Support the Montgomery Virtual Academy (MVA) from Budget Cuts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just love that the person who says “significant school choice” is the “only” thing that’ll salvage American education is hellbent on denying others that same choice. The cognitive dissonance is astounding but not surprising.

I'm not the school choice poster, but I'll note that the MVA supporters aren't any better. They now like to talk about how important it is to offer the choice of virtual because not all kids can learn in the same environment, but they still won't acknowledge it was wrong to deny kids a similar choice for 18 months until the fall of 2021.

The reality is everyone is watching out for themselves and their kids. If you want to send your kids to MVA, or you want to teach in MVA, then that means coming up with arguments to support it, regardless of any logical inconsistencies with previous positions expressed. If you send your kids to MCPS schools, then that means advocating for maximizing the resources available to those schools by keeping MVA closed.

Actually most MVA parents fully acknowledge that virtual didn’t work for everyone. It’s in person parents who won’t acknowledge virtual works for others without trying to say they are bad parents, want kids to go on vacations, shield their eyes from school clothing (the most bizarre argument yet), etc.

I've never heard a single MVA supporter acknowledge that kids should have had the opportunity to go to school in fall 2020. Some even point to MVA as an example for the rest of MCPS to follow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery should join with Frederick and/or other counties to offer a consolidated virtual academy. More bang for the buck.

This isn't a bad idea, but we should do virtual placement based on medical need and ensure every enrolled child has an effective and safe learning environment at home.

Virtual should be open to anyone who wants virtual school. Kids attending in person school aren’t always going home to safe environments. Stop worrying how other people choose to educate their kids and focus on your own.

Public schools have always been, but increasingly so in recent decades, used as an opportunity to provide supports to needy or at-risk kids and families. That should continue to be true, regardless of whether kids are in-person or virtual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just love that the person who says “significant school choice” is the “only” thing that’ll salvage American education is hellbent on denying others that same choice. The cognitive dissonance is astounding but not surprising.

I'm not the school choice poster, but I'll note that the MVA supporters aren't any better. They now like to talk about how important it is to offer the choice of virtual because not all kids can learn in the same environment, but they still won't acknowledge it was wrong to deny kids a similar choice for 18 months until the fall of 2021.

The reality is everyone is watching out for themselves and their kids. If you want to send your kids to MVA, or you want to teach in MVA, then that means coming up with arguments to support it, regardless of any logical inconsistencies with previous positions expressed. If you send your kids to MCPS schools, then that means advocating for maximizing the resources available to those schools by keeping MVA closed.

Actually most MVA parents fully acknowledge that virtual didn’t work for everyone. It’s in person parents who won’t acknowledge virtual works for others without trying to say they are bad parents, want kids to go on vacations, shield their eyes from school clothing (the most bizarre argument yet), etc.

I've never heard a single MVA supporter acknowledge that kids should have had the opportunity to go to school in fall 2020. Some even point to MVA as an example for the rest of MCPS to follow.

So your singular experience should be counted as universal. Got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery should join with Frederick and/or other counties to offer a consolidated virtual academy. More bang for the buck.

This isn't a bad idea, but we should do virtual placement based on medical need and ensure every enrolled child has an effective and safe learning environment at home.

Virtual should be open to anyone who wants virtual school. Kids attending in person school aren’t always going home to safe environments. Stop worrying how other people choose to educate their kids and focus on your own.

This is a ridiculous thing to say in the context of a public school system that has a budget shortfall. Come up with $5 million in private funding for the MVA and I will stop caring.

Oh please. Then start arguing about every single item MCPS does without your consent/ spending. You don’t get to dictate how the district spends their money whether you like it or not. I don’t see you out there protesting the millions spent on LIM or the antiracist audit or McKnights pay out. You’re just an angry person who get out of 2020. Evolve like the rest of the world has already. It’s the parents so against the MVA who can’t get over the pandemic- not the MVA parents. You’re the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just love that the person who says “significant school choice” is the “only” thing that’ll salvage American education is hellbent on denying others that same choice. The cognitive dissonance is astounding but not surprising.

