Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a member of all three groups, AEM, APE and Smart Restart. I agree with bits of each, but all of none. I want schools open but with strong evidence-based safety measures. That aligns with no one.

I don't think teacher or principals should be allowed or expected to come up with their own Covid safety policies. Long ago APS should have hired a respected consultant with the appropriate background to make fact based recommendations. Instead, APS puts half baked measures in place, then lets teachers be scared silly by Smart Restart that APS's plans are insufficient, and then tries to close because people have no confidence that APS will keep teachers or students safe. It's ridiculous.

I also think all of the above was so distracting last year that APS dropped the ball on actually teaching students. It's like the administration (both central and my kids' principals) don't actually care if kids are on grade level or learning. Many teachers did their best. Some took cues from APS administrators that they didn't need to really teach last year because we were in a pandemic and we could just catch kids up later. It's a mixed bag and people's opinion of APS varies wildly on whether your kid won the teacher lotto and/or adapted well to online learning.

AEM is a Facebook group. A core group of 50 constant posters, many of whom are pretty ideologically extreme (and from Smart Restart - see below). There's a ton of lurkers though on that site.

APE is a lobbying organization with 1,000 members. They were like President Biden and U.S Secretary Cardona and wanted schools open last school year. Now they lobby on other education issues too.

Smart Restart is around 10 to 20 people (very affluent and white), and pushes COVID Zero policies that no serious scientist thinks is possible and only hurt underprivileged kids the most. They're for masks forever and were for shutting down sports in January (only 1 of 133 school districts in VA to do so), with non-masking breaks when cases hit a minute level only to snap back as soon as soon as they go back to any small amount. They often act as a front for the teachers union (one of their leaders is also the leader of the teachers union). If you want your kindergartner in masks until they graduate high school, this is your organization.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another word salad press release from APE on the issue of masks and now one of the bro dads is angry because it said too much and doesn’t represent his views:

January 18, 2022
(Arlington, VA) While we understand that much of the focus of our community, elected officials, media, and school administrators over the last few days has been on a single topic that has inflamed public commentary, as a group of parents and teachers, our organization’s focus remains on keeping students in school five days a week and ensuring excellent education. We would hope all stakeholders are willing to make that goal their stated and public priority as well. APE is a bipartisan organization of parents, teachers, and students in Arlington, and we strongly support keeping students in school because we know how harmful it is to keep them out. We also have always supported both parental input into the decisions that affect their children and evidence-based protocols that are known to be effective. For more than a year and a half, APE has urged APS to engage in meaningful discussion with the community on pandemic instruction and mitigation and for the School Board to vote on significant issues that affect all students. The issue of masking is one that has divided many communities, but we are hopeful that through a good governance approach – a transparent process that examines the evidence and engages with families, teachers, and the community, leading to development of a clear policy and a public vote by our elected officials – that Arlington might avoid such division.

LOL. That just drives more division.

APE, shut your anti-mask nut jobs up by showing them the “science” and “data” that supports mask wearing.

That is, if you want us to actually take you seriously. Right now, you just look like a crazy clown car with the raging bro dads at the wheel.

Anonymous wrote:Another word salad press release from APE on the issue of masks and now one of the bro dads is angry because it said too much and doesn’t represent his views:

January 18, 2022
(Arlington, VA) While we understand that much of the focus of our community, elected officials, media, and school administrators over the last few days has been on a single topic that has inflamed public commentary, as a group of parents and teachers, our organization’s focus remains on keeping students in school five days a week and ensuring excellent education. We would hope all stakeholders are willing to make that goal their stated and public priority as well. APE is a bipartisan organization of parents, teachers, and students in Arlington, and we strongly support keeping students in school because we know how harmful it is to keep them out. We also have always supported both parental input into the decisions that affect their children and evidence-based protocols that are known to be effective. For more than a year and a half, APE has urged APS to engage in meaningful discussion with the community on pandemic instruction and mitigation and for the School Board to vote on significant issues that affect all students. The issue of masking is one that has divided many communities, but we are hopeful that through a good governance approach – a transparent process that examines the evidence and engages with families, teachers, and the community, leading to development of a clear policy and a public vote by our elected officials – that Arlington might avoid such division.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a member of all three groups, AEM, APE and Smart Restart. I agree with bits of each, but all of none. I want schools open but with strong evidence-based safety measures. That aligns with no one.

