Ridgewood NJ, a year and a half into the COVID pandemic many parents recognized, perhaps for the first time, that they have so many options available to them in every other area of their lives and of their parenting; yet, when it comes to educating their kids, they are left with a one-size-fits-all government school assignment. This is no longer tolerable to families who desire much more choice and customization in their children’s learning.
Ridgewood NJ, with the discussion on back to school heating up many concerned parents are looking for alternatives. On of those options are home schooling, which some parents are investigating after positive experiences with remote classes this spring after most schools closed. While these options may appear similar on the surface, remote classes and home schooling are very different. Home school options vary widely, including utilizing existing curricula or developing personalized course work, and the standards and requirements vary from state to state.
While online classes and home school may be effective, they may not be viable options for everyone. These options may require computers, tablets, or smartphones and reliable high-speed internet service to fully participate, particularly for live-streamed classes or video sessions. Availability for both computers and internet services may not be feasible for lower-income families or those living in remote areas, and many parents may not be able to continue to work remotely or remain at home in order to supervise their children during the day.
Ridgewood NJ, Until the coronavirus pandemic closed schools, only a minority of children were taught at home. In the United States, an estimated 1.7 million children were homeschooled out of a national school population of 56.6 million.
School closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak mean millions of parents and guardians who have grown accustomed to sending their children to traditional schools are now faced with the task of educating them at home.
– Spineless RW school system won’t implement (let alone enforce) any mandatory structure nor enforce any substantive academic standards.
– Teachers whine about how hard they are working and what challenges they are overcoming
– NJEA/NEA are conflicted over whether it is more beneficial to the teachers (I mean students, wink, wink), to push for reopening schools in September or to push to keep schools closed in September.
– RW parents post teacher support signs on their lawns and publically espouse what heroes the teachers are while privately complaining about how the teachers are failing to address their kids needs (while never making sure their child attends virtual class or does his homework).”
Ridgewood NJ, Dr. Fishbein shared that we will be surveying parents (K-12), students (6-12), and the staff to get feedback on remote learning. He added that we will have the extended school year for those students who qualify, and we are also looking at the enrichment program. At this time, we have not received guidance from the state regarding whether instruction should be done remotely or in-person; therefore, we are planning to move forward with a remote plan for the summer. Furthermore, we will be evaluating students early in the next school year to determine what gaps may have occurred, and a plan will be in place to catch students up by the end of 2021.
NYS and Gates Foundation Will Convene Experts to Answer Key Questions About What Education Should Look Like in the Future
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Albany NY, remote learning could replace the practice of a teacher standing in front of a classroom instructing students in the post-coronavirus area, Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggested Tuesday. Cuomo dropped the bombshell while announcing a partnership with the Gates Foundation to “reimagine” education in the post-COVID era.
“The last few months have been an incredibly stressful time full of change, but we have to learn and grow from this situation and make sure we build our systems back better than they were before,” Governor Cuomo said. “One of the areas we can really learn from is education because the old model of our education system where everyone sits in a classroom is not going to work in the new normal. When we do reopen our schools let’s reimagine them for the future, and to do that we are collaborating with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and exploring smart, innovative education alternatives using all the new technology we have at our disposal.”
Ridgewood NJ, NJEA released this statement following Gov. Murphy’s announcement today that school buildings will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. Remote instruction will continue, and NJEA members will remain focused on meeting the needs of New Jersey’s students.
Ridgewood NJ, Citing the need to protect the health of New Jersey’s 1.6 million public and private school students as well as thousands of educators and support staff, Governor Phil Murphy today announced that statewide school closures will be extended through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. Private schools with longer academic years will remain closed until at least June 30.
While we have not received any official notification from the Governor, I sense that people are slowly coming to the conclusion that schools may not reopen and remote learning may continue for the duration of the school year. Governor Cuomo stated in one of his press conferences that particular challenges or events define many generations. The Spanish Flu, World War II, the Vietnam War, and 9/11 are examples of historical events that had a lasting impact; similarly, this global pandemic will be a landmark moment for this generation.
Ridgewood NJ, we are all home schoolers now and you probably saw the recent issue of Harvard Magazine, which took a largely unsubstantiated broadside against homeschooling. Lindsey M. Burke, Ph.D.Director, Center for Education Policy recently released a review of the literature on the outcomes of students who homeschool – which paints a completely different – positive picture. As she explains, “among those who choose to homeschool, the positive effects are demonstrable. Although study designs limit researchers’ ability to draw a causal connection, it is clear the homeschooling population experiences positive academic outcomes.” Specifically:
Last week, Governor Murphy announced that he would provide more information about the length of our school closure by May 15. I know many of us wanted to hear more concrete information about whether schools would reopen this year. While I also want to know, I understand this incremental decision making. I must admit that I will be pleasantly surprised if we open this year. Based on information reported in the news, many things have to happen before we can open as a society; this includes opening schools, which by their very nature are large group gatherings. I bring this up so that during this time of uncertainty, you are prepared for continued widespread school closures and social distancing.
I hope you had a restful break. I was able to tackle many of the house projects that I have been peddling these past few weeks. My kids may not agree that the food and laundry responsibilities were a good swap for the hard labor of spreading 8 yards of mulch. A neighbor walked by and commented that it looks like “Fishbein Landscaping” is back in business.
On a serious note, while I do not have any inside information, it appears that we will continue with remote learning for some time. When the school closures were first announced, most people did not expect this situation to last for an extended period. We may hear some news from the Governor later this week. Moving forward, I will only send a weekly update; however, any important announcements or information will be shared immediately.
As a student, one has bundles of assignments, research papers, essays, and other academic writings to do. It becomes nearly impossible for a student to keep up with all the academic pressure and prevent himself from drowning in the ocean of essays and research papers.
Over the past three weeks, I have received dozens of emails from parents and videos from schools about all of the great experiences our students have been having. Remote learning is undoubtedly different from our regular school day and full activity schedule, and this has demonstrated the significance of our schools and our Village to who we are as a community. I could not start the break without thanking our teachers, administrators, support staff, and custodial/maintenance workers for adapting to these circumstances and performing their roles with dedication and professionalism.
