A Public School System Admits To Social Conditioning

[Wake-up!]

FROM:  https://archive.is/xFq15#selection-9717.1-9767.336

[This is a memo to all parents with children in the Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools (FCPS). The poster's comments are in italicized brackets.]

Across the country, many parents are joining together to engage private tutors (who are often school teachers) to provide tutoring or home instruction for small groups of children. While there is no systematic way to track these private efforts, it's clear that a number of "pandemic pods" or tutoring pods are being established in Fairfax County.
We are aware of these tutoring pods, as well as some accompanying community concerns. To be clear, these instructional efforts are not supported by or in any way controlled by FCPS—for several reasons:
•    These are purely private initiatives on the part of parents and families. Families have an absolute right to work together and pool resources to provide instruction or tutoring—just as they do to pool resources and provide private daycare, music lessons, or recreational activities for their children—but tutoring pods are not part of the public school system.
•    Under the terms of their contracts, FCPS teachers are allowed to provide tutoring services for reimbursement, but only as long as they meet these conditions:

    Teachers must make it clear that the services are being provided as an independent contractor, and not as an employee of FCPS.
    They cannot tutor children for private compensation if the same children are receiving instruction from them in FCPS schools (i.e., the children cannot be in their classes). That's true for private tutoring or group instruction in any location.
    They cannot engage in outside instruction or any preparation for it during their FCPS work hours.

While FCPS doesn't and can't control these private tutoring groups [but aren't you trying to do just that by restricting a certified teacher's participation?], we do have concerns that they may widen the gap in educational access and equity for all students. Many parents cannot afford private instruction. Many working families can't provide transportation to and from a tutoring pod, even if they could afford to pay for the service. [What absolute BS! Why should parents who can afford tutors have any hesitation in helping their kids achieve? The inference of shaming families who work hard to help their kids is abhorrent.]
We have received some requests from parents who would like to cluster groups or pods of students together with a specific teacher. From both a logistical perspective, and in the interest of educational equity, FCPS cannot accommodate such requests.
It is complicated and time-consuming to develop class schedules. Schools go to great pains to develop schedules that consider teacher and parent input and balance classes for gender, race, home language, academic strengths, learning goals, and special learning needs like special education, English language development, and enrichment. [Reread the last sentence. English language is the ONLY subject matter mentioned. EVERYTHING else listed is social conditioning. When the emphasis in education is on social equity, nearly all students end up needing remedial studies before moving on to a decent college, or being competitive in the job market. Unless, they have parents who are active in their kids' education.]
In the face of the many challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, our schools do not have the capacity to accommodate specific class/teacher requests from families for the purpose of creating instructional pods. Our energy and focus must remain on providing the best educational experience and impact possible for all our students. [Well, well, look what happens. The Covid-19 'pandemic' has exposed the public education system for what it is, a system for sociological conditioning, for 'experience', not for learning reading, writing, math, sciences, languages. Not for personal excellence. For social equity, not for rational thought and fulfilling aspirations. The basics of education that were paramount for at least 150 years are gone. Those basics will never be recovered in this public system. Public education needs to be abandoned if children, families, and culture are to thrive in the coming generations.
Residents of Elk County can start this process by removing their children from the failing school system in Longton, and moving their kids to West Elk, or home schooling them. I would suggest the Fredonia schools, but by one rating organization they are failing worse than the Longton schools. It is time to change. Change can start by closing the Longton schools.]