WaPo on the mental health crisis students are experiencing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
WaPo’s reporting on this, and anything to do with schools and childhood development, is subpar.

Take with a grain of salt.

How so? Why is it subpar?

They just meant they don't want schools open, and WaPo has heroically IMO been taking a pro-children stance on this since the beginning, with a lot of reporting on damage to kids and learning, and also a pro-science stance, with a lot of reporting on the consensus that schools are safe for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
WaPo’s reporting on this, and anything to do with schools and childhood development, is subpar.

Take with a grain of salt.

How so? Why is it subpar?

They just meant they don't want schools open, and WaPo has heroically IMO been taking a pro-children stance on this since the beginning, with a lot of reporting on damage to kids and learning, and also a pro-science stance, with a lot of reporting on the consensus that schools are safe for kids.

Pro science is pro children... all the data shows kids should be in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
WaPo’s reporting on this, and anything to do with schools and childhood development, is subpar.

Take with a grain of salt.

How so? Why is it subpar?

They just meant they don't want schools open, and WaPo has heroically IMO been taking a pro-children stance on this since the beginning, with a lot of reporting on damage to kids and learning, and also a pro-science stance, with a lot of reporting on the consensus that schools are safe for kids.

Oh I know. Just seeing if they could come up with some specific criticism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are also students who have had an significant improvement in their mental health during DL because the schedule allows them more sleep or freedom from bullying, chaotic classrooms, etc. My daughter has barely stuttered this entire time. She has friends who have been able to reduce meds. Hearing the same from other parents on DCUM. Guess our children don’t matter.

Mental health professional/researcher here. I agree that some kids, removed from distractions, bullying, etc., are doing better academically and emotionally at home. But there's no denying that a larger proportion of both adults and children have had mental health difficulties that have either begun or gotten worse during the pandemic.

I have friends whose kids have chosen to do DL when hybrid was available, since they prefer to be home and are doing better this way. While I sympathize with those families, from a public health perspective, we need to think about how to get the majority of kids back in school. There may be long-term societal repercussions for this generation of kids if we allow them to continue to be out of school, not to mention economic repercussions given the families (mostly mothers) who have quit jobs or cut back on work.

PP again, meant to finish my thought. I think we do need to think about how to best serve the kids who are actually doing better at home. I'm not sure remaining in DL indefinitely is the answer. Getting the right supports at school, expanding mental health and special ed services, etc., may be the better answer, and perhaps allowing some sort of hybrid for these kids where they get at least some in-person time. But a return to in-person should proceed when possible to serve the needs of the majority of kids--including many from disadvantaged backgrounds--who are not doing well under DL.

Vast, vast majority you mean. I have not met one family who is doing better this way, in elementary.

PP here, I haven't either--the friends' kids I referenced are high school students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there’s no sense of urgency to get kids back. To me, keeping schools closed for almost a year is a crisis. I don’t think we even know yet the scope.

If you were to watch the Council meeting yesterday where people testified about reopening to City Councillors, you'd understand the issue. 90% of speakers were STRONGLY against reopening. NO mention made of the damage to children by those presenting, to mental health or to learning or for anything at all.

These are the loudest voices, most organized, by far.

Maybe because it’s a life-threatening public health crisis that affects all of us, not just your children who need to socialize. So weird that school is the only place your children can socialize. Maybe it’s because everything else was shut down to avoid spreading coronavirus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there’s no sense of urgency to get kids back. To me, keeping schools closed for almost a year is a crisis. I don’t think we even know yet the scope.

If you were to watch the Council meeting yesterday where people testified about reopening to City Councillors, you'd understand the issue. 90% of speakers were STRONGLY against reopening. NO mention made of the damage to children by those presenting, to mental health or to learning or for anything at all.

These are the loudest voices, most organized, by far.

