Reply to Tired of people with older kids dominating the conversation around schools and COVID

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, I am on your side on this but I also don't think that it's helpful to pit "parents with older kids" against "parents with younger kids." The whole situation sucks for everyone but in different ways.

I have young kids (2YO and 5YO, rising kindergartner) and there is an approximately 0% chance that "distance learning" for my kindergartner will teach him squat. He is a smart kid, but doesn't interact with his teachers through fuzzy zoom connections with crosstalk in the same way he does in the classroom.  It gives me heart palpitations to consider teaching him at home full time, because now he actually is supposed to learn things like reading and I don't think I can fathom just plunking him in front of a tv all day since although I will be working full time at home (as will my husband) I actually have a job to do.

Fact of the matter, regardless of how much people will disagree, is that distance learning is just not tenable for kindergarten, 4-7yoish education without an involved and present adult. Teachers have been expected by parents and communities to be those adults which has allowed women to go into the workforce, but now that many are working full time, we cannot just sub back in to that role without major adjustments and costs.  The options for parents of young kids are to find an adult to care for and educate your kid, be that adult, or sacrifice education.

And to all the parents of rising juniors, etc = a neurotypical 16 year old can 100% learn online. There are whole curricula designed for that and students in rural locations (think: parts of Alaska, rural Montana, etc) have been doing this for decades. It's far from ideal, but older kids can get more from dl and also can do so without needing full-time attention from their parents.

Additionally, and this will start a firestorm I'm sure, younger kids do.not.transmit.covid.to.the.same.degree.that.older.kids.do (ote: I'm not saying they don't transmit! Or that they don't get sick! Just that they don't transmit *as much* and don't get sick *as much*, or *as sick*). And, despite what people assume, IME, younger kids are totally fine with masks. My kids are both at daycare and although it isn't required all the kids I have seen at pickup have been masked. So, the need is higher for those kids (and for those parents) for in-person ed, AND the risks are lower. And yet, many districts and states seem to be going with something closer to one-size-fits-all. It's frustrating. [/quote]

You sound annoying.  Most of K is to prep them for school for future years.  With involved parents, DL can be fine for K.  It is on the parents to teach them to read, write and math and most parents aren't willing to teach their kids.  You don't have to sacrifice education.  You have to teach them yourself which you should be doing as its part of parenting.[/quote]

Gosh, thanks hon. I guess I'll just pull my tax dollars from public education  (I mean, it's my job, right?) and tell my friends who teach K that I can probably do their jobs just as well as they can despite never having taken an education class in my entire life.

And, like I said, you *can* can teach your kids yourself. Many people do this. But you *can not* teach your kids yourself well AND work a full time job. [/quote]

Regardless of school you should be working with your kids either way.  You can spare 30-60 minutes a day with a few workbooks.  They can do workbooks while they sit next to you if you are working at home.  Its not that hard.  Its about priorities and you figuring out how to balance them.  Or, hire a tutor.  We worked with our kids so they were reading, did basic math and writing before K.  We started teaching reading at 3.  They also went to a more academic preschool which helped.  You can either find excuses or figure it out.  I don't get why people like you have kids, especially multiple kids and then give up your parenting role to the school and expect them to do everything.[/quote]

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