APS: Open Now group (APE) fundraising for new signs for 5 day a week school

[Anonymous]

So that didn't take long. Elementary students returned yesterday and already APE is fundraising for new signs that say:

Your Student, Every Day
APS is Ready

Did I miss the announcement that COVID is over? Because I swear I just heard the CDC Director and President Biden say now is not the time to relax our mitigation efforts because 50,000 people a day are catching COVID and 2,000 people a day are still dying from it. Presumably this mitigation includes the social distancing that is impossible if all students go back right now. I also heard President Biden say yesterday that adults will be vaccinated by the end of May, so maybe it's worth waiting for at least that?

WTAF is wrong with them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So that didn't take long. Elementary students returned yesterday and already APE is fundraising for new signs that say:

Your Student, Every Day
APS is Ready

Did I miss the announcement that COVID is over? Because I swear I just heard the CDC Director and President Biden say now is not the time to relax our mitigation efforts because 50,000 people a day are catching COVID and 2,000 people a day are still dying from it. Presumably this mitigation includes the social distancing that is impossible if all students go back right now. I also heard President Biden say yesterday that adults will be vaccinated by the end of May, so maybe it's worth waiting for at least that?

WTAF is wrong with them?

I think it's funny that people are wasting their money on lawn signs. That's really what's going to get us to 5 day a week school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So that didn't take long. Elementary students returned yesterday and already APE is fundraising for new signs that say:

Your Student, Every Day
APS is Ready

Did I miss the announcement that COVID is over? Because I swear I just heard the CDC Director and President Biden say now is not the time to relax our mitigation efforts because 50,000 people a day are catching COVID and 2,000 people a day are still dying from it. Presumably this mitigation includes the social distancing that is impossible if all students go back right now. I also heard President Biden say yesterday that adults will be vaccinated by the end of May, so maybe it's worth waiting for at least that?

WTAF is wrong with them?

I think it's funny that people are wasting their money on lawn signs. That's really what's going to get us to 5 day a week school.

Their PR strategy is funny. Their science/COVID denial is less so.

[Anonymous]

Some folks need hobbies.

[Anonymous]

Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?

But now? The drop in COVID cases has leveled off. We're not out of the woods yet, but we're definitely close to it. There is already a bill on Northam's desk for a full in-person option starting July 1, when all adults in the country will have had the chance to be vaccinated. Schools are opening for in-person learning as we speak. Let APS get through more than 1 day before beating this drum FFS.

Btw, your story sounds made up to justify your sign.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a sign and I agree that 5 days/week this year is a big reach. However, the science around this really is clear: you can have kids safely attending schools with reasonable mitigation efforts. We really can't relitigate this every day on here, and if you disagree with me about this, then fine: don't send your kids back to school. However if you think 5 days a week is a given for this fall (as MANY parents I know seem to, even those who chose virtual for this year), I assure you, you are wrong. COVID is not going to magically vanish. Ever. We have to start thinking of how to proceed with life or at least the most "essential" pieces of it, while dealing with the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?

Yeah this.

In hindsight, we should have been pressuring them on open schools starting back in April 2020. So if we start now, maybe, just maybe, there will be 5 days a week in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?

I'm the PP who was laughing. I support 5 days a week school in the fall, I just don't think that lawn signs are the way to get there. Teachers being vaccinated in wonderful and I think we are on the right path but vaccinated teachers doesn't equate to the pandemic ending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?

Well if they do that they’d better give everyone the opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a sign and I agree that 5 days/week this year is a big reach. However, the science around this really is clear: you can have kids safely attending schools with reasonable mitigation efforts. We really can't relitigate this every day on here, and if you disagree with me about this, then fine: don't send your kids back to school. However if you think 5 days a week is a given for this fall (as MANY parents I know seem to, even those who chose virtual for this year), I assure you, you are wrong. COVID is not going to magically vanish. Ever. We have to start thinking of how to proceed with life or at least the most "essential" pieces of it, while dealing with the pandemic.

I'm OP and I agree. I think we'll be back in the fall, but with masks and still a virtual option for those who need it. Just the idea of it being RIGHT NOW is more than a bit much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?

But now? The drop in COVID cases has leveled off. We're not out of the woods yet, but we're definitely close to it. There is already a bill on Northam's desk for a full in-person option starting July 1, when all adults in the country will have had the chance to be vaccinated. Schools are opening for in-person learning as we speak. Let APS get through more than 1 day before beating this drum FFS.

Btw, your story sounds made up to justify your sign.

DP. I agree that “5 days a week now” is premature. There’s so many factors to work around. Not the least of which is we’ve been closed up for literally a year now and we have to get people psychologically comfortable with going out again, plus (as you mentioned) adult vaccines slowly rolling out to more people.

That said! I also get why they’re doing it now. Because you have to keep the pressure on, even for the fall, even with the bill likely being signed by the governor. You have to keep the closures in peoples minds, or else people will forget about it and be more likely to accept whatever school crumbs are thrown our way. Look how the school opening bill has been barely covered by the media! The local media thinks of education as a fringe, unimportant issue, a woman’s issue, a “who cares, parents need to figure it out” issue. Many journalists are men and many don’t have kids, and they really don’t get it or care to get it. Coverage of local issues is sorely lacking around here anyway and coverage of kids and family-related issues is particularly bad.

They need to keep reminding people that our kids aren’t in school - until such time as the kids are in school. Real, full time school for those who want it. Because no one else is going to advocate for our kids.

[Anonymous]

Yeah let's definitely cram all the kids into school just like we did before Covid, for sure that sounds like a winner strategy. Go ape, APE!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So that didn't take long. Elementary students returned yesterday and already APE is fundraising for new signs that say:

Your Student, Every Day
APS is Ready

Did I miss the announcement that COVID is over? Because I swear I just heard the CDC Director and President Biden say now is not the time to relax our mitigation efforts because 50,000 people a day are catching COVID and 2,000 people a day are still dying from it. Presumably this mitigation includes the social distancing that is impossible if all students go back right now. I also heard President Biden say yesterday that adults will be vaccinated by the end of May, so maybe it's worth waiting for at least that?

WTAF is wrong with them?

What’s pathetic is that within a couple hours of APE posting this in their Facebook page, which you’re obviously a member of, you come to DCUM to complain about it? Don’t you have anything else better to do? So you’re in that Facebook group for what? Sleuthing purposes? Seriously, pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Other school districts in VA are going to four days per week. Some that had only been hybrid or all virtual. APS is dragging their feet at every turn. You all must think your kids are geniuses and don’t need in person school. Mine do. Open More Now!