These kids are getting left behind when schools go online

[sarisataka]

These kids are getting left behind when schools go online

Michelle Burnett just landed a new job, and she's excited to be heading back to work next week for the first time in months. But there's another upcoming date that's filling her with dread: the first day of school.

Like parents across the country, the 43-year-old single mom in Vallejo, California, spent many days this past spring struggling to help her children navigate online classes. She watched her daughters falling behind, but often wasn't sure how to help.

And to make the situation even tougher, she was unemployed. Burnett says she lost her job in April after asking for time off to pick up a school-issued laptop for her youngest daughter.

Now she's worried her new job could be in jeopardy, too, since the schools her daughters attend will begin the year teaching online once again.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/31/us/distance-learning-inequality/index.html

Children of single parents, low income families, families where both parents work, special needs students all have extra challenges with distance learning. While there are definitely risks to in class teaching, do we have to accept many children falling behind is simply the price some children will have to pay?

This is more than just a philosophical question for myself. My wife works in a school which has chosen to do full in class teaching. The school has a significant amount of ESL students. The experience in the spring with distance learning was not satisfactory. The children had noticeable decreased performance and communication with families was overwhelming to the one translator on staff.

[lark]

1. Seems the choices are death or slowing down learning.

At least around here, the schools are incapable of providing safe busing and are refusing to provide PPE for teachers/staff. Seems the choices will be risk of death for their families and even possibly the kids or slowing the learning for students who aren't in the top tiers or who have other issues. This is such an awful choice for struggling parents and my heart breaks for their need to do so.

[Claustrum]

2. I've argued the same thing a week or 2 ago

And the response I got was as if I was spreading right-wing propaganda and that treating school as childcare is not right. While in some degree, I agree. It doesn't change the fact that these low income/single parent families are facing the tough decision between work and childcare.

Moreover, in most of the post I see here, the argument is always 2 extreme sides. Open school as if nothing happens, or shut it all down with no exception. But there are many middle ground, and that's where we should be. We should definitely keep the student who can stay home learn from home. That's the same thing with people that can work from home should work from home. But we should still provide a way (in a much smaller class size, in a different environment, maybe in outdoor instead of indoor) for students that needs physical presence of a teacher to guide them through the classes.

I can't help but put myself into the position if I am a student right now. My parents are immigrants with little to no English ability and computer literacy. They haven't looked at any of my homework or my class work since I was about 5. I was one of the good student that did my part and went on to college. But my brother was complete opposite and he would cut classes even when he needed to be in school physically and ended up not even graduating high school. And that happened in an era we had no laptop and access to tons of streaming video service, unlimited amount of gaming and distractions.

Also, we shouldn't treat every state and every county the same. The school's opening and how much of it being opened should be based on the surrounding counties COVID spread rate, rather than just a one size fit the whole US, what's happening in Florida has very little to do with what's happening in Alaska or Hawaii, for example.

Anyways, my point is, we should provide help to these in need instead of a shut it all down attitude around here.

[sarisataka]

7. There is a tendency

to go only to the extreme.

It hasn't been an easy decision for the school to make and there are still reservations. However it was determined that distance learning for our ESL students would set them back at least two years. There really isn't help at home as often the kids are the translators for the parents. The community has less than 5% rated as proficient in English.

The state has issued guidelines based on the infection rate on the county each school is located. It will be a dynamic process as long as this goes on. If infection rates rise we may have to go to a hybrid model.

The school is taking every precaution they can with PPE, adding wash stations, screening, redesigning classrooms and more. Everyone is aware this course of action is literally putting lives on the line.

[keopeli]

3. I'm a lifelong teacher. I respect your opinion and understand your concern, but...

the chances that an outbreak will happen are unreasonably high. While your concern for the well-being of the kids, from a pedagogical perspective, is well taken, what will your school do when teachers and administrators start getting sick? What happens after one or more deaths at the school? I do not want to get sick and die. I don't want my friends and colleagues to get sick and die. I do not want you or your wife to get sick and die.

Yes, we will have to deal with delayed learning, but we'll all be alive. Yes, we have to accept that many children are and will fall behind and that is the price we must pay. But a delayed education versus dying and spreading disease is no contest. We can work with the kids to repair their education. We can't fight death.

Please, when your wife goes back to school, take extra precautions. Remember, as teachers, we are not only responsible for these kids' education; we are responsible for their health and welfare.

Thank you for all you do for kids in need. Thank you for caring. Stay healthy. We need you!!!

Blessings

[sarisataka]

8. It is a known risk

and we do have several teachers and staff in high risk categories.

No one wants to die but it is also felt that it is unfair to ask those with the greatest need to pay the highest price. There is no good answer.

As I mentioned in an above reply, the school community is building a PPE stockpile with anything and everything we can get. Parents are building individual shields for each desk. There will be a daily screening run with near military precision. Hand washing and hygiene is going to be part of the curriculum.

We have tried brainstorming but just cannot get the language support resources for any distance learning model that looks like it would be effective. There are just not enough proficient Karen speakers available in the country to meet the students needs on an individual or small group basis.

[MissB]

10. Karen speakers?

[sarisataka]

11. Yes, they are an ethnic group

originally from Myanmar. They were displaced to refugee camps in Thailand before they received permission to come to the US.

Our translator is a young Thai lady who worked with the families in the camps. She has chosen to emigrate from her home country to continue working with the families she bonded.

[MissB]

12. Thanks for the explanation

[jmg257]

4. We should use the month of August; seriously close everything down for 4 weeks until the virus is

under control.

Its getting very late now, and there no other decision that will help as much.

But instead, we keep debating how and what to do about schools, except for what we should have been doing all along.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. It takes funding.

It takes School Board Members whom put a Child's Education no matter what the Circumstances are for those Children.

When School Officals and Board Members put the Kids above their Personal Career Advances Politically,then things will change and not on millisecond sooner.

[MichMan]

6. This is a major problem when schools are shut down.

We have no children and it has been nearly 40 yrs since I was in high school, but students are generally in class for at around 35 hrs per week, correct ?

Children are not going to be able to sit in front of a computer for 6-7 hours a day of remote learning.

I can't see, given the schedules with combined remote and reduced in person classes, how students are going to get anywhere near that amount ? Yet, at the end of the school year, they will likely get promoted to the next grade.

How do we expect them for example to take Algebra II next year, if they only were able to learn 60 % of Algebra I this year?

If you read the link, it covers things I have been saying for months.

[Mosby]

9. I think what needs to be discussed is whether teachers

are essential workers or not.