I try really hard not to get triggered by keyboard warriors, and generally speaking, I think I do a reasonably good job. However, we all have our limits. And let me tell you, I reached mine on October 27.

So, I’m going to repeat something I posted to social media that night in response to another parent’s post about hybrid learning.

If you are online, judging other parents because you are having an easier time with the online learning platforms, and hybrid learning in general, than others, quite frankly — you can go pound sand.

I wonder if carrying those chips on your shoulders makes your back hurt?

It must be nice to sit back and judge others simply because you and your child(ren) aren’t having the same struggle and uphill battles that others are. It must be nice to sit back and judge others because you don’t have to try and make the decision between what may be safest for your kids and what you know is best for them educationally. Because quite frankly, hybrid ISN’T best for a LOT of kids educationally speaking, and a lot of kids and parents are struggling, and just because yours isn’t, doesn’t necessarily make you a better parent; it may just make you a luckier parent.

I’ll also add that just because YOU aren’t experiencing difficulties or issues, be it with the programs themselves or with online learning in general, doesn’t mean those difficulties don’t exist.

Speaking for the Williamsport Area School District alone, significant issues are appearing with the switch to hybrid learning.

In kindergarten, 67% of students are not meeting literacy benchmarks (loss of 6% from the previous year). First grade is at 69%, which is a 33% loss from the previous year. That kind of loss at that age is entirely unacceptable. The foundation for reading and literacy is beginning to be built that year, and we all know what happens if you try to build something on a shaky foundation. Second and 3rd graders are at 43%, representing an 8 and 9% loss, respectively. These are incredibly discouraging numbers for kids that are at a vulnerable point in their learning years. Failures in literacy at this age could take YEARS to overcome, resulting in them continually falling behind for the foreseeable future. Because through the 3rd grade is when you learn to read before you start reading to learn.

According to Superintendent Dr. Timothy S. Bowers’ October 27 school board presentation, interim progress reports show that 34% of remote students are experiencing academic failure. Obviously, something isn’t working here.

At the high school and middle school levels, upwards of 32% of hybrid and remote students are experiencing course failure.

And let’s not forget absenteeism. The absentee rate in grades K-4 is up 940%! And no, that’s not a typo. In grades 5-8, it’s up 671%, and in high school, it’s up a whopping 1,107%! Kids can’t learn if they aren’t attending classes!

Don’t get me wrong. Obviously, keeping kids healthy has to be a priority, but we cannot let their education fall by the wayside in the meantime. If you feel it’s in your child’s best interest for them not to attend in-person instruction, you absolutely have the right to keep them remote or switch them to cyber or homeschooling. I’m not here to judge your decision to do so. It’s certainly not an easy choice, no matter what you decide. But we have to face facts. Many kids were struggling with the hybrid and remote models, and those kids need to have the option to have the best education possible afforded to them.

Personally, I am happy to see the kids in the WASD go back to school full-time. Not only do I think that it’s in their best interests academically, but I don’t think people always understand the social impact that not being in school daily has on the primary and intermediate school-aged kids. For many of these kids, school is the only social interaction they get with other kids regularly. And social interaction is vital to the growth and maturation of kids. This is when they learn to develop and maintain friendships and how to appropriately interact with peers.

I know that these can be scary times, especially for parents. You want to keep your kids safe, but they also need to move forward with their education. No matter what option you choose, please remember that we all have the same goals, but we may need to take different paths to achieve them. Just because something is working for your family doesn’t mean that another parent is less than or a failure because it isn’t working for their family.

Remember to mind your own parenthood.