1st grade is a bad as we suspected

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are such an academically superior specimen and we all need to learn from you, why are you a substitute teacher?

You need to work on your reading comp if that is what you got from my post. The reason I mentioned I was a substitute was to communicate that I’ve been in all grade levels this year (K-5) and first grade is struggling the most (followed closely by second grade.) I’m not saying anyone should learn from me (???) but if I had a first grader I would want to know what a hot mess the classroom is right now. I’m scared to suggest supplementing because everyone is really hostile, but I personally would be supplementing heavily my first or second grader this year. I absolutely agree that virtual schooling did not affect all grades/ages equally.

I really am trying to help. I work for $15/hour - I’m not there for the money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sister is a teacher and reports the same about first grade. We pulled her to do K at private and my sister urged us to stay for first grade because she knew this is what it would be like this year. I’m really hoping we can switch back to public for second grade. It’s a disgrace what public schools in this region did to kids last year.

PP … I’m regretting not staying with private this year. The difference has honestly been astounding

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sister is a teacher and reports the same about first grade. We pulled her to do K at private and my sister urged us to stay for first grade because she knew this is what it would be like this year. I’m really hoping we can switch back to public for second grade. It’s a disgrace what public schools in this region did to kids last year.

PP … I’m regretting not staying with private this year. The difference has honestly been astounding

It does seem there will be a lot of remedial catch-up he/she does not need. And a lot of time spent evaluating the behavioral issues for IEPs. The older grades already have IEP’s in place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a first grade mom. Fortunately my kid is doing great because we hired a pod teacher and allowed play dates for socialization. But from check ins with her teacher, I’m under the impression she is now way ahead of her peers. And there have been some class-wide emails about behavior issues the teacher is asking us to address at home and I’m so grateful my child isn’t involved, but I also feel horrible for the school staff dealing with this. This group of kids really was an after thought throughout the pandemic.

You should feel bad for your child. Her class is probably a chaotic mess and she is probably bored to death.

I do feel bad for her. For the other kids who are behind. For the teacher. I also have a lot of anger at society for deciding it was ok to sacrifice this age group to save by and large the elderly. We could have had kids masked and in school last year.

Yes, so many of us parents of young elementary school students were screaming from the rooftops last year that the kids were not okay and no one cared at all. Instead we got a bunch of gaslighting emails from school administrators patting themselves on the back and claiming there was little to no learning loss.

There was a pandemic. The schools did the right thing.

No they really did not as far as young kids are concerned. K-2 or 3 should have been back and could have been back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is what parents of kids this age said ALL LAST YEAR WHEN THEY WERE NOT IN SCHOOL.

Yes, I am yelling because I find this so unbelievably infuriating. And now it's wow...can you believe it. Yes. This is the most predictable outcome ever. No one gave a crap about these kids.

I am genuinely sympathetic to teachers who are now dealing with this shit show. And also, the deafening silence last year (at least in my school district) from any teachers about what this would surely do to kids this age was sad. No one speaking at the School Board meetings. No letters to the Editor. No posts on social media. No petitions. No leaked emails to the principal about how this was going to really be a problem for this particular age group. No "teacher association" (aka union) statements. Dead. Silence.

Yes. thank you. Signed, parent of a 1st grader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a first grade mom. Fortunately my kid is doing great because we hired a pod teacher and allowed play dates for socialization. But from check ins with her teacher, I’m under the impression she is now way ahead of her peers. And there have been some class-wide emails about behavior issues the teacher is asking us to address at home and I’m so grateful my child isn’t involved, but I also feel horrible for the school staff dealing with this. This group of kids really was an after thought throughout the pandemic.

You should feel bad for your child. Her class is probably a chaotic mess and she is probably bored to death.

I do feel bad for her. For the other kids who are behind. For the teacher. I also have a lot of anger at society for deciding it was ok to sacrifice this age group to save by and large the elderly. We could have had kids masked and in school last year.

Yes, so many of us parents of young elementary school students were screaming from the rooftops last year that the kids were not okay and no one cared at all. Instead we got a bunch of gaslighting emails from school administrators patting themselves on the back and claiming there was little to no learning loss.

You understand that the principal and the teachers had no say over when school reopened. It was entirely up to the superintendent and the school board. Be mad at them, not your individual school staff. They are the ones dealing with the fallout, and they are not responsible for causing the issue.

Except for the part where they made the decisions in part based on the very vocal teachers who did want to come in. This is just the truth and I will not let revisionist history forget it. I am an administrator. And no it wasn’t all teachers or principals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what parents of kids this age said ALL LAST YEAR WHEN THEY WERE NOT IN SCHOOL.

Yes, I am yelling because I find this so unbelievably infuriating. And now it's wow...can you believe it. Yes. This is the most predictable outcome ever. No one gave a crap about these kids.

I am genuinely sympathetic to teachers who are now dealing with this shit show. And also, the deafening silence last year (at least in my school district) from any teachers about what this would surely do to kids this age was sad. No one speaking at the School Board meetings. No letters to the Editor. No posts on social media. No petitions. No leaked emails to the principal about how this was going to really be a problem for this particular age group. No "teacher association" (aka union) statements. Dead. Silence.

Yes. thank you. Signed, parent of a 1st grader.

