Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yay! Another thread of entitled parents ranting about the pandemic.


It sucks for everyone. Why do you think you would be spared?

Because I don't accept that people who have money for private or are in Catholic schools (or in publics in other states) are somehow more resistant to the virus.

Catholic schools have required faculty and staff to sign liability waivers. Private school families that are not adhering to guidelines are being kicked out (see the Kushners) but generally speaking private school families have higher levels of education and social trust and less exposure due to their jobs.

Not comparable to DCPS.

Public schools EVERYWHERE are open - in the US and internationally. You're copping out. DCPS serves kids who need to be in school the most; therefore, they should be making the biggest effort. The real reason we're not in school is the teacher's union refusing to do it, not any of the things you listed.

DCPS is open. It’s open via DL. You just don’t like it.

I don't "like" it because it's failing a huge proportion of kids. It's not "open" by any meaningful standard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a native New Yorker, I am completely and totally sick of the Washington Teachers Union/ ELIZABETH DAVIS and her unrealistic notion of virtual school-going forever... My Kindergartener is new to her DCPS school and starting a BRAND NEW SCHOOL VIRTUALLY SUCKS. I hate everything about this. I'm beyond angry at the Mayor and "leadership" but mostly disgusted by the WTU and their complete lack of concern for how badly these new learners in elementary school are going to be behind due to the WTU's BS demands.
NYC managed to get the kids back in school in a much more complicated school district and after a Spring and Summer of MUCH worse conditions than DC but DC teachers can not? The parents in NYC are not standing for the city shutting down the schools and are FIGHTING BACK but in DC? every parent here is too Politically correct and scared to stand up to the WTU and demand we open schools. I'm so sick of this and can't believe parents are just lying down and taking this garbage.

We were at public for 3 years and left for private but I totally agree. I am horrified at the way parents here are lying down and taking it. It’s pathetic. When they tried to close our MoCo private I fought so hard and within days we had won. If parents pushed back as hard as the unions THAT would be something. But I genuinely think they care more about weird virtue signaling than the well being of their kids.

The union is tired of being blamed for this, since they can't make any headway with DCPS their next effort will be to try to mobilize parents through their propaganda. Watch. Teachers are tired of being blamed, the WTU is going to try to bring parents en masse on their side. Personally, I was pissed that our PTA/LSAT forwarded the WTU propaganda.

I hope DCPS continues to push back just as hard, weekly updates about opening of CAREs classrooms might help but as PP said upthread most people only care about their kids - if they have arranged socialization and are supplementing whatever teachers try to push out their kids will be fine.

You mean updates from DCPS that 18 CAREs staff have tested positive for COVID-19 and its not public?

Remember you want these CARE classrooms for the poor black and brown kids - who now get to take COVID-19 home to their parents doing shift work because now their kids are in CARE classrooms.

Yeah DCPS has no plan to update people with the public health issues that are the cause for the CARES room to begin with.

Oh ffs. We get it, you want childcare to be exclusively done by moms and low-paid non union workers at daycares.

Education is NOT childcare. You are the reason teachers hate teaching. its not the kids its parents like you who think you are their servants.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is a concrete action you can take now:

Each state must submit a plan to the CDC outlining how it will distribute the vaccine and what populations will get it first.

Look up the city’s first iteration of its plan and organize parents to demand that teachers are at the front of the line!!!

The teachers just want a perpetual vacation. Next, they’ll refuse the vaccine so that they can continue sheltering forever. Time to move.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a native New Yorker, I am completely and totally sick of the Washington Teachers Union/ ELIZABETH DAVIS and her unrealistic notion of virtual school-going forever... My Kindergartener is new to her DCPS school and starting a BRAND NEW SCHOOL VIRTUALLY SUCKS. I hate everything about this. I'm beyond angry at the Mayor and "leadership" but mostly disgusted by the WTU and their complete lack of concern for how badly these new learners in elementary school are going to be behind due to the WTU's BS demands.
NYC managed to get the kids back in school in a much more complicated school district and after a Spring and Summer of MUCH worse conditions than DC but DC teachers can not? The parents in NYC are not standing for the city shutting down the schools and are FIGHTING BACK but in DC? every parent here is too Politically correct and scared to stand up to the WTU and demand we open schools. I'm so sick of this and can't believe parents are just lying down and taking this garbage.

