Anyone who has children or works with students, knows that something they really need is stability-consistency-routine. When I look at what might happen this fall, I see online learning as the only option that can reliably provide consistency for my child. 1/10
I acknowledge that I have tremendous privilege to be able to make that choice. We have fast(ish) internet and my kid is old enough to stay home alone if I need to work on campus. And our district is offering the online option. 2/10
I know that many parents of younger children rely on schools for childcare and that it is, “critical for the economy.” (Why is that again? And if schools are so critical why aren’t we funding them adequately or equitably?) 3/10
I don’t have the childcare answer that will work for every family or location. I do know that there are more creative options than just “normal school.” It’s not all or nothing. There is grey area and other options. 4/10
I know digital access is not universal or equitable. It is long past time for our amazing, wealthy, resourceful, country to connect every household to the data grid just as we connected them to the electric grid in the 20th century. 5/10
I know distance learning was not adequate in many ways. I’m not expecting dramatic improvements, but I will still choose consistent mediocrity over the (rightfully) germaphobic, socially distant, and ephemeral semblance of school my student would return to. 6/10
Again, these are the choices my family gets to make, and yes I am lucky to have these choices. Everyone should have these choices. It’s not fair that we don’t, but that is a failure of vision and leadership. 7/10
We don’t solve these problems by just sending kids back to school and hoping for the best. When the local school suddenly closes, families will still lack childcare and adequate internet access. 8/10
School used to be a major provider of stability for most students, but I think, and this is just my well informed opinion here, that school campuses won’t be able to be stable places for kids this fall. 9/10
We are not going to bend COVID to our will. It’s not going to magically go away. It doesn’t care what you wish was different. There are very tough choices ahead for all of us. I’m not judging your choices at all, just wanted to share the reasons for mine. 10/10
