Arlington Public Schools

APS may soon revert to virtual learning on snowy, icy days

By Jo DeVoe
Wakefield High School in the snow (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Snow this week has nearly wiped out Arlington Public Schools’ snow days for the winter.

Two months ago, APS modified its winter weather plans to include six traditional “snow days,” in which school is completely canceled, followed by distance-learning days.

Snow overnight and this morning — coupled with Monday’s storm and fallout — resulted in a full five days home from school for APS students and staff this week. That means APS has one more snow day before reverting to virtual learning for future winter weather-related closures.

Virtual learning during winter weather is new for the school system, which, due to the pandemic, was fully virtual for the majority of students and staff for most of the 2020-21 school year.

The new policy will “allow learning to continue and avoid ‘makeup’ days at the end of the school year,” APS said when it announced the changes.

The six-day threshold is based on the number of days built into the current calendar for inclement weather, it said.

A pandemic-era innovation, virtual learning for bad weather is being implemented in a smattering of school systems across the U.S., but the Washington Post reports that Arlington and Fairfax County Public Schools kept some snow days to retain “some sense of normalcy.”

Alexandria City Public Schools was one of the only D.C.-area schools to start the snowy week with virtual learning, a change some bemoaned as the end of the snow day. But there were widespread internet outages and today (Friday), students and staff got their proper snow day.

APS, meanwhile, closed schools closed Monday through Thursday due to Monday’s storm and its effects. It had planned to return kids to school on Thursday but reversed course because many teachers and staff were dealing with child care challenges.

Arlington Parents for Education — a parent group that has advocated for full-time, in-person learning during the pandemic — used this week’s closures to renew its call for APS to align its calendar with that of neighboring Fairfax County Public Schools.

Snow days and virtual learning are a few ways APS can respond to winter weather. It can also delay start by two hours, release early and cancel after-school and weekend activities.

Sports and other extracurricular activities are already canceled until Friday, Jan. 14 due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, a decision that frustrated many parents and students.

The surge occurred among athletes, too, with more than 140 positives reported in a 10-day period late last month, Superintendent Francisco Durán told the School Board during its meeting last night (Thursday), which was held virtually.

JUST IN: Arlington schools closed and trash collection cancelled Friday

By ARLnow.com
Washington-Liberty High School in the snow (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Your kids and your trash will be staying at home until next week.

Arlington Public Schools just announced that it will be closed for the fifth school day in a row, in anticipation of 2-4 inches of snow overnight. Students have not been in class since before the winter break.

More from APS:

Due to the winter weather advisory issued for Arlington, all schools and offices will be closed on Friday, January 7, 2022. Unless otherwise directed by their supervisors, maintenance staff should report to work at their scheduled time, and all custodians should report to work at 6 a.m. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

The announcement follows closure announcements from Fairfax County Public Schools at 4 p.m. and Alexandria City Public Schools at 5 p.m.

Schools are not the only local closure of note tomorrow. Arlington County has already cancelled curbside trash and recycling collection.

Friday will be the third collection day this week — in addition to Monday and Tuesday — to be cancelled. Residents whose trash was not collected this week will have to wait until their next scheduled collection date next week.

In other words, prepare to see trash piling up in roughly three-fifths of Arlington’s single-family-home neighborhoods.

The special Christmas tree pickup, meanwhile, has been delayed by a week and is now set to start on Monday. From Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services:

Curbside recycling/trash/organics collection is cancelled for Friday, Jan. 7 due to the expected overnight storm.

There will be no make-up collection days for this week.

Weather- and safety-permitting, curbside collections will resume Jan. 10 with regular Monday routes plus special Christmas tree collection. Free paper shredding and inert material drop-off scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 8 at the Trades Center has been postponed until Saturday, Jan. 15.

After being short-handed for Monday’s winter storm, Arlington snow crews are now working to pre-treat roads and prepare for tonight’s snowfall. About 2-4 inches of accumulation are expected, though the forecast has been trending toward the lower half of that range.

Arlington and much of the D.C. area is under a Winter Weather Advisory starting at 9 p.m. From the National Weather Service:

328 PM EST Thu Jan 6 2022

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM EST FRIDAY…

* WHAT…Snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches.

* WHERE…The Washington and Baltimore Metropolitan areas, portions of central and southern Maryland, and portions northern Virginia.

* WHEN…From 9 PM this evening to 7 AM EST Friday.

* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The heaviest snow is expected overnight when snowfall rates of 1 inch per hour are possible. Visibility will be reduced to near or less than one-half mile.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Slow down and use caution while traveling.

When venturing outside, watch your first few steps taken on steps, sidewalks, and driveways, which could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Wednesday’s sunset in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

County Covid Testing Booth Still Closed — From Arlington County: “The @curative #COVID19 testing kiosk at Arlington Mill Community Center will be closed tomorrow, Jan 6, due to COVID-related staffing shortages. The kiosks at Court House Plaza and Virginia Highlands Park are scheduled to open at 9 AM. Thank you for your flexibility.” [Twitter]

APS Orders Tests for All Students, Staff — “We have ordered a supply of KN95 masks, particulate filters for an APS provided mask, and at-home rapid antigen test kits for every staff member and student. Supplies for these items are limited but we anticipate them soon and will send additional communication when available.” [Arlington Public Schools]

APS Custodians Clear School Sidewalks — From Arlington Public Schools yesterday afternoon, before the announcement that today would be another snow day: “Thank you custodians and grounds staff for clearing our walkways, roadways and buses to ensure a safe return to school!” [Twitter]

Flight Cancellations at National Airport — From NBC 4’s Adam Tuss yesterday: “MAJOR problems at @Reagan_Airport right now as flight cancellations and delays have piled up. One traveler just told me their flight was cancelled 5 times over 3 days. Airlines tell me there are staffing issues and the winter weather didn’t help. This is a SIGHT!” [Twitter]

Florida Men Stopped With Guns at DCA — “During a search of a Florida man’s carry-on bag on Dec. 28, TSA officers using an X-ray machine discovered an unloaded .40 caliber handgun and 116 bullets. On Saturday, TSA officers stopped another man at a DCA checkpoint with a .40 caliber handgun loaded with six bullets. In both unrelated cases, TSA officers alerted the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police, who arrested the men and confiscated the guns an ammunition.” [Patch]

No County Board Tie-Breaker This Year — “State law allows the Arlington board to appoint a tie-breaker from within the ranks of the public. It also requires that, if the board does not want to do so, it must hold a vote to that effect at the start of each year. Board members dutifully voted down a tie-breaker at their Jan. 4 organizational meeting, which had been delayed a day due to inclement weather.” [Sun Gazette]

Photos of Aftermath of GW Parkway Crash — “#DCsBravest Fireboats assisted @ArlingtonVaFD as they conducted an extremely difficult rescue of a victim trapped in a car 70 feet down a cliff. Our Fireboat returned in daylight to retrieve gear and check vehicle stability. Photos show how challenging this rescue was.” [Twitter, Twitter, Patch]

It’s Thursday — Today will be partly sunny, with a high near 39. Sunrise at 7:27 a.m. and sunset at 5:01 p.m. Snow tonight and overnight, 2-4 inches of accumulation. After the snow, Friday will be sunny and breezy, with a high near 32. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. [Weather.gov]

JUST IN: APS closed Thursday, citing other school system closures

By ARLnow.com
Crossing the street at Washington Blvd. and George Mason Dr. after the snow (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 8:55 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools will be closed tomorrow because, according to APS, other school systems are also closed.

In an email to families, APS said that local streets are clear of snow and school could open, but the already-announced closure of other Northern Virginia school systems — like Fairfax County, Alexandria and Prince William County — would have an impact on staffing.

Thursday’s closure could mean an entire week of snow days for students and beleaguered parents, immediately following the winter break. Forecasters say 2-4 inches of snow is expected Thursday night and Friday morning, which will likely result in more closures.

More from APS:

All APS schools and offices will be closed on Thu, Jan. 6. The primary and neighborhood roads in Arlington are clear and our schools are ready; however, due to the closure of most neighboring school divisions and the impact of those closures on our staffing, APS will also be closed on Thu, Jan. 6, 2022.

Unless otherwise directed by their supervisors, custodial and maintenance staff should report to work at their scheduled time. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

Earlier today, around 4:45 p.m., APS announced via social media that it would be back open Thursday. After tonight’s announcement it apologized for jumping the gun.

NEW: Arlington students get yet another snow day on Wednesday

By ARLnow.com
Snowy Clarendon on Monday (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

For the third day in a row, Arlington Public Schools students — and those that follow APS closures, like local preschools — will get another snow day.

The school system announced the closure shortly after 5 p.m., with the possibility of freezing rain in the forecast and with many neighborhood streets still covered in snow and ice.

