jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[teachers literally went ON STRIKE to keep schools closed. And WTU did not advocate for mandatory vaccines for itself or for other school staff - that’s your continued misguided and incorrect belief.

This is false. DCPS teachers did not go on strike. To the contrary, the WTU explicitly voted not to strike:

https://dcist.com/story/20/11/13/dcps-strikes-deal-with-union-on-reopening/

Despite tensions over the city’s return to classrooms, D.C. teachers will not go on strike.

The majority of Washington Teachers’ Union members voted against authorizing the union’s executive board to call a walkout, said Daniel Rosenthal, a lawyer for the union during a D.C. Superior Court hearing Tuesday.

The WTU negotiated a number of safety issues for schools which included mandatory vaccines. That is a fact. The negotiations resulted in a mandate with WTU support.

Teachers went on strike on around Nov 2. Why are you trying to re-write history? That WTU vote you linked to was on Nov 13, AFTER teachers went on strike. And, WTU did not stop threatening to strike, which is why DCPS had to go seek a TRO against a strike in Feb.

Anonymous wrote:[teachers literally went ON STRIKE to keep schools closed. And WTU did not advocate for mandatory vaccines for itself or for other school staff - that’s your continued misguided and incorrect belief.

This is false. DCPS teachers did not go on strike. To the contrary, the WTU explicitly voted not to strike:

https://dcist.com/story/20/11/13/dcps-strikes-deal-with-union-on-reopening/

Despite tensions over the city’s return to classrooms, D.C. teachers will not go on strike.

The majority of Washington Teachers’ Union members voted against authorizing the union’s executive board to call a walkout, said Daniel Rosenthal, a lawyer for the union during a D.C. Superior Court hearing Tuesday.

The WTU negotiated a number of safety issues for schools which included mandatory vaccines. That is a fact. The negotiations resulted in a mandate with WTU support.

Is there any way we can take this conversation about teacher blame and the WTU elsewhere? I do think it’s a useful conversation (maybe— a lot of anger too) but I think it’s pulling this thread off course.

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are still rightfully angry that teachers refused to allow schools to open last year. That's not going to go away for a long, long time. I'm not dwelling on it because I need to have a good relationship with my kid's teachers and the school, but yeah -- never going to forget it. As for vaccinations, if WTU had been more forthright off the block, we could have truly mandatory vaccines for everyone in DCPS. WTU could have pressured DCPS to impose a vaccine mandate this summer on all adults in schools (including their own union and the other staff unions) to protect their own members AND the kids and families they purport to advocate for. But no.

This is another example of the misplaced blame on teachers that is so common here. Teachers alone didn't close schools. The WTU was attempting to negotiate safety arrangements -- including vaccines -- for most of the summer. There is a long thread here in which a poster repeatedly argued that the WTU opposed a vaccine mandate and I argued that the union did not (it simply wanted to negotiate its implementation). It's possible that the announcement of the mandate was delayed because Mayor Bowser made it part of a policy that included other city workers. But, it was clear a lot earlier that the WTU would support a mandate.

This is such BS.

Bowser said publicly last summer that she wanted schools to open on time, and thought it could be done safely, but they couldn't because teachers were refusing to show up for work. Our kids' school told us precisely the same thing -- that they wanted to open, but they couldn't because of teachers.

Also, perhaps you haven't noticed, but we still don't have a vaccine mandate for teachers (even though the city imposes one on many other public employees). Vaccines are still optional for teachers. If WTU actually wanted a mandate, it could say so. The notion that they just want to negotiate the details of implementation is an absurd fig leaf. They could do that in an hour, if they really wanted a mandate.

This is why people think you're such a shill for the teachers union.

I dont get why you feel the need to impose your views on everyone else. Can't you just let people talk? Without censoring anyone who says anything critical of the teachers' union?

People who wonder why the public in DC is so unhappy with the teachers union are a little bit like cops wondering why African-Americans hate them. Maybe because they deserve it?

