We attended our son’s Kindergarten promotion on Wednesday via Zoom. Both sets of grandparents were also “in attendance,” but since you can’t change the tiles in gallery mode, we couldn’t see either of them while we watched the proceedings.
It was a fine little celebration. And honestly, my son hates stuff like that so he was probably relieved to do it that way. I was a little sad because I missed his TK promotion last year and now I feel like I missed this one too. Having said that, I’m glad I didn’t have to take off work to be there (which is why I missed the TK one, because I just couldn’t take another day off to be at his school!)
Want to know what I’m really happy not to be doing right now? Managing all the end of year festivities that usually make this month so manic. I don’t have to buy/make/deliver treats to class parties. I don’t have to take off time to attend end of year events. I don’t have to do a lot of things I don’t particularly love, and I’m trying to appreciate that because it is a silver lining.
I’m finally seeing articles about the budget crisis that public schools will be facing next year. It’s going to be REALLY, REALLY BAD. This article from WaPo sums it up in an effective, if totally depressing, way.
One thing that the articles mentions is the very real possibility that schools will return to distance learning in the fall because they simply can’t afford to return students and teachers to the classrooms.
“We know that it will cost more to return to school,” said Austin Beutner, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the country. “It will cost more because we need to invest in protective equipment. It will cost more because schools need to not just be cleaned but sanitized. The mental health crisis in the communities will come to the schools when we reopen. We need more nurses and counselors to support students.”
But like most states, California is facing massive budget shortfalls. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has already proposed a 10 percent cut to the state’s main K-12 school fund, with additional reductions elsewhere. In Los Angeles, that would translate to a $500 million loss and “irreparable harm,” Beutner said. In San Diego, officials said it might mean something even worse. Given the costs associated with safely reopening, the district might be forced to conduct school remotely as a cost-savings move.
“The math simply will not work,” said district spokesman Andrew Sharp. “We cannot ask schools to do more at the same time as their funding is being slashed.”
The San Francisco Chronicle had a similar article but it’s behind a paywall so I can’t even grab a paragraph boo.
It’s really going to suck when we don’t go back at all because of budge cuts. Blerg. The poor kids of this country.
It is simply terribly grim. And some school districts never really got on-line school working this spring…. they basically gave up and said pass because the equipment and access necessary to do school on line was so not available to so very many students. AND, Ms. DeVos says any money given to public schools MUST be shared to any rich private endowed school that will not accept all applicants but screen rigorously per their preferences (includes racial, religious, gender, current academic performance, special needs as part of what might prevent acceptance among other issues.) mmmph.
The new coming school year will be interesting if not educational, despite classroom teacher intentions and efforts. What would happen if you took a year of leave and homeschooled your children without needing to do on-line for other children?