Anonymous wrote:One of the worst parts of APE back in the day was the contingent of “respectable” members who would shrug at the bad actors, and explain that APE was taking a “big tent” approach, and not all members shared the views of its loudest members. Because, you know, big tent and all. Just letting the hate machine do it’s job, giving branding / lobbying / strategy advice, but simultaneously distancing themselves from the stuff that respectable professionals wouldn’t do publicly. Maybe the ACDC is ok endorsing a school board candidate who was involved in that? She won’t get my vote, but I am curious to see how the ACDC responds. Maybe their perspective is different than mine? Maybe they just allow the caucus to elevate a candidate they find politically undesirable but who won the caucus fair and square?

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Anonymous wrote:APE members still are angry. In any thread you walk in, they still can't get over 2020. While it was awful, it's done and will never, ever happen again. I need a candidate who can stop talking about it, acknowledge the past, but look to the future. Miranda ain't it.

Are you kidding me? I follow AEM and APE. The only place I see people fighting about 2020 is on AEM. It's not APE that is stuck in 2020.

Lol no one talks about it on AEM, except APE members. Even people here have pretty much moved on from 2020, except APE members.

Also, "Learning loss" is code for "I only care about what happened in 2020-21, and not the systemic learning disparities that happened before or after to marginalized groups." I roll my eyes at anyone (including Duran) who talks about it.

Exactly. ”Learning loss” is part of the right’s continued attack on public schools.

They could address academic issues in a variety of ways and choose to focus on that and use those words.

That's some real head in the sand. Fortunately more Dems at all levels are talking about it. Secretary Cardona talked about it for months. More seem to be recognizing how big the problem is.

I don’t mean to detail this thread but what are they talking about? Is it an easy google find for me or do I need to know any special terms to search for it? I’m not an education expert and our kids aren’t at APS yet so forgive the naïve questions.

DP. If you are asking about what Dems are doing, see a proposal from Dems to direct more state money to address learning loss for reading and math. Youngkin wants vouchers for tutoring and Dems want more money for school grants for high dose, small group tutoring.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APE members still are angry. In any thread you walk in, they still can't get over 2020. While it was awful, it's done and will never, ever happen again. I need a candidate who can stop talking about it, acknowledge the past, but look to the future. Miranda ain't it.

Are you kidding me? I follow AEM and APE. The only place I see people fighting about 2020 is on AEM. It's not APE that is stuck in 2020.

Lol no one talks about it on AEM, except APE members. Even people here have pretty much moved on from 2020, except APE members.

Also, "Learning loss" is code for "I only care about what happened in 2020-21, and not the systemic learning disparities that happened before or after to marginalized groups." I roll my eyes at anyone (including Duran) who talks about it.

Exactly. ”Learning loss” is part of the right’s continued attack on public schools.

They could address academic issues in a variety of ways and choose to focus on that and use those words.

That's some real head in the sand. Fortunately more Dems at all levels are talking about it. Secretary Cardona talked about it for months. More seem to be recognizing how big the problem is.

I don’t mean to detail this thread but what are they talking about? Is it an easy google find for me or do I need to know any special terms to search for it? I’m not an education expert and our kids aren’t at APS yet so forgive the naïve questions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff/Admin: Can you explain why posts in this thread keep getting deleted if they mention APE?

There is a post directly above yours that mentions APE that did not get deleted. Posts are getting deleted for that reason. They are getting deleted for making false statements.

This group, which a SB candidate led for years, was an open schools group in Arlington. They were abusive online and in school board meetings. Some of their most aggressive, vocal members were anti-maskers, anti-CRT, pro-voucher. They were aligned with open schools groups out in FCPS and LCPS. Including Ian Prior, PDE (Koch bro), etc.

I really hope the normal lurkers on this page are not buying these defamatory lies. Literally none of this true. It'd be laughable if we we're living in an era of mis-information and conspiracy theory uptake. Please do your own research and look into this group, read their newsletters, and explore their website. I know some of them personally and they are all very active in their school communities and closely aligned with many APS teachers. There are a few deranged trolls on this page (likely the same people making the same outlandish claims on AEM) that are obsessed and continue to spread lies. They make accusation with no evidence or links. They associate people who have long been kicked out of APE if they went against their values and mission as being "leaders." It's disturbing.

