What could Universal Early Childcare look like?
dchung.substack.comIf it looks anything like government and union-run public schools, not good.
For example, Chicago public school teachers get paid more than any other school system in the US (from $60k for a new teacher to $114k for the most experienced) and the schools have some of, if not the worst educational outcomes: in 2019, 1 in 4 7th graders could not read at grade level
CPS teachers are not in fact paid more than every other school system; NYC and LA pay more on average, and if you adjust for cost of living, Cleveland is a better deal. Meanwhile: the big sticking points with the CPS unions --- of which I am not a fan --- are class size and support staff, which are not pocket-lining issues for the teachers.
The CPS unions have made lots of things negotiating positions in the last few years, from school nurses and social workers to veteran teacher pay scales and disciplinary rights. Classifying their position one way or another is impossible.
If anything the CTU has been doing everything in their power to make sure the real problem, pensions, is never on the bargaining table. They are argument #1 against public employee unions if only because they are so obviously hosing their current members on behalf of their previous and soon to be previous members.
That said your broader point still stands, there is nothing strange about their compensation or outcomes when compared to peer organizations.
Maybe the problems in Chicago's education are outside of the scope of the teachers?
Problems in educating young children often begin with the family at home, who don't care, won't participate in discipline, and raise a hue and cry every time a teacher wants a better life for the child.
I think it’s a bit of A and B.
Children aren’t a blank slate when they get into school. Genetics, parenting, and culture all have an effect.
That said, the fact that teachers that make tenure basically can’t get fired for lack of performance is ridiculous. Imagine if you just had to be a good little coder for a few years, and after that as long as you put any amount of effort in at all you wouldn’t lose your job.
I certainly had teachers growing up that were terrible at their jobs. I also had some that were pretty good. Most were mediocre to the point where I don’t think they’d stay employed in a regular non-union type job. At the very least they wouldn’t be getting performance raises.
the fact that teachers that make tenure basically can’t get fired for lack of performance is ridiculous
Had a friend who worked in one of the worst performing public schools in our city. According to him the main problem was that you simply couldn't keep good teachers no matter what you offered. Half the new teachers they hired didn't make it past the first year. Had they started firing teachers who underperformed on top of that they wouldn't have enough teachers left to keep the doors open.
edit: not disagreeing with the idea that tenure for teachers is a bad idea, just that I don't think that is the primary problem in these worst cases.
Chicago public school are extremely effective given the population they have to teach: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/05/upshot/a-bett...
The core problem is poverty, not the school system.
Agree. Give governments money, get less back now with strings attached.
It could look a lot like a nuclear family. With a healthy economy that doesn't require both parents to work.
For many people, it's a choice to work. We're part of a very close knit church in which there is a wide range of incomes and everyone makes it work. That's because the moms (it's usually the moms who are not working although there are a few dads) make it a point to actually organize the community. That means lots of shared activities; lots of shared child care; shared meals; etc. Unfortunately, when you stop doing the work of community, everything becomes more expensive. That's the ultimate reason why day care et al is so expensive. It's not just that you have to pay others to watch your children; it's that you have to pay one set of people to watch your children, then another set to cook your food, then another set to be part of a community, etc.
As a case in point, my daughters attend a free mom's preschool (a few times a week) instead of us paying thousands of dollars. We haven't bought much clothes or furniture for them because there are endless amounts of hand-me-downs.
Unfortunately, as a whole, American civil institutions (and really worldwide) have declined. It's not just churches or marriage that has seen record reductions in membership. It's actually not even a crisis in religion that we're witnessing although many want to castigate it as that.
Rather, all social groups are in decline, whether that be the small social group of marriage, or the large social group of the extended family, or the even wider social group of a community club. Bowling clubs, fraternal organizations, athletic clubs, etc are all in decline.
So basically one person, usually the woman, gets to not have a personal life.
I know that corporate-sponsored media would have you believe your work acquaintances are your family and your one true source of friends, but it's just not the case, and if you drink that kool-aid, ultimately it's you and your children who lose.
No, it's just that child care doesn't turn off at a set time like most jobs do. Your schedule might be 6am-8pm, with multiple periods in the early morning while you're up.
