What do you think school will be like in the fall? UPDATE page 29 for Mass.

[amylevan]

What a horrible suggestion. Put all of the kids with learning issues and disabilities together in some kind of center, where they won't be around normal peers. That is not going to help spectrum children, or any other children, learn to function in the normal world.

For many special needs kids, school serves the huge function of teaching them to socially function by observing and interacting with normal peers. No, this isn't realistically going to happen after school, as many of these kids can barely manage school, let alone extra curriculars that are not led by professionals who know how to work with special needs children.

Eliminating brick and mortar schools would ghetto-ize special needs kids, taking away a major avenue of promotion to normal socialization, education and success.

Not to mention illegal. All kids in the US have the right to an equal education opportunity. And we all know that segregation does not equal equality.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm sure there will be 'centers' and programs for kids with issues... this is in my possible future of no physical schools, not the current pandemic distancing. Obviously kids will have different requirements, which is another reason a single school building doesn't work for all students attending. Those who can do distance learning do that, those who have trouble go to places they can get help..but those places will be smaller and more specialized than full on schools.

But the opposite is also true, that what about kids who have issues slowing down the rest of the class ? Yes, I am grateful my son is handling it so well, part of that I believe is he can focus on the work and not be distracted by other kids acting up in class... when was going to school it seems that a significant portion of his classes the teacher is constantly trying to get kids to pay attention, not act up or disturb others.

At home he can concentrate on his school work and knock it out.. it takes him about 1 1/2 hours each day to complete the lessons (which again he does well in, not just half trying). Know some other students have issues and takes them 5 hours. They are both able to work at their own pace to finish the lessons, which seems much better way to do it than both being in the same class trying to accomplish the same thing at the same pace. Since my son doesn't need much help from teacher, she is more available to kids having problems and can give her time there.

I don't think you mean to sound this way but it reminds me a lot of a couple of people I have known--because they don't struggle they look down on others who do. It reminds me of the time my sister-in-law mocked the students who were taking the ACTs who were slower on math than her and she came in the car saying "gosh that took me no time at all and there still a lot of people doing it" or my sister who frequently was labeled an elitist by her peers because if you weren't at her level you weren't good enough.

You have every reason to be proud of your child easily adapting to online learning truly that really great , but when you frame things such that you have in several of your comments it's in a way that makes it sound like it's just other people's problems. People adapt to different things differently, excelling at one does not mean you would for all things you've come up against nor over time. Kids who struggle now may not struggle in the future (which is a positive thing to look at but still a valid concern for parents) and kids who don't struggle now may struggle in the future (which is a negative thing but still a valid concern).

 

[greg9x]

Maybe you and I have a different vision of what "working" looks like. My kids are moving quickly through their work as well and are done in under two hours (this is 3rd-10th grades). But that is not how I judge a well rounded education. Are the kids being given the same amount of work they would be if they were in class? Are they following their syllabus from the beginning of the year? I know in my ODD's Honors English class they are not. In fact they had to drop 2 books they were supposed to read this semester. They aren't getting any of their extras right now (library, music, science lab, real PE). Maybe if schools had time to get a well thought out process down, I'd feel differently, but there is no way they are getting the same quality education they would be in the classroom. And this is not a dis at teachers because I know teachers are feeling the same way. And I'm sorry, but a lot of that in the classroom distractions, while frustrating, are learning life skills.

It sounds like online learning may be a good answer for your son and you should definitely explore that. But I do not think it's an answer across the board. How do you even begin to deal with the technology accessibility and divide? How to parents work outside the home? Having issues isn't always academic. My kids are all well above grade level and I am telling you this isn't working, despite them having good grades and getting their work done. As I told our school on a recent survey; don't equate good grades with this being successful.

No, i'm quite sure he's not doing everything that they would be doing in physical school... but I think the base standards are being met, which is all can expect with how quickly this was all implemented. If this goes in to next school year, I hope the learning fills out a bit more as a developing program.

Maybe 1 1/2 hours is too little, but as said some kids need more time. But I also believe that when you take all the 'wasted' time in school and boil it down to the necessary instruction it would end up being a lot less than a full normal school day. They still have 'specials' about art, P.E., and music..but obviously not the same as being there and participating. But they can take the extra time and do the things that interest them.... my son has been teaching himself piano in some of his free time during all this, as well as still practicing his trumpet...yes, he is missing out on the playing with a whole band, but he can at least still do things at home. I know not all kids will have these options at home.. but if distance learning continues maybe some enrichment programs will be made available to kids who require them.

