Anonymous
11/24/2020 01:14
Subject: Covid at SFS
I’ve been silent but feel the need to make a point that I’ve not seen made. Had I wanted to join a parent coop charter school I would have done that - we made the decision to join one of the very top national schools. In fact, we applied to only one school for all of our children and plan on letting that school run the school. No interest at all in either the academics or the safety/public health decisions being swayed by an unmandated and largely anonymous “concerned parent committee”. That would simply not be a behavior in our best interest nor a rational use of our time or resources.
Anonymous
11/24/2020 00:57
Subject: Covid at SFS
It’s not nice to say leave — I suspect it was a reaction to the others who said they would leave and take their fees elsewhere, and to people not giving an inch no matter the objective reality. But on the consensus, it’s almost like we aren’t at the same school. I trust the school to run the school. To me, that there was no immediate discussion after we knew we would go back in the DL meant that we reached the consensus and not that we were merely waiting to overturn it. I take from this perception gap that we should all talk and listen more and earlier. Leaving how we define consensus aside, what is the big deal with going with the DL in the US in December and January given the record number of cases? Why is there such a collective anxiety over having the HL continue and constant pressure for teachers to be teaching in person no matter the community spread, in the US? We all know we’ll reopen as soon as it’s safe. I really struggle to understand the angst. Parents of younger children seem better able to persuasively enumerate their reasons, albeit as a parent I would still be cautious. I would always advocate for a space on campus for anyone that needs to be on campus but it might be a mixed space. And this is not about risk averse types; we’ve been through the Swine Flu etc. and knew it was not the same. Many parents at our school still work from home, because most leading global businesses and law firms don’t think it’s safe to return. So why the US kids? A whole generation graduated online last year, and started college remotely. So, I really think we should find reasons to be thankful too, to the school and for each other.
Anonymous
11/24/2020 00:42
Subject: Covid at SFS
Anonymous wrote:NP. It’s “who” not “whom”. If you can’t see the irony in your statement, not much space to discuss. I’ve never seen people trying to steamroll over the consensus (which was DL this semester) over and over again (except for Trump election nonsense), and yet feel perma-aggrieved even after having forced the school to reopen.
Anonymous
11/24/2020 00:36
Subject: Covid at SFS
Anonymous wrote:NP. It’s “who” not “whom”. If you can’t see the irony in your statement, not much space to discuss. I’ve never seen people trying to steamroll over the consensus (which was DL this semester) over and over again (except for Trump election nonsense), and yet feel perma-aggrieved even after having forced the school to reopen.
Irony in asserting that someone is not reflecting Quaker values in declaring that families should leave the school simply because they find fault in the administration’s handling of this entire situation and are willing to point it out? Please.
And there was never a consensus for distance learning this semester. That’s the most ridiculous thing I have heard. The plan through August was always hybrid from the get-go. And then when Bryan announced that this would not be happening, the consensus was always that the school was working towards implementing hybrid as quickly as it could do so in a safe manner. The problem was that they were completely mismanaging their efforts. But there was never a consensus against hybrid. Unless, of course, the “consensus” was secret and not communicated to families.
What are you so salty about? No one steamrolled any consensus. The school was just frozen administratively and incapable at getting their act together. Which parents were rightly frustrated about, since they had been promised hybrid all summer and fall.
Anonymous
11/24/2020 00:30
Subject: Covid at SFS
There was a 28% increase in child Covid-19 cases over the last two weeks, American Academy of Pediatrics says
Anonymous
11/24/2020 00:21
Subject: Covid at SFS
And finally, some acknowledgment by the Mayor of the reality that might let us reopen after the Inauguration if it’s in fact enforced at all. Let’s also acknowledge that for the US students, DL on offer has been of high quality same as the HL. So let’s sit tight and be thankful apropos the week were in:
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced a ban on indoor gatherings of more than 10 people — including Thanksgiving dinners, since the order takes effect Wednesday — and outdoor groups of more than 25 people. The restrictions come as caseloads have spiked across the greater Washington region, where the seven-day average number of cases Monday hit a record for the 20th consecutive day.
Bowser’s order will ban live entertainment and indoor exercise classes, although gyms can stay open. Houses of worship can have up to 50 people, down from 100, although sanctuaries can’t be at more than 50 percent capacity.
The mayor’s order requires restaurants to close at midnight and to stop serving alcohol after 10 p.m. Bowser said inspectors have found that compliance with coronavirus rules tends to decline into the night.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced a ban on indoor gatherings of more than 10 people — including Thanksgiving dinners, since the order takes effect Wednesday — and outdoor groups of more than 25 people. The restrictions come as caseloads have spiked across the greater Washington region, where the seven-day average number of cases Monday hit a record for the 20th consecutive day.
Bowser’s order will ban live entertainment and indoor exercise classes, although gyms can stay open. Houses of worship can have up to 50 people, down from 100, although sanctuaries can’t be at more than 50 percent capacity.
The mayor’s order requires restaurants to close at midnight and to stop serving alcohol after 10 p.m. Bowser said inspectors have found that compliance with coronavirus rules tends to decline into the night.
Anonymous
11/24/2020 00:12
Subject: Covid at SFS
NP. It’s “who” not “whom”. If you can’t see the irony in your statement, not much space to discuss. I’ve never seen people trying to steamroll over the consensus (which was DL this semester) over and over again (except for Trump election nonsense), and yet feel perma-aggrieved even after having forced the school to reopen.
