Anonymous wrote:So that didn't take long. Elementary students returned yesterday and already APE is fundraising for new signs that say:

Your Student, Every Day
APS is Ready

Did I miss the announcement that COVID is over? Because I swear I just heard the CDC Director and President Biden say now is not the time to relax our mitigation efforts because 50,000 people a day are catching COVID and 2,000 people a day are still dying from it. Presumably this mitigation includes the social distancing that is impossible if all students go back right now. I also heard President Biden say yesterday that adults will be vaccinated by the end of May, so maybe it's worth waiting for at least that?

WTAF is wrong with them?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So that didn't take long. Elementary students returned yesterday and already APE is fundraising for new signs that say:

Your Student, Every Day
APS is Ready

Did I miss the announcement that COVID is over? Because I swear I just heard the CDC Director and President Biden say now is not the time to relax our mitigation efforts because 50,000 people a day are catching COVID and 2,000 people a day are still dying from it. Presumably this mitigation includes the social distancing that is impossible if all students go back right now. I also heard President Biden say yesterday that adults will be vaccinated by the end of May, so maybe it's worth waiting for at least that?

WTAF is wrong with them?

Wow, thanks for creating this PR for us! https://arlingtonparentsforeducation.org is the website. Reach out if you're interested in donating.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So that didn't take long. Elementary students returned yesterday and already APE is fundraising for new signs that say:

Your Student, Every Day
APS is Ready

Did I miss the announcement that COVID is over? Because I swear I just heard the CDC Director and President Biden say now is not the time to relax our mitigation efforts because 50,000 people a day are catching COVID and 2,000 people a day are still dying from it. Presumably this mitigation includes the social distancing that is impossible if all students go back right now. I also heard President Biden say yesterday that adults will be vaccinated by the end of May, so maybe it's worth waiting for at least that?

WTAF is wrong with them?

Did you miss the announcement that school is essential and should be opened?

The data is not really on the CDC's side on this one. (source). If they'd released science-backed school re-opening guidelines, that sure would've helped.

School buildings have been closed, not schools. There's a difference.

Given the learning loss and number of students who are just ... gone ... from public schools, I’m not sure there is. But that’s a nice talking point I see a lot. “Just because buildings are closed doesn’t mean there’s no school!”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?

1000%. We are not covid-deniers. We are concerned parents that want our kids to get an education. Teachers are vaccinated, time to go back FT.

What is your plan for childcare when students have potential exposures and need to stay home and quarantine for two weeks? That's the big problem. Send them in now 2x/week in cohorts where kids are 6' apart and exposures result in a two day "pause". At less than 6', they can't go back to school for two weeks. My husband and I can't go into the office. No more sports or extracurriculars. The slow role in with distance will ultimately make my life easier and result in my kids having more in-person school this spring.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So that didn't take long. Elementary students returned yesterday and already APE is fundraising for new signs that say:

Your Student, Every Day
APS is Ready

Did I miss the announcement that COVID is over? Because I swear I just heard the CDC Director and President Biden say now is not the time to relax our mitigation efforts because 50,000 people a day are catching COVID and 2,000 people a day are still dying from it. Presumably this mitigation includes the social distancing that is impossible if all students go back right now. I also heard President Biden say yesterday that adults will be vaccinated by the end of May, so maybe it's worth waiting for at least that?

WTAF is wrong with them?

I think it's funny that people are wasting their money on lawn signs. That's really what's going to get us to 5 day a week school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah. We are nowhere near the CDC caseload parameters for full time. Not. Even. Close. Dream on.

actually, that's really not true at all. the CDC recommends full time school k-12 in yellow 'moderate transmission'. The yellow zone is defined as test positivity rate of 5%-7.9% and case loads summed over 7 days per 100,000 persons of 10-49.
The Arlington test positivity rate has been below 7.9 percent since the end of January. For much of that time its been below 5%- putting it in the 'blue zone.'
In terms of caseloads- they are steadily dropping.

Where are we now? I haven't checked recently. Anywhere close to 49?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?

1000%. We are not covid-deniers. We are concerned parents that want our kids to get an education. Teachers are vaccinated, time to go back FT.

What is your plan for childcare when students have potential exposures and need to stay home and quarantine for two weeks? That's the big problem. Send them in now 2x/week in cohorts where kids are 6' apart and exposures result in a two day "pause". At less than 6', they can't go back to school for two weeks. My husband and I can't go into the office. No more sports or extracurriculars. The slow role in with distance will ultimately make my life easier and result in my kids having more in-person school this spring.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah. We are nowhere near the CDC caseload parameters for full time. Not. Even. Close. Dream on.

actually, that's really not true at all. the CDC recommends full time school k-12 in yellow 'moderate transmission'. The yellow zone is defined as test positivity rate of 5%-7.9% and case loads summed over 7 days per 100,000 persons of 10-49.
The Arlington test positivity rate has been below 7.9 percent since the end of January. For much of that time its been below 5%- putting it in the 'blue zone.'
In terms of caseloads- they are steadily dropping.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?

1000%. We are not covid-deniers. We are concerned parents that want our kids to get an education. Teachers are vaccinated, time to go back FT.

Anonymous wrote:Yeah. We are nowhere near the CDC caseload parameters for full time. Not. Even. Close. Dream on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?

1000%. We are not covid-deniers. We are concerned parents that want our kids to get an education. Teachers are vaccinated, time to go back FT.

Anonymous wrote:Yeah. We are nowhere near the CDC caseload parameters for full time. Not. Even. Close. Dream on.

Anonymous wrote:Well without some pressure I’m sure APS would have easily committed to a full virtual year. They needed a push from the Governor to even start hybrid. And the governor needs to see that the community supports these moves. My neighbor is an APS Admin and complimented my open schools now sign and said he signs are helpful in keeping the pressure which is needed in some corners at APS. Our teachers are vaccinated and we have a lot of learning loss to make up for, how can we settle for something less than 5 days asap?