As to technological access....I'm sure some are struggling and not every single kid has access, but our district has made tremendous efforts to get laptops and internet access to those who need it, including the mobile bus hotspots. Again, yes we are lucky that is the case... when I see people say their kid just got a packet sent home for kids to do, I am thankful they had a plan in place for an event like this. But agree, a lot of schools are not prepared or supplied for this.

And yes, I realize we have fairly easy with my son compared to others. He's not some super genius, but he is a smart kid who has adapted to all this very well. I also do think his school has adapted more than others to the online teaching, and again, if continues, they will enhance what they have come up with so far.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

Everyone is arguing in circles about something most of us will have absolutely no say in. No solution is going to make everyone happy, not even a 100% opening of schools with no restrictions. I think we can all agree that :

A. Many people rely on schools as child care during working hours. Because of this and the fact that parents who can't go back to work when their jobs reopen will no longer be eligible for unemployment, in-classroom learning will have to be available. Not mandatory, but available for those who need it and are comfortable allowing their kids to return to the classroom.

B. Under the current arrangements, kids with IEPs are being left out and may not be receiving the support they need. Again, schools are going to have to offer in-classroom learning to meet their needs.

C. What works for some kids doesn't work for all. Some are thriving on-line, some are not, some don't have access to online at all. Once again, schools need to be able to accomodate the majority of their student population. If kids have no internet access, they need to be able to return to their classrooms.

D. There will be many kids who aren't able to return to school next year. They are immunocompromised or live with some one who is or for whatever reason can't risk exposure to the virus. There will need to be options in place for on-line learning for these kids and some kind of alternative plan in place for those who can't do online. Many school districts already have something in place for these kids.

E. Even if schools open completely with no restrictions, the virus won't be gone by next fall. What happens if localized shutdowns are necessary if cases start to rise in a certain area. What happens if a child's family has to quarantine because a family member has the virus? What happens if a child starts showing symptoms at school and an entire classroom has to stay home for 2 weeks? Schools will have to have on-line or other options for these situations as well. So will parents.

F. No matter what happens, we can't allow kids to miss out on large chunks of the school year like many have this year. Some kids will catch up and do just fine, but many won't. We alread had a large educational divide in this country between affluent areas and poor areas. We can't let it get bigger.

Schools are going to have to come back with a plan that will allow those kids who need to be in the classroom to attend school in person. They are also going to have to have an online option for those who can't or don't want to. It can be as simple as installing video equipment in classrooms and live streaming classes so that online kids can participate with their in-class peers. It's not perfect, it will cost money, and there will still be kids who get left out or whose parents will have to make other arrangements but it is better than the all or nothing approach a lot of school districts are currently taking. We are just going to have to wait and see what happens now that states are beginning to reopen. Even those districts who are making statements about fall plans now could easily end up changing them in a few weeks.

 

[Wendy1985]

I dont want to live in a world were adults and kids with disabilities are put away like they used to be, I would not have the growth sperts that I do with out role models

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

I dont want to live in a world were adults and kids with disabilities are put away like they used to be, I would not have the growth sperts that I do with out role models

Definitely not. Schools need to provide for their special needs students. I hope that most are considering them when making their plans for next year.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

No, i'm quite sure he's not doing everything that they would be doing in physical school... but I think the base standards are being met, which is all can expect with how quickly this was all implemented. If this goes in to next school year, I hope the learning fills out a bit more as a developing program.

Maybe 1 1/2 hours is too little, but as said some kids need more time. But I also believe that when you take all the 'wasted' time in school and boil it down to the necessary instruction it would end up being a lot less than a full normal school day. They still have 'specials' about art, P.E., and music..but obviously not the same as being there and participating. But they can take the extra time and do the things that interest them.... my son has been teaching himself piano in some of his free time during all this, as well as still practicing his trumpet...yes, he is missing out on the playing with a whole band, but he can at least still do things at home. I know not all kids will have these options at home.. but if distance learning continues maybe some enrichment programs will be made available to kids who require them.

As to technological access....I'm sure some are struggling and not every single kid has access, but our district has made tremendous efforts to get laptops and internet access to those who need it, including the mobile bus hotspots. Again, yes we are lucky that is the case... when I see people say their kid just got a packet sent home for kids to do, I am thankful they had a plan in place for an event like this. But agree, a lot of schools are not prepared or supplied for this.

And yes, I realize we have fairly easy with my son compared to others. He's not some super genius, but he is a smart kid who has adapted to all this very well. I also do think his school has adapted more than others to the online teaching, and again, if continues, they will enhance what they have come up with so far.