OP, I also have an early elementary child who is new to her DCPS school, and I can't agree more. And our school has made no effort to help. The attitude seems to be to let parents figure it out on their own, but as a new family, we feel completely on our own. I feel particularly bad for our kid, because she knows that if she were in school in-person, she could be making friends, but DL doesn't facilitate that in any way. It might be sufficient for older kids to keep in touch with friends from prior years, but for kids this age (5-6) who don't already know each other, there's just no way for them to develop relationships.

I honestly feel equally frustrated with the union and DCPS itself. I do think the union has acted unreasonably at times, and I especially feel that their rhetoric has been divisive at a time when it's particularly unproductive. I can support teachers and want them to have reasonable safety measures, and also want schools to open, and those are not inconsistent positions. But DCPS and Bowser have been equally terrible, and are too happy to blame the union for a lot of stuff that isn't their fault at all. The union is not the reason DL is so inadequate and bad -- that's due to Central Office policies that ignore what teachers know is the better pedagogical approach. And the union isn't at fault for DCPS's terrible communication, and their refusal to really engage parents and teachers on what is working (and what is very much not) and how best to meet the needs of kids and families.

Honestly, if DCPS had engaged parents early and listened, I think they would have had an easier time negotiating with the union. Part of the problem is that they kept everyone in the dark and then when they announced things, teachers and parents alike were confused and frustrated. I do think there is some political posturing among parents (some people claim to love DL or act like opening schools is an automatic death sentence, which it clearly is not) but I also think a lot of parents sided with teachers because they know them, they actually talk to them, and DCPS has offered so little in the way of communication or leadership.

What a mess.

What exactly do you think DCPS central did to interfere with the DL approaches? My understanding is that schools and teachers have a ton of latitude. I'm not sure that it makes sense to blame DCPS for how DL is being executed.

As for what DCPS could have done differently ... I think they have done multiple parent surveys, and were negotiating with WTU all summer. So I'm not sure what else they could have done. Maybe they could have accepted that they would have to make bigger concessions to the WTU from the get-go. But given that many urban districts are in the same position, I'm not ready to conclude there is something uniquely bad about DCPS. I do with they had pulled off what Detroit did or Rhode Island is doing now.

Central Office set requirement for how many hours of live instruction kids are getting, as well as certain requirements for how and when they are executed. This means that my K student has back to back classes from 8:45 until almost noon, except for two short breaks. They want DL to mirror how in-person class would work, and aren't accounting for how hard it is for early learners to sit in front of a screen for that long, and how desperately they need to move their bodies and take a break from the screen.

Both parents and teachers at our school wanted fewer live sessions and were really unhappy about back to back sessions (for instance, going straight from a 30 minute morning meeting to a 30 minute small group). But the schedule was set by the district and our teacher has had minimal leeway within that. She has started shortening classes because she sees it's not working, but since most of them are full-group sessions (and we have more than 20 kids in class) that means the kids aren't getting much engagement. What would be better is to do half as much live instruction, but split it all up into smaller groups. So kids would only have maybe 90 minutes of class (ELA, math, special) but those classes would be with fewer kids and they'd get more attention and be more involved. But the morning meeting is mandated and teachers are limited in what they can do with the rest.

I do think charters have way more latitude. But if you are at a DCPS school, there are a ton of rules for how DL works. What differences there are, it's teachers basically breaking the rules in order to do something that works for the kids.

I agree. Central office should have been more creative about virtual school. It cannot just mirror in-person school. They should have incorporated more small group sessions (5-6 kids max) as many kids feel weird participating online in large classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I don't "like" it because it's failing a huge proportion of kids. It's not "open" by any meaningful standard.

How do you know its failing a huge proportion of kids?

Everyone knows that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a native New Yorker, I am completely and totally sick of the Washington Teachers Union/ ELIZABETH DAVIS and her unrealistic notion of virtual school-going forever... My Kindergartener is new to her DCPS school and starting a BRAND NEW SCHOOL VIRTUALLY SUCKS. I hate everything about this. I'm beyond angry at the Mayor and "leadership" but mostly disgusted by the WTU and their complete lack of concern for how badly these new learners in elementary school are going to be behind due to the WTU's BS demands.
NYC managed to get the kids back in school in a much more complicated school district and after a Spring and Summer of MUCH worse conditions than DC but DC teachers can not? The parents in NYC are not standing for the city shutting down the schools and are FIGHTING BACK but in DC? every parent here is too Politically correct and scared to stand up to the WTU and demand we open schools. I'm so sick of this and can't believe parents are just lying down and taking this garbage.

