Anonymous
Post 05/14/2020 09:58     Subject: Re:Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.



And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.


DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.


I think that is incorrect. I believe they backtracked on this in early April, so that it’s acceptable with a waiting room or password. At least that’s what this thread said, with someone quoting language from DCPS. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/75/870397.page

My kid’s teacher had switched from Zoom to Teams but then went back to Zoom, with a waiting room, at around that time.


That quoted thread never provided an accurate source. I work at a nwdc dcps school. Zoom is banned at my school. I understand that charters have not banned zoom but dcps has. Show me source on a dcps website that says otherwise.


Below is a quote from an email sent April 4th from DCPS:

Video Conferencing Security & Zoom
While DCPS continues to recommend the use of Teams for video conferencing, we want to be responsive to schools’ needs. DCPS staff who wish to use Zoom may do so but must follow Zoom’s recommended security practices to secure your conferences
Anonymous
Post 05/14/2020 09:49     Subject: Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Seriously? Now we've had enough dead people to get used to it, so we should just be ticking along?


I don't think that's what they are saying. I think they are saying that we need to start assuming that DL will be part of our routine in the fall and proactively adjust to that reality.

Everyone is on edge. There has been a lot of confusion. Teachers don't know what parents have been doing and parents don't know what the teachers have been doing. The oppositional and holier than thou crap from both sides needs to stop. Neither group is the other group's servant. Both groups have the same goal.


Okay, I think that's fair. (And thank you for de-escalating.)

I think there's a difference between what distance learning looks like for the next three weeks and what a more principled and thought-out version of it might look like in fall. And I really don't believe it's reasonable to expect dramatic changes to practices before the end of the school year.

I'm reacting to what I see as pretty vocal criticisms of educators who are (like all of us), doing their best, and I wish we could cut them some slack. When I think about what's "good enough" I'm also thinking about it from the perspective of the teacher with three kids who is juggling a full time job with childcare and figuring out how to do that in a small space with limited resources. And I think if parents DO want to speak up about improvements to distance learning, they also need to speak up about ensuring educators have resources to do it -- if that means hiring technology support for the district, or providing teachers with more equipment, supplementing teaching staff to accommodate folks who have caregiver roles (in a way that is fair to everyone).
Anonymous
Post 05/14/2020 09:10     Subject: Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A good job:

#1 measure -- kids who are not sick

And then, after that

Kids who maintain some connections to their communities to maintain mental and emotional health
Kids who manage to maintain school skills

We simply can't think of "a good job" in a crisis situation being kids keeping up with grade-level content. It's not plausible, or sane, or feasible. Why would that be what we are aiming for?


Yes to the 1st half. Now that we are 2 months in it shouldn't be a crisis management situation. Going into month two knowing what science was saying about the long haul of this situation we should have shift from crisis to manitance then to progress.
We also know it is highly unlikely we will return to a normal August to June, 5 days a week, 25 kids in a classroom. We know it will likely include some or even all distance learning. By now schools and the powers that be should be switching over to actually teaching kids through distance learning. A plan to offer in person support to students that need it.
There are dozens of online learning programs that DC schools could be following taking a lot of pressure off teachers. Limiting the need for a half dozen website and the like.


Seriously? Now we've had enough dead people to get used to it, so we should just be ticking along?


I don't think that's what they are saying. I think they are saying that we need to start assuming that DL will be part of our routine in the fall and proactively adjust to that reality.

Everyone is on edge. There has been a lot of confusion. Teachers don't know what parents have been doing and parents don't know what the teachers have been doing. The oppositional and holier than thou crap from both sides needs to stop. Neither group is the other group's servant. Both groups have the same goal.
Anonymous
Post 05/14/2020 07:48     Subject: Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A good job:

#1 measure -- kids who are not sick

And then, after that

Kids who maintain some connections to their communities to maintain mental and emotional health
Kids who manage to maintain school skills

We simply can't think of "a good job" in a crisis situation being kids keeping up with grade-level content. It's not plausible, or sane, or feasible. Why would that be what we are aiming for?


Yes to the 1st half. Now that we are 2 months in it shouldn't be a crisis management situation. Going into month two knowing what science was saying about the long haul of this situation we should have shift from crisis to manitance then to progress.
We also know it is highly unlikely we will return to a normal August to June, 5 days a week, 25 kids in a classroom. We know it will likely include some or even all distance learning. By now schools and the powers that be should be switching over to actually teaching kids through distance learning. A plan to offer in person support to students that need it.
There are dozens of online learning programs that DC schools could be following taking a lot of pressure off teachers. Limiting the need for a half dozen website and the like.


Seriously? Now we've had enough dead people to get used to it, so we should just be ticking along?
Anonymous
Post 05/14/2020 07:16     Subject: Re:Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.



And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.


DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.


I think that is incorrect. I believe they backtracked on this in early April, so that it’s acceptable with a waiting room or password. At least that’s what this thread said, with someone quoting language from DCPS. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/75/870397.page

My kid’s teacher had switched from Zoom to Teams but then went back to Zoom, with a waiting room, at around that time.


That quoted thread never provided an accurate source. I work at a nwdc dcps school. Zoom is banned at my school. I understand that charters have not banned zoom but dcps has. Show me source on a dcps website that says otherwise.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2020 22:37     Subject: Re:Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.



You wish you were in boundary at my school

And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.


DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.


Ha ha. All your posts say the same thing. And it’s not even true! That’s amazing. I hope you don’t teach at my kid’s school.


You wish you were in boundary at my school. You sound bitter.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2020 22:36     Subject: Re:Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.



You wish you were in boundary at my school

And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.


DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.


