Umthombo: TomDispatch.com
Seventeen years ago, against the advice of my parents, I decided to become a public school teacher. Once I did, both my mother and father, educators themselves, warned me that choosing to teach was to invite attacks from those who viewed the profession with derision and contempt. They advised me to stay strong and push through when budgets were cut, my intellect questioned, or my dedication to my students baxhashazwa. Nokho, akekho owangixwayisa ngokuthi ngolunye usuku kungase kudingeke ngizivikele kulabo ababengicela ukuthi ngibuyele ekilasini lami ngibeke ukuphila kwami engozini, ukuphila kwabafundi bami nemindeni yabo, yabangane bami, umyeni wami kanye nengane yami. phakathi nobhadane lomhlaba wonke. Futhi akekho owangitshela ukuthi ngizobe ngikhathazekile ngokuthi izikole zikahulumeni zezwe lethu, esezivele zivinjezelwe, zizosinda yini ezinxushunxushwini zeCovid-19.
Ukubuyisela abafundi ezakhiweni zesikole njengamanje kumane kwenze i-telegraph isifiso esikhulu nakakhulu kulo mphakathi sokubuyela kubo ibhizinisi njengenjwayelo. Sifuna zivulwe izikole zethu ngoba sifuna isimo esijwayelekile esikhathini sokungaqiniseki okujulile. Sifuna ukwenza sengathi izikole (like Amabha) izosikhulula ekucindezelekeni okudalwe yinkinga enkulu yezempilo yomphakathi. Sifuna ukukholwa ukuthi uma nje sibuyisela izingane zethu emakilasini azo, umnotho uzosimama nempilo njengoba sazi ukuthi izophinde iqale.
Eqinisweni, i-coronavirus - noma okungenani kufanele ibe - uyasifundisa ukuthi ngeke kube khona ukubuyela emuva kuleso sikhathi esidlule. Njengoba abafundi bokuqala nothisha beqala ukubuyela ezakhiweni zesikole, izithombe ze amaphasishi aminyene, izingane ezikhumule, futhi imibiko Ukuqubuka kwe-Covid-19 okubangelwa izikole sekuveze ukujula esibonakala sizimisele ukucwila kukho uma kuziwa ekuphepheni nasekuphileni kahle kwezingane zethu.
So let’s just call the situation what it is: a misguided attempt to prop up an economy failing at near Great Depression levels because federal, state, and local governments have been remarkably unwilling to make public policy grounded in evidence-based science. In other words, we’re living in a nation struggling to come to terms with the deadly repercussions of a social safety net gutted even before the virus reached our shores and decisions iqondiswa ngu uhlobo lwezombangazwe oluzicabangela lona kunenzuzo yomphakathi.
Ukubuyela Esikoleni?
Othisha abanjengami, ngelungelo lokungabi kumele ngisebenze umsebenzi wesibili noma wesithathu, ihlobo lingaba isikhathi sokuzindla ngonyaka odlule wesikole futhi ulungiselele olandelayo. Ngithatha amakilasi, ngifunde, ngithuthukise ikharikhulamu entsha, futhi ngichithe isikhathi nomndeni nabangane. Ihlobo kube yisikhathi sokuthola zonke izingcezu zempilo yami engizishaye indiva phakathi nonyaka wesikole futhi ngifake kabusha amabhethri ami angokomzimba nangokomzwelo. Njengabanye othisha abaningi bezikole zomphakathi engibaziyo, ngiyashiya ukuze ngibuyele emuva.
Nokho, hhayi kuleli hlobo. Kulezi zinyanga, akukho ukukhululeka. EPortland, e-Oregon, lapho ngihlala khona, ukuhlangana komlando wokuvukela umbuso we-Black Lives Matter, ukuhlasela okwalandela ngamanxusa ombuso kamongameli, usongo oluqhubekayo kanye nomonakalo odabukisayo we-coronavirus, kanye nezinga elikhulayo labantu abangenamakhaya nokuntuleka kwemisebenzi kube nomthelela ekuphazanyisweni kokuzamazama komhlaba kwezinqubo nezinhlaka zomphakathi wethu. Umuzwa wokungaqiniseki nokukhathazeka manje ugcwele zonke izici zokuphila kwansuku zonke. Njengabaningi, bengilokhu ngingumzali isikhathi esigcwele ngaphandle kokukhululeka kusukela ngo-March, ngiqaphela kakhulu ukungabikho kwewebhu evamile ebalulekile yothisha, abanakekeli, abaqeqeshi, abeluleki bamakamu, umndeni, nabangane abangisize ukukhulisa ingane yami ukuze ngikwazi ukukhulisa ingane yami. ingasiza ekukhuliseni izingane zabanye.
