1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to It Could Happen Here, a podcast about things 2 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,960 Speaker 1: going badly and falling apart. And today we are back 3 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: with part two for interview with Lucy about how the 4 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: Chicago Public school system is falling apart under the relentless 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 1: assault of cruelty and malice and incompetence by the Chicago 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: Public Schools and by the Mayor, LORDE. Lightfoot. Enjoy there's 7 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: everything I want to talk about a bit, which is 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: when you've been back, when you've been sort of teaching 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: in these really like sort of what what is it 10 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: actually like to teach in these classrooms? And like you know, 11 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: how how safe actually is it? So, I mean I've 12 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: been in a lot of different environments. When I was 13 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: teaching middle schoolers, I did not feel super COVID safe. 14 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: Um they aren't. I don't know if people know this 15 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: about middle school age kids. They love to touch each other, 16 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: especially boys. They love to like wrestle. There was putting 17 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: each other in headlocks. I am constantly having to just 18 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: be like six feet six ft apart or three ft 19 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: or whatever CDC has said we are now. Um, they 20 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: don't put their masks on, They put their masks in 21 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:10,639 Speaker 1: their mouths. All the time, like in their mouths. Um. 22 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: There's they're constantly finding like weird little excuses to have 23 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:15,839 Speaker 1: their mask off. Like they'll just sit there with like 24 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: like there are a lot to have water bottles because 25 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: they can't use the water countains. They'll just sit there 26 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 1: with like a straw in their mouth for like extended 27 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: amounts of time. And I'm like, I need you to 28 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: put your mask up, take quicksips and put your mask up. 29 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: And they're like I'm drinking, Like I'm going to be 30 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 1: drinking at the end of this day, but like, I know, 31 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: take a quick sip, put your mask back up. It's 32 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: really really important for your safety. Um. And then I 33 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: have other kids who are absolutely straight up like terrified 34 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: of this because like they've lost parents, they've lost grandparents. Um, 35 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: it's it's really scary. UM. At the high school level, 36 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: it's been a little better. High school kids are a 37 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: little more rational. UM, but I still have a few 38 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: who are just like their masks are down around their 39 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: chins all the time and we're under their nose and 40 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: I'm I'll like several times of class fear like okay, 41 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: time for everybody to do a mass check. Make sure 42 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: your mask is covering your nose, your mouth, your chin. Um, 43 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: I'll remind them like I have a spouse at home 44 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: who has an underlying condition and like, please don't have 45 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: me bring home a deadly disease to him, because that 46 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: would really not be great. Um, most of them are 47 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: pretty good, but still they're getting sick. Like I think 48 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: we had like forty kids out of my building one Monday, 49 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: and like twenty eight staff members or something like that. 50 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: We're out and we had one sub which is the 51 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: other That's the other issue is this isn't really a 52 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: question of, um, if we should go remote. It's a 53 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,639 Speaker 1: question of when will we be forced to go remote. 54 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: And we can either do that now before everybody has 55 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: gotten sick and wait for this to subside and get 56 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 1: some better mitigation strategies in place, or we can do 57 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: it after everybody is sick, and then we're going to 58 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: be scrambling to figure it out and also be sick 59 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:02,679 Speaker 1: at the same time. I don't really see how that 60 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: makes any sense. Yeah, that's the part of this. And 61 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: I've just been like I just like I don't get it, 62 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: Like I just like, fundamentally, there's there's like a mental 63 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: break where it's like I don't understand why, like Lightfoot 64 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: and CPS so insistance about not going remote, Like I 65 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: get that, like yeah, it's it's hard on kids, but 66 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: it's like it's it's you know, it is the years two, 67 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: Like no matter what you do, it's it's hard on 68 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: the kids, And it's like, yeah, I also I wonder 69 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: how much of it is the remote learning that's hard 70 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: on them, and how much of it is just the 71 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: um everything around them is crashing and following and burning 72 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: around their ears because um, the messaging that they've been 73 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: getting is that they don't matter. They're not important, their 74 00:03:55,160 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: safety isn't important, their families aren't important, and um, some 75 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: of them like want to be remote. A lot of them, 76 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: a lot of their parents want them to be remote. 