There is a raging debate in my town over whether school should be 100% remote in the fall, or whether we should do a hybrid approach. The school board had recommended hybrid, but the teachers union wants full remote and is threatening to strike. I live in the suburbs and like most of the Northeast, our community’s coronavirus rates are very good. I think we all expect that things will go downhill over the fall with cold and flu season school and will end up remote eventually, but I was really hoping my son could start out in-person at least a few days a week to get to know his teacher and bond with her and the other kids. Also, he is in second grade and remote learning in the spring was just horrible, and the idea of going back to the daily battles over assignments with very little live instruction is terrifying. My husband and I both work full time in very demanding jobs, and we also have a preschooler and a baby. We have no child care. My husband’s income has been significantly impacted by COVID, but his work hasn’t actually slowed down all that much. Our life has been a total shit show since March. I’ve been holding it together, hoping the schools would reopen in the fall, at least partially. The idea that we might start out 100% remote, knowing that we‘ll never go back in person this school year if we do that, is driving me crazy with stress. I am in tears every day over the idea of full time remote learning and trying to balance work and child care. And I am feeling irrational anger at the teachers for refusing to go back, when teachers in private schools and private daycares are all going back without a fuss (not to mention doctors, nurses, everyone else who works in hospitals and medical offices, grocery store workers, store clerks, etc). We will obviously need to hire a tutor to assist, but that will cost tens if thousands of dollars that I wouldn’t otherwise have to spend if the teachers were willing to go back in person. It makes me so upset. Is anyone else feeling this way? I see all these parents posting on my community’s Facebook page that we should not go back in person if the teachers aren’t comfortable with it, and if we get to work remotely, they should too, and the classroom experience wont be pleasant so we should do remote. I don’t get it — do they all have a stay at home parent, or are they wealthy families with nannies? I am feeling enormous stress, and frankly, rage about the situation. And a lot of it is directed at the teachers union since they seem to be there roadblock to starting with a hybrid approach. Am I the only one?
You - and all parents - are living an unsustainable life. We are all in a state of limbo. Stress is through the roof. You don’t have much control over this. None of us do. You have to accept this unknown and take comfort that every other working parent is in the same situation. Hang in there
I'm with you 100%. I feel exactly the same way, exactly. Only I had a K and 2nd grader last year, but no baby. Btw, my kids ARE in private school, and even these teachers are going to refuse to go back, just watch, and this is after the school has spent a fortune to upgrade the facilities to make it safer. I'm furious also. This is not a job that can be done remotely; let's face the facts.
The private school should fire them
@Anonymous totally agree. Too many people need jobs. Bye.
Interesting reaction to a pandemic. Furious? Everyone is in the same boat. No one could have predicted this. Why are folks so entitled?
On a practical level, my family would be OK with fully remote. On a mental health level, I'm not sure how I can work and be home with DC. So I feel you. Similar aged kids, and they just need more attention than I can give.
But, as you said, starting with a hybrid model is probably only going to be possible for a few weeks or so, so we're all going to end up there in the end. I wish schools would think creatively about how to form a community feel if they can't be in person part time (park meet ups, etc).
It seems like a lot of your anger is at the teacher's union, which I'm not sure is fair. Even without the union, implementing the hybrid plan is a logistical mess. My office would have had people going back in (some of the staff is not productive remotely), if it wasn't for the difficulties of figuring out how to do so. Issues include: what do you do if teachers have health, childcare, or transportation issues? How to keep social distance in limited physical spaces. Etc. etc.
This is an impossible, terrible situation for everyone, but I agree with Anonymous that blaming the teachers is not productive. There's a lot of blame to go around. Our government, first and foremost, is responsible for not addressing the pandemic in a wise, scientifically informed way. Employers who are forcing parents to work full-time, childcare be damned, are also at fault. This is a global problem, and needs to be addressed on at least a nationwide scale. It shouldn't be every family struggling through on its own.
