This is going to sound off point, but it truly isn't: here's the thing: your 6-year old's audiobook listening is maybe going to serve her as well if not better than subpar remote instruction. I could list for you the reading-related skills she's building, but trust me that you should feel GREAT about that. There are lots of things that parents are juggling right now, not the least of which is just plain old care for kids to allow for adult lives to go on. But in terms of the guilt around educating our youngest, I wish schools would go further to make sure parents understood what kids actually need -- to build reading skills especially. How can families make decisions when the goals are misunderstood?
Hi Courtney! Here I am back in NC. I’m white. Of course I have privilege. And I’m hella stressed. I’ve got two littles. 4 &7 One is “differently wired” and The other is just young. (You knew her as a baby). I’m trying to start an outdoor sliding scale school pod at my house. I have no “proctor”. Mostly, I have an idea & space. I’m simultaneously trying to get the school district to do this...meaning writing them with ideas. And some local outdoor camps. Like could we scale this district wide?? I don’t know. I want to remain hopeful but I’m in tears trying to make something work💜! I need more ideas!
Hi Courtney - Thank you for your post. As a single mom of a 1st grader, a white woman, and a founder and director of two nonprofits serving child and adult survivors of human trafficking, this is all very hard. Most of my young clients are girls of color. Many of the young women I serve are single moms of color. Most worked in service jobs that are now gone and childcare is also gone. I spend my days trying to make sure they don't sink. Meanwhile, the cost of childcare and working full-time are sinking me. I never sleep and try to practice self-care as best I can so that I'm a good mom and care provider. Our government bails out airlines, not schools. I'm not one to give up but. I do find my moments of crying when my daughter isn't looking.
One of the options that I am looking at is to create a collective of parents and kids to fill the gap while schools re-open. I am advocating that we ensure kids whose parents can't afford this option are offered slots. This would mean we all do a little more, give a little more, and be flexible. My vision is we use the school curriculum. I have created a list of young kids of color whose parents I know are really struggling. Even though I'm struggling, I couldn't sleep thinking about the fact that I still have so much more to do to live my values but also have real issues to keep my own lights on and food on the table. So, I think these conversations around pods are complex. They should be complex. We should be asking for individuals to consider how they can be inclusive and build into their plans ways to ensure children of all backgrounds are given the chance to learn and be safe. It's messy and hard, but this is what I'm trying to do. Maybe others have their own messy plans they can share. - Andrea
Thank you, thank you (both) for articulating this all so well! It's been weighing on me so heavily. An added layer of complication in our own decision-making is the fact that we live in NYC, which is (at least for now) one of the few places where the virus is under control to a point where in-person instruction seems more reasonable than other parts of the country. I've been reading every expert opinion I can get my hands on, and it seems that, heath-wise, we are dealing with favorable conditions-- community spread is under control, and my kid's age group (Pre-K) doesn't seem to be spreading the virus significantly. I'm planning to send my kid based on whatever part-time schedule is offered by his school and figure out the rest (and just be open to the likelihood we'll adjust again).
I want my kid and our family to participate in public education, however imperfect. BUT I still have this lingering worry that if school openings lead to another wave of cases in NYC, its our BIPOC neighbors who will be hurt most. And we will have contributed to that, when we could have kept our kid home. I know there are also many teachers and others who don't see NYC's plan as adequately safe, and I don't want to discount those perspectives either. I always try to tease out how my family's decisions can be best for all kids (not just my kid) but with this, I am truly stuck.
I am so rageful that these questions of equity are left to individual families (mostly crazed, exhausted WORKING MOTHERS) to solve. This is THE SYSTEM'S responsibility and we cannot even begin to make the kind of "right" decisions that only career educators and school administrators -- with their many years if not decades of education and training -- are in a position to make. Our reactions will be imperfect and inequitable -- guess what! I'm sending my kid to a castle next year! -- but I just simply don't have the time or energy to take on a second (or would it be my third? I've lost track) unpaid job right now and I'm not even gonna pretend that my two years of public school parenting puts me in any position to be able to solve this problem. So I'm sending my kid to a castle for a year, and I'm gonna try not to judge myself for doing what I need to do to stay sane, and trusting that I am *also* a very community-minded person who matches money and time and effort with my values. Not 100% of the time, but a lot of the time. As much as I can of the time.
Hi Courtney, I run a company that in pre-covid times provides substitute teachers to schools and districts. Obviously for this fall with almost all public schools in California moving to completely distance learning, we've had to change our business and we're now supplying educators for pods. Myself and my entire team are thinking a lot about the equity of this as well. We actually have told potential pods on calls that we expect the kids to stay enrolled in school, so I'm hoping we can continue to support school districts as they get back on their feet.
We are hoping for funding (either through philanthropic or through charging extra to Corp HR depts using this as a benefit -- and not just as a purely exec benefit but to all employees) to pay for either low-income families to access pods, although the cost of that is very high if it's fully subsidizes or to pay for teachers themselves with school-aged kids so that they can continue their work as teachers.