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are still rightfully angry that teachers refused to allow schools to open last year. That's not going to go away for a long, long time. I'm not dwelling on it because I need to have a good relationship with my kid's teachers and the school, but yeah -- never going to forget it. As for vaccinations, if WTU had been more forthright off the block, we could have truly mandatory vaccines for everyone in DCPS. WTU could have pressured DCPS to impose a vaccine mandate this summer on all adults in schools (including their own union and the other staff unions) to protect their own members AND the kids and families they purport to advocate for. But no.

This is another example of the misplaced blame on teachers that is so common here. Teachers alone didn't close schools. The WTU was attempting to negotiate safety arrangements -- including vaccines -- for most of the summer. There is a long thread here in which a poster repeatedly argued that the WTU opposed a vaccine mandate and I argued that the union did not (it simply wanted to negotiate its implementation). It's possible that the announcement of the mandate was delayed because Mayor Bowser made it part of a policy that included other city workers. But, it was clear a lot earlier that the WTU would support a mandate.

And yet, I think it's open to interpretation. I don't think the case is as black and white as you are painting it here. I don't think the people you're arguing with have a nefarious intent, but I don't think they are placing blame exactly where you do. That isn't wrong, or blaming teachers for absurd things like Nationals batting averages.

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why you deleted all of my comments saying things like that I don't think you're on the WTU payroll, but that you don't appear to be unbiased. Or my comment indicating that strawmen like the above "Nats batting average" isn't helping to paint you as a neutral party. Instead you kept someone else's comment which was much less reasonable, because it seems like you had a good retort.

I love a good retort as much as the next person, but it seems at best unfair when you are able to control the narrative.

Comments that fit your descriptions are here:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/120/999640.page#20816503

and here:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/120/999640.page#20816535

Are those yours?

I take back what I said. I clearly mis-remembered the page they were on.

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are still rightfully angry that teachers refused to allow schools to open last year. That's not going to go away for a long, long time. I'm not dwelling on it because I need to have a good relationship with my kid's teachers and the school, but yeah -- never going to forget it. As for vaccinations, if WTU had been more forthright off the block, we could have truly mandatory vaccines for everyone in DCPS. WTU could have pressured DCPS to impose a vaccine mandate this summer on all adults in schools (including their own union and the other staff unions) to protect their own members AND the kids and families they purport to advocate for. But no.

This is another example of the misplaced blame on teachers that is so common here. Teachers alone didn't close schools. The WTU was attempting to negotiate safety arrangements -- including vaccines -- for most of the summer. There is a long thread here in which a poster repeatedly argued that the WTU opposed a vaccine mandate and I argued that the union did not (it simply wanted to negotiate its implementation). It's possible that the announcement of the mandate was delayed because Mayor Bowser made it part of a policy that included other city workers. But, it was clear a lot earlier that the WTU would support a mandate.

teachers literally went ON STRIKE to keep schools closed. And WTU did not advocate for mandatory vaccines for itself or for other school staff - that’s your continued misguided and incorrect belief.

(and BTW - continued WTU radio silence on mandatory vaccines in school. Lots of sniping about ventilation and testing, but zero words about the single most effective policy that could be implemented- and had been implemented for other workplaces.)

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are still rightfully angry that teachers refused to allow schools to open last year. That's not going to go away for a long, long time. I'm not dwelling on it because I need to have a good relationship with my kid's teachers and the school, but yeah -- never going to forget it. As for vaccinations, if WTU had been more forthright off the block, we could have truly mandatory vaccines for everyone in DCPS. WTU could have pressured DCPS to impose a vaccine mandate this summer on all adults in schools (including their own union and the other staff unions) to protect their own members AND the kids and families they purport to advocate for. But no.

This is another example of the misplaced blame on teachers that is so common here. Teachers alone didn't close schools. The WTU was attempting to negotiate safety arrangements -- including vaccines -- for most of the summer. There is a long thread here in which a poster repeatedly argued that the WTU opposed a vaccine mandate and I argued that the union did not (it simply wanted to negotiate its implementation). It's possible that the announcement of the mandate was delayed because Mayor Bowser made it part of a policy that included other city workers. But, it was clear a lot earlier that the WTU would support a mandate.

teachers literally went ON STRIKE to keep schools closed. And WTU did not advocate for mandatory vaccines for itself or for other school staff - that’s your continued misguided and incorrect belief.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I, for one, fully trust DCPS to be 100% open and transparent as they always have been.

