LETTER: COVID Mixed Messaging — Schools Running Hybrid, District Offers In-Person Childcare

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Editor,

Watertown Schools are now offering in-person child care for remote learning, for a fee. I thought the purpose of remote learning was to keep people at home to control the pandemic?

I am on board with that. And this service is surely a valuable one for families that need it. But I find the fact that they are offering it for a fee a little outrageous. In normal times, children go to school where they receive both valuable education and necessary child care. Now, we are doing hybrid education to control the pandemic. But this feels like a bit of a bait and switch — like they are taking away in-person education only to try and sell it back to us.

Which is it? Is staying home necessary to control the pandemic, or isn’t it? It used to be that taxpayer funded education was in-person. Now it’s partly remote, for good reasons, but then why does it come with paid in-person DLC (downloadable content — like extras in a cellphone video game)?

If the issue is limited space, then that space should be allocated based on need, not randomly or based on ability to pay.

Matt Lashof-Sullivan
Watertown Resident

4 thoughts on “LETTER: COVID Mixed Messaging — Schools Running Hybrid, District Offers In-Person Childcare

  1. Dear Matt:

    I sympathize with your thoughts, which many others surely agree with.

    The “authorities”, including Gov. Baker, don’t know what they’re doing.

    That’s the short answer.

    For months, we have seen people driving around alone in their cars and wearing masks or out jogging with masks even when they’re not near anyone else.

    That’s paranoia, but it’s what the “authorities” have led us to. At a huge cost to the economy, jobs, and income.

    Now we are being told that when he takes office, President Joe Biden is going to be the country’s Covid-19 saviour.

    Does anyone believe that?

  2. Hi Karen,

    President Biden hasn’t been in office yet, it takes time before anything is going to get done. It will take years for COVID-19 to be cleared and not everyone is wearing masks and doing social distancing . Let’s give this President a chance , he isn’t going to be savior of this Covid-19 we as Americans need to do our part to, no one can be savior. President Trump did the best we can so let’s see how New President does in office. Just my opinion and I hope someday not to wear masks out in pubic, it’s going to be awhile.

  3. Wait, so how do you all feel about the original post, which wasn’t political?

    Seems like we should stay on topic.

    As far as the program goes, which neither trump or Biden has anything at all to do with, how do you feel about it?

    Working parents are being offered a space for their students to do their remote learning, in one designated space. These parents would be paying a babysitter or another entity on these remote days…why not help some staff keep jobs and keep our school system staff working?

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