My granddaughter Hannah was extremely excited yesterday. Her teacher told her mother that the little girl was scoring 100% in all the subjects covered in the first grade curriculum. She even offered to send more complicated work home so Hannah could advance further during the school year. On its face, this is a feel good story about the virtues of hard work. However, the devil is in the details.
Due to the pandemic and the risks going to in person schooling would pose to her various caregivers, primarily her paternal grandparents, Hannah is being home schooled by Grandma Carol, a retired teacher herself. Carol spends 3-4 hours a day in one on one instruction with Hannah who absorbs information like a sponge. Her parents and other grandparents continue to encourage her when her orbit intersects ours. I cannot imagine a more virtuous circle. I also cannot imagine any but a small minority of her peers who are getting a better childhood education. I am happy for Hannah, but a small part of me wonders what the other children in her class are doing during their days and nights away from school.
Parents who don't have the ecosystem of my granddaughter or the ability to pay for the tutoring necessary to make a good pandemic education possible will have to settle for a lesser school experience for their children. It's not fair and it's not right.
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