Ukuhlukana nomphakathi wakithi kanye nokuhlukaniswa kwabantu okubangelwa ukuwohloka kobudlelwane bomphakathi obujwayelekile, kanye nendodakazi yami kanye nokungakwazi kwami ukuya esikoleni, kube nomthelela omkhulu ezimpilweni zethu. Kodwa-ke, ngokwazi konke lokho, ngikuzwa ngokujule kangaka, angisoze ngamela ukuthi izingane zethu zibuyele esikoleni mathupha njengoba i-Covid-19 isalokhu ingalawuleki.
Ngaphandle kwe- umzamo ohlangene to stop the spread of the virus — as cases in this country soar past five million and deaths top 170,000 — including masking mandates, widespread testing, effective contact tracing, enough funding to change the physical layout of classrooms and school buildings, a radical reduction in class sizes, and proper personal protective equipment for all school employees, returning to school becomes folly on a grand scale. Of course, an effort like that would require a kind of social cohesion, innovation, and focused allocation of resources that, by definition, is nonexistent in the age of Trump.
Ukudela Abasengcupheni
In late July, when it was announced that school districts across the state of Oregon would open fully online again this fall, I felt two things: enormous relief and profound grief. The experience of virtual schooling in the spring had resulted in many families suffering due to a lack of access to the social, emotional, and educational resources of school. No one understands that reality better than the teachers who have dedicated our waking hours to supporting those students and the parents who have watched them suffer.
Kuyaqabula njengoba kufanele kube ukuzwa osopolitiki emikhakheni yezombangazwe bekhuluma ngezinto ezibakhathazayo ukwandisa igebe lempumelelo kanye nezindlela izingane zaseMelika ezisengozini kakhulu eziyosala ngayo uma zingafundi mathupha, izinkathazo zazo azisho lutho. Izingane zethu ezisengozini kakhulu ngokomlando ziyi okuphakelwe kancane ngezikole zethu kanye kungacishe kwenzeke ukugula uma bebuyela emuva. Njengoba bengakaze babeke phambili izidingo zalabo bafundi, imindeni yabo, nemiphakathi abahlala kuyo, labo sopolitiki banesibindi sokufuna ukuthi izikole zivulwe. manje.
Ukunakekela ngempela impilo kanye nenhlalakahle yabafundi abanjalo ngesikhathi sodlame kungasho ukwanda izinzuzo zomsebenzi, ukuhlinzeka usizo lokuqasha, kanye nokwenza ukunakekelwa kwempilo emhlabeni jikelele. Impendulo ayikona ukuthumela izingane ezisengcupheni esakhiweni lapho zingase zitheleleke khona futhi zibuyisele leli gciwane emiphakathini esivele ihlaselwe ngokungafanele yi-Covid-19.
Thatha isibonelo sesikole sami, esinesistimu yokungenisa umoya osekuphele iminyaka engaphezu kweshumi iku-fritz, insipho enganele noma ngisho nezindawo zokugeza izandla zakho, namafasitela angavuleki. Ngamanye amazwi, izimo eziphelele zokusabalalisa igciwane. Ngisho noma benginganikezwa isivikelo sobuso nesihlanzisi sesandla esanele, ngisazohlala emagumbini okufundela anabafundi abaningi kakhulu nokugeleza komoya okunganele. Futhi lokho kuwukukhathazeka nje ngokomzimba.
Lokho abantu abambalwa kakhulu ababonakala bekucabangela, ngaphandle kokuxoxa ngakho, ukuhlukumezeka kwengqondo okuhlala isikhathi eside okuhambisana nokusabalala kwegciwane. Kuthiwani uma ngithelele abafundi bami noma amalungu omndeni wabo ngokungazi? Kuthiwani uma ngilethe igciwane ekhaya emndenini wami nakubangane? Kuthiwani uma ngingenwe yigciwane kumfundi futhi ngashona? Akekho uthisha engimaziyo okholelwa ukuthi ukufundisa nge-inthanethi kuzobasiza kangcono abafundi bethu, kodwa ukubuyela emuva ekufundeni mathupha ngenkathi leli gciwane lisalawuleki eMelika kuzoba nomthelela ngokusobala ekusakazekeni kwalo okuqhubekayo.
