疫情下的老师日记：从教育看纽约社会问题


 
 已经9012年了，
但在“宇宙中心”
全世界最贵城市之一的纽约市
依旧有数十万家庭的孩子
“依靠学校才能吃上一天之中唯一的一顿饭” 



这新闻听着像天方夜谭一样。但是只要在纽约当过老师，就知道这说的一点不假。

随着疫情的一步步扩大，如今的纽约，所有平时“得过且过”的社会问题，都变得更加尖锐

纽约市面积约1000平方公里，约是上海市的1/6不到，可人口密度却超过上海3倍有余。截止至美东时间3月13日下午4：30，纽约市内确诊病例154例，远远高于上海的20例。然而纽约市官方依旧表示，除非校内有确诊病例，否则公立大中小学幼儿园一律不停课。


直至今日纽约州州长，纽约市市长
依旧坚持学校不停课

纽约州，纽约市确诊人字攀升极快
短短两周“荣登”全国榜首

（以上截图来自topic.newsbreak.com/covid-19.html?s=i0&from=groupmessage&isappinstalled=0）



与公立学校的态度截然相反的是纽约的各个私立学校的反应：顶级私立学府哥伦比亚大学早在上周末就宣布停课，改为线上授课。纽约大学，福特汉姆等私立学府也紧随其后。

公立学的校老师们看着这样的新闻，只得一边感叹“果然穷人的命贱”，一边依旧要担惊受怕地去上班。

一天至少5节课，每节课接触30名不同的孩子，课后活动和会议另计。

不仅如此，当不少来自中国的老师提出，虽然他人有不佩戴口罩的自由，但依旧希望能在自己教室内佩戴口罩，结果却被校长反复“约谈”，甚至提出警告。老师们不理解，为什么在美国，穿吊带短裙来上课可以，但佩戴口罩却不行。 

大部分非华人老师对疫情毫不紧张
不仅不紧张，还忙着秀智商

 但公立学校是真的不担心疫情吗？恐怕也不是。虽然学校门依然开着，但纽约教育局已经接连取消了数场内部会议，避免人员过度接触。本应这个时候举行的家长会也改为通过电话沟通。

至于迟迟不关学校，要他们说来，也有不少“苦衷”。首先就是前文提到的学生用餐问题。对于迷恋“政治正确”的纽约人来说，因为疫情停止供餐，显然不是一份足够漂亮的答卷。

除此之外，另一层不能拿到明面说的问题就是潜在犯罪率问题。
.
学生停课碍犯罪率哪门子关系呢？这个逻辑要慢慢捋。

纽约公立学校普遍服务于中低收入水平的家庭，而富裕家庭普遍选择私立学校。私立学校能做到干净利索脆的停课，是因为在家上网课对这部分人来说轻而易举。学生父母工作性质多数可以做到居家办公，照顾孩子。即便做不到，也有经济能力请保姆或家教代劳。

而对公立学校的学生而言，却不那么容易。对于那些连果腹都要依靠学校的家庭，网络与电脑并并非触手可及。除此之外，这些学生的父母也往往很难有带薪休假，或居家办公的自由。那么如果孩子不去学校，谁来照顾他们的学习和生活呢？

一个“为了生存而不能停工停学，但不停工停学就更容易染病去世“的恶性循环，就这样产生了。
.
如今依旧活跃的纽约帮派地图
（图片来自 gangs-of-new-york-city-interactive-map/）

而贫富差距带来的鸿沟不仅如此。纽约的优质社区往往昂贵而安全，而居住地越廉价，安全水平也就越低。加之纽约的帮派传统异常悠久，至今依然屡禁不止。那么居住在低价社区，停课在家无事可做的学生们，四处闲逛时可能会接触到什么样的人，不言而明。

看似不起眼的公立学校老师们，除了教书育人的天职外，其实还是纽约治安的隐形守护者之一。



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疫情当前，世界都在说，中国的经验不可复制。我们当然理解，让一个城市，一个国家“停摆”，所造成的巨大经济损失会切实关系到每一个家庭。但如果坚持不“停摆”，越来越多的家庭会受到病毒的荼毒。究竟是得了病病死，还是口袋空空饿死，如论对谁而言都是个艰难的抉择。

但是不是或许，如果纽约人能早些计划城市贫困人口的温饱问题，早些重视行政效率低下的问题，早些考虑流浪人员问题，早些关注医疗保险费用过高的问题，早些培养学生和老师的的基本科学常识与素养……是不是在这样的灾难来临的时候，纽约就不会像现在这样的手忙脚乱，畏首畏尾？




美国近一两天的新闻里，超市抢空和股市暴跌占了大片内容
（图片来自谷歌新闻）


孟子云“生于忧患，死于安乐”。老百姓也常说“无事常思有事”的道理。

对于纽约人来说，或许这场疫情在提醒他们，生活不只有眼前自己的工作和薪水，如果毫不关心自己生活的社会和社区，辛苦赚了再多的钱也可能一夜赔干净。

而对国人而言，也有警示。纽约曾经是个辉煌无无比的城市，但也有今天的窘境。随着我们的生活一步步走向美好，是否也应该“无事常思有事”，开始思考如何解决以后可能遇到的，类似于纽约经历过的，美国经历过的种种问题？同样的“考卷”让我们再做一次，我们能否答得更好？

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希望疫情阴霾尽快过去
❤


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