I’m an upper elementary APS teacher and in a live meeting with my students from 8:45-11:40 and 12:30-2:30. So just under 5 hours per day. I leave for 30 minutes of specials (the specials teachers come into my meeting) and we do 2, 10 minute breaks each day (one AM and one PM. I’m live and available even when students are working independently and they are still on my meeting and can hear me if I call their name (which I do if I don’t see evidence they are working on the assignment). I simultaneously on a separate device open a 2nd meeting in a small group channel where students can come in and get help or I call them to work with them. Then once students are done at 2:30 I have meetings until about 4:30 twice a week, sometimes a sped meeting or plan with another teacher or work on my own stuff like enter grades, plan ahead, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ones who you think are “taking advantage” of the distance learning format were probably crappy teachers anyway. There are always people who are unmotivated and bad at their jobs. So yeah there is no connection to the amount of in-person time our kids get and the quality of the teacher.

Also when my child is doing independent work, the teacher is usually working in small groups with other kids. Just because you don’t see the teacher on the screen doesn’t mean the teacher isn’t working!

So one of my kids teachers JUST started small groups this week— and it’s only for math. She said at our conference that she had no evidence for determining his reading level or if he was meeting expectations for writing. That’s shocking! I get she’s overwhelmed but what reading instruction has my kid been getting for the past eight weeks?
There is such a discrepancy between schools that I don’t think you can really compare...

Apparently, my kindergarteners can read/write and do math anywhere from a kindergarten level up to a 6th-grade level according to the "assessments" they completed online. Um, no. Their parents helped them complete the assessments even though the teachers repeatedly reminded parents not to help them with the questions. We can't get an accurate level when parents are helping or doing the assessment themselves.

OP, I agree with you. If all these private schools and catholic schools can open in person, especially for the elementary grades, then there is no reason why VA Public schools can't do the same. EXCEPT for the teachers union. If they continue to get paid, without having to go in, of course, they will continue to refuse. Meanwhile, our kids are not getting a proper education.

The comparison you are making is ridiculous. A small Catholic school can stay open because it is small, and in only one building. APS has many, many buildings, many of which have poor ventilation and cannot be kept clean or safe for thousands of students and staff. A small school can address the needs of a small group, while APS has to consider students from K-12, including those with special needs. These are considerations that a small Catholic school just doesn't have to deal with.

But then again, you knew this already. You just want to bitch and moan about it. Again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously. I don’t see why anyone thinks teachers like this. They want to stay home until it’s safe. They are concerned for their health. But they didn’t pick this job to look at a screen all day. They care about kids and will get back as soon as it’s safe.

all day?? according to this post, they are on for about 2 hours, 4 days/week

I hate it.

As far as time on the computer T-F I’m on from 8:45-noon and then again 1:00-2:30. So there’s 4 hours/45 minutes. On T and TH I have a meeting from 2:45-3:45 so on those days it’s 5 hours and 45 minutes during the school day. I probably spend another 2 hours or so in the evening M-F. On Monday I’m on with students from 8:45 a point that varies (any time between 10:30 and 11:30). I have a staff meeting at 12:30.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously. I don’t see why anyone thinks teachers like this. They want to stay home until it’s safe. They are concerned for their health. But they didn’t pick this job to look at a screen all day. They care about kids and will get back as soon as it’s safe.

all day?? according to this post, they are on for about 2 hours, 4 days/week

I am on the computer WAY more than I ever have been. at the bare minimum (if I was doing no grading, lesson planning, emailing, or attending meetings), I am on the computer "in class" for three 90 minute periods 4x a week. while I won't exaggerate and say that I'm on the computer nonstop from 7am to 6pm, there are many days that I'm in front of the screen for a majority of the day, with the exception of lunch. I find one of the reasons its more draining for me to work virtually (there are many) than my husband is that, at his job, he just phones in. I'm expected to be on camera the entire time I am communicating with somebody, whether it be a student (with the camera off), a parent (with the screen off), or other faculty (the only ones who turn them on). I know other jobs are expected to be on camera so I'm not saying I'm unique, but I do think it makes a big difference in burnout.

