APS FOIA office just confirmed:
* VLP enrollment is only 2.7% of student body as of August 31 (739 of 26,911 students) (4.4% decline in total enrollment since June 2020 and 9.9% under projected enrollment (last done in January 2019))
* VLP enrollment was 3.0% of student body as of August 5 (786 of 26,420 students)

Thus, during the absolute height of the "delta surge", the virtual enrollment shrank in actual numbers (-47) while almost 500 more students enrolled at APS during the same time period, shrinking from 3.0% to 2.7% of total enrollment.

Anonymous wrote:If there’s any silver lining here, I hope it’s the death knell to the notion that APS can manage overcrowding with virtual school.

+1

If there’s any silver lining here, I hope it’s the death knell to the notion that APS can manage overcrowding with virtual school.

I have yet to see an honest argument from supporters regarding why we needed a separate virtual program apart from VV. Virtual program, yes, but why one run by the county?

The only reason I can see for an Arlington version of VV is to morph into a convenient solution for overcrowding in 5-10 years. Yet another example of APS not being forthcoming with their true intentions behind their actions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The writing was on the wall for VLP failure. No idea why they offered to anyone. I feel so sorry for the kids who truly must do virtual because they are immune compromised. On AEM, some of the biggest screamers don’t even have kids who truly needed it - it was a choice.

So now you are the arbiter of which kids really need VLP or not? You know the personal medical situation of every family who elected VLP?

Get over yourself. You're still mad that APS even offered VLP and you're looking for a reason to defund and attack it.

Some people really need it. But you can't let them have it.

We know from FOIA that Fairfax's virtual program, which was limited to people with certified medical reasons, is 0.2% of its student body (feel free to double check the number by emailing FOIA_Requests@fcps.edu). Arlington's is 15x that (3%).

We can see from Fairfax's number that actually very few actually really need it. APS student body 27,000 students x 0.2% = 54 students

But this is APS' fault for promising those parents a virtual program, then not communicating when they couldn't staff it. And the School Board's problem for not voting on it, not asking questions about it and really taking no responsibility for it. I'll be interested to see the next School Board meeting.

Anonymous wrote:The writing was on the wall for VLP failure. No idea why they offered to anyone. I feel so sorry for the kids who truly must do virtual because they are immune compromised. On AEM, some of the biggest screamers don’t even have kids who truly needed it - it was a choice.

So now you are the arbiter of which kids really need VLP or not? You know the personal medical situation of every family who elected VLP?

Get over yourself. You're still mad that APS even offered VLP and you're looking for a reason to defund and attack it.

Some people really need it. But you can't let them have it.

Anonymous wrote:The writing was on the wall for VLP failure. No idea why they offered to anyone. I feel so sorry for the kids who truly must do virtual because they are immune compromised. On AEM, some of the biggest screamers don’t even have kids who truly needed it - it was a choice.

Exactly. Virtual Virginia would have been perfect for these people who don't follow the science. The med kids got the shaft at these parents' irrational fears' expense.

The writing was on the wall for VLP failure. No idea why they offered to anyone. I feel so sorry for the kids who truly must do virtual because they are immune compromised. On AEM, some of the biggest screamers don’t even have kids who truly needed it - it was a choice.

Anonymous wrote:wow, FCPS's petition for virtual learning has a lot of signatures.

https://www.change.org/p/fairfax-county-public-school-fcps-virtual-school-option?signed=true&fbclid=IwAR35vy8BeMor_ToHW4IJmCqX4RhLkRQzVJve1LvXBx4R2tHKnrmZ-U5wqBE

Considering there's 188,000 kids in that school district, you're talking about a number of sigs equivalent to 2.5% of the student body. That's nothing.

Their virtual program is med kids only and is 0.2% of the student body. Arlington's is not and it's 3%. That 2.5% for sigs + 0.2% already enrolled in virtual lines up very nicely with Arlington's 3% enrollment in virtual.

Even if FCPS virtual did open up to non-med kids, I can't imagine many of those non-med kids would be wanting to go now, seeing what's happened to Arlington's virtual program. Fairfax's virtual program already had minor staffing at 0.2% enrollment.

wow, FCPS's petition for virtual learning has a lot of signatures.

https://www.change.org/p/fairfax-county-public-school-fcps-virtual-school-option?signed=true&fbclid=IwAR35vy8BeMor_ToHW4IJmCqX4RhLkRQzVJve1LvXBx4R2tHKnrmZ-U5wqBE

Sadly I don't think these people care if the IEP kids get their services or not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After tomorrow, they'll have 5 days to get their house in order for the return from the break on Wednesday, September 8th. How they're going to get the staffing during that holiday weekend would be like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The next School Board meeting will then be Thursday, September 9th.

I would just say I'll sit back and enjoy the show until then, but there are actual kids suffering. You don't promise something if you can't deliver and, when you start to realize you're going to have problems, you be as transparent as possible with them so people can make alternative plans. This is like Communications/Common Sense 101.

My kid has severe medical issues and is in the VLP. APS didn’t start the pandemic. This is all uncharted water. Why are so many people so
hateful? You could not have done any better.

Your kid could be in Virtual Virginia right now. A fully supported, fully functional Virtual program. That is what is happening in all of the other school divisions, that made the decision to use that resource. Instead, APS chose to sink a substantial amount of their funding and staff time into a home grown program, and now your child is stuck without education. It did not have to be this way. You should be mad.

