Lovejoy ISD is doing at least first 3 weeks online

That Lovejoy decision infuriated me to no end. Way too early to make that call; wait until at least 8/1 if you are going to do that. I am sure my kindergartener will get a ton out of online learning. (Yes I am an MD and I want to send my kids to school)

We signed our sophomore daughter up to go in Richardson, she needs the in person interaction. We might have chosen the hybrid model they discussed, but in the end they did not offer it.

That being said, I too doubt they will do any on campus school for at least a quarter, if not the whole fall semester.

Got an email from our charter school that the first three weeks "at least" will be virtual. Going to spend tomorrow reaching out to the private schools that we were considering before kiddo was accepted at the charter to find out what their plan is. If they're going back in person, we may be changing schools.

Our youngest is in pre-k.

We got their initial letter. They are planning to start but they are requiring an additional fee for cleaning AND are requiring full payment even if COVID causes school to cancel for 1 week, 9 weeks or all year. I am struggling with that as once they have my money they have no real incentive to remain open. They say it is to ensure teachers get paid but very few people in this world right now have a full year guarantee.

planoaggie123 said:

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Our youngest is in pre-k.

We got their initial letter. They are planning to start but they are requiring an additional fee for cleaning AND are requiring full payment even if COVID causes school to cancel for 1 week, 9 weeks or all year. I am struggling with that as once they have my money they have no real incentive to remain open. They say it is to ensure teachers get paid but very few people in this world right now have a full year guarantee.

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That is unacceptable in my opinion. Completely takes the leverage away from you the parent.

Agree. I am going to call today or tomorrow.

I don't expect a refund for every day missed but the risk they seem to be requiring is extremely steep. I have little confidence in the fall and could me I am out of pocket thousands for nothing.

planoaggie123 said:

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Our youngest is in pre-k.

We got their initial letter. They are planning to start but they are requiring an additional fee for cleaning AND are requiring full payment even if COVID causes school to cancel for 1 week, 9 weeks or all year. I am struggling with that as once they have my money they have no real incentive to remain open. They say it is to ensure teachers get paid but very few people in this world right now have a full year guarantee.

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That sucks and seems wrong. But, though it's been a decade since we dealt with that, it seems consistent with how I remember them acting then too.

planoaggie123 said:

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Agree. I am going to call today or tomorrow.

I don't expect a refund for every day missed but the risk they seem to be requiring is extremely steep. I have little confidence in the fall and could me I am out of pocket thousands for nothing.

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Having put three kids thru the whole private school process from Pre K to graduation.....I think the only way you are going to get any traction is if a bunch of parents just say "no thank you" and force their hand. Having been on various finance committees at private school in your area.....Pre-K is a huge profit center. Good luck.

I don't get the benefit of delaying a few weeks or doing online a few weeks, I doubt there'll be a dramatic change in risk between start date and delayed date. Go all in or bow out.

Our 2nd and kindergarten kids are going, If we did virtual learning you may as well write off the entire year as a wash for the agcraigb kids.The spring virtual learning was a s-show. We have 2 more being added to the mix next year, I can't imagine trying to balance 4 curriculum's while wife is trying to work if we're doing this next year too.

The delay has no value. If they haven't figurred it out yet they never will.

I actually heard back. They are going to get more specific later but they are basically trying to say if we miss a few weeks dont expect a direct refund for each day. That some allowances will be asked. However, if they do 1 month or more of closure they said they will discuss options and may have to just cancel the entire year at that point.

agcraigb said:

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I don't get the benefit of delaying a few weeks or doing online a few weeks, I doubt there'll be a dramatic change in risk between start date and delayed date. Go all in or bow out.

Our 2nd and kindergarten kids are going, If we did virtual learning you may as well write off the entire year as a wash for the agcraigb kids.The spring virtual learning was a s-show. We have 2 more being added to the mix next year, I can't imagine trying to balance 4 curriculum's while wife is trying to work if we're doing this next year too.

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That's the main reason I'm so irritated with the delay. Because to me, once they've got everyone spun up on virtual, it will be SO easy to just say that they're going to do it for the rest of the year. I work from home, I cannot also teach 1st grade. Me trying to do both has taken a huge toll on our business already. Not to mention that my daughter isn't getting the education that we want for her. If the virtual thing becomes long term, we will either have to find a private school that is going in person, or hire someone to teach her at home. At this point it seems like a private teacher at home might be our best bet.

I agree. Private teachers will be the way to go. Getting groups of people together with similar aged kids will be challenging but probably the only way most "middle income" families will be able to afford but they will figure it out.