OP, I also have an early elementary child who is new to her DCPS school, and I can't agree more. And our school has made no effort to help. The attitude seems to be to let parents figure it out on their own, but as a new family, we feel completely on our own. I feel particularly bad for our kid, because she knows that if she were in school in-person, she could be making friends, but DL doesn't facilitate that in any way. It might be sufficient for older kids to keep in touch with friends from prior years, but for kids this age (5-6) who don't already know each other, there's just no way for them to develop relationships.

I honestly feel equally frustrated with the union and DCPS itself. I do think the union has acted unreasonably at times, and I especially feel that their rhetoric has been divisive at a time when it's particularly unproductive. I can support teachers and want them to have reasonable safety measures, and also want schools to open, and those are not inconsistent positions. But DCPS and Bowser have been equally terrible, and are too happy to blame the union for a lot of stuff that isn't their fault at all. The union is not the reason DL is so inadequate and bad -- that's due to Central Office policies that ignore what teachers know is the better pedagogical approach. And the union isn't at fault for DCPS's terrible communication, and their refusal to really engage parents and teachers on what is working (and what is very much not) and how best to meet the needs of kids and families.

Honestly, if DCPS had engaged parents early and listened, I think they would have had an easier time negotiating with the union. Part of the problem is that they kept everyone in the dark and then when they announced things, teachers and parents alike were confused and frustrated. I do think there is some political posturing among parents (some people claim to love DL or act like opening schools is an automatic death sentence, which it clearly is not) but I also think a lot of parents sided with teachers because they know them, they actually talk to them, and DCPS has offered so little in the way of communication or leadership.

What a mess.

What exactly do you think DCPS central did to interfere with the DL approaches? My understanding is that schools and teachers have a ton of latitude. I'm not sure that it makes sense to blame DCPS for how DL is being executed.

As for what DCPS could have done differently ... I think they have done multiple parent surveys, and were negotiating with WTU all summer. So I'm not sure what else they could have done. Maybe they could have accepted that they would have to make bigger concessions to the WTU from the get-go. But given that many urban districts are in the same position, I'm not ready to conclude there is something uniquely bad about DCPS. I do with they had pulled off what Detroit did or Rhode Island is doing now.

Central Office set requirement for how many hours of live instruction kids are getting, as well as certain requirements for how and when they are executed. This means that my K student has back to back classes from 8:45 until almost noon, except for two short breaks. They want DL to mirror how in-person class would work, and aren't accounting for how hard it is for early learners to sit in front of a screen for that long, and how desperately they need to move their bodies and take a break from the screen.

Both parents and teachers at our school wanted fewer live sessions and were really unhappy about back to back sessions (for instance, going straight from a 30 minute morning meeting to a 30 minute small group). But the schedule was set by the district and our teacher has had minimal leeway within that. She has started shortening classes because she sees it's not working, but since most of them are full-group sessions (and we have more than 20 kids in class) that means the kids aren't getting much engagement. What would be better is to do half as much live instruction, but split it all up into smaller groups. So kids would only have maybe 90 minutes of class (ELA, math, special) but those classes would be with fewer kids and they'd get more attention and be more involved. But the morning meeting is mandated and teachers are limited in what they can do with the rest.

I do think charters have way more latitude. But if you are at a DCPS school, there are a ton of rules for how DL works. What differences there are, it's teachers basically breaking the rules in order to do something that works for the kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a native New Yorker, I am completely and totally sick of the Washington Teachers Union/ ELIZABETH DAVIS and her unrealistic notion of virtual school-going forever... My Kindergartener is new to her DCPS school and starting a BRAND NEW SCHOOL VIRTUALLY SUCKS. I hate everything about this. I'm beyond angry at the Mayor and "leadership" but mostly disgusted by the WTU and their complete lack of concern for how badly these new learners in elementary school are going to be behind due to the WTU's BS demands.
NYC managed to get the kids back in school in a much more complicated school district and after a Spring and Summer of MUCH worse conditions than DC but DC teachers can not? The parents in NYC are not standing for the city shutting down the schools and are FIGHTING BACK but in DC? every parent here is too Politically correct and scared to stand up to the WTU and demand we open schools. I'm so sick of this and can't believe parents are just lying down and taking this garbage.

