DGS49
Diamond Member
Many people have expressed anxiety about this school year, in light of the CV pandemic. Most of the country's schools were shut down around March 15 (the exact date is not important). Most schools and teachers have tried to paste together some sort of learning program for the period when the schools are not in session, but since a substantial portion of the student body does not have the hardware, software, and/or access to the Internet, the next time the kids are in class, it will be necessary to presume that essentially no learning has taken place since March 15th. Otherwise, the kids with no access will be hopelessly behind when classes resume.
Here we are in almost-mid-April and my Governor (Pennsylvania) declares the School Year to be OVER. After a few minutes of thought, it occurs to me that this is...I don't know...bullshit. It presumes something that is not true. Can you guess what that is?
It presumes that June, July, and August are sacrosanct and UNAVAILABLE for classroom instruction. Why?
From the middle of June to the end of August, there are TEN WEEKS when the kids will be doing essentially nothing of value. Most family vacations are, or will be, cancelled (and most Americans don't go on vacation anyway). If you presume that the U.S. will be "shut down" for, say, 10 weeks, from March 15 through June 1, there is no good reason why the kiddies couldn't go back to school on June 2 and be ready to start the next academic year on September 1...just like normal.
We are living in extraordinary times, are we not? Is it not reasonable to expect school employees (especially teachers) to Do the Right Thing and relinquish their annual ten-week vacation FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THEIR STUDENTS? And in fact, if the Governor had said, 'Take your Summer vacation NOW; school will be back in session on June 1,' wouldn't that be a reasonable compromise?
Why are June, July, and August off the table?
Of course, if we are still in lockdown for the next six months, this proposal is moot, but why presume the worst? It's only the democrats who want to maximize the disruption and harm.
Here we are in almost-mid-April and my Governor (Pennsylvania) declares the School Year to be OVER. After a few minutes of thought, it occurs to me that this is...I don't know...bullshit. It presumes something that is not true. Can you guess what that is?
It presumes that June, July, and August are sacrosanct and UNAVAILABLE for classroom instruction. Why?
From the middle of June to the end of August, there are TEN WEEKS when the kids will be doing essentially nothing of value. Most family vacations are, or will be, cancelled (and most Americans don't go on vacation anyway). If you presume that the U.S. will be "shut down" for, say, 10 weeks, from March 15 through June 1, there is no good reason why the kiddies couldn't go back to school on June 2 and be ready to start the next academic year on September 1...just like normal.
We are living in extraordinary times, are we not? Is it not reasonable to expect school employees (especially teachers) to Do the Right Thing and relinquish their annual ten-week vacation FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THEIR STUDENTS? And in fact, if the Governor had said, 'Take your Summer vacation NOW; school will be back in session on June 1,' wouldn't that be a reasonable compromise?
Why are June, July, and August off the table?
Of course, if we are still in lockdown for the next six months, this proposal is moot, but why presume the worst? It's only the democrats who want to maximize the disruption and harm.