Northwest DC middle school parents feel duped by in person learning
WASHINGTON - Parents of students at Alice Deal Middle School say in-person learning was expanded for this last term, but what they didn't know is how little in-person instruction would actually be available to their children.
Across our area, school districts have struggled to keep up with demand for in-person learning. FOX 5 has reported on wait lists in Arlington and Montgomery counties, which officials say have gotten shorter.
But at Deal, parents say in-person learning for many students looks like one day a week for two hours where students still are sometimes taught through a screen. Some students will be offered a second day of the same setup, parents say.
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"My child has never met his teacher this year," said Svetlana Vtyurina, whose son Ian is a sixth grader there.
"It’s the end of the 6th grade and you know forget the classmates, you don’t even know teachers in person so it’s extremely sad," she continued.
DCPS says that limited in-person model is the best they can offer at the moment with distancing and cohorting requirements in addition to many teachers still working virtually.
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Educators in D.C. have been eligible for the vaccine for months.
Nearly half of DCPS teachers, 2300 of 4800, remain teaching remotely.
DCPS says it is still moving forward with plans to offer five days of in-person learning in the fall, but specifics aren't clear.