Children

Gutfeld on teachers’ unions going after charter schools

As America struggles with COVID-19, rising crime and riots, it’s nice that the teachers’ unions are helping out. I kid. In their demands for reopening schools, the United Teachers of Los Angeles — a union for public school teachers — has included, surprise: defunding police. And … a shutdown of publicly funded, privately operated charter schools. Now, these go beyond what normal unions demand. Worse, the teachers use this crisis to preserve power by destroying those who won’t conform. By trying to shut down charter schools, the teachers union is demanding the elimination of any competition, and depriving desperate poor families of an education that might change their children’s lives. This speaks to the real truth of a big American problem. It’s not systemic racism. It’s our systemically corrupt education system. It’s the teachers’ unions, led by leftists, whose only goal is to cancel competition that might reveal their incompetence. And so, at the start of life, poor students are placed in a system where no matter how many billions of tax dollars are shoveled into it, it just gets worse. The students don’t stand a chance, and the unions prefer it that way. Yet charter schools produce better-educated kids, with a far better head start in life. You’d think that would be embraced. But the price of union success is student failure. Once we see the results of charter schools, we realize the cause of all our inequalities isn’t racism, it’s the scandalous lack of choices left for poor Blacks, poor Whites, poor everyone victimized by urban liberals.] So these kids begin their lives in a hole — a hole that isn’t a grave, but might as well be one. At least for their futures.

No kidding!!  As usual, Greg nails it.  This was adapted from Greg Gutfeld’s monologue, known as a “Gregologue” on “The Five” on July 29, 2020.  To see the actual video and the following discussion with his co-hosts on The Five, click on the text above.  Thanks Greg!   🙂

Parents hiring private teachers to educate kids as coronavirus casts doubt on school reopenings

As uncertainty grows over whether schools should reopen this fall amid spiking coronavirus cases, some parents across the country are reportedly shelling out money for private teachers to educate their children at home. Some families are pooling their resources to split the costs of a private homeschool education, forming groups called “pandemic pods” on social media platforms – a solution that could further drive inequity in children’s quality of education between families who can afford it and those who cannot. Katrina Mulligan, a 40-year-old mother in Alexandria, Va., told USA Today safety concerns over her school’s reopening plan and her family’s poor experience with its virtual learning program prompted them to create a homeschooling pod with four other families. Mulligan said the cost to hire a teacher to educate the pod’s first-graders could cost $2,500 per month or $500 per family. “There will be a lot of parents who can’t financially make this work, or can’t secure a teacher,” she told the outlet, adding her group was interested in including a couple of families who otherwise could not afford the costs. Phil Higgins, a psychotherapist in Salem, Mass., told the Washington Post that he and two other families are considering hiring a behavioral specialist as a teacher for 40 hours per week for about $1,300 per child. However, many families agreed that the cost of private teaching could leave children of low-income families behind. “We can pay,” Katie Franklin of Virginia told the Post. “We know others can’t, and there will be a gap, and that’s unfortunate.” Kristina Boshernitzan, a mother who has been trying to set up a learning pod group in Austin, Texas, told the Texas Tribune that the cost leaves parents in a predicament. “There’s ugly sides to parenting, and I think the idea that I’m going to protect my kids first is really beautiful and really ugly,” Boshernitzan said. “How do you balance your desire to give to your kids without taking away from others?” Meanwhile, President Trump’s administration is continuing to push for schools to reopen with in-person learning come this fall. Trump and U.S. Education Secretary Betsy Devos have threatened to withhold federal funding from K-12 schools that don’t allow all their students to return to physical classrooms. Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Raleigh on Wednesday to encourage more K-12 schools to reopen with entirely in-person instruction.

