I didn't see that SB1303 requires 5 days. It just says they must offer both in person and virtual.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS better get their act together by the fall and have kids back 5 days. This is beyond ridiculous.

Governor Northam has a bill at his desk (SB 1303) to require 5 days in-person except in cases of high in-building spread of COVID-19 (which shouldn't happen with masking and widespread vaccination) for fall. Encourage him to sign it. Then FCPS will have to literally break the law to offer less.

He has already indicated he will sign it. There will be 5 days in person (which includes the teachers in person, per the language of the bill) with some sort of virtual option for those students who choose it.

And that will be the downfall for FCPS. Pulling together a virtual that is fair and equal and makes everyone happy.

Maybe but plenty of people are not happy this year either. I think this year was the school year people who wanted in-person 5 days had to suck it up and deal. Next school year it will be the all virtual people who will have to suck it up and deal. It’s not pretty, but I think it is true. And reasonable. Is that compromise - no one 100% happy? “Everyone” will not be happy next year, just like this year.

Anonymous wrote:5 days concurrent isn’t so bad for the kids in person if there is no distancing

As a parent who has watched how hard my kids' teachers are working for remote learning (and I'm also very vocally pro-open, FWIW), my response is, "but the teachers!"

I haven't heard any teacher who says concurrent is as good as or as doable as regular in-person.

5 days concurrent isn’t so bad for the kids in person if there is no distancing

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS better get their act together by the fall and have kids back 5 days. This is beyond ridiculous.

Governor Northam has a bill at his desk (SB 1303) to require 5 days in-person except in cases of high in-building spread of COVID-19 (which shouldn't happen with masking and widespread vaccination) for fall. Encourage him to sign it. Then FCPS will have to literally break the law to offer less.

He has already indicated he will sign it. There will be 5 days in person (which includes the teachers in person, per the language of the bill) with some sort of virtual option for those students who choose it.

And that will be the downfall for FCPS. Pulling together a virtual that is fair and equal and makes everyone happy.

As someone who fully believes Northam will sign SB 1303, I agree. Everyone will have a cow about any reasonable option for a virtual option (ex: a K-12 version of Fairfax Online Campus, Vava k-12, Virtual Virginia, whatever). It'll either be 5 days concurrent burning out teachers and making it tougher on kids or possibly they will simply give up.

Why they won't just ask all the program management types in the area who would happily volunteer their time to come up with a plan and run with that, I don't know. Or just hire a consulting firm to come up with the plan. Or just wholesale steal one from a district already open full-time.

As soon as this bill is signed, all the districts need to survey families to get them to commit to a year of online classes for their kids next school year. Then figure out how many teachers are needed to staff the number of kids choosing online school, and choose which teachers get to/have to teach this group. And make a whole county’s worth of online school that way. If they insist on keeping the online kids at their base schools, it means everyone gets concurrent which would be awful for everyone. If they centralized the online stuff at the county level, the in person kids go to their assigned schools, and the DL kids go to “DL FCPS.” But that would require the superintendents to get tough with the DL families and tell them they would probably only have a regular curriculum without language immersion or less popular AP/IB classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have not read through this thread but my understanding as a PTA board member is it depends on CDC recommendations. If they remain at 6 feet distancing we will be hybrid. If at 3 feet, schools should be able to move to 5 days and that is the preference.

There was a law passed, now awaiting Northam's signature that will require all schools to offer 5 day a week in person instruction, regardless of CDC recommendations. Read up.

That's not what it says at all so maybe you need to read it again.

Oh, you again. That’s exactly what it says. Sorry that live online classes don’t count as “in person.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have not read through this thread but my understanding as a PTA board member is it depends on CDC recommendations. If they remain at 6 feet distancing we will be hybrid. If at 3 feet, schools should be able to move to 5 days and that is the preference.

There was a law passed, now awaiting Northam's signature that will require all schools to offer 5 day a week in person instruction, regardless of CDC recommendations. Read up.

That's not what it says at all so maybe you need to read it again.

Someone or someones on here keeps saying that, but then not showing in the text that it's not what it says. Senator Dunnavant says that's what it says, and she worked with Del. VanValkenberg on the language, so...?

It says:

1. § 1. As used in this act:

"In-person instruction" means any form of instructional interaction between teachers and students that occurs in person and in real time.

"In-person instruction" does not include the act of proctoring remote online learning in a classroom.