Again, we view it differently and that’s ok. I don’t view that extra time at school as wasted. I think in person teaching/learning is important. There are tons of online schools already and kids are doing great there, so it obviously works for some. And like I said, if it works for your son, I do truly encourage you to look into. We have friends at one who are thriving. My point is that just because it works for you, doesn’t mean it’s working across the board. And I’d say it doesn’t work for many, so changing the entire education system to fit the few isn’t realistic. I also worry about teachers. Most don’t like this. They don’t want to teach virtually and they thrive being in the classroom with kids, chaos and all.

As to the technology issue, getting it to work was a stop gap measure. It is not a long term solution. Companies are not going to continue to offer free internet to families. Zoom is not going to continue to offer free access forever. Schools aren’t going to mobile hot spot buses forever. And yet, we have a large portion of kids nationwide who still can’t get online even with all that. Imagine what looks like when that goes away and who pays for it all? School districts won’t all exist in an online world.

And again, how to parents work outside the home?

Everyone is arguing in circles about something most of us will have absolutely no say in. No solution is going to make everyone happy, not even a 100% opening of schools with no restrictions.

I’m not arguing. I’m discussing. And obviously we’re all speculating.

 

[mrs. magoo]

I'm sure there will be 'centers' and programs for kids with issues... this is in my possible future of no physical schools, not the current pandemic distancing. Obviously kids will have different requirements, which is another reason a single school building doesn't work for all students attending. Those who can do distance learning do that, those who have trouble go to places they can get help..but those places will be smaller and more specialized than full on schools.

But the opposite is also true, that what about kids who have issues slowing down the rest of the class ? Yes, I am grateful my son is handling it so well, part of that I believe is he can focus on the work and not be distracted by other kids acting up in class... when was going to school it seems that a significant portion of his classes the teacher is constantly trying to get kids to pay attention, not act up or disturb others.

At home he can concentrate on his school work and knock it out.. it takes him about 1 1/2 hours each day to complete the lessons (which again he does well in, not just half trying). Know some other students have issues and takes them 5 hours. They are both able to work at their own pace to finish the lessons, which seems much better way to do it than both being in the same class trying to accomplish the same thing at the same pace. Since my son doesn't need much help from teacher, she is more available to kids having problems and can give her time there.

So i have to say that this is great for your kid but many students with special needs and students who live in poverty are having a terrible time with this. I spent 1 hour this morning on a zoom class with 2 of my autistic students trying to communicate with them using district provided wifi devices. The one child ended up in tears since he could not get his stuff to work. That is not what I want.

I see having center or programs for kids with special needs as discriminatory. Kids need to learn to socialize if you want them to be a part of the world. They need opportunities for recreation and if you live in a poor district or city you are not going to be provided these opportunities outside of a school. If this continues than it is another example of the classism - the Richer school districts will make this work and the poor urban and rural districts will be left in the dust making opportunities for higher education even harder.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

I’m not arguing. I’m discussing. And obviously we’re all speculating.

Maybe I should have said heatedly discussing instead of arguing, but you have to admit some are discussing more heatedly than others.

 

[greg9x]

What a horrible suggestion. Put all of the kids with learning issues and disabilities together in some kind of center, where they won't be around normal peers. That is not going to help spectrum children, or any other children, learn to function in the normal world.

For many special needs kids, school serves the huge function of teaching them to socially function by observing and interacting with normal peers. No, this isn't realistically going to happen after school, as many of these kids can barely manage school, let alone extra curriculars that are not led by professionals who know how to work with special needs children.

Eliminating brick and mortar schools would ghetto-ize special needs kids, taking away a major avenue of promotion to normal socialization, education and success. It would also deprive typical children of the opportunity to grow up knowing special needs peers, which is an important part of their learning, as well.

As I should have expected, my words get 'twisted' so others can express outrage...

My theoretical no physical school world, online/distance learning would be the standard, so NO one is being 'separated' from their peers, they are all separate by default...that is the standard which EVERYONE starts at. The situation of kids with needs was brought up, to which I said that 'centers' could be available for kids in those situations if in person assistance was required... same as special classes/counselors are in schools now, even kids with occasional needs could go if needed, not some prison camp you are making it out to be. 'Centers' already exist today for kids who need additional/separate instruction, so this is nothing new or radical or nefarious.

Socializing would be through community programs, sports, etc. Plenty of opportunities for kids to get to know each other.