Another sign of the times…

Pediatrician: Keeping Children Out of School Could Have Long Term Consequences

Dr. Dimitri Christakis knows a thing or two about children as the director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, including the consequences of keeping children out of a school setting for an extended period of time because of the threat of coronavirus. His latest addition to the more than 170 original research articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics has a stern warning about decisions made in the wake of the virus: ‘They will hold us accountable,” Christakis wrote. The article, published this week in the Journal, said that it will be long after the pandemic that “historians, epidemiologists, psychologists, and economists will provide extensive explanations of the damage done, mistakes made, and lessons learned.” In the meantime, decisions must be made because they can have “considerable and lasting implications.” Christakis titled his article, “School Reopening—The Pandemic Issue That Is Not Getting Its Due:” The decision to close schools was among the first action that many states took to stave the impending pandemic and was based on a strong theoretical foundation. Children are typically at greatest risk of infectious diseases, and they transmit them to each other and their families with considerable speed. Many drew parallels to the 100-year-old influenza epidemic, in which it was true that children played a central role in transmission. But in the 6 to 8 weeks since most schools in the U.S. have closed, we have gathered new evidence about both children’s risks from the virus and their likelihood of transmitting it, as noted by Esposito and Principi in this issue of JAMA Pediatrics. We know only what we know today about the benefits and harms associated with school closure. However imperfect these data are, they must inform a critical decision that many states and school districts will be making in the very near future. Notably, even as states provisionally plan on opening workplaces, most are giving no consideration to opening schools. Many have already canceled the rest of the year, and all are now considering what to do in the fall. The risks posed by delaying school openings are real and sizeable, particularly for students from low-income families. The phenomenon of summer learning loss has been well established, with children losing a mean of 1 to 3 months in varying subjects. Some estimate that there will be a 9-month to 12-month loss when children return to school in the fall, and this will only be compounded if distance learning continues. No credible scientist, learning expert, teacher, or parent believes that children aged 5 to 10 years can meaningfully engage in online learning without considerable parental involvement, which many families with low incomes are unable to provide because parents must work outside the home. Christakis said that in addition to a coronavirus task force, the government should be “convene immediately” a school closure task force and include “epidemiologists, infectious disease experts, educational scientists, and child psychologists, among others.” “They should review the state of the evidence regarding horizontal transmission among children and their families, as well as what is known about the feasibility of distance learning and the psychological implications of children continuing to stay at home,” Christakis wrote. He added that the decisions should be “developmentally framed” because “kindergarten is not the same as high school or college.” “Using all existing and emerging data—however incomplete—they should make their best-informed recommendations to help states make this crucial decision, based on science and not politics, as soon as possible,” Christakis wrote. “We owe this to our children. Years from now, when they reflect on the pandemic, they will hold us accountable.”

To read Dr. Christakis’ article, click on the text above.

Storytime with Dana: ‘The Box Turtle,’ ‘Can I Be Your Dog?’

In the midst of all of these abrupt changes, with offices and schools closed during the coronavirus outbreak, so many people are grappling with how to manage taking care of their children while also taking care of business. I have lots of friends who were staring into the future thinking, “How are we going to do this?” I had an idea of how to help: Provide a few minutes each afternoon of “Storytime with Dana.” I loved being read to as a child, and I remember Mrs. Laura Bush encouraging families to keep a storytime routine with children as much as possible, especially during times of stress and uncertainty. I hope that parents will be able to take a breather while I try to keep their kids occupied and entertained for a few minutes every day. Happy Monday! I hope all of you little ones had a nice weekend. To kick off the week, I’ll be reading two books for you: “The Box Turtle,” by Vanessa Roeder and “Can I Be Your Dog?” by Troy Cummings. Click here to watch and listen!

Today is a two-fer!   Thanks Dana!!      🙂

Dana Perino grew up in Colorado, and was the Press Secretary for former President George W. Bush.  She currently hosts FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino (weekdays 2-3 p.m. ET) and also serves as co-host of The Five (weekdays 5-6 p.m. ET).  Follow her on Twitter@DanaPerino

Storytime with Dana: ‘Make Way for Ducklings’

In the midst of all of these abrupt changes, with offices and schools closed during the coronavirus outbreak, so many people are grappling with how to manage taking care of their children while also taking care of business. I have lots of friends who were staring into the future and thinking, “How are we going to do this?” I had an idea of how to help: Provide a few minutes each afternoon of “Storytime with Dana.” I loved being read to as a child, and I remember Mrs. Laura Bush encouraging families to keep a storytime routine with children as much as possible, especially during times of stress and uncertainty. I hope that parents will be able to take a breather while I try to keep their kids occupied and entertained for a few minutes every day. Happy Friday! Here is a classic for you: “Make Way for Ducklings,” by Robert McCloskey. Click here to watch and listen!

