Possible Solution to the Covid And School Dilemma

I’ve had a Possible Solution to the Covid And School Dilemma rolling around in my brain since March. I started a post with my thoughts here but didn’t finish it here for a few reasons, but I guess the biggest one is because I feared some people might want to roast me for the idea and my thoughts. The other reason is because I guess I didn’t think anybody would listen.

Then, this week something happened that brought the nagging feeling back that I should finish this post.

So this week my kids had checkups. Since masks are mandated in our state for ages 2 and up this meant all the kids had to wear masks. I didn’t have a problem with this but some interesting things did happen during the checkup.

The first thing I noticed was there was a lot of repeating phrases because what was said wasn’t heard the first time. Everything took much longer than normal. Then, halfway through the appointment I noticed my 5 year old had completely destroyed her mask. She chewed a hole right through the middle. I learned later that there are chemicals in the masks-which would explain why the area she chewed turned green.

As we were leaving I started thinking about the nations current dilemma regarding COVID and back to school. I’ve been reading a few articles about how teachers are dismal over proposed plans and final plans and I know that children chewing holes in their masks are only going to be a very small problem in the pool of issues they are going to be dealing with.

Since I have six kids and have homeschooled my own from the start (since 2009) I can only guess how things are going to go down in the elementary classrooms. I’ve been reading some articles teachers are writing as they try to voice their concerns-but it seems that as usual they seem to be unheard. I will say now, teachers and kids have my deepest sympathies for the upcoming school year!

I have a few thoughts that have been rolling around in my brain that I’ve been wanting to say for awhile now regarding this, but haven’t known how to find the words until now.

I know this post is going to get me roasted by a lot of people out there-but the words here have been churning for months and it’s to the point I can’t sleep some nights because of what’s on my mind so here goes……….

For years American’s have been complaining that our school system is broken. For years teachers have been saying there are too many broken area’s. For years teachers have been voicing problems-but few listen.

One of the problems teachers have been practically shouting from the rooftops is that they can not fix what is broken and what goes on at kids homes. Yet for decades parents have been pretty much requiring this of teachers by not healing their own brokenness and by not guiding their children how to heal their brokenness, and throwing them in the public education pool with a bunch of other broken kids and expecting teachers to deal with it.

As schools closed down last spring and children were sent home, clinics and hotlines were over run with crisis. Families were devastated because now they were forced to be stuck together. There was no more sweeping issues of brokenness under carpets or shooing bad attitudes out the door for the teachers to deal with.

But now the problem is growing. This school season teachers everywhere are not only going to be expected to do their job by educating America’s children, plus deal with the broken children, but now they are going to be required to be COVID police in addition to everything and risk getting sick as well as their families getting sick…… It’s too much.

I fear there’s a tidal wave of problems coming if a better solution isn’t found.

Possible Solution to the Covid And School Dilemma

I have an idea though that I think could make a difference. I could be wrong. And I know this idea won’t work for everyone.

I’ve been thinking lately though about how every state allocates funds of taxpayer money per child enrolled in public school. What if, for the next school year (and longer for families that choose) that money was spent differently? What if there was an option for the money to be divided between parents, teachers, and counselors to help families succeed and thrive at home?

Why not pay teachers to teach parents and children how to succeed learning at home?

Why not pay counselors and make family counseling part of the curriculum for the ones who need it-after all academics is essential but is not mental well being and a strong and healthy family unit more critically important than academics?

And why not pay the parents some of that tax money so they can afford to work less hours and be less stressed, and so they can educate their own kids and build relationships at the same time?

I know some people are thinking that they tried learning at home through the first round of COVID distance learning. For many parents it worked-they learned that this whole homeschooling gig isn’t as bad as they thought and that it’s actually a better fit for their family.

But there are many that it didn’t work for, I would just like to say that for those it didn’t work for it’s for a variety of reasons including what I’ve already mentioned, but also there being no preparation, no programs or plan in place and lack of support. What if that could change though?

Another reason it didn’t work for some is because they were trying to do public school at home and that doesn’t work for a lot of people. But what if teachers would work together with experienced, successful homeschoolers to learn the variety of solutions to common home education problems and what if together they could create a network of support and help for the people out there struggling and needing it?

If you think this is a possible solution to the COVID and school dilemma, and perhaps even a longer term solution that the education system has been needing let others know. Please leave a comment and share this post. Browse all my homeschool related posts HERE.

While you are hear, be sure to read last weeks post featuring a former teacher turned homeschool mom HERE!