What I Will Say to My Son at the Beginning of this Strange New School Year
Author Shai Gluskin with son Gabriel
I’ve been thinking of what to say to my son at the beginning of this strange new school year. Of course he and I have been talking a lot already, most of it in mutually outraged tones about the injustice of the situation.
But I feel there is another conversation needed in advance of my son walking into Central High School tomorrow.
I want to tell him about the horribly contradictory feelings I’m having. On the one hand, I desire disaster and chaos. Wouldn’t that prove to all the leaders who have let us down that you can’t starve schools and expect there to be anything like school! On the other hand, I want my son’s life to go forward in the most normal way it can; I don’t want him to get hurt or suffer because of the folly of state and local politicians.
There is no answer to that sense of internal conflict I have. And my son certainly doesn’t need to do anything to fix my turmoil. But I want him to know what I’m feeling.
And I want to learn from my son how he is feeling in advance of school. What are his fears? What are his hopes?
I want to warn him that the low staffing will put a lot of pressure on the adults, which means it is more likely that, out of their overwhelm, teachers/non-teaching assistants and administrators are more likely to make mistakes, like getting on his case for no legitimate reason. I’ll encourage him to give his teachers and all the adults as