Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 17:06     Subject: What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:Yes, PP is correct. To get 22 kids in over the day that requires 2 classrooms. Even IF every teacher said they would do in person, they can not accommodate that.

At Lafayette they have 6 K classrooms and with an alternating schedule they could make it work. It is a staffing + flexibility issue. They didn't have enough teachers to provide IPL and they discounted any type of hybrid model that would require the teachers to teach more than 20 students.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 16:39     Subject: What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Yes, PP is correct. To get 22 kids in over the day that requires 2 classrooms. Even IF every teacher said they would do in person, they can not accommodate that.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 16:19     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why there isn't capacity for K-2 kids who want to be in person. If each class is cut in half (between AM and PM cohorts), and they have the physical space plus all the teachers that they advertised as in person last week, why can they not have enough capacity for all the kids who want to be in person? Class size is capped to begin with and that is school-wide so the K-2 classes shouldn't be any bigger than the other grades. SOOOO frustrated.


I don't necessarily think schools have the physical space. If there is an AM and PM group per teacher, they are using 2 classrooms. So if 4 2nd grade teachers returned for AM/PM half days, they would need 8 classrooms. That takes up more than a floor for many schools, I'm sure.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 15:57     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why there isn't capacity for K-2 kids who want to be in person. If each class is cut in half (between AM and PM cohorts), and they have the physical space plus all the teachers that they advertised as in person last week, why can they not have enough capacity for all the kids who want to be in person? Class size is capped to begin with and that is school-wide so the K-2 classes shouldn't be any bigger than the other grades. SOOOO frustrated.


Because they don't have the teachers, at least for kindergarten. Three of the six kindergarten teachers are remaining virtual.


But for 2nd grade (where we are), there is one virtual teacher and the rest are in person. So again I don't understand why they don't have capacity - at least for 2nd!

So if our DC doesn't get a spot, DC will stay virtual and have a new teacher.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 14:32     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why there isn't capacity for K-2 kids who want to be in person. If each class is cut in half (between AM and PM cohorts), and they have the physical space plus all the teachers that they advertised as in person last week, why can they not have enough capacity for all the kids who want to be in person? Class size is capped to begin with and that is school-wide so the K-2 classes shouldn't be any bigger than the other grades. SOOOO frustrated.


Because they don't have the teachers, at least for kindergarten. Three of the six kindergarten teachers are remaining virtual.

Actually, they have a 4th teacher now for in-person learning ("IPL"), but one of them is only doing a p.m. cohort (the other three are doing an a.m. and p.m. cohort). Two teachers are remaining virtual. The principal claims they could only get these teachers to teach in person and there are no other K teachers available and none to hire, hence the inability to meet the demand. And they settled on a model where every in-person student attends four half-day sessions each week (M, T, Thu, F) which, given the 10 student limit precludes them from being able to accommodate about 50 kids (around 20 of whose families have said they don't want IPL at all). I just wish they would have looked at all options to get all ~100 kids through somehow, so there isn't this divide and we now have to explain to our 5 year-old why her friend gets to be with their beloved teacher in class every day and she doesn't get to at all.

Hoping and praying so hard that we can turn a corner with the virus in the next few months. Hugs to everyone else in this boat.


Not sure I understand your logic - they are getting 20 kids live each day, 10 in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. It's the same number as the older grades, but instead of going every other week for the full day, it's every day for 1/2 of the day.

Anyhow, I am sorry you didn't get a spot and echo your prayers.

Yes, the model is clearly to try to preserve the same workload for the IPL teachers, who will continue to have about 20 students who they will see in split cohorts. If they had done a hybrid 2 on/2 off model they would have had 30+ students to teach and would have to coordinate at least minimally with other teachers - however - that would have cycled everyone through so there wasn't this drastic inequity amounting to about 50% more instruction per week for the IPL students. Now the virtual students change teachers and will have 4 or 5 more kids in their class, so they will receive even less individualized attention. It's such a community-oriented school with most families living in the neighborhood, so our kids will see and feel the divide. It's really lopsided and so unfair to these kids. I can only hope the rest of the school year flies by and we get back to regular school by the fall.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 13:35     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why there isn't capacity for K-2 kids who want to be in person. If each class is cut in half (between AM and PM cohorts), and they have the physical space plus all the teachers that they advertised as in person last week, why can they not have enough capacity for all the kids who want to be in person? Class size is capped to begin with and that is school-wide so the K-2 classes shouldn't be any bigger than the other grades. SOOOO frustrated.


Because they don't have the teachers, at least for kindergarten. Three of the six kindergarten teachers are remaining virtual.

Actually, they have a 4th teacher now for in-person learning ("IPL"), but one of them is only doing a p.m. cohort (the other three are doing an a.m. and p.m. cohort). Two teachers are remaining virtual. The principal claims they could only get these teachers to teach in person and there are no other K teachers available and none to hire, hence the inability to meet the demand. And they settled on a model where every in-person student attends four half-day sessions each week (M, T, Thu, F) which, given the 10 student limit precludes them from being able to accommodate about 50 kids (around 20 of whose families have said they don't want IPL at all). I just wish they would have looked at all options to get all ~100 kids through somehow, so there isn't this divide and we now have to explain to our 5 year-old why her friend gets to be with their beloved teacher in class every day and she doesn't get to at all.

Hoping and praying so hard that we can turn a corner with the virus in the next few months. Hugs to everyone else in this boat.


Not sure I understand your logic - they are getting 20 kids live each day, 10 in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. It's the same number as the older grades, but instead of going every other week for the full day, it's every day for 1/2 of the day.