It sounds like parents were most concerned with IEPs expiring. Why couldn't APS just agree to honor IEPs for students who return to APS from VV or private schools following the pandemic? That has to be more efficient than starting a brand new virtual program for $11m.

The IEP concern is a strange one- but it most likely stems from APS having inaccurate tunnel thinking. Even when you move to a new school system, the IEP goes with you. e.g. I moved last year- the new system had to honor my kids APS IEP's for 90 days, at which point they could hold a new meeting and come up with new accomodations. The IEP's should go to virtual virginia.

If Virtual Virginia is considered a public school than yes it would go otherwise it does not go. It doesn't go for home schooled children either I know I work this issue all the time in my line of work.

https://www.virtualvirginia.org/ada-compliance/

"Virtual Virginia does not assume the local school responsibility to provide Section 504, IEP, or other documented services for students enrolled in Virtual Virginia courses. The local school may require the student’s local school mentor to have an appropriate certified endorsement to provide any documented student services.

In the Virtual Virginia registration process, school counselors are asked to identify qualified students with documented disabilities in the Virtual Virginia Student Information System (SIS) by indicating if the student has a Section 504, IEP, or other documented services. For students with Section 504, IEP, or other documented services, the school counselor and local mentor must develop a plan for the local school to address the documented student services and share any appropriate accommodations needed in the Virtual Virginia learning management system prior to the course start date. Local school counselors and mentors are required to provide all students with services to ensure student success in the Virtual Virginia course. In the event of any complaint, the local school will assume the recipient responsibilities."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After tomorrow, they'll have 5 days to get their house in order for the return from the break on Wednesday, September 8th. How they're going to get the staffing during that holiday weekend would be like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The next School Board meeting will then be Thursday, September 9th.

I would just say I'll sit back and enjoy the show until then, but there are actual kids suffering. You don't promise something if you can't deliver and, when you start to realize you're going to have problems, you be as transparent as possible with them so people can make alternative plans. This is like Communications/Common Sense 101.

My kid has severe medical issues and is in the VLP. APS didn’t start the pandemic. This is all uncharted water. Why are so many people so
hateful? You could not have done any better.

Your kid could be in Virtual Virginia right now. A fully supported, fully functional Virtual program. That is what is happening in all of the other school divisions, that made the decision to use that resource. Instead, APS chose to sink a substantial amount of their funding and staff time into a home grown program, and now your child is stuck without education. It did not have to be this way. You should be mad.

It sounds like parents were most concerned with IEPs expiring. Why couldn't APS just agree to honor IEPs for students who return to APS from VV or private schools following the pandemic? That has to be more efficient than starting a brand new virtual program for $11m.

The IEP concern is a strange one- but it most likely stems from APS having inaccurate tunnel thinking. Even when you move to a new school system, the IEP goes with you. e.g. I moved last year- the new system had to honor my kids APS IEP's for 90 days, at which point they could hold a new meeting and come up with new accomodations. The IEP's should go to virtual virginia.

If Virtual Virginia is considered a public school than yes it would go otherwise it does not go. It doesn't go for home schooled children either I know I work this issue all the time in my line of work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
0 questions from the School Board about the then-upcoming launch of the VLP at the last School Board meeting. Then again, the School Board never even voted on establishing the VLP. They seem to enjoy taking any responsibility for governing whatsoever (other than passing a budget, renaming schools and redoing boundary lines).

Because they only care about their political careers. School Board needs to be disbanded.

I can bet that every single SB member knew about the open VLP teacher positions (it was asked by a member of APE at the townhall). If the SB had asked at the last SB meeting, then they would have put themselves on public notice and implicitly would have been taking on responsibility for it. They want to avoid all responsibility for the functioning of the school system (e.g., failure to vote at all on return to school last year) - but they love boundaries, school names and national Democratic issues (e.g., SROs, Indigenous People's Day, wearing orange for gun violence).

Highly recommend Zooming into Arlington Dems monthly meeting when there's a School Board update. Barbara K gave it last night and it was all ponies and rainbows, 0 mention about the problems with the VLP. Very reminiscent of Duran's "School Talk" email yesterday.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After tomorrow, they'll have 5 days to get their house in order for the return from the break on Wednesday, September 8th. How they're going to get the staffing during that holiday weekend would be like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The next School Board meeting will then be Thursday, September 9th.

I would just say I'll sit back and enjoy the show until then, but there are actual kids suffering. You don't promise something if you can't deliver and, when you start to realize you're going to have problems, you be as transparent as possible with them so people can make alternative plans. This is like Communications/Common Sense 101.

My kid has severe medical issues and is in the VLP. APS didn’t start the pandemic. This is all uncharted water. Why are so many people so hateful? You could not have done any better.

Your kid could be in Virtual Virginia right now. A fully supported, fully functional Virtual program. That is what is happening in all of the other school divisions, that made the decision to use that resource. Instead, APS chose to sink a substantial amount of their funding and staff time into a home grown program, and now your child is stuck without education. It did not have to be this way. You should be mad.

It sounds like parents were most concerned with IEPs expiring. Why couldn't APS just agree to honor IEPs for students who return to APS from VV or private schools following the pandemic? That has to be more efficient than starting a brand new virtual program for $11m.

The IEP concern is a strange one- but it most likely stems from APS having inaccurate tunnel thinking. Even when you move to a new school system, the IEP goes with you. e.g. I moved last year- the new system had to honor my kids APS IEP's for 90 days, at which point they could hold a new meeting and come up with new accomodations. The IEP's should go to virtual virginia.