Reply to APS concurrent for grades 3-5

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[quote=Anonymous]Here what was posted on AEM: I'd like to point out to parents that the real point of this email is not the early release day on 2/5, but the application of the concurrent model to 3rd to 5th graders. Some here might be interested what Bridget Loft had to say on this topic back in August when she was asked by Dr. Barbara Kanninen whether middle schoolers would be learning in the concurrent model. Loft said: "But I want to reiterate, we were very explicit, this could only be a high school model, because our high school students have developed in their skills sets and their executive functioning. While our middle school students are exactly where they need to be, and need that additional support of having a teacher in front of them." And now Loft is applying the concurrent model to 3rd graders?

Full exchange below. Here's the link to the video - https://www.apsva.us/post/school-board-meeting-august-20-2020/, discussion on this topic starts at 2:05.

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Barbara Kanninen: Dr. Duran, we did talk, and I noticed in your presentation, you did clarify, about the difference in approaches between high school; and middle school. And I would like for you to elaborate a bit about what middle school will look like for those students. Middle school., traditionally, not just in this environment, is often the level we forget about sometimes. … Those are of course three very important years in our students' lives. If you could please elaborate a bit on what that model will look like.

Bridget Loft: … To speak to your question, Dr. Kanninen, our middle school and our high school principals, and our T&L staff, were really explicit in designing two different models to speak exactly to what you pointed out that our middle school students – ages 11 to 14 – are developing in their abstract thinking, and their executive functioning, and need a great deal of time and attention and work with their teachers to help build those skills. And so, our middle school principals and our T&L staff have landed on a model in which, to the best of our ability, we’ve matched our preferred model that our middle school families have identified to the preferred model of our staff members. That would mean that while we are all starting distance learning, when we do transition to the hybrid model, students whose families have identified that they will transition into the in person hybrid model will be working with teachers who will be in person in the hybrid model. And also students whose families have identified that their children will continue in the distance learning model will likely be working with teachers who are in the distance learning model as well. When we talk about large scale planning, it’s not always going to match up, but that’s the philosophy and practice that our middle school docs, who have been working tirelessly to build the master schedule. This contrasts with the high school model. And that’s a recognition of several factors: (1) a recognition that our high schoolers have more sophisticated executive functioning skills, and (2) have had a lot of practice in being able to practice impulse control, and work with less direction. And, in addition to that, the understanding that, each of our high schools offers up to 40 to 50, what we call, singleton classes, which means that is the lone class offered in that school. So that might be something like, symphonic band. There’s only one in each of our high schools. And so it becomes incredibly challenging to try to match family’s preferences for a model and our singleton teachers’ preferences for a model. So, for high school only, and let’s remember everyone is starting distance learning, students have been assigned to their teacher, with whom they will stay for the entire year, and so that may mean when we go back that that teacher may have students who are reporting in person in the hybrid model, and students who will remain in distance learning. And, it could be that that teacher has also chosen to teach via distance learning. And, if that is the case, then students will be learning, synchronously with their teacher, they will continue to have an engaging experience, using their MacBook Airs, and there will be an adult who is present in those classrooms. But I want to reiterate, we were very explicit, this could only be a high school model, because our high school students have developed in their skills sets and their executive functioning. While our middle school students are exactly where they need to be, and need that additional support of having a teacher in front of them.

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If the school board doesn’t step in I am leaving Arlington. It has totally gone down the toilet. Forget recalling the school board, Bridget loft needs to go. She’s the same person that brought us no new instruction last spring. [/quote]

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