WHY NOT EMBRACE OUR CHILDCARE ROLE?

Governor Andrew Cuomo has referred on multiple occasions to the role teachers play in child care. Our child care function is why he dithered and delayed in closing the schools in March. (Who would watch the kids of the healthcare workers?) It is also playing a key part in the decision about reopening school buildings and why part-time school might not work out.  As we stated in covering his April 12 press conference, "Cuomo emphasized that businesses can't reopen without the schools being opened because schools provide education as well as childcare." That statement seems a little at odds with what the Governor said the other day when he announced that Bill Gates was going to take another shot at "reimagining" education in NY.

From Cuomo's May 5 presser:
“The old model of, everybody goes and sits in a classroom, and the teacher is in front of that classroom, and teaches that class, and you do that all across the city, all across the state, all these buildings, all these physical classrooms — why, with all the technology you have?”

NYSUT had a pretty strong reaction to Cuomo's reimagination of NY education. President Andy Pallotta's statement:

“NYSUT believes in the education of the whole child. Remote learning, in any form, will never replace the important personal connection between teachers and their students that is built in the classroom and is a critical part of the teaching and learning process — which is why we’ve seen educators work so hard during this pandemic to maintain those connections through video chats, phone calls and socially distant in-person meetings. If we want to reimagine education, let’s start with addressing the need for social workers, mental health counselors, school nurses, enriching arts courses, advanced courses and smaller class sizes in school districts across the state. Let’s secure the federal funding and new state revenues through taxes on the ultrawealthy that can go toward addressing these needs. And let’s recognize educators as the experts they are by including them in these discussions about improving our public education system for every student.”

The pushback from education advocates is making a difference.

From the Albany Times Union:

Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa in a tweet addressed the critics saying that the task force was not intended to undercut teachers, but to harness technologies that to better reach at risk-student populations.

"Teachers are heroes & nothing could ever replace in-person learning--COVID has reinforced that," DeRosa wrote. "The re-imagine education task force focuses on using technology most effectively while schools are closed & to provide more opportunities to students no matter where they are"

Cuomo officials clarified that the task force will be informed by teachers, parents and other stakeholders.

Sometimes, I cannot understand why we have been downplaying the childcare part of our job as educators. Academic expertise is important but so is the socialization aspect of schooling. I don't think the world is ready to have their children educated and socialized completely at home.

Remote education cannot supplant real school. Parents are discovering firsthand some of the difficulties of teaching during the pandemic when we all stay home. As the father of two elementary school kids who tries to escape occasionally to write blog posts, I have an even deeper respect for what elementary school teachers do. I think many other parents feel the same way. I don't believe the moms and dads of the world want their teens around the house all day, every day either.

This Israeli mother's video is a classic.

This one is pretty good too.

Why fight our babysitting role? Why not embrace it as long as our academic expertise is acknowledged too and of course school buildings are safe to open?