WaPo on the mental health crisis students are experiencing

[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?

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.

No closer to getting kids back? DCPS is opening February 1

[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.

It is very disheartening but I also understand why so few people are willing to speak out at something as public as a City Council meeting. We are new to our neighborhood and school and are terrified of getting labeled as anti-teacher (very liberal neighborhood and the line here has definitely been that anti-Trump, pro-science, and pro-teacher also means anti-opening, which is exhausting and infuriating). I like to think that if we were a more established family and our kid already had friends here, we would be willing to speak up, but honestly, I don't know. The anti-opening people are terrifying. They are mean and go right for the jugular the minute anyone expresses any different opinion.

Like for me, my attitude is "I get why teachers are concerned and think we need to listen to those concerns and address them. But I think we should be looking for ways to get kids in schools by addressing teacher concerns, and not just accept indefinite closure as a solution because it is hurting so many kids."

And the response is, "Fine, I guess you want teachers to die then. Guess your precious snowflakes academic performance is more important than a teacher's life or safety. Typical privileged white person."

I've split the difference and have been advocating heavily for outdoor school options (which I actually do think are a good option and probably should have been implemented last fall). But it is hard to walk that line and worry that someone is going to tar and feather you because you say something "controversial", like "I'm worried about child literacy."

[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?

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.

My K'er (and 2nd grader) had no trouble having their report cards filled out. I'm not sure what your teacher is doing. This is far from ideal, and I have never argued otherwise, but under the circumstances the education they are getting is fine and better than the alternative given the public safety threat.

[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?

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.

No closer to getting kids back? DCPS is opening February 1

And our child will be there.

[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?

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.

My K'er (and 2nd grader) had no trouble having their report cards filled out. I'm not sure what your teacher is doing. This is far from ideal, and I have never argued otherwise, but under the circumstances the education they are getting is fine and better than the alternative given the public safety threat.

I also have a Ker and my kid's report card also had many "could not be observeds" on it. It also had tons of wrong info (apparently my child knows her phone number... I'm not even sure what phone number that would be as we don't have a landline and she certainly doesn't know my cell phone number; apparently my kid is working on counting to 20... something that she was proficient in per her PK3 report card). My PK3's didn't acknowledge unobserved areas, even though it obviously should have. (Zero chance my teacher knows if my kid can do buttons or zips, e.g.) The teacher just put him down as meeting expectations in all of those categories.

[Anonymous]

Hmmm...any discussion on the mental toll that some of this is having on teachers? I return to work next week so save your nasty comments about teachers working from home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm...any discussion on the mental toll that some of this is having on teachers? I return to work next week so save your nasty comments about teachers working from home.

The reality is that there is a mental health toll on all people. Kids and Adults. Teachers, Principals, Students, Support Staff, etc. It is a huge issue we will have to tackle as a society. Schools seem like the best way to approach solving the impact on children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm...any discussion on the mental toll that some of this is having on teachers? I return to work next week so save your nasty comments about teachers working from home.

The reality is that there is a mental health toll on all people. Kids and Adults. Teachers, Principals, Students, Support Staff, etc. It is a huge issue we will have to tackle as a society. Schools seem like the best way to approach solving the impact on children.

In person school will not help my mental state as a teacher. Not with the cart dragging the horse in DCPS high schools, but I understand it will be beneficial for younger children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm...any discussion on the mental toll that some of this is having on teachers? I return to work next week so save your nasty comments about teachers working from home.

The reality is that there is a mental health toll on all people. Kids and Adults. Teachers, Principals, Students, Support Staff, etc. It is a huge issue we will have to tackle as a society. Schools seem like the best way to approach solving the impact on children.

In person school will not help my mental state as a teacher. Not with the cart dragging the horse in DCPS high schools, but I understand it will be beneficial for younger children.

But you are an adult and are being paid for your work. Improving your mental health isn't and shouldn't be the priority.

Lots of adults employed in lots of different fields are struggling for a variety of reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm...any discussion on the mental toll that some of this is having on teachers? I return to work next week so save your nasty comments about teachers working from home.