From APS:

Due to current neighborhood road and sidewalk conditions, all schools and offices will be closed on Wed, January 5, 2022. APS is working with Arlington County to clear all roads as quickly as possible, and while most primary and secondary roads are clear, many neighborhood roads have not been plowed and are not passable by buses. Many sidewalks are still not safe for pedestrians. Crews are working extended shifts, with limited staffing available, to clear all roadways as quickly as possible.

Unless otherwise directed by their supervisors, custodial and maintenance staff should report to work at their scheduled time, and all custodians should report to work at 6 a.m. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

Fairfax County, Alexandria, Prince William County and other public school systems have also already announced closures for Wednesday.

Arlington County’s snow plow map shows that only a portion of local roads have been cleared as of Tuesday evening. Many haven’t seen a single plow since the start of Monday’s winter storm. (The county prioritizes primary and secondary roads as part of its snow removal plan.)

“Hours of sun and temps above freezing today helped crews with the storm cleanup but work will continue on refreezing roads into the morning,” Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services tweeted tonight. “Avoid unnecessary travel, giving plows the needed space and time.”

Previously, the county said its plow crews were experiencing staffing shortages due to Covid cases.

Arlington snow plow map as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Uncleared streets are in red. (via Arlington County)

APS decision to pause sports and activities causes confusion, backlash

By Jo DeVoe
A sign in support of Arlington athletes playing amid Omicron concerns outside Arlington Public School headquarter (courtesy photo)

(Updated 2:35 p.m.) Some parents and students are pushing Arlington Public Schools to reverse its decision to temporarily halt sports and other extracurricular activities due to COVID-19.

After the snow clears, the majority of APS students will return to their classrooms for in-person learning, but their sports practices and games, band and choir classes and club meetings will be “paused” until Friday, Jan. 14.

APS announced its decision to cancel two weeks of extracurricular activities and prioritize in-person learning in response to the surge in new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. Some families are speaking out about the impact this will have on students and are pressuring APS to reinstate extracurriculars, coaches are privately dismayed, and more than 1,500 people have signed a petition to resume sports and activities.

“We aren’t going to be able to practice for the upcoming meets, which means our risk of injury is pretty high — especially for gymnasts who are doing skills that require intense training and repetition on specialized equipment,” says Grace Chen, a senior varsity gymnast. “As a senior, it is especially disappointing because now the rest of the season could be a disaster. We are hoping to compete at States again for the fourth consecutive year.”

There was a similar outcry in November 2020, when APS decided not to participate in winter sports while most students were virtual. Within four days it reversed course, following the groundswell of support for sports and conversations with neighboring school systems.

Back then, parent Mark Weiser had a dozen “Let them play!” signs made. He almost threw them away last summer but decided to keep them. Now, they’re back up in yards around town.

“I didn’t want to have to use them,” he said.

Weiser says the decision is extreme. APS requires that student athletes be vaccinated or submit to daily Covid testing, and he says his son’s fully vaccinated team is also undergoing daily testing. Fairfax County Public Schools, which also requires vaccinations or negative tests, has not paused sports, he adds.

“For Arlington to go out on an island and do this by themselves is beyond frustrating,” he said. “We have no indication these games will be made up.”

Others say the risk for transmission will remain even with this decision, as kids will continue playing for club teams and find ways to play or practice together outside of school.

Weiser said parents couldn’t get more answers for four days after the news due to the holiday weekend and storm.

“There was no one to talk to,” he said on Monday. “Offices were closed Thursday through Sunday, and there’s snow today.”

He says some families intend to speak at the School Board meeting this Thursday, during which the newly-elected Mary Kadera will be sworn in.

The new guidance needs explaining, says the County Council of PTAs. President Claire Noakes says parents want more details on how the decision was made and how it will be implemented for non-athletic activities.

(more…)

Photos: Arlington’s largest snowfall since 2019

By Matt Blitz
1/50

For the first time in nearly three years, Arlington experienced a significant snowfall.

Starting very early yesterday morning and finally tapering off in afternoon, preliminary estimates suggest that the county got close to seven inches of snow.

The storm brought power outages, closures, the suspension of bus service, cancellation of trash pick-up, and numerous skidding cars.

It was a very bad day to be on the roads, with the Arlington and VDOT crews unable to pre-treat the streets because the storm started off as rain.

As of Tuesday morning, Arlington County snow crews — their ranks thinned by Covid absences — were tackling neighborhood streets after spending most of Monday treating and clearing main roads.