I'm not the school choice poster, but I'll note that the MVA supporters aren't any better. They now like to talk about how important it is to offer the choice of virtual because not all kids can learn in the same environment, but they still won't acknowledge it was wrong to deny kids a similar choice for 18 months until the fall of 2021.

The reality is everyone is watching out for themselves and their kids. If you want to send your kids to MVA, or you want to teach in MVA, then that means coming up with arguments to support it, regardless of any logical inconsistencies with previous positions expressed. If you send your kids to MCPS schools, then that means advocating for maximizing the resources available to those schools by keeping MVA closed.

Actually most MVA parents fully acknowledge that virtual didn’t work for everyone. It’s in person parents who won’t acknowledge virtual works for others without trying to say they are bad parents, want kids to go on vacations, shield their eyes from school clothing (the most bizarre argument yet), etc.

I've never heard a single MVA supporter acknowledge that kids should have had the opportunity to go to school in fall 2020. Some even point to MVA as an example for the rest of MCPS to follow.

So your singular experience should be counted as universal. Got it.

It doesn't sound like you're willing to say it, either.

[Anonymous]

What is it about the VA that brings out the worst in people? Jealousy can be so ugly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is it about the VA that brings out the worst in people? Jealousy can be so ugly.

I don't think it should be surprising. A lot of the loudest MVA supporters haven't socialized with others normally for over 4 years.

If you really want to see some people that are unstable, check out the r/ZeroCovidCommunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery should join with Frederick and/or other counties to offer a consolidated virtual academy. More bang for the buck.

This isn't a bad idea, but we should do virtual placement based on medical need and ensure every enrolled child has an effective and safe learning environment at home.

Virtual should be open to anyone who wants virtual school. Kids attending in person school aren’t always going home to safe environments. Stop worrying how other people choose to educate their kids and focus on your own.

This is a ridiculous thing to say in the context of a public school system that has a budget shortfall. Come up with $5 million in private funding for the MVA and I will stop caring.

Oh please. Then start arguing about every single item MCPS does without your consent/ spending. You don’t get to dictate how the district spends their money whether you like it or not. I don’t see you out there protesting the millions spent on LIM or the antiracist audit or McKnights pay out. You’re just an angry person who get out of 2020. Evolve like the rest of the world has already. It’s the parents so against the MVA who can’t get over the pandemic- not the MVA parents. You’re the problem.

Welp, I'm 1 for 1 so far with the vote to terminate the MVA, maybe I do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just love that the person who says “significant school choice” is the “only” thing that’ll salvage American education is hellbent on denying others that same choice. The cognitive dissonance is astounding but not surprising.

I'm not the school choice poster, but I'll note that the MVA supporters aren't any better. They now like to talk about how important it is to offer the choice of virtual because not all kids can learn in the same environment, but they still won't acknowledge it was wrong to deny kids a similar choice for 18 months until the fall of 2021.

The reality is everyone is watching out for themselves and their kids. If you want to send your kids to MVA, or you want to teach in MVA, then that means coming up with arguments to support it, regardless of any logical inconsistencies with previous positions expressed. If you send your kids to MCPS schools, then that means advocating for maximizing the resources available to those schools by keeping MVA closed.

Actually most MVA parents fully acknowledge that virtual didn’t work for everyone. It’s in person parents who won’t acknowledge virtual works for others without trying to say they are bad parents, want kids to go on vacations, shield their eyes from school clothing (the most bizarre argument yet), etc.

I've never heard a single MVA supporter acknowledge that kids should have had the opportunity to go to school in fall 2020. Some even point to MVA as an example for the rest of MCPS to follow.

NP. I pushed for schools to be open in the fall of 2020, I sent both of my kids back the very first chance they had to be back in the spring of 2021, virtual was terrible for both of my kids, and I support there being a virtual option (which wouldn't have to be MVA specifically). I don't know if that makes me a MVA supporter?

[Anonymous]

I'm fine with MVA but we do have a budget shortfall and it does seem like something that can be cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is it about the VA that brings out the worst in people? Jealousy can be so ugly.

I don't think it should be surprising. A lot of the loudest MVA supporters haven't socialized with others normally for over 4 years.

