1st grade is a bad as we suspected

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:This thread is so unforgiving of parents and families who were going through sheer hell before vaccines were widely available. DC's kindergarten teacher went to certain students homes several times a week to ensure they had food and learning materials and tutored them outside on the playground. And even with that amount of effort (which is absolutely above and beyond what a teacher needed to do) students still could not keep up. It is not parents' fault that they work several in-person jobs. And the relative who is watching several kids during the day cannot be expected to help with online school. If I were that relative, I would absolutely be relying on tablet-care.

Young kids are very resilient and I hope this shakes out okay for them in the coming years.

It absolutely is the parents responsibility to provide suitable care for their child, either themselves or someone capable of more than “tablet-care.” It’s called being a parent.

Well, when childcare in the form of school is suddenly no longer available, what then, genius?

Plenty of parents RELIED on public schools to care for their children, which is completely reasonable. When that was no longer an option here, parents did what they had to do. And for many, it came down to providing the basics of care (shelter, food) over being a full-time paraeducator for Zoom "school." So, yeah, this year is hard for many young kids. That's what happens when you have communities that place children at the bottom of the priority list.

It’s not the communities job to care for these children. It’s their parents job. I get that school served at childcare, but if that’s unavailable, parents need to step up.

Yawn. Plenty of parents stepped up by keeping their jobs so their kids could eat.

I know it’s hard to comprehend, but after you give birth to them, you have to provide them food AND care. It’s not a either/or thing. Or someone else’s responsibility.

Did you forget that many day cares closed for months? That people were counseled to avoid interacting outside the family unit? That people lost their jobs? How the f are these families supposed to come up with non-family unit skilled care that doesn’t cost more than their income and that the caregiver - who is also supposed to be avoiding non-family contact - would accept? Of course people turned to grandma and tablets. What choice did they have if they didn’t have well-paid jobs they could do from home on a flexible schedule.

The government should have focused more COVID funds on reimbursing parents of elementary schools aged kids for childcare and tutoring instead of sending stimulus checks to retirees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actual first grade teacher here - yes, we have a lot of kids who are A's and Pre A's (don't know all their letters and letter sounds yet) than normal, but I don't think it will take "years" to catch them up. We're already seeing progress at my school. The biggest issues we are having are 1) WAY more bathroom accidents than we normally have (think a few a day vs a few a month). Also, kids are being more physical with each other and don't have great problem solving skills. But we're working on that as well. I don't buy this 'the sky is falling' story line.

Thanks. I have a first grader (and a 3rd grader). I'm so relieved to have my first grader in a classroom with her teacher this year. Last year brought the bar lower than I ever imagined possible. Even when she returned to the building, her kindergarten teacher was still remote (along with half the class). Somehow, my daughter can read now and she is improving her problem solving with her peers. Her stories of physical behavior between the boys during the first week were ridiculous. I'm glad you are seeing progress.

I'm actually most worried about my 3rd grader's handwriting. I think she needed more training on letter formation in 1st and 2nd grade (lost during the remote learning).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The first graders are going to be fine. Yes, last year sucked but catching up K and 1st grade work isn’t going to be a big problem. I’m thankful I didn’t have an older child that was missing more advanced classes.

-parent of a 1st grader

The older kids are fine. Their teachers actually taught their full curriculum last year. And they already know how to function in a school environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The first graders are going to be fine. Yes, last year sucked but catching up K and 1st grade work isn’t going to be a big problem. I’m thankful I didn’t have an older child that was missing more advanced classes.

-parent of a 1st grader

The older kids are fine. Their teachers actually taught their full curriculum last year. And they already know how to function in a school environment.

The third graders aren't. They really struggled with online learning but are old enough they are expected to have skills they didn't learn over the last 19 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The first graders are going to be fine. Yes, last year sucked but catching up K and 1st grade work isn’t going to be a big problem. I’m thankful I didn’t have an older child that was missing more advanced classes.

-parent of a 1st grader

The older kids are fine. Their teachers actually taught their full curriculum last year. And they already know how to function in a school environment.

Lmao! No one taught or learned the “full curriculum” last year, and no one learned anything for the last 1/3rd of 2020. No grade is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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No one is saying online learning was super effective for K students. But if parents literally did nothing additional for all of last year, while knowing virtual was ineffective, that’s on them.

