Critical Issues In Education by Diana Sayers

      After attending the Plainedge Board of Education meeting a few weeks ago, I got the sense that being immersed as a teacher and a member of the community goes far beyond what goes on in a classroom from day to day. Decisions are made and discussed monthly in order to make the district a better place for all. The board of this specific meeting was looking for a way to re-introduce late busses. This would provide ease for working families who have to shuffle their schedules in order to pick their children up from sports and activities. For many years Plainedge did not offer late busses and it made it difficult for parents to decide between their work schedule and their kids activity schedule. For me personally, both of my parents worked late into the evening and many times I was not able to participate in activities simply because I did not have a ride home! I believe that these busses will improve children's attendance in activities and promote their overall well being. The mem

     Social media has taken over the world and the way that we interact with each other. Although it can be seen as a positive way to communicate with friends, it also has many negative effects on children and teens development. Increased cases of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders have been reported since the mid 2000s ( Kamenetz, 2019) At first, many doctors and psychologists did not understand this unfortunate trend. But, as more research came about they realized that  people who report spending the most time on smartphones are twice as likely to report being depressed as those who use their phones more infrequently. This could be due to constant exposure in an environment that invites comparison. Teen girls tend to compare themselves more to friends, celebrities, and influencers in hopes to stay on trend, find themselves, or to just simply fit in. Tees depend on their phones for social validation and oftentimes compare themselves to pictures of people they may look up to tha