By: Diane Benjamin
One thing that bothered me about the previous story was no mention the role parents play in education – especially if kids are expected to learn from home. See that story here: https://blnnews.com/2020/07/29/is-remote-learning-racist/
After I posted that story I received a comment from a local teacher. The comment is used with permission with a couple of identifying words changed to protect the teacher. This is the reality of on-line learning:
Good morning, Diane
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As a public school teacher for decades who has taught the majority of my years in low income schools, I can personally attest to the exponential increase in achievement gap that has already happened from this virus craze.
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I provided a zoom lesson for my low income students each Thursday at (redacted)AM and (redacted)PM to accommodate for parent work schedules. I emailed, and texted individual personal videos of me inviting children and offering parents assistance with getting on zoom. I had between five and seven total attend each week.
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A high income school colleague of mine conducted zoom lessons five days a week with 20 children in attendance. I have five parents who have the means, time, interest, and ability to work extensively with their children. The rest do not. Some are low functioning, some have issues in their life most of us could not begin to comprehend, for others it’s drugs, some simply don’t care.
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Regardless, none of this is the fault of the children, yet they are the ones who suffer. I’m sure if I dug deep enough I could find an article, or persons who have discussed this. However, I am a public school teacher. I am involved in and receive, therefore, multiple notifications as well as publications regarding education regularly.
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Never once have I read or received anything regarding the obvious increase in achievement gap before reading your article. I can’t thank you enough for giving me hope that someone out there cares. When politicians and the media are involved, those who need help the most are always the ones exploited and/or left behind.
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What have we become?
We have become a nation divided by Wokeness, a lying media and politicians who have sold their souls to the Dark Side.
The result is that EVERYONE is suffering and there are victims everywhere.
The children of poor and disadvantaged citizens are not alone.
The Cancel Culture of the left and their “destroying normalcy” with the fear of the Chinese Communist Party virus and their authoritarian fiats is creating victims everyday.
Yes it is time for the adults to take over.
It is time to end the INSANE lock-downs, mask mandates and cancellations of VITAL parts of our society and culture.
It is time to reject Socialists/Communists who want to destroy our country.
It is time to reject the SJWs who are infecting our culture and our workplaces with their Woke insanity.
Get the kids back in school and end the left’s insanity, before it is too late for them and America.
Interesting points. Internet access and computers are cheaper and more readily available than ever before (thanks to the absence of over-regulation from government). Nearly 82% of U.S. households have access to the internet according to a quick Google search. And, any out of pocket cost is relatively nominal, as pointed out by a commenter on the Part 1 segment. I agree that participation rates correlate with income strata, but do not believe that one’s income level causes them to attend (or not). Rather, one’s family income is generally a good predictor of how much they value education, push their children to do well in school, and participate in both classroom and extracurricular activities. This has less to do about race and income, and more to do with attitudes toward education and learning.
More good points.