Absolutely this! It's very sad parents and teachers are in this position. We had ample warning but did nothing to stop the spread. NE states got in under control and then the southern states exploded. This is all due to lack of leadership and sabotaging medical workers, pro-active local leaders and scientists.
Yes, I feel the same way. I place most of the blame on the government but I also agree with you that some of the teacher demands seem unreasonable. It shouldn't be "go back to school and cross your fingers" but there should be an effort on the part of everyone to get protocols in place and to make opening schools a priority. I view it as completely doable in the NE. I am pissed that camps are open, the MLB season is on, and a lot of my colleagues are living their lives as usual, and yet, my life will be a disaster for another YEAR if school is fully remote. And there will also be a major education gap; people who don't admit that are in full denial.
Well, I definitely blame Trump and the disastrous response of the federal government first and foremost. But after that, I guess I am blaming the union because they are the ones threatening to strike if they are asked to go back in person. The superintendent and school board are planning for a hybrid opening in my town, and that is what the majority of the families want. And other towns around us are planning for hybrid too, and some have even gone so far as to procure tents to try outside classes. But the teachers union in my town has published a letter stating their position in favor of 100% remote learning, and if they threaten to strike, the school
board may have to cave to their demands. Maybe blaming isn’t productive, but they are an appropriate target given their attitude. I get their concern over their health, of course. But it’s not like they are offering to teach remotely from their classrooms, or to give up part of their salary to help fund tutors for pods, or promising parents that they will be willing to devote a certain number of hours per day to actual live instruction. All I hear from teachers (whether in my town or in articles or on these viral posts) are complaints and fears. I haven’t heard of one teacher making a productive suggestion for how remote learning will actually be improved this fall or how it will be successful for grades K-2.
100% this: "I haven’t heard of one teacher making a productive suggestion for how remote learning will actually be improved this fall or how it will be successful for grades K-2."
I also have an incoming Kindergartener. I can't wrap my head around effective RL for K so I asked in a teachers' forum. I got a few suggestions/ideas that require tech savvy, innovative teachers and small groups. Not happening. I was disturbed though by a subgroup of teachers who outright said "hold the kid back a year", "I don't usually suggest red-shirting, but if I had a 5yo now I wouldn't hesitate a moment". I don't think you will hear much constructive from teachers, simply because it's not possible.
@AnonymousQ I had a K student last year. And she had some innovative teachers and was able to learn successfully via live zoom for over 3 hours a day. (Which surprised me). There were other areas, like reading practice, where she really fell behind.
And of course, my family is in a relatively lucky position that we can afford to ride this out. If I am this upset, I CANNOT imagine how lower income families worried
about paying for food and rent are handling this. It’s so inequitable. And the “all remote” proponents have no suggestions for that (major) problem either.
My DH says I can't complain because we are in a better situation than most. I'm still upset.
They don't care about the deplorables
@Anonymous yes. and I miss putting on suits every day and going to the office, and wearing my jewelry out and about and actually going to parties and seeing people. Yes we aren't dead or sick yet or unemployed yet thank God, but invalidating your experience doesn't help either.
I am incredibly stressed out. We are really lucky as our kids are tweens and teens and we can work remote. I find it interesting that people are angry at the teachers union for protecting their workers from what is clearly a workplace hazard. I place blame squarely on Trump and the federal government. Imagine if we had spent the summer getting the virus numbers down nationally instead of arguing about masks and reopening. We needed to pour millions of dollars into schools so that they could open safely or at least safer. We don't even have adequate testing and tracing!! When you have to wait 6-10 days for results they become irrelevant. Here in NYC there are plenty of classrooms without simple things like air conditioning but it isn't just urban schools. A dear friend is a teacher in a rural state in the midwest and her room literally has no windows. She teaches 170 kids on a given day. What do you think the odds are that one of her children (whose parents work in meatpacking plants) has the virusin any given week? Do not compare teachers to doctors and nurses. At least we pretend that they have sufficient PPE and negative pressure rooms.
