Imagine DC students walking through these untouched sidewalks and streets?
UPDATE: DC Schools closed Tuesday. Guess parents complaints made an impact as well as all those yet to be plowed DC streets.
Posted by The Washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence (picture # 1 courtesy of Wash. Post online and picture #2 taken Monday, provided courtesy of C. Whiting)
29 comments:
Many of the students at the large high school in my neighborhood take the train or the bus to school. Today, there was very limited service on both. How did the chancellor imagine these students would get to school? And walking remains treacherous, even on the sidewalks of busy streets, because at each cross street there are piles of snow to navigate. Safety, rather than making a point, needs to be paramount.
This street is not some anamoly. Hundreds of street throughout NE, NW, SE and SW look like this, including mine at this minute. I can't say this enough: it's not safe to go back yet. Where are the kids supposed to walk? They'll walk on the streets because the sidewalks are impassable. And someone may well get hit.
Harry Potter
LOOK AT THIS PICTURE DO YOU GET IT NOW!!!!!
George Parker is a joke trying to take credit for the school closing on Monday. Wow they are lighting him up on the DCist website about his poor command of the English language.
I wonder how Fenty's kids would get to school? Better yet, is there snow on Fenty and Rhee's street? Oh I am sorry I forgot about the weekend when Rhee leaves to be with Kevin the kid molester. She leaves Thursday or some time Fridays.
I am sure Fenty's children have a chauffeur to take them to school and carry them inside if need be. Fenty can't relate to the masses because his street was plowed first. He could give a kitty about the rest of us.
Anon,
No, could you write it again in bigger font?
These streets are impassable. They look like my street, which is why I'm happy that schools are closed today. They should be closed and they are closed. What I fail to understand is the fury that the Chancellor has received. When I first read that schools would be delayed two hours, I thought to myself, "Wow. I bet they'll end up having to cancel it." At no point did I have a hissy fit.
Don't get me wrong, Rhee has done many things that I disagree with. But the ultimate decision to close schools, which came more than 12 hours before we'd have to report, does not make me upset. When we lose our beans about stuff like this, it makes all teachers look willfully obstinate in the face of reasonable compromise.
Makes no doggone sense...I said that on Facebook yesterday when I was laying the Chancellor and Fenty out. I live by two elementary schools and none of the S.E. streets were cleaned. We had a snow blower and cleared our street off.
Potter you don't get it do you. She or he, not sure whose decision it was, was not going to close the schools down. The only reason they changed their mind was because people lost their beans!! If you think that she'd have changed her mind voluntarily you're crazy. Rhee, Fenty et al, were all on conference calls all day. For whatever reason, they alone decided to open the schools, it was not a wise decision initially and rather than back down from that, which would have been forgivable, they tried to back-peddle and started posting nonsense like students don't HAVE to come to school REALLY. I don't understand why you don't understand why people are mad. I'm not making this stuff up, a lot of DC residents work at DCPS, DPW, the Mayor's office, they were kept abreast of all the information and stubbornly refused to change their mind. They lied and that is a FACT, and for some crazy reason you keep trying to defend her like you believe that some new information just happened to fall into her lap at 8:00 pm in the evening. It didn't, they knew all along and they just don't care about anyone but making a name for themselves in the media as the maverick couple.
This just in (some "DC insider" info for Rhee):
1) Some streets in DC are still unplowed.
2) Since sidewalks aren't all cleared, people will have to walk on streets.
3) Below freezing temperatures tonight will freeze any water or slush on streets and sidewalks.
4) Another winter storm is expected to hit us around noon with the possibility of more significant snow.
5) Some rain, but 50 degree temperatures in Sacramento.
Sounds like another no brainer call for DCPS tomorrow! I'm sure though that Rhee will stick her head out the window in that 50 degree weather and in her no brainer judgment have DCPS pride itself in being open tomorrow.
I will not be making the journey in to an empty school for a wasted day.
Just posted on DCPS, school is closed tomorrow dcps.dc.gov
Anon,
I guess you're right -- I don't get it. I get why you would have been mad yesterday before the decision to close schools was made. But why you're still mad is a mystery to me. Hope you enjoy the rest of your snow day!
Bravo for making a good decision!
But, is this really the FINAL decision or will there be more flip-flopping? Haha.
The flip flop on school opening/closing is due directly to the lack of support by the WAPO. Rhee doesn't care what parents or the community thinks!
P.S.
DCPS schools are closed Tuesday. Wow that's progress!
I don't agree with Harry Potter, but I see his point.
The level of anger only hurts you, Rhee/Fenty could give a flying pooop!
Anonymous: I missing the point, who is angry? Having a different point of view does not make one angry.
That's what a blog is for, to let your feelings be known. That's why Anons, The Washington Teacher, Harry Potter and others all blog, post, or lurk on a regular basis. Harry was furious about the Union and posted a provocative post on his blog; I'm not furious about the decision but the endless excuses that keep getting made for the Chancellor and the constant dumping on the teachers if they oppose anything Rhee. Didn't call names, call anyone an idiot - just expressed my opinion. You'd be surprised who checks out this blog and others, how else to know what the public is really thinking.