Maybe because it’s a life-threatening public health crisis that affects all of us, not just your children who need to socialize. So weird that school is the only place your children can socialize. Maybe it’s because everything else was shut down to avoid spreading coronavirus?

Do please continue to minimize our concerns with our kids’ development and mental health as the trite “need to socialize.” It really endears me to your cause.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are also students who have had an significant improvement in their mental health during DL because the schedule allows them more sleep or freedom from bullying, chaotic classrooms, etc. My daughter has barely stuttered this entire time. She has friends who have been able to reduce meds. Hearing the same from other parents on DCUM. Guess our children don’t matter.

even outside of the DL/IPL debate you do get that kids cannot spend the rest of their lives in their parents homes, right?

If your kid is thriving at home and not at school- your kid needs a new school or educational setting.


General education classrooms are not ideal for lots of kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there’s no sense of urgency to get kids back. To me, keeping schools closed for almost a year is a crisis. I don’t think we even know yet the scope.

If you were to watch the Council meeting yesterday where people testified about reopening to City Councillors, you'd understand the issue. 90% of speakers were STRONGLY against reopening. NO mention made of the damage to children by those presenting, to mental health or to learning or for anything at all.

These are the loudest voices, most organized, by far.

Maybe because it’s a life-threatening public health crisis that affects all of us, not just your children who need to socialize. So weird that school is the only place your children can socialize. Maybe it’s because everything else was shut down to avoid spreading coronavirus?

Do please continue to minimize our concerns with our kids’ development and mental health as the trite “need to socialize.” It really endears me to your cause.

Well, they are getting educated via DL. The only piece that is missing is the socialization. So how else should your concerns be described?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there’s no sense of urgency to get kids back. To me, keeping schools closed for almost a year is a crisis. I don’t think we even know yet the scope.

If you were to watch the Council meeting yesterday where people testified about reopening to City Councillors, you'd understand the issue. 90% of speakers were STRONGLY against reopening. NO mention made of the damage to children by those presenting, to mental health or to learning or for anything at all.

These are the loudest voices, most organized, by far.

Maybe because it’s a life-threatening public health crisis that affects all of us, not just your children who need to socialize. So weird that school is the only place your children can socialize. Maybe it’s because everything else was shut down to avoid spreading coronavirus?

Do please continue to minimize our concerns with our kids’ development and mental health as the trite “need to socialize.” It really endears me to your cause.

Well, they are getting educated via DL. The only piece that is missing is the socialization. So how else should your concerns be described?

DP. Are you seriously still trying to argue that DL is as effective as in person school, or even sufficiently effective? Even after all the data that is coming out to prove you wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there’s no sense of urgency to get kids back. To me, keeping schools closed for almost a year is a crisis. I don’t think we even know yet the scope.

If you were to watch the Council meeting yesterday where people testified about reopening to City Councillors, you'd understand the issue. 90% of speakers were STRONGLY against reopening. NO mention made of the damage to children by those presenting, to mental health or to learning or for anything at all.

These are the loudest voices, most organized, by far.

Maybe because it’s a life-threatening public health crisis that affects all of us, not just your children who need to socialize. So weird that school is the only place your children can socialize. Maybe it’s because everything else was shut down to avoid spreading coronavirus?

No, it's because lots of people, including you, have Covid tunnel vision and are myopic when it comes to public health. Many people will need hindsight to understand how wrong they were on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there’s no sense of urgency to get kids back. To me, keeping schools closed for almost a year is a crisis. I don’t think we even know yet the scope.

If you were to watch the Council meeting yesterday where people testified about reopening to City Councillors, you'd understand the issue. 90% of speakers were STRONGLY against reopening. NO mention made of the damage to children by those presenting, to mental health or to learning or for anything at all.

These are the loudest voices, most organized, by far.

Maybe because it’s a life-threatening public health crisis that affects all of us, not just your children who need to socialize. So weird that school is the only place your children can socialize. Maybe it’s because everything else was shut down to avoid spreading coronavirus?