A classic indeed!  I remember it as a kid.   Thanks Dana!!      🙂

Dana Perino grew up in Colorado, and was the Press Secretary for former President George W. Bush.  She currently hosts FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino (weekdays 2-3 p.m. ET) and also serves as co-host of The Five (weekdays 5-6 p.m. ET).  Follow her on Twitter@DanaPerino

Storytime with Dana: ‘All Are Welcome’

In the midst of all of these abrupt changes, with offices and schools closed during the coronavirus outbreak, so many people are grappling with how to manage taking care of their children while also taking care of business. I have lots of friends who were staring into the future thinking, “How are we going to do this?” I had an idea of how to help: Provide a few minutes each afternoon of “Storytime with Dana.” I loved being read to as a child, and I remember Mrs. Laura Bush encouraging families to keep a storytime routine with children as much as possible, especially during times of stress and uncertainty. I hope that parents will be able to take a breather while I try to keep their kids occupied and entertained for a few minutes every day. The title of today’s book is also a motto to live by. Here’s “All Are Welcome,” by Alexandra Penfold. Click here to watch and listen!

A great motto, indeed!  Thanks Dana!!    🙂

Dana Perino grew up in Colorado, and was the Press Secretary for former President George W. Bush.  She currently hosts FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino (weekdays 2-3 p.m. ET) and also serves as co-host of The Five (weekdays 5-6 p.m. ET).   Follow her on Twitter@DanaPerino

Storytime with Dana: ‘The Gruffalo’

In the midst of all of these abrupt changes, with offices and schools closed during the coronavirus outbreak, so many people are grappling with how to manage taking care of their children while also taking care of business. I have lots of friends who were staring into the future thinking, “How are we going to do this?” I had an idea of how to help: Provide a few minutes each afternoon of Storytime with Dana. I loved being read to as a child, and I remember Mrs. Laura Bush encouraging families to keep a storytime routine with children as much as possible, especially during times of stress and uncertainty. I hope that parents will be able to take a breather while I try to keep their kids occupied and entertained for a few minutes every day. Today’s book is a fairy tale about a mystical creature: “The Gruffalo” by Julia Donaldson. I love this book, I know you will too. Click here to watch and listen!

Also, love the artwork in this book!   Thanks Dana!!      🙂

Dana Perino grew up in Colorado, and was the Press Secretary for former President George W. Bush.  She currently hosts FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino (weekdays 2-3 p.m. ET) and also serves as co-host of The Five (weekdays 5-6 p.m. ET).  Follow her on Twitter@DanaPerino

Storytime with Dana: ‘Grandma’s Purse’

In the midst of all of these abrupt changes, with offices and schools closed during the coronavirus outbreak, so many people are grappling with how to manage taking care of their children while also taking care of business. I have lots of friends who were staring into the future thinking, “How are we going to do this?” I had an idea of how to help: Provide a few minutes each afternoon of Storytime with Dana. I loved being read to as a child, and I remember Mrs. Laura Bush encouraging families to keep a storytime routine with children as much as possible, especially during times of stress and uncertainty. I hope that parents will be able to take a breather while I try to keep their kids occupied and entertained for a few minutes every day. Today’s book is one I love, because I used to do the same thing when I was a kid! “Grandma’s Purse,” by Vanessa Brantley-Newton is one I guarantee you’ll like. Click here to watch and listen!

Your guarantee is solid!  Thanks Dana!!     🙂

Dana Perino grew up in Colorado, and was the Press Secretary for former President George W. Bush.  She currently hosts FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino (weekdays 2-3 p.m. ET) and also serves as co-host of The Five (weekdays 5-6 p.m. ET).  Follow her on Twitter@DanaPerino

Storytime with Dana: ‘The Bold, Brave Bunny’

In the midst of all of these abrupt changes, with offices and schools closed during the coronavirus outbreak, so many people are grappling with how to manage taking care of their children while also taking care of business. I have lots of friends who were staring into the future thinking, “How are we going to do this?” I had an idea of how to help: Provide a few minutes each afternoon of Storytime with Dana. I loved being read to as a child, and I remember Mrs. Laura Bush encouraging families to keep a storytime routine with children as much as possible, especially during times of stress and uncertainty. I hope that parents will be able to take a breather while I try to keep their kids occupied and entertained for a few minutes every day. Today, I’ll be reading a book about something I know all you little ones have in you: bravery. “The Bold, Brave Bunny” by Beth Ferry is a book I know you’ll love! Click here to watch and listen!

Fun!!  Thanks Dana!!       🙂

Dana Perino grew up in Colorado, and was the Press Secretary for former President George W. Bush.  She currently hosts FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino (weekdays 2-3 p.m. ET) and also serves as co-host of The Five (weekdays 5-6 p.m. ET).  Follow her on Twitter@DanaPerino