Anonymous wrote:Enjoy your petty misery bubble, folks.

Only half of the students at my school are coming back. Many are happy and thriving with DL.

I am one of the parents keeping my child in DL and it’s not because he is thriving. I mean we’ve formed a pod and hired some help so we’re making the best of it. But it’s not like I’m picking DL because we think it’s so great.

It’s because in-person learning is only 2 days per week and may very well still be over a computer while a monitor sits in class. I also don’t trust the school not to back pedal like has been done before or become over zealous about shutting down again. Not to mention, at the back to school meetings, we still haven’t been told many details about what an in-person day will look like.

Oh and the fact I can’t change my selection to continue with distance learning that I made MONTHS ago back before the vaccine rollout when metrics were going up during the holidays. So really your response should say half the families chose distance learning months ago and are now stuck with their choice and/or are completely underwhelmed by the in-person offering that is only 2 days and possibly still over a computer with other unknown factors.

Look, we like our son’s teacher and anyone who talked to us would assume we’re doing okay with virtual learning because we try to look on the bright side and make the most of things. And I realize individual teachers aren’t in control of things.

But STOP with this lie that virtual learning is so great that 50% of families are thriving.

No, half the families are stuck with this option amongst a buffet of crappy offerings.

^^^

Theoretically those VA districts were operating under the same guidelines as every northern Virginia district. They may have had different building and busing constraints, perhaps.

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Anonymous wrote:Teachers and parents share far too much in common for all of this fighting.

Teachers are stuck in a bad spot in all of this. I genuinely believe this.

Kids are being used as leverage. Nothing new.

Teachers and parents need to focus on their SHARED concerns. The only ones who benefit from divided teachers and parents are those who profit off of controlling teachers’ availability as leverage against parents.

Focus on education. Both teachers and parents should be willing to hold out from participating in the system until the system provides teachers the resources and support that parents and teachers both expect. Stop fighting each other.

Nope. This isn't "fighting". There are no "both sides".

Teachers are busy teaching.

Administrators are busy trying to figure out how to open building for more kids.

A small group of entitled, ignorant parents are whining and trying to bully teachers because think they can get away with it.

-Parent who doesn't tolerate bullying

Is that really what you see?

Administrators haven't been working hard for six months (September until now) trying to figure out how to get students into buildings. Please.

Parents didn't go to Richmond (!) because they are entitled and ignorant. They went because they care about children and education. And were frustrated by the school boards' inability to do anything.

Yes, that's what I see. Many parents are throwing a temper tantrum because they feel they are entitled to something that just couldn't happen given our constraints. And they are misdirecting their rage towards a group of people that have very little power. They are bullies. It's been an eye-opening experience.

Real question, not trying to be snarky. How come so many other school jurisdictions were able to open in other states but not here. What “constraints” do we have here that make us different than all my friends across the country who have been posting photos of their kids masked up and headed to school since last August/September?

You don't even need to point to other states. As of January 26 in Virgina:

15 school districts offered 4 or 5 days in person for all students
41 (!) school districts offered 4 or 5 days in person for some students (most of those offered 2 days or alternating weeks for older grades, though at least one was fully in-person for younger kids and fully DL for older)
25 school districts offered hybrid to every grade level
9 offered hybrid to at least some students

Only 42 offered only distance learning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers and parents share far too much in common for all of this fighting.

Teachers are stuck in a bad spot in all of this. I genuinely believe this.

Kids are being used as leverage. Nothing new.

Teachers and parents need to focus on their SHARED concerns. The only ones who benefit from divided teachers and parents are those who profit off of controlling teachers’ availability as leverage against parents.

Focus on education. Both teachers and parents should be willing to hold out from participating in the system until the system provides teachers the resources and support that parents and teachers both expect. Stop fighting each other.

Nope. This isn't "fighting". There are no "both sides".

Teachers are busy teaching.

Administrators are busy trying to figure out how to open building for more kids.

A small group of entitled, ignorant parents are whining and trying to bully teachers because think they can get away with it.

-Parent who doesn't tolerate bullying

Is that really what you see?

Administrators haven't been working hard for six months (September until now) trying to figure out how to get students into buildings. Please.

Parents didn't go to Richmond (!) because they are entitled and ignorant. They went because they care about children and education. And were frustrated by the school boards' inability to do anything.

Yes, that's what I see. Many parents are throwing a temper tantrum because they feel they are entitled to something that just couldn't happen given our constraints. And they are misdirecting their rage towards a group of people that have very little power. They are bullies. It's been an eye-opening experience.

Real question, not trying to be snarky. How come so many other school jurisdictions were able to open in other states but not here. What “constraints” do we have here that make us different than all my friends across the country who have been posting photos of their kids masked up and headed to school since last August/September?

I'm fine with pay rasises for teachers who are performing acceptably - they deserve it! I think that the school system needs to do more to remove unacceptable performers - I would say that out of the 15-20 teachers that my kids have had, there were about 2 that fit into that group. Everyone else should get a raise and more power to them.

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Anonymous wrote:Local pay increases don’t always amount to that provided by the state. It is not unusual for the state to “provide a x% increase” but then a lesser amount is actually realized at the local level. FCPS is proposing no salary increases.

Don't districts have to opt in to receive those funds? I believe FCPS has decided not to take this funding and will be freezing teacher pay heading into next year. I haven't seen any updates from Braband or the school board stating otherwise.

FCPS turn money down?????

LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!

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Anonymous wrote:If you teach for FCPS you will not be receiving a raise in 2021-2022 unless the school board adds it into the budget. No step. No COLA. As of now it's not in the proposed budget.

Honestly, as a parent I wish they would go the Loudoun route and give our teachers retroactive step increases from the beginning of the current school year too. 3% or so for my son’s teacher would be well deserved.