Perhaps you can come up with things parents could have done or should be doing, to make this all work out?

I have a friend who is a nurse, with 3 kids, 8th grader, 5th grader, and K. All through the pandemic, she has been working, often long hours. Her husband works overnight, so that someone is home most of the time, but obviously, in between work, they have to do things like chores and sleeping. Since dad sleeps during the day, he is unable to supervise anyone. Oldest kid was in 8th grade. Self sufficient. He was responsible for making sure that the K kid was logged on, but that was about the extent of what he could do, because he can't do his schooling and supervise the K kid. Obviously, the kid learned nothing all last year. No idea how the little one is doing this year, but I'm assuming that he is among the kids that is behind.

They could have worked with the little one every day on the basics. Zero excuse.

Yeah, sure. When one parent works 7 - 7, and the other one leaves home at 9 and isn't back until 7 in the morning, that leaves plenty of time to spend teaching the basics to a 5 year old that has spent the day on zoom classes.

Was she working daily? Most nurses who work 7-7 only work 2/3/4 days a week (24/36/48 hrs/wk). More than that (60 hrs/wk) is not often sustainable longer term.

Not PP but surely you heard about the shortage of healthcare workers? I know nurses who have had to take extra shifts. It's almost like you think more parent healthcare workers should have quit to homeschool their children....until you needed care, of course. Let me guess, you take SUCH good care of yourself at home that you've ben able to forgo all healthcare the last 18 months?

You understand that the vast majority of these excuse making parents didn't work on the front lines of the ER or ICU, or, for that matter, in healthcare at all, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one is saying online learning was super effective for K students. But if parents literally did nothing additional for all of last year, while knowing virtual was ineffective, that’s on them.

Perhaps you can come up with things parents could have done or should be doing, to make this all work out?

I have a friend who is a nurse, with 3 kids, 8th grader, 5th grader, and K. All through the pandemic, she has been working, often long hours. Her husband works overnight, so that someone is home most of the time, but obviously, in between work, they have to do things like chores and sleeping. Since dad sleeps during the day, he is unable to supervise anyone. Oldest kid was in 8th grade. Self sufficient. He was responsible for making sure that the K kid was logged on, but that was about the extent of what he could do, because he can't do his schooling and supervise the K kid. Obviously, the kid learned nothing all last year. No idea how the little one is doing this year, but I'm assuming that he is among the kids that is behind.

They could have worked with the little one every day on the basics. Zero excuse.

Yeah, sure. When one parent works 7 - 7, and the other one leaves home at 9 and isn't back until 7 in the morning, that leaves plenty of time to spend teaching the basics to a 5 year old that has spent the day on zoom classes.

Was she working daily? Most nurses who work 7-7 only work 2/3/4 days a week (24/36/48 hrs/wk). More than that (60 hrs/wk) is not often sustainable longer term.

Not PP but surely you heard about the shortage of healthcare workers? I know nurses who have had to take extra shifts. It's almost like you think more parent healthcare workers should have quit to homeschool their children....until you needed care, of course. Let me guess, you take SUCH good care of yourself at home that you've ben able to forgo all healthcare the last 18 months?

You understand that the vast majority of these excuse making parents didn't work on the front lines of the ER or ICU, or, for that matter, in healthcare at all, right?

What is your motivation for denying that school closures were harmful to kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No one is saying online learning was super effective for K students. But if parents literally did nothing additional for all of last year, while knowing virtual was ineffective, that’s on them.

Perhaps you can come up with things parents could have done or should be doing, to make this all work out?

I have a friend who is a nurse, with 3 kids, 8th grader, 5th grader, and K. All through the pandemic, she has been working, often long hours. Her husband works overnight, so that someone is home most of the time, but obviously, in between work, they have to do things like chores and sleeping. Since dad sleeps during the day, he is unable to supervise anyone. Oldest kid was in 8th grade. Self sufficient. He was responsible for making sure that the K kid was logged on, but that was about the extent of what he could do, because he can't do his schooling and supervise the K kid. Obviously, the kid learned nothing all last year. No idea how the little one is doing this year, but I'm assuming that he is among the kids that is behind.

They could have worked with the little one every day on the basics. Zero excuse.

Yeah, sure. When one parent works 7 - 7, and the other one leaves home at 9 and isn't back until 7 in the morning, that leaves plenty of time to spend teaching the basics to a 5 year old that has spent the day on zoom classes.