77 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: They're like, you know, it's not as good, but at 78 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: least I feel safe. Some of them even thrived in 79 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: remote like actually did pretty well. And I really wish 80 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: that it was just an option for those students who 81 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 1: actually did well with it, that they could just like 82 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: if we even ended up with like a third of 83 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: our students choosing it, it would mitigate this so much, 84 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: because that's a third of the people not they're to 85 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: spread it around. UM. So how how big? How big 86 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: your class sizes are? Um? Right now the building I'm 87 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: in now, I have like thirty in some my it 88 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: was kind of similar at the last building. Like they're 89 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: in that range. I have like always have like one 90 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: or two that are like the twenty or below that 91 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: are usually um special education like inclusion classes where I 92 00:04:55,480 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: have co teacher. Um. But yeah, it's you know, some 93 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: of them are pretty crowded, and it really varies by school. 94 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: Like there's definitely schools that have over thirty kids in 95 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: a room, um and don't have the staff because it's 96 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,559 Speaker 1: just that's the other thing is like they keep talking about, 97 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 1: you know, I keep seeing people be like fire all 98 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: the teachers, and I'm like, good luck, Like, yes, is 99 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: chronically understaffed. What are you gonna do this? Yeah? I 100 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: think again, like this job is really hard, Like it's 101 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 1: being a teacher. Yeah, it's hard. It's exhausting, and it's 102 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 1: very very rewarding. Like when it's good, it's great. When 103 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: it's bad it is miserable. Um. So yeah, and like 104 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: what it looks like and I mean that's you know, 105 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: it depends, it really depends on what school you're in. Um, 106 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 1: I think everybody can agree that it is difficult right now. Um, 107 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: so we we have like air purifiers going and masks on, 108 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: and I cannot understand what my kids are saying a 109 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: lot of the time, Like I do not know, and 110 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: they speak so quietly. Yeah, like I need you to 111 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: shout it, say it like you mean whatever it is. 112 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: So but you know, that's been challenging and frustrating and exhausting. 113 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: But um, the worst thing ever is finding out that 114 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: one of my students is sick. Like I hate when 115 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: they're I hate it when they hurt, Like whenever that 116 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,160 Speaker 1: one of them is hurting, I feel bad. And knowing 117 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 1: that their home sick is it's it's really upsetting and 118 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: just it's you know, it's distressing for teachers to know 119 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: that their kids are struggling in a way like that. 120 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: So that's you know, we want them to be safe, 121 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: you know, like like these kids, it's like and this 122 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: is this is true of the staff too. When you 123 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: when you're getting sick, it's like, yeah, like some of 124 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: these people will be okay, but enormous numbers of people 125 00:06:58,480 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: are like so, man, these people are gonna die something. 126 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: People a lot of these people are going to get disabled. 127 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: Um yeah, I mean the long term long terfects really bad. 128 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: And you know, one off, if people remember we we 129 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: did an episode with when our Friends us a nurse 130 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: and like, yeah, like he he had long COVID. His 131 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: long COVID was like he he couldn't do more than 132 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: like like getting out of bed or like like walking 133 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: across the room, which just put him in bed all day. 134 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: Because there's you know, there there's an enormous range of 135 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: sort of like of of long COVID side effects. And yeah, 136 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: it's like it's it's it's like CPS is just child 137 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: cope of schools. It's just like they're getting people killed. Yeah, 138 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: and it's and it's you know, that's like the question 139 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: like they keep talking about percentages and I'm like, these 140 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: are human beings. Every one of the numbers is a human. 141 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: So when you say like only you know, point whatever 142 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: percent are going to be long term affected, like, okay, 143 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: those are people. Can we stop like dehumanizing them with 144 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: these like data points and um as for like the 145 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 1: issue with like how like kids are less affected by 146 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: or whatever, Like the fact is like the more we 147 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: allow this to spread around the more variants we're going 148 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,239 Speaker 1: to see, and we don't know that the next variant 149 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: isn't going to be the one that is really significantly 150 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: harmful to children. And we are basically turning our schools 151 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 1: into these peatree dishes where this thing can mutate and 152 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: become stronger. And now we have vaccinated people who are 153 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: in that mix, and it's becoming resistant to the vaccine. 154 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: So you know, I'm a social studie teacher, not a 155 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: science teacher, but this seems like a bad move to me. Yeah, yeah, 156 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: it's I don't know, it's it's just sort of heartbreaking 157 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: a lot of ways. I mean, it's just like they've 158 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:57,959 Speaker 1: just decided that, you know, and again, like I don't 159 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: I don't know why Lightfoot's doing this, Like maybe just 160 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: like she wants to share up her base thing because 161 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: she's trying to build a base among like the just 162 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: like rich, Weirddorsiders or something. But like it's she's a 163 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: small business person. That's always when people are the small 164 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 1: business owners who don't want to close schools because then 165 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: you know, their workers won't come in, and you know, 166 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:25,839 Speaker 1: I want to feel sorry for them, but I know, 167 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: