“My kid is getting dumber by the day.” I bumped into a buddy of mine during the pandemic and asked how his family was holding up. He shared that one of his children was really struggling with distance learning and was regressing in his education. This was a common theme with parentsat that time. My wife and I saw it in our house, too. Our three daughters would lie in bed in their pajamas, laptop cameras off, while teachers tried to engage them. It was a daily battle to get our girls to sit at their desks and at least attempt to go through the motions of learning.
Ultimately, my friend and his wife made the difficult decision to do what they felt was best for their child—leave public schools and pursue a private education. They weren’t alone. Our story “Public Exodus” by Tamara Lytle examines the increasing number of families who switched to private schools due to Covid. Lytle interviewed parents, public and private school officials, and local experts to paint a portrait of this trend.
For many families, private school isn’t an option. One group that faces a different set of educational hurdles is the so-called “dreamers”—undocumented immigrants who were brought to America as children. In “Dreamers Among Us,” Matt Mendelsohn looks briefly at our nation’s failed attempts at immigration reform and what that murky landscape has meant for students in our community who are not here legally, but are seeking safety, an education and a better life.
Shifting topics, the My Life essay in this issue, “Open Mic” by Sharon North, really resonated with me. North does a great job of articulating the fear, courage required and, ultimately, the joy
(assuming things go well) of performing music in front of an audience. I’ve played guitar since I was 13, but for many years was reluctant to sing in front of people. About 10 years ago, my friend Rick and I started jamming and, after a bunch of drinks, I decided to sing along.
What I came to realize is that I’m not terrible at singing, and you don’t have to have a pitchperfect voice to perform. You just need a lot of practice and even more confidence. (Legends like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Tom Petty don’t have beautiful singing voices, but they created amazing music.) Rick and I have been playing at local bars like Clare & Don’s Beach Shack and Ballston Local for the past several years. It’s fun and rewarding to see people respond to our songs. North writes: “I’m grateful my performance touched someone. It made a connection. That’s what music is all about.” I couldn’t agree more.
I hope you find our September/October Education issue to be informative, enjoyable and useful. And we love hearing from you. You can reach me at greg.hamilton@arlingtonmagazine.com. Please send letters to the editor to jenny.sullivan@arlingtonmagazine.com. Thanks for reading Arlington Magazine!
Have a great fall.
Greg Hamilton, Publisher