Pandemic Motherhood Diary, Entry 46: Post-Pandemic Education

School being back in session means open house for our five-year-old. He couldn’t wait to show us his favorite place on campus, the library. Our son has become an enthusiastic reader who loves visiting the library almost as much as he loves going to the playground. We listened as his teacher went on about how inquisitive he is and how he always knows the answers. This brought some much-needed relief, especially since learning that the educational needs of younger kids were the most severely affected by the pandemic.  

According to the Texas School Coalition, “It’s estimated that more than 100,000 students have not returned to school — many of them in Pre-K or kindergarten, meaning they will begin their education without the type of foundation that most leads to academic success.” What does this revelation mean for today’s kids, who are navigating loss on a scale no one prepared for?

There have been tons of conversations around our country’s lagging educational system. However, instead of focusing on how the pandemic has impacted it and how we can focus on better outcomes for children, it has all become political and disingenuous. Where there is money for school choice, which props up private, charter, and homeschooling, there isn’t much allocated to public schools, where over five million students are underserved. 

I don’t downplay the importance of private, charter, and homeschooling; it’s important that children are properly educated, no matter the space. However, it is no secret that public education has always received more scrutiny with fewer resources. My son started out in charter and now he’s learning in public schools. My husband and I weigh the pros and cons regularly, while always making decisions about what is best for our kids’ educational needs long-term.

The goal post is ever-changing in a system that was not designed for Black and brown kids to excel. It is this reality that causes us to always monitor our kids’ progress. The question nowadays is, what does success look like in a pandemic-impacted educational system? How do we ensure the success of our three-year-old, who is in his pre-k learning years, and our kindergartener? 

For starters, remaining present in our kids’ educational journey is imperative. Showing up for open house and being in constant communication with our kids’ teachers are a few ways we do that. We also understand that their foundation for learning starts at home. During the earlier days of the pandemic, my kids were learning their phonics, colors, and numbers at home. They have reading books, workbooks, and, of course, educational videos that all work as tools to better serve their educational needs. Not to mention, pretend play is essential in practicing their foundational skills.

By the time they started in anyone’s class, they were well adjusted and familiarized with almost everything. It brings me so much joy to see my five-year-old reading and doing basic math. It makes me proud that my kids haven’t lost such an integral part of their foundation for moving forward academically.

What many kids lost during these pandemic years is unfortunate. I hate the idea that many may not be able to recover. Still, I believe that with more involved and evolved parents and guardians, more can be done to make sure our kids are on the proper levels academically.

My husband and I are overjoyed to see that our involvement and consistency in our kids’ education show. Our older son is doing exceptionally well in school, despite the odds further stacked against him. My hope is that his school overcomes the systemic odds stacked against them by continuing to prove that the pandemic didn’t completely doom public schools and the foundation for small kids like ours.

Melissa Menny is an author with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. She is a poet and a writer in all aspects. When she is not working, she enjoys painting, music, and spending time with her husband and two sons.

This is the most recent in a series of essays about raising young children in the COVID era. Read entry 45 here.