Schooling in the time of Pandemics

 So... right now it is August 2020. Why is this important. Because for the last 5-6 months, we have been sheltering in place in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. This also means that schools have been closed since March. We actually ended up pulling our kids a few days early because we saw the writing on the wall. Well that means that I am now doing some sort of learning thing with my older son. 

In March we were still in Kindergarten. Now he is a grown up 1st grader! In a language immersion program. Fortunately for me, I speak (poorly but still..) Spanish, the immersion language so can help him by TRYING (not always succeeding) to only speak to him in that language during school hours. Google Translate is my new best friend. Seriously. 

But we still have issues. There is one subject that he HATES with a passion. And it usually leads to at least one meltdown a day. It was an issue in Kinder distance learning and it is still an issue now. This shit is hard. All bow down before the noble souls that are teachers. Because man, that job deserves some respect. 

I have recently been having issues with parents who want to open schools now! Because really at least where I live in SF, they aren’t ready. There isn’t the infrastructure nor the budget to do what we need to do. Unfortunately, the ones who are impacted are BIPOC and Special Education Students. But are those the voices I hear crying out! Not really. 

I hear families who are much more privileged getting upset abt their kids can’t go to school and get an education! But they have books and college educated parents... Their kids will be fine. So many studies say so. 

Yes I realize I come from a position of privilege in that I don’t have to work and so can take care of my kids schooling. But I really worry about the kids who don’t have all the advantages that my kids do (because I wasn’t an advantaged kid growing up). I know what its like to have parents that cannot navigate the public school system. I know what its like to be seen as someone who wouldn’t amount to much. 

So here we are. I am being my kids teacher. And I am glad to do it. I see the heroic effort that my son’s 1st grade teacher is making to try to bring some normalcy to this really crazy situation. And I will try to stand up for the voices that are not often heard at the table. Because really the only way through is to come together and help one another.