I don't know, like I was like fuck you, because 168 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 1: there's also a lot of small business owners who have 169 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: been very supportive of us. We had uh there's like 170 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: a taco place offering free burritos to us, Like I 171 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 1: really appreciate that. Like there's a community who understand that, 172 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: like the lives of our children are so much more 173 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:49,319 Speaker 1: important than you missing two weeks of profit, Like you 174 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: will figure that out. And if you want to bail 175 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: out businesses, um, we can figure that out. But right now. 176 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: And also like is is saying like we have we 177 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: aren't we refused to do anything that might be inconvenient 178 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: for business owners, Like what is that? Yeah, and it's 179 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: like it's like yeah, so you know. And also yeah, 180 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: but like business owners did get bailed out, like they 181 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:14,199 Speaker 1: got they got they got zero presented loans. Most of 182 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: those loans got written off. And meanwhile, yeah, it's like, well, okay, 183 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: what did life to do with the COVID buddy? She 184 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: she gave it to the cops. And oh, hey, guess 185 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: guess who's also just a ramperants better of COVID? Oh 186 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:29,079 Speaker 1: yeah it's the cops. Yeah, resisted vaccines the most, the cops. 187 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: I mean, actually, there there there, there is one funny 188 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 1: thing which I'm actually very excited about, which is that 189 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 1: the cops are doing they're having their first so that 190 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 1: they have a new class graduating. But for the police academies, 191 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: which is really bad, and there's a whole well, one 192 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 1: of one of the like life Foot's things was that 193 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: there there was a huge campaign against building more police 194 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: academies because you know, everyone hates told a police apartment. 195 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: They're awful. And if you have a hundred billion dollars 196 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 1: for a new police academy, why or a hundred million 197 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: or whatever it was, why can't you put some better 198 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: ventilation in the schools? Yeah, well it's gonna yeah because 199 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: because because like the CPD are like basically feudal lords. 200 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,440 Speaker 1: They have nights, they go out, they can shoot you, 201 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: like they rob you. They just like any any any 202 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: large number of like black kids on the streets, Like 203 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 1: if you just have like fifteen kids walking around, like 204 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: eight quad cars will show up. And you know that 205 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: there was in Lightfoot was like no, no, no, her 206 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: like one of her campaign things, big and pain things 207 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 1: like no, no no, We're gonna make sure we build these academies. 208 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: And but so they're they're having their first like rounded. 209 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 1: They they've been having trouble recruiting because good yeah, and 210 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: and they're they're about to have their first police Academy 211 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: exam and it's gonna be in person, and I am 212 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 1: this is the only what are the few? Is this? 213 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: And jaire Bosonaro where it's like I am rooting for 214 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 1: the virus here, like please God save us from these cops. 215 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's it's but they're just at home and 216 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: spread it around. Yeah, yeah, that's a sad thing. It's 217 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: it's just it's grotesque. And yeah, yeah, it's been this 218 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,199 Speaker 1: thing where I'm like watching, like the school system is 219 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: just throwing their hands up, been saying we don't care, 220 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: We're done. The health system, the health care system is 221 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: like crashing and burning all around us. Nurses are quitting, 222 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:19,199 Speaker 1: hospitals are like we don't have room for more patients, 223 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: Like did you have a cancer treatment schedule? Sorry? Did 224 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: you have a surgery scheduled? Sorry? I just saw somebody 225 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: on Twitter saying she um has a brain tumor and 226 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 1: she's supposed to have a surgery for it and she 227 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,079 Speaker 1: can't now because of COVID. Because they have no beds, 228 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: there aren't any and you're telling me that the right 229 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: move right now is to keep the schools open, which 230 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: has always been in every every pandemic that we've ever had. 231 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:51,559 Speaker 1: Schools and hospitals and prisons are like the place where 232 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 1: the whatever diseases spreads. And I know we've been claiming 233 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: that like there's not been spread in schools, but we've 234 00:12:57,640 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: now seen the data that there, in fact is a 235 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 1: huge amount. Which I've been like screaming about this since 236 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: we started that their contact tracing models are they're absurd. 