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Education/Student/Parent ERA - should snow days be canceled in favor of remote learning?
- Thread starter JJH
- Start date
Are snow days not just "inclement weather" days?
I'm a teacher in Texas and all of the districts around here have days set aside to replace days that might be lost due to hurricanes, etc. If they're not needed, they're usually just PD days and the kids get them off regardless.
Personally I think you shouldn't rely on remote learning for days lost to weather because who knows if people are going to lose power or internet access (if they even have it).
We've also seen throughout the pandemic that we shouldn't rely on kids' families to have internet access at home, which is a huge reason why a lot of districts have rushed to reopen in some capacity. Some kids might only have access to the internet at school. The pandemic really woke me up to just how many families don't have access to it (or have whatever the cheapest available speed they could find), and I live in a pretty average, middle class area.
As someone who grew up in Houston, likewise.
We did have hurricane days though.
I'm a teacher in Texas and all of the districts around here have days set aside to replace days that might be lost due to hurricanes, etc. If they're not needed, they're usually just PD days and the kids get them off regardless.
Personally I think you shouldn't rely on remote learning for days lost to weather because who knows if people are going to lose power or internet access (if they even have it).
We've also seen throughout the pandemic that we shouldn't rely on kids' families to have internet access at home, which is a huge reason why a lot of districts have rushed to reopen in some capacity. Some kids might only have access to the internet at school. The pandemic really woke me up to just how many families don't have access to it (or have whatever the cheapest available speed they could find), and I live in a pretty average, middle class area.
As someone who grew up in Houston, likewise.
We did have hurricane days though.
I'm a teacher and have been yanked back and forth over the past few weeks due to my governor extending remote learning with only 2 days of warning. I can only speak from a math teacher's perspective here.
Let me say that planning for remote learning and planning for in-person classes is completely different, and each require a very different method. A snow day does not give a teacher anywhere near enough time to effectively plan a remote learning lesson (most snow days are called the morning of, which would give teachers a mere hour or two to change their entire plan for the day).
Let the snow days stay.
Let me say that planning for remote learning and planning for in-person classes is completely different, and each require a very different method. A snow day does not give a teacher anywhere near enough time to effectively plan a remote learning lesson (most snow days are called the morning of, which would give teachers a mere hour or two to change their entire plan for the day).
Let the snow days stay.
America largely relies on cars to get around and driving in inclement weather can be dangerous.
Here in Houston it almost never snows, but when it does (maybe once every couple years and it's almost never enough to actually stick), the city usually shuts down because roads will ice over. Snow tires aren't sold here, the city doesn't own anything to salt the roads because that would be a waste of money, nobody knows how to drive on ice, and nearly everybody uses a car to commute.
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Judging from how distance learning has gone so far, kids basically won't listen and learn jack shit anyway. It's still basically a lost day of education, just the school gets to pretend it wasn't.
I think the issue here is two fold:
1) what ability do the teachers have to conduct class remotely without notice? This can be handled with training and resources but will cost money.
2) what do you do if the snow day causes students or teachers to lose power/internet? Do you penalize students because their city/county even subdivision/apartment building infrastructure isn't as good