Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The tone of the meeting last night was way different than before. Unlike the doom and gloom, and excessive remedial man-splaining he excels at - Hutchings sounded optimistic that it was really going to happen this time. I'm guessing the political pressure got to him. The metrics he worships aren't actually that different from last week - and are certainly magnitudes worse than in the fall when none of this was "feasible".

He's an opportunistic jerk, who cares only about himself. I think he sees the writing on the wall and wants to get ahead of the "narrative" - which is basically the science shows schools are safe.

Whatever, I'll take it - my kids need to be in school - I just wish they didn't have to be in his school district.

They've apparently been safe enough for his own kid.

Yet all the people who kept their kids in ACPS schools and tried to keep their kids from falling behind more are the ones deserving of shame.

I'm so disgusted with ACPS, the SB, the PTAs that never said a word this whole time and PTAC that clearly exists just to suck up to central office & scold parents.

This has been really revealing. I look at my neighbors in a totally different way. Especially those involved in the PTA. It sad they are so happy with the crumbs that ACPS gives their children.

I share your frustration, but your anger is utterly misdirected at parents. Truly--what would you have people do in the short term? I say this as someone who pulled their SN elementary-age kid out to homeschool despite working a 30-hr/week job because I was horrified not only at how truly terrible DL is for little kids but also at how pointless the assignments were. But I can't pile on parents who are trying to make the unworkable workable.

By the March return date every ACPS teacher who wants a vaccination will have a vaccination. Not sure about the monitors who will actually be in the classroom.

This really bothers me. Teachers have already been prioritized, but are not required to return, even when fully vaccinated (I think it is fine for them not to return until they are fully vaccinated, and I would do the same myself). But then we are asking these far less educated monitors to come in and sit with the kids, and while they are eligible for priority, we have no idea whether they will be fully vaccinated by the time they come in. I really think it says a lot about how we value people that seem more "like us."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The tone of the meeting last night was way different than before. Unlike the doom and gloom, and excessive remedial man-splaining he excels at - Hutchings sounded optimistic that it was really going to happen this time. I'm guessing the political pressure got to him. The metrics he worships aren't actually that different from last week - and are certainly magnitudes worse than in the fall when none of this was "feasible".

He's an opportunistic jerk, who cares only about himself. I think he sees the writing on the wall and wants to get ahead of the "narrative" - which is basically the science shows schools are safe.

Whatever, I'll take it - my kids need to be in school - I just wish they didn't have to be in his school district.

They've apparently been safe enough for his own kid.

Yet all the people who kept their kids in ACPS schools and tried to keep their kids from falling behind more are the ones deserving of shame.

I'm so disgusted with ACPS, the SB, the PTAs that never said a word this whole time and PTAC that clearly exists just to suck up to central office & scold parents.

This has been really revealing. I look at my neighbors in a totally different way. Especially those involved in the PTA. It sad they are so happy with the crumbs that ACPS gives their children.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What did you think of tonight's ACPS school board meeting? Were you surprised to hear that ACPS is reopening in two day a week hybrid March 16? Our family chose hybrid and I have yet to hear from my school. Other friends at other ACPS schools were contacted by parent liaisons or the principal. What is the info? I am wondering about after care options? Was any information given about the logistics or a link to the plan? I had to jump off around 6:45 for dinner.

Hybrid not concurrent? There's no teacher staffing problem that makes hybrid impossible like at FCPS? Wow, I'm impressed. Or maybe FCPS leadership simply sucks that much more.

It’s hybrid AND concurrent. The worst of both worlds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What did you think of tonight's ACPS school board meeting? Were you surprised to hear that ACPS is reopening in two day a week hybrid March 16? Our family chose hybrid and I have yet to hear from my school. Other friends at other ACPS schools were contacted by parent liaisons or the principal. What is the info? I am wondering about after care options? Was any information given about the logistics or a link to the plan? I had to jump off around 6:45 for dinner.

Hybrid not concurrent? There's no teacher staffing problem that makes hybrid impossible like at FCPS? Wow, I'm impressed. Or maybe FCPS leadership simply sucks that much more.

