Kamala Harris rolled out a new plan today to help address the problems that working parents face when trying to sort out childcare for their children. The plan calls for schools to provide quality, affordable after care programs at school and extend the school day from 8am to 6pm.
Details of her plan courtesy of Mother Jones. :
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/11/the-school-day-is-two-hours-shorter-than-the-work-day-kamala-harris-wants-to-change-that/
“A pilot program that gives money to 500 schools that serve a high proportion of low-income families to develop a school schedule that better matches the work schedule. Each recipient school would receive up to $5 million dollars over five years to keep their doors open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with no closures except for weekends, federal holidays, and emergencies. Professional development, parent-teacher conferences, and the like would have to happen, at minimum, alongside a full day of enrichment activities. At the end of the five years, the Education Department would publish a report documenting the best practices, as well as changes in parental employment, student performance, and teacher retention rates to be used to inform a future broader program.”
I want to stress that teachers would not be required to work a longer day. It would use community resources to supply teachers and enrichment classes for the extra 2-3 hours.
I read this plan and thought GREAT!!! And then I went online and read the reaction to this plan.
SERIOUSLY PEOPLE. Never have I seen more privileged response to a plan that specific helps working families.
First my background:
I am a working mom with two kids. One is in preschool and one is elementary school. I drop them off at 8am and my husband picks them up at 5-6 pm depending on his work schedule. My oldest attends an afterschool program that is located at his school. Our afterschool programs has a very long waitlist and if you don’t register the second it becomes available each year, you are screwed for the year.
My husband and I have very flexible professional jobs that allow us to work from home when needed, easily take time off for doctor’s appointments, kiddy sick days, teacher conferences etc. This plan would complement the schedule that we already have in our households.
So to the criticism:
- You want to keep kids in school for 10 HOURS!!!!! Can’t kids be kids…what is this school prison!!!
Our after school programs is split into different parts.
There is a homework clinic (staffed with tutors), there are enrichment classes and there is free time to play. My son has taken a variety of classes from chess to robotics to hip hop dance. He LIKES his after school program. There have been times where he whines if I pick him up to early and he is in the middle of some art project. The enrichment classes are on a sliding scale and our school is very generous with scholarships to make sure every student who wants to take a class is able to. Yes there are days when he is especially tired but it usually is from a very active kickball game.
This aftercare program allows my child to participate in things he would not otherwise be able to with two working parents. Have you tried to book extra classes on the weekends? They are hard to find. The outside world still thinks moms are available to cart kids to classes from 3-6 pm.
The aftercare program also provides unlimited snacks. There is a box full of fruit, milk, water and usually some other sort of snack. My child doesn’t come home ravenously hungry. And for lots of kids this may be their last meal of the day.
It is safe. My child is watched by a team of amazing teachers that really enjoy the kids. Our school is very lucky that the afterschool program is mainly men of color. Considering that 75% of school teachers are white females, this is a great thing. One of the teachers is in a band and I often come in to him playing scores on the piano. This is 100% ignored by most the kids but every single parent appreciates the culture he provides in the background.
- Why can’t we make the work day shorter? We shouldn’t be giving away our time for the corporate overlords or something like that.
Okay, make the work day shorter but in order for this to work for me I would need to be able to pick up my children before or around 3pm at 2 different locations. Let’s do the math: Drop off at 8, commute to work (let’s say 30-45 minutes) and then leave by 2pm. I’m putting in 5.5-6 hours a day for a 30 hour work week.
It sound amazing but even I can’t get all my work done in that time period. And who is getting a reduced work week? The professional class? Are you expecting restaurants, doctors’ offices, stores, gas stations etc to also be closed because SHOCKER: Those people have kids as well. What about people who work off hours? Or hourly workers…$15 bucks an hour isn’t going to pay the rent.
I should state that I support a shorter work week but it has to be equitable to everyone. And why can’t we work on both. A shorter work week AND affordable childcare options.
- We shouldn’t have dual income families anyway. You should be able to support your family on a single income.
I’m sorry…Did the 1950’s call? I work because I enjoy it. This isn’t an indictment against stay at home parents. Arrange your family home life as you want it but stop assuming all of us work because we absolutely have to. And the even further annoying point to this argument is that it assumes that I as the mother am going to stay home.
No everyone has two parents. Not everyone can afford to not have dual incomes. And right now 70% of mothers work. Yes 70%.
- Don’t you like your kids!!!
No, I hate the bastards! On a serious note, yes I do like my kids but my life doesn’t revolve around them. We are family unit with family priorities and those priorities include mom and dad’s goals and dreams. Think about if you did have a shorter work week AND childcare.
People could take a trade/college class that could further help their careers. Or maybe I need to study. Or maybe mom needs to have a drink with her friends. All of these are valid reasons and good uses of my time.
My kids and I have downtime in the evenings and weekends. I don’t stress about screen time because I know that they have had plenty of learning and stimulation during the day. Play dates still happen but my kids aren’t lacking for social development skills because they had plenty of time with other kids.
We keep talking about reaching the WWC and here is a policy that will 100% benefit everyone in the working class. I’m disappointed in the reaction to this plan.
