education

duvallforpa

Back to School

Teachers and students have embarked (or soon will) on this strangest of school years. I believe our schools are doing their best to balance the needs of the students, the school staff, and the community.

Still, given that in most communities we’re not even close to having the kind of systems and protocols in place that would lead to success, it’s no wonder that teachers, students, and parents feel some trepidation.

I know that teachers will step up, as they always do. I’ve said before, being a high school teacher was the hardest work I’ve ever done – but also the most rewarding. Currently I work with in-service teachers and know that these folks truly care about educating our young people. Our teachers are amazing, and I wish them all the best this year.

Our students will also be making sacrifices, both big and small. I hope they all stay safe and healthy and are able to experience some sense of normalcy.

But I’ve been troubled by reactions when teachers raise questions about the safety of returning to in-person instruction, particularly in schools where lack of resources makes it tough to follow guidelines for doing so safely. A common refrain is “kick the bums out and we’ll replace them with eager young teachers who want to be there.”

The only problem is, our teachers have been disrespected for so long that there is no glut of professionals waiting to replace them. In fact, there’s a teacher shortage, and if our current educators leave (or become incapacitated due to illness) that will become even worse. The coronavirus pandemic has only added to these issues.

So teachers, students, and fellow parents – I wish us all the best. We’ll need it. And in the meantime, let’s work as a community to make things safer, not just for schools but also for grocery store workers, healthcare providers, convenience store clerks, and everyone who’s working with the public to keep our lives as close to normal as they can. We’re all in this together.

duvallforpa

Midday with Matt – Racism in America

Here’s more of my conversation with Chanel, Anir, and Kenny about being black in the United States.

Thanks for watching this video! The biggest help you can give my campaign is to share this post widely within your social networks. I am dedicated to creating a grassroots movement to represent the constituents of the 102nd district, but to do so, I need your help in getting the message out.

Prefer to donate money instead? Join the hundreds of individuals who already have.

If you’ve saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Express Donate: $2

Express Donate: $5

Express Donate: $10

Express Donate: $25

Express Donate: $50

Or, donate another amount

duvallforpa

Masks Are Not Child Abuse

Representative Russ Diamond recently brought Lebanon County to national attention once again – but not in a good way. In a statement to the media, he said that masks do more harm than good. This statement caught the attention of Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and health economist, who said such a statement was “dangerous nonsense.” Subsequently, Representative Diamond doubled down, tweeting an infographic that “a masked child is an abused child.”

The idea underlying the representative’s anti-science campaign, that we’re faced with an either/or option, is a false one. It’s not either wear a mask or open the economy. It’s not either follow safety guidelines or send kids back to school in the fall. We have to do both. In fact, these things depend on each other in order to happen.

We have many case studies to look at in regards to dealing with the coronavirus, given that it is a global pandemic. Sweden took a do-nothing approach, which originally appeared to lessen the economic consequences. However, data now show that not only did Sweden’s economy eventually suffer as much as its neighbors, but the country also had many more deaths than those countries that did implement shelter-at-home and other precautions.

Here in the US, we’re watching as states that reopened early and widely, without achieving the recommended metrics and with little in the way of safeguards in place, are now rolling back their openings and experiencing a surge in both positive cases and hospitalizations. Death, the ultimate negative effect, also may increase in the weeks to come – although some progress on treatments may (and hopefully will) help to alleviate that. Still, there are many instances where people with COVID-19 are faced with weeks/months/possibly a lifetime of negative health results.

And what about schools? As a supporter of public education, I recognize the value in having well-trained, professional teachers educating our children. There are also many social and emotional benefits to our children attending schools in person, especially for our most vulnerable.

At the same time, we cannot sacrifice these same children and teachers on the altar of convenience. We need to take seriously the recommendations of the experts. Our politicians — unless they are scientists with experience in medicine, virology, or epidemiology – should listen to those with expertise. Politicians can lead at a time like this by modeling appropriate behavior, providing clear and coherent messaging, and allocating resources to the areas that will help us resume some sense of normalcy.

I would urge everyone that, if we want our businesses to stay opened and our schools to resume in the fall, we focus on these things.