No,PP, they are true. I'm involved in school issues, know MT, know APE. I can respect different views and I respect her for some of her advocacy. But APE was unhinged for a while, and MT didn't see that forest for the trees until later. Their level of anger and personal attacks turned off people like me who were open to their original advocacy.

I will never forget the hostility and abuse they showed to teachers.

+1

And administrators and parents.

It’s shocking that they have the audacity to move forward without some massive apology to the community. Are they hoping that we all just forgot?

I don't think they are hoping. More like gaslighting.

This former APS teacher remembers it like it was:

At first, when schools moved to online instruction in the spring of 2020 and parents saw firsthand the hardships teachers were enduring, plaudits poured in for the educators showing remarkable commitment to their profession in a difficult situation they had never trained for. Virtual teaching took much more time to prepare, execute and evaluate. And because students were often not required to turn on their cameras, it was a lot like teaching into a void. But as time crawled on and schools remained closed to in-person instruction, parents became critical, even angry. The hostility parents leveled against teachers was astonishing.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/03/08/teachers-woes-vulnerable-profession-robbins/?fbclid=IwAR09zWPxOvQ7ARNI88LVb53WxRdEE-8OSZNjn02BRB4rxJ5N_3psAqdN2Ts

Are you a secondary teacher? Because elementary school in APS wasn't anything like this in spring of 2020. For K-2, APS prohibited any teaching whatsoever, so my child didn't see her teacher after the schools closed and didn't get any work from her. For 3-5, no new instruction was permitted, so my older child's teacher sent repetitive worksheets every day (she was great, this was not her fault) and had once weekly video check ins. I didn't and don't blame the teachers for this; these were APS decisions. But for elementary parents, we were very much on our own and we saw our kids suffer from the complete lack of instruction and limited engagement from their teachers. I'm not a member of APE or any other group. But I think it's important to remember the context to understand how disappointed and concerned parents were when APS decided in the summer of 2020 to keep schools closed.

Are you saying the context justified the hostility the parents in the OPEN SCHOOLS NOW group showed to teachers (and others too)? I cannot agree with that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APE members still are angry. In any thread you walk in, they still can't get over 2020. While it was awful, it's done and will never, ever happen again. I need a candidate who can stop talking about it, acknowledge the past, but look to the future. Miranda ain't it.

Are you kidding me? I follow AEM and APE. The only place I see people fighting about 2020 is on AEM. It's not APE that is stuck in 2020.

Looking at the last dozen or so comments still angry at angry people in 2020, this is spot on. Most people are no longer angry and some of the loudest and most obnoxious left aps and Facebook forums and good riddance. Most parents want to move on and help kids recover because we see they are not ok.

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not understand some of you. What happened during COVID was horrific for many parents and children. Some kids were basically abandoned by society, and the consequences for that were and remain awful. And yes, during this awful time, some people were awful as well.

As far as I can tell, Miranda Turner was not one of those people. She was part of a big group of parents, some of whom acted in terrible ways, but who, as a whole, were right to be fighting for more in-person learning time for kids. This is born out now by national and local data.

I do not understand why some of you blame her for the actions of a few people. The APE FB group has over 1000 members. She was supposed to personally control all of them? And also, keep in mind, some of these families were suffering hugely from APS' decisions.

I am not condoning the worst of the behavior, but it was a hard time and MANY people did and said things I hope they regret now. That also includes people who wanted schools closed, who basically said anyone who wanted schools open wanted to murder teachers. There was A LOT of rhetoric both ways, please keep in mind.

Unless you have evidence Miranda Turner personally was yelling at teachers, this is a completely unfair discussion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff/Admin: Can you explain why posts in this thread keep getting deleted if they mention APE?

There is a post directly above yours that mentions APE that did not get deleted. Posts are getting deleted for that reason. They are getting deleted for making false statements.