Anonymous wrote:Seriously. I don’t see why anyone thinks teachers like this. They want to stay home until it’s safe. They are concerned for their health. But they didn’t pick this job to look at a screen all day. They care about kids and will get back as soon as it’s safe.

all day?? according to this post, they are on for about 2 hours, 4 days/week

Seriously. I don’t see why anyone thinks teachers like this. They want to stay home until it’s safe. They are concerned for their health. But they didn’t pick this job to look at a screen all day. They care about kids and will get back as soon as it’s safe.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I agree with you. If all these private schools and catholic schools can open in person, especially for the elementary grades, then there is no reason why VA Public schools can't do the same. EXCEPT for the teachers union. If they continue to get paid, without having to go in, of course, they will continue to refuse. Meanwhile, our kids are not getting a proper education.

Teachers union or not - many teachers have become way too comfortable working remote. Parents and taxpayers should be driving the decision on sending kids to school in person.

FFS most teachers hate teaching from home. It makes their job harder, and if they wanted office drone jobs they could have pursued that made more money.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I agree with you. If all these private schools and catholic schools can open in person, especially for the elementary grades, then there is no reason why VA Public schools can't do the same. EXCEPT for the teachers union. If they continue to get paid, without having to go in, of course, they will continue to refuse. Meanwhile, our kids are not getting a proper education.

Teachers union or not - many teachers have become way too comfortable working remote. Parents and taxpayers should be driving the decision on sending kids to school in person.

even if your kids are doing well in DL - which, btw, fantastic! I would not want to disparage anybody doing well in this situation - the curriculum is SO watered down. my 10th graders are getting a fraction of what I teach in a normal year, and that is the norm amongst my colleagues as well. I simply can't teach the same amount virtually 2x a week when I normally see them in person 5x week, not to mention spending a few weeks in the beginning of the year getting them caught up to speed after being out since March. so while I'm not saying everybody needs to repeat a grade, I am saying that not failing during DL doesn't necessarily mean things are spectacular.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I agree with you. If all these private schools and catholic schools can open in person, especially for the elementary grades, then there is no reason why VA Public schools can't do the same. EXCEPT for the teachers union. If they continue to get paid, without having to go in, of course, they will continue to refuse. Meanwhile, our kids are not getting a proper education.

There are no teachers unions in Arlington or the commonwealth of Virginia. Stop spreading false info.

OP, I agree with you. If all these private schools and catholic schools can open in person, especially for the elementary grades, then there is no reason why VA Public schools can't do the same. EXCEPT for the teachers union. If they continue to get paid, without having to go in, of course, they will continue to refuse. Meanwhile, our kids are not getting a proper education.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's face it, most of our kids will likely need to repeat whatever grade they are currently in.

APS has done a poor job with distance learning, and teachers need to step up and start thinking about how to support and brainstorm on what needs to get done to get back into the classroom, even part-time/hybrid.

To the best of my knowledge, from what I've seen, this is all coming from parents advocating for their children.

Where are the teacher voices here advocating for how to make classrooms and schools safe?

What? LOL! Please provide a valid citation for your claim of "most."

Our kids, succeeding in DL during a pandemic with parental assistance, and our friends' kids, succeeding during DL in a pandemic with parental assistance, will most assuredly not need to repeat the grade.

That's great! But 75 % of the kids in your child's grade are likely not. So they will simply repeat all the same material next year for all students. Think about it. If they don't, then you will have the majority of the missing an entire school year.
And you might also want to keep in mind, your child might be doing great at busy work that isn't even grade appropriate or is appropriate to the lowest level of the grade. Because equity

You are in for a very rude awakening next year if you think most kids will be repeating a grade, or if you expect the entire system to repeat all the same material. Lol.