The 2020 election has important implications for the state of education
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr. @jidebam
Dr. Jahneille Cunningham @mamajah0217
The outcome of the 2020 election has important implications for the state of education in this country. The current person in office is an existential threat to all Americans and he must be removed from office. If we had competent leadership at the beginning of the pandemic, many tens of thousands of Americans would still be alive.
This pandemic has exacerbated the health inequities in our nation, as COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted low-income communities and communities of color. Unfortunately, the current president’s xenophobic, misogynistic, and anti-black behaviors have demonstrated a flagrant disregard for these children and their families—the families who are hardest hit by this pandemic. Should he remain president after this election, things will only continue to get worse.
As a result of the president’s indifference to human life, children in these communities are dealing with greater disruptions in their lives as their parents and primary caregivers face sudden unemployment, rising medical bills, and even grief and familial loss. These traumatic events will undoubtedly impede their ability to learn, but more importantly, shape their upbringing for years to come.
Under the current president, the chances of schools reopening on time grow thinner and thinner by the day. Schools serve several important functions in communities. In addition to being places of learning, schools provide food, socialization, and stability for children. Schools also allow parents to work and support their families. If the current president is re-elected, families who are food and home insecure and who have limited technological resources will struggle the most to support their children with prolonged distance learning.
Institutions of higher education similarly support the well-being of college students. Many students from vulnerable populations rely on-campus resources such as food pantries and meal plans, housing, and financial-aid stipends to support themselves. For low-income and first-generation college students in particular, colleges also provide an opportunity for social mobility. College students were already overburdened as they juggled family, work, and school responsibilities. The global pandemic has only heightened their stress levels, which research suggests can lead to greater depression and anxiety.
While we know that K-12 and college educators alike are working their hardest to adapt to remote learning, it is not possible to replicate the in-person classroom environment and we cannot ignore the sense of social loss that comes with this abrupt transition. As a result, we must contain the Coronavirus so that we can return to in-person instruction. To do this, every American who is eligible to vote MUST cast a vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. While they are by no means perfect candidates, they are our LAST chance at slowing this pandemic and giving students the well-rounded and fulfilling education they deserve.
Bio
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Long Beach and the Director of the Stress, Resilience, and Health Laboratory. His research focuses on the associations between stress, resilience, mental health, and physical health in understudied populations, with an emphasis on Black and adolescent fathers. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals like Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Social Science and Medicine, and Health Psychology. He has presented his work at national conferences such as the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (APA Div. 45), the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine. In 2017, he was inducted into the Edward Bouchet Graduate Honor Society and in 2018, he was selected to attend the American Psychological Association’s Minority Fellowship Program Psychology Summer Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Health Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2017 and his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Miami in 2012. He was previously a member of the faculty in the department of psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. He is married to Dr. Jahneille Cunningham and has two sons, Olajide III and Olakunle.
Social Media
Twitter: @jidebam
Instagram: @kunleandjidesdad
Dr. Jahneille Cunningham is a Postdoctoral Scholar at UCLA Center X. She received her PhD in Education from UCLA in June 2020, where she was awarded the Eugene Cota Robles Fellowship and the University of California’s Dissertation Year Fellowship. Her research focuses on Black families, informal learning, and racialization in mathematics education. She has authored publications in peer-reviewed journals such as Power and Education and Investigations in Mathematics Learning. She is married to Dr. Olajide Bamishigbin Jr., and together they have two sons, Olajide III and Olakunle.
Social Media
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahneillecunningham/
Instagram: @mamajah0217
This pandemic has exacerbated the health inequities in our nation, as COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted low-income communities and communities of color. Unfortunately, the current president’s xenophobic, misogynistic, and anti-black behaviors have demonstrated a flagrant disregard for these children and their families—the families who are hardest hit by this pandemic. Should he remain president after this election, things will only continue to get worse.
As a result of the president’s indifference to human life, children in these communities are dealing with greater disruptions in their lives as their parents and primary caregivers face sudden unemployment, rising medical bills, and even grief and familial loss. These traumatic events will undoubtedly impede their ability to learn, but more importantly, shape their upbringing for years to come.
Under the current president, the chances of schools reopening on time grow thinner and thinner by the day. Schools serve several important functions in communities. In addition to being places of learning, schools provide food, socialization, and stability for children. Schools also allow parents to work and support their families. If the current president is re-elected, families who are food and home insecure and who have limited technological resources will struggle the most to support their children with prolonged distance learning.
Institutions of higher education similarly support the well-being of college students. Many students from vulnerable populations rely on-campus resources such as food pantries and meal plans, housing, and financial-aid stipends to support themselves. For low-income and first-generation college students in particular, colleges also provide an opportunity for social mobility. College students were already overburdened as they juggled family, work, and school responsibilities. The global pandemic has only heightened their stress levels, which research suggests can lead to greater depression and anxiety.
While we know that K-12 and college educators alike are working their hardest to adapt to remote learning, it is not possible to replicate the in-person classroom environment and we cannot ignore the sense of social loss that comes with this abrupt transition. As a result, we must contain the Coronavirus so that we can return to in-person instruction. To do this, every American who is eligible to vote MUST cast a vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. While they are by no means perfect candidates, they are our LAST chance at slowing this pandemic and giving students the well-rounded and fulfilling education they deserve.
Bio
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Long Beach and the Director of the Stress, Resilience, and Health Laboratory. His research focuses on the associations between stress, resilience, mental health, and physical health in understudied populations, with an emphasis on Black and adolescent fathers. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals like Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Social Science and Medicine, and Health Psychology. He has presented his work at national conferences such as the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (APA Div. 45), the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine. In 2017, he was inducted into the Edward Bouchet Graduate Honor Society and in 2018, he was selected to attend the American Psychological Association’s Minority Fellowship Program Psychology Summer Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Health Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2017 and his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Miami in 2012. He was previously a member of the faculty in the department of psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. He is married to Dr. Jahneille Cunningham and has two sons, Olajide III and Olakunle.
Social Media
Twitter: @jidebam
Instagram: @kunleandjidesdad
Dr. Jahneille Cunningham is a Postdoctoral Scholar at UCLA Center X. She received her PhD in Education from UCLA in June 2020, where she was awarded the Eugene Cota Robles Fellowship and the University of California’s Dissertation Year Fellowship. Her research focuses on Black families, informal learning, and racialization in mathematics education. She has authored publications in peer-reviewed journals such as Power and Education and Investigations in Mathematics Learning. She is married to Dr. Olajide Bamishigbin Jr., and together they have two sons, Olajide III and Olakunle.
Social Media
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahneillecunningham/
Instagram: @mamajah0217