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Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

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Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#21

Post by joe_hills »

Single dad here in a small apartment with a 7yo whose school went fully remote.

I switched to a reduced-hours contractor status at my day job and went "full-time" on my side project so I can make my own schedule.

I do the bulk of my focused work either after my kid goes to bed or before she starts school for the day.

During the day when she's in class, it seems like every class period, there's at least one or two tech issues she needs help with. To keep that time productive for me, I do household chores, meal prep, and any easily-interruptable work-related tasks (like writing correspondence).

It's not ideal, but I feel like I can make it work for us indefinitely.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#22

Post by whafro »

I have a first grader. Our public school system, which is ordinarily great, has a very vague plan that begins with a hybrid system that operates two mornings a week.

In response, we teamed up with five other families of first graders in our area, and have contracted with a tutor to handle the other three-and-two-half days of the week. We may switch to the remote learning option, since it seems like 75% of their class will do that, which would the benefit of in-person social experiences, but simplify logistics. When not in school, the five kids will be in a basement apartment at one of the families' houses with the tutor, working on their distance learning.

We still have a zillion and a half things to iron out, but it's both progress and ridiculous.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#23

Post by consultutah »

2 kids in high school. They started last week with online only. Their schools offered the option of online only or in person classes and each student was able to choose. Even though the class list for online only is much smaller than what's available in person, we thought it safer to go that way.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#25

Post by spanhandler »

Homeschool for the very advanced older of our two elementary kids, done by one partner who's also going to be working from home, kind of. Many worries about that, including 1) will that actually work out OK?, and 2) if it does will that one end up so far ahead that we're now stuck homeschooling forever? Sort of a good problem to have but also... not a good problem to have.

Middle kid's going in, at least until they probably shut down in a month or two. Youngest is going to grandparents whom we very much hope we don't give The COVID, but none of the rest is happening if that one's home. No way.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#26

Post by glitchc »

I have one son in elementary school. Since the school system switched to online learning, it's been a mixed bag. Having our son around all day is quite nice, and we have fun, however, he's not learning much from the online experience at all, so we have to teach everything ourselves. Before, it was just a matter of supplementing what the teacher taught. Assignments are overwhelmingly negative: They're all slide decks. It feels like office work for both the child and the parent. My son was sick of making slides by the end of the school year and I don't blame him.

Net result: We will be sending him to school once it opens.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#27

Post by sparrish »

spanhandler wrote: post #25

Homeschool for the very advanced older of our two elementary kids, done by one partner who's also going to be working from home, kind of. Many worries about that, including 1) will that actually work out OK?, and 2) if it does will that one end up so far ahead that we're now stuck homeschooling forever? Sort of a good problem to have but also... not a good problem to have. Middle kid's going in, at least until they p…

Been homeschooling mine for 15 years now. The fact that you're concerned about #1 means you're going to be just fine. Engaged and caring parents make great homeschoolers. It's the apathetic parents I've known that fail to educate their children.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#28

Post by cvhashim »

joe_hills wrote: post #21

Single dad here in a small apartment with a 7yo whose school went fully remote. I switched to a reduced-hours contractor status at my day job and went "full-time" on my side project so I can make my own schedule. I do the bulk of my focused work either after my kid goes to bed or before she starts school for the day. During the day when she's in class, it seems like every class period, there's at least one or two tec…

That’s a very packed schedule. Well done on managing your time.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#29

Post by drc37 »

icebraining wrote: post #16
drc37 wrote: post #12

All kids are going to school, but only 4 days a week (I don't know why 1 less day reduces any risk). Masks are optional but recommended. Currently, all after school sports are still going forward as before. The district is offering an homeschooling option but limited on the number. It is already maxed out.

> All kids are going to school, but only 4 days a week (I don't know why 1 less day reduces any risk) If the days are staggered, it would reduce the occupancy rate of the classrooms, which seems sensible.

But, they are not. They go all 4 days, all day. So, completely senseless and half-hearted like most of the COVID rules out there. I can only think that they may be doing deeper cleans on Fridays, but they haven't said that they are. So, who knows.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#30

Post by kbutler »

flowerlad wrote: post #14
winphone1974 wrote: post #4

I have 2 in elementary and one in middle school. Our public schools will supposedly open physical classes with an online option as well. You need to pick and commit to one. I'm strongly in the physical camp for many reasons, most importantly the online school in the spring was garbage and a lack of socialization at this age is a very real and serious public health concern-for healthy young kids with no underlying hea…

> lack of socialization at this age is a very real and serious public health concern-for healthy young kids with no underlying health issues maybe as important as COVID itself Lack of socialization - for a few months - is as serious as a disease that's killing people by the hundreds of thousands? Even if the kids themselves are at lower risk, they can transmit the disease to parents as well as teachers, who are much…

It looks like child-child and child->adult transmission is very rare. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200710100934.h...

We don't know why yet.

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