I say this as a person who has been both a full time programmer and a full time care giver. Being the care giver was far more frazzling and non stop compared to my job. I found it far easier to pursue personal interests when I was working full-time compared to parenting full-time. Pretty much my only time without a kid in my life would be late at night, and even then you need to stay in the house to watch them, and you may be too tired and sleep deprived to actually be able to pursue an interest if it is pursuable in your own home.
As a father who works and husband to a stay at home wife, my work also never stops. After I do my full work day, I come home and... take care of the kids.
My wife is a homemaker (and soon to be mother) -- and trust me, she's got a much bigger personal life than I do. I'm not nearly as good at socializing as she is, and it shows. A job is definitely not required for a personal life.
I agree it isn't required, but providing full-time child care prevents you from doing a lot of things. If you consider "personal life" to be "socializing with other moms", then yes you can have a personal life. But that is not everyone's dream of a personal life.
Try looking up "homeschool field trips"
I'm a former homemaker.
What the woman gets is nothing but a personal life. It's not necessarily a problem if she has married well, they plan well for her financial comfort after he is gone and they remain together "until death do us part."
It's primarily a problem if they divorce and now she needs to somehow launch a career from scratch. Those years spent raising kids don't tend to readily translate to a good resume and high salary.
There are a whole slew of activities that you cannot do if you're providing full-time childcare, especially for, say, under 5 year olds who aren't in school yet.
There are a whole slew of activities you can not do when working a full time job, either.
But in any case, when you have children, you are choosing the family life. Which means some things will no longer be an option. But that is true for every decision we make in life.
There is no way to have everything in life, even through the magic of taxation and government "universal" programs.
Except, you aren't necessarily choosing that if you have adequate, dependable childcare arrangements, like a universal early childcare .
It's only, essentially, poor people who have to give up on their pursuits if they also want to raise a kid.
You can say the same thing about working full-time at any job. But you want to list a few for me so we can actually discuss this instead of you just dismissing my opinion as if 'nuh-uh' is a meaningful rebuttal?
Well, I've done both, and I've found parenting harder. I guess that's just my take.
Were you raising children or just "homemaking", which doesn't necessarily imply childcare?
You really can't think of any activities/interest people pursue that you can't do while toting a 2 year old with you? That's something I didn't think would require enumerating.
Well, that seems extremely reckless, but good job on not crashing and severely injuring your children I guess. Maybe we're thinking of different types of mountain biking.
And this is also a reason why listing specifics is a fools errand(which makes me a fool), because in the multitude there will always be someone who said "actually I did that and everything turned out fine".
I smoked crack while pregnant, and my kid went to Harvard. See, no issues there.
Oh, so, nothing satisfies you. I didn't say I was mountain biking. I was cycling on a mountain bike in city conditions because I only owned a mountain bike and I was happy to get some exercise that way.
But you want to insist I cannot be content with my life or if I am, I clearly must somehow be behaving badly.
You also cannot safely mountain climb while imbibing alcohol and any number of other things. Not everyone feels the need to do "reckless" things in order to feel content.
Well, most people do not consider "mountain biking" to be anything done on a mountain bike. If I sit on a trainer in my living room on my mountain bike, I am not mountain biking.
Mountain biking was an example of a hobby that is very difficult to pursue unless you have child care arrangements, whether it is day care, a baby sitter, or only while a partner has free time on a weekend.
I don't even mountain bike. I'm very confused how you're reading so much into the example, and simultaneously not by saying riding your bike in the city is what I was getting at.
That link wasn't provided to argue that I could "mountain bike." It was provided to answer your question about whether I was actually raising children or not.
I provided that link as the lowest effort, least argumentative means to show that I have already answered that question in this very discussion. And it's sort of annoying that you are turning this into a big deal because you clearly assume I am supposed know that googlryas and oh_sigh are the same person without telling me that because you already stated it once elsewhere:
Posting on another account because I'm rate limited. Sorry dang.
Yes, actually, a 3 year old and a 1 year old.
Are you proposing that we can do these activities if we have government subsidized childcare and don't work? How does that add up exactly?
My sister (a new mom) is loving the community Mom's groups bring to her life. She admitted to me that if it wasn't for the FANGA money, she prefers to be a stay-at-home mom.
Might be true, but it is also an easy thing to say when it is still new
My wife is a mom full time by choice - and because we can afford ot. She goes to play dates, she gives yoga lessons, is part of a bookclub, etc.
