Why are parents so fixated on reopening schools in-person?

[Anonymous]

Not everyone is miserable. I actually enjoy this and so does my DS. He talks to his friends online at night playing games. He likes school online because all of the kids with bad behavior who ruin school do not show up online. The teachers are helping him one-on-one because they have office hours each day. The lessons are less fluff and to the point and aren't interrupted by the behavior issues. He sleeps in later each day. I prefer working at home. No wasted time commuting and I save money on gas. The parents I know that really want schools to open have never spent more than a week straight with their kids. They don't want to either. I'm a single parent so it's all me 24/7 but I cannot complain. My kid says he hopes they don't go back to school this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why?

Because my kids are at a critical stage of development for academic learning, work habits, and social skills. Once this window closes, you don't get it back.

Because the burden of DL on working mothers and families is tremendous. Toxic levels of stress that were breaking me physically and mentally. I won't even start on the impact to my job and career.

Because I watched my previously thriving daughter basically shut down and refuse to learn through a virtual format. She also reverted back to separation anxiety and lost much of her independence and self confidence.

Because school is an essential service and should be treated as such. Despite exploding numbers of cases, no one suggests we should close grocery stores, doctors offices, police and EMS services, etc. We have bars and restaurants open but not schools. The inability of politicians to prioritize the needs of our children is unbelievable.

Well, you were able to do your career and job well before because someone else was parenting your child and spending time with them.

Schools are closed and bars and restaurants are not. This is because customers have the choice to go to restaurants and bars or not. If schools are open, students and teachers have no choice but to go and get COVID. Restaurants and bars are not back full force, Most of them are serving their customers remotely (delivery or takeout). Schools are also doing the same thing - teaching remotely. Yes, it sucks.

Politicians need to do a hard lockdown everywhere so that we can be free of this nightmare. But since we have an POS in the WH right now who refuses to transition, that is not going to happen for another year. Even with the vaccines.

If teachers are just babysitters, as you suggest, we need to cut their pay since there is no educational benefit. BTW, my son’s honor’s geometry’s teacher will be disappointed to learn she is a babysitter!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s nobody worse than public school teachers refusing to go to work all year while putting their own precious Larlas in private school, preschool or daycare.

+1000000. Any teacher who doesn’t want to go back to work should have their own children regardless of age home with them
All day.

[Anonymous]

Because parents need to work and having kids underfoot all day, every day is not good for anyone.

Plus one on mental health, need for socialization and virtual learning being less than ideal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nobody worse than public school teachers refusing to go to work all year while putting their own precious Larlas in private school, preschool or daycare.

+1000000. Any teacher who doesn’t want to go back to work should have their own children regardless of age home with them
All day.

My 4 yr old is at home with me. He has been at home since March. It's been nice and I don't plan to send him back this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone is miserable. I actually enjoy this and so does my DS. He talks to his friends online at night playing games. He likes school online because all of the kids with bad behavior who ruin school do not show up online. The teachers are helping him one-on-one because they have office hours each day. The lessons are less fluff and to the point and aren't interrupted by the behavior issues. He sleeps in later each day. I prefer working at home. No wasted time commuting and I save money on gas. The parents I know that really want schools to open have never spent more than a week straight with their kids. They don't want to either. I'm a single parent so it's all me 24/7 but I cannot complain. My kid says he hopes they don't go back to school this year.

My children say the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why?

Because my kids are at a critical stage of development for academic learning, work habits, and social skills. Once this window closes, you don't get it back.

Because the burden of DL on working mothers and families is tremendous. Toxic levels of stress that were breaking me physically and mentally. I won't even start on the impact to my job and career.

Because I watched my previously thriving daughter basically shut down and refuse to learn through a virtual format. She also reverted back to separation anxiety and lost much of her independence and self confidence.

Because school is an essential service and should be treated as such. Despite exploding numbers of cases, no one suggests we should close grocery stores, doctors offices, police and EMS services, etc. We have bars and restaurants open but not schools. The inability of politicians to prioritize the needs of our children is unbelievable.

Well, you were able to do your career and job well before because someone else was parenting your child and spending time with them.

Schools are closed and bars and restaurants are not. This is because customers have the choice to go to restaurants and bars or not. If schools are open, students and teachers have no choice but to go and get COVID. Restaurants and bars are not back full force, Most of them are serving their customers remotely (delivery or takeout). Schools are also doing the same thing - teaching remotely. Yes, it sucks.

Politicians need to do a hard lockdown everywhere so that we can be free of this nightmare. But since we have an POS in the WH right now who refuses to transition, that is not going to happen for another year. Even with the vaccines.

If teachers are just babysitters, as you suggest, we need to cut their pay since there is no educational benefit. BTW, my son’s honor’s geometry’s teacher will be disappointed to learn she is a babysitter!