That would be good, but personally I'd like to see some amount of COLA included too. My DW is at the top of the scale with about 10 years before she can retire. Step increases do teachers like her no good.

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Anonymous wrote:If you teach for FCPS you will not be receiving a raise in 2021-2022 unless the school board adds it into the budget. No step. No COLA. As of now it's not in the proposed budget.

And you know this how?

I know this because it is not in the superintendent's proposed budget. It's not a secret. As I said, the school board may change that but for now no raise is planned.

Anonymous wrote:If you teach for FCPS you will not be receiving a raise in 2021-2022 unless the school board adds it into the budget. No step. No COLA. As of now it's not in the proposed budget.

Honestly, as a parent I wish they would go the Loudoun route and give our teachers retroactive step increases from the beginning of the current school year too. 3% or so for my son’s teacher would be well deserved.

Anonymous wrote:If you teach for FCPS you will not be receiving a raise in 2021-2022 unless the school board adds it into the budget. No step. No COLA. As of now it's not in the proposed budget.

With a massive federal infusion coming, as well as the state government mulling a 3-5% increase, the raises will be in the budget before it is ratified. Brabrand played it quite safe with the initial proposal due to the uncertainty over a month ago.

Anonymous wrote:If you teach for FCPS you will not be receiving a raise in 2021-2022 unless the school board adds it into the budget. No step. No COLA. As of now it's not in the proposed budget.

And you know this how?

If you teach for FCPS you will not be receiving a raise in 2021-2022 unless the school board adds it into the budget. No step. No COLA. As of now it's not in the proposed budget.

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Anonymous wrote:I love getting my deserved raise as a hero. I love more seeing fuming parents raging on these boards.

The fact that this is taking place on a snow day is the cherry on top 🥰

Should I open a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot today?

Go ahead and give the raise. A 3% raise doesn’t mean much when you are paid pennies to start with.

Let this loser enjoy her Aldi wine.

1) chill, I know we are slaves and peasants to you and my 75k isn’t much. So I supplement with another 35k coaching.
2) I have 3 months off every year, you have what like 10 days or some shit?
3) although it’d be nice to be a high-roller with a Maserati I’m ok having mental piece, clean spiritually-driven life and not worried about that rat race of yours
4) that aldi line was funny, I give it to you. It was actually a Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac. I’m not into the Illuminati shit but the wine is something - google it. I know you don’t go beyond the $30-40 at your local grocery store lol

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Anonymous wrote:How many teacher bashing posts can DCUM have at any given time? This board has gone to crap.

Agreed! Teachers are working 5 days a week right now! We are working just as hard as ever before. We deserve to receive cost of living and step increases AT A MINIMUM.

You have my support when all kids who want it are back in school 5 days a week.

You are ignorant trash. GTFO.

-parent

You can call me ignorant all you want. I think that says more about you than it does about me.
My spouse is a teacher and really advocating on the steps point. I tell my spouse the same thing I’m saying here - you’ll have more support for all of this once all kids are back in school. You’re the dumb one if you want to keep your head in the sand on that major public relations issue.

No, I called you ignorant because you are ignorant.

Facts:
Teachers didn't manufacture this virus that is easily spread in the air.
Teachers didn't force millions of Americans to not wear masks.
Teachers didn't force millions of Americans to not the virus seriously.
Teachers didn't cause community spread.
Teachers didn't cause the pandemic.
Teachers didn't design or build the small classrooms.
Teachers didn't create the large class sizes.

Teachers have ZERO control over the constraints of "return to school". You should be happy that any kids are in person at all FFS.

Facts: Teachers all over the country threatened to quit when told to return to school last fall.
In other parts of the country, school administrators or governors called their bluff and schools reopened. Here, they didn't.

So teachers get the credit for keeping schools closed. Yay for teachers! It worked!

Now teachers are also getting blamed for keeping schools closed. Oh.

We - the parents and community - didn't push to open schools in the fall because we recognized that this was a deadly pandemic and we weren't able to address openly schools safely. Our schools are crazy overcrowded. There were much bigger community issues - feeding kids.

Monday morning quarterback forgets what it was like in the fall.

We have vaccines now. And more kids are heading back to the buildings. See how that works? Make it safe, kids will go back.

Contrary to your narrative that schools couldn't be opened safely, Rhode Island pushed to open schools and kept them open with VERY low in-school transmission all year. And in fall our numbers were low. And they might have stayed somewhat lower if schools were open, since multiple studies have shown that kids are safer from COVID at school. Read up on some national news sources talking about COVID. This isn't hidden stuff.

This study was available back in July/August as schools were making plans?

Monday morning quarterback.

Here, more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/08/21/coronavirus-child-care-protocols/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_viruschildcare-645pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans

“More”? You haven’t provided anything yet.

And this study is about daycare.

Small daycare <> ES school with 700 kids <> MS with 1000 kids <> HS with 2500 kids

Daycare kids are closer together.

But you knew that.

The point is, you have selective amnesia and cannot remember last year. But we can.

You're trying to rewrite history, Monday morning quarterback.

One daycare study published right before schools were about to open wasn't enough to make anyone think it was safe at the time (aside from covid deniers).

From that other article, Rhode Island brought in consultants who recommended to NOT open based on risks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love getting my deserved raise as a hero. I love more seeing fuming parents raging on these boards.

The fact that this is taking place on a snow day is the cherry on top 🥰

Should I open a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot today?

Go ahead and give the raise. A 3% raise doesn’t mean much when you are paid pennies to start with.

Let this loser enjoy her Aldi wine.

Not the PP, but I would take that raise or just an unfrozen step increase in a heartbeat. It probably *is* pennies for many of you. For me, it means being able to buy a new coat and make repairs to my home that have been delayed for too long.