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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The overnight trip is just bizarre. Tell me what other school district does this? Tell me why it's needed? Tell me why the whole outdoor lab funding would not be better spent on paying our staff and lowering class sizes? And fixing our decaying buildings? [/quote]

I think it’s great. My home district has a similar program.  Has done it for 40 years for 5th graders.  Like OL,  kids take a day field trip around 3rd grade and go back for an overnight.  I still remember it and now my nieces are doing it. My kid also loved OL and can’t wait for 5th grade trip back. And if we’re talking about equity,  many kids in APS don’t have access to these kinds of experiences. APS should keep this. [/quote]

I wonder if you would have the same feelings if your child was sexually assaulted on the trip?[/quote]

As a survivor of child sexual assault, I recognize there is risk in everything.  As a PP said,  there is far less risk of this at elementary level between students.  And I work closely with my kids to help them understand these issues in age appropriate ways whether it is kids playing doctor or trusting their instincts around adults. The overall benefit of this program absolutely weighs out over possible risks IMO.  And parents who feel otherwise have a choice too. But love that APS still give kids this opportunity. [/quote]

This isn't about the risk of sexual assault for me. It's about the $ spent on the outdoor lab that could be spent on basics, like teaching kids to read and math. And lowering class sizes. And paying staff what they are worth so they stop leaving.

We need those things. We don't need overnight boondoggles in the woods. [/quote]

The boondoggles aren't going to cover the cost of smaller class sizes and extra reading and math instructors.  Teaching kids to read and teaching math is a matter of quality instruction, which one overnight field trip does not impact. Meanwhile, that field trip is one of the most memorable (and positive) experiences of many students' APS careers, especially lower-income students who do not have those opportunities outside of school.  [/quote]

You don't think 669,000 could go a long way to help? Love your concern for low income kids. These kids could really use lower class sizes and more focus on instruction instead of a couple field trips. [/quote]

No. Have you worked with budgets as large as a school system like APS? No 669,000 is NOT going to make a difference in teacher salaries or reading and math. It just absolutely will not, it would just get absorbed up in all the regular stuff. It’s a lot of money and also really not a lot of money when spent across that many people. I would argue outdoor lab overnight would actually be a wayyy more valuable thing for lower income kids than what it would likely get used for if split up elsewhere.

I’m sorry to hear this happened, kids do sometimes do these types of things even as young as 5th grade though it is rare but even I remember a couple incidents that caused a lot of drama in 4th and 5th grade 25 years ago or whatever. Not at outdoor lab. As someone who went to overnight outdoor lab 25 or so years ago it is still a very wonderful memory and I think if you asked most of my classmates would say the same. Very very worth it in my opinion. Truly have vivid memories of it all these years later. Doubt I would from a day trip. [/quote]
You are correct. I actually work at a low income APS school and feel that outdoor lab is such a special event and really a once in a lifetime opportunity for some of these kids (I am in lower grades so I don’t go myself) [/quote]

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