Shadow schools? Class is in session — at the YMCA and roller rink

Source: Politico | August 7, 2020 | Katy Murphy

SACRAMENTO — A roller rink. The YMCA. Houses of worship. All are creating makeshift classrooms this fall as school campuses remain closed around the country because of the pandemic.

For working parents, it brings much-needed relief to the exhausting months since coronavirus began. But it also raises public health questions: If it’s not safe to open schools this fall, why would learning hubs be any different?

The prolonged crisis has forced American communities into a late-summer frenzy to replace what schools provided on the ground, especially for children who don’t have a safe or quiet place to learn at home. While affluent parents are forming multi-family “pods” with nannies and educators helping their children at home, cities, nonprofits and businesses are racing to fill the void with programs that can look like parallel schools — without teachers.

From California to North Carolina, YMCAs and Boys and Girls Clubs are creating all-day learning centers that make sure students stay on task during virtual classes with their actual schools while their parents are at work. In some cases, local governments are stepping in with subsidies and child care — New York City plans to provide 50,000 free daily slots for schoolkids whose campuses have staggered schedules.

The YMCA of Greater Houston even describes a scene that sounds a lot like school, with “peer interaction,” “engaging enrichment activities,” “onsite academic support” and even “a certified teacher” on site — all running from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Some school and city leaders are raising concerns that bringing students together will allow the disease to spread, defeating the purpose of campus closures.

But proponents of the in-person “hub” model argue that leaving children to fend for themselves at home carries its own physical, psychological and educational risks. Some backers say they provide an equitable answer for families who cannot afford child care or tutors.

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