I know schools are a hot button in conversations right now.
My social media feed is showing all my friends living in other states returning back to school – most in person, some in a modified manner and a few completely remote like us. Yes, I’m a little jealous of those back full-time. It seems like a distant dream when my kids were in school full-time. I don’t even like to speculate when we’ll go back because it will inevitably lead to disappointment.
The truth is, I have never spent so much time thinking about my kids’ education as I have the past 6 months. We have great public schools and I’ve never given any other options much thought. Until now. I feel as though the curtain has been pulled back on our public schools, and the Great Oz has been exposed. All the shortcomings of public education are now on display – Covid has managed to poke a hole in everything and education was no exception.
Our district certainly has it’s holes.
We currently have board members who are deciding the fate of our kid’s education and it’s a little scary. (we really do want to support the public school system and are working hard to find a solution within.)
We have sat through hours and hours and hours (including a 6 hour meeting tonight) of virtual school board meetings over the last couple months. I’m embarrassed to admit I had not been to one before – but in the past I felt as though the board did a good job of representing my voice. That no longer rings true. And as I sit and watch these 5 school board members in boxes on my screen – I realize just how important local elections really are.
We always participate in our elections – but I have a renewed sense of civic duty to really research candidates and vote those that represent my voice. It’s a simple civics lesson. But sometimes I’m staring at a ballot of positions thinking, “Does it really matter? What harm can any one person really do in this position?” IT MATTERS!
I’m watching these board meetings in complete disappointment that these people (at least some of them) are making decisions for my kids. And instead of making concrete decisions they just kick the can down the road only to make us sit through another lengthy meeting and never come to a conclusion. In the meanwhile, families are pulling their kids out left and right and the school district continues to weaken. They’re losing funding. They’re losing involved parents. They’re losing my confidence. It’s discouraging.
Even more discouraging is realizing all these decisions – indefinite remote learning without in-person options and the subpar virtual program they spent way too much money on to name a few – all lie on the shoulders of 5 board members. 5 people who were elected to those positions to represent us. Voting matters.
VOTE.
There will not be in person school for most public school students in the US until after the election, probably the entire year. The kids would be fine. A Boomer teacher might catch it and have some bad effect. No property tax rebates, no reducing in fees, and almost all school staff will keep their jobs without the furloughs the rest of the country sees. The long term living population is who needs all this. For those allowed to attend in person school the experience seems to be traumatic. The private school students who opt for in person will get ahead, the public school and particularly special ed students who honestly don’t get to go to the private schools will be shortchanged again. Greater divide between rich and poor. Thank you teachers union. Whatever is done not everyone will be happy. But when in person is not being an option at all, where is the choice?
“Whatever is done not everyone will be happy.” I couldn’t agree more! I think that’s part of the reason why there is so such a divide in our society today. There seems to be a wide polarization in most everything which leaves one side happy and the other side furious. Schools opening is no different. But I stand strong behind the ability to choose. Whatever that may be – just allow it to be a choice.
Yes! The presidential race gets all the hype but local elections are so important.
I couldn’t agree more!!
I’m so thankful for your post! I came across your blog awhile ago from word of mouth and I hate to sound like a stalker but we live in the same stake. I happend to catch your post today and like you my family is in the same position. I am totally one to sit back and not speak up, until now. It feels so good to have another Mom validate everything I’m feeling (guess Im not too crazy afterall). Everything you’ve written rings true. I can’t even describe my feelings after that time consuming meeting last night. My husband and I both came from Mesa schools k-12th, it’s been a joy to have our kids follow in the same footsteps but sadly we’ve come to the decision to withdraw them. I love reading your posts, sorry I have never spoken up until now. Thank you for not being afraid to write, we need more people like you! I wish you and your family all the best in school and health.
