How pods hurt poor kids

[Anonymous]

The word pod has lost all meaning. Sorry, peas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The word pod has lost all meaning. Sorry, peas.

You are truly thinking of everyone’s interests. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Oh FFS, can we just agree that LIFE is not fair? Enough with this equity BS. There will ALWAYS be inequities as part of life. You can not make every single thing in life fair and equitable no matter how hard you try, as it just creates other inequities. People are doing what is best for their families in extraordinary times. That's life, understand that and deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry no, I don't think it serves anyone to give my children a poor quality education. Is that what you mean by "stay and fight"?

Translation: “let them eat cake”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh FFS, can we just agree that LIFE is not fair? Enough with this equity BS. There will ALWAYS be inequities as part of life. You can not make every single thing in life fair and equitable no matter how hard you try, as it just creates other inequities. People are doing what is best for their families in extraordinary times. That's life, understand that and deal with it.

Look, I think OP is overwrought in her plea here.

But, PP, you are too extreme in the other direction. Using “life’s not fair” as an excuse for inaction or unconcern is callous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry no, I don't think it serves anyone to give my children a poor quality education. Is that what you mean by "stay and fight"?

+ 1,000

I love how the woke people are all concerned for others until it affects them personally - especially their kids. Then it’s every man for himself.

At least be honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP's argument makes no sense, because many parents supplement learning even when school is regularly in session. My parents had tutors for me 35 years ago, and I went to one of the best public school systems in America at that time. It's just what happens. It doesn't have to do with the teachers or the materials, necessarily. It just has to do with parents wanting the best education for their child.

This. And it isn't just DC. This is true everywhere. The well-intentioned but misguided efforts to close the achievement gap has resulted in a public school system that doesn't serve anyone well. It certainly does not provide the extra help that students from disadvantaged families need. Instead, families with the resources, desire, or both supplement education outside of public schools and thereby succeed despite school, not because of it.

Unfortunately, the pandemic will magnify the divide that already existed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having my kids fall behind doesn’t help anyone else. I reject your premise, OP.

But I think they won't if influential parents demand better instead of checking out.

What if we compromise. Don't form pods till December and spend three months trying to get your school to deliver a good education to your kids (and everyone else's kids) If it doesn't work and what they are giving you, after all your complaints to the teacher and principal and PTA, is still things like chaotic weekly meetings, busywork worksheets, ed tech, and videos followed by poorly worded online quizzes, then form your pod and educate your own kids. But I really think they will figure out how to do it if they have to. But it won't be cheap so parents are going to have to stay and make them have to.

Absolutely not! I completely reject your premise that delivering quality to my own kids is in any way incompatible with activism on behalf of others or for the quality of DL. It's bizarre that you think under-serving my kids would make a difference to anyone at all. It's not like I can hold their education hostage to extract concessions from the teachers. "Oh noes, high-income parents are letting their kids watch TV, we better provide them some higher-quality stuff!" Said no teacher ever. And also, I'm satisfied with my school's DL right now. I just want to be able to work during the day, so I need to hire someone else to be with the kids. I need to do my actual job now, I can't put it off until December.

You need to stop being so naive about DCPS. It's not like they don't understand that parents want quality. Parents have been demanding better for decades. They do it all the time. "Demand better" is not going to get the job done. The problems are very deeply rooted and require a tremendous amount of time and money to address. A vast quantity of money from the council would help. Maybe you should focus on that.

Look, I was a PTA president at a Title I school-- a very poorly regarded one-- for two years. And I learned that persuading people to under-serve their own child never, ever works. They just won't do it. They'll do all kinds of things as long as their child still gets an education that they perceive as adequate, and as long as you don't ask them to make themselves miserable with too much of a time commitment. But they won't accept a bad education for their own child. Especially if they don't think it will actually benefit any other child. If you want to ask for solidarity, go ahead. But ask for something that will actually make a difference.

But it won’t be equitable unless you are willing to give up some privilege.

[Anonymous]

In an abstract way I care, but otoh, I don't care about pods or supplementing for my own kids hurting poor kids right now. I just don't have the energy. I am focusing on my children now. I will think about poor kids when we all go back to normal.

More power to those who can think and act on this issue right now.

[Anonymous]

Rich parents have always hired tutors and paid for expensive extra classes for their children. This is nothing new at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rich parents have always hired tutors and paid for expensive extra classes for their children. This is nothing new at all.

Except at least normally kids can get some sort of basic instruction all day. So many kids will be getting no instruction and no support. It's very scary to think about how large the gaps will be when school finally does return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think it's a fair point that people are too tired and so choose pods or that that DL can't be made to be very good, so fighting that battle is tilting at windmills. But I don't buy, depending on the make-up of your school, that it won't make a difference that some/many parents with the economic and social capital to have their voices heard by the teacher and principal don't feel the urgency to speak up because their kids are doing fine in pods. I think teachers would have to do better if they had parents reaching out frequently and complaining about what isn't working and explaining what their child needs. Not only will there be fewer parents doing this, but the ones with clout won't be the ones doing it. The teacher may even think she is doing fine since she doesn't hear much.

People are going to do what they are going to do. But it's unfortunate, IMO, that we aren't all in this together fighting this fight to get our kids what they need.

Oh my gosh. This is so triggering. Parents being aggressive was happened every few years and was incredibly unpleasant. My husband never had to deal with that level of rudeness at his job. So glad I quit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think it's a fair point that people are too tired and so choose pods or that that DL can't be made to be very good, so fighting that battle is tilting at windmills. But I don't buy, depending on the make-up of your school, that it won't make a difference that some/many parents with the economic and social capital to have their voices heard by the teacher and principal don't feel the urgency to speak up because their kids are doing fine in pods. I think teachers would have to do better if they had parents reaching out frequently and complaining about what isn't working and explaining what their child needs. Not only will there be fewer parents doing this, but the ones with clout won't be the ones doing it. The teacher may even think she is doing fine since she doesn't hear much.

People are going to do what they are going to do. But it's unfortunate, IMO, that we aren't all in this together fighting this fight to get our kids what they need.

Oh my gosh. This is so triggering. Parents being aggressive was happened every few years and was incredibly unpleasant. My husband never had to deal with that level of rudeness at his job. So glad I quit.

-former teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it's just me but the pods don't sound super high-quality either. The gap will always widen but I'm not giving these pods that much credit.

+1

Most of these pods are driven by childcare needs, not academics.

[Anonymous]

Op, you mentioned that some parents have more “clout.” Who are those parents?