Anonymous wrote:I'm so confused. Isn't there already a virtual option for high risk kids?

these are mainly parents of kids who aren't high risk who are asking for virtual. DCPS just needs to expand it's "virtual school" which, if I understand correctly, will operate as it's own school and not as a department of a brick and mortar school I want to keep the two seperate, so I hope DCPS can expand who can qualify for virtual. For instance, if a low risk kid had a good track record with virtual school last year (signed on every day, kept grades up, etc.) then let them have access to the virtual program. But expecting each school to again try and be everything to everyone is just not going to happen.

Anonymous wrote:I'm so confused. Isn't there already a virtual option for high risk kids?

There is, but that's not what OP wants. Nor do they want Friendship, or to homeschool. Or one of the other three charters offering a virtual option.

I'm so confused. Isn't there already a virtual option for high risk kids?

Anonymous wrote:sure I’m in favor of this as long as virtual parents are ok with giant class size, mostly asynchronous work, and they have to commit to it for the whole year.

+1

sure I’m in favor of this as long as virtual parents are ok with giant class size, mostly asynchronous work, and they have to commit to it for the whole year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendship is fully enrolled. DCPS’s “virtual option” requires a physician’s sign off with an incredibly high bar - that the child is all caps REQUIRED to be in virtual school.

So no. There are no virtual options.

Friendship has online spots still open.

Source? I thought they were fully booked with a hefty waitlist.

They’re just making sh*t up. It’s fully booked.

We were told this wasn't even an option unless we had a doctor's note citing serious health issues.??

Friendship is a separate virtual option predating COVID that anyone can lottery into.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:at this point there are around 200 people of have signed the petition. I say offer every single one of them the virtual option without requiring a doctor's note or qualifying medical condition. Call their bluff. The majority of them don't want that. They want to keep their current school, keep their option to come in person when they want, etc. Nope. You need to pick. I think getting those families into the virtual option would be helpful to the brick and mortar schools by getting that noise and distraction out of the way.

I’ve signed the petition and I would take that option.

Great! Then maybe start a second petition with a more narrow focus that asks for/demands that families be able to access the virtual program/school DCPS already has in the works. Because our family will not accept simulcasting that caters to virtual students more than those who took the time to come to school, only to sit with their noses to a screen while their teacher is doing the same. No more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendship is fully enrolled. DCPS’s “virtual option” requires a physician’s sign off with an incredibly high bar - that the child is all caps REQUIRED to be in virtual school.

So no. There are no virtual options.

Friendship has online spots still open.

Source? I thought they were fully booked with a hefty waitlist.

They’re just making sh*t up. It’s fully booked.

We were told this wasn't even an option unless we had a doctor's note citing serious health issues.??

Anonymous wrote:at this point there are around 200 people of have signed the petition. I say offer every single one of them the virtual option without requiring a doctor's note or qualifying medical condition. Call their bluff. The majority of them don't want that. They want to keep their current school, keep their option to come in person when they want, etc. Nope. You need to pick. I think getting those families into the virtual option would be helpful to the brick and mortar schools by getting that noise and distraction out of the way.

I’ve signed the petition and I would take that option.

at this point there are around 200 people of have signed the petition. I say offer every single one of them the virtual option without requiring a doctor's note or qualifying medical condition. Call their bluff. The majority of them don't want that. They want to keep their current school, keep their option to come in person when they want, etc. Nope. You need to pick. I think getting those families into the virtual option would be helpful to the brick and mortar schools by getting that noise and distraction out of the way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendship is fully enrolled. DCPS’s “virtual option” requires a physician’s sign off with an incredibly high bar - that the child is all caps REQUIRED to be in virtual school.

So no. There are no virtual options.

Friendship has online spots still open.

Source? I thought they were fully booked with a hefty waitlist.

They’re just making sh*t up. It’s fully booked.

A lot of the arguments in this petition are preposterous.

Did anyone see this fun little nugget from the petition about learning loss?

"This is reasonable given the rise in cases in DC and the exponentially increasing cases in children under 12. For many of us, without a choice of virtual school, we will need to pull them out of DCPS altogether and homeschool them. This, as you can imagine, is an extremely difficult decision and one that puts parents in an even greater bind and will result in some learning loss."

I'm like...wait...you think doing it yourself at home would create MORE learning loss than the environment we experienced last year? Loooool

Research says no.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendship is fully enrolled. DCPS’s “virtual option” requires a physician’s sign off with an incredibly high bar - that the child is all caps REQUIRED to be in virtual school.

So no. There are no virtual options.

Friendship has online spots still open.

Source? I thought they were fully booked with a hefty waitlist.

Anonymous wrote:Friendship is fully enrolled. DCPS’s “virtual option” requires a physician’s sign off with an incredibly high bar - that the child is all caps REQUIRED to be in virtual school.

So no. There are no virtual options.

Friendship has online spots still open.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Homeschool.

https://osse.dc.gov/service/homeschooling-district-columbia

You are telling me to homeschool my 7 year old autistic child? I am not a special education teacher!

Huh. Did the virtual resources work well for you last year? Every parent with a SN kid that I know said it was useless or a disaster, and really needs to have their kid in-person.

Of course in person was better, but virtual was not total crap. Mostly I’m afraid for my kid who needs to take their mask off every 20 minutes or so and no vax is available yet. They’re also getting a new teacher this year and I’m afraid they will not take it well even after a few weeks, already saying they won’t like school unless it’s Ms. ***.

I just feel like at this point there’s already anxiety and I have to worry about covid, maybe virtual is best. My neurotypical child is 13 and vaccinated so I worry a little less.