I feel like there's been a lot of discussion of how rough this fall has been on younger kids, but man, talking to my research participants...it's reeeeeally clear that things aren't going well for high school kids either. :(

one thing that's surprised me is how many of them (across academic tracks) are complaining about being given *more* work than usual.

I'm wondering...is that something parents are asking for? do parents worry if kids aren't "busy" for 7 hours a day they're not learning enough?

also it’s November and schools are still allowing/enforcing camera-on rules, like people haven’t been saying for MONTHS how inequitable, invasive, and unnecessarily punitive those policies can be for marginalized kids?!

a story one of my participants told me made me see red:

so this kid has some rough stuff going on at home, which few people know about, & which makes having their camera on feel really invasive for them. so when attendance is taken, they type in the chat that they’re here. but teachers are marking them absent bc their camera’s off.

so now kiddo just hasn’t logged in in like a week. just totally over it & disengaged, and I completely understand why they feel that way. but damn it, it did NOT have to be this way, and I’m so frustrated this kid’s dealing with this kind of stress at school on top of home stuff.