Izikole azikwazi ukuthwala umthwalo wale nkinga. Ukwenza ipolitiki ukubuyela esikoleni futhi ukushaya parents against teachers — as if many teachers weren’t themselves parents — is a devious way of once again scapegoating those very schools for perennial failures of funding, leadership, and policy. Forty years of the neoliberal version of austerity and ukuhlukana kusukela ezikoleni zomphakathi yizo zombili abaphathi beDemocratic and Republican baye baqinisekisa ukuthi, ngokungafani neziningi ze izizwe ezicebile kakhulu kule planethi, izikole zomphakathi e-US azinalo usekelo oludingekayo lwesikhungo, ingqalasizinda, noma izinsiza ukubona ngeso lengqondo nokwenza ukubuyela esikoleni okuphephile nokusebenzayo.
Ukubeka konke lokhu ngendlela efanele, esiphakamisweni sesabelomali sika-2021, abaphathi bakaTrump bacele amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-66.6 eMnyangweni wezeMfundo, amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-6.1 ngaphansi kwango-2020. Ngokuphambene, iCongress isanda kudlulisa uMthetho Wokugunyazwa Kwezokuvikela Kazwelonke ogunyaza amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-740. uMnyango Wezokuvikela. Noma ngabe kuhlongozwa ukwabiwa kwemali eyengeziwe eyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-70 zamaRandi ezikoleni ezikumthetho we-HEALS Act, umzamo wesibili osamisiwe wokuphendula ubhubhane olubhebhethekayo, izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zalezo zimali zizotholakala kuphela ezifundeni zezikole ezibambe iqhaza. - amakilasi omuntu. Futhi ngenxa yokuthi uxhaso oluningi lwezikole luboshelwe emalini yentela yasekhaya neyesifundazwe, ehlaselwe kabi umnotho okhungethwe yileli gciwane, empeleni izikole zizobe zisebenza. ngisho nezabelomali ezincane kulo nyaka.
I-Grassroots Privatization
Kungathi bafuna sihluleke. Mhlawumbe isitha esinamandla kakhulu semfundo yomphakathi ekuphathweni kukaTrump, uNobhala Wezemfundo uBetsy DeVos, waze wasabisa ubambe uxhaso lukahulumeni uma izifunda zesikole sendawo zinqume ukuqalisa kabusha isikole ku-inthanethi ngokuphelele kulokhu kuwa. Ngemva kokukhunjuzwa ukuthi wayengenalo igunya lokwenza kanjalo, esikhundleni salokho wacela abazali ukuba bacabangele ezinye izindlela izingane zabo. Leso sicelo safana nokubakhuthaza ukuthi bakhiphe izingane zabo ezikoleni zikahulumeni (ezibancisha uxhaso olubalulekile) futhi kunalokho bafune amavawusha ezikole ezizimele noma eziqashiwe.
UDeVos akagcinanga nje lapho. Ku-an zama ukuqondisa kabusha imali eyabelwe abafundi abahola kancane ngoMthetho we-CARES, impendulo yokuqala yeCongress ngalesi sifo, wanquma ukuthi izifunda zesikole ezithatha isinqumo sokusebenzisa leyo mali ezinhlelweni ezingase zihlomulise bonke abafundi (esikhundleni sabafundi abahola kancane) kumele nazo zikhokhe. "ngezinkonzo ezilinganayo" kuzo zonke izikole ezizimele esifundeni. Lokhu kungase kukhiphe imali efinyelela ku-$1.5 billion yemali ye-CARES Act isuka ezikoleni zomphakathi iye ezikoleni ezizimele. Izikole ezinjalo sezizuze kakade emalimboleko yoHlelo Lokuvikeleka Lwe-Paycheck ezasatshalaliswa njengengxenye yoMthetho we-CARES. Ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi ngeke umangale ukwazi ukuthi bazokwamukela imali eyengeziwe uma noma yini efana nenguqulo yamanje yoMthetho Wezigelekeqe WEZEMPILO idlula. Kulula ukubona ukuthi ubani ophumelelayo nokuthi ubani ohluliwe kuzibalo ezinjalo.
The fear and anxiety prompted by uncertainty about how public schools will function in the chaos of this moment is giving way to grassroots decision-making that will adversely affect such basic institutions for the foreseeable future and may even contribute to even more segregated schools. People like me — white, highly educated, and accustomed to having options — are scrambling to figure out individual solutions to problems that would best be solved by community organizing.
Eminye imindeni ikhetha ukukhipha izingane zayo ezikoleni zikahulumeni, izibhalise ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme eziku-inthanethi, ezikoleni ezizimele, noma imane ifundise izingane zayo emakhaya. Abanye benza amaphodi okufundisa amancane, noma izikole ezincane, kanye ukuqasha othisha abazimele noma abafundisi ukuze bafundise izingane zabo.
