the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, COVID-19 and remote learning has changed the K-12 education landscape, perhaps permanently. More parents are focusing on their children’s education than at any time in recent memory. In addition to immediate challenges, like ensuring that their children learn during the pandemic, parents are getting an even closer look at the curriculum and textbooks their children are provided.
Acting Superintendent Thomas Gorman, Ed.D. in his December column in the Ridgewood news , ” The pandemic has forced educators to rethink how learning and assessment occurs. There is no guidebook or past experience to help us through this situation. We need faculty, staff, parents, and students to be flexible and understanding in addressing and solving the challenges confronting us. Problems are being solved in real-time. There is no one right answer, and we must keep the mantra of what is best for students in the forefront of our minds when making important operational and educational decisions within the parameters that have been set before us.”
The same seems to be true for parents , in a recent survey conducted by National School Choice Week a majority of parents are considering, or have considered in the past year, finding a new or different school for their child.
The study also found that a majority of parents are considering, or have considered in the past year, finding a new or different school for their child. While parents find the school search process “frustrating” and “overwhelming,” we now have better information on what can make the process easier for them –– and how we can best encourage them throughout this process. Finally, our data also validates polling results from other organizations (such EdChoice or Gallup), demonstrating overwhelming parent support for school choice.
Black and Hispanic parents were more likely to respond that they were considering or have considered different schools than White parents. 68% of Black parents said they considered or are considering a new or different school, compared to 66.1% of Hispanic parents and 57% of White parents.
COVID-19 is the leading reason that parents say that they are considering, or have considered, a different school for their child , but other reasons rank highly, too. 35.8% of respondents said a school’s response to COVID as a main reason they considered, or would consider, finding a different school. 32.7% said wanting a higher quality education was a main reason, and 25.4% said finding a better overall fit was a main reason.
Parents overwhelmingly (84.7%) agree that “parents should have the ability to select the schools and learning environments that best meet the needs of their children. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, online public schools, private schools, and homeschooling.” Agreement is highest among Hispanic parents (92.6%) and Black parents (87.6%). Agreement is higher among women (86.7%) compared to men (82.6%).
Sitting in front of screens for long periods has negative effects on a child’s development and well being, irrespective of content.
What about adults sitting in front of computers all day long.
This post is based on a very unbiased survey and I will sue anyone for defamation if they think otherwise.
I have lost my Internet connection 11x today.
Optimum has not been optimal.
Almost ready to try Verizon.
If one wants to send their children to a “private” school, religious or not, it is fine by me with or without the current distribution caused by Covid . But unlike Betsy DeVos who thank God is on her way out, those freedom loving parents should pay the full freight for those decisions without one penny of my tax dollars supporting their decision .
Do those who post here realize that a portion of our Ridgewood taxes pay for a portion of private education facilities within our neighborhood. A choice of schools should not be subsidized by all but rather completely by those few parents who seemingly always brag that their children are being educated by some other superior educational system rather than our own Ridgewood public schools.
I wonder how many who left the Ridgewood public school district recently because of the hybrid COVID schedule these past months will return in a few months when things might get back to normal?
Unless your kids are locally enrolled in Dwight Englewood, Horace Mann or at a Northeastern boarding school , don’t kid yourself, the grass is not greener than within our own public school district. So parents get used to Dr Gorman’s flexibility in schedule and along with the district’s collective experience in remote learning gained over the last few months, a continued use of this technology into 2021 and beyond. This will benefit our children in the long run rather than hinder them.
Funny I pay property taxes and far more than it costs to formerly send my kids to Ridgewood schools (they are grownups now )
the REA has spoken lol
Ridgewood $115 million dollar school budget needs to comepete in a new envirement
After the march of the moron protests this summer its a wonder everyone is not removing their kids from public schools
You are lazy and fat and soon you will be ignored. Your own misguided strategy will ultimately undermine your pricey salaries and benefits.