Despite the challenges, with everything that the region has been dealing with lately, the snow also brought a considerable amount of joy to some.

“I love it,” Javed Malik told ARLnow, peering up at the falling flakes at Penrose Square. “It’s a beautiful, gorgeous day.”

In Ballston, kids and adults alike were spotted pulling sleds to the nearest hill. Pedestrians were reclaiming the covered streets as their own, snapping selfies and looking up at the snowy sky.

Persi George, from California, had never seen anything like it in person before.

“I’ve seen it before in the movies,” she said with a laugh standing in front of her apartment building along Columbia Pike. It’s a little softer than she expected, but that doesn’t dampen her enthusiasm as she prepares to make her first snow angel. “I’m in love with it.”

Yesterday was also set to be the first day back to school after the long holiday break with Arlington Public Schools continuing to commit to in-person instruction. That didn’t happen because the storm cancelled classes across Arlington and the region. School is cancelled today, too, with an expected refreezing overnight.

At least one teacher is breathing a sigh of relief. With Covid cases on the rise, likely due to holiday gatherings, the two extra days off provides more time for students to get tested.

“This couldn’t have been more well-timed. Coming back from the break, we are all worried about the rising case numbers,” Arlington high school teacher Josh Folb told ARLnow. “Hopefully, this gives people more time to get tested and… isolate, if needed. I haven’t talked to a teacher yet, and I’ve talked to a lot today, that isn’t grateful [about the snow days].”

There remains a chance it will snow again this week, Thursday night to Friday morning, though it’s not expected to dump as much snow as Monday’s storm.

Arlington teachers union press release gets national attention after local mom’s edits go viral

By Jo DeVoe
Screenshot of a Arlington Education Association press release that got grammar-checked by a local mom

A tweet correcting the grammar and style of a press release from the Arlington teachers union has gotten some national media attention.

A local homeschooling mom tweeted pictures of the corrections she says she and her children made to a press release sent by the Arlington Education Association, which represents educators and staff in Arlington Public Schools.

The New York Post, Fox News and the Daily Mail have since picked up Ellen Gallery’s edits, and her tweet has gone viral, garnering nearly 2,000 likes and 740 retweets as of Monday morning. AEA President Ingrid Gant has since released a statement taking ownership of the errors and explaining that the release was actually a draft that had not been edited before publication.

Gant sent the initial release after APS announced Wednesday evening that in the new year, amid record levels of reported COVID-19 cases, it would continue in-person instruction and halt sports and activities for up to two weeks. School was set to resume today (Monday) but the snow storm has delayed the start of school until at least Wednesday.

Gant’s letter to Superintendent Francisco Durán, sent early Thursday morning, called on APS to require negative COVID-19 tests of every returning student and staff member, something being done by D.C. public schools. Gant also drew attention to the possibility of increased COVID-19 transmission with lunch indoors, calling for stronger mitigation measures.

But the errors in grammar and style drew more attention than the release’s substance, Gallery told Fox News via Twitter.

“Being able to write a clear, persuasive letter is a fundamental skill all students should master before high school,” she said. “The quality of this writing was so glaringly terrible that it distracts from the writer’s message.”

On Saturday, Gant released a follow-up statement in response to the viral Tweet and the national news coverage.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has persisted far longer than any of us in the Arlington community had anticipated. A draft letter was sent in place of a fully edited one in a rush to address the latest challenge. While I personally take full responsibility for this mistake, errors in my letter should in no way distract from its message: Arlington’s students and educators are returning to school Monday without sufficient testing supplies and with a lunch plan that fails to address the increased risks associated with the Omicron variant. Arlington’s students and educators deserve a safe return to in-person instruction.”

“It is clear that a layered mitigation strategy is the key to safe and effective teaching and learning in our county’s classrooms. As a community, we must focus on acquiring a sufficient supply of tests for every student and staff member prior to our first in-person day in January and on enhancing our meal service mitigations. The children of Arlington deserve no less.”

This week, Smart Restart APS — a group that advocates for improved COVID-19 protocols in schools — is outfitting APS staff with the higher-grade masks reportedly needed to lower the transmission of the highly contagious, but less deadly, Omicron variant. It called on Durán to provide better masks, promote the booster shot and upgrade air filters in school buildings.

BREAKING: Arlington schools will be closed Tuesday, too

By ARLnow.com
Snow in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) Students at Arlington public schools will have another snow day on Tuesday.

School was also cancelled today, which would have been the first day back from the winter break, due to the winter storm. Unlike students in Alexandria, Arlington students are so far not being required to attend virtual classes.