You don't have to agree with my idea, that's fine...but quit reading something in to it that wasn't there.

And yes, this has gone way off topic..

 

[HeatherC]

Maybe I read it wrong because it sounds like this poster is saying in person school is not needed. Show me where I misunderstood. And I'm not trying to sound accusatory, but I'm worried about the kids that are falling behind and everything I read seems to focus on online learning - which doesn't work for a large number of students.

One of the biggest financial issues across the country has been building and upkeep of physical school buildings... I think this will show that in the future that those buildings may not be needed.

One complaint against that will be social interaction... but that can occur outside the learning time,

And of course is the 'daycare' aspect of schools so that parents can work and have younger kids supervised for a large portion of the day.. but if physical schools are reduced/eliminated, then the tax money from those could go towards child care of some kind for those who need it. Extracurricular activities can all be done at the community level.... again, maybe funded by the freed up tax dollars.

These quotes all sound like advocating for no more physical school. YMMV.

I actually took this post to mean that some kids could possibly continue online if they are thriving and wanted to learn from home. Then that would in turn possibly reduce class sizes which could possibly mean districts might then be able to consolidate into fewer buildings. To me the post was just “thinking out loud” how things might be considered in the future. I did not take it in anyway to mean close things down for good and leave kids out in the cold in regards to schooling.

‘Edit...if the poster did mean to actually shutter schools and only special needs kids go to “centers”, I absolutely disagree with that. I was thinking more along the lines of reduced class sizes, etc.. not shutting schools. Yikes. No.

 

[mom2rtk]

Haven't read all the post here yet... but my son loves distance learning, or rather the fact he doesn't have to go to physical school..but he is still doing well with the distance learning. Our school district transitioned fairly well to the distance learning as they had some plans in the works already, but it is obvious a lot of other districts were in no way prepared to do this and kids are not getting any real instruction. But I really like that the students can work at their own pace without disruptive students slowing them down, have flexibility of when to start the learning, and have the freedom to take breaks as needed.

Will have to see what happens in the fall...but this has been interesting to show an alternate way of learning. Even if it only gets used on snow days or if a school has a maintenance issue, that school can still continue...even if a kid is mildly sick or on vacation that they could still keep up. Yes, there will be many rages against losing the 'fun' of a snow day.

One of the biggest financial issues across the country has been building and upkeep of physical school buildings... I think this will show that in the future that those buildings may not be needed.

One complaint against that will be social interaction... but that can occur outside the learning time, especially if school days are shortened due to not having to travel to school, move between classes, etc. Even in a world where the virus isn't rampant, there could be organized field trips. I don't think being forced to sit in a room with other kids is necessarily beneficial social interaction, especially with all the bullying that happens in schools. The flip side to that being kids who come from not great home lives, where school is an escape from that.

And of course is the 'daycare' aspect of schools so that parents can work and have younger kids supervised for a large portion of the day.. but if physical schools are reduced/eliminated, then the tax money from those could go towards child care of some kind for those who need it.

Extracurricular activities can all be done at the community level.... again, maybe funded by the freed up tax dollars.

Of course, none of that is going to happen very soon, but think this outbreak has shown the possibilities of what could happen.


As to the coming fall, it will be a wait and see. These re-openings will tell what is going to happen over next few weeks. No one really knows how it is going to play out, despite the number who think they do. I don't like the theory that infection rate is low for kids, so it's ok to be crammed together in schools.... we see how colds/flu propagate rampantly in schools as it is.. sure don't want my son in potential epicenter of outbreak.

Maybe you should consider an online homeschool program if it suits your child. In person schooling is not going away.

 

[Wendy1985]

As I should have expected, my words get 'twisted' so others can express outrage...

My theoretical no physical school world, online/distance learning would be the standard, so NO one is being 'separated' from their peers, they are all separate by default...that is the standard which EVERYONE starts at. The situation of kids with needs was brought up, to which I said that 'centers' could be available for kids in those situations if in person assistance was required... same as special classes/counselors are in schools now, even kids with occasional needs could go if needed, not some prison camp you are making it out to be. 'Centers' already exist today for kids who need additional/separate instruction, so this is nothing new or radical or nefarious.

Socializing would be through community programs, sports, etc. Plenty of opportunities for kids to get to know each other.

You don't have to agree with my idea, that's fine...but quit reading something in to it that wasn't there.

And yes, this has gone way off topic..