This group, which a SB candidate led for years, was an open schools group in Arlington. They were abusive online and in school board meetings. Some of their most aggressive, vocal members were anti-maskers, anti-CRT, pro-voucher. They were aligned with open schools groups out in FCPS and LCPS. Including Ian Prior, PDE (Koch bro), etc.

I really hope the normal lurkers on this page are not buying these defamatory lies. Literally none of this true. It'd be laughable if we we're living in an era of mis-information and conspiracy theory uptake. Please do your own research and look into this group, read their newsletters, and explore their website. I know some of them personally and they are all very active in their school communities and closely aligned with many APS teachers. There are a few deranged trolls on this page (likely the same people making the same outlandish claims on AEM) that are obsessed and continue to spread lies. They make accusation with no evidence or links. They associate people who have long been kicked out of APE if they went against their values and mission as being "leaders." It's disturbing.

No,PP, they are true. I'm involved in school issues, know MT, know APE. I can respect different views and I respect her for some of her advocacy. But APE was unhinged for a while, and MT didn't see that forest for the trees until later. Their level of anger and personal attacks turned off people like me who were open to their original advocacy.

I will never forget the hostility and abuse they showed to teachers.

+1

And administrators and parents.

It’s shocking that they have the audacity to move forward without some massive apology to the community. Are they hoping that we all just forgot?

I don't think they are hoping. More like gaslighting.

This former APS teacher remembers it like it was:

At first, when schools moved to online instruction in the spring of 2020 and parents saw firsthand the hardships teachers were enduring, plaudits poured in for the educators showing remarkable commitment to their profession in a difficult situation they had never trained for. Virtual teaching took much more time to prepare, execute and evaluate. And because students were often not required to turn on their cameras, it was a lot like teaching into a void. But as time crawled on and schools remained closed to in-person instruction, parents became critical, even angry. The hostility parents leveled against teachers was astonishing.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/03/08/teachers-woes-vulnerable-profession-robbins/?fbclid=IwAR09zWPxOvQ7ARNI88LVb53WxRdEE-8OSZNjn02BRB4rxJ5N_3psAqdN2Ts

Are you a secondary teacher? Because elementary school in APS wasn't anything like this in spring of 2020. For K-2, APS prohibited any teaching whatsoever, so my child didn't see her teacher after the schools closed and didn't get any work from her. For 3-5, no new instruction was permitted, so my older child's teacher sent repetitive worksheets every day (she was great, this was not her fault) and had once weekly video check ins. I didn't and don't blame the teachers for this; these were APS decisions. But for elementary parents, we were very much on our own and we saw our kids suffer from the complete lack of instruction and limited engagement from their teachers. I'm not a member of APE or any other group. But I think it's important to remember the context to understand how disappointed and concerned parents were when APS decided in the summer of 2020 to keep schools closed.

Are you saying the context justified the hostility the parents in the OPEN SCHOOLS NOW group showed to teachers (and others too)? I cannot agree with that.

Bad behavior is bad behavior all around and should not be considered acceptable. However, let's also not forget the, "Open Coffins Now" teachers that did their own protests mock coffins included!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APE members still are angry. In any thread you walk in, they still can't get over 2020. While it was awful, it's done and will never, ever happen again. I need a candidate who can stop talking about it, acknowledge the past, but look to the future. Miranda ain't it.

Are you kidding me? I follow AEM and APE. The only place I see people fighting about 2020 is on AEM. It's not APE that is stuck in 2020.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff/Admin: Can you explain why posts in this thread keep getting deleted if they mention APE?

There is a post directly above yours that mentions APE that did not get deleted. Posts are getting deleted for that reason. They are getting deleted for making false statements.

This group, which a SB candidate led for years, was an open schools group in Arlington. They were abusive online and in school board meetings. Some of their most aggressive, vocal members were anti-maskers, anti-CRT, pro-voucher. They were aligned with open schools groups out in FCPS and LCPS. Including Ian Prior, PDE (Koch bro), etc.

