Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What we need to admit as a country is that public school IS childcare. We rely on it as such, and itâs our only form of publicly subsidized childcare or support to parents whatsoever. This is not to belittle the actual content of education, but itâs not optional, itâs essential. Most families and indeed our entire economy rely on it, but we are acting like itâs âjustâ to benefit kids minds. Clearly thatâs not essential enough (actually learning) but itâs much bigger than that, itâs the engine of the economy as a whole. Should schools and teachers alone near that burden? No, but like all the other workers and systems mentioned, they probably have to. Like one teacher said we need to recognize this overall and not just during this pandemic. If schools are child care and we cannot work without it, then it should be the backbone of reopening plans to either reopen schools or childcare canters of some sort, or, to provide paid extended leave to parents in general. Basically it needs to be thought through as a vital service. In some countries childcare is free right now for essential workers.
+1000
This post hasn't gained much traction, but it hits the nail on the head. The US has a spotty and insufficient safety net. Local taxes that fund public schools are the only safety net that can manage to get funding, then the federal government contributes as well.
We can either develop a different social safety net or we can massively increase school funding. However, I'm afraid we're not going to do either of those things and magically expect parents to get back to work without childcare. Little Mary goes to school two mornings per week, while her mom has shifts at the grocery store whenever they are assigned to her. It's a recipe for a massive depression and frankly, societal unrest.
If schools are the backbone of the economy then pay teachers accordingly. We arenât going to put our lives on the line for the sake of the economy when we literally have to beg for every dollar we get. If schools are such a vital force in the economy then pay teachers like other masters level professionals and stop being so dismissive.
I donât disagree and Iâm a teacher myself, but this is unlikely. Grocery store workers and meat packing workers are incredibly crucial right now. Whatâs the federal government doing? Trying to insulate the companies from lawsuits resulting from unsafe working conditions. We teachers have it a lot better than that, especially as schools are probably going to go with hybrid in-person/online model this fall. I just donât see how that gets us back to a functioning economy as parents wonât have childcare.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What we need to admit as a country is that public school IS childcare. We rely on it as such, and itâs our only form of publicly subsidized childcare or support to parents whatsoever. This is not to belittle the actual content of education, but itâs not optional, itâs essential. Most families and indeed our entire economy rely on it, but we are acting like itâs âjustâ to benefit kids minds. Clearly thatâs not essential enough (actually learning) but itâs much bigger than that, itâs the engine of the economy as a whole. Should schools and teachers alone near that burden? No, but like all the other workers and systems mentioned, they probably have to. Like one teacher said we need to recognize this overall and not just during this pandemic. If schools are child care and we cannot work without it, then it should be the backbone of reopening plans to either reopen schools or childcare canters of some sort, or, to provide paid extended leave to parents in general. Basically it needs to be thought through as a vital service. In some countries childcare is free right now for essential workers.
+1000
This post hasn't gained much traction, but it hits the nail on the head. The US has a spotty and insufficient safety net. Local taxes that fund public schools are the only safety net that can manage to get funding, then the federal government contributes as well.
We can either develop a different social safety net or we can massively increase school funding. However, I'm afraid we're not going to do either of those things and magically expect parents to get back to work without childcare. Little Mary goes to school two mornings per week, while her mom has shifts at the grocery store whenever they are assigned to her. It's a recipe for a massive depression and frankly, societal unrest.
If schools are the backbone of the economy then pay teachers accordingly. We arenât going to put our lives on the line for the sake of the economy when we literally have to beg for every dollar we get. If schools are such a vital force in the economy then pay teachers like other masters level professionals and stop being so dismissive.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What we need to admit as a country is that public school IS childcare. We rely on it as such, and itâs our only form of publicly subsidized childcare or support to parents whatsoever. This is not to belittle the actual content of education, but itâs not optional, itâs essential. Most families and indeed our entire economy rely on it, but we are acting like itâs âjustâ to benefit kids minds. Clearly thatâs not essential enough (actually learning) but itâs much bigger than that, itâs the engine of the economy as a whole. Should schools and teachers alone near that burden? No, but like all the other workers and systems mentioned, they probably have to. Like one teacher said we need to recognize this overall and not just during this pandemic. If schools are child care and we cannot work without it, then it should be the backbone of reopening plans to either reopen schools or childcare canters of some sort, or, to provide paid extended leave to parents in general. Basically it needs to be thought through as a vital service. In some countries childcare is free right now for essential workers.
