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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I feel like people don't understand what an accommodation is under the ADA.  It doesn't mean you get to work remotely forever.  One accommodation is to put plexiglass up.  The one used in schools is masks and distance.  Just because you are high risk doesn't guarantee work from home.  People should really read the regs and guidance that has come out before they make these assumptions.  [/quote]

You are correct. However APS did not tell anyone applying that they were using ADA.  They still listed the CARES/CDC guidelines but then used ADA to assess the applications. [/quote]

I understand your frustration.   The HR guy (I'm blanking on his name) explained this to the SB a few meetings ago- basically they were initially planning to use CARES/CDC guidelines, but then realized they would also have to consider it under the ADA since that was the legal rqmt, so rather than making it a 3 step process (apply under CARES, get denied, apply under ADA, get denied, appeal) they streamlined it to just apply under the ADA.

I suspect the real reason, however is something along these lines.
Teaching and Learning is in way over its head- and cannot figure out how to manage this.  They are constantly changing the model, which correspondingly changes the staffing needs.  So initially it was going to be hybrid classes and virtual classes.  Virtual classes would have a virtual teacher, hybrid classes would have an in person teacher.  Under that model- there is a significant need for virtual teachers, and so it made sense to be liberal with granting virtual teaching requests.   Then they start pushing out 'concurrent'.  Initially it is just going to be concurrent for a few specialized high school classes, then it becomes all of high school, then all of middle school, and now going down to third grade.  This of course takes place over many many months.   Well no sane person really thinks that having a remote teacher, with a largely in person class, is in any sense an appropriate teaching model.  So now APS really doesn't want to grant any requests to teach virtually b/c (other than k-2) it has largely done away with its 'virtual' positions.   Theoretically, there could be a teacher who currently teaches 4th grade for example, but is fully qualified to teach 1st grade- so they should at least consider the request and see if they should move to teaching 1st grade virtually.   There is also a fair amount of doublespeak happening at syphax, which makes it hard to trust anything that is said.
[/quote]

This is a great explanation that really explains everything coming out of teaching and learning this year.  They really screwed themselves and everyone with the lack of planning and constant model shifting. Also, this is a product of APS taking a “survey” approach to deciding who gets in person instruction.  Should have started with who needs it and staffed that way. This is what DC did. [/quote]

yeah- I don't think either Duran or Loft have any elementary school experience.  By all accounts Loft was an outstanding principal at Swanson, I'm honestly befuddled at what Duran brings to the table, he appears to have very little teaching experience, and is rather a bouncing administrator.   Compounding this difficulty, Loft (who I actually like on a personal level) has a really bad tendency to speak in absolutes, that she then has to back track from ('it would be unconsciounable to teach new material in a distance learning format; the concurrent model would be developmentally inappropriate for middle school.)   They appear to listen to the voice of the moment, which causes this wild pendulum swing-this is focused on elementary school- 1. spring time, unconsciounable to do DL, teachers are having such a rough time caring for their families, we need to let them do that;   Then it appears they announced this crazy hybrid plan where students would be in the classroom 2 days, and in asynch activities 3 days a week.  No explanation for how 3 days of asynch activities are appropriate for elementary, and appears to fly in the face of research showing that elementary homework is irrelevant.  Then they swing to an equally crazy plan where a teacher will somehow monitor two classrooms, and jump back and forth between the two classrooms while trading with an aide.  They apparently announced this plan without checking if they had staffing to support it- then concluded they didn't.  So then they go to concurrent.

It appears that the 'teaching' model is being entirely centrally driven, and then it shifts.  It does not appear that they are willing to look either at districts that have already reopened nor are they willing to consult their own elementary principals or staff.  I would trust Ms. Graves at Drew to come up with an appropriate model for elementary school.  She has the knowledge and skills to do so.[/quote]

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