I really hope the normal lurkers on this page are not buying these defamatory lies. Literally none of this true. It'd be laughable if we we're living in an era of mis-information and conspiracy theory uptake. Please do your own research and look into this group, read their newsletters, and explore their website. I know some of them personally and they are all very active in their school communities and closely aligned with many APS teachers. There are a few deranged trolls on this page (likely the same people making the same outlandish claims on AEM) that are obsessed and continue to spread lies. They make accusation with no evidence or links. They associate people who have long been kicked out of APE if they went against their values and mission as being "leaders." It's disturbing.

No,PP, they are true. I'm involved in school issues, know MT, know APE. I can respect different views and I respect her for some of her advocacy. But APE was unhinged for a while, and MT didn't see that forest for the trees until later. Their level of anger and personal attacks turned off people like me who were open to their original advocacy.

I will never forget the hostility and abuse they showed to teachers.

+1

And administrators and parents.

It’s shocking that they have the audacity to move forward without some massive apology to the community. Are they hoping that we all just forgot?

I don't think they are hoping. More like gaslighting.

This former APS teacher remembers it like it was:

At first, when schools moved to online instruction in the spring of 2020 and parents saw firsthand the hardships teachers were enduring, plaudits poured in for the educators showing remarkable commitment to their profession in a difficult situation they had never trained for. Virtual teaching took much more time to prepare, execute and evaluate. And because students were often not required to turn on their cameras, it was a lot like teaching into a void. But as time crawled on and schools remained closed to in-person instruction, parents became critical, even angry. The hostility parents leveled against teachers was astonishing.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/03/08/teachers-woes-vulnerable-profession-robbins/?fbclid=IwAR09zWPxOvQ7ARNI88LVb53WxRdEE-8OSZNjn02BRB4rxJ5N_3psAqdN2Ts

Are you a secondary teacher? Because elementary school in APS wasn't anything like this in spring of 2020. For K-2, APS prohibited any teaching whatsoever, so my child didn't see her teacher after the schools closed and didn't get any work from her. For 3-5, no new instruction was permitted, so my older child's teacher sent repetitive worksheets every day (she was great, this was not her fault) and had once weekly video check ins. I didn't and don't blame the teachers for this; these were APS decisions. But for elementary parents, we were very much on our own and we saw our kids suffer from the complete lack of instruction and limited engagement from their teachers. I'm not a member of APE or any other group. But I think it's important to remember the context to understand how disappointed and concerned parents were when APS decided in the summer of 2020 to keep schools closed.

Are you saying the context justified the hostility the parents in the OPEN SCHOOLS NOW group showed to teachers (and others too)? I cannot agree with that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff/Admin: Can you explain why posts in this thread keep getting deleted if they mention APE?

There is a post directly above yours that mentions APE that did not get deleted. Posts are getting deleted for that reason. They are getting deleted for making false statements.

This group, which a SB candidate led for years, was an open schools group in Arlington. They were abusive online and in school board meetings. Some of their most aggressive, vocal members were anti-maskers, anti-CRT, pro-voucher. They were aligned with open schools groups out in FCPS and LCPS. Including Ian Prior, PDE (Koch bro), etc.

I really hope the normal lurkers on this page are not buying these defamatory lies. Literally none of this true. It'd be laughable if we we're living in an era of mis-information and conspiracy theory uptake. Please do your own research and look into this group, read their newsletters, and explore their website. I know some of them personally and they are all very active in their school communities and closely aligned with many APS teachers. There are a few deranged trolls on this page (likely the same people making the same outlandish claims on AEM) that are obsessed and continue to spread lies. They make accusation with no evidence or links. They associate people who have long been kicked out of APE if they went against their values and mission as being "leaders." It's disturbing.

No,PP, they are true. I'm involved in school issues, know MT, know APE. I can respect different views and I respect her for some of her advocacy. But APE was unhinged for a while, and MT didn't see that forest for the trees until later. Their level of anger and personal attacks turned off people like me who were open to their original advocacy.

I will never forget the hostility and abuse they showed to teachers.

+1

And administrators and parents.