+2

It was so frustrating all last year when those of us with kids in this age group said over and over "distance learning is not working, we need to prioritize in person learning specifically for this age group." And people would tell us we were being selfish, using at-risk kids to obtain free childcare (I just cannot with this argument over and over), and that "the kids are FINE, they'll catch up, stop worrying over nothing."

People have no idea what it's like to have a child in prime literacy acquisition years and be unable to help them. And it is crazy that we don't have a more comprehensive plan to address the learning loss for this age group. There should be ear marked funds for this.

[Anonymous]

But what’s done is done and being mad won’t help anything. Everyone - schools, teachers, and parents - all need to be working to get the behind kids caught up and/or have them repeat a grade if necessary. The situation will not right itself on its own.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for subbing! We NEED you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sister is a teacher and reports the same about first grade. We pulled her to do K at private and my sister urged us to stay for first grade because she knew this is what it would be like this year. I’m really hoping we can switch back to public for second grade. It’s a disgrace what public schools in this region did to kids last year.

PP … I’m regretting not staying with private this year. The difference has honestly been astounding

This- we moved our rising second grader this year from public to a parochial school that was open in person all of last year and the difference of where the kids are is shocking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But some are not behind at all, making the gap huge. I feel badly for the ones not behind. It’s going to be a long year for them. Did some parents really do nothing for a year and a half?

Are you serious?

Why yes, some parents did nothing. Because some parents had jobs outside of their houses and left the kids home with older siblings. That's just one mind blowing scenario for you. You can probably think of some more.

Virtual school was a massive fail for this age group. Kids this age who learned anything doing virtual school had a live human with them helping them. And that was a privilege many people didn't have.

And especially in this largely affluent area, many parents did nothing because they were Big Mad at teachers, washed their hands, said “not my job” and refused to sacrifice to help their kids in the many, many hours a week when the parents were not working at their Very Important Jobs, because it was more important for them to do what they wanted to do when they wanted to do it, and Netflix beat out working with your kid when you’re tired or on your day off.

Many parents did sacrifice their time, energy and some sleep and the difference in results is plain and totally predictable. Shrug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what parents of kids this age said ALL LAST YEAR WHEN THEY WERE NOT IN SCHOOL.

Yes, I am yelling because I find this so unbelievably infuriating. And now it's wow...can you believe it. Yes. This is the most predictable outcome ever. No one gave a crap about these kids.

I am genuinely sympathetic to teachers who are now dealing with this shit show. And also, the deafening silence last year (at least in my school district) from any teachers about what this would surely do to kids this age was sad. No one speaking at the School Board meetings. No letters to the Editor. No posts on social media. No petitions. No leaked emails to the principal about how this was going to really be a problem for this particular age group. No "teacher association" (aka union) statements. Dead. Silence.

I know. Especially for the K-1st graders. I cannot believe that we didn't move heaven & earth to at least get the Ks back in school 1/2 time to learn to read and write. What a colossal failure.

Who is “we?” Were you planning to volunteer to go in unvaccinated to teach them?

No, I didn’t think so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a first grade mom. Fortunately my kid is doing great because we hired a pod teacher and allowed play dates for socialization. But from check ins with her teacher, I’m under the impression she is now way ahead of her peers. And there have been some class-wide emails about behavior issues the teacher is asking us to address at home and I’m so grateful my child isn’t involved, but I also feel horrible for the school staff dealing with this. This group of kids really was an after thought throughout the pandemic.

You should feel bad for your child. Her class is probably a chaotic mess and she is probably bored to death.

I do feel bad for her. For the other kids who are behind. For the teacher. I also have a lot of anger at society for deciding it was ok to sacrifice this age group to save by and large the elderly. We could have had kids masked and in school last year.

Yes, so many of us parents of young elementary school students were screaming from the rooftops last year that the kids were not okay and no one cared at all. Instead we got a bunch of gaslighting emails from school administrators patting themselves on the back and claiming there was little to no learning loss.

There was a pandemic. The schools did the right thing.

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But what’s done is done and being mad won’t help anything. Everyone - schools, teachers, and parents - all need to be working to get the behind kids caught up and/or have them repeat a grade if necessary. The situation will not right itself on its own.

Well over 50% of the younger elementary kids are significantly behind and for many there’s no way they will ever catch up. There’s no way the public schools will ever admit the degree to which last year was an utter failure by holding all the kids back that need it, nor do they have the space to accommodate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a first grade mom. Fortunately my kid is doing great because we hired a pod teacher and allowed play dates for socialization. But from check ins with her teacher, I’m under the impression she is now way ahead of her peers. And there have been some class-wide emails about behavior issues the teacher is asking us to address at home and I’m so grateful my child isn’t involved, but I also feel horrible for the school staff dealing with this. This group of kids really was an after thought throughout the pandemic.

You should feel bad for your child. Her class is probably a chaotic mess and she is probably bored to death.

I do feel bad for her. For the other kids who are behind. For the teacher. I also have a lot of anger at society for deciding it was ok to sacrifice this age group to save by and large the elderly. We could have had kids masked and in school last year.

Yes, so many of us parents of young elementary school students were screaming from the rooftops last year that the kids were not okay and no one cared at all. Instead we got a bunch of gaslighting emails from school administrators patting themselves on the back and claiming there was little to no learning loss.

There was a pandemic. The schools did the right thing.

+1,000

Then shouldn’t they still be closed?