237 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 1: They are like kafka esque, Like basically, um, so we 238 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,680 Speaker 1: start from the assumption that everybody is six ft apart 239 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:21,199 Speaker 1: and wearing the mask at all times, which it's not. 240 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: It's not even it's not even physically possible in a 241 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:26,680 Speaker 1: lot of classrooms for that to be happening. And then too, 242 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 1: we start with the assumption that those things work, and 243 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:34,199 Speaker 1: so you'll get a call from a contact racer that's like, hey, 244 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: um on, you know, like last Tuesday, Tuesday of last week, 245 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:43,959 Speaker 1: were you within six ft of any of your eighth 246 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: graders for more than fifteen minutes? Funk? If I know, 247 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 1: Tuesday of last week, was I near an eighth grader 248 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,560 Speaker 1: for fifteen minutes. I don't know. I have no idea 249 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: even if, like, even if I did know, what difference 250 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: does it make. It is an aerosolized virus. It is 251 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 1: in the air, and the more you sit in classrooms, 252 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: the more it accumulates. Like we have seen like studies 253 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 1: about um this, We've seen studies about how CEO two 254 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,319 Speaker 1: accumulates in the air when there's crowds. We know that 255 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: stuff accumulates like that in classrooms, very very quickly. And 256 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: you're gonna tell me that as long as I wasn't 257 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 1: within fifteen or within six ft for more than fifteen 258 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: continuous minutes, not even like um, not even fifteen minutes 259 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: like added up throughout the day, just fifteen minutes continuously, 260 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 1: I'm not going to get a virus. You shipping me 261 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: like that makes no sense. And so then if and 262 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: if and if you're answer to those questions are no, 263 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: because whatever you were following the rules, then they're like, Okay, 264 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: you got COVID somewhere else. It wasn't at school, Yeah, no, 265 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: it doesn't. It's nonsense. It's like I go to work 266 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: and I go home. I don't do anything else, so 267 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: I don't know where else it's coming from like yeah, 268 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: like and I also just I want to do do 269 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: a brief digression about like okay, so like like like 270 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: I went to like a like a pretty good like 271 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: like a pretty well like a very well funded like 272 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: a Chicago area school and like, okay, those places, those 273 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: places ventilation sucks. Like again, like again, I went to 274 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: a very well funded school. Like we had a we 275 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 1: had drowned dead rats falling out of the ceiling like 276 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: it was. It was incredibly my my, my, my great 277 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: high school memories with my principle just like running full 278 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: tilt pushing a trash can because dead drownd friend see 279 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: liked lord. My school was wild. We had how bad 280 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: it was like a kind of a chemistry teacher let 281 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: a kid set off a smoke bomb like that they 282 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: made like in a classroom, but it didn't work, so 283 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: it just like actually blew up. It was a time 284 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 1: but like like base learning, okay, got to light the 285 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: school on fire. But like like this is a this 286 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: is like yeah, like like these schools are not like 287 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: they're not environments. Yeah. The building I worked in at 288 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: the beginning of the year was a hundred years old. 289 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: It was built in nineteen twenty and there was always 290 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: this like sewage smell around the bathroom as the pipes 291 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 1: were messed up. It was weird, like and they couldn't 292 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: fix it. I think it was I was the second 293 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: or third time by building lived on fire. Like we 294 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: there was a there was a whole thing in the 295 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: building that was made of asbestos and they just had 296 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: left it because it was like it wasn't exposed. Yeah, 297 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: still have asbestos over Like I get like I went 298 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: to like a good, well funded one of these schools, 299 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: Like it's I think there's there's like there's there's these 300 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: two there's two things. I think it is. Interestingly, there's 301 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,160 Speaker 1: when you like talk to like the people who want 302 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: the schools to open back up, right, they'll they're also 303 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: talking about like oh no, it's fine. Everyone wears mass 304 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: everyone's vaccinated, everyone succeed. It's like no, no, they're not 305 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: like this. This is how it works in this like 306 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: imaginary play world you've like created. Have you ever met 307 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: a child? Like have you met your own children? Like 308 00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 1: oh and that's the best is like, well, I've been 309 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: having my kids wear a mask. You have your full 310 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:05,360 Speaker 1: of ship, okay, because I hold that kid to put 311 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 1: their masks on like fifteen times yesterday, and I love 312 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: them beautiful face. I hope they get to show it 313 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: off someday, but right now, covered up, please, I'm begging you. 314 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: And I'm like, I'm not like that teacher who's really authoritarian, 315 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,919 Speaker 1: Like I've never been good at like writing kids up 316 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 1: and getting on them for stuff because it's just like 317 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: I don't know, I hate doing that. I hate being 318 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: that person. So it's been like, really it's like a struggle. 319 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: It's like am I going to be the person who 320 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:38,120 Speaker 1: nags them every five seconds? Or am I gonna be 321 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: um the teacher that they like and want to learn from? 322 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: Like you know, this isn't sustainable. So but you're asking 323 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: like the attitudes of people who want to open schools 324 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: back up, and I it's it's hard because I have 325 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: talked to parents who are worried, but they are also 326 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:02,199 Speaker 1: very upset because they see that their kids are struggling. 