OP, I also have an early elementary child who is new to her DCPS school, and I can't agree more. And our school has made no effort to help. The attitude seems to be to let parents figure it out on their own, but as a new family, we feel completely on our own. I feel particularly bad for our kid, because she knows that if she were in school in-person, she could be making friends, but DL doesn't facilitate that in any way. It might be sufficient for older kids to keep in touch with friends from prior years, but for kids this age (5-6) who don't already know each other, there's just no way for them to develop relationships.

I honestly feel equally frustrated with the union and DCPS itself. I do think the union has acted unreasonably at times, and I especially feel that their rhetoric has been divisive at a time when it's particularly unproductive. I can support teachers and want them to have reasonable safety measures, and also want schools to open, and those are not inconsistent positions. But DCPS and Bowser have been equally terrible, and are too happy to blame the union for a lot of stuff that isn't their fault at all. The union is not the reason DL is so inadequate and bad -- that's due to Central Office policies that ignore what teachers know is the better pedagogical approach. And the union isn't at fault for DCPS's terrible communication, and their refusal to really engage parents and teachers on what is working (and what is very much not) and how best to meet the needs of kids and families.

Honestly, if DCPS had engaged parents early and listened, I think they would have had an easier time negotiating with the union. Part of the problem is that they kept everyone in the dark and then when they announced things, teachers and parents alike were confused and frustrated. I do think there is some political posturing among parents (some people claim to love DL or act like opening schools is an automatic death sentence, which it clearly is not) but I also think a lot of parents sided with teachers because they know them, they actually talk to them, and DCPS has offered so little in the way of communication or leadership.

What a mess.

What exactly do you think DCPS central did to interfere with the DL approaches? My understanding is that schools and teachers have a ton of latitude. I'm not sure that it makes sense to blame DCPS for how DL is being executed.

As for what DCPS could have done differently ... I think they have done multiple parent surveys, and were negotiating with WTU all summer. So I'm not sure what else they could have done. Maybe they could have accepted that they would have to make bigger concessions to the WTU from the get-go. But given that many urban districts are in the same position, I'm not ready to conclude there is something uniquely bad about DCPS. I do with they had pulled off what Detroit did or Rhode Island is doing now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I don't "like" it because it's failing a huge proportion of kids. It's not "open" by any meaningful standard.

How do you know its failing a huge proportion of kids?

Everyone knows that.

Anonymous wrote:I get where you’re coming from, OP. Even Montgomery County and Fairfax County have organized, public groups of parents calling for reopening. DCPS parents are much more likely to be a bit clueless and overly idealistic, so the official line is “support the teachers!!” If you go against that publicly, you risk your child’s reputation. It’s kind of a small-town feeling. I think also DCPS parents are so used to feeling like the school reflects their choice and identity, which makes them feel overly identified with the teachers. Basically they feel like the way to preserve their precious “school community” is to keep the schools closed until the teachers feel totally happy. They dread seeming mean or “unempathetic” and hence cannot publicly call out the WTU. What this all boils down to is that they only really care about their own kids, as a practical matter, and don’t really value school as education.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You privileged white folk are crazy. Come on here and bitch all you want but school isn’t opening anytime soon. Get used to being with your annoying ass kids that you clearly hate so much you would send them into school...even after people tested positive with less than a week of CARE classroom. You all need a reality check!

What kids do you think are in the CARE classrooms? Not “privileged white folk.” They can pay for childcare if they need it, and there are no published statistics about covid contract from nannies and “pods.” Maybe you need a reality check about whose side you are on: teachers unions, not kids of any level of privilege.

Anonymous wrote:You privileged white folk are crazy. Come on here and bitch all you want but school isn’t opening anytime soon. Get used to being with your annoying ass kids that you clearly hate so much you would send them into school...even after people tested positive with less than a week of CARE classroom. You all need a reality check!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I don't "like" it because it's failing a huge proportion of kids. It's not "open" by any meaningful standard.

How do you know its failing a huge proportion of kids?