Reply to EmpowerEd DC Petition - Explore outdoor learning this fall

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Reply to "EmpowerEd DC Petition - Explore outdoor learning this fall"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]From the petition: "[b]Each child can go to school every day[/b] by extending classroom square footage utilizing outdoor space. We can minimize COVID-19 exposure risk, maintain adequate social distance, and educate all of our city’s children fully every weekday if we plan well. [b]Teachers believe [/b]this should be contingent on safety precautions, equitable access across the city, secure areas, cleaning, weather considerations, sound and health- but that city leaders should explore this idea NOW."

Each child can go to school everyday? Really? Student groups are supposed to be 10 or 12 students in school classrooms. Am I supposed to manage my full class of 24 students if I'm outside? Or will there suddenly be twice as many teachers when school is outside so that we have smaller groups? My school has one tiny playground out front. Do we walk to the park blocks away or use the parking lot or just set up at the curb? If we have to go to the park, am I expected to have my group of 24 (or 10 or 12) out there all day? Do we walk back to the school for bathroom breaks or do I give my kids a pass and hope they make it there to the school and back to the park on their own?

Also, what teachers believe this makes sense? No one asked me or my colleagues. We know our school and our students and no one asked about this proposal at all. We've already been planning for how we teach all of our kids and the idea that anyone would entertain this last minute proposal and not even ask us is so frustrating.[/quote]

can't DC commandeer public space and re-dedicate to DCPS classrooms, such as:
   the Acres of land on the National Mall ( hold class lectures on Lincoln memorial steps, Jeff memorial steps, Kennedy center steps, Capital Hill steps
   The acres of land at  the Zoo ( already car free)
   The acres of land at DC Arboretum  ( if you are concerned about moquitos/ make the city start spraying now and treating larva
   All the Outdoor seating at Nat's stadium, former JFK stadium in SE
   Every DCPS HS football stadium& bleachers

Time for beaurocracies to push themselves and their employees out of their comfort zones intstead of taking well trodden path of just depriving kids of their educational experience.[/quote]

While I think it’s perfectly legal for the federal government to take control of DC, I doubt DC can “commandeer” federal property. Ideas like these work for a few schools but not many. They work for the ones WOTP with lots of land, or ones near these open spaces. They don’t work for the ones far from parks or with near daily shootings near by. People are up in arms about losing a few parking spaces for outdoor dining and then people talk about a 180-day closure of full blocks. We need answers to questions that aren’t just about location. We can throw kids anywhere. We can’t drag desks, chairs and supplies around all day. What will we do when it rains? Will we have tents? Will they withstand wind and rain so we can keep teaching? What happens when they can’t? Do we cram everyone back in the school building? Or cancel school any day inclement weather is forecast, thus adding to the chaos of finding childcare? How will we shelter in place when a shooting happens? How long will it take kids to walk inside or are we just sitting ducks waiting outside? Answer these and the others questions posed and let’s have a real conversation. [/quote]

Nonsense. when there is a will, there is a way.

schools WOTP have their own land and don't need to be given public land.

The Old JFK stadium could serve SE Cap Hill as could Lincoln park
When farmer's market on Cap hill had its fire, the market was in outdoor tents across the street for like 2 years

Nats stadium, the park land at National Marina can serve ward 7 
The DC Arboretum can serve Ward 5
There is an ice rink and park down in Ward 7/8 ( I forget the name, but it has LOTS of space)
Frederic Douglas house in Ward 8 has lots of land

East of Park:
Old Soldiers Home has TONS of land
Old DC Resevoir across from CNMC has tons of land

The National mall , each museum has gardens, steps as does the capitol
Let the kids have class on steps of SCOTUS

Do what the colleges are doing : open in Aug/ close for thanksgiving until Jan/ cancel spring break/ end school in may

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