Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lobby away. Dcps is just following health guidelines set by DC Health.

But DCPS and the teachers union aren't innovating like they could. Not at all. Come on, in the Nordic countries and Germany, elementary school classes are often taking place outside, e.g. in public parks. No way will the teachers unions permit that in this country. I bet you're going to see charter schools take the lead in keeping learning rolling in the fall, not DCPS. I see charter innovation during the pandemic pushing the District over the cliff into greater enrollment in charters than in DCPS for the first time, within the next two years. I'm not a charter booster, but with elementary school-age kids in DCPS facing 1-2 days a week of in-person learning in the fall, I might become one if local friends with kids in charters are getting considerably more in-person learning than we are (and I bet they will find a way).

Our unionized school is innovating in exactly that way. But that can expand capacity only marginally -- for instance, did you know that there are periods of inclimate weather? Seriously, teachers are supposed to educate our children in 45 degree weather? How well would you learn in that environment?

Leaving aside that the fall is when we should be MORE CAUTIOUS given that modeling predicts a resurgence then.

To echo a previous poster, you can't lobby, sue, or petition a virus. Use your heads people.

educatedc wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

educatedc wrote:Per the ReOpen guidelines, schools, under each of Phase 2 and 3 must limit class sizes to 10, inclusive of the teachers, so really a max of 8 or 9. Restaurants and bars are allowed much more. Gatherings up to 250 are permitted. DC has chosen bars/restaurants over schools - no surprises that the school system is a failed system.

Schools cannot educate under these constraints - public schools are far worse off due to higher class sizes. The alternative is to sit your child alone at home on zoom - numerous studies have demonstrated this to be ineffective, and developmentally, lead to diminished social capacity.

DC Government needs to be heavily lobbied, and if that doesn't work, suing DC to revoke Mayor Bowser's order, which she has issued on shaky legal ground.

I am a lawyer, but more importantly, a parent. Anyone interested send an email to educatedc89@gmail.com to get a group started.

educateddc98@gmail.com is also posting the same message on the private school forum.

Weird flex, bro.

Yeah - this impacts everyone - why let the mayor implement a policy that, frankly, private schools have the financial resources to navigate, further exacerbating inequality?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lobby away. Dcps is just following health guidelines set by DC Health.

But DCPS and the teachers union aren't innovating like they could. Not at all. Come on, in the Nordic countries and Germany, elementary school classes are often taking place outside, e.g. in public parks. No way will the teachers unions permit that in this country. I bet you're going to see charter schools take the lead in keeping learning rolling in the fall, not DCPS. I see charter innovation during the pandemic pushing the District over the cliff into greater enrollment in charters than in DCPS for the first time, within the next two years. I'm not a charter booster, but with elementary school-age kids in DCPS facing 1-2 days a week of in-person learning in the fall, I might become one if local friends with kids in charters are getting considerably more in-person learning than we are (and I bet they will find a way).

Our unionized school is innovating in exactly that way. But that can expand capacity only marginally -- for instance, did you know that there are periods of inclimate weather? Seriously, teachers are supposed to educate our children in 45 degree weather? How well would you learn in that environment?

Leaving aside that the fall is when we should be MORE CAUTIOUS given that modeling predicts a resurgence then.

To echo a previous poster, you can't lobby, sue, or petition a virus. Use your heads people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lobby away. Dcps is just following health guidelines set by DC Health.

But DCPS and the teachers union aren't innovating like they could. Not at all. Come on, in the Nordic countries and Germany, elementary school classes are often taking place outside, e.g. in public parks. No way will the teachers unions permit that in this country. I bet you're going to see charter schools take the lead in keeping learning rolling in the fall, not DCPS. I see charter innovation during the pandemic pushing the District over the cliff into greater enrollment in charters than in DCPS for the first time, within the next two years. I'm not a charter booster, but with elementary school-age kids in DCPS facing 1-2 days a week of in-person learning in the fall, I might become one if local friends with kids in charters are getting considerably more in-person learning than we are (and I bet they will find a way).

Anonymous wrote:Responding to the original poster: I think it would be smart to open schools with larger class sizes, and there does need to be more of a lobby for this point of view. DCPS could make it a priority in it's budget wherever possible to keep class sizes to a minimum (if it aims for 20 students per classroom, kids could still have probably four/five feet between them). In France schools were made a priority. France recently abolished the hybrid model and simply changed the recommendation of six feet of distance between children to three feet of distance - same in Australia, China and other countries. There seems to be a consensus building that opening schools is not a big source of spread for covid. Having n95 masks for the teachers is a good idea. That being said I really do sympathize with teachers, but for some this will at least allow for a full time childcare option. The kids are really losing out with the current scenario, and as people have pointed out there is no guarantee of a vaccine meaning that this situation could be our new reality for the foreseeable future. Also whatever dcps decides will impact private and parochial schools. Many people depend on employment related to schools and on the schools for childcare.

Anonymous wrote:Loudon County announces two days in person three days distance learning. Start making plans parents.

Anonymous wrote:Which training made sure we are compliant with IDEA??? The 2 hour OSSE webinar where they told us to make a distance learning plan? That’s compliance?
We will be back- in August. Start figuring out how to go back to work. Or, quit and let folks who want to teach do the job.

Anonymous wrote:Our principal said that with 12 children in the classroom the children are six feet apart. That means with 20 they would be 4/5 feet apart.

Anonymous wrote:Responding to the original poster: I think it would be smart to open schools with larger class sizes, and there does need to be more of a lobby for this point of view. DCPS could make it a priority in it's budget wherever possible to keep class sizes to a minimum (if it aims for 20 students per classroom, kids could still have probably four/five feet between them). In France schools were made a priority. France recently abolished the hybrid model and simply changed the recommendation of six feet of distance between children to three feet of distance - same in Australia, China and other countries. There seems to be a consensus building that opening schools is not a big source of spread for covid. Having n95 masks for the teachers is a good idea. That being said I really do sympathize with teachers, but for some this will at least allow for a full time childcare option. The kids are really losing out with the current scenario, and as people have pointed out there is no guarantee of a vaccine meaning that this situation could be our new reality for the foreseeable future. Also whatever dcps decides will impact private and parochial schools. Many people depend on employment related to schools and on the schools for childcare.