Last week ACPS claimed that only 50 to 75 percent of teachers and staff are willing to come back. It was one of their oh so crucial metrics on reopening. Until those metrics didn't matter anymore because Northam and Biden told them to open so they could be sure to get credit for opening the schools.

So they are hiring random people off the street as classroom monitors.

I don't doubt that FCPS leadership sucks but it would be hard to top ACPS' ship of fools and it's captain, Hutchings.

I sympathize with them as well. I’ve been volunteering over zoom this year in several classrooms. I fully support offering summer school, both this summer and possibly the next, and getting kids vaccinated ASAP.

Anonymous wrote:

ACPS isn't expecting teachers to go back pre-vaccination. They are prioritizing teachers and just had a teacher vaccination day at the health department. By the March return date every ACPS teacher who wants a vaccination will have a vaccination. Not sure about the monitors who will actually be in the classroom. Hopefully they will be prioritized as well.

I'm sorry -- I didn't express myself clearly. I meant that I don't think it was reasonable for the ACPS community to expect teachers to come in before having been vaccinated. Therefore I don't think Hutchings could have opened schools responsibly prior to that. I'm sure he's made many mistakes, but keeping schools closed until full teacher (and monitor) vaccination is not one of them, in my opinion.

Okay. So you sympathize with teachers.

What about students?

ACPS isn't expecting teachers to go back pre-vaccination. They are prioritizing teachers and just had a teacher vaccination day at the health department. By the March return date every ACPS teacher who wants a vaccination will have a vaccination. Not sure about the monitors who will actually be in the classroom. Hopefully they will be prioritized as well.

I'm sorry -- I didn't express myself clearly. I meant that I don't think it was reasonable for the ACPS community to expect teachers to come in before having been vaccinated. Therefore I don't think Hutchings could have opened schools responsibly prior to that. I'm sure he's made many mistakes, but keeping schools closed until full teacher (and monitor) vaccination is not one of them, in my opinion.

Anonymous wrote:As an ACPS teacher who resigned last year (but I’m in my 50s so not at great risk), I would not have come back without having been vaccinated. Period. Now that teachers are being vaccinated, I’d have been fine about going in. How can ACPS reasonably expect teachers to go back to classrooms pre-vaccination? When I was a teacher, I caught lice, fifths disease, and ringworm from students, through no fault of their own (or mine). That is just the price elementary school teachers pay for interacting with (in my case) 30 or so wonderful but young people every day. In my prior career as a lawyer I dealt closely with five or so adults on a daily basis, and I was not leaning over them or high-fiving them or even (horrors!) hugging them when they cried. This situation is very tough for all of us, but when I hear of other states with full classrooms prior to teachers being fully vaccinated, I cringe.

ACPS isn't expecting teachers to go back pre-vaccination. They are prioritizing teachers and just had a teacher vaccination day at the health department. By the March return date every ACPS teacher who wants a vaccination will have a vaccination. Not sure about the monitors who will actually be in the classroom. Hopefully they will be prioritized as well.

As an ACPS teacher who resigned last year (but I’m in my 50s so not at great risk), I would not have come back without having been vaccinated. Period. Now that teachers are being vaccinated, I’d have been fine about going in. How can ACPS reasonably expect teachers to go back to classrooms pre-vaccination? When I was a teacher, I caught lice, fifths disease, and ringworm from students, through no fault of their own (or mine). That is just the price elementary school teachers pay for interacting with (in my case) 30 or so wonderful but young people every day. In my prior career as a lawyer I dealt closely with five or so adults on a daily basis, and I was not leaning over them or high-fiving them or even (horrors!) hugging them when they cried. This situation is very tough for all of us, but when I hear of other states with full classrooms prior to teachers being fully vaccinated, I cringe.

Anonymous wrote:It's almost as if extended school closures were never about science at all . . .

Bingo!!!!!
It never was. They have been exposed. Truth comes out

Anonymous wrote:What did you think of tonight's ACPS school board meeting? Were you surprised to hear that ACPS is reopening in two day a week hybrid March 16? Our family chose hybrid and I have yet to hear from my school. Other friends at other ACPS schools were contacted by parent liaisons or the principal. What is the info? I am wondering about after care options? Was any information given about the logistics or a link to the plan? I had to jump off around 6:45 for dinner.

