Invariably I begin Zoom calls with my shelter-at-home high school juniors with some variation of, “How is online schooling treating you?” With few exceptions, my kids, particularly those enrolled at boarding schools fire back with “good,” “solid,” or “going well.” Contrast the upbeat tenor of a sequestered-at-home boarder with one of the handful of public school juniors with whom I consult; the difference is night and day. Not all, but many of my public high school juniors have only an hour or two of class each day, much of the time focused around assigning and discussing homework assignments. For one student, attending class is optional. “Half of my classmates are no shows to my Zoom classes. In fact, our principal just made a new minimum attendance rule,” she added.Read more