327 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: And I really do feel for them on that, like 328 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 1: I really really do. It is hard to see a 329 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:11,640 Speaker 1: kids struggle, but it is harder, I think to see 330 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:16,119 Speaker 1: a kid sick. That is really hard. And it's just 331 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 1: this like there are ways that we can overcome the 332 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 1: difficulties of remote learning, Like we we can find ways 333 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: to give them the emotional support, Um, we can find 334 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: better socializing outlets. But I don't know how we fix 335 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:37,119 Speaker 1: like you've become very ill and your body isn't going 336 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:38,879 Speaker 1: to recover in the way that you thought it would, Like, 337 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: I don't. I can't fix that. So it's something I've 338 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 1: heard from other teachers that like that preparable about learning 339 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 1: stuff like is harder and takes more work than Yeah 340 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:01,959 Speaker 1: it does. It's it's really off. I don't like doing it. 341 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 1: I want to be in the classroom, but yah, and 342 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: I just I just want to like once again, yell 343 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: at all of the people who are like the teachers 344 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: are lazy and it's like no, people like they're like, yeah, 345 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: like you're you are advocating to do more work because 346 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 1: that's that's the thing that will keep the kids safe, 347 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 1: and it's Yeah. I think a lot of people don't 348 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: understand like the behind the scenes how the sausage gets 349 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,439 Speaker 1: made of a classroom. But I think a lot of 350 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:32,440 Speaker 1: people have this idea that like we are given curriculum 351 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: and plans and materials pre made, and sometimes that's true, 352 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: it depends on your subject. Mine is social size is 353 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 1: not a subject where that happens very much, which is 354 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: part of why I like it, because I like to 355 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:50,880 Speaker 1: be creative. Um, So like my week looks like, UM, 356 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: there are a lot of hours after school where I 357 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: am sitting down, I'm looking at the standards that I 358 00:19:57,800 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: need to teach, the topics that I need to teach, 359 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 1: and I'm researching it and learning it and finding a 360 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 1: way to teach that to kids who don't have the 361 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:11,320 Speaker 1: same like baseline knowledge that I have. UM, And then 362 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: I'm creating like an activity for them. I'm creating, um, 363 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: you're I'm finding like material sources and videos and stuff 364 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:22,239 Speaker 1: that they can watch that are going to help them, 365 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: or things to read. I'm modifying those things for the 366 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 1: kids who have, um, you know, learning differences. I'm translating 367 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: some of those things into Spanish for kids who don't 368 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,880 Speaker 1: really read very well in English yet. So, like that's 369 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: a ton of work on its own. And then when 370 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: we switch to remote, we have to figure out how 371 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 1: to do all of that on Google Classroom, where now 372 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:45,919 Speaker 1: it has to all be typed like or you know, 373 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:48,159 Speaker 1: like how do I figure like how do I do 374 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: a group project online. How do I let them do 375 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 1: something creative that isn't just sitting here answering questions on 376 00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: a worksheet. That's hard and we've been really good at it, 377 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:02,399 Speaker 1: and I've found all kinds of really cool tools to 378 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 1: do that with. But it's so much work. And it's 379 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: work that I'm willing to do because I care about 380 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: my job. I enjoy my work. I love my students, 381 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 1: but um, you know, and I want them to be safe, 382 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: but like, you know, it is a ton of work. 383 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: I'm not just sitting here eating bond bonds all day 384 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:23,679 Speaker 1: or drinking cocktails. Yeah. And I think there's there's like 385 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: a larger sort of like like Americans have this like 386 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 1: the sexist sort of like hatred of like or in 387 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:35,199 Speaker 1: disrespect to people who do both care work and a 388 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: lot of creative work both. And then simultaneously there's this 389 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: sort of like you know, the there's there's there's a 390 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 1: resentment to people who get to actually do something that 391 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: helps people. And you know, I think right now we're 392 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: seeing just the most toxic fusion of that, which is 393 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: that like, yeah, I know, like these like you know, 394 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: instead of like you know, recognizing the enormous amount of 395 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: work that that's going into all like this going into 396 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 1: into teaching, like the amount of sort of like the 397 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: care and love that's going into the creativity. It's going 398 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 1: into it. And just like the people people's willing to, 399 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: like you're willing listen to make like enormous sacrifices to 400 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: try to keep these kids safe, they're just like no, 401 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:18,200 Speaker 1: Like the teachers are lazy, they don't want to work, 402 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: they're going on strike, like and it's you know, and 403 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: and it's like they're doing this and it's like yeah, 404 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: like you you were like they're killing their own kids. 405 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 1: It's just like it's it's this weird fusion of like 406 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 1: we we I've had. The spaces is like a combination 407 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 1: of like feminized care labor, emotional labor, and UM that's 408 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: sort of like like intelligence, yeah, like professional white collar 409 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: intellectual kind of thing. And then also we're teaching a 410 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:59,120 Speaker 1: UM more introductory level of our subjects, so we're seeing 411 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: as like discount intellectuals who are also women who do 412 