I say this with all due respect and hope it doesn’t come off as rude, but parents of older kids really don’t have any idea the kind of complete and utter hell families with two working parents and younger kids were in last spring. The combination of childcare while working and taking on the full burden of educating our kids was absolutely horrific. The summer is only slightly more manageable because we don’t have to oversee every aspect of their remote learning. There NEEDS to be in-person learning for at least grades K-2. Remote learning simply doesn’t work for that age, and layer on parents trying to work on top of it, and it’s a complete crisis that is being completely ignored by politicians and many schools alike. Teachers of that age level absolutely need to be treated like front line workers and should be given adequate PPE and protections and sent into the classrooms. We at least have to TRY in areas with good infection rates.
@Anonymous ITTA!!!!!!!!! x100000000
@Anonymous so so true !
Yes, I've been crying every day since our private school went remote. My 1st grader has borderline SN and the thought of making him do the ipad all day for school is extremely upsetting. I also have a preschooler and have no idea how I'll do it while also doing my own work. The spring remote learning was affirmatively harmful for their development. The zooms with their teachers upset both of them, and making them do their work was a battle royale every day that probably permanently affected my relationship with them. Remote learning doesn't work for young children. Just like any other job that requires in person services, early elementary teachers should not get paid if they refuse to come in. Period. They simply cannot do their job working from home.
This is exactly how I feel
What is SN?
Nothing but big hugs to you. We're in the same boat. I'm turning insane
sorry for your stress- you may need to spend whatever you can to hire nanny, join a pod, whatever it takes in order for your family to be able to get through this
I'm personally trying to decide how much money to throw at this issue. I posted about it last week. I'm not sure hiring a nanny in my apartment is going to solve anything.
@Anonymous Nanny could carry Covid.
I’m at peace with it, DH and I both work but we can manage - our kids are 8 and 10 and self sufficient. I don’t blame teachers - it’s too much to ask of them. The government is to blame, it‘s shameful. It is what it is at this point, don’t waste energy railing against it. This too shall pass.
Again, easy to say when your kids are 8 and 10 and self-sufficient. This sort of response is annoyingly dismissive.
@Anonymous beyond annoying.
@Anonymous totally fair, my apologies. But I stand by not wasting energy being enraged - it won’t change anything.
the issue is SOME teachers unions are using this opportunity to push for an unrealistic agenda beyond the immediate issue and that is creating mistrust nationwide for the motivations of teachers in this moment - https://www.kusi.com/a-los-angeles-teachers-union-says-public-schools-should-not-reopen-unless-their-demands-are-met/
GS saying many parents will have to stop working entirely - https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/04/economy/schools-reopening-economy-jobs/index.html
I know parents who have left their jobs over this.
These teachers got a little taste of working from home, not commuting and feel like remote ED works. It does not and they all need to get back into the classroom. Nurses, Peds, plumbers, pre school/ daycare teachers and grocery employees and worked this entire time. There is zero reason and zero excuses why the teachers can’t go back. Not only should they get back, the school year should extend into the summer to make up for the 4 months of absolute garbage of last spring. sadly in NY, they will fight not to go back, cheap/ virtual labor will be hired and these teachers / administrators will have no jobs.
I don't know any teacher who thinks ED works. I do hear teachers argung that in-person with all the safety protocols also doesn't work, and I see that as well.
Agree. These excuses are BS. Thousands of essential workers worked through the entire pandemic. Teachers are a bunch of lazy snowflakes.
Agree. Quit or be laid off. Thousands of qualified teachers need positions.
Schools will open. There will be so
much pressure from monied parents. Right now the well off have left the city, NOT paying taxes. If schools don’t open, they won’t come back and there will be no tax base . 1% of NY’ers pay 50% of the taxes. Those people are gone and have no reason to come back until school opens.
Is where they are going any better?
