Proposal for Choice for VB Schools Reopening

7/27/2020

My colleague Carolyn Weems and I have created an alternative proposal for VB Schools reopening (letter below). We disagree with the recommendation made by the Superintendent and have presented an alternative proposal to our Colleagues on the School Board. So far, one other Board member has signed on for support. This decision was reached after receiving expert medical opinions from local physicians as well as recommendations from the CDC and AAP. If you support our proposal, please e-mail the Board and let them know: vbcpsschoolboard@googlegroups.com

A vote is scheduled for tomorrow evening. A group is also organizing a rally in support of choice, here is a link to their event: http://evite.me/JDJbdXGa84

20 Comments

Kendra Edwards

7/27/2020 09:18:13 am

This would be wonderful!!

Flo Heilig

7/27/2020 10:49:00 am

I am very disappointed with the callus disregard for student and staff health.

Aaron

7/28/2020 09:37:28 am

No one is forcing anyone to go out. So I fail to see how this would be a callous disregard for health and safety. I’ll tell you what a callous disregard for mental health and well-being is not providing parents the opportunity to make decisions that are in the best interests of their children. If you want to give into the fear of the pandemic just choose to stay at home.

Philip Correia

7/27/2020 12:16:24 pm

This is NOT a plan. This is a position statement. "We believe" there will be fewer students, therefore social distancing will be possible is just not good enough.

Summer

7/27/2020 12:34:01 pm

I am keeping my fingers crossed that we can have this choice. Thank you for signing this Carolyn Weems, Victoria Manning, and Laura Hughes.

Heather Wade

7/27/2020 12:56:45 pm

What I find interesting is that you are using data from questions where there really wasn't a choice. For example, in the staff survey, it was worded "if we did this, would you..." Many of the questions for staff were put in a way that made us feel as if we were choosing between the decision and our career.

I do not feel we need to be F2F at this time, but I answered that I would return to the building to do my job if that was the decision because I am a single mom and HAVE TO WORK. I don't have the luxury of choosing not to work and my daughter is not old enough to stay home by herself while I am at work. So, if I am called back to the building, I will be there to support my students and co-workers , as well as needing the income to provide a roof over my daughter's head and food in her body. So that is why I chose what I did for the staff survey.

Perhaps you should question the staff in a way that doesn't seem to force us to choose between our safety and that of our family's or having food and shelter. I GUARANTEE the data would look A LOT different.

Amanda Rimler

7/27/2020 02:30:56 pm

My child's ESY school was exposed to an infected staff member over the summer. Families and someother staff were not even notified of the possible exposure until two weeks had passed.
If you already can not diagnose and notify people of exposure in a timely manner with such limited classes over the summer how can you ever do so in the fall?
Have you made changes that guarantee fast testing and getting rapid results back?

Gina Pacheco-Forehand

7/27/2020 03:02:00 pm

As a parent of a rising sixth grader and rising ninth grader, I struggled with the questionnaire for a few reasons. The way I remember the survey, it stated the question like this: "If VBCPS goes face to face will you A: Send your student to school, B: Opt for virtual, C: leave VBCPS.

At the time, there was no additional information in regards to the Virtual Virginia integration with VBCPS. So do I want what I had in the Spring? No.

A. I picked A. I answered to send my kids to school. I answered it not of what I WANT but what the school district would decide. That's not what I would want to do, but I wouldn't feel right if the majority of the kids were back, but mine stayed virtual.

I might be too 1950s, but as I answered the surveys, I honestly believed the district will recommend, vote, and execute the safest and most educationally sound plan that focuses on safety and on learning. I do not believe that any school board member would use the school community, our neighborhood community, our city community as a platform for playing politics.

Not until it's safe.

Amy

7/27/2020 03:14:04 pm

Outstanding Vicky!! I think it’s a GREAT idea!! Let the parents decide what’s best for their own children!!

Frances Richardson

7/27/2020 03:28:40 pm

I support Manning’s proposal 100%. Parents need to be have the choice between in person and virtual for their children. Teachers need to be provided medical grade PPE for in person the same as doctors, nurses, etc. Our children are our future.

Courtney McReynolds

7/27/2020 04:51:47 pm

Your letter is beyond disturbing as it suggests that you are willfully misinformed on matters that are of paramount importance. Of course everyone wants schools to open. Unfortunately, VB is not in a position to do so safely. Furthermore, you've provided zero evidence to support your claims that 62% of parents and 75% of teachers support your position. Show us the proof. As one who has been monitoring this issue all summer long, I find it very difficult to believe. Furthermore, is it true that teachers were unable to respond to your questionnaire anonymously and therefore, without fear of reprisal? If so, said questionnaire is worthless.

As you well know, neither our buildings nor our buses are capable of the distancing required to mitigate the virus. We cannot turn testing around with the immediacy required to contact trace and the closer we get to school starting, the longer it's taking for results. This is to say nothing of HVAC systems that likely aren't up to par and the difficulty of securing enough PPE for everyone involved, particularly given that our front line workers are still struggling in that department. Who is served by opening if we can't stay open? Have you looked at what happened when Israel opened schools? Even MLB, with players who are tested multiple times a week, didn't make it to the second week without an outbreak. Honestly, a well-informed school board member should know all of this. What is your purpose in further dividing a community already under strain by pushing what amounts to straight up propaganda.

