We have home-schooled for a few years. We do it for a few reasons but the primary one is academic -- sincerely believing that it can provide an academically stronger foundation if done properly and without sacrificing development of social skills. My wife could write a PhD level dissertation given the amount of time and effort she has spent researching and learning all angles of the issue and engaging every single day.

Having said this, I also completely agree that many if not most schools across the country are NOT geared up for this AND 100% understood that a significant percentage of families also cannot work this way now given numerous issues (home situation, internet, other reasons). I do think we have essentially wasted the past 3-4 months not better thinking of how to at least try and have a better online situation because the concerns with in-person school this fall were entirely foreseeable. We would not have suddenly solved all of the issues, but we could have at least creatively tried to look at some things because frankly -- we may be looking at this for a much longer time to come.

But the notion that online learning almost by definition is not or cannot be as effective and even more effective in some ways than traditional classrooms and should essentially be shunned -- I would strongly disagree with this. I know people are very passionate about this and I have great admiration for teachers. But it is yet another issue where people just seem to dig in their heels and form absolutely untouchable opinions -- often based on things where they have little personal experience and preferring to immediately embrace a narrative that fits their assumptions. In the meantime, the education of children in this country suffers.

[Post edited by fishhoo at 07/17/2020 3:08PM]