Parent group angry that 3rd-graders sat outside in freezing temps while teacher read to them. But district defends 'snack and mask break.'



A Virginia parent group is angry that elementary school students were spotted sitting on the ground in below-freezing temperatures Tuesday while a teacher read to them, WUSA-TV reported.

What are the details?

The Fairfax County Parents Association tweet said "young children are having story time on the cold concrete" outside Waynewood Elementary School in Alexandria and included a photo. WUSA said temperatures in Fairfax County were below freezing Tuesday.

"This is the result of poor leadership and confusing guidance to teachers," the tweet continued. "Get these little ones inside!" A second tweet from the group included video of the students sitting outside.

Video of the elementary school kids sitting in 24 degrees (that's Fahrenheit, below freezing) at @waynewoodes today. This is Virginia, where kids don't routinely wear down and wool. @Karen4Schools @FCPSSupt @fcpsnewspic.twitter.com/6scCWizHEy
— Fairfax County Parents Association (@Fairfax County Parents Association) 1641923937

How did folks react to the tweets?

A number of commenters were aghast at the sight of children sitting on the ground in sub-freezing temperatures:

  • "If you forced your own child to sit outside to eat lunch, let's say as a punishment for bad table manners or something, and a neighbor saw it, I bet $100 you'd be getting a visit from child protection services... and you'd likely end up in court at risk of losing your children," one commenter reacted.
  • "We treat animals better than this," another user declared.
  • "Parents have got to do something. That’s cruel. I could not send a child there. I hope whoever made this decision loses their job," another commenter said. "Just outright cruel to put children out there."

But not everybody saw it as a negative — and one commenter shot back at the parents' association: "Shame on you for posting this amateur video without all the facts and exposing children to the Internet without parental permission. Shame on the woman who took this video. We support our teachers at Waynewood. Crazy...but we also support a few minutes of fresh air when needed."

Others who supported the idea of students being outside even in freezing temperatures, such as during recess, were countered by those who said students typically are moving and running around and not sitting on the ground.

What did the school district have to say?

Fairfax County Public Schools defended what was seen in the video as a "snack and mask break," WUSA reported.

“This morning on Twitter, an anonymous parent group posted a video that was taken outside of Waynewood Elementary School in Alexandria," the school district said in a statement to the station. "In the video, a group of third-grade students are taking a snack and mask break in front of the school."

The district added to WUSA that the students were outside for less than seven minutes and that the weather conditions were monitored. In addition, the district told the station the teacher was reading to the students to keep them entertained.

Virginia's Fairfax County teachers union demands schools remain closed until August 2021, possibly longer



The teachers union of Fairfax County in Virginia wants schoolchildren to learn from home for the rest of the school year until August 2021.

"Science and Health Safety data support and require that no one should return to in person instruction until there is a widely available scientifically proven vaccine or highly effective treatment" for COVID-19, the Fairfax Education Association wrote in a letter-campaign addressed to the Fairfax County school board and superintendent.

"The metric for Safe Reopening should be 14 days of zero community spread," the letter stated.

The Fairfax County teacher’s union wants all public schools closed at least until August 2021. @FCPSSupt https://t.co/CuLCXRCGOV
— Rory Cooper (@Rory Cooper)1603197655.0

In addition to closing schools through the 2020-21 school year, the teachers union demanded that limited reopening be attempted only if "all buildings" are equipped with "HVAC Merv-13 filters," if all staff is provided with "Medical Grade PPE" including N95 masks, goggles, face shields, and more, and if COVID-19 testing is available for staff.

"Since none of the requirements for safe return are likely to be met in the foreseeable future of the 2020-21 school year we reiterate: Keep Fairfax County Public Schools Virtual for the 2020-21 school year," the letter concluded.

The Washington Free Beacon reported that Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand last week published an update for parents explaining when and how in-person learning in schools will resume. The plan is to begin in-person instruction for small groups of students who are having the most difficulty with distance learning.

"We will follow strict safety and health protocols to minimize health risks for students and staff," the school said.

On Monday, classroom learning began for preschoolers with autism, students in "early childhood classes, and students in specialized high school career preparatory programs." The district plans to phase in other students returning to school in different groups over the next several weeks. They have put in place several policies to limit the spread of COVID-19 as students and teachers return to class.

The union's demands come as mounting evidence suggests there is no clear link between schools reopening and coronavirus infection rates surging. Additionally, there are growing concerns that so-called "distance learning," with children staring at computer screens for most of the day, is failing children and parents who can't handle it.

In New York City, an epicenter of the pandemic where reopening is limited and conditional on targeted random virus testing efforts, the New York Times reports expected outbreaks among the city's 1,800 public schools have not materialized in the three-weeks since in-person learning resumed.

Yet, the Free Beacon notes, a Brown University study showed that districts with strong teachers unions, like Fairfax County, were more likely to recommend schools remain closed. In a statement to the Free Beacon, the Fairfax County Public Schools district said school officials maintain returning to the classroom is best for students.

"We firmly believe that while virtual environments are necessary at the current time, students learn best in-person," a district spokeswoman said.

School reopening in the United States varies by state and individual school district. So far, only Arizona, Iowa, Florida, and Texas have ordered schools to open.