-the most naive person in the district

Look, I trust DCPS more than an anonymous message board. You have to admit you've seen stuff here that doesn't pass the sniff test. We've all seen something, in some context. Why would we think anything posted here is factual, unless it has an external, verifiable source?

Ok, don't trust anything you read here. You shouldn't. It's all just rumor unless there's a source.

But just because any of these are only rumors doesn't mean that we should believe Bowser/DCPS.

I'm PP and I'm not saying I have a particularly high degree of trust in Bowser/DCPS. Just that I trust this board for factual information LESS. And (as was evidenced by a prior thread that got deleted about reporting on covid rumors involving individual children in our city) rumors about kids can go off the rails quickly. I prefer to err on the side of DCPS where private health information of children is concerned.

Anonymous wrote:People are still rightfully angry that teachers refused to allow schools to open last year. That's not going to go away for a long, long time. I'm not dwelling on it because I need to have a good relationship with my kid's teachers and the school, but yeah -- never going to forget it. As for vaccinations, if WTU had been more forthright off the block, we could have truly mandatory vaccines for everyone in DCPS. WTU could have pressured DCPS to impose a vaccine mandate this summer on all adults in schools (including their own union and the other staff unions) to protect their own members AND the kids and families they purport to advocate for. But no.

This is another example of the misplaced blame on teachers that is so common here. Teachers alone didn't close schools. The WTU was attempting to negotiate safety arrangements -- including vaccines -- for most of the summer. There is a long thread here in which a poster repeatedly argued that the WTU opposed a vaccine mandate and I argued that the union did not (it simply wanted to negotiate its implementation). It's possible that the announcement of the mandate was delayed because Mayor Bowser made it part of a policy that included other city workers. But, it was clear a lot earlier that the WTU would support a mandate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I, for one, fully trust DCPS to be 100% open and transparent as they always have been.

-the most naive person in the district

Look, I trust DCPS more than an anonymous message board. You have to admit you've seen stuff here that doesn't pass the sniff test. We've all seen something, in some context. Why would we think anything posted here is factual, unless it has an external, verifiable source?

Ok, don't trust anything you read here. You shouldn't. It's all just rumor unless there's a source.

But just because any of these are only rumors doesn't mean that we should believe Bowser/DCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry typo.
NP. Have there really been schools without a single case? Our school has had a new case (or two) at least every other day since school started.

Many schools have no cases, and many others have only 1-2 cases:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZT2XxxtPqtrEJKWsmErz7YkR-UYzvJaV-3aOZYcswBk/htmlview#gid=558896752

Where is this doc from? It's not up to date.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why you deleted all of my comments saying things like that I don't think you're on the WTU payroll, but that you don't appear to be unbiased. Or my comment indicating that strawmen like the above "Nats batting average" isn't helping to paint you as a neutral party. Instead you kept someone else's comment which was much less reasonable, because it seems like you had a good retort.

I love a good retort as much as the next person, but it seems at best unfair when you are able to control the narrative.

Comments that fit your descriptions are here:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/120/999640.page#20816503

and here:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/120/999640.page#20816535

Are those yours?

Anonymous wrote:I, for one, fully trust DCPS to be 100% open and transparent as they always have been.

-the most naive person in the district

Look, I trust DCPS more than an anonymous message board. You have to admit you've seen stuff here that doesn't pass the sniff test. We've all seen something, in some context. Why would we think anything posted here is factual, unless it has an external, verifiable source?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This is a poor child who is sick (and we don't know with what), and the teacher is presumably vaccinated, but all he's concerned about is the tiny potential threat the child poses. There's not really any concern for the child being expressed here at all. And I am really concerned that this is how this thread will end up.

Tiny potential threat? We are in the upside down world.

nobody knows what’s going on with the kid. and if he is covid positive and has no safe home to go to - what do you creeps want, a pitchfork brigade to throw him out? vaccinated teachers engaging in these histrionics are just too much.

School is not a repository for COVID positive children.

So you want the sick kid on the street. Gotcha.