It never dawned on me as an educator that I was also a childcare provider. In my mind those were two overlapping, but mostly distinct disciplines. Childcare professionals took care of children while educators educated children. Yet, when the pandemic struck, it became clear that many in society value educators, particularly in the early years, first as childcare providers. Most that lament the change in school schedules, complain that parents can't work because children aren't attending school full time. This situation brings to mind all kinds of questions:
Who do we want to take care of the children?
There was a time, long ago, when parents at home mostly cared for the children. These parents at home were mainly women. In some cases, these women brought their children with them as they worked in homes, on farms, and at businesses. In other cases, the grandparents were the caretakers, and sometimes neighbors, dads, and others filled that role. It is clear now, that many today, rely on schools for that childcare.
Who do we want to take care of the children, and how do we support that for society?
First, I believe it is in the best interests of society to ensure that all children are well taken care of. Countries that are graded the highest for quality of living make that a priority. How can we make that a priority too--what can we do?
Birth to two
I believe we should proivde families with a hefty paycheck to stay home or hire optimal day care in or out of the home for children ages 0-2. This would benefit breastfeeding and a healthy start to a child's development. A healthy start saves a lot of struggle down the road.
Three to twelve
From three to twelve, I believe we should have state-of-the-art childcare/education organizations that help children thrive in the area where they live. I believe this care needs to be contextual since different areas of the country have different needs. While I never saw myself as a childcare provider, I do believe that education and childcare are a positive intersection from ages three to twelve, but not an intersection that works in our currently overcrowded, underfunded, often unsafe, and oppressive education environments. To make this work, schools, like every institution, have to evolve to be both holistic childcare centers and education organizations too.
To creat this evolution, there are some questions that have to be addressed including the following:
- Necessary pecial education reforms? As it stands now, many who have influential parents and lots of privilege get extraordinary special education services while others do not. Special education in many places has become privileged education instead. We have to evolve the roles of special educators and special education in schools to make sure those services are provided in beneficial ways to all who need them. There's lots of room for reform here.
- Student-teacher ratios? In most systems, the student-teacher ratio quotients are misleading. The fact of the matter is that a few students and teachers enjoy small teacher-to-student ratios while other students and teachers spend all day in too large student-teacher ratios. This creates an unjust undoable learning and teaching situation. These too-great ratios have been one reason why schools were not able to stay open during the pandemic--in general during a normal school year there are too many children assigned to one teacher in a too-tight environment for what we know makes up an optimal, holistic learning environment.
- Inviting infrastructure? Too many schools look like and act like old-time, oppressive industrial complexes. In many ways, schools are oppression pits--this too-high level of oppression in sick buildings, with unsafe, crowded, rundown environments obstruct what is possible. When the schools are more rundown than the homes and/or businesses that surround them, there's a problem. Sad-to-say, too many childcare facilities are located on pollution-heavy highways. That's abominable. We have to make education organization environments and structure inviting.
- Fair salaries? Too many childcare workers make unliveable wages. We say we value our children and then we assign them to places where the workers can hardly put a roof over their head or food on their table. That has to change. If you don't treat the workers well, how can you expect them to treat your children well?
- Optimal ed programs? The programs for this age group should be holistic and devlopmentally appropriate focused on a healthy mind and body. Children should gain the skills, knowledge, and concept they need to be a lifelong learner who is able to understand and contribute to the community, live a good life for themselves and others, and finde their niche in life.
We need to continue to work to make optimal education opportunities available and accessible to all those 13 and up in order to make our country as intelligent, happy, healthy, and prosperous as possible. Good living for selves and others should be the ultimate goal of this experience.
When I read the amazing quote from the top of the page, I was reminded of the many ways schools as we know them today contribute to suffering for all involved. We can evolve schools, family life, and childcare in ways that uplift all of us. The pandemic has revealed the neglect education, childcare, and family life has endured in modern times. It appears that families, education, and childcare have been underwriting the great success of corporate America who, I believe, has not contributed their fair share of dollars or support for these institutions leaving many families, children, and educators undersupported, oppressed and unable to reach the potential for good, happy living possible. This is a ripe time to begin formulating plans for positive change in every community. What will you do?