Tired of the old "no life for the caregiver" trope. If I had a choice, between slaving away to enrich y rich CEO or take care of my kids my choice would be easy.
This just isn't true, that is unless, you've been tricked into tying up your personal identity with your job?
When my wife and I had our son everything became clear and we realized that success at work was just a means to an end.
Nope, just the opposite. I don't like the concept of making work friends and keep a strict separation between the two. I was talking about the ability for the "primary caretaker" to pursue their own interests, many of which are precluded by the act of fulltime childcare
Unless one is pursuing one's own interests on company time, I don't see how being the parent with a career makes it any easier to pursue personal interests.
Do you have a kid?
Posting on another account because I'm rate limited. Sorry dang.
Yes, actually, a 3 year old and a 1 year old.
I guess I'm confused about what you're after here. Are you suggesting that the primary caregiver should be able to lean more on an increased amount subsidized daycare in order to pursue a personal life by working instead of staying home with the kid full-time? You still have your kids after daycare is over, so it's not like you can get out of that part of caretaking to pursue "personal interests" fully.
What about parenting in such a way that you involve your kids in your personal interests? You can definitely dig into tough book or go mountain biking with your kids with enough patients and proper equipment.
Oh man... my wife and her friends see each other practically every day with the kids. They practically live together half the time. Whereas I see my friends (her friend's husbands usually) like once a week / maybe twice if i'm lucky.
I have no idea where this idea has come from that stay at home moms are stuck at home. Most of the time they are out chatting, eating lunch at each other's houses, or doing something fun together
It’s because people at work typically aren’t out and about during the day seeing moms going out and socializing with other moms. They’re stuck at work. These moms live rich fulfilling lives.
I see "personal life" as much larger than "childcare with friends". Can your wife go mountain biking? Can she attend a lecture that coincides with nap time? Can she delve into a tough book?
Friends and family can help watch the kids- taking a bit of personal time is important too.
Those things are all easier to do as a stay at home parent than if both parents are working, because then you end up dedicating all of your non-work hours to family, chores and errands anyway.
> Can your wife go mountain biking?
This seems a silly question. During the workday, neither spouse can go mountain biking. Outside of the workday both spouses can go mountain biking. This is true whether one or both spouses are wage-earners.
Humorously, cycling with a child safety seat was absolutely something I did on a mountain bike while I was a full-time mom with small kids. I did it until I was like 8 months pregnant with my second child and my belly was too big for me to get on a mountain bike with child seat attached.
On the weekends, yes. My wife and I went skiing almost every weekend. Sometimes we take our daughters. Sometimes other family watched the kids. It's not a fair comparison, because I never go skiing during work. Although, my wife has discussed going skiing / camping with some of the moms during the weekdays when the kids are a bit older. So that's another win for moms I guess.
No, I think it's us folks farting in office chairs with headphones on that don't have a personal life.
Why not? It's worked throughout history. Men and women working together to make the world a better place.
How might one go about making the nuclear family a universal?
Anecdotally it feels that there are growing subsets of people in this country who view the traditional nuclear family as something that must be dismantled as part of the "old system". I imagine it'd be quite difficult to push that notion nowadays.
Arranged marriages.
It could look like deregulation of child care and simplification of small business registration.
It could look like a young child income tax credit
At one point, I was bombarded by this topic. Reddit, NPR, Twitter, every single voice left leaning voice was beating this drum.
Why? We didn’t accomplish universal healthcare, women’s rights are under attack, climate change is unaddressed, nazis are growing in boldness and volume.
We, in the left, have failed in most of our latest crusades (certainly the ones in my life) because the regressive powers are entrenched and organized. Is this really the time to change focus again??
I like that you used the word "crusades". Says a lot about how some people on the left view themselves.
The problem is you think the left isn't full of regressive powers.
You, in the left, have failed because you're guilty of what you claim others are doing and do so while calling anyone you disagree with "nazi's" and "racists". making those "slurs" worth less than the promises you're failing to kill us all with.
If you think nazi and racist is a slur, and not a label, you’re a moron. There’s people waving nazi flags and saying racist things towards Jews, Asians, African Americans, and others, what should we call these people?
If I were to call you a nazi, would that be a label or a slur?
Both are true: Real Nazis exist and the word is grossly overused as a slur