More from Arlington Public Schools:

All APS schools and offices will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. Both in-person and Virtual Learning Program classes are canceled. Unless otherwise directed by their supervisors, custodial and maintenance staff should report to work at their scheduled time, and all custodians should report to work at 6 a.m. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

An expected refreeze overnight could make for hazardous driving conditions. Plow crews in Arlington continue to work to clear snow from local roads, focusing for now on primary and secondary roads while neighborhood streets remain snow-covered.

APS joins Fairfax County, Prince William County and a number of other major D.C. public school systems in announcing Tuesday closures this afternoon. In Alexandria, schools will be closed but the district will again be providing virtual classes.

BREAKING: Arlington Public Schools closed Monday due to winter storm

By ARLnow.com
Yorktown High School in the snow (file photo)

(Updated at 6 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools will be closed Monday, the school system announced Sunday evening.

The closure decision was made as Arlington is under a Winter Storm Warning, with heavy snow expected to start falling early Monday morning. Some 3-7 inches of accumulation is possible, according to the National Weather Service

More from an APS email to families:

Due to the Winter Weather Warning and based on the anticipated snowfall beginning in the early morning hours through midday, all APS schools and offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Unless otherwise directed by their supervisors, custodial and maintenance staff should report to work at their scheduled time, and all custodians should report to work at 6 a.m. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

Among other major D.C. area school systems, Fairfax County, Prince William County and Alexandria also announced this evening that they would be closed tomorrow for in-person classes, though Alexandria public schools will be open for virtual classes.

Forecasters say travel will be especially tricky around the time when students would have been going to school on Monday morning.

APS sticks to in-person instruction amid Omicron concerns

By Jo DeVoe

Arlington Public Schools will open its doors for regular in-person instruction next week amid concerns about the Omicron variant and record-high rates of new Covid cases.

Buildings will open on Monday, Jan. 3 with normal schedules for in-person instruction and Extended Day programs, APS said in an email to families yesterday (Wednesday). Free COVID-19 testing at schools will resume Monday as well.

“I know there are many concerns about the spike in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant,” Superintendent Francisco Durán wrote. “I have received questions from staff and families about how the recent spikes affect our return to school. My priority remains to keep our schools safe and open for in-person instruction.”

As a precaution, however, APS will pause in-person athletics and extracurricular activities, starting today (Thursday) until Friday, Jan. 14.

“Limiting non-essential in-person gatherings as we return is one measure to keep school open for instruction,” Durán said. “We will revisit this and provide an update on or before Jan. 14.”

In the last seven days — which includes the holiday break — there have been 74 student COVID-19 cases and 37 employee cases reported to APS, according to the school system’s coronavirus dashboard.

Under Virginia law, APS can only revert to virtual learning temporarily for a classroom or school after consulting with Arlington’s health department, should there be elevated COVID-19 transmission levels in a classroom or school, the announcement said.

As Covid cases rise, some Maryland schools have reverted to online education, while D.C’s public school system is requiring every student and teacher to report a negative rapid antigen test before returning next week.

In response to these changes, Virginia governor-elect Glenn Youngkin told WJLA he will not support virtual instruction or mandate masks for kids.

“I believe children need to be in the classroom five days a week,” Youngkin said. “And I also believe we can in fact balance the needs of our children with the health and safety of our children. And I don’t believe that mandating masks in school is the right way. I believe in making sure we have protocols when children don’t feel well that we in fact don’t have to send them home the entire time. That we can in fact allow them to pursue their education in a different facility or a different place in the school building.”

Teachers and some parents, for different reasons, are pushing back against the APS plans.

A tweet saying that “pausing activities and sports in Arlington makes zero sense” received a dozen retweets and more than 30 likes, a notable amount of engagement for a local post on Twitter.

The Arlington Education Association (AEA), which represents APS teachers, said in a statement early Thursday morning that the school system should either provide testing to everyone returning to schools or go virtual-only until Jan. 18.

“Despite a lack of testing capacity, Covid-19 infection rates are setting local, state, and national records with no peak in sight. APS is about to return to full-day instruction with no reasonable, testing plan to ensure educators spending hours in close contact are not infected,” AEA said. “APS must acquire more testing capacity to safely return to schools on January 3rd. The AEA calls on APS to provide testing to every student and staff member prior to returning to the classroom and/or remain virtual until January 18, ensuring mitigations are in place resembling our neighbors in the DMV area.”

(more…)

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