The CDC rewrote their guidelines at the direction of Donald Trump and made sure they publicized that fact. Whatever one thinks of him, Donald Trump has no business whatsoever interfering with the functioning of our local schools. As for the AAP, you are misrepresenting their position, just as the Trump administration has done on multiple occasions. This is no doubt why they put out a follow up statement, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and AASA, the School Superintendents Association. In this statement, they make it glaringly obvious that it will take a massive investment of cash and other resources to get schools ready to safely manage in person learning. They go on to state:
"Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue re-opening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff. Science should drive decision-making on safely reopening schools. Public health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics. We should leave it to health experts to tell us when the time is best to open up school buildings, and listen to educators and administrators to shape how we do it."

If the School Board does not vote in the best interests of our children, teachers, and staff, how are you going to manage the budget crash when multitudes of students are pulled out of the system? Are you not in enough hurt as it is? What about the lawsuits that will commence when your misplaced priorities lead to the death of one or more? Do you think you will be insulated from this? Do you think parents will sign away their right to hold you responsible? Do you think it will matter, even if they did? Think again.

Why not put your energies towards ensuring that those students who are the most disadvantaged and the most likely to suffer whether academically or otherwise, are able to access the extra help they need? Why not respectfully solicit advice and ideas from the actual educators who know and value our kids? Why not focus on doing everything you can to ensure the best virtual experience possible for all students so that years from now, Virginia Beach's children are not behind others in the Commonwealth? Why not show others that at least where schooling is concerned, VB is able and determined to come together and work towards the safest solutions for all? Does your position have anything to do with the fact that your own children are in private schools? I hope not but certainly question why you are even on our school board. Surely we can do better than to elect members who lack any personal investment in ensuring positive outcomes for VBCPS.

Ms. Manning, our community, like our country and the rest of the world, is under a great deal of stress. For many, remote learning last spring was a nightmare and the mere idea of doing it again, particularly on top of the ever growing list of other concerns, feels very overwhelming. This does not mean it isn't necessary. You are doing a great disservice to VB parents, teachers, and staff alike by insisting that this is not the case. Please re-evaluate and do better.

Allison

7/27/2020 06:06:50 pm

Courtney, I am literally cheering.

Brandy

7/27/2020 08:04:21 pm

Which survey was this where 62% of parents prefer in-person learning? The only survey I saw, which was placed on Parent Portal - had absolutely no place to indicate preference.
The questions only asked if we would send our kids to school or not in a given scenario. And, would they ride the bus.
There was no place to indicate preference. I want to know where that 62% came from.

Aaron

7/28/2020 04:29:23 pm

Brandy, you nailed it. Only partial results, without the associated questions, have been posted on this blog. Similarly, teachers when asked if they would return to work under Scenario 1, had results of 84% saying they would return - but what other choice do they have? That number went up to 90% under scenario 2 and 92% under scenario 3 which actually indicates quite the opposite "preference".

Kev Watson

7/27/2020 08:59:24 pm

What has the school system learned from the previous year with In regards to virtual learning? The experience we had as a parents were no good. I support having my child’ go back to school atleast 2 x a week.

Michelle Mondichak

7/28/2020 03:51:25 am

Virtual is not an option for special need students.
My daughter needs F2F to help with her autism.
Parents needs to get back to work as well.
I think we should be given the choice to do virtual or F2F.
Im also a bus driver and I can say we are very careful and secure with the children. Please give parents the choice.

Jen

7/28/2020 04:50:31 am

This isn't a satisfactory plan. Further, I'm offended by the statement, "We also advocate for meaningful learning for those who choose that option." Was that necessary? How are teachers supposed to take that statement? Why wouldn't teachers provide meaningful learning in every situation? Just about everything you write has a caustic and condescending tone towards teachers and administrators.

Tonya

7/28/2020 04:58:14 am

If you want your kids home, keep them there -- but that means keep them away from other kids who elect to play for sports teams, beach trips, social clubs, etc.

jenniifer finger

7/28/2020 08:07:36 am

Our teachers are not babysitters. We all want normalcy and school for our kids but it is simply not feasible or safe for our community.
So many ignorant and selfish people REFUSE to take this pandemic seriously and wear masks or otherwise protect their fell citizens. These people have already publicly declared they will refuse to ask their kids to wear masks - this will put our kids, teachers and community at whole at risk.
Testing delays are 48 hours to 7 days - by the time we suspect a covid-19 case in a class - hundreds will be exposed within days. We are NOT prepared. We do not have the testing or the tracing.

Our kids and teachers should not be guinea pigs.

Demanding teachers be put in this position is irresponsible and dangerous.

Lets focus on how to deliver a truly meaningful virtual experience and start training and adapting now. We must provide training and resources asap so we dont have a repeat of last year.

Veronica Tisdale Wrubel, LPC

7/28/2020 11:08:21 am

Please consider both in school learning options with COVID safety parameters along with virtual learning for students. Many countries have been successful at this and many other states have this as their future plan for the upcoming school year.

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