If you really want to see some people that are unstable, check out the r/ZeroCovidCommunity.

Making up all kinds of things today! What an imagination!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is it about the VA that brings out the worst in people? Jealousy can be so ugly.

It feels like for some strange reason, people who wish their kids were in-person in 2020-21 somehow see the end of the virtual academy as a "win" in some battle against "enemies" who wanted kids to be virtual in 2020-21, even though of course it's ridiculous. But that's my assessment of the dynamics here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is it about the VA that brings out the worst in people? Jealousy can be so ugly.

It feels like for some strange reason, people who wish their kids were in-person in 2020-21 somehow see the end of the virtual academy as a "win" in some battle against "enemies" who wanted kids to be virtual in 2020-21, even though of course it's ridiculous. But that's my assessment of the dynamics here.

Some of the most vocal MVA supporters want to take a step back to 2020-2021. They want more kids doing school virtually, including MCPS schools switching to virtual when it would be convenient to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is it about the VA that brings out the worst in people? Jealousy can be so ugly.

It feels like for some strange reason, people who wish their kids were in-person in 2020-21 somehow see the end of the virtual academy as a "win" in some battle against "enemies" who wanted kids to be virtual in 2020-21, even though of course it's ridiculous. But that's my assessment of the dynamics here.

Some of the most vocal MVA supporters want to take a step back to 2020-2021. They want more kids doing school virtually, including MCPS schools switching to virtual when it would be convenient to do so.

I mean, even if it's true that some of the people who support/have kids at MVA also support virtual learning for all MCPS kids on snow days (or whatever it is they support that you oppose), I'm sure it's not all of them. And even if it were, it's still incredibly childish to take the position "I disagree with certain people on something, so I am deeply invested in watching and cheering for bad things to happen to them so I can feel like I'm a winner and they're a loser."

(I have no dog in this fight-- we go to in-person school, don't anticipate ever wanting to use virtual school, and my kid didn't start kindergarten until 2021 so I missed all that drama. But it's just so sad and ugly to see some kids and families talking about how important it is to them have virtual options for a wide variety of reasons, and be answered with this reflexive "I hate virtual school because I wish my kid hadn't had to do virtual school during the pandemic, so I hate anyone who supports virtual school for any reason, and will laugh and gloat about them being upset to lose it.")

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is it about the VA that brings out the worst in people? Jealousy can be so ugly.

It feels like for some strange reason, people who wish their kids were in-person in 2020-21 somehow see the end of the virtual academy as a "win" in some battle against "enemies" who wanted kids to be virtual in 2020-21, even though of course it's ridiculous. But that's my assessment of the dynamics here.

Some of the most vocal MVA supporters want to take a step back to 2020-2021. They want more kids doing school virtually, including MCPS schools switching to virtual when it would be convenient to do so.

I mean, even if it's true that some of the people who support/have kids at MVA also support virtual learning for all MCPS kids on snow days (or whatever it is they support that you oppose), I'm sure it's not all of them. And even if it were, it's still incredibly childish to take the position "I disagree with certain people on something, so I am deeply invested in watching and cheering for bad things to happen to them so I can feel like I'm a winner and they're a loser."

(I have no dog in this fight-- we go to in-person school, don't anticipate ever wanting to use virtual school, and my kid didn't start kindergarten until 2021 so I missed all that drama. But it's just so sad and ugly to see some kids and families talking about how important it is to them have virtual options for a wide variety of reasons, and be answered with this reflexive "I hate virtual school because I wish my kid hadn't had to do virtual school during the pandemic, so I hate anyone who supports virtual school for any reason, and will laugh and gloat about them being upset to lose it.")

Someone with a jaded perspective, with a dash or more of trauma induced from the extended school closures, might wonder if there mere presence of MVA increases the chance of future school closures within the system. And honestly, I think it does, even if just a little. We already know MCPS would love to be able to get away with virtual snow days, even when they're the worthless asynchronous variety. And given that so many have refused to acknowledge the mistakes of the school closures, I don't have a lot of confidence that MCPS wouldn't repeat them if given the chance.