For poverty kids...they will just get further and further behind and its sad. Not to paint to broad of an assumption but I don't think i am too far off saying most kids in lower middle to lower income brackets will not have the support at home needed.

Agreed. I don't have kids so don't have dog in this fight so to speak but I'm super worried about the kids living in poverty through lower middle class across the country and in our neighborhoods. Lack of home internet access, devices, hot meals. Not to say our current educational system was already great but it's an institution that serves more in our communities than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. Such a tough situation.

planoaggie123 said:

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I agree. Private teachers will be the way to go. Getting groups of people together with similar aged kids will be challenging but probably the only way most "middle income" families will be able to afford but they will figure it out.

For poverty kids...they will just get further and further behind and its sad. Not to paint to broad of an assumption but I don't think i am too far off saying most kids in lower middle to lower income brackets will not have the support at home needed.

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This is what pissed me off the most. Most of my employees are in the 30-40k pay range. Last spring we had three kids in the break room staring at laptops for 9 hours. We tried to make them comfortable but they hated it, parents hated it because they were always checking on them etc.

Poor families and children will get left in the dust.

Right. I go to lunch at work and I see all the workers with their 2 young kids just staring at screens while eating chips. It is sad

I've got an 8th grader starting Algebra this year, and that is a foundational class that I'm really concerned about her learning what she needs to know and carry forward. We've already lined up a teacher that tutored my older daughter in the past to help supplement this year.

**** Dallas County and Clay Jenkins

planoaggie123 said:

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The delay has no value. If they haven't figurred it out yet they never will.

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Exactly. They've really had since March to figure this out. I really don't see what a few more weeks is going to accomplish.

Total bull***** No ambulance chaser should have this much power. The district should be making the call on this.

Frisco just announced the first few weeks will be virtual... https://www.friscoisd.org/news/district-headlines/2020/07/16/fisd-amends-school-calendar-and-will-start-virtual?fbclid=IwAR0O1w-MWIoqf6CmyWKZYNkE-Ub7Y45d9jEvFQIaWdTcnXvMSflLXshnpZw

Can someone tell me what 3 weeks will accomplish? Why not 4? 5? Or how about zero?

FC12 said:

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Frisco just announced the first few weeks will be virtual... https://www.friscoisd.org/news/district-headlines/2020/07/16/fisd-amends-school-calendar-and-will-start-virtual?fbclid=IwAR0O1w-MWIoqf6CmyWKZYNkE-Ub7Y45d9jEvFQIaWdTcnXvMSflLXshnpZw

Can someone tell me what 3 weeks will accomplish? Why not 4? 5? Or how about zero?

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Just two more weeks....

FC12 said:

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Frisco just announced the first few weeks will be virtual... https://www.friscoisd.org/news/district-headlines/2020/07/16/fisd-amends-school-calendar-and-will-start-virtual?fbclid=IwAR0O1w-MWIoqf6CmyWKZYNkE-Ub7Y45d9jEvFQIaWdTcnXvMSflLXshnpZw

Can someone tell me what 3 weeks will accomplish? Why not 4? 5? Or how about zero?

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This is a foot in the door to make the whole fall online. They will proffer all kinds of excuses as to why it is not safe to return.

Surely this won't go down well in Austin?

Great, means that Tarrant county is next.

Wrong. 3 weeks is the new 2 weeks.

Why ever let kids go back to school? The flu kills more of them each year than COVID.

Also, why are we only mandated to wear one mask? Why not wear two just to be safe? Clay isn't going far enough.

What is almost amusing about this....is I am hearing how people are going to have to resort to asking help from their parents (kids grandparents) and thus, if you believe what we are hearing, you are going to potentially create a more serious problem with more seniors exposed.

This past 6 months has exposed what sort of backbone our politicians have. I see them tweeting questions and posting facts but now its time to start hear them demaing answers and taking a stance.

I hope the fat cats running these districts all over the US are mostly fired and stripped of their pensions. How many months have they had to plan for this fall? And this is what we get...

Nope...

I'm sure this is a good excuse to raise taxes further due to PPE or hiring more teachers per kid or something else....

Would like to believe so but just seems like they may tag along with everyone else. Hope I am wrong but I don't trust much of anything these days.

I think Plano has some schools in Dallas County (could be wrong, but I know some are in the city of Dallas), so I'm not sure how much Ambulance Chasing Clay just ****ed an ISD that isnt really even his jurisdiction