The reality is that there is a mental health toll on all people. Kids and Adults. Teachers, Principals, Students, Support Staff, etc. It is a huge issue we will have to tackle as a society. Schools seem like the best way to approach solving the impact on children.

In person school will not help my mental state as a teacher. Not with the cart dragging the horse in DCPS high schools, but I understand it will be beneficial for younger children.

But you are an adult and are being paid for your work. Improving your mental health isn't and shouldn't be the priority.

Lots of adults employed in lots of different fields are struggling for a variety of reasons.

This! Stop equating your employment preferences with children's right to go to school.

[Anonymous]

Improving the mental health of kids isn’t the priority of schools either. Schools are educational institutions.

Since we’re being technical.

The PP did state they understood the toll of kids trolls.

[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.

It is very disheartening but I also understand why so few people are willing to speak out at something as public as a City Council meeting. We are new to our neighborhood and school and are terrified of getting labeled as anti-teacher (very liberal neighborhood and the line here has definitely been that anti-Trump, pro-science, and pro-teacher also means anti-opening, which is exhausting and infuriating). I like to think that if we were a more established family and our kid already had friends here, we would be willing to speak up, but honestly, I don't know. The anti-opening people are terrifying. They are mean and go right for the jugular the minute anyone expresses any different opinion.

Like for me, my attitude is "I get why teachers are concerned and think we need to listen to those concerns and address them. But I think we should be looking for ways to get kids in schools by addressing teacher concerns, and not just accept indefinite closure as a solution because it is hurting so many kids."

And the response is, "Fine, I guess you want teachers to die then. Guess your precious snowflakes academic performance is more important than a teacher's life or safety. Typical privileged white person."

I've split the difference and have been advocating heavily for outdoor school options (which I actually do think are a good option and probably should have been implemented last fall). But it is hard to walk that line and worry that someone is going to tar and feather you because you say something "controversial", like "I'm worried about child literacy."

This is exactly right. I applaud those parents who spoke out yesterday at the meeting.

I imagine, though, that you could speak your mind in a statement to the council instead which could be anonymous/private. They requested such statements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Improving the mental health of kids isn’t the priority of schools either. Schools are educational institutions.

Since we’re being technical.

The PP did state they understood the toll of kids trolls.

This is absolutely incorrect and I dare you to find a single educator willing to say that their sole job is to provide academic instruction. You won’t. Prevailing pedagogy is that school teach “the whole child” including their socio-emotional development.

Improving mental health if children is 100% a central role of public schools.

[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.

It is very disheartening but I also understand why so few people are willing to speak out at something as public as a City Council meeting. We are new to our neighborhood and school and are terrified of getting labeled as anti-teacher (very liberal neighborhood and the line here has definitely been that anti-Trump, pro-science, and pro-teacher also means anti-opening, which is exhausting and infuriating). I like to think that if we were a more established family and our kid already had friends here, we would be willing to speak up, but honestly, I don't know. The anti-opening people are terrifying. They are mean and go right for the jugular the minute anyone expresses any different opinion.

Like for me, my attitude is "I get why teachers are concerned and think we need to listen to those concerns and address them. But I think we should be looking for ways to get kids in schools by addressing teacher concerns, and not just accept indefinite closure as a solution because it is hurting so many kids."

And the response is, "Fine, I guess you want teachers to die then. Guess your precious snowflakes academic performance is more important than a teacher's life or safety. Typical privileged white person."

I've split the difference and have been advocating heavily for outdoor school options (which I actually do think are a good option and probably should have been implemented last fall). But it is hard to walk that line and worry that someone is going to tar and feather you because you say something "controversial", like "I'm worried about child literacy."

This is exactly right. I applaud those parents who spoke out yesterday at the meeting.

I imagine, though, that you could speak your mind in a statement to the council instead which could be anonymous/private. They requested such statements.

PP here. I didn’t realize this. I will definitely submit something. Thanks for letting me know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Except not anymore. https://www.wsj.com/articles/europes-schools-are-closing-again-on-concerns-they-spread-covid-19-11610805601

I’m not posting this to say schools shouldn’t open. But can we please stop with the “all the data says” nonsense? Because the data on children and Covid is rapidly changing, most especially with the new strain.