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 1: care work. So it's it's very frustrating, and I don't 413 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: think a lot of people understand the amount of UM 414 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: skill and expertise it takes to be a teacher and 415 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:14,920 Speaker 1: be effective at it. Like, it's not just I need 416 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: to know social studies to the level that a twelfth 417 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,480 Speaker 1: grader would know it. It's I need to know social 418 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: studies beyond that level and know how to communicate it 419 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: to a high school student. And also I need to 420 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: know a lot of stuff about like child development. It's 421 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: it's really it's something and um, I you know, I 422 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: find that to be fun and challenging, but I wish 423 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 1: it was respected and you know, and then you're talking 424 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,880 Speaker 1: about like people are sacrificing their own kids. I want 425 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: to point out a lot like I think there's a 426 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,719 Speaker 1: racial component to this. Um, the people who are in 427 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:54,199 Speaker 1: wealthier schools and who are mostly white know that their 428 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,200 Speaker 1: kids are gonna be fine, Like they are in schools 429 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: that actually do have the resources to distance, that have 430 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: air filters, that have good ventilation. Um, they're vaccinated, their 431 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,439 Speaker 1: kids are probably going to be fine. The kids that 432 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 1: aren't going to be fine are low income students of color. 433 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 1: And it has always been this way. It's always been 434 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: this way with schools. Like when schools were desegregated, we 435 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: started with private school vouchers and we started with all 436 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:28,159 Speaker 1: of these like uh, state testing requirements and withholding funding 437 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: from schools that don't meet those you know, test standards 438 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:35,400 Speaker 1: and all of these like um, this extra oversight owned 439 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 1: teachers like that stuff all comes back to white people 440 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: don't want to have to worry about black people's kids. 441 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: That's it. And you know they will move their kids 442 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,679 Speaker 1: out to the north side or the suburbs or whatever. 443 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: Notice that all of those suburbs schools have flipped. Noticed 444 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: that Lory Lightfoot's kids are in a charter school that 445 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 1: is not remote well and more than Lightfoot. Light Lightfoot 446 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 1: realm not put herself in a room with the with 447 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: the same number of people like to go to every day. 448 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 1: She won't. And she was telling people at the press 449 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 1: conferences they had to wear their masks, and then she 450 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: wasn't wearing hers, which is very charrange to me. Like 451 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: that's what they like when when you when you get 452 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 1: to the politician level, they know it's dangerous, Like they 453 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: know they they you can tell right, yeah, like they 454 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 1: won't do it, but like no, no, they're they're perfectly 455 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 1: willing to just send to send you off the die, 456 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,920 Speaker 1: to send all these kids off to die. And it's just, Yeah, 457 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 1: sometimes I feel I get kind of dumer and I 458 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 1: wonder if, like, if that's not the plan, Like is 459 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: it that? I mean, I don't really believe that. I 460 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:45,160 Speaker 1: think what it really is is this just like malicious neglect. 461 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: Like if you're somebody who's a policymaker and someone comes 462 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:51,920 Speaker 1: to you and it's like, I need you to care 463 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: about this population here that doesn't have a lot of 464 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:59,959 Speaker 1: money and needs a lot of things, and you, the policymaker, 465 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 1: are going to be like, oh, that sounds like so 466 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:04,919 Speaker 1: much work. And then somebody else is going to come 467 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: to you and be like, I need these things over here, 468 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: and I do have a lot of money, and I 469 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 1: do have a lot of influence, and I'm gonna make 470 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:12,359 Speaker 1: your life difficult if you don't do what I want. 471 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: They're gonna do with that other side once. And what 472 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: the other side once right now is for kids to 473 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 1: get back into school so they can have free daycares, 474 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 1: parents can go to work, and that's and that's it. 475 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:24,880 Speaker 1: And teachers are standing here being like, I didn't get 476 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 1: a master's degree, and do you know countless hours of 477 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 1: professional development to be a babysitter? You know, and no, 478 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:34,679 Speaker 1: not to knock babysitters. I was in nanny for a 479 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: long time. That is hard work. But um, I didn't 480 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: get a master's degree to be a babysitter. I got 481 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: a master's degree to be a teacher. And I'm in 482 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: an environment right now where I can't really teach effectively 483 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 1: and all I'm doing is babysitting. They want to wear 484 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: house kids. That is what we're doing with the schools. 