Hybrid not concurrent? There's no teacher staffing problem that makes hybrid impossible like at FCPS? Wow, I'm impressed. Or maybe FCPS leadership simply sucks that much more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a link to more information about what the school day will actually look like for kids? In the form we filled out in December I opted for hybrid, but I'm on the fence about whether to send my kids in now. A lot depends on whether they'll actually see their teacher or whether they'll still be watching their teacher on a screen, just from a classroom with a "classroom monitor."

I'm on the fence too & a lot will depend on specifics. I am not comfortable with the classroom monitor at all. I haven't seen any information from our ES yet. Knowing ACPS' crack communication team, I doubt the schools have any more information than we do. And let's face it, this was all decided about 20 minutes ago during the mass conference call with Northam & superintendents.

After everything, I'm realizing I'm just uncomfortable with my kid being at ACPS. I don't trust central office to manage any of the correctly. And I've been so disappointed with our school's principal during all of this that I've lost all trust there too.

Planning on homeschooling next year so maybe I'll just pull him and start now.

So true

I'm also planning to homeschool. I have no faith in ACPS after this year. I don't understand how everyone in the parents' Facebook group is so positive.

All is forgiven! All the insults from Hutchings, Lorber and the rest of the out of touch School Board. Was it really so bad that Hutchings put his kid in private school while telling parents that if they tried to organize learning pods (but actually stayed in the school system) they were privileged and responsible for the learning gap? Nah! That's fine!

And what about the PTAs who stood by and said & did nothing? No problem! They were super busy organizing restaurant nights!

And what about PTAC that couldn't be bothered to advocate for parents and kids? But could find the time to praise ACPS and undermine & invalidate parents' concerns Come on! They have to protect their status as the special class pets of ACPS and protect their future Alexandria political aspirations (LOL!).

Everything is fine! Nothing to see here! Move along!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a link to more information about what the school day will actually look like for kids? In the form we filled out in December I opted for hybrid, but I'm on the fence about whether to send my kids in now. A lot depends on whether they'll actually see their teacher or whether they'll still be watching their teacher on a screen, just from a classroom with a "classroom monitor."

I'm on the fence too & a lot will depend on specifics. I am not comfortable with the classroom monitor at all. I haven't seen any information from our ES yet. Knowing ACPS' crack communication team, I doubt the schools have any more information than we do. And let's face it, this was all decided about 20 minutes ago during the mass conference call with Northam & superintendents.

After everything, I'm realizing I'm just uncomfortable with my kid being at ACPS. I don't trust central office to manage any of the correctly. And I've been so disappointed with our school's principal during all of this that I've lost all trust there too.

Planning on homeschooling next year so maybe I'll just pull him and start now.

So true

I'm also planning to homeschool. I have no faith in ACPS after this year. I don't understand how everyone in the parents' Facebook group is so positive.

Has any other public school system in the area handled it better?

Yes. yes they did. But why would how other districts handled it matter to someone with kids currently in ACPS?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a link to more information about what the school day will actually look like for kids? In the form we filled out in December I opted for hybrid, but I'm on the fence about whether to send my kids in now. A lot depends on whether they'll actually see their teacher or whether they'll still be watching their teacher on a screen, just from a classroom with a "classroom monitor."

I'm on the fence too & a lot will depend on specifics. I am not comfortable with the classroom monitor at all. I haven't seen any information from our ES yet. Knowing ACPS' crack communication team, I doubt the schools have any more information than we do. And let's face it, this was all decided about 20 minutes ago during the mass conference call with Northam & superintendents.

After everything, I'm realizing I'm just uncomfortable with my kid being at ACPS. I don't trust central office to manage any of the correctly. And I've been so disappointed with our school's principal during all of this that I've lost all trust there too.

Planning on homeschooling next year so maybe I'll just pull him and start now.

So true

I'm also planning to homeschool. I have no faith in ACPS after this year. I don't understand how everyone in the parents' Facebook group is so positive.

Has any other public school system in the area handled it better?

Yes. Other districts were able to get some children back in school. We had 6 children in school for a brief time and then they all got sent home. Other districts were starting to move towards hybrid already but ACPS had to be dragged kicking and screaming by Northam.