@Anonymous of course. look at CT , LI, and FL
@Anonymous FL is going to have a better school situation?
But come on. That’s not fair. No teacher signed up to risk his or her life for your snowflake. They are not doctors, they aren’t being given sufficient protections, and this is a once in a lifetime global crisis. It’s not their fault or their doing. It’s criminal what we’re asking of teachers. Absolutely criminal. We are all struggling. Blaming teachers and crying is not going to solve this. Make a plan, implement, and then hang on. It’s all any of us can do. Before you question my street cred, I’m FT WFH in an extremely demanding job, with 4 year old dc. So I get it. But blaming the teachers for not wanting to put their lives on the line for your personal convenience is truly the height of white, privileged entitlement.
LOL, many would say that refusing to go to work when others who have in-person jobs have been going in for months (mostly people of color), is the height of white, privileged entitlement. Most teachers are not BIPOC. But the effects of them choosing not to show up are most felt by underprivileged communities and kids.
@anonymous there is plenty of white privileged entitlement to go around, but most of us who don’t go to work don’t do so because our employers don’t permit it. That doesn’t change the fact that OP is being unfair in her criticism. And most people I hear demanding that schools reopen are not BIPOC, who know their children and communities are vulnerable. It’s the handwringing elite whose voices seem to be the loudest.
@Anonymous Yes, their voices are always the loudest because they are the elite. But that doesn't change the fact that vulnerable communities will be most harmed by teachers refusing to go to work. You don't hear their voices because you never hear their voices. And while I don't think the bulk of blame for the crisis we are in goes to teachers (AT ALL), I'm not in the camp that says you can never criticize a teacher or a union. I think teachers who are not medically vulnerable should go back with sufficient precautions; it is completely doable here in the NE and in fact many ARE doing it. It's one thing to ask for support and precautions; it's another thing to demand a blanket entitlement to WFH regardless of circumstance. And the latter is what many teachers are doing.
I do think it is odd that the media (and I say this as a journalist) has shone a far brighter light on the hazard to teachers than they did on essential workers like those in the transportation and food service industries. I'm not sure why their cause was championed less than teachers. I wonder if there is a privilege piece there because a higher ratio of transportation and food workers are BIPOC than teachers (even though there is a lot of diversity in teaching). Not sure but it bothers me that we did not/ do not speak up louder for that contingent.
I agree, the entire thing stinks of white privilege. It's primarily a function of being unionized though.
So ITA! When the whole shutdown started, DH was laughing at me expecting there would be Amazon and food deliveries, etc. But it turned out it was accepted these people will go out and risk their lives. Somehow it's OK for restaurant workers who crowd in small kitchens. And I am pro-unions and I understand that remote will be inevitable. But the discrepancy between the strong advocacy for teachers' safety and the rest of the essential workers is troubling.
@Anon I don’t think those other workers are unionized, are they? That’s not the teachers’ fault.
I really think the completely leaving it to each district/private school approach without more oversight is a mistake. The default in NYS should have been that schools should open unless there is a specific safety metric that can not be met. Our private school is capable of meeting every safety guideline but is still starting remotely. Our local public is starting hybrid but one town over it is a remote start. I'm also truly puzzled by the 10/1 start date that some of the privates are touting. They already have the low infection rate, small class sizes, large campus, updated filter system, PPE. What will possible change between now and then? If the true position is that schools don't think they are comfortable opening prior to a vaccine then we need to be honest about that so families can structure their lives accordingly. And, just for full disclosure, I'm not one of those people that thinks schools should open no matter what. I pulled my kids from school early in March and my personal comfort level is that when the infection rate is hovering above 3-4%, I would reassess in person instruction.
I see your point, but I don't think that the state can mandate that private schools open.
@Anonymous No, they can't but even vocal guidance from Cuomo saying that the default should be to open would have shifted the needle for some schools. This all seems like a big hodgepodge mess honestly.