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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I just think these other measures you're talking about are harder than you think and because of that don't merit the extreme anger you have about them.  (For example, there are lots of people out there like you who are upset there isn't more school but who actually have middle school and high school kids -- you take it as a given that these parents aren't going to be angry that their chance at in person school is being totally cut off by another group of kids, but in Arlington that's something that could totally happen.  Get off my lawn!  And then arguments for another month before the school board would need to make a contentious ruling.  there may be other reasons why a high school building might not be appropriate for an elementary school kid, just in terms of safety, like some of the very very long wide staircases.  Had you even considered something like that?  But to you this is something you can send the kids into blind.)  But whatever, you're not going to convince me and I'm not going to convince you and it's pointless to argue anymore.  [/quote]

You’re right. It’s just too hard. Which is why all the surrounding school districts are in the same position ... oh wait.

I agree with the PP that it’s too late now to change anything even though there’s close to zero cases of COVID in Arlington (many of us saw the writing on the wall weeks ago that this was the direction we were headed). Onward to the fall, but it’s still worth discussing how poorly the pandemic was handled compared to surrounding jurisdictions.

Maybe using high schools wouldn’t have worked, but why didn’t APS even re-poll parents about their learning preferences sooner. Duran was citing old data for months about selections from November. The email that came out after 95% of families selected in-person learning for fall read as if this came as a shock. He was incredibly out of touch and seemed caught off guard that the vast vast majority of families want in-person learning.

And he didn’t do a very good job of communicating what, if any, creative solutions had been looked into for sending the younger kids back. They got pumped in with all the other students who can actually read and operate Teams meetings on their own. The fact they didn’t separate out reopening talks for the youngest age group shows me how little APS cares about early education. Instead we get excused about logistical challenges. Then he clung on to the phrase “equity” as an excuse for inaction. [/quote]

To you, the logistics of sending kids back would have been easy because you have no idea what's entailed so of course it's possible.  You don't care if buildings are over capacity or classrooms are too small to work (in ways that perhaps other locations don't need to deal with) -- to you it's easy because your knowledge of APS doesn't get in the way of making assumptions about how easy it is.  And nothing anyone else tells you about it makes a difference, either, because your cousin has a seven year old in Missouri who is back in school full time.

This is what makes it not worth having a discussion with you.  It's not a discussion, it's a willful imposition of your opinion on everyone else. No thanks, I'm good.[/quote]

Cousin in Missouri? Are you joking? How about Falls Church City. Loudoun. Fairfax. I’m sorry you’re ok accepting excuses just because Duran said so.

And the thing is, I hired a retired teacher to come help tutor my child (in addition all the extra work DH and I put in to help with school work this year). Our child is actually academically ahead this year. But I have genuine concerns about the number of kids beginning their public school education behind the curve and with no chance to catch up because even summer school offerings are limited. Even assuming opening schools more days this past year was absolutely not doable (as you’re so blindly willing to believe), don’t you at least expect APS to put together a plan to catch kids up? I’m concerned next year is going to be full of remedial work for all students to catch up the ones lagging behind. Which is going to cause the kids who are on track or ahead to have another year of not being academically challenged. Why does APS not seem to have any plans to fix anything? Simply opening the doors in the fall is the least they can do, yet some parents act as if we should be celebrating basic competence. [/quote]

It would be equitable if all people could afford to do that.[/quote]

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