Was she working daily? Most nurses who work 7-7 only work 2/3/4 days a week (24/36/48 hrs/wk). More than that (60 hrs/wk) is not often sustainable longer term.

Not PP but surely you heard about the shortage of healthcare workers? I know nurses who have had to take extra shifts. It's almost like you think more parent healthcare workers should have quit to homeschool their children....until you needed care, of course. Let me guess, you take SUCH good care of yourself at home that you've ben able to forgo all healthcare the last 18 months?

Oh stop, I'm a nurse myself but not in the hospital anymore. I'm simply pointing out a typical nurse who works 7-7 in the hospital only works 2-3 days a week, and often at least one of those days is on the weekend. What is the nurse doing the rest of the time? I'm sure many picked up extra shifts but even then, the amount of OT and bonus $$$ would have been insane enough that they could have hired some help, so there's really no excuse.

Zoom tutoring on top of Zoom school sounds super productive and healthy for a 5yo!

Please point out where "hired some help" said "Zoom tutoring." Oh, right. It didn't.

Keep making those excuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so unforgiving of parents and families who were going through sheer hell before vaccines were widely available. DC's kindergarten teacher went to certain students homes several times a week to ensure they had food and learning materials and tutored them outside on the playground. And even with that amount of effort (which is absolutely above and beyond what a teacher needed to do) students still could not keep up. It is not parents' fault that they work several in-person jobs. And the relative who is watching several kids during the day cannot be expected to help with online school. If I were that relative, I would absolutely be relying on tablet-care.

Young kids are very resilient and I hope this shakes out okay for them in the coming years.

It absolutely is the parents responsibility to provide suitable care for their child, either themselves or someone capable of more than “tablet-care.” It’s called being a parent.

Well, when childcare in the form of school is suddenly no longer available, what then, genius?

Plenty of parents RELIED on public schools to care for their children, which is completely reasonable. When that was no longer an option here, parents did what they had to do. And for many, it came down to providing the basics of care (shelter, food) over being a full-time paraeducator for Zoom "school." So, yeah, this year is hard for many young kids. That's what happens when you have communities that place children at the bottom of the priority list.

It’s not the communities job to care for these children. It’s their parents job. I get that school served at childcare, but if that’s unavailable, parents need to step up.

Yawn. Plenty of parents stepped up by keeping their jobs so their kids could eat.

I know it’s hard to comprehend, but after you give birth to them, you have to provide them food AND care. It’s not a either/or thing. Or someone else’s responsibility.

Did you forget that many day cares closed for months? That people were counseled to avoid interacting outside the family unit? That people lost their jobs? How the f are these families supposed to come up with non-family unit skilled care that doesn’t cost more than their income and that the caregiver - who is also supposed to be avoiding non-family contact - would accept? Of course people turned to grandma and tablets. What choice did they have if they didn’t have well-paid jobs they could do from home on a flexible schedule.

The government should have focused more COVID funds on reimbursing parents of elementary schools aged kids for childcare and tutoring instead of sending stimulus checks to retirees.

But it didn't. I'm sure, looking back, there are a lot of things a lot of folks would have done differently. What's crazy is to blame the people caught in a bad situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so unforgiving of parents and families who were going through sheer hell before vaccines were widely available. DC's kindergarten teacher went to certain students homes several times a week to ensure they had food and learning materials and tutored them outside on the playground. And even with that amount of effort (which is absolutely above and beyond what a teacher needed to do) students still could not keep up. It is not parents' fault that they work several in-person jobs. And the relative who is watching several kids during the day cannot be expected to help with online school. If I were that relative, I would absolutely be relying on tablet-care.

Young kids are very resilient and I hope this shakes out okay for them in the coming years.

It absolutely is the parents responsibility to provide suitable care for their child, either themselves or someone capable of more than “tablet-care.” It’s called being a parent.

Well, when childcare in the form of school is suddenly no longer available, what then, genius?

Plenty of parents RELIED on public schools to care for their children, which is completely reasonable. When that was no longer an option here, parents did what they had to do. And for many, it came down to providing the basics of care (shelter, food) over being a full-time paraeducator for Zoom "school." So, yeah, this year is hard for many young kids. That's what happens when you have communities that place children at the bottom of the priority list.

