Schools and the goverment

We, like most parents in the US, did online schooling March through the end of the school year last year. It was a NIGHTMARE! Our school has been open and safe this year to which we are VERY thankful. At this point I'd send my kids in a hazmat suit if that is what was required to keep the school open. Cases have been rising dramatically in our area, due in large part to a very strong anti-mask sentiment in the area.

Now I'm not really going to get into that. I wasn't a huge fan of masks to start and I'm still not. They're uncomfortable. It's not awesome that the kids have to wear them in their classes. Still, hazmat suit ya'll, that's what I'd put them in to keep them in school. So it's something we deal with.

This brings me to the parents group that just started in our school. They've started a group. They say the group isn't "anti-mask" just anti-government in schools. This is where my thoughts kind of get jumbled up in confusion.

Aren't schools government institutions? I'm fairly certain that they are and all the staff and teachers are government employees. So......what? What are they against? Schools?

Elle, my explanation is that people are just sort of flailing around in their anxiety and aren't sure what to do- they want to do *something* but it's not clear what.
At least, that's how I'm trying to deal with some of the similar things I'm seeing here- I need to try to see some positive or it gets really depressing.

I know you said that this is not the point, but-- good data recently about schools not being the big super-spreader factor everyone was afraid they would be (so far). It is about time there is some sort of break this year. I'm doing an online conference this week and by the third hour I was ready to go completely nuts, kids, adults, teachers who deal wtih this every day deserve a medal.

Tereza Okava wrote:Elle, my explanation is that people are just sort of flailing around in their anxiety and aren't sure what to do- they want to do *something* but it's not clear what.
At least, that's how I'm trying to deal with some of the similar things I'm seeing here- I need to try to see some positive or it gets really depressing.

I know you said that this is not the point, but-- good data recently about schools not being the big super-spreader factor everyone was afraid they would be (so far). It is about time there is some sort of break this year. I'm doing an online conference this week and by the third hour I was ready to go completely nuts, kids, adults, teachers who deal wtih this every day deserve a medal.

Yeah my daughters teacher thanked me for not being mad at her about the mask mandate during parent teacher conference. It's a THING ya'll.


One of the comments in the group is that, "Don't appreciate that someone that has no knowledge of my child gets to decide her fate. why isn't it a parents choice."  

I was generally confused. I asked her what she meant by choosing the kids fate. Like, what? She said, "deciding what my kids have to fallow. We have no say."

So then I mentioned that we have never chosen the curriculum and tests the school administers so is this just the masks or what? Because what? How is a mask deciding a child's fate? Super confused.


And yeah, her reply was 100% about the masks. IMO that is the smallest part of school. I just went over MAP testing results during parent teacher conference and the fact that my kids are taking these tests 4 times a year is a far bigger deal than wearing a mask. But I guess that's just me.

They weren't initially under government control.  I suspect the sentiment in your area, however, is about local vs. federal control.  Do children in Redmond, WA (Microsoft) whose demographics are largely 2-parent families, high income, postage stamp lots need the very same education as those in San Jose's (CA) Franklin-McKinney school district whose demographics are among the poorest in the state, largely single-parents below the poverty level living with multiple families in a residence, many of whom don't speak English?  I would argue that there is a minimum required, but that beyond that, the local school board should decide where their money is spent.  For us, we were not happy with some of the decisions, so decided to homeschool in a delight-directed manner.  Worked great for us, and every single one of ours got some sort of scholarship.  We chose not to have the curricula that our districts were using.  Fortunately, our state has extremely loose rules on homeschooling (you can see your state's here: https://hslda.org/legal).  Every family has to make (and has to be allowed to make) the best decision for THEIR own family.
 
btw, studies recently came out from Denmark, Sweden, and Germany showing that positive schoolchildren don't spread the virus to adults.

My answer to the parent regarding government influence would be this:

My children are Home Schooled, and have been all their lives. I was Home Schooled as was my wife. I believe that if you want your children to be raised a certain way you should not put them in the care of other people. Its the parents responsibility from the time the children are born to insure that the child learns what he or she needs to know to get along in the world. The public school system, is just that, a system. By which the government (be it state or federal) instills the idea of working in large groups for 8 hours a day.

Anyway, I apologize for the rant. Long story short, if the parent was really worried about the children they would take a larger role in educating them.