485 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: That's why they want them open. And it's you know, 486 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: it's it's hard not to feel like they just are 487 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:01,159 Speaker 1: doing it because they hate us, even though I know 488 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,680 Speaker 1: it's not. It's just mean, it does feel that way. 489 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,359 Speaker 1: I will like, I will say that, like you're so 490 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,439 Speaker 1: if you become elected as the mayor of Chicago, like 491 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 1: your job is to break the teachers union, Like that's 492 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 1: that's like, that's that's that's that's like the role you're 493 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: auditioning for. And they have been they have been trying 494 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 1: to do this for literally my entire lifetime. They've been 495 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 1: trying to do this, like since before I was born. 496 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: Like that's and honestly, like, wouldn't surprise me if this 497 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 1: was another part of this was just them once again 498 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,840 Speaker 1: trying to break the teachers union. Oh absolutely, like and 499 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:34,119 Speaker 1: if and not even just that, like yeah, you know, 500 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: like not just on the sort of political level, like 501 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: on the incredible cynical level of we'll just kill them. Well, 502 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 1: it's it's a labor thing. Like, it's not just a 503 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: Chicago teachers union or even a teacher's union thing. It 504 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:50,160 Speaker 1: is a labor movement across the board thing that. Um, 505 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 1: the largest, I think the largest unionized workforce in the 506 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 1: country is teachers, and we on top of that are 507 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: a union of workers who have the power to absolutely 508 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 1: bring our economy to a grinding hole if we want to. 509 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: We could all go on straight right now, and nobody's 510 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 1: going to do ship until we go back to work. 511 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,360 Speaker 1: Um they could if they, you know, they could try 512 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:14,439 Speaker 1: to replace us with like people who are basically like 513 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,840 Speaker 1: hall monitors and give kids like canned curriculums. But they 514 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: wouldn't really be learning very well, and parents wouldn't be 515 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:22,920 Speaker 1: happy with it, and they wouldn't be entering the workforce 516 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 1: with the skills they need to make money for the economy, 517 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 1: to you know, make money for the almighty Tao. So um. 518 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:34,240 Speaker 1: The it has been a project for decades in this 519 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: country to try to break teachers unions because teacher unions 520 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: occupy this space where they allow other unions to happen. Um, 521 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: we have, you know, enough influence on politicians that they 522 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 1: can't just disband the labor board and make unions illegal, 523 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: which they would absolutely fucking love to do. And if 524 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 1: they could just get rid of these damn teachers unions, 525 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: maybe they could do it. Um. So, you know, and 526 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: that's what you see with the edge cation reform movement, 527 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: where you have all these people advocating for bouchers and 528 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: charter schools and it's you know, they want to break labor. 529 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 1: And I see a lot of I mean, now I'm 530 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 1: gonna I'm gonna scold some of my comrades, but I 531 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 1: see a lot of leftists who are really skeptical of 532 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 1: teachers and don't want to support the teachers union. And 533 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: I get it, like, there are a lot of teachers 534 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:29,040 Speaker 1: who really suck, and there's a lot of teachers who 535 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: are not radical, like most teachers are not radical, a 536 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 1: lot of them are pretty conservative. But at the same time, 537 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: if you were to abolish schools immediately right now and 538 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: break up the teachers unions, and all that you're gonna 539 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:49,120 Speaker 1: get end up with. Rich people go to school, poor 540 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,800 Speaker 1: people don't. If your poor, your kid goes to work, 541 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 1: probably won't be in a coal mine, but you know 542 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 1: they'll probably be like soldering my computer chips or coded 543 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 1: or something for like pennies an hour. And I don't 544 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 1: want that world. And if you actually care about labor, 545 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 1: then you need to support teachers unions because um, the 546 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: public schools are central to all these communities that we 547 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 1: want to be reaching, and the unions are the only 548 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 1: thing making sure that they stay public. Yeah. Yeah, that's 549 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 1: like I almost like again like to to to to 550 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 1: anarchist comrades were anti school. It's like yeah, like okay, 551 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 1: I hate school. I'm for a d D. Schooling is great, 552 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: but we need to do other things first. Yeah you 553 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: have to And like again like that you need to 554 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 1: like like support the workers, not the institution. Like it's 555 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: like it's like saying I'm a vegan, so I'm going 556 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 1: to go after McDonald's in place, like just like like 557 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 1: so like I I my high school was like all 558 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 1: the th much like incredibly conservative, but everyone was still 559 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: in the union. That was like the one that was 560 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: the one thing that was like, well, okay, there there 561 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:03,240 Speaker 1: there were two counter failing forces. One was that I 562 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 1: the Christians didn't seem to understand what liberation theology was, 563 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 1: so occasionally they'd accidentally hire leftist because they were like, oh, 564 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: you're a Christian, You're fine, you're from America. We're not 565 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: going to question you further. The second thing was that 566 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: even everyone, everyone was in the Union, and that was like, 567 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: that was that was literally the only those are the 568 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 1: only two left wing. Like I've gotten into so many 569 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:28,080 Speaker 1: teaching spaces by talking about how I like critical pedagogy 570 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 1: and I didn't understand Fry was a conference, yeah, or 571 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 1: being like, oh, I'm really really really into Chicago history. 