Last week we highlighted a pattern we were seeing in our communities that seemed like something happening at large - the emergence of “flexible learning days.”  We defined these as days where students still have “work to do for the day” but just at home. They are not days off like snow days or sick days. Last week, we covered thoughts like, “Could this become a problematic pattern? Do teachers need the time off?” But here’s what we did not talk about - parent-career implications, and they are a big deal.

The New York Times highlighted parent reactions this week on trying to make “flexible learning” work, and here’s the summary - they are not happy! How do families, with employed parents, handle childcare on these flexible days? Computers are not legitimate babysitters (or teachers for that matter). The NYT article interviewed several parents dealing with this predicament. 

For example, Ms. Reynolds, who works at a University of Michigan research lab, was told on Sunday that her child would have a “flexible learning day” the following Friday and every Friday for the rest of this month. For the first Friday, she asked her mother to watch her son, but her mother could not watch him every week and she was already out of paid time off from dealing with all of the covid implications. And she is not alone. 

Parents who have no extended family nearby are out of luck. And even when families have extended families nearby, what are the chances grandparents or uncles or aunts are unemployed and ready to take on childcare once a week or more? What about all the single parents? These are the questions many parents are facing even before they consider the learning loss that’s also likely occurring on these days.

As inflation rapidly rises, many families are weighing the new costs of life while also trying to maintain their children’s “free education” and their careers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the strain is obvious. In 2019, 67% of married families with children had both parents employed. But in 2020, that number dropped to 62.5% of families. Interestingly enough, in 2019, 29.3% married families with children only had one parent employed, but that number actually increased to 32.6% married families with only one employed parent. These statistics apply only to the families with two married parents, but there are many families out there with much more complicated stories. 

During 2020, when schools everywhere were digital, we talked about how those who could afford to create their own pods that acted as in person school AND childcare didn’t have to struggle with the mess of public digital learning. We also discussed schools opening as parent-paid childcare but not as classrooms here. But now we’re in a situation where public schools are taking these mental health days but private schools are not. In fact, in 2020 we highlighted a private school that won “best working conditions.” 

The situation begs the question we’ve been asking over and over, “Should families who cannot afford anything else be forced to send their children to schools where there are teacher shortages and so many unplanned days at home?” We think parents should have a choice.