ACPS - scant communications on mitigation strategies

[Anonymous]

What have folks heard about what is new in ACPS for fall 2021 with respect to COVID mitigation strategies? Anyone at Tucker have information to add?

Testing - The reopening playbook mentions screening testing will take place in the fall in schools. How often, where the testing sites are located, hours of operation, and whether it is for asymptomatic screening/surveillance, is not mentioned. Arlington Public Schools makes this weekly testing using rapid tests for those students who opt in and provides a few sites were testing can be done during non-school hours.

Symptom screening - It appears that this will continue based upon the prominence of this form on the website.

Quarantine policy - ??

Meals - According to Hutchings, meals will not take place outside. Arlington is leaving outdoor meals to individual schools to implement, where possible.

Vaccination - Not required for all staff. Federal government, state government, and other local school districts are requiring it.

Masks - Required for all staff and students in school buildings and on buses.

Distancing - ?? Doubtful that this is possible with full capacity.

Ventilation - Windows must remain closed (ostensibly to prevent mold). I would imagine that windows would be open on buses and as for air purifiers, not sure why these would be pulled from the classrooms, cafeteria, library, gym, etc.

Link to the reopening playbook -
https://www.acps.k12.va.us/cms/lib/VA01918616/Centricity/Domain/1554/Continuity%20of%20Learning%20Plan%206.0%20Fall%202021%20Reopening%20Playbook.pdf

[Anonymous]

Yeah - I am concerned and surprised about the lack of vaccination policy. I think this will be changed - how can we be the only district not doing it.

Not sure what you mean about the air purifiers, but in our school at least - I think they have pretty good HEPA air filters in each classroom and cafeteria.

Not sure why they are being so strict about lunch in cafeteria - DCPS is this way too. I think with some creativity schools can organize eating outside, not sure why the district pushback.

[Anonymous]

This is all just horrifying. They’ve had months in time and millions in funding to get ready. I do not feel safe sending my unvaxxed elementary kids into these buildings with unvaxxed staff/teachers and indoor lunches. They released the ACPS staff vaccination rate a few months ago and it wasn’t great. How are we here with only one week until school starts?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah - I am concerned and surprised about the lack of vaccination policy. I think this will be changed - how can we be the only district not doing it.

Not sure what you mean about the air purifiers, but in our school at least - I think they have pretty good HEPA air filters in each classroom and cafeteria.

Not sure why they are being so strict about lunch in cafeteria - DCPS is this way too. I think with some creativity schools can organize eating outside, not sure why the district pushback.

This is OP. I meant to say that I don't see any reason why the existing air purifiers in classrooms should be removed, if this is even being contemplated. There has been some discussion (by various ACPS officials in a meeting to discuss HVAC concerns at MVCS) that the only type of air purifiers that would make a difference are expensive medical-grade ones and that the typical air purifier is a burden to maintain. There are public health experts that disagree with this view and have said that inexpensive ($100-$300 range) air purifiers or even a HEPA filter duct-taped to a box fan can decrease the amount of viral particles in the air.

[Anonymous]

We're at Tucker. We have always had good luck with the Tucker staff (they're great), but they can only do so much within their bandwidth, and that's the reality. It doesn't sound like anything really happens if you fail to do that daily COVID check. Masks are required on the bus by policy but can't be enforced in practice. The bus driver has to focus on the road. My kiddo said all the kids sitting further back take their masks off as soon as they sit down. I wish they could have an adult on the bus that could be devoted to this.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they're just hoping that the vaccine for under 11s will be approved soon. Then they wouldn't need to spend money on testing or dealing with lawsuits (on vaccinations or outdoor lunch). But even if EUA for the Pfizer vaccine is provided in September, it would still take weeks before enough kids are fully vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

I really hope there's some sort of an accounting of where all the cares/recovery money was spent. As far as I can tell it's some nebulous SEAL support, and thousands of foam blocks ready to fill the landfills. Not allowing kids to eat outside??? That was a freaking fall 2020 problem. They couldn't figure out a solution (ie tents) at anytime during the last year with millions of dollars? ACPS is just the worst.

[Anonymous]

I'm very disappointed in the lunch decision. It's incomprehensible to me that they can't figure out a way to let kids eat outside when that is so obviously the biggest weak link in keeping kids safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm very disappointed in the lunch decision. It's incomprehensible to me that they can't figure out a way to let kids eat outside when that is so obviously the biggest weak link in keeping kids safe.

It's the stupidest thing ever. I went to Hammond and then TC in the '80s. At Hammond you were free to go outside at lunchtime, and when I was TC there was the option of leaving campus for lunch. Many of the schools have plenty of room for outdoor lunch. Look at GW--incredible amount of space. But no one can eat outside--why? Bc at central office there is a complete lack of creativity, will, or imagination--who knows. The end result is the same: an unyielding culture of "no."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm very disappointed in the lunch decision. It's incomprehensible to me that they can't figure out a way to let kids eat outside when that is so obviously the biggest weak link in keeping kids safe.

It's the stupidest thing ever. I went to Hammond and then TC in the '80s. At Hammond you were free to go outside at lunchtime, and when I was TC there was the option of leaving campus for lunch. Many of the schools have plenty of room for outdoor lunch. Look at GW--incredible amount of space. But no one can eat outside--why? Bc at central office there is a complete lack of creativity, will, or imagination--who knows. The end result is the same: an unyielding culture of "no."

The space at GW is going to be used by classroom trailers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm very disappointed in the lunch decision. It's incomprehensible to me that they can't figure out a way to let kids eat outside when that is so obviously the biggest weak link in keeping kids safe.

Not every school will be able to do this. Therefore it isn't equitable. So no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really hope there's some sort of an accounting of where all the cares/recovery money was spent. As far as I can tell it's some nebulous SEAL support, and thousands of foam blocks ready to fill the landfills. Not allowing kids to eat outside??? That was a freaking fall 2020 problem. They couldn't figure out a solution (ie tents) at anytime during the last year with millions of dollars? ACPS is just the worst.

The good news that I've heard is that a ton of it is going to anti-racist training for staff and teachers.

[Anonymous]

I think they’re waiting until the last possible minute to communicate information so parents don’t have much time to organize and push back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm very disappointed in the lunch decision. It's incomprehensible to me that they can't figure out a way to let kids eat outside when that is so obviously the biggest weak link in keeping kids safe.

Not every school will be able to do this. Therefore it isn't equitable. So no.

The only school that arguably has outdoor space challenges is Ferdinand T. Day and ACPS just purchased or is set to soon purchase the empty office building adjacent to it so with a little creativity, they could space students out at lunch time in the extra building or at the very least, use the additional outdoor parking spaces it provides:

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/1703-N-Beauregard-St-Alexandria-VA/4071773/

https://alexandria.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5014095&GUID=48B3FADC-29E7-4A68-B019-92076B444959

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm very disappointed in the lunch decision. It's incomprehensible to me that they can't figure out a way to let kids eat outside when that is so obviously the biggest weak link in keeping kids safe.

It's the stupidest thing ever. I went to Hammond and then TC in the '80s. At Hammond you were free to go outside at lunchtime, and when I was TC there was the option of leaving campus for lunch. Many of the schools have plenty of room for outdoor lunch. Look at GW--incredible amount of space. But no one can eat outside--why? Bc at central office there is a complete lack of creativity, will, or imagination--who knows. The end result is the same: an unyielding culture of "no."

The space at GW is going to be used by classroom trailers.

OK, but the interior courtyard and the surrounding area offer a ton of space. More than most schools.