I'm not asking this to be insensitive, but merely to have a better understanding. There are quite a few members on this thread who seem to have a clear or implicit bias toward this matter. Some are biased because they themselves or a family member runs or works for a school. Some were simply (B"H) unaffected by Covid, and have no problem making judgements on "yenems cheshbon". Yet others consider themselves to be righteous and saintly, and demand that we all give everything up.
Almost every industry outside of essentials (and even some essential industries) have had to make compromises, layoffs and paycuts.
Hundreds of millions of restaurant owners, salons, repair shops, dealerships and more have had to close their doors and suspend operations. Doctors are being forced to see less patients, and lawyers are having to postpone cases. There is no doubt that tens of thousands, if not millions of school parents are among these people.
Schools are CLOSED. They are compromising by providing online classes which I am very grateful for. Nontheless, the classes are still not what a physical class would be, not nearly as many hours as physical class would be, and require the parents to be involved every day with tech support.
I reject the notion that the parents, many of whom have lost their jobs or have been forced to take pay cuts, are responsible to continue paying into the school the same amount so that they can keep its' doors open AFTER Covid. As I see it, if parents have to take pay cuts, so do the teachers. I don't understand why schools feel completely immune to dealing with the consequences of Covid, when almost everyone else has to deal with it.
The stories about how parents would sell the shirts off their backs to pay a melamed were for the melamed to learn with the boys a certain number of hours in person. If the melamed in those stories would cut his hours, the parents would cut their pay accordingly.
Contrary to how this comes across, I don't have any beef with my childrens' schools or their teachers. (well, I do with some teachers, but that's a different discussion). I am not asking schools to forgo tuition. I am asking them to be proactively upfront with the parents. Some have done this. Most have not. I don't appreciate them taking for granted that they may continue charging my credit card as if all is normal.
I'm not asking this to be insensitive, but merely to have a better understanding. There are quite a few members on this thread who seem to have a clear or implicit bias toward this matter. Some are biased because they themselves or a family member has children who attend a school. Some were simply (B"H) unaffected by deaths of relatives and friends from Covid, and have no problem making judgements on "yenems cheshbon". Yet others consider themselves to be righteous and saintly, and demand that we live our lives as usual, including minyanim, open businesses, etc. regardless of the illness, death, and devastation we will leave in our path.
Almost every industry outside of essentials (and even some essential industries) have had to make compromises, layoffs and paycuts because of a loss of revenue.
Hundreds of millions of restaurant owners, salons, repair shops, dealerships and more have had to close their doors and suspend operations. Doctors are being forced to see less patients, and lawyers are having to postpone cases. There is no doubt that tens of thousands, if not millions of school parents are among these people.
Schools are offering a product which is not the same as the stellar product they always do, as are ALL OTHER BUSINESSES, because they have been forced to discontinue regular operations. Nontheless, the classes are still far harder to prepare for and administer than a physical class would be, many more hours of preparation than a physical class would be, and require the teachers and staff to continue operations as usual despite also being home with their families.
I reject the notion that the schools,
many of whom have lost revenue, are working harder, and already offer most parents a price that is BELOW COST of their product due to the generosity and hard work of others and never force you to give more than you are able, but work with you at your personal income level despite the cost, a business model that’s unheard of, are responsible to continue educating your children
at the same price so that they can educate your children properly during and after Covid.. As I see it, if teachers have to take pay cuts, parents need to accept lower quality schooling now and forever. I don't understand why parents feel completely immune to dealing with the consequences of Covid, when almost everyone else has to deal with it in every other area of their lives. Oddly, I don’t see people requesting that grocery stores and pharmacies, already making large profits, lower their prices to match the aid they may or may not be receiving.
The stories about how parents would sell the shirts off their backs to pay a melamed were before schools formed, providing an amazing opportunity that allowed for those who are able to subsidize those who are not.
Contrary to how this comes across, I don't have any beef with people who bash schools relentlessly and refuse to consider their perspectives at all. (well, I do with some posters, but that's a different discussion). The most glaring part of this is, I highly doubt there is any poster who has reached out to the school to renegotiate because of their trying circumstances and been refused a further discount to the presumably already deeply discounted rate they were paying. I am not asking parents to increase tuition to at least cover the cost of educating their own child. I am asking them to be proactively upfront with the schools if they are having trouble. Some have done this. Most have not. I don't appreciate them
taking for granted that they may continue bashing schools as if they are being ripped off by continuing to pay the same price for a service that, while the product is diminished, takes more effort to produce hpwhen they are not doing that in any other area of their life, and the school would be more than happy to negotiate at any time if they have further financial stress.
