Opinion: Opting Your Kid Out? Safety Still Matters, by Jeannine Mele

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, and the upcoming school year approaches, it’s not surprising to see a trend of parents who can afford it, who feel returning to classrooms will be unsafe and remote will be inadequate, hiring private tutors to teach their children. In some cases it’s one on one but also in small groups known as “education pods” and here in New York City it can cost up to 150 thousand dollars for the year.

Some parents rationalize this as a way to open up seats,space and resources for those who can’t afford such expensive options. This is a thought process dripping with privilege. We live in a city, and a community, with vast socioeconomic inequality that allows people living within blocks of one another to live in entirely different worlds. We are also a city and community that would claim to be as progressive as can be. The upcoming school year is an opportunity to stop increasing educational inequality and to prove that progressivism is more than something we claim to be.

If you believe Black Lives Matter; if you’ve joined the protests and spoke out on social media against systemic racism; if you have taught your children that we must all raise our voices against the injustices people of color experience; if you have the luxury of opting out of sending your sons and daughters back into brick and mortar buildings this September, then you must realize that your social obligation does not end there.

Don’t forget that just because your child stays home, it does not mean that a school building will be a safe and nurturing place for other kids. Teachers will still not be able to interact the way they once did with students, and students will still be unable to play and participate in activities with their peers as they did in the past. Teachers are not trained to handle the trauma students will be entering the school with this year, nor are they trained or given the resources that front-line workers such as doctors, nurses, and others in the healthcare field are. Every parent, whether your child is staying home this year or not, must remain outraged that any child is being put into harms way.

So make sure you continue to do your part; contact your elected officials and use your voice to call out the inequity that is present here. Better yet, put your money where your mouth is, and consider helping a family that otherwise could not afford it to also make the choice to hire a private educator this year, invite them into your child’s pod and make sure that you don’t quietly go about your year knowing that your child is safe, but that so many others might.

Jeannine Mele works in the NY Public School system.

Author

  • George Fiala

    George Fiala has worked in radio, newspapers and direct marketing his whole life, except for when he was a vendor at Shea Stadium, pizza and cheesesteak maker in Lancaster, PA, and an occasional comic book dealer. He studied English and drinking in college, international relations at the New School, and in his spare time plays drums and fixes pinball machines.

    View all posts

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Comments are closed.

READ OUR FULL PRINT EDITION

click here to see our previous issues.

Our Sister Publication

a word from our sponsors!

Latest Media Guide!

Where to find the Star-Revue

Instagram

How many have visited our site?

wordpress hit counter

Social Media

Most Popular

On Key

Related Posts

Special birthday issue – information for advertisers

Author George Fiala George Fiala has worked in radio, newspapers and direct marketing his whole life, except for when he was a vendor at Shea Stadium, pizza and cheesesteak maker in Lancaster, PA, and an occasional comic book dealer. He studied English and drinking in college, international relations at the New School, and in his spare time plays drums and

PS 15’s ACES program a boon for students with special needs, by Laryn Kuchta

At P.S. 15 Patrick F. Daly in Red Hook, staff are reshaping the way elementary schoolers learn educationally and socially. They’ve put special emphasis on programs for students with intellectual disabilities and students who are learning or want to learn a second language, making sure those students have the same advantages and interactions any other child would. P.S. 15’s ACES

Big donors taking an interest in our City Council races

The New York City Council primary is less than three months away, and as campaigns are picking up steam, so are donations. In districts 38 and 39 in South Brooklyn, Incumbents Alexa Avilés (District 38) and Shahana Hanif (District 39) are being challenged by two moderate Democrats, and as we reported last month, big money is making its way into

Wraptor celebrates the start of spring

Red Hook’s Wraptor Restaurant, located at 358 Columbia St., marked the start of spring on March 30. Despite cool weather in the low 50s, more than 50 people showed up to enjoy the festivities. “We wanted to do something nice for everyone and celebrate the start of the spring so we got the permits to have everyone out in front,”