It's so critical to kids and families (and, yes, also the economy) that we get schools working again. I think there are definitely some pod families coming to us saying they're looking for mary poppins to come in and be a teacher/magician, but actually a lot of families just want support for maintaining their kids in the districts they're in.
Would love to see if any of the above equity ideas resonate with you or if you have other thoughts on how we can make this work as accessible as possible.
I don't even have kids, and yet I'm also struggling with decision-making and direction in the face of unknowns, and my experience feels similar. It's helpful to know that we're all wading through this disorienting chapter together, in a way, no matter the topic. Thank you for creating space for the nuance of these issues, for honesty, and for something closer to camaraderie than what we may encounter in other corners of the internet.
Hi Courtney, I’m a reader from Sheffield, UK. There are many interesting points below but I want to echo a previous commentator by saying that you really don’t need to feel bad about letting Maya listen to The Secret Garden as many times as she wants. It sounds like an excellent use of her time to immerse herself in a wonderful work of literature, and in future years she’ll associate this time so strongly with that imaginative world, which feels like a good thing. Also, frankly, I’m impressed it’s not a screen. I’ve had my six-year-old daughter at home since mid-March too, and my learning from that has been very much around how education is much, much broader than the school system would have us believe, and we all need to cut ourselves A LOT of slack. Be gentle with yourself and take courage from all the good work you’re doing. Emma
What if Pods are really the answer for public schools. Not the crazy AABB hybrids where a teacher sees all the kids anyway, but a true low risk Hub and spokes model. The school building is the hub - priority is given to the kids who did not participate online and the kids who need special help from nurses and counselors. They are placed in the school in groups no bigger than 10. Once the school is full we go out in a one or two mile radius from the school. There are churches (many are not meeting for in person worship) and YMCA's and Boys and Girls Clubs, maybe even homes of people who would be willing to house a pod. The kids are dropped at school and get tested every morning and grab their breakfast and lunches and packets for the day and head with their cohort leader to their meeting site. 3 lessons a day prerecorded by a district teacher. The cohort leader has the kids watch the lesson and then helps them work on it. There would be time for morning meetings (LOTS of social/emotional wellness curriculum materials). It would be expensive (we would have to hire folks) , but equitable. Instead of creating individual family pods we should all be insisting that our leaders fully fund something other than corporations. But we need to ask for it together.
Thanks for this conservation, and the conversations it will spark. You are both so humble and relentless in your work, it's a lovely combination.
This is going to sound off point, but it truly isn't: here's the thing: your 6-year old's audiobook listening is maybe going to serve her as well if not better than subpar remote instruction. I could list for you the reading-related skills she's building, but trust me that you should feel GREAT about that. There are lots of things that parents are juggling right now, not the least of which is just plain old care for kids to allow for adult lives to go on. But in terms of the guilt around educating our youngest, I wish schools would go further to make sure parents understood what kids actually need -- to build reading skills especially. How can families make decisions when the goals are misunderstood?
Hi Courtney! Here I am back in NC. I’m white. Of course I have privilege. And I’m hella stressed. I’ve got two littles. 4 &7 One is “differently wired” and The other is just young. (You knew her as a baby). I’m trying to start an outdoor sliding scale school pod at my house. I have no “proctor”. Mostly, I have an idea & space. I’m simultaneously trying to get the school district to do this...meaning writing them with ideas. And some local outdoor camps. Like could we scale this district wide?? I don’t know. I want to remain hopeful but I’m in tears trying to make something work💜! I need more ideas!
Hi Courtney - Thank you for your post. As a single mom of a 1st grader, a white woman, and a founder and director of two nonprofits serving child and adult survivors of human trafficking, this is all very hard. Most of my young clients are girls of color. Many of the young women I serve are single moms of color. Most worked in service jobs that are now gone and childcare is also gone. I spend my days trying to make sure they don't sink. Meanwhile, the cost of childcare and working full-time are sinking me. I never sleep and try to practice self-care as best I can so that I'm a good mom and care provider. Our government bails out airlines, not schools. I'm not one to give up but. I do find my moments of crying when my daughter isn't looking.
One of the options that I am looking at is to create a collective of parents and kids to fill the gap while schools re-open. I am advocating that we ensure kids whose parents can't afford this option are offered slots. This would mean we all do a little more, give a little more, and be flexible. My vision is we use the school curriculum. I have created a list of young kids of color whose parents I know are really struggling. Even though I'm struggling, I couldn't sleep thinking about the fact that I still have so much more to do to live my values but also have real issues to keep my own lights on and food on the table. So, I think these conversations around pods are complex. They should be complex. We should be asking for individuals to consider how they can be inclusive and build into their plans ways to ensure children of all backgrounds are given the chance to learn and be safe. It's messy and hard, but this is what I'm trying to do. Maybe others have their own messy plans they can share. - Andrea
Thanks Nation <3
Thank you, thank you (both) for articulating this all so well! It's been weighing on me so heavily. An added layer of complication in our own decision-making is the fact that we live in NYC, which is (at least for now) one of the few places where the virus is under control to a point where in-person instruction seems more reasonable than other parts of the country. I've been reading every expert opinion I can get my hands on, and it seems that, heath-wise, we are dealing with favorable conditions-- community spread is under control, and my kid's age group (Pre-K) doesn't seem to be spreading the virus significantly. I'm planning to send my kid based on whatever part-time schedule is offered by his school and figure out the rest (and just be open to the likelihood we'll adjust again).
I want my kid and our family to participate in public education, however imperfect. BUT I still have this lingering worry that if school openings lead to another wave of cases in NYC, its our BIPOC neighbors who will be hurt most. And we will have contributed to that, when we could have kept our kid home. I know there are also many teachers and others who don't see NYC's plan as adequately safe, and I don't want to discount those perspectives either. I always try to tease out how my family's decisions can be best for all kids (not just my kid) but with this, I am truly stuck.
I am so rageful that these questions of equity are left to individual families (mostly crazed, exhausted WORKING MOTHERS) to solve. This is THE SYSTEM'S responsibility and we cannot even begin to make the kind of "right" decisions that only career educators and school administrators -- with their many years if not decades of education and training -- are in a position to make. Our reactions will be imperfect and inequitable -- guess what! I'm sending my kid to a castle next year! -- but I just simply don't have the time or energy to take on a second (or would it be my third? I've lost track) unpaid job right now and I'm not even gonna pretend that my two years of public school parenting puts me in any position to be able to solve this problem. So I'm sending my kid to a castle for a year, and I'm gonna try not to judge myself for doing what I need to do to stay sane, and trusting that I am *also* a very community-minded person who matches money and time and effort with my values. Not 100% of the time, but a lot of the time. As much as I can of the time.
Hi Courtney, I run a company that in pre-covid times provides substitute teachers to schools and districts. Obviously for this fall with almost all public schools in California moving to completely distance learning, we've had to change our business and we're now supplying educators for pods. Myself and my entire team are thinking a lot about the equity of this as well. We actually have told potential pods on calls that we expect the kids to stay enrolled in school, so I'm hoping we can continue to support school districts as they get back on their feet.
We are hoping for funding (either through philanthropic or through charging extra to Corp HR depts using this as a benefit -- and not just as a purely exec benefit but to all employees) to pay for either low-income families to access pods, although the cost of that is very high if it's fully subsidizes or to pay for teachers themselves with school-aged kids so that they can continue their work as teachers.
It's so critical to kids and families (and, yes, also the economy) that we get schools working again. I think there are definitely some pod families coming to us saying they're looking for mary poppins to come in and be a teacher/magician, but actually a lot of families just want support for maintaining their kids in the districts they're in.
Would love to see if any of the above equity ideas resonate with you or if you have other thoughts on how we can make this work as accessible as possible.
Mike Teng
mike@swingeducation.com
I don't even have kids, and yet I'm also struggling with decision-making and direction in the face of unknowns, and my experience feels similar. It's helpful to know that we're all wading through this disorienting chapter together, in a way, no matter the topic. Thank you for creating space for the nuance of these issues, for honesty, and for something closer to camaraderie than what we may encounter in other corners of the internet.
I love this. And it aligns with my own recent reflections about the social justice dilemma of pods: https://medium.com/@shaylargriffin/if-most-students-should-stay-home-what-do-i-do-with-my-kids-b7b7f32e11df
Hi Courtney, I’m a reader from Sheffield, UK. There are many interesting points below but I want to echo a previous commentator by saying that you really don’t need to feel bad about letting Maya listen to The Secret Garden as many times as she wants. It sounds like an excellent use of her time to immerse herself in a wonderful work of literature, and in future years she’ll associate this time so strongly with that imaginative world, which feels like a good thing. Also, frankly, I’m impressed it’s not a screen. I’ve had my six-year-old daughter at home since mid-March too, and my learning from that has been very much around how education is much, much broader than the school system would have us believe, and we all need to cut ourselves A LOT of slack. Be gentle with yourself and take courage from all the good work you’re doing. Emma
What if Pods are really the answer for public schools. Not the crazy AABB hybrids where a teacher sees all the kids anyway, but a true low risk Hub and spokes model. The school building is the hub - priority is given to the kids who did not participate online and the kids who need special help from nurses and counselors. They are placed in the school in groups no bigger than 10. Once the school is full we go out in a one or two mile radius from the school. There are churches (many are not meeting for in person worship) and YMCA's and Boys and Girls Clubs, maybe even homes of people who would be willing to house a pod. The kids are dropped at school and get tested every morning and grab their breakfast and lunches and packets for the day and head with their cohort leader to their meeting site. 3 lessons a day prerecorded by a district teacher. The cohort leader has the kids watch the lesson and then helps them work on it. There would be time for morning meetings (LOTS of social/emotional wellness curriculum materials). It would be expensive (we would have to hire folks) , but equitable. Instead of creating individual family pods we should all be insisting that our leaders fully fund something other than corporations. But we need to ask for it together.