The twisted irony of these developments is that many white people who support the Black Lives Matter movement are making decisions for their own children that will adversely affect Black students for years to come. Declining enrollment and white divestment in public schools will bring about funding shortages and educational disparities sure to undermine whatever gains those protests achieve.
Umphumela ongenakugwemeka uzoba izikole ezihlukene kakhulu, kuyilapho igebe phakathi kwabacebile nabangenalutho likhula kuphela. Ekugcineni, ukugcinwa kwangasese ngezinga elincane kudlala isifiso salabo abafana namaDeVos abafuna ukubukela phansi futhi, ekugcineni, ngisho nokuhlakaza imfundo yomphakathi ngokuvuna izikole ezizimele kanye nezikole eziqashayo, okuthe, ngokungamangazi ngokwanele, zaqala ukwakhiwa ukuze ukuqhubeka ukuhlukaniswa kwesikole.
Ukusinda Kwezikole Zomphakathi
Izikole zikahulumeni ziyizikhungo ezingaphelele. Ngokomlando, baye qhubekela phambili ukungalingani ngokobuhlanga kanye nokuhlukana okuqinile kwezomnotho nezenhlalo. Ngezindlela eziningi, zehluleke zonke izingane zethu cishe kuwo wonke amazinga ongazicabanga. Yabo amamodeli ezimali zishoda kancane ngobugebengu futhi ukuntuleka kwezinsiza kulo lonke uhlelo bekufanele (kodwa ngokuvamile bekungenzekanga) kubhekwe njengokungafaneleki kudala ngaphambi kokuba i-coronavirus igadle.
Nokho izikhungo zakhiwe ngabantu futhi, abaningi babo, kuhlanganise nami, bakholelwa ukuthi imfundo yomphakathi yamahhala efinyeleleka kubo bonke iyisisekelo sethemba esikhathini esizayo. Ekugcineni, izikole zingase zibe yithuba lethu lokugcina elingcono kakhulu lokusindisa okusele kwesizwe sethu esiqhekekile kanye nesithembiso sentando yeningi. Zilahle manje, lapho zisongelwa ezingeni likahulumeni, isifunda, kanye naphansi, futhi ubeka engcupheni isiphetho sesizwe.
Ezidingekayo namuhla izixazululo zokudala ezibeka ukugxila kwabasengozini kakhulu yezingane zethu. Perhaps enlisting our nation’s retirees, many of whom are currently isolated at home, to help small groups of students, or launching a civilian corps of the currently unemployed, paid to step in to rebuild critical public school infrastructure or provide supplementary support and tutoring for kids who might otherwise be left behind, would help. I know there are creative solutions out there that don’t just benefit the most privileged among us, that could, in fact, focus on the most marginalized students. Now is the time to be creative, not to withdraw from the system. Now is the time to pool resources, while amplifying the voices of students, parents, and families historically not invited into such conversations.
Ukwehlukana kwesikhathi eside emfundweni yomphakathi kuye kwaletha izikole zaseMelika ezimpambanweni eziyingozi, lapho ukungathembeki kwesayensi nezeluleko zochwepheshe kusongela yona kanye isisekelo salesi sizwe. Okuwukuphela kwendlela yokuphuma kulolu bishi ukuhlehlisa igagasi. Ingabe siyafuna ngempela ukubuswa ukwesaba nokuswela okuzenzela thina? Ngabe sifuna ngempela amagiya okucwasa ngokwezikhungo aqhubekele phambili, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwenzekani noma mathupha? Isikhathi sokusebenza ngokubambisana, ukubuyisela ngempela "umphakathi" ezikoleni zomphakathi. Sekuyisikhathi sokubeka eceleni ubumbano ukuze sivikele zonke izingane zethu njengoba sizulazula kokungaziwa nokungaziwa.
Njengoba ngilungiselela unyaka wokufunda ongafani nanoma yimuphi omunye, ngilindele ukubukela ngokwesaba njengoba izikole eziningi zesizwe sakithi, ezingalungiselelwe ngokudabukisayo, zivulwa phakathi nobhubhane. Ngikhathele futhi ngidabukile, ngizokhathazeka ngokungaphezi mayelana nabafundi nothisha abangena kuleyo minyango.
Belle Chesler, a TomDispatch Njalo, unguthisha wezobuciko obubonakalayo esikoleni sikahulumeni e-Beaverton, e-Oregon.
I-ZNetwork ixhaswa kuphela ngokuphana kwabafundi bayo.
Nikela