Reply to PETITION: MCPS Board of Eduction - Keep Schools Open for In-Person Learning!

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Sorry to bring this back up, but I am still very confused about how the fact I want my child to be in person at our public school is born from some sort of privilege? I am not trying to be snarky, I just truly do not understand it. So many people throwing out angry stereotypes here. Agreed there are people of all stripes on both sides of this. Personally, in person school is just crucial for my kids mental health (they were so miserable during virtual) and I don't think there is yet enough evidence of community spread. The teacher shortages, I understand.

Aside from trolls who say parents who want in person school just want babysitting, I don't understand the class arguments at all.  [/quote]

Working class POC in Montgomery County are [u][b][i]more likely[/i][/b] [/u](emphasis so no one pops up with their opposing anecdote, if that's all they have) than wealthier white families to:

-Suffer poorer outcomes from COVID
-Have already lost loved ones to COVID
-Live with older, more vulnerable relatives 
-Have at least a few close community members they can rely on to swap virtual supervision duties with
-Per above, have jobs where they can actually be completely off of work at least 1-2 days (during daytime) during the week
-Have those same hourly/shift jobs that don't allow them to take any or many sick days-- which means both a greater likelihood of sending kids in sick or exposed (if in person) and a stronger preference that the kids not get sick in the first place
-Even if they don't want to send their kids in-person, be unable to keep kids home truant d/t less supervision (without virtual-- but with virtual, they would be more able to swap childcare)
-Be harassed if they keep their kids home truant (without virtual)
-Etc.

There are several reasons that WC POC were far more likely to keep their kids in virtual last spring than UMC white families, including language barriers I won't discount, but the above accounted for a lot of them.

It's also the case that though they are underserved by virtual, many have reported facing less racism/classism in discipline with virtual than in-person.

It's definitely true that WC POC are more likely than the opposite to have their kids not sign in for virtual or be really unsupported if they are struggling, d/t lack of resources, having only an older sibling to supervise, etc. However, those cases are in the minority.

People are inferring-- and there is some truth to it-- that working class families need the "free childcare" more than wealthier families. But they're making a few errors. Among them is the assumption that the only way for kids to do passably in virtual is for each child's parent to be at home and providing heavy supervision and assistance (on average). Clearly parents are less able (again, on average) to provide this if they WOH than WFH. But there's no proof that it makes such an incredible difference for the average kid that it's strictly necessary.

Another error, of course, is assuming that if schools are not in session, WC POC have no options for childcare other than paid childcare, which they have less money for. In fact, they're more likely to have trusted, unpaid, flexible childcare than UMC white parents.

And of course, risk assessment is different when you're at higher risk of devastation from COVID.

So... I hope that helps. That's not even comprehensive, on any side, and I don't claim it is. It's just off the top of my head because I have a work break.

I think statements about privilege are (or should be) more about not considering other people in different, more challenging circumstances. It is a privilege to be ignorant of... well, all the things you are apparently ignorant of. People who are less privileged, on average, actually must have some understanding of the perspectives and circumstances of the more-privileged in order to survive. It's related to what WEB DuBois calls Double Consciousness, but anyhow. What I'm talking about is the idea that if you're the ant, you have to know where the boot is going to step, but if you're the boot, the comings and goings of the ant aren't all that salient to you.[/quote]

What is the source of your “data”, PP? It seems speculative and doesn’t reflect my experience at all. At our school, a title 1 school, POC and working class families mine (because yes, I think this is more about commonalities of SES not race on this particular front) are NOT well positioned in terms of childcare. We may have informal childcare but this often includes our high school or middle school children minding younger siblings. It’s hardly the kind of supervision that optimizes virtual learning, especially younger kids. Like other families, I sent my young kids to live with family elsewhere when virtual was in full flight, but we can’t do that again - it was traumatizing for my kids and my relatives have since returned to work. Additionally, my kids are having a tough time catching up. My younger children are struggling with some of the content covered this year and I’m convinced it’s because it’s hard for young kids to absorb information by virtual format. So again, if you want to do virtual for your school or your kids, go for it. But you don’t speak for all families. [/quote]

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