By Joyce Szuflita
This is not a large sample and it is from a very narrow range of residents in northwest Brooklyn, but it is pretty consistent, so I thought that I would report on the buzz from where I sit.
In the effort to make some decisions about how to deal with school in the fall, these are the assumptions parents who talk to me are making. Conflicting assumptions are often held simultaneously, thus making any action impossible or wildly uninformed. They are all just feeling around in the dark. One thing to point out - I don’t know any more than you do, but I do have a calm head.
Assumptions:
Everyone who can, will move out of the City (forever, for 6 months, for 2 years).
This is the time to buy in the City.
Everyone will flee to private school for the smaller class sizes and student: teacher ratio (for 1 year, or forever).
Everyone will flee to public school because of the economy and the deficiencies of Zoom School.
Everyone is going to hire a tutor and home school.
First off, don’t assume. Take this one moment at a time. It is probably too early to tell what emerging plans will be put into place on the public or private side, what the economy will look like and how Covid will react.
Look at your family and your child and try not to make a fear based move (City or not, public or not).
Resiliency and flexibility (along with creativity and humor) will get us through this. There are likely to be some opportunities as things sift out, but they will likely be most available to people who remain patient and keep a cool head.
People who panic drown.