It’s not the communities job to care for these children. It’s their parents job. I get that school served at childcare, but if that’s unavailable, parents need to step up.

Yawn. Plenty of parents stepped up by keeping their jobs so their kids could eat.

I know it’s hard to comprehend, but after you give birth to them, you have to provide them food AND care. It’s not a either/or thing. Or someone else’s responsibility.

(1,000,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so unforgiving of parents and families who were going through sheer hell before vaccines were widely available. DC's kindergarten teacher went to certain students homes several times a week to ensure they had food and learning materials and tutored them outside on the playground. And even with that amount of effort (which is absolutely above and beyond what a teacher needed to do) students still could not keep up. It is not parents' fault that they work several in-person jobs. And the relative who is watching several kids during the day cannot be expected to help with online school. If I were that relative, I would absolutely be relying on tablet-care.

Young kids are very resilient and I hope this shakes out okay for them in the coming years.

It absolutely is the parents responsibility to provide suitable care for their child, either themselves or someone capable of more than “tablet-care.” It’s called being a parent.

Well, when childcare in the form of school is suddenly no longer available, what then, genius?

Plenty of parents RELIED on public schools to care for their children, which is completely reasonable. When that was no longer an option here, parents did what they had to do. And for many, it came down to providing the basics of care (shelter, food) over being a full-time paraeducator for Zoom "school." So, yeah, this year is hard for many young kids. That's what happens when you have communities that place children at the bottom of the priority list.

It’s not the communities job to care for these children. It’s their parents job. I get that school served at childcare, but if that’s unavailable, parents need to step up.

That's the subject of this thread. School, especially lower elementary school, provides community and socialization that parents cannot provide.

You are refusing to pay attention. Listen more, talk less.

In the DCUM community, it's a whole lot less "cannot" and a whole lot more "could have, but didn't bother to."

As for your last line, you should probably take your own advuce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so unforgiving of parents and families who were going through sheer hell before vaccines were widely available. DC's kindergarten teacher went to certain students homes several times a week to ensure they had food and learning materials and tutored them outside on the playground. And even with that amount of effort (which is absolutely above and beyond what a teacher needed to do) students still could not keep up. It is not parents' fault that they work several in-person jobs. And the relative who is watching several kids during the day cannot be expected to help with online school. If I were that relative, I would absolutely be relying on tablet-care.

Young kids are very resilient and I hope this shakes out okay for them in the coming years.

It absolutely is the parents responsibility to provide suitable care for their child, either themselves or someone capable of more than “tablet-care.” It’s called being a parent.

Well, when childcare in the form of school is suddenly no longer available, what then, genius?

Plenty of parents RELIED on public schools to care for their children, which is completely reasonable. When that was no longer an option here, parents did what they had to do. And for many, it came down to providing the basics of care (shelter, food) over being a full-time paraeducator for Zoom "school." So, yeah, this year is hard for many young kids. That's what happens when you have communities that place children at the bottom of the priority list.

It’s not the communities job to care for these children. It’s their parents job. I get that school served at childcare, but if that’s unavailable, parents need to step up.

Umm, yes communities do have certain obligations to their constituencies that are (or at least should be) part of social contract which was broken in 2020. As parents for many of us the school system is a huge part of our calculus as we decide which community to join, contribute to and pay taxes to and the receipt of free in person schooling in return has long been a mainstay benefit provided to parents that enables many of us to be productive members of said community. If the government suddenly announced that they were ceasing all social security payments for 18 months, but for some reason parents are expected to just take it on the chin and pay $20,000-$30,000 + in unanticipated childcare costs because that social contract was broken.

Sorry, but no. You can bleat ad nauseam about "social contracts" all you like, but the fact remains that public schools were NOT, 100% NOT, required to provide you childcare during a pandemic.

[Anonymous]

A friend who is teaching second grade in an all FARMS school (her first year there after relocating) described her class as feral—they just didn’t do school last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A friend who is teaching second grade in an all FARMS school (her first year there after relocating) described her class as feral—they just didn’t do school last year.

If your friend is calling kids names, then she shouldn’t be a teacher. Go work at Walmart, they’re hiring.

[Anonymous]

At our DCPS Title 1, our kindergarten teacher commented on how well all of the kids are getting along and behaving. I think she was expecting worse and is pleasantly surprised. There’s less than 15 kids with the teacher and an aide, so maybe that changes the classroom dynamics.