In the absence of my classroom, I realize that I don’t care about any of the stuff that fills it. I only miss the children. The first 30 years of my career were spent as a licensed certified social worker, engaging with children and their families. 

That said, it is natural that I have concern that pre-K students were robbed of the crucial lesson that prepares them for a productive future: how to get along with others. This cannot be done remotely, and I sincerely hope that next fall the Department of Education will have the wisdom to permit kindergarten students to make up for this lost, crucial lesson in social engagement. 

Sitting at a desk silently, learning to read and write, can be postponed until they are properly versed in getting along. They have the following 12 years in school to accomplish that goal. But if they have missed the foundation for success — appropriate social functioning — they will carry this educational deficit with them forever. 

Valerie Staal Borock, PS 386, the Bronx