I think that was me who acted to quickly and only because when I was consently with my peers is when I had grown so much as a person, so if I do go back to the classroom in the fall I will be advacting for the more difficult ones, absolutely no one can grow as a person able body or not with out a example

 

[Lumpy1106]

Everyone is arguing in circles about something most of us will have absolutely no say in. No solution is going to make everyone happy, not even a 100% opening of schools with no restrictions. I think we can all agree that :

A. Many people rely on schools as child care during working hours. Because of this and the fact that parents who can't go back to work when their jobs reopen will no longer be eligible for unemployment, in-classroom learning will have to be available. Not mandatory, but available for those who need it and are comfortable allowing their kids to return to the classroom.

B. Under the current arrangements, kids with IEPs are being left out and may not be receiving the support they need. Again, schools are going to have to offer in-classroom learning to meet their needs.

C. What works for some kids doesn't work for all. Some are thriving on-line, some are not, some don't have access to online at all. Once again, schools need to be able to accomodate the majority of their student population. If kids have no internet access, they need to be able to return to their classrooms.

D. There will be many kids who aren't able to return to school next year. They are immunocompromised or live with some one who is or for whatever reason can't risk exposure to the virus. There will need to be options in place for on-line learning for these kids and some kind of alternative plan in place for those who can't do online. Many school districts already have something in place for these kids.

E. Even if schools open completely with no restrictions, the virus won't be gone by next fall. What happens if localized shutdowns are necessary if cases start to rise in a certain area. What happens if a child's family has to quarantine because a family member has the virus? What happens if a child starts showing symptoms at school and an entire classroom has to stay home for 2 weeks? Schools will have to have on-line or other options for these situations as well. So will parents.

F. No matter what happens, we can't allow kids to miss out on large chunks of the school year like many have this year. Some kids will catch up and do just fine, but many won't. We alread had a large educational divide in this country between affluent areas and poor areas. We can't let it get bigger.

Schools are going to have to come back with a plan that will allow those kids who need to be in the classroom to attend school in person. They are also going to have to have an online option for those who can't or don't want to. It can be as simple as installing video equipment in classrooms and live streaming classes so that online kids can participate with their in-class peers. It's not perfect, it will cost money, and there will still be kids who get left out or whose parents will have to make other arrangements but it is better than the all or nothing approach a lot of school districts are currently taking. We are just going to have to wait and see what happens now that states are beginning to reopen. Even those districts who are making statements about fall plans now could easily end up changing them in a few weeks.

I like this list, but would add SCHOOLS NEED TO BE OPEN, PERIOD. There is nowhere near enough data to support them ever being closed. It's not all about book learning, kids need to socialize, they need to hang out with their friends and goof around, make mistakes and learn from them. We are all seeing the alternative graduation "ceremonies" right now. I can't tell you how mad these make me. It's as if everyone has forgotten what graduation is all about. It's not about the accolades, the grandparents waving from the bleachers, the family gathered around them after the ceremony, It's that one last time for kids to hang out with friends they grew up with - some literally since birth, many who they will only see again at high school reunions. Just one example - there are so many others. Yes, the high school experience in particular is that important, whether you personally enjoyed it or not.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I actually took this post to mean that some kids could possibly continue online if they are thriving and wanted to learn from home. Then that would in turn possibly reduce class sizes which could possibly mean districts might then be able to consolidate into fewer buildings. To me the post was just “thinking out loud” how things might be considered in the future. I did not take it in anyway to mean close things down for good and leave kids out in the cold in regards to schooling.

‘Edit...if the poster did mean to actually shutter schools and only special needs kids go to “centers”, I absolutely disagree with that. I was thinking more along the lines of reduced class sizes, etc.. not shutting schools. Yikes. No.

That is exactly what he is suggesting. I totally get what you were imagining though.

 

[HeatherC]

That is exactly what he is suggesting. I totally get what you were imagining though.

Yes...I was definitely imagining something different than what he was saying.

 

[EveDallas]

I like this list, but would add SCHOOLS NEED TO BE OPEN, PERIOD. There is nowhere near enough data to support them ever being closed. It's not all about book learning, kids need to socialize, they need to hang out with their friends and goof around, make mistakes and learn from them. We are all seeing the alternative graduation "ceremonies" right now. I can't tell you how mad these make me. It's as if everyone has forgotten what graduation is all about. It's not about the accolades, the grandparents waving from the bleachers, the family gathered around them after the ceremony, It's that one last time for kids to hang out with friends they grew up with - some literally since birth, many who they will only see again at high school reunions. Just one example - there are so many others. Yes, the high school experience in particular is that important, whether you personally enjoyed it or not.

