Reply to WaPo on the mental health crisis students are experiencing

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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.[/quote]

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.

[/quote]

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."[/quote]

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. [/quote]

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

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