Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are two very vocal groups of opposing parents—half want to shut it down and half want to stay in school no matter what the metrics say (like they’re doing in Europe and Canada...and much of the US). Doubt they’ll even get the next round of kids back next week since so many parents are now against it with rising cases. I think they’re doing a great job and we should keep the kids in school.

Are there actually parents opposing it? I thought 80% of parents wanted their kids back in school? Cases in fcc are at 0.

Falls Church is very small, approximately two square miles. That’s like saying there are not any cases on your block so you don’t need to worry about the rising cases all around you. Many students are are in activities outside of Falls Church City and most staff live elsewhere.

They can choose to stay virtual and are teaching concurrently. My children are not back yet and plan to be in the hybrid program in January. I hope it’s successful but right now they have interaction in all classes. The hybrid program sounds like a teacher splitting time with in person students and some watching from home the other two days. They say it can be interactive but I am skeptical. There is only so much we can expect a teacher to do while teaching two groups at once. I am not sure going back two days a week will be better than what they have now.

How small for the K and 3 that returned in person? How many classes per grade, how many kids in a classroom? I'm just curious about the lower ES grades.

I also have an elementary child returning next week and I see both camps. There are those who want to see older family over the holidays but don’t want their kids to miss out and so they are feeling tension and resentment of the schools decision to reopen. There are those who really want their kids to go back for any number of reasons. Lots of people are concerned that the teachers didn’t really get a choice. Personally I think the schools are trying to make this work and trying to please a lot of constituencies. They’ve done so many things to make it safer and to make it great for kids who remain home. My kids teachers seem really positive about going back. My younger kids have been in daycare for months and it’s going really well. My child is having serious emotional distress from the isolation and is so looking forward to returning and meeting teachers and classmates so it will be heartbreaking if we get this close and they back off.

To the PP who hasn’t seen much on the FB groups, I think that’s because FCC is such a small community and there are so many land minds with this. No one wants to anger their friends and neighbors. I see it on a small neighborhood moms group I am on and in text groups with my friends. My friends even are quite different in their approaches and comfort level and it has caused some divisions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are two very vocal groups of opposing parents—half want to shut it down and half want to stay in school no matter what the metrics say (like they’re doing in Europe and Canada...and much of the US). Doubt they’ll even get the next round of kids back next week since so many parents are now against it with rising cases. I think they’re doing a great job and we should keep the kids in school.

Are there actually parents opposing it? I thought 80% of parents wanted their kids back in school? Cases in fcc are at 0.

Falls Church is very small, approximately two square miles. That’s like saying there are not any cases on your block so you don’t need to worry about the rising cases all around you. Many students are are in activities outside of Falls Church City and most staff live elsewhere.

They can choose to stay virtual and are teaching concurrently. My children are not back yet and plan to be in the hybrid program in January. I hope it’s successful but right now they have interaction in all classes. The hybrid program sounds like a teacher splitting time with in person students and some watching from home the other two days. They say it can be interactive but I am skeptical. There is only so much we can expect a teacher to do while teaching two groups at once. I am not sure going back two days a week will be better than what they have now.

My 1st grader is slated to start the hybrid program next week and really hoping that plans are not derailed by a vocal minority. The problem is that with the current plan for teachers to concurrently teach the virtual and in person students simultaneously it’s hard to envision a scenario where the virtual learners aren’t at a disadvantage/feel left out with the majority of their classmates in the classroom on a daily basis so it gives added incentive to those opting out of hybrid to push to maintain the status quo. I really wish FCC had stuck with their original plan to offer the hybrid model only, with virtual Virginia as the alternative.

Anonymous wrote:There are two very vocal groups of opposing parents—half want to shut it down and half want to stay in school no matter what the metrics say (like they’re doing in Europe and Canada...and much of the US). Doubt they’ll even get the next round of kids back next week since so many parents are now against it with rising cases. I think they’re doing a great job and we should keep the kids in school.

Where are the parents speaking out? Emails or is there a FB group? I haven’t seen much discussion about it in the Falls Church FB groups I belong too.

Montgomery County parent here who just wants to wish you all the best. I truly hope things go well for your children.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

For the parents that are opposed / can’t they just select virtual? That leaves even fewer kids at school which is better, safety-wise.

You would think, but the virtuals just want to drag everyone down to their level.