One of the Anons. Now it's time to check the car, pour a drink, and read some educational material to help my students when I do get back to work.
"When we lose our beans about stuff like this, it makes all teachers look willfully obstinate in the face of reasonable compromise."
Oh, Harry you're so above it all - with such brilliant thoughts, turning this around so instead of Rhee and Fenty looking like idiots, teachers should be fretting about how bad they are making themselves look.
this administration is SICKENING to my guts!
how can one office be closed and the other not? does it mean that some employees are more prone to accidents in inclement weather than some?
i'm neither pro- nor anti- fenty or rhee; i'm for logic and sensibility. this one shows how this administration is so "laser focus" with political agenda/statement that it is missing the variables along the process; and that this administration is more concerned about exercising political muscles than the people it purports to serve.
i can't wait for the november election and finally be done with this bullsh*t.
-genxteacher
F the DC school system. My baby was not going to school today anyway no matter what Rhee says or does'nt say.
She runs nothing here. Stop giving her so much credit. She is loving the attention along with her rich white backers. Those rich people are really taking the black people for a loop since the black people seem so scared of her.
Where are the rich black people who can battle her rich white friends. The council is weak and Fenty knew it and called them on it before he even became mayor.
Another thing Harry - what was there to compromise about? who were the different sides and what did each side give up?
I thought it was about doing what's best for children - like protecting them from horrendous weather that shut down the federal government. Pretty simple. But apparently you see some compromise being worked out in which Rhee was ultimately reasonable, so teachers should be grateful.
Very convoluted thinking.
Let's not forget that Janey and the superintendent before him also made the same decisions to keep schools open in dangerous circumstances and every year we go through this (anger at the superintendents, listening to them justify their reasoning). This situation is nothing new. I've been in the system almost 10 years. Why does everyone sound so surprised? This is a DCPS thing - not a Rhee thing. But those who have an "intense psychological investment" against Rhee will jump on any situation to turn it to their advantage.
Moderated Reply to "Candi Will Delete this Anyway"
I am not going to delete the post below but rather will moderate it by saying that hurting people hurt other people. I suspect that whoever wrote this comment is very unhappy themselves and is projecting their own misery onto readers of my blog. Let a word to the wise be sufficient as I won't entertain any other comments of this type. This is what I as a blogger have to deal with. Sorry if the comment offends any of my readers but I encourage you to keep in mind that the person who wrote this is an @zzhole, plain and simple.
______________________________________
"Harry, what you must understand is that these women are miserable and angry about everything. Rhee is just a target. They are single moms and professional failures. If you lived their lives, you'd be angry, too." written by Candi will delete this anyway
dear usereason - I've been here a while too and can't remember one occasion in which the federal government closed down but DCPS did not. Nor can I recall a time when public transportation was limited but kids were expected to get to school.
Can anyone else remember other superintendents opening schools under these conditions?
It appears to me that the anonymous commenter responded just like Rhee Rhee. Communicating "unnecessarily without any proof" and living in a "state of denial."
As most educators will agree, if one Assumes or generalizes, it is a true indication of making an "A-- of yourself.
Thanks Candi for the moderation.
Have there been any Rhee-sightings within the last few days? Rumor has it that she is out of town. It is amazing to me that she can justify any and all any behaviors she exhibits as acceptable and necessary because they are in the "best interest of children." Here are some examples which beg the question:
* attempting to keep schools open during horrendous weather
conditions
* consistently failing to follow rules and regulations. Has she read Machiavelli and does she understand why that approach is unsuccessful in the long run? Does she care?
*slandering and libeling groups of people without cause and refusing to apologize. This is a terrible example to set for children.
*behaving disrespectfully and dismissively towards government agencies with whom she is expected to work - after all in Rhee speak "collaboration is overrated." Apparently being a bully is far more effective if you have a posse consisting of million dollar backers and a meanspirited Mayor to back you up. "Might makes right" is always a dangerous message to send children becausw they eventually become adults. What will you do when they are stronger than you and refuse to follow the rules youve put in place Ms. Rhee? Or haven't you thought that far ahead?
Ms.Rhee should just admit that her mantra "I do it for the children" is a thinly veiled excuse to execute a mean spirited, poorly thought-out agenda. She should stop lying to the public and to herself - she is a politician and a much better one than her boss, Fenty. Unfortunately the D.C. children need educational leadership and great examples of citizenship - the very two qualities Ms. Rhee cannot demonstrate. It would better serve all conncerned if she got married, went to Sacramento, changed her name to Lady MacBeth and used her political skills to supported her soon-to-be husband Mr. Johnson. According to the Sacramento buzz he could really use the help.
DCPS closed again Wednesday!
Any sign of Rhee? It must be nice to spend so much time telecommuting from Sacramento... What a nice job perk to be a chancellor of a district in such desperate need! You would think she would have to spend more time in the city she is supposedly representing!
USEREASON, i've been with the system long enough to contest your statement. actually, the previous sups were criticized for canceling classes too soon, too early.
in fact there was a day in janey's time when he canceled school and sun shone.
are you sure you've been with in the past 10 years? please check your facts.
@janewodoe, you are right on the money!
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