masse. Some people suggest that is not true given that FCPS, FCCPS, PWS, LCS, have not seen this mass resignations. This is the clearest way to find out if it is true or not.
It's also to give them time to get ready, e.g. actually get childcare if needed, actually move back to commuting distance if needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a teacher but having teachers in the building without students is dumb as F.

It increases their risk of exposure from other teachers (shared bathrooms, who knows how HVAC works, etc). For freaking theater.

WTF muscle memory? When they can go back safely and teach to students in person, they won’t forget how to stand in front of a whiteboard

Unless they haven't left their house since the pandemic began, this is no more risky than their every day activities.

BS. Shared bathrooms alone make it way way higher. Have you ever used a school bathroom?

[Anonymous]

Good to see we are back to blaming teachers for everything. Cool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good to see we are back to blaming teachers for everything. Cool.

Go tell it to Libby Garvey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers are dead set on not going back in-person this year in any way. Someone just posted to APE (which I’m a member of just to see their side, not because I fully support their positions) that she had a meeting with Libby Garvey today, who said the teachers are the biggest impediment to reopening schools. Apparently APS is concerned if they reopen, so many teachers will refuse to return that they’ll have a teacher shortage for hybrid. It sounds like this may be part of the reason for bringing the teachers back earlier, that APS can get a sense of how much of a problem this is in advance rather than face an effective mass walkout just ask students are arriving at the building.

I'm sure its this. APS thinks its teachers are going to quit en masse. Some people suggest that is not true given that FCPS, FCCPS, PWS, LCS, have not seen this mass resignations. This is the clearest way to find out if it is true or not.
It's also to give them time to get ready, e.g. actually get childcare if needed, actually move back to commuting distance if needed.

Because of its high COL APS has 3 types of teachers:

1) young single teachers living in apartments
2) married teachers more embedded in community who have a breadwinner husband to afford to live here
3) older teachers who bought here in 80s and 90s and near retirement.

ALL of them are way more willing to quit than the LCPS teachers who often make up over half their households incomes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a teacher but having teachers in the building without students is dumb as F.

It increases their risk of exposure from other teachers (shared bathrooms, who knows how HVAC works, etc). For freaking theater.

WTF muscle memory? When they can go back safely and teach to students in person, they won’t forget how to stand in front of a whiteboard

Unless they haven't left their house since the pandemic began, this is no more risky than their every day activities.

BS. Shared bathrooms alone make it way way higher. Have you ever used a school bathroom?

DP. I use the school bathroom virtually every time I’m at the school. School bathrooms are about the same as other public bathrooms. Have you not used a public bathroom since March?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers are dead set on not going back in-person this year in any way. Someone just posted to APE (which I’m a member of just to see their side, not because I fully support their positions) that she had a meeting with Libby Garvey today, who said the teachers are the biggest impediment to reopening schools. Apparently APS is concerned if they reopen, so many teachers will refuse to return that they’ll have a teacher shortage for hybrid. It sounds like this may be part of the reason for bringing the teachers back earlier, that APS can get a sense of how much of a problem this is in advance rather than face an effective mass walkout just ask students are arriving at the building.

I'm sure its this. APS thinks its teachers are going to quit en masse. Some people suggest that is not true given that FCPS, FCCPS, PWS, LCS, have not seen this mass resignations. This is the clearest way to find out if it is true or not.
It's also to give them time to get ready, e.g. actually get childcare if needed, actually move back to commuting distance if needed.

Don’t blame them one bit. If I were forced back at the peak of this pandemic to sit in rooms with 6-10 kids I’d strongly consider quitting. This is a big labor problem for Arlington. If you force these teachers back when conditions are like this, you will NOT HAVE ENOUGH TEACHERS. They are going to have to stay distance to keep enough teachers OR start granting permission for theme to stay home and hire aides to be in classroom while teachers teach from home. Aides are less skilled labor so APS has a better chance of finding enough.