572 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 1: I especially love the history of like labor in Chicago 573 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 1: because it's it's huge people here about it and they 574 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: don't get that like I'm an anarchist, you know, And 575 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,520 Speaker 1: and a lot of the like um sort of like 576 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: education reform language. I think it's very funny. It is 577 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:05,080 Speaker 1: just lifted from radical like sociologists and anthropologists and educators 578 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 1: who are trying to find ways to um dismantle like 579 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: authoritarian structures in schools, and so they'll come up with 580 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: these like Um, you know, like restorative practices and all 581 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 1: this stuff, and then they kind of get they make 582 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:21,680 Speaker 1: their way up to the Ivory Tower and then get 583 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: repackaged in this It's it's like, I don't know, it's 584 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 1: like a machine or something that like sucks up radical ideas, 585 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:32,280 Speaker 1: brings them up to the academy, repackages them to make 586 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:35,240 Speaker 1: them nice for politicians, and then spits them back out 587 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: And it is exhausting and I hate it. It makes 588 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 1: me so mad. I'll never forgive people for what they 589 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:47,320 Speaker 1: did to the term restorative justice. Yeah, do you have 590 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,000 Speaker 1: anything else that you want to make sure that people 591 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:54,640 Speaker 1: like understand about what's happening in the schools right now? Um, 592 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 1: I guess just the biggest thing is I want people 593 00:32:56,800 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: to understand that like it. This is a question of 594 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:04,880 Speaker 1: when and under what conditions are we going to be 595 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 1: forced into a remote learning situation. This isn't like we 596 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 1: want remote learning because we like it because it's fun. 597 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:14,440 Speaker 1: It's because it's going to happen if you like it 598 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 1: or not. The schools are going to close if you 599 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:19,479 Speaker 1: like it or not, because the unless you're okay with 600 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 1: just like people are going to get sick and die 601 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: and or going to work sick, which I think most 602 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: of us agree that's insane. Um it is there are 603 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:29,960 Speaker 1: you We're going to be in a situation where we 604 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:34,840 Speaker 1: don't have enough staff to keep buildings open. So either 605 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 1: we can try and mitigate that now and keep that 606 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,240 Speaker 1: from happening, or we can just start our hands up 607 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: and say, fine, let's let the schools collapse. I don't 608 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 1: want the schools to collapse, So, um, if we could 609 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,520 Speaker 1: just go remote for two weeks and get some good 610 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 1: testing in and have a vaccine requirement, And personally, I 611 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: would like to advocate for remote as an option for 612 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:00,680 Speaker 1: parents who want it. I don't think that's on the 613 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: table right now, but um, I think more parents out 614 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 1: there should be demanding it. And I also would like 615 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:09,960 Speaker 1: to say to parents, you have a lot of power 616 00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:14,239 Speaker 1: that you don't understand. Um. The school districts listen to 617 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: the parents so much more than the teachers. One parents 618 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,360 Speaker 1: voice is worth like ten teacher voices. So if you 619 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 1: see something going on in your schools that you're not 620 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: comfortable with, if you have questions, contact your principles, contact 621 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 1: the district, talk to people, talk to the other parents 622 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:34,839 Speaker 1: that you know, organize yourselves. Um, if we had you know, 623 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: strong parent organizations on our side, we would be absolutely 624 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:42,839 Speaker 1: unstoppable and we could have the school system that we 625 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:46,520 Speaker 1: want and that our kids deserve. Yeah, and I think 626 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:49,439 Speaker 1: I like the right figured this out a long time 627 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:52,919 Speaker 1: ago that you absolutely, Yeah, look at what they're doing 628 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 1: to the school board meetings with CRT. We could have 629 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: that for people who are actually good people who care, 630 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: like there's no there's no reason that all the other 631 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:04,759 Speaker 1: parents couldn't be going and saying I want my kids 632 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 1: to learn about race, and I want them to be 633 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 1: wearing masks, and I want everybody to be vaccinated. Yeah. 634 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 1: So I think I think I think that's a good 635 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,920 Speaker 1: note to end on. We you know, we can make 636 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:18,000 Speaker 1: this better. We just have to, you know, work together. Yeah. 637 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:21,279 Speaker 1: Do you have anything that you want to plug, Like, 638 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:24,960 Speaker 1: do you have a way to support the teachers who Um, 639 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 1: I think I'll send you a flyer that we have. 640 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:31,600 Speaker 1: It has some information for contacting Alderman, getting COVID tests 641 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:34,960 Speaker 1: and our petition to sign um. If you could post that, 642 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:39,320 Speaker 1: I would really appreciate it. I definitely can definitely do that. Awesome, 643 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 1: Thank you, Thanks coming on. Yeah, good talking to you. 644 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: It could Happen Here as a production of cool zone 645 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: Media or more podcasts from cool Zone Media. Visit our 646 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:54,919 Speaker 1: website cool zone media dot com or check us out 647 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 1: on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 648 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 1: you listen to podcasts. You can find sources for it 649 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 1: could Happen Here, updated monthly at cool zone Media dot 650 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,320 Speaker 1: com slash sources. Thanks for listening.