Anyhow, I am sorry you didn't get a spot and echo your prayers.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 13:34     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why there isn't capacity for K-2 kids who want to be in person. If each class is cut in half (between AM and PM cohorts), and they have the physical space plus all the teachers that they advertised as in person last week, why can they not have enough capacity for all the kids who want to be in person? Class size is capped to begin with and that is school-wide so the K-2 classes shouldn't be any bigger than the other grades. SOOOO frustrated.


Because they don't have the teachers, at least for kindergarten. Three of the six kindergarten teachers are remaining virtual.

Actually, they have a 4th teacher now for in-person learning ("IPL"), but one of them is only doing a p.m. cohort (the other three are doing an a.m. and p.m. cohort). Two teachers are remaining virtual. The principal claims they could only get these teachers to teach in person and there are no other K teachers available and none to hire, hence the inability to meet the demand. And they settled on a model where every in-person student attends four half-day sessions each week (M, T, Thu, F) which, given the 10 student limit precludes them from being able to accommodate about 50 kids (around 20 of whose families have said they don't want IPL at all). I just wish they would have looked at all options to get all ~100 kids through somehow, so there isn't this divide and we now have to explain to our 5 year-old why her friend gets to be with their beloved teacher in class every day and she doesn't get to at all.

Hoping and praying so hard that we can turn a corner with the virus in the next few months. Hugs to everyone else in this boat.


I'm really sorry you are in this situation. Be prepared though, I don't think anything is going to change Term 4.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 13:27     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why there isn't capacity for K-2 kids who want to be in person. If each class is cut in half (between AM and PM cohorts), and they have the physical space plus all the teachers that they advertised as in person last week, why can they not have enough capacity for all the kids who want to be in person? Class size is capped to begin with and that is school-wide so the K-2 classes shouldn't be any bigger than the other grades. SOOOO frustrated.


Because they don't have the teachers, at least for kindergarten. Three of the six kindergarten teachers are remaining virtual.

Actually, they have a 4th teacher now for in-person learning ("IPL"), but one of them is only doing a p.m. cohort (the other three are doing an a.m. and p.m. cohort). Two teachers are remaining virtual. The principal claims they could only get these teachers to teach in person and there are no other K teachers available and none to hire, hence the inability to meet the demand. And they settled on a model where every in-person student attends four half-day sessions each week (M, T, Thu, F) which, given the 10 student limit precludes them from being able to accommodate about 50 kids (around 20 of whose families have said they don't want IPL at all). I just wish they would have looked at all options to get all ~100 kids through somehow, so there isn't this divide and we now have to explain to our 5 year-old why her friend gets to be with their beloved teacher in class every day and she doesn't get to at all.

Hoping and praying so hard that we can turn a corner with the virus in the next few months. Hugs to everyone else in this boat.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 13:11     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:My first grader has suffered emotionally through all of this & yes will be devastated as well to learn friends & siblings returning & DC is not. Everyone needs to have some empathy & we empathize with you.


I still think there will be a lot of waitlist movement. Take heart OP/PP!
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 13:10     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
My first grader has suffered emotionally through all of this & yes will be devastated as well to learn friends & siblings returning & DC is not. Everyone needs to have some empathy & we empathize with you.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 12:38     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why there isn't capacity for K-2 kids who want to be in person. If each class is cut in half (between AM and PM cohorts), and they have the physical space plus all the teachers that they advertised as in person last week, why can they not have enough capacity for all the kids who want to be in person? Class size is capped to begin with and that is school-wide so the K-2 classes shouldn't be any bigger than the other grades. SOOOO frustrated.


Because they don't have the teachers, at least for kindergarten. Three of the six kindergarten teachers are remaining virtual.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 12:35     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why there isn't capacity for K-2 kids who want to be in person. If each class is cut in half (between AM and PM cohorts), and they have the physical space plus all the teachers that they advertised as in person last week, why can they not have enough capacity for all the kids who want to be in person? Class size is capped to begin with and that is school-wide so the K-2 classes shouldn't be any bigger than the other grades. SOOOO frustrated.



Aren’t those other teachers teaching different grades? If the classroom teacher has two cohorts a day (capped at 11), there are going to be kids left out. That’s how this plan has always been. DCPS has NEVER claimed anyone who wants a spot, gets a spot.


Because 3-5 share teachers, they can essentially double the number of kids in in-person classes. It's also going to depend on what staff can actually return.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 12:31     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why there isn't capacity for K-2 kids who want to be in person. If each class is cut in half (between AM and PM cohorts), and they have the physical space plus all the teachers that they advertised as in person last week, why can they not have enough capacity for all the kids who want to be in person? Class size is capped to begin with and that is school-wide so the K-2 classes shouldn't be any bigger than the other grades. SOOOO frustrated.



Aren’t those other teachers teaching different grades? If the classroom teacher has two cohorts a day (capped at 11), there are going to be kids left out. That’s how this plan has always been. DCPS has NEVER claimed anyone who wants a spot, gets a spot.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 12:25     Subject: Re:What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
I don't understand why there isn't capacity for K-2 kids who want to be in person. If each class is cut in half (between AM and PM cohorts), and they have the physical space plus all the teachers that they advertised as in person last week, why can they not have enough capacity for all the kids who want to be in person? Class size is capped to begin with and that is school-wide so the K-2 classes shouldn't be any bigger than the other grades. SOOOO frustrated.
Anonymous
Post 01/11/2021 12:05     Subject: What is the latest on Lafayette reopening ?
Looks like they added a new K teacher as well. So OP, at least the classes will shrink if still online.