Reply to How are PK3-4 parents feeling about distance learning?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

[b]I really don't like the idea that a parent could choose to send their kid to an in-person daycare for this year but retain their spot in a school program because of the pandemic. It would be different if a family opted out of in-person because of concerns about health and safety, but if they are willing to send their kid to in-person care elsewhere (so obviously not that concerned about health/safety), I think they should give up their spot to another family who cannot afford private care. Come on[/b].[/quote]

I strongly disagree with this. I'm an essential worker. My kid has been going to daycare since April.  The daycare is extremely careful (temperature checks, masks, lots of outdoor time). It's been 3 months, and there have been absolutely no issues. So I strongly disagree with your assertion that people who send their kid to places like this and would consider also sending their kid to any in-person days don't care about health and safety. I'd argue that my kid going to this daycare is probably safer than many other arrangements other families will make for distance learning days (hiring a nanny, whose off-hour movements you can't know or control; creating a pod with kids who are in other classes; having older and thus at-risk grandparents step in).

Your opinion comes from a place of privilege and no evidence.[/quote]

I don't think anyone can make assumptions about other people's commitment to safety or concerns, especially since some people don't have a choice about having to go back to work outside the house.  [b]But [/b]I think the question remains: does that mean you get to keep a spot at your school which isn't your in boundary if your kid is at a daycare?  If they "keep your spot" can they serve another kid in your place? Would both kids be enrolled when we get back to in person learning? Or, does the school just serve fewer kids because yours is at daycare?  Do they still get the per pupil $?  lots of questions. [/quote]

If there are in-person days, my kid will attend. So yes, we would be keeping the spot and opting out of the distance learning days.

If there are no in-person days, I think we should still get to keep the spot, even if we opt out of all distance learning. The teacher gets to focus on distance-teaching one fewer student. That's better for the teacher (smaller class size) and for the other kids participating in distance learning. One could argue that we're taking a spot from a new student, but our school has accepted I think ONE kid at K each year the past several years. And the kids who join at K may have none of the target language, while my kid does. So yes, I think we should get to keep the spot. We will keep supporting the target language at home and return to school when they have in-person days. Distance learning is not a developmentally appropriate substitute for in-person learning for a 5-year-old. The school is not missing out on the chance to distance-teach a 5-year old 5 days a week because that isn't "serving" the 5-year-old or the parent(s) if there are no in-person days.[/quote]

NP here. I think the main point is whether it's fair to hold a highly competitive charter spot when you are not actually going to the school (in-person or DL). There are dozens or hundreds of other families that WOULD participate in distance learning and would continue to be engaged with the school for the year or more while your children are attending a different school/daycare. It seems objectively reasonable that families either attend the school or choose to disenroll and give up their spot. You can always play the lottery again or enroll at your in-bounds. Wanting to hold onto your seat while sending your child to another school is asking to have your cake and eat it to. [/quote]

I disagree. And that interpretation disproportionately impacts essential workers, people who cannot afford hire help to supervise distance learning, people who cannot successfully manage distance learning at home for a variety of reasons. Arguing that people "just need to participate in distance learning" or lose their spot at a charter school comes from a place of privilege.

My kid does not go to private school. I am not choosing to send her to private school/day care instead of participating in distance learning. She goes to a subsidized center set up for kids of essential workers. I shouldn't be punished for accepting that service that is offered to me to enable me to go to work. Please examine how your interpretation affects everyone.[/quote]

This convo is a perfect example of why there need to be clear rules about all of this. I feel for the above poster who is an essential worker and would support rules that addressed the needs of essential workers specifically, ensuring both that their kids get access to education and that they don't lose school spots because their jobs require them to have their kids in full time care. Though it sounds like this specific poster would not have any issue participating in DL (and likely this could be accommodated at their kid's daycare) so I'm not sure this would even apply to them.

But the underlying point is that certain privileged parents (ie not essential workers with limited options, but parents who have the financial means to pay for private preschool) will try to use the Covid crisis to, as one poster aptly put it, have their cake and eat it too. If a parent looks at the public school option presented (whether DL or hybrid) and decided they'd rather pay for private pre-school in order to have more control over the situation, they should have to forgo their spot in the public school system so another child can use it. We're just talking about parents who choose to opt out of public PK programs altogether in favor of a private option, not people who need to supplement DL or in-person days with private care.

It would be offensive if parents who choose private preschool over public school this year could use the pandemic as a reason to keep their public school spot. I can understand why parents who can afford would opt for private school in these circumstances. I just don't think they should be allowed to use up public resources that could be serving another child whose family does not have those options.[/quote]

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