Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been hoping/praying for the CDC to reduce the distancing guideline to 3 feet for schools (especially elementary). It seems like it may actually happen, but I'm skeptical and reluctant to think Duran will put the effort in place to open schools full-time ASAP. Hopefully Northam signs the bill with the emergency clause and takes the power away from Duran, but what are everyone's thoughts here?

It will not happen until the fall. Plan accordingly.

Why not, if CDC reduces guidelines to 3 feet? Other than Duran and the SB not wanting to deal with logistics, aka - doing their job?

Do you have any idea how complex the logistics are? Offering a choice to the ones who,had to decide about virtual in December. Teachers, classrooms, bus routes, etc. Our numbers in this area are still not great. Just stop.

LCPS did it without offering a change to families who chose virtual. Only families who chose hybrid will move to 4 days a week.

That is total Bs, and I am not the suing type, but I would 100% sue APS if they did this.

No idea. I feel like for Duran there needs to be more outside pressure than there is now.

I am not sure how "difficult" it is to do or not. Is there really cost or difficulty, especially for elementary? If they wanted to they could turn on a dime I bet.

Personally, I think it is the right thing to do to get kids back in school. Not doing so is a cop out just like no school at all from March-June last year. It will harm education overall.

This said, they must reopen selections to all families if they offer more. It was already unfair enough to families to go with Fall 2020 selections and there would be rioting about the unfairness. Especially since there are wait-lists.

(On a personal level, my early elementary DC is enjoying hybrid and doing well, and for now I am quietly enjoying these last months home before life returns to normal and 5 day school in Fall, as it should be.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been hoping/praying for the CDC to reduce the distancing guideline to 3 feet for schools (especially elementary). It seems like it may actually happen, but I'm skeptical and reluctant to think Duran will put the effort in place to open schools full-time ASAP. Hopefully Northam signs the bill with the emergency clause and takes the power away from Duran, but what are everyone's thoughts here?

It will not happen until the fall. Plan accordingly.

Why not, if CDC reduces guidelines to 3 feet? Other than Duran and the SB not wanting to deal with logistics, aka - doing their job?

Do you have any idea how complex the logistics are? Offering a choice to the ones who,had to decide about virtual in December. Teachers, classrooms, bus routes, etc. Our numbers in this area are still not great. Just stop.

LCPS did it without offering a change to families who chose virtual. Only families who chose hybrid will move to 4 days a week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3 ft is still to much for a lot of schools to be able to go back FT. Our school could not be at max capacity and do 5 day. We currently do have teachers using multiple classrooms and kids going to class in random rooms not typically classrooms.

Hopefully it would be enough to get in kids off the waitlist though

Is APS much different than other school systems that are able to accommodate?

Falls church has an extra building! They aren’t using! My APS school has too many kids wanting to be in person to make it work 5 days a week at 3ft.

Anonymous wrote:The phrasing emphasizing current guidelines makes me think there could be some wiggle room:
"will continue with the current hybrid model for the remainder of this school year, in accordance with current health and safety guidance. We all want to have as many students as possible back in the classroom, as soon as it is safe to do so; however, we need to continue to adhere to current health guidelines."
But as someone who is working in an APS elementary school I can see how it would be complicated with how the early grades are spread out across multiple classrooms.

I saw more than wiggle room in that email. He all but promised to get more kids in when “current” health guidelines change.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point on his RTS announcement was that literally every surrounding school district announced and Duran stubbornly refused to, for no apparent reason, until the next SB meeting that was two weeks off. Then Northam issued his order, and Duran backtracked the next day and said he would announce on Tuesday. Of COURSE he already had dates in mind. His hand was nevertheless forced by the Governor.

This is, fundamentally, the problem when you have one unelected decision-maker and no meaningful oversight by the elected board.

He did not stubbornly refuse. WTF is the difference in knowing Feb 8 or Feb 18 about a return that is not until March. There really is no difference. In the end, my kids went back BEFORE my friend's kids in Fairfax even though Fairfax made the announcement first. I just don't understand why people care about the date of the announcement. The return is what mattered.

I get what you're saying but Duran/APS had also said there would be lots of notice. For some families, this was less than the 2 weeks that they promised. For families who were in other childcare arrangements, this was short notice.

As to the original question, no chance that they will have 4-5 days this year, even knowing that (on average) 1/3 of families will stay virtual. I think we should collectively stay focused on summer school for the kids who need it and 5 days/week for the vast majority of kids this fall.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point on his RTS announcement was that literally every surrounding school district announced and Duran stubbornly refused to, for no apparent reason, until the next SB meeting that was two weeks off. Then Northam issued his order, and Duran backtracked the next day and said he would announce on Tuesday. Of COURSE he already had dates in mind. His hand was nevertheless forced by the Governor.

This is, fundamentally, the problem when you have one unelected decision-maker and no meaningful oversight by the elected board.

He did not stubbornly refuse. WTF is the difference in knowing Feb 8 or Feb 18 about a return that is not until March. There really is no difference. In the end, my kids went back BEFORE my friend's kids in Fairfax even though Fairfax made the announcement first. I just don't understand why people care about the date of the announcement. The return is what mattered.

