{"id":6444,"date":"2022-08-22T10:51:54","date_gmt":"2022-08-22T14:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=6444"},"modified":"2022-08-22T11:00:20","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T15:00:20","slug":"fiery-debates-continue-to-flare-in-the-new-school-year-over-decision-regarding-childcare-and-busing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=6444","title":{"rendered":"Fiery debates continue to flare in the new school year over decision regarding childcare and busing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1st Place, News Analysis<\/strong><br>2021-22, Division 1, News Writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By Aaron J. Puno<\/strong><br>Pioneer Optimist<br>Pioneer HS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the dual complications of the COVID-19 pandemic and a labor shortage sweeping the country, Ann Arbor Public Schools decided last spring and summer to cut childcare services and reduce busing. As the new school year has started, these decisions are creating complex problems and reinvigorating heated debates between the district and parents.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Childcare Cuts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting last year, when the district was planning for this upcoming year, problems with before- and after-school childcare became evident.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jeanice Swift, superintendent of AAPS, says it was necessary to redesign the program in order to maintain the separation of grade cohorts in the elementary schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMost of our programs were really large so they would occur in the gym, the multi-purpose room, or the cafeteria,\u201d said Swift. \u201cWe could see last spring that that model was not going to be COVID safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With this redesign came the need for more staff to oversee the implemented cohorts. The district quickly ran into a problem when only 20 percent of childcare staff said they planned to return to in-person school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Given these challenges, the district announced it would eliminate the childcare programs. Dozens of parents, many of whom are single parents or from low income households, urged the Board to reconsider their decision.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur family has two working parents and we rely on this childcare as part of our family infrastructure. Asking parents to find childcare on their own is an unfair and nearly impossible burden to place on parents that would require transportation to and from the program\u201d said one parent at the public commentary during a board meeting.&nbsp; Another parent called their situation now \u201cvastly more difficult.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eventually, AAPS opened up reduced childcare programs at several Title I elementary schools in Ann Arbor. Title I is part of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act which provides financial assistance to schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe worked really hard all summer to get staff and we were able to open five schools,\u201d said Swift. \u201cIn all of those schools, we were able to meet all of the demands of parents who asked us for childcare.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these AAPS programs and outside childcare programs added at three other elementary schools, 13 elementary schools are without a traditional childcare program and working parents are scrambling to figure out where their children will go mornings and afternoons while they are at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Economic View<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justin Wolfers, a labor economist at the University of Michigan, says the unique aspects of the childcare labor market during the pandemic are contributing to these problems.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cChildcare is a historically poorly paid occupation,\u201d he said. \u201cIf people feel that they can get by, some number of them are going to choose not to work. The other thing about childcare is that it\u2019s a very intensive face-to-face occupation. You\u2019re dealing with kids and their spit and their sneezes, and their poo and wee all day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of these problems can create a snowball effect. \u201cA lot of childcare workers are women at a child bearing age or are themselves parents, and so if they can\u2019t find childcare for their own kids, then they can\u2019t work,\u201d he said. \u201cSo childcare for childcarists turns out to be a very important issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Wolfers says that there is a simple fix to this labor problem. \u201cI\u2019m certain that it\u2019s the case that if you were to pay childcare workers more, you could get more of them, including teachers,\u201d he says. \u201cRight now, many teachers could earn $30 an hour tutoring, or $12 an hour doing after school care, so of course they are going to do the tutoring. But if you offer them a higher wage, after school care becomes much more attractive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Swift argues that the district is doing all it can on this front. \u201cWe have increased the hourly rate of pay, we give paid time off, our childcare workers are members of a union, and they do have retirement benefits,\u201d she said. \u201cThat level of pay and prioritization of childcare workers that we do is not typical across school districts. So we are making every effort and yet there are some extreme limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Ensuing Debate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Liz Lin, a parent who has been an advocate for childcare, finds the districts\u2019 decision and response both shocking and disheartening. \u201cThe district claims to be very progressive and claims to value equity, but this is such an inequitable decision,\u201d she said. \u201cSomething is better than nothing, but it\u2019s just a drop in the bucket of the actual need that\u2019s in the community.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lin added that the district initially seemed unconcerned about what parents faced. \u201cThose programs were only reintroduced after the enormous community backlash,\u201d she said. \u201cThey just announced that they were getting rid of all before- and after-[school] programs, and it wasn\u2019t until the community pushed back they were like, \u2018Okay, okay, okay, we\u2019ll open these five programs that are inflexible and cost $600 a month.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">School board member Susan Baskett said that she did not expect the backlash from parents.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe had discussion early in March and April when Trustee DuPree brought up her own search for child care,\u201d she said. \u201cI was surprised that anyone was assuming we would have child care because we never announced that we would in the fall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Along with the concern Lin has over the cuts due to staff shortages, she also believes that the district was at least partially motivated by their mere desire to stop providing before- and after-school care as one of AAPS\u2019s services. She claims Baskett has been \u201ctrying to get the program cut since at least 2019,\u201d a charge Baskett says is worded to inflame the discourse but is nonetheless consistent with her budget priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2018Trying to get rid of the program\u2019&nbsp; implies that I had some evil intention,\u201d Baskett said. \u201cI do not and have not. I have been intent on building upon what is the purpose of AAPS, and that is to provide a quality education to each and every student.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Board member Ernesto Querijero indicated a similar view at the Board\u2019s May 12 meeting last year. \u201cChildcare has nothing to do with education,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response, Lin says the district provides many other services that are not directly under education such as food, mental health, and sports.