ACPS School Reopening Delayed

[Anonymous]

No surprise here. I honestly don’t think they’re going back this year.

Dear ACPS Families,

As shared with you in Friday’s ACPS Express and ACPS Insider, each Monday morning we will be reassessing the situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic and communicating our decision around transitioning to school building reopening for the following week.

The decision is based on real-time information, which is then analyzed using our school building reopening decision matrix. The decision matrix is based on community health metrics as well as staffing and capacity levels that impact our ability to operate efficiently and implement health and safety mitigation measures. The decision will always be made one week ahead so you, our families and staff, have time to plan ahead for any changes.

View the matrix and decision for Monday, Jan. 11, 2021.

As you may be aware, the number of positive cases and transmission rates in Alexandria have continued to climb after the winter break.

-Community Transmission Rates are at 11.3 - Highest Risk
-The number of cases over the past seven days is at 653.5 - Highest Risk
-ACPS staffing and capacity is at a strained level (50-75%)

Due to our current community transmission levels and school impact level, I have made the decision to delay the transition of Students With Disabilities in grades K-2 a part of our Citywide Program on Jan. 19 using our decision matrix. This will mean that the groups set to return on Jan. 19 will return with the group scheduled to return on Jan. 26.

I am sure many of you are as disappointed as I am that we have had to make the decision not to transition the first cohort of students on Jan 19. We will continually reassess the situation and each Monday going forward I will inform the community of our latest decision for transitioning into our school buildings. You will find this posted to the ACPS website homepage each Monday. I will also follow up with a video in Express each week with more information on our continuous plans for our phased reentry.

Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools

[Anonymous]

What led you to believe that they would go back right now, with rates in VA being what they are, and teachers not being vaccinated yet? I hope the kids get back, but it would be unreasonable to think they were going to do it now if they hadn't done it prior to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What led you to believe that they would go back right now, with rates in VA being what they are, and teachers not being vaccinated yet? I hope the kids get back, but it would be unreasonable to think they were going to do it now if they hadn't done it prior to.

I knew they weren't going back. Hence why I started my post with “no surprise here.”

[Anonymous]

I think they will go back in March or April. But I think they made the right decision this round - the number is just too high and too risky.

[Anonymous]

I don't think we will go back until September. I think even in September, virtual will be an option and there will be asynchronous days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think we will go back until September. I think even in September, virtual will be an option and there will be asynchronous days.

Same. My child will be in K and we're planning to homeschool if school isn't fully back to normal.

[Anonymous]

Our superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr has had quite the year!

Moved his daughter to BI in anticipation of his closing the public schools for the entire school year. Her friends, not him or the school board, broke this news.

Kept the schools closed all year and brags about himself on CNN.

Touts the we are in a dual pandemic of COVID and more importantly racism, while white kids are largely doing fine remote and Black/Latino dropping out at historic highs.

TCW only local high school in VA not to have a winter sports season. Again the white kids playing club sports and all good, those that can’t afford it just miss a year of sports.

Strutted like a peacock as himself and teachers received vaccine before stage 4 cancer patients. And still no school opening even hybrid. Not one student in class. Zero.

Amazing performance.

[Anonymous]

Agreed. I am so sad for all the children.

[Anonymous]

What a disaster. My CT hometown has been safely and fully back in person for a while now. I'm not sending my kid to ACPS K after all this. Homeschool time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr has had quite the year!

Moved his daughter to BI in anticipation of his closing the public schools for the entire school year. Her friends, not him or the school board, broke this news.

Kept the schools closed all year and brags about himself on CNN.

Touts the we are in a dual pandemic of COVID and more importantly racism, while white kids are largely doing fine remote and Black/Latino dropping out at historic highs.

TCW only local high school in VA not to have a winter sports season. Again the white kids playing club sports and all good, those that can’t afford it just miss a year of sports.

Strutted like a peacock as himself and teachers received vaccine before stage 4 cancer patients. And still no school opening even hybrid. Not one student in class. Zero.

Amazing performance.

+1 This made my night!

[Anonymous]

This is just anecdotal but a teacher at our ACPS elementary played a video of her class today. It was half its usual size and every student was white (this school is very diverse). It honestly looks like students of color have simply disappeared from school and fallen off the radar. Truly tragic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr has had quite the year!

Moved his daughter to BI in anticipation of his closing the public schools for the entire school year. Her friends, not him or the school board, broke this news.

Kept the schools closed all year and brags about himself on CNN.

Touts the we are in a dual pandemic of COVID and more importantly racism, while white kids are largely doing fine remote and Black/Latino dropping out at historic highs.

TCW only local high school in VA not to have a winter sports season. Again the white kids playing club sports and all good, those that can’t afford it just miss a year of sports.

Strutted like a peacock as himself and teachers received vaccine before stage 4 cancer patients. And still no school opening even hybrid. Not one student in class. Zero.

Amazing performance.

+1 This made my night!

+1 And this made my night too! So glad someone else sees it! And the hits keep coming!

[Anonymous]

That's odd, PP, and certainly not reflective of all schools or classrooms in our District. I am a teacher at one of our schools. I never have more than 1 or 2 students absent. All of my students are children of color. I am proud of my students and their outstanding effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What a disaster. My CT hometown has been safely and fully back in person for a while now. I'm not sending my kid to ACPS K after all this. Homeschool time.

I envy you! I wish I'd figured this out five years ago instead of my kid wasting his time in ACPS in general and George Mason specifically. Best of luck! You are making the right choice.

[Anonymous]

Can we vote Hutchins and the school board out? It is an election year, correct? Is anyone mobilizing to run against this horrible person? I want to donate asap!