Do please continue to minimize our concerns with our kids’ development and mental health as the trite “need to socialize.” It really endears me to your cause.

Well, they are getting educated via DL. The only piece that is missing is the socialization. So how else should your concerns be described?

DP. Are you seriously still trying to argue that DL is as effective as in person school, or even sufficiently effective? Even after all the data that is coming out to prove you wrong?

Yes, under the circumstances, it is sufficiently effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there’s no sense of urgency to get kids back. To me, keeping schools closed for almost a year is a crisis. I don’t think we even know yet the scope.

If you were to watch the Council meeting yesterday where people testified about reopening to City Councillors, you'd understand the issue. 90% of speakers were STRONGLY against reopening. NO mention made of the damage to children by those presenting, to mental health or to learning or for anything at all.

These are the loudest voices, most organized, by far.

Maybe because it’s a life-threatening public health crisis that affects all of us, not just your children who need to socialize. So weird that school is the only place your children can socialize. Maybe it’s because everything else was shut down to avoid spreading coronavirus?

Do please continue to minimize our concerns with our kids’ development and mental health as the trite “need to socialize.” It really endears me to your cause.

Well, they are getting educated via DL. The only piece that is missing is the socialization. So how else should your concerns be described?

My kid is in K. Half their report card couldn’t be filled out because it was “not observed” due to distance learning. There is more to education than drilling through a computer screen. But I know I won’t change your mind that DL is an adequate education. Next I’m sure you’ll tell me that K isn’t important or that I’ve failed as a parent. Honestly, I’ve been patient. I support teachers. I have lowered our expectations. I try to get my kid to outdoor play dates on the weekends. And I know this pandemic is very serious. But I can’t believe, after almost a year, we are no closer to getting kids back. Nor did I see any sense of urgency to do so at that city council meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there’s no sense of urgency to get kids back. To me, keeping schools closed for almost a year is a crisis. I don’t think we even know yet the scope.

If you were to watch the Council meeting yesterday where people testified about reopening to City Councillors, you'd understand the issue. 90% of speakers were STRONGLY against reopening. NO mention made of the damage to children by those presenting, to mental health or to learning or for anything at all.

These are the loudest voices, most organized, by far.

Maybe because it’s a life-threatening public health crisis that affects all of us, not just your children who need to socialize. So weird that school is the only place your children can socialize. Maybe it’s because everything else was shut down to avoid spreading coronavirus?

Do please continue to minimize our concerns with our kids’ development and mental health as the trite “need to socialize.” It really endears me to your cause.

Well, they are getting educated via DL. The only piece that is missing is the socialization. So how else should your concerns be described?

DP. Are you seriously still trying to argue that DL is as effective as in person school, or even sufficiently effective? Even after all the data that is coming out to prove you wrong?

Yes, under the circumstances, it is sufficiently effective.

dp: Learning happens best when their is constructive engagement with the teacher. That’s why schools focus do much on relationship building and SEL.

And ‘socializing’ is not the only missing piece. *Socialization* is missing. Being around peers and adults — whether you like them or not — and having human interactions with a purpose. It’s stimulating, educational, and just plain human.

Obviously, human interactions have to be minimized to fight a pandemic, but locking kids in a closet — or even in front of a computer screen — is not the right answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are also students who have had an significant improvement in their mental health during DL because the schedule allows them more sleep or freedom from bullying, chaotic classrooms, etc. My daughter has barely stuttered this entire time. She has friends who have been able to reduce meds. Hearing the same from other parents on DCUM. Guess our children don’t matter.

So if you were a good parent you’d pull your kid and homeschool the rest of her days. Stop trying to make it out like DL is good for everyone.

[Anonymous]

My son, who met a handful of times with a psychologist a year ago recently started asking if he could start meeting with him again. It was a wake-up call for us. President Biden has rightly stated that school closures are a national emergency that must be remedied ASAP.