I am SO happy that my school district is having our graduation ceremonies in our local Major League Baseball field. It is limited to only immediate family so I won't be able to watch my nephew graduate, but at least he gets the experience of a real graduation. So thankful our schools brainstormed a way to make that happen for them.

 

[Flight]

so there's not much that could be eliminated.

All subjects and activities in our schools are important.

What should be looked at for possible revision is what is actually presented in each subject and how we all behave within the school buildings and outside on the athletic fields.

Our history and social studies books are written in a way that historian and author David McCullough said in testimony on education before Congress, seemed designed to discourage further interest.

Our reading lists certainly drives away some students from enjoying a lifetime of companionship with books.

Math textbooks are an abomination. Many parents are frustrated trying to help their children with math assignments. Turning to the math textbook for aid is often in vain.

This is what I was hinting at when I posted:

“Non essential subjects and assignments will be eliminated. Let’s now provide good quality education that will benefit students throughout their life. Yes, I know, how is that defined? Well, we now have a unique opportunity in these extraordinary times to have thoughtful educators, parents, and some government leaders to engage in serious discussions in this area.”

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

I like this list, but would add SCHOOLS NEED TO BE OPEN, PERIOD. There is nowhere near enough data to support them ever being closed. It's not all about book learning, kids need to socialize, they need to hang out with their friends and goof around, make mistakes and learn from them. We are all seeing the alternative graduation "ceremonies" right now. I can't tell you how mad these make me. It's as if everyone has forgotten what graduation is all about. It's not about the accolades, the grandparents waving from the bleachers, the family gathered around them after the ceremony, It's that one last time for kids to hang out with friends they grew up with - some literally since birth, many who they will only see again at high school reunions. Just one example - there are so many others. Yes, the high school experience in particular is that important, whether you personally enjoyed it or not.

Schools absolutely need to be open for those who want or need to attend.

 

[greg9x]

Again, we view it differently and that’s ok. I don’t view that extra time at school as wasted. I think in person teaching/learning is important. There are tons of online schools already and kids are doing great there, so it obviously works for some. And like I said, if it works for your son, I do truly encourage you to look into. We have friends at one who are thriving. My point is that just because it works for you, doesn’t mean it’s working across the board. And I’d say it doesn’t work for many, so changing the entire education system to fit the few isn’t realistic. I also worry about teachers. Most don’t like this. They don’t want to teach virtually and they thrive being in the classroom with kids, chaos and all.

As to the technology issue, getting it to work was a stop gap measure. It is not a long term solution. Companies are not going to continue to offer free internet to families. Zoom is not going to continue to offer free access forever. Schools aren’t going to mobile hot spot buses forever. And yet, we have a large portion of kids nationwide who still can’t get online even with all that. Imagine what looks like when that goes away and who pays for it all? School districts won’t all exist in an online world.

And again, how to parents work outside the home?

To be clear to others...this is real world now speculation vs theoretical future world...
And also to everyone, I'm not saying that online school is what I WANT my son to do all the time..just that it is working for him.

Well, in person teaching isn't going to occur if still no physical school in fall (not saying there won't be, but if)... But all those things need to be addressed if physical school doesn't happen in near future. Internet access to those who can't afford it can continue if deemed necessary i'm sure...other countries provide basic internet to everyone. Maybe some trouble in very remote area's..but it's kind of crazy a very basic internet isn't available already in this country... just a push to make that step. 'Free' internet won't be enough to stream 4K movies, but enough to watch a standard definition video from teacher.

Not sure about Zoom.. his school hasn't used it as they don't do live lessons. Sure there will be a model for them to offer it to schools who want it for a reasonable price... probably the reason it's free now, to get schools using it.

IF schools don't go back, then the districts that aren't succeeding now are going to have to find a way to.. was it money, or not having a distance plan in place when this all happened ? Poor planning on those districts ? Do they need to bring in people who can put the plan together ? They'll have a few months to address it, but it would be very irresponsible for any schools not to at least have a plan going forward, even if the resources are scarce. Even if schools go back this fall, what if something happens again ?

And yes...I brought up the parent work thing... I don't know. It's going to be a world wide issue. I am working from home mostly now, his mom got laid off but getting the unemployment.. when we have to go back to work all the time not sure how going to go, especially in summer if no summer camps are operating.. it's not just a school thing. He is 11 1/2, so he can stay home by himself for periods of time, but obviously those with younger kids can't (or at least shouldn't) do that.
Things large part of society going to have to figure out if things don't go back to 'normal'.