+1

The RTS was planned. It made zero difference when the announcement was made.

That PP is grasping at straws here.

Anonymous wrote:The point on his RTS announcement was that literally every surrounding school district announced and Duran stubbornly refused to, for no apparent reason, until the next SB meeting that was two weeks off. Then Northam issued his order, and Duran backtracked the next day and said he would announce on Tuesday. Of COURSE he already had dates in mind. His hand was nevertheless forced by the Governor.

This is, fundamentally, the problem when you have one unelected decision-maker and no meaningful oversight by the elected board.

He did not stubbornly refuse. WTF is the difference in knowing Feb 8 or Feb 18 about a return that is not until March. There really is no difference. In the end, my kids went back BEFORE my friend's kids in Fairfax even though Fairfax made the announcement first. I just don't understand why people care about the date of the announcement. The return is what mattered.

The point on his RTS announcement was that literally every surrounding school district announced and Duran stubbornly refused to, for no apparent reason, until the next SB meeting that was two weeks off. Then Northam issued his order, and Duran backtracked the next day and said he would announce on Tuesday. Of COURSE he already had dates in mind. His hand was nevertheless forced by the Governor.

This is, fundamentally, the problem when you have one unelected decision-maker and no meaningful oversight by the elected board.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does Duran need to comply with CDC guidelines at all? If they change to 3ft, can he just hold out? I think he knew the CDC was about to change so that’s why he sent that email to shut us all up yesterday.

Precisely. Of course he can hold out. CDC does not dictate school policy, provides guidance. Northam has a say but given there’s 3 months of school left, does not seem to be a good source of resources to scramble to get them in the last month and a half of school. Need to focus on doind fall the right way.

Until he's forced to re-open FT by the governor.

For 2 months? Not happening. LOL.

It's happening with our neighbors...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be a Duran supporter. If he had plans to reopen, no one outside APS knew that. He looked ridiculous following Fairfax after they announced. He needs to lead, not follow other schools systems. The governor’s announcement made him look like an idiot

Exactly. My bet is that the Governor forces schools to open FT by mid April. Sorry, Duran, time to do your job and figure it out.

No, his job is to ensure consistent learning for all learners. Uprooting everything in place for teachers and students, changing what kids see as consistent at this point does not meet that goal. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. All focus should be on safe full time re-opening of schools in the fall.

what's been happening for the past year is anything but "consistent learning". The past year has been a complete joke and embarrassment of a school system. I think 4 days, in-person after spring break is very reasonable. This will allow us to work out any kinks before the fall. At the very least, elementary students should return 4 days. Duran should make this call before he's forced to do so, just like being cornered into announcing RTS dates.

STOP LYING. He was already planning for RTS *before* Northam made his announcement.

It's been consistent for many students. Maybe not as much as a typical year, but many students ARE learning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be a Duran supporter. If he had plans to reopen, no one outside APS knew that. He looked ridiculous following Fairfax after they announced. He needs to lead, not follow other schools systems. The governor’s announcement made him look like an idiot

Exactly. My bet is that the Governor forces schools to open FT by mid April. Sorry, Duran, time to do your job and figure it out.

No, his job is to ensure consistent learning for all learners. Uprooting everything in place for teachers and students, changing what kids see as consistent at this point does not meet that goal. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. All focus should be on safe full time re-opening of schools in the fall.

what's been happening for the past year is anything but "consistent learning". The past year has been a complete joke and embarrassment of a school system. I think 4 days, in-person after spring break is very reasonable. This will allow us to work out any kinks before the fall. At the very least, elementary students should return 4 days. Duran should make this call before he's forced to do so, just like being cornered into announcing RTS dates.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be a Duran supporter. If he had plans to reopen, no one outside APS knew that. He looked ridiculous following Fairfax after they announced. He needs to lead, not follow other schools systems. The governor’s announcement made him look like an idiot

Exactly. My bet is that the Governor forces schools to open FT by mid April. Sorry, Duran, time to do your job and figure it out.

No, his job is to ensure consistent learning for all learners. Uprooting everything in place for teachers and students, changing what kids see as consistent at this point does not meet that goal. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. All focus should be on safe full time re-opening of schools in the fall.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does Duran need to comply with CDC guidelines at all? If they change to 3ft, can he just hold out? I think he knew the CDC was about to change so that’s why he sent that email to shut us all up yesterday.

Precisely. Of course he can hold out. CDC does not dictate school policy, provides guidance. Northam has a say but given there’s 3 months of school left, does not seem to be a good source of resources to scramble to get them in the last month and a half of school. Need to focus on doind fall the right way.

Until he's forced to re-open FT by the governor.

For 2 months? Not happening. LOL.

Anonymous wrote:You seem to be a Duran supporter. If he had plans to reopen, no one outside APS knew that. He looked ridiculous following Fairfax after they announced. He needs to lead, not follow other schools systems. The governor’s announcement made him look like an idiot

Exactly. My bet is that the Governor forces schools to open FT by mid April. Sorry, Duran, time to do your job and figure it out.