Opinion/Letter: Remote learning just doesn’t work for elementary school children

Sept. 23 -- To the Editor:

I know we're living through crazy times right now. I can't even imagine how stressful it is for our teachers, school board and school leadership. We have all been thrown into this situation no one could have predicted. But we have to find a way to make school better and we need to do it fast because we are failing our kids.

While distance learning may be working in middle and high school, it is NOT working for our elementary school children. Speaking with other parents -- and my own experience with my two -- kids are checking out. They are not engaged. And how could they be? Sitting alone in a bedroom with a computer screen is such a poor substitute for in-person class time. My fifth grader who is so smart has decided he hates learning. And my third grader is just melting down all the time. Both are getting depressed. My 8-year-old said to me yesterday, "I used to think my school was like a Van Gogh picture. Now it's a picture by a 2-year-old."

I don't understand why higher elementary grades can't do what our K + 1st grade kids are doing -- in morning or afternoons. At the very least we need to get them in AT LEAST one more day. We can't continue this way. Incremental change and "ramping up online learning" won't cut it.

We HAVE to do better than this and THIS is the time to do it before people settle into a schedule and it's harder to change. We need FUNDAMENTAL change and we need it now or we're going to lose our kids.

Anna Goldsmith

Portsmouth