Anonymous
11/23/2020 21:49
Subject: Covid at SFS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
This is hilarious. Upper school students will have had 6 days of in person school—total—through the end of January. And those six days were not planned in any methodical manner. They were rushed as a response to parent pressure. By any measure, this is pathetic performance by the administration. These are hardly minor issues.
Then leave.
A message of love it or leave it does not appear to reflect Quaker values or airing disagreement in connection with attempts at consensus. Perhaps you did not read Bryan’s message from this past Sunday, but if your attitude is reflected by the above comment, it would appear that you are the type of person whom the administration would suggest should leave.
Anonymous
11/23/2020 21:45
Subject: Covid at SFS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
This is hilarious. Upper school students will have had 6 days of in person school—total—through the end of January. And those six days were not planned in any methodical manner. They were rushed as a response to parent pressure. By any measure, this is pathetic performance by the administration. These are hardly minor issues.
Then leave.
Anonymous
11/23/2020 21:41
Subject: Covid at SFS
Anonymous wrote:Could not disagree more — the school administration is doing an excellent job, and the attempts to litigate the most minor of issues on dcum over and over again don’t serve anyone other than the school’s detractors. Our reality is that of the top school doing a terrific job of the DL and HL, adapting relatively quickly to the circumstances as could best be expected.
Caution is warranted as long as our community positivity rate is 3%+, resident test positivity rate around 5%, and our R well over 1 (so expect to see rapid week on week worsening in December, just like was said on the previous of these boards when posters claimed that DC would not see a rise in cases). In that context, schools are not islands unto themselves particularly because (unlike in Europe) DC.gov is not limiting indoor dining, bars, concerts, events, like it had done earlier in the year with similar metrics.
Insufficiently reactive decisive community leadership means our school administration needs to lead while balancing the risk. They are in fact doing that and I don’t see how detracting from that effort through partial information sharing on this forum is helpful in any way. Unless the goal is to open at any cost and/or create a perception of reputational risk where none exists?
Before anyone tries to politicize my opinion, I’m an open-minded long-standing parent looking at this as objectively and scientifically as possible.
This is hilarious. Upper school students will have had 6 days of in person school—total—through the end of January. And those six days were not planned in any methodical manner. They were rushed as a response to parent pressure. By any measure, this is pathetic performance by the administration. These are hardly minor issues.
Anonymous
11/23/2020 18:34
Subject: Covid at SFS
Finally, transition begins. It’s over. Maybe the US can start tackling the pandemic now so we can reopen in January. Right in time for Thanks-giving.
Anonymous
11/23/2020 17:00
Subject: Covid at SFS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What concerns me, even though I disagree with the letter, is that anyone would feel, let alone have a cause to feel, no matter their stance, any concern about speaking up. What can we do to fix that, if that’s the case?
Exactly the issue at Gds and sfs: they have no trusted or transparent process for making decisions thus small mobs bombard them with emails. Some use all data, some very pick, some only use feelings and speculation.
First it was the Close Forever Mob No Matter What, then when most of the country had in person school the middle and other side woke up.
Partly it’s on us — speaking up openly in the fora we have will make others speak
up too and obviate the need for any backhanded methods and ad hoc organizing.
I always try to remember the school will be there well after we move on to Colleges,
but we/our children will always be the alumni. Our engagement meanwhile should be useful but fun too.
I’ve never felt like I couldn’t speak up and maybe that’s a personal self-confidence speaking,
but it’s how I approach any of the stuff I choose to take part in, at school too, and so far that’s worked great
Anyway, I have little choice if I want my children too to grow up with confidence and no fear to say what they think
Anonymous
11/23/2020 16:28
Subject: Covid at SFS
Anonymous wrote:Could not disagree more — the school administration is doing an excellent job, and the attempts to litigate the most minor of issues on dcum over and over again don’t serve anyone other than the school’s detractors. Our reality is that of the top school doing a terrific job of the DL and HL, adapting relatively quickly to the circumstances as could best be expected.
Caution is warranted as long as our community positivity rate is 3%+, resident test positivity rate around 5%, and our R well over 1 (so expect to see rapid week on week worsening in December, just like was said on the previous of these boards when posters claimed that DC would not see a rise in cases). In that context, schools are not islands unto themselves particularly because (unlike in Europe) DC.gov is not limiting indoor dining, bars, concerts, events, like it had done earlier in the year with similar metrics.
Insufficiently reactive decisive community leadership means our school administration needs to lead while balancing the risk. They are in fact doing that and I don’t see how detracting from that effort through partial information sharing on this forum is helpful in any way. Unless the goal is to open at any cost and/or create a perception of reputational risk where none exists?
Before anyone tries to politicize my opinion, I’m an open-minded long-standing parent looking at this as objectively and scientifically as possible.
Those are low figures in most countries, states, counties, and cities metrics.
Anonymous
11/23/2020 16:27
Subject: Re:Covid at SFS
Anonymous wrote:And now they sent out an email to the entire school because a Lower School employee tested positive. They really have no idea what their comms plan is, do they?
So what, extract that pod the person was in context with, if anyone.
Anonymous
11/23/2020 16:26
Subject: Covid at SFS
Anonymous wrote:What concerns me, even though I disagree with the letter, is that anyone would feel, let alone have a cause to feel, no matter their stance, any concern about speaking up. What can we do to fix that, if that’s the case?
Exactly the issue at Gds and sfs: they have no trusted or transparent process for making decisions thus small mobs bombard them with emails. Some use all data, some very pick, some only use feelings and speculation.
First it was the Close Forever Mob No Matter What, then when most of the country had in person school the middle and other side woke up.