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cObviously, education should be the priority of school, but schools provide so many essential services for children and families because school is where kids are,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Baskett argues that her focus is on the core mission of the district, and allocating funds that serve the most students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs a trustee, I have a responsibility to advocate for the well-being of the entire district,\u201d she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bus Stops&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During Early August, the district also announced its annual busing changes. AAPS has a policy that mandates the service of busing for all students living more than 1.5 miles away from their school. Many exceptions to this rule had been made due to safety concerns such as the danger of crossing a busy street or the lack of a sidewalk. Yearly, the district reevaluates these routes and makes a determination of whether to continue busing in certain neighborhoods. The announced changes for this year, however, created even more problems for students and parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lulu Zhang, a senior at Pioneer, says that the bus in her neighborhood was completely cut. \u201cThe replacement that Mr. Lowder gave us was to take the city bus, but that arrives at school 30 minutes early,\u201d said Zhang. \u201cBecause of that, most people I know are car pooling instead of taking the bus.\u201d Zhang is also concerned about the environmental effects from all the people driving to school.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parents were particularly frustrated with what they felt was a sudden change to the bus routes just a few weeks before school started. Despite these changes coming as a surprise to many, school board member Trustee Susan Baskett says that this change had been coming for years. \u201cThe changes to the buses were part of our overall adherence to our policy, which is 1.5 miles,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is not a new thing. It\u2019s something we\u2019ve been working with over the years. Unfortunately, people don\u2019t follow our work over the years, so for some, it did seem like it was a new thing but it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Molly Kleinman, a parent with children in both Bryant and Pattengill, says that the changes to busing have created a logistical nightmare.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPre pandemic, my oldest [child] took the bus home and the bus would go from Bryant, to Pattengill, to our neighborhood,\u201d she said. \u201cThat had been our plan. On our kids\u2019 first day of school, I got a phone call from the school secretary at 4:05 p.m. asking me what bus my child was (to be put) on. When I told her the bus number she said, \u2018That bus doesn\u2019t exist.\u2019\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After much confusion and running around, Kleinman learned what had happened. \u201cEven though that bus still exists, and even though it still stops at Pattengill and goes to Bryant, [certain] kids were no longer allowed to get on that bus at Pattengill,\u201d she explained, due to the 1.5 miles limitation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Kleinman and her family live within 1.5 miles of the schools, Kleinman says it\u2019s unsafe for her children to walk to school and cross Packard road alone when there is no crossing guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The busing problems, along with the cuts to childcare, left Kleinman with limited options and little help from the district.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI couldn\u2019t have my older child stay at school until her older sister\u2019s bus arrives a half an hour later,\u201d said Kleinman. \u201cShe\u2019s not allowed to just wait there unattended. The fact that they cut childcare and transportation is leaving parents completely unsupported at a time when we\u2019ve been living in a pandemic for 18 months, and I would argue parents and children need more support, not less from their schools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kleinman says her children have been stressed by the situation. \u201cShe knew the bus because she rode that bus everyday from her old school, and to be told that her bus doesn\u2019t exist and that her school doesn\u2019t know how she\u2019s getting home, she was really freaked out,\u201d she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For her first grader, this situation has compounded the normal nervousness of going to elementary school for the first time. \u201cOur plans after school have been changing day by day. So my younger child \u2026 panics because she doesn\u2019t know if I\u2019m going to be in the right place, or if she knows where she\u2019s supposed to get off the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response to the concerns of parents like Kleinman, Baskett explains her experience from when she used to be in school. \u201cI have a perspective as a student who did not ride the bus,\u201d she said. \u201cI had to walk 1.2 miles to my middle school. There was no noise made then. I grew up with parents who were not as resourceful. They said, \u2018Look if that\u2019s the rules, we don\u2019t have a car, we have to get to work, you have to get to school, make it happen.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Kleinman worries that with all these changes, disadvantaged families are being left behind. \u201cWhat I\u2019m seeing at drop off and pick up is that many many people are driving their kids to school,\u201d she said. \u201cFor families that don\u2019t have a car, or that have only one car and a parent needs to use that car to get to work, all of this is going to be that much harder. The district is calling this a blanket policy but there are disparate impacts that are being felt particularly hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NW-05. News Analysis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stories should be interpretive in nature, not straight news stories. The elements \u201cwhy\u201d and \u201chow\u201d should be examined through research, but the writer\u2019s opinions should not be expressed. An analysis covers issues and problems that relate to specific events of a news nature. Submit a PDF of the print page(s) on which the story was published or the URL to the story on an online news site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">JUDGING CRITERIA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Sharp, attention-getting lead that underscore the why\/how elements of the news<\/li><li>Clarifies the news elements, i.e. timeliness, nearness, impact and prominence<\/li><li>Clarifies through research the background necessary to understand current news<\/li><li>Develops an understanding of the issues\/problems through interviews with varied and balanced sources<\/li><li>Avoids personal opinion unless properly attributed<\/li><li>Sentences, paragraphs of varied length, written clearly, concisely and vividly<\/li><li>Effective use of facts\/quotes from both primary and secondary sources<\/li><li>Proper diction\/grammar; use of third person<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1st Place, News Analysis2021-22, Division 1, News Writing By Aaron J. PunoPioneer OptimistPioneer HS With the dual complications of the COVID-19 pandemic and a labor shortage sweeping the country, Ann Arbor Public Schools decided last spring and summer to cut childcare services and reduce busing. As the new school year has started, these decisions are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[53,4],"tags":[182,20],"class_list":["post-6444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-newsanalysis","category-nw","tag-2021-22","tag-division1","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Gabriella Lopez","author_link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?author=13"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6K0n6-1FW","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6444\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}