+1000
This post hasn't gained much traction, but it hits the nail on the head. The US has a spotty and insufficient safety net. Local taxes that fund public schools are the only safety net that can manage to get funding, then the federal government contributes as well.
We can either develop a different social safety net or we can massively increase school funding. However, I'm afraid we're not going to do either of those things and magically expect parents to get back to work without childcare. Little Mary goes to school two mornings per week, while her mom has shifts at the grocery store whenever they are assigned to her. It's a recipe for a massive depression and frankly, societal unrest.
Anonymous wrote:What we need to admit as a country is that public school IS childcare. We rely on it as such, and itâs our only form of publicly subsidized childcare or support to parents whatsoever. This is not to belittle the actual content of education, but itâs not optional, itâs essential. Most families and indeed our entire economy rely on it, but we are acting like itâs âjustâ to benefit kids minds. Clearly thatâs not essential enough (actually learning) but itâs much bigger than that, itâs the engine of the economy as a whole. Should schools and teachers alone near that burden? No, but like all the other workers and systems mentioned, they probably have to. Like one teacher said we need to recognize this overall and not just during this pandemic. If schools are child care and we cannot work without it, then it should be the backbone of reopening plans to either reopen schools or childcare canters of some sort, or, to provide paid extended leave to parents in general. Basically it needs to be thought through as a vital service. In some countries childcare is free right now for essential workers.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Letâs ditch ECE & use those classrooms for limiting class sizes. Repurpose PS teachers to teach K-2, so kids can be more spread out.
One problem is that, babysitting-wise, PK kids are actually the biggest barriers to telework.
Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Letâs ditch ECE & use those classrooms for limiting class sizes. Repurpose PS teachers to teach K-2, so kids can be more spread out.
Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. Letâs ditch ECE & use those classrooms for limiting class sizes. Repurpose PS teachers to teach K-2, so kids can be more spread out.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I donât think itâs preposterous. What happens when teachers start calling out or dying or coming down with the virus in the numbers that grocery workers etc are? Then what? Subs? They arenât gonna show up. Who watches the kids? Oh wait....the schools will close again but this time may reopen with dead teachers. But during this time you will be able to quietly work from home and then maybe get the virus when your kid brings it home from
School. And you wonât understand how you were so careful and still got sick.
But all the first responders definitely have to go in, right? What happens when some of them get sick? Oh, you use subs, double up shifts, half nursing coverage, etc. Just like you could for teachers.
Exactly. I'm a nurse. My colleagues have been calling in sick on occasion during this crisis. We work double shifts or 1.5 times our shifts (18 hours), we take twice the number of patients while we're working. We get subs.
Good grief. Teachers by in large are the whiniest professionals. YOU FREAKING FIGURE IT OUT and you PITCH IN. Nurses have been doing it for 2 months during this pandemic.
Okay you realize youâre a nurse, right? As in you chose a profession to solely centered around caring for sick people. So yeah....you have to work during a global pandemic. Imagine that! Other professionals do not and itâs to make your job easier. Weâre staying home and working from home to stop this virus. So quit crying that teachers are not working your shifts. Architects arenât, lawyers arenât, pharmaceutical sales reps arenât, museum curators arenât....i could go on and on if youâd like. Itâs not because weâre all lazy...itâs because that is what is smartest right now for this city that we all live in and love.
Anonymous wrote:I donât think itâs preposterous. What happens when teachers start calling out or dying or coming down with the virus in the numbers that grocery workers etc are? Then what? Subs? They arenât gonna show up. Who watches the kids? Oh wait....the schools will close again but this time may reopen with dead teachers. But during this time you will be able to quietly work from home and then maybe get the virus when your kid brings it home from
School. And you wonât understand how you were so careful and still got sick.