Uh, you prepared to pay teachers the going rate per kid per hour? Most would take you up on this!

[Anonymous]

Special Report: Why are parents so hung up on improving their kids' lives? News at 11!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Special Report: Why are parents so hung up on improving their kids' lives? News at 11!

Yeah, why the hell do parents expect to be able to do their jobs and send their kids into school, so they can get a great education? Selfish assholes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nobody worse than public school teachers refusing to go to work all year while putting their own precious Larlas in private school, preschool or daycare.

+1000000. Any teacher who doesn’t want to go back to work should have their own children regardless of age home with them
All day.

We were talking to our PK teacher about what a struggle DL has been for our PK kid (obviously) and she said, "Oh, I understand -- my 4 yr old was having a terrible time, so we started sending him to private PK and he's doing much better!"

You think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we have dumped so many social responsibilities on the school system—childcare, food, social skills, counseling, etc.—that we are just in a state of shock when they assert that their main job is education.

And they haven't been doing their main job--education--since March.

Where do your kids go to school? What are you talking about? My kid's teachers are online live nearly all day except for lunch and their special area class. Do you have any idea how long it takes to prepare for a daily 5+ hour live session? I have two meetings a week that I lead for an hour and it takes a loooooong time to prepare for them (and they are for adults).

I do not care at all about how hard teachers are working. The kids are not learning. These two are completely separate things. Public education is results-focused not input-focused. School is not designed as a vehicle for teachers to teach, but as a place for students to learn. If students are not learning, then education is not happening, and it doesn't matter at all that teachers think they're working harder.

This is why we are saying that teachers have not been doing their job.

NO. YOUR child(ren) are not learning. My children and all other children that I know (neighbors and friends) are learning just fine. Maybe you need to help your kids and trash teachers less. Try working with them and figure out a plan for your child(ren).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are depressed. They are learning very little, one has regressed so much academically he's now several grade levels behind.

There was a British study about what teachers saw when schools reopened. Huge academic regression, children forgetting their numbers and letters, forgetting how to read. Huge social and emotional regression, mental health problems and lack of physical conditioning.

OP, your fears about the pandemic are less important than our future generations. Look outside of yourself.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-pandemic-kid-regression/

Dumb and inaccurate. Kids are going to respond according to how their parents handle this. Many parents just cannot- it's not the kids. Teach resiliency during a crisis not panic.

Maybe tell that to the teachers who are constantly panicking.

Maybe they are panicking because parents have told them repeatedly they want them to die, they do not care if they get sick or are rendered unable to take care of their families, and they are the reason schools are closed. They have been told they are dumb, lazy, boring, and get more hate mail than Trump. Hmmm. If I were a teacher, I would think that they would definitely send their germ-ridden kids to school sick to infect the teacher and other kids just to get their "down time" or uninterrupted work time. I would be freaking out too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we have dumped so many social responsibilities on the school system—childcare, food, social skills, counseling, etc.—that we are just in a state of shock when they assert that their main job is education.

And they haven't been doing their main job--education--since March.

Wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents need to learn how to parent. Maybe start living in joint families.

How dare you? I know how to parent. And if someone would pay me $100,000 a year to teach my child that would be one thing, but I am being expected to do that for free. I have a job. I cannot do it and also a second, unpaid job that I am not being paid for and that forces me to work an additional 8 hours for free. FIX DISTANCE LEARNING and take responsibility for your students.

So, I can come through zoom and wake your child up? I can give your child breakfast so that they can focus? I can take the legos, stuffed animals, and video games away from him so he can actually focus on learning? I can give him a quiet background so that he can learn? I can sit with him for 4 hours to review all that he/she refused to get during instructional time? I can do his assignments for him? I can prep him for tests since he missed a lot of assignments? I cannot do ANY of these things. I can provide instruction, encourage, mentor, and have additional zoom time within reason to help him/her but I cannot do all of the above. That is the parent's job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we have dumped so many social responsibilities on the school system—childcare, food, social skills, counseling, etc.—that we are just in a state of shock when they assert that their main job is education.

And they haven't been doing their main job--education--since March.

Where do your kids go to school? What are you talking about? My kid's teachers are online live nearly all day except for lunch and their special area class. Do you have any idea how long it takes to prepare for a daily 5+ hour live session? I have two meetings a week that I lead for an hour and it takes a loooooong time to prepare for them (and they are for adults).

I do not care at all about how hard teachers are working. The kids are not learning. These two are completely separate things. Public education is results-focused not input-focused. School is not designed as a vehicle for teachers to teach, but as a place for students to learn. If students are not learning, then education is not happening, and it doesn't matter at all that teachers think they're working harder.

This is why we are saying that teachers have not been doing their job.

Wjat kids? Surely you're not making a blanket statement. My kids, and the kids of most of my friends, are learning just fine. Thanks for your faux concern for our kids, but it's not needed.