Hello! I’m sure we have crossed paths at events and didn’t even know it. The past 6 months have been eye opening not only to public education, but to our district specifically. I’ve always known there were flaws in the system, but the good seemed to outweigh the bad. The position we sit in now has me questioning all of it. I still have several young kids that need to be educated and I’m struggling with the options that seemed so obvious before. I totally understand your desire to withdraw them. Many in our neighborhood have pulled their kids and have replaced it with one thing or another and I totally get it. There’s a part of me that still wants to believe that we can right the ship – that its not too late to make a difference (and my personality doesn’t typically shy away from a fight!). And after spending hours last night watching the board meeting, and hours today helping kids with school, talking to the principal, sending emails, finally connecting with the high school registrar for alternative (outside of MDLP) elective options – I’m spent. Fighting for their education has become close to a full-time job. I never imagined I would ever be in this position. We are definitely rethinking education. I wish you the best in your education journey as well! And maybe one day we’ll go back to meeting as a stake and we can meet in person!
For months as I’ve grappled with all the crazy in the world I have found myself reading/studying/learning and trying to understand what and why I feel the way that I feel. In this search I have found the author Thomas Sowell–he is a brilliant economist whose writing is all fact-based and not just emotional commentary. His most recent book is called “Charter Schools and Their Enemies” and I think you will find out so much more about the problems with public education, why they exist, and why they are perpetuated (despite political platitudes to suggest solutions). Honestly I would suggest everyone read any Thomas Sowell book or watch an interview with him on YouTube. There is no one else I have found to speak common sense so competently and supported by research and evidence.
I’ll check him out – sounds interesting!
Those five board members are trying to keep your children safe.
I do think at some level, the board members try and keep children safe. But as one of the board members shared (who happens to work in risk assessment), “In every decision, they are trying to mitigate risk.” He shared that teachers’ safety is a risk. Kids’ safety is at risk (although admittedly not really at risk in this situation as far as research has concluded.) He also pointed out a number of other risk factors that indeed have nothing to do with kids’ actually safety – but that must be factored into the board’s decisions. These are elected officials with far greater interest than simply children’s “safety”. Elected officials historically have their own agendas and interest at heart while simultaneously trying to please their constituents. For example: If a board member is using school board as a stepping stone to some higher position within the teacher’s union then they would do well to fight for teacher’s safety and win their trust. Or a member looking at a reelection may treat it differently as someone not looking at reelection. Look at any elected official and you can see how this works. My child’s safety or best interest may or may not be at the top of their agenda list.
But I know my kids’ safety (physical, emotional and mental) is at the very top of my interest list. As such, I’m constantly weighing risks and allowing my kids to do things after assessing risk. Might they brake a leg on the playground or playing a sport? Yes! But I have calculated that risk and accept it. Might they get in a car accident. Yes! But I have calculated the risk and accept it. In other things I have calculated risk and have found it’s not worth it. Every parent does this to some regard. We know our children and we assess risk – and it’s going to be different for every child and every family. But the person assessing the risk is the one that loves them most (not an elected official) – which is where the best decisions will be made for a child – in pure love. When school returns, our family will assess the risk of each child and make a determination of what is best for them, but I do feel as though that decision should be given back to the parents.
I’m a teacher of children who are blind in the public schools. Teachers want nothing more to return to schools. But in my city, over 2/3 of the 132 schools were built before WW2; and over half rated as poor ventilation two years ago. Some classrooms’ windows are painted shut, and some don’t have any windows. Schools are not hospitals, our buildings, in many cases, are not safe. The districts, cities and federal government have kicked the can down the road on updating/funding schools and now they’re in crisis mode. We are seeing increases in COVID cases of children in communities that have opened in person, and the research is showing kids carry higher viral loads than previously thought. The research again is pointing towards kids being spreaders.
As an aside to those pulling children out of schools instead of demanding districts fix the schools or create safe buildings, I hope you recognize the privilege in that decision. And I hope you think twice about putting your children back into public schools when it’s convenient. I’m a believer in fixing the system and standing with those who are unable to make those choices. Teachers are working so hard beyond their school hours to help students. Twice a week I deliver meals to families in need, or deliver computers to families. None of this is easy for anyone, but I’m amazed at the numbers of people who throw up their arms and declare they’re fed up and leave the system.