Ha ha. All your posts say the same thing. And it’s not even true! That’s amazing. I hope you don’t teach at my kid’s school.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2020 22:21     Subject: Re:Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Distance learning is here to stay folks. It’s not going away this summer, fall, or winter. It’s just a matter of what percentage it will make up of the next school year.

Here is the bottom line folks.

Leadership and teachers at a school know their kids best. If everyone (admin, teachers, parents) all have the same goal of working together in optimizing distance learning for their kids in this challenging environment, they will do well. They will provide good content and curriculum. School leadership should always be assessing what is going well and what is not with surveys, zoom meeting for parent inputs, etc.. They are also flexible to make changes quick if needed.

Schools that are not doing as well with distance learning, who realize and acknowledge that, will have time to step up their game and make changes and modifications for the needs of their families.

Schools that just don’t care or poorly run as a cohesive group of administrators, teachers, and parents will just continue to fail in DL.

The less bureaucracy and red tape the school/organization, the more successful and adaptive a school will be in rapidly making changes in this environment. That is why some privates and charters are doing well with DL and got it up and going shortly after school closed down.

The more bureaucracy and larger the organization, the more effort and harder it will be to make fast changes and implementation. This is how I see DCPS. Too much decision making at the highest central level on top down basis and not at the local school leadership. Too much mentality of 1 size fits all when some schools are as different as night and day. It just won’t work or be effective.

Anonymous
Post 05/13/2020 22:16     Subject: Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I don't think online learning can come close to replicating school. I would be much more in favor of moving towards project-based home learning if we keep doing this for another year.


+1


I'm a parent of a DCPS student and a former teacher at a private high school, and I agree with this. I'm not sure the private schools kids are actually benefitting by being on video calls for so long.

I think the kids who are thriving the most right now have parents who can basically get into a homeschool mentality with them -- allow them to research topics they are interested in and come up with engaging projects with them, that leave them absorbed and curious, while teaching math and literacy through the project. I know a few kids who are in this situation right now, and they are getting a turbo boost in their educations. Obviously this is VERY few students (with parents who are both highly educated but without demanding jobs right now) but they exist.

Then there is a spectrum of outcomes.. Certainly the least fortunate are those at schools that are not providing much in the realm of virtual classes, and with parents who are working and/or cannot teach them for some other reason.


Former DCPS parent here, currently with an 8yo in a private that is not doing long hours on video calls. They say that since focus and engagement will not be the same as in-person learning, they're limiting workload to no more than 2 hours of work per day for elementary students (different amounts for preschool and upper school). Our kid has 1-2 30-min video calls per day. Realistically, another 1-2 hours of work on a school-loaned iPad (although if unfocused can take much longer).

It's working...okay. Curious to know how Deal feeders (incl. our old IB) are doing. Have heard from a couple folks that they're happy.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2020 22:02     Subject: Re:Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.



And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.


DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.


I hope they're not going rouge. That sounds pretty 80s.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2020 21:58     Subject: Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:A good job:

#1 measure -- kids who are not sick

And then, after that

Kids who maintain some connections to their communities to maintain mental and emotional health
Kids who manage to maintain school skills

We simply can't think of "a good job" in a crisis situation being kids keeping up with grade-level content. It's not plausible, or sane, or feasible. Why would that be what we are aiming for?


You are painting with too broad a brush. Lots of middle class kids who already meet all above and thus can still do and keep up with grade level content that some schools provide as an option, not as requirements.

DC is healthy. DC is mentally and emotionally healthy. Still happy kid that he always was. FaceTimes with friends to keep in contact. He has maintained his school skills and keeping up with grade level content thanks to a school that believes in providing quality content for progress. It’s not required but it’s there if your kid has the ability.

I realize not all kids and families are capable of it but many families we know are.

Anonymous
Post 05/13/2020 20:50     Subject: Re:Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.



And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.


DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.


Ha ha. All your posts say the same thing. And it’s not even true! That’s amazing. I hope you don’t teach at my kid’s school.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2020 19:51     Subject: Re:Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.



And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.


DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.


My public school kid's class uses Google Meet. Works pretty well.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2020 19:44     Subject: Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:A good job:

#1 measure -- kids who are not sick

And then, after that

Kids who maintain some connections to their communities to maintain mental and emotional health
Kids who manage to maintain school skills

We simply can't think of "a good job" in a crisis situation being kids keeping up with grade-level content. It's not plausible, or sane, or feasible. Why would that be what we are aiming for?


Yes to the 1st half. Now that we are 2 months in it shouldn't be a crisis management situation. Going into month two knowing what science was saying about the long haul of this situation we should have shift from crisis to manitance then to progress.
We also know it is highly unlikely we will return to a normal August to June, 5 days a week, 25 kids in a classroom. We know it will likely include some or even all distance learning. By now schools and the powers that be should be switching over to actually teaching kids through distance learning. A plan to offer in person support to students that need it.
There are dozens of online learning programs that DC schools could be following taking a lot of pressure off teachers. Limiting the need for a half dozen website and the like.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2020 19:26     Subject: Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning
Anonymous wrote:It seems to be teacher dependent at my kids’ school. One child has the opportunity for multiple live sessions each week, the other has received none.


It also depends on the teacher resources. Our charter gave out computers to students that needed them. Last I heard they did not do the same for teachers. I heard dcps did not offer them to teachers either.

Not every teacher has their own computer, fast internet etc. They may be sharing with their own children or partner, everyone trying to do their work. I know I have a laptop and my spouse has a work issued laptop. I share my with our child for school learning so it limits our schedule. My spouse laptop is not allowed to be used by anyone else, has lots of restrictions for websites. so we basically have 1 computer for school, my job and any person work we need to do. Wouldn't surprise me if some teachers are in the same boat or worse.

If distance education is going to be a on going possiblity DCPS and Charters all need to issue the proper equipment computers and wiifi hot spots to all their teachers too!