It’s a hard decision. We choose hybrid but understand the struggle some are having. This new plan really changes things with the teacher being responsible for all students at once. Some like this better. Others are concerned some groups won’t have the same level of instruction. I understand how parents are having a difficult time with the decision. Virtual is hard for many, but others are doing well in classes with lots of online interaction and a dedicated teacher.

Anonymous wrote:

For the parents that are opposed / can’t they just select virtual? That leaves even fewer kids at school which is better, safety-wise.

You would think, but the virtuals just want to drag everyone down to their level.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are two very vocal groups of opposing parents—half want to shut it down and half want to stay in school no matter what the metrics say (like they’re doing in Europe and Canada...and much of the US). Doubt they’ll even get the next round of kids back next week since so many parents are now against it with rising cases. I think they’re doing a great job and we should keep the kids in school.

Are there actually parents opposing it? I thought 80% of parents wanted their kids back in school? Cases in fcc are at 0.

Falls Church is very small, approximately two square miles. That’s like saying there are not any cases on your block so you don’t need to worry about the rising cases all around you. Many students are are in activities outside of Falls Church City and most staff live elsewhere.

They can choose to stay virtual and are teaching concurrently. My children are not back yet and plan to be in the hybrid program in January. I hope it’s successful but right now they have interaction in all classes. The hybrid program sounds like a teacher splitting time with in person students and some watching from home the other two days. They say it can be interactive but I am skeptical. There is only so much we can expect a teacher to do while teaching two groups at once. I am not sure going back two days a week will be better than what they have now.

I have a middle schooler and being in school at all will be better than virtual. Virtual is fine and is going well...but kids (at least my kid) is just done. I hope the numbers start to improve (or show that it doesn’t spread in school with the precautions they are taking) and they can go back in January.

For the parents that are opposed / can’t they just select virtual? That leaves even fewer kids at school which is better, safety-wise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are two very vocal groups of opposing parents—half want to shut it down and half want to stay in school no matter what the metrics say (like they’re doing in Europe and Canada...and much of the US). Doubt they’ll even get the next round of kids back next week since so many parents are now against it with rising cases. I think they’re doing a great job and we should keep the kids in school.

Are there actually parents opposing it? I thought 80% of parents wanted their kids back in school? Cases in fcc are at 0.

Falls Church is very small, approximately two square miles. That’s like saying there are not any cases on your block so you don’t need to worry about the rising cases all around you. Many students are are in activities outside of Falls Church City and most staff live elsewhere.

They can choose to stay virtual and are teaching concurrently. My children are not back yet and plan to be in the hybrid program in January. I hope it’s successful but right now they have interaction in all classes. The hybrid program sounds like a teacher splitting time with in person students and some watching from home the other two days. They say it can be interactive but I am skeptical. There is only so much we can expect a teacher to do while teaching two groups at once. I am not sure going back two days a week will be better than what they have now.

Anonymous wrote:There are two very vocal groups of opposing parents—half want to shut it down and half want to stay in school no matter what the metrics say (like they’re doing in Europe and Canada...and much of the US). Doubt they’ll even get the next round of kids back next week since so many parents are now against it with rising cases. I think they’re doing a great job and we should keep the kids in school.

Are there actually parents opposing it? I thought 80% of parents wanted their kids back in school? Cases in fcc are at 0.

There are two very vocal groups of opposing parents—half want to shut it down and half want to stay in school no matter what the metrics say (like they’re doing in Europe and Canada...and much of the US). Doubt they’ll even get the next round of kids back next week since so many parents are now against it with rising cases. I think they’re doing a great job and we should keep the kids in school.

Fcc has been somewhat under the radar, but the returned k and 3rd grade this week and will return the rest of elementary school next week. They bring back 6-12 beginning of January. Their elementary plan also seems much better. Kids go 4 days a week either morning or afternoon. They switch over lunch which also means no one has to eat lunch at school. They go home and have virtual specials. So in person for core subjects.

I hope it goes well. I didn’t realize they had some students back today. I thought Fauquier County was the closest VA district with grade levels of students returning.

My kid had a great day. Less than 10 kids in her class (she said 7). It was only 8:50-11:50, but better than nothing!

Falls Church City had two grades go back today, hybrid mode. How did it go?