First, we must all – even children – follow the three W’s:

  1. Wear a mask correctly
  2. Wash your hands
  3. Watch your distance

Secondly, our public officials must work together with healthcare providers and private businesses to:

  • Ramp up testing, especially rapid results testing for our most vulnerable citizens and our public-facing workers
  • Isolate positive cases
  • Create teams of contact tracers, including use of technology, with effective protocols for identifying people who may have been infected by a positive case
  • Quarantine those who have been exposed until they’re verified not to have the coronavirus, including providing quarantine facilities if/when necessary

When it comes to reopening schools, if we rush into it with no concern for our students/teachers/administrators, as well as the communities they’re all a part of, we will only achieve failure. Here in Lebanon County we have the opportunity, with good leadership and strong community participation, to become an example of how to do things right. We should work together, at all levels, to make ourselves an example of what happens when we follow the best scientifically-based guidance available and focus on both public health and reopening. That’s the recognition I’d like to see Lebanon County receive.

Thanks for reading this! The biggest help you can give my campaign is to share this post widely within your social networks. I am dedicated to creating a grassroots movement to represent the constituents of the 102nd district, but to do so, I need your help in getting the message out.

Prefer to donate money instead? Join the hundreds of individuals who already have.

If you’ve saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Express Donate: $2

Express Donate: $5

Express Donate: $10

Express Donate: $25

Express Donate: $50

Or, donate another amount

duvallforpa

Juneteenth

Today is Juneteenth. In honor of the day, here’s one of my favorite poems, written by Langston Hughes.

Theme for English B
BY LANGSTON HUGHES
The instructor said, Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you— Then, it will be true.

I wonder if it’s that simple?
I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.
I went to school there, then Durham, then here
to this college on the hill above Harlem.
I am the only colored student in my class.
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem,
through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,
Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y,
the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator
up to my room, sit down, and write this page:

It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me
at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I’m what
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you.
hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page.
(I hear New York, too.) Me—who?

Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.
I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like
the same things other folks like who are other races.
So will my page be colored that I write?
Being me, it will not be white.
But it will be
a part of you, instructor.
You are white—
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That’s American.
Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that’s true!
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me—
although you’re older—and white—
and somewhat more free.

This is my page for English B.

duvallforpa

Congratulations to the Class of 2020

Lebanon County’s schools have finished up. Congratulations to all the high school seniors who made it through this strangest of school years. I wish you all well in your journeys, wherever they may take you. You are the future of our country. Go out and do great things!

Along with that, I wanted to give a shout out to all the K-12 teachers who worked so hard to give their students the best educational opportunities they could under the circumstances. Thank you, teachers! Your hard work often goes unnoticed, but I appreciate all that you do.

duvallforpa

Midday with Matt

Hi all! We’ve started doing discussions with people around various topics and issues. The goal of these is to understand different perspectives and hopefully raise awareness that will help us all be more empathetic.

The first in this series is a chat with two of my friends about what it’s like to be parents of transgender children. It was great to talk with them and I learned some things myself. I hope you will too.

Midday with Matt
duvallforpa

National Teacher Appreciation Week

This week has been designated as teacher appreciation week, so I wanted to spread some love to the great teachers I know.

First of all, my wife Natalie is a great English language arts teacher, which has never been more evident than in the past few weeks as she’s worked to transition to an online learning environment that is still welcoming and supportive for her students.

My oldest son has great teachers at Cleona Elementary School. Mrs. Fuddy and Mrs. Zechman have both gone above and beyond in supporting his growth as a student and a person. And Mr. Brophy’s gym/health class is one of his favorites too.

Finally, I owe a debt to the many incredible teachers who’ve had to put up with me over the years. Without a doubt, I’ll miss some here–otherwise, this note would be many pages long. But I do want to give a special shout out to Brian Smith, Penny Hammrich, Liz Haslam, Aroutis Foster, Mike Arnzen, Lee Tobin McClain, Tom Lipinsky, Mike Moffett, Jimmie Lee, and Mrs. Wells (in first grade, we didn’t know the teachers’ first names). They all worked with me across formal and informal educational settings, and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them. (So, if you don’t like me, blame them!)