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APS - School Shifts in the Fall?
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Anonymous
We parsed through that junk data site earlier. It estimated that ~1/3rd districts were full-time back in Jan. 1/3rd hybrid. 1/3rd virtual. |
Anonymous
| We moved away last year and our current school district has been back, in-person, 5 days a week since mid-October. Kids can be full time in person or remote, but there is no hybrid option. We were very concerned about sending out children back, but my fears have not come to fruition. Our elementary school requires masks and spacing as can be accommodated. Lunch is indoors but spaced. There have been very few covid cases and zero have been from community spread – in a school of 1000 kids. Of course this is purely anecdotal, but I am hearing the same anecdotal evidence over and over. I understand that the risks increase with age, so I am only talking about elementary. There are a lot of places making this work. Fully remote should remain an option for those who need/want it, but 2 days is the worst of everything. |
Anonymous
3' or 6'? |
Anonymous
The point is, though, whether it's 30% or 40% or 50%, the schools that have managed to open, and there are MANY of them, are not wrangling themselves over every little thing like APS is. They are masking, spacing as they can (3 ft, 4 ft, whatever) and opening the doors. The better ones put in HEPA filters. To circle back to Mary's stupid plan, they are not split shifting. They are not hiring 20% more teachers. They just putting on masks and opened the doors. Like the poster who moved, I get why people were worried about that in the fall. In September, we didn't know who was smarter here. But what we've seen is that a huge number of districts opened full time and it's been fine and there kids are getting a real education and regular socio-emotional growth, while ours are staring at screens and anxious and depressed in large numbers. So I'm not voting for anyone for School Board who is ok with this continuing for another year. |
Anonymous
6 feet in cafeteria – 3 feet in classroom with masks. |
lpstout
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There's less than a month to go until the Arlington School Board Caucus,
and candidate forums are illuminating what this election comes down to. Mary provides the spoiler alert. http://www.maryforschoolboard.org/blog/spoiler-alert-2-what-this-election-comes-down-to |
Anonymous
Yes very illuminating. I learned Mary fully supports durans decision to not add more days for all kids. We don’t need another person with bad judgment that can’t evaluate risk. |
Anonymous
Oh now she’s criticizing the school board  after her emails thanking them got FOIA’d. I don’t buy it. The fact she is throwing out school shifts that would either have kids at school before the crack of dawn or until dinner time just shows me how wildly out of touch she is. I’m sure my kindergartener will do great in class until 6 at night.
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Anonymous
| I also remember Mary’s support for throwing any other school that’s not hers under the bus in the school moves thing, so don’t worry, I’m not single issue. |
Anonymous
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Ok, so schools open full time. What’s Miranda’s view on what happens next. I just visited her website and it’s like she went out and mirrored Mary’s but with very generic statements.
In practical terms, does she even know what the job entails? She’s a law firm partner with three small kids. Does she realize SB members probably put in at least 20 and sometimes more hours per week at meetings, visiting schools, and all the behind the scenes work? Honestly, for this reason alone I personally would never run. It’s a huge time commitment, and I really hope we don’t end up with a SB member who doesn’t want the job and has no idea what she’s in for because she hasn’t been engaged prior to the last year. |
Anonymous
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Kadera has been engaged in APS for years.
Whether you think that Kadera's platform is wanting, at least she is putting thoughtful provoking proposals out there. Turner is just running on being an anti-establishment candidate with no true platform except "Open Schools Now." We've seen how one trick candidates treat our political establishments. I'm not interested. Miranda has a few more weeks to catch up and actually submit thoughts on other issues affecting APS. |
Anonymous
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Neither of these candidates will have anything to do with students returning in the fall because their term won’t start until well after. APS has already committed to 5 days in the fall so this is a moot point.
On top of that, the structure of the superintendent and school board in APS decrees that the decision to open or close is up to the superintendent and NOT the school board. The school board does not have the power to open schools if the superintendent at their discretion decides closure is needed. That is clear. So let’s talk about the real other long term issues in APS: the 1:1 program, shift to research based instruction (science of reading), overcrowding schools, option programs, boundary shifts, teacher retention and compensation, and other issues that will affect APS for many years to come. |
Anonymous
+1. Mary has not convinced me that I can trust her to work in the interests of APS as a whole. |
Anonymous
As you getting paid to work as Mary’s campaign manager, or is this a pro bono effort? I see you in AEM too. |
Anonymous
It is very disappointing to see Mary go negative in this campaign. Usually the Dem caucus candidates are better than that. |