The No-Complaints Challenge

2020 has been a hard year for all of us. My husband Jon finally has students in his classroom – half the class at a time, wearing masks and socially distanced. The third graders at his school had to go back to distance learning last week because two children tested positive for COVID, so Jon realizes that his students could be required to re-quarantine at any time. The students with asthma and other health challenges are still at home, so he and his colleagues are trying to accommodate student learning in a variety of set-ups. It's uncertain and stressful for everyone, but he has found that his colleagues are super hard-working, committed educators, and that most of the parents of his students are flexible and good-humored. My father-in-law recently passed away, and some family dynamics have emerged that are less than optimal. Some hard feelings have ensued. Lines of communication are still open, and we are doing what we can to create more understanding, but it was sad to dis