It’s shocking that they have the audacity to move forward without some massive apology to the community. Are they hoping that we all just forgot?

I don't think they are hoping. More like gaslighting.

This former APS teacher remembers it like it was:

At first, when schools moved to online instruction in the spring of 2020 and parents saw firsthand the hardships teachers were enduring, plaudits poured in for the educators showing remarkable commitment to their profession in a difficult situation they had never trained for. Virtual teaching took much more time to prepare, execute and evaluate. And because students were often not required to turn on their cameras, it was a lot like teaching into a void. But as time crawled on and schools remained closed to in-person instruction, parents became critical, even angry. The hostility parents leveled against teachers was astonishing.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/03/08/teachers-woes-vulnerable-profession-robbins/?fbclid=IwAR09zWPxOvQ7ARNI88LVb53WxRdEE-8OSZNjn02BRB4rxJ5N_3psAqdN2Ts

Are you a secondary teacher? Because elementary school in APS wasn't anything like this in spring of 2020. For K-2, APS prohibited any teaching whatsoever, so my child didn't see her teacher after the schools closed and didn't get any work from her. For 3-5, no new instruction was permitted, so my older child's teacher sent repetitive worksheets every day (she was great, this was not her fault) and had once weekly video check ins. I didn't and don't blame the teachers for this; these were APS decisions. But for elementary parents, we were very much on our own and we saw our kids suffer from the complete lack of instruction and limited engagement from their teachers. I'm not a member of APE or any other group. But I think it's important to remember the context to understand how disappointed and concerned parents were when APS decided in the summer of 2020 to keep schools closed.

Anonymous wrote:I just can't believe that the leader of the group that was so awful to teachers may now be on the school board. How sad for Arlington.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeff/Admin: Can you explain why posts in this thread keep getting deleted if they mention APE?

There is a post directly above yours that mentions APE that did not get deleted. Posts are getting deleted for that reason. They are getting deleted for making false statements.

This group, which a SB candidate led for years, was an open schools group in Arlington. They were abusive online and in school board meetings. Some of their most aggressive, vocal members were anti-maskers, anti-CRT, pro-voucher. They were aligned with open schools groups out in FCPS and LCPS. Including Ian Prior, PDE (Koch bro), etc.

I really hope the normal lurkers on this page are not buying these defamatory lies. Literally none of this true. It'd be laughable if we we're living in an era of mis-information and conspiracy theory uptake. Please do your own research and look into this group, read their newsletters, and explore their website. I know some of them personally and they are all very active in their school communities and closely aligned with many APS teachers. There are a few deranged trolls on this page (likely the same people making the same outlandish claims on AEM) that are obsessed and continue to spread lies. They make accusation with no evidence or links. They associate people who have long been kicked out of APE if they went against their values and mission as being "leaders." It's disturbing.

No,PP, they are true. I'm involved in school issues, know MT, know APE. I can respect different views and I respect her for some of her advocacy. But APE was unhinged for a while, and MT didn't see that forest for the trees until later. Their level of anger and personal attacks turned off people like me who were open to their original advocacy.

I will never forget the hostility and abuse they showed to teachers.

+1

And administrators and parents.

It’s shocking that they have the audacity to move forward without some massive apology to the community. Are they hoping that we all just forgot?

I don't think they are hoping. More like gaslighting.

This former APS teacher remembers it like it was:

At first, when schools moved to online instruction in the spring of 2020 and parents saw firsthand the hardships teachers were enduring, plaudits poured in for the educators showing remarkable commitment to their profession in a difficult situation they had never trained for. Virtual teaching took much more time to prepare, execute and evaluate. And because students were often not required to turn on their cameras, it was a lot like teaching into a void. But as time crawled on and schools remained closed to in-person instruction, parents became critical, even angry. The hostility parents leveled against teachers was astonishing.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/03/08/teachers-woes-vulnerable-profession-robbins/?fbclid=IwAR09zWPxOvQ7ARNI88LVb53WxRdEE-8OSZNjn02BRB4rxJ5N_3psAqdN2Ts