§ 2. Each school board shall offer in-person instruction to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public elementary and secondary school for at least the minimum number of required instructional hours and to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public school-based early childhood care and education program for the entirety of the instructional time provided pursuant to such program. For the purposes of this act, each school board shall (i) adopt, implement, and, when appropriate, update specific parameters for the provision of in-person instruction and (ii) provide such in-person instruction in a manner in which it adheres, to the maximum extent practicable, to any currently applicable mitigation strategies for early childhood care and education programs and elementary and secondary schools to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 that have been provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Then there's carve outs for high levels of in-school spread (allowing hybrid or remote), for school districts being allowed to offer virtual if families ask for it, and for teachers to teach remotely if they are quarantining. But you notice it says in-person has to be offered, then says CDC mitigation guidance should be followed to the maximum extent practicable.

It doesn't say follow CDC and only if you can space everyone out 6' apart forever and ever amen then offer in-person education.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have not read through this thread but my understanding as a PTA board member is it depends on CDC recommendations. If they remain at 6 feet distancing we will be hybrid. If at 3 feet, schools should be able to move to 5 days and that is the preference.

There was a law passed, now awaiting Northam's signature that will require all schools to offer 5 day a week in person instruction, regardless of CDC recommendations. Read up.

That's not what it says at all so maybe you need to read it again.

Anonymous wrote:I have not read through this thread but my understanding as a PTA board member is it depends on CDC recommendations. If they remain at 6 feet distancing we will be hybrid. If at 3 feet, schools should be able to move to 5 days and that is the preference.

Curious: why haven't the PTAs or FCCPTA spoken up about this...at all?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS better get their act together by the fall and have kids back 5 days. This is beyond ridiculous.

Governor Northam has a bill at his desk (SB 1303) to require 5 days in-person except in cases of high in-building spread of COVID-19 (which shouldn't happen with masking and widespread vaccination) for fall. Encourage him to sign it. Then FCPS will have to literally break the law to offer less.

He has already indicated he will sign it. There will be 5 days in person (which includes the teachers in person, per the language of the bill) with some sort of virtual option for those students who choose it.

And that will be the downfall for FCPS. Pulling together a virtual that is fair and equal and makes everyone happy.

As someone who fully believes Northam will sign SB 1303, I agree. Everyone will have a cow about any reasonable option for a virtual option (ex: a K-12 version of Fairfax Online Campus, Vava k-12, Virtual Virginia, whatever). It'll either be 5 days concurrent burning out teachers and making it tougher on kids or possibly they will simply give up.

Why they won't just ask all the program management types in the area who would happily volunteer their time to come up with a plan and run with that, I don't know. Or just hire a consulting firm to come up with the plan. Or just wholesale steal one from a district already open full-time.

Anonymous wrote:I have not read through this thread but my understanding as a PTA board member is it depends on CDC recommendations. If they remain at 6 feet distancing we will be hybrid. If at 3 feet, schools should be able to move to 5 days and that is the preference.

That is old info.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS better get their act together by the fall and have kids back 5 days. This is beyond ridiculous.

Governor Northam has a bill at his desk (SB 1303) to require 5 days in-person except in cases of high in-building spread of COVID-19 (which shouldn't happen with masking and widespread vaccination) for fall. Encourage him to sign it. Then FCPS will have to literally break the law to offer less.

He has already indicated he will sign it. There will be 5 days in person (which includes the teachers in person, per the language of the bill) with some sort of virtual option for those students who choose it.

And that will be the downfall for FCPS. Pulling together a virtual that is fair and equal and makes everyone happy.

Anonymous wrote:I have not read through this thread but my understanding as a PTA board member is it depends on CDC recommendations. If they remain at 6 feet distancing we will be hybrid. If at 3 feet, schools should be able to move to 5 days and that is the preference.

There was a law passed, now awaiting Northam's signature that will require all schools to offer 5 day a week in person instruction, regardless of CDC recommendations. Read up.

I have not read through this thread but my understanding as a PTA board member is it depends on CDC recommendations. If they remain at 6 feet distancing we will be hybrid. If at 3 feet, schools should be able to move to 5 days and that is the preference.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS better get their act together by the fall and have kids back 5 days. This is beyond ridiculous.

Governor Northam has a bill at his desk (SB 1303) to require 5 days in-person except in cases of high in-building spread of COVID-19 (which shouldn't happen with masking and widespread vaccination) for fall. Encourage him to sign it. Then FCPS will have to literally break the law to offer less.

He has already indicated he will sign it. There will be 5 days in person (which includes the teachers in person, per the language of the bill) with some sort of virtual option for those students who choose it.