I don't think teacher or principals should be allowed or expected to come up with their own Covid safety policies. Long ago APS should have hired a respected consultant with the appropriate background to make fact based recommendations. Instead, APS puts half baked measures in place, then lets teachers be scared silly by Smart Restart that APS's plans are insufficient, and then tries to close because people have no confidence that APS will keep teachers or students safe. It's ridiculous.

I also think all of the above was so distracting last year that APS dropped the ball on actually teaching students. It's like the administration (both central and my kids' principals) don't actually care if kids are on grade level or learning. Many teachers did their best. Some took cues from APS administrators that they didn't need to really teach last year because we were in a pandemic and we could just catch kids up later. It's a mixed bag and people's opinion of APS varies wildly on whether your kid won the teacher lotto and/or adapted well to online learning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

Yup. So disgusting.

Oh, please. I’m dem and never voted for R in my life. I want open schools though. It’s almost like you are saying we are a bunch of redneck rubes who are on our way to being brainwashed. This is not how you get people to listen to you.

No one said that. Is that how you feel though about your participation in APE?

I don’t participate in APE. For “we,” I meant we parents in Arlington who are just normal people and don’t participate in any of these groups. I’m just saying most people who are easily manipulated by Q etc. don’t have much education. Speaking generally, that’s not Arlington parents. By acting like we are ripe for manipulation is insulting, frankly, and doesn’t convince people that APE is some sort of conspiracy factory.

No one said that.

Anonymous wrote:AEM is not an official “group”. It’s a FB group - a toxic echo chamber. No substance. Lots of complainers and people too lazy to pay attention to real issues at APS. Most are lurkers.

APE is an organization. They have a board, budget, newsletter, (which is a must read if your kid is in APS). Their FB group is about 1k, but lots of different views perspectives - the commonality is it’s people who supported in person school last year.

Smart ReStart likes to think it’s a real group, but it’s led by someone who believes that we just need “two weeks” to eradicate Covid from Arlington. That should say it all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

Yup. So disgusting.

Oh, please. I’m dem and never voted for R in my life. I want open schools though. It’s almost like you are saying we are a bunch of redneck rubes who are on our way to being brainwashed. This is not how you get people to listen to you.

No one said that. Is that how you feel though about your participation in APE?

I don’t participate in APE. For “we,” I meant we parents in Arlington who are just normal people and don’t participate in any of these groups. I’m just saying most people who are easily manipulated by Q etc. don’t have much education. Speaking generally, that’s not Arlington parents. By acting like we are ripe for manipulation is insulting, frankly, and doesn’t convince people that APE is some sort of conspiracy factory.

No one said that.

Sure seems like it when you use words like dark money, misinformation, and radicalize.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

Yup. So disgusting.

Oh, please. I’m dem and never voted for R in my life. I want open schools though. It’s almost like you are saying we are a bunch of redneck rubes who are on our way to being brainwashed. This is not how you get people to listen to you.

No one said that. Is that how you feel though about your participation in APE?

I don’t participate in APE. For “we,” I meant we parents in Arlington who are just normal people and don’t participate in any of these groups. I’m just saying most people who are easily manipulated by Q etc. don’t have much education. Speaking generally, that’s not Arlington parents. By acting like we are ripe for manipulation is insulting, frankly, and doesn’t convince people that APE is some sort of conspiracy factory.

No one said that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

Yup. So disgusting.

Oh, please. I’m dem and never voted for R in my life. I want open schools though. It’s almost like you are saying we are a bunch of redneck rubes who are on our way to being brainwashed. This is not how you get people to listen to you.

No one said that. Is that how you feel though about your participation in APE?

I don’t participate in APE. For “we,” I meant we parents in Arlington who are just normal people and don’t participate in any of these groups. I’m just saying most people who are easily manipulated by Q etc. don’t have much education. Speaking generally, that’s not Arlington parents. By acting like we are ripe for manipulation is insulting, frankly, and doesn’t convince people that APE is some sort of conspiracy factory.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

Yup. So disgusting.

Oh, please. I’m dem and never voted for R in my life. I want open schools though. It’s almost like you are saying we are a bunch of redneck rubes who are on our way to being brainwashed. This is not how you get people to listen to you.

No one said that. Is that how you feel though about your participation in APE?