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I’ve been working to find ways to help my Title 1 community, especially now that @theSMSD is fully remote to start school. I am overwhelmed. I don’t know what to do. So many kids will be home alone without supervision. 1/10
I’ve talked with childcare businesses, but they are already low on teaching staff, and some have said they will have even less teachers once school starts because their staff is having to quit/reduce hours to stay home with their own kids. 2/10
I’ve met with our building principal, who is working so hard to find solutions, but so far nothing seems to be panning out. Our PTA has been trying to find ways to help, but we are a smaller group with limited resources. 3/10
Every solution seems unusable because of the COVID precautions that are causing school to be remote in the first place. All other options are cost prohibitive for most of our families. 4/10
These families can’t afford a pod or a nanny or a retired teacher. And they won’t be protesting at the school board meeting or organizing an angry email campaign like the privileged parents in our district have done to pressure admin to allow sports. 5/10
Don’t get me started on that whole thing...if half of those parents harnessed that energy and passion to help the kids in our district that are beyond struggling, we wouldn’t be here right now. But, here we are. 6/10
Struggling parents in our community tend to suffer in silence. They don’t have the time or affluence to complain or make angry phone calls. They just put their heads down and do their best. Their voices aren’t heard, so their needs aren’t valued or sometimes even known. 7/10
I feel worn down. I am angry. The systemic disparities we’ve been trying to fix for years are just getting worse and worse. And I’m just one mom. I don’t know what else to do. 8/10
I am looking for creative solutions. If you are someone who has the means to help (I need a rich benefactor right about now) please DM me. These kids deserve better. 9/10
Also, please plan to vote this November for candidates that support public schools and programs that help low-income families. It doesn’t have to be this way. 10/10
