| Our schools are going virtual when they reopen but there are plenty of parents who object. Several reasons come up - Virtual learning did not work at the end of last year, and most parents think it's unlikely to work this year. I'll wait and see, but I'm also pessimistic about virtual learning for kids 5-18. It's just not engaging in that age range. - Related, families with two working parents are going to be very limited in their ability to work with their kid, e.g., make sure they are attending/paying attention in their zoom meetings, keep track of their assignments and make sure they are getting worked on, really sit and help with challenging projects and assignments. - Along the same lines, families with two parents who are or will be working outside the home are really in a bind. - Finally, there is continuing uncertainty about kids getting/transmitting Covid to the point where some people feel it's worth the risk. There is also a persistent group of parents who think this is all overwrought - they believe otherwise healthy kids and adults under the age of 60 are so are just unlikely to get very sick from Covid, certainly not more than any other virus. There's a wide range of feelings. I don't think the schools should open, but I'm also quietly prepared for this to be a lost educational year for my kids. |
"Quietly prepared" as in what? You're just going to accept it? Or you're going do what you have to to fill in the gaps and make it not a lost year for your kids?
I'd urge you (and everyone) to go for the second option. They're your kids. They're not the school system's kids; they're yours. If you have to spend time and/or money to make sure that they actually get the education they need (because the school system can't or won't[1]), even if you have to give up some things to do so, do what you can to help your kids.
[1] I'm not yelling at the school system here. They're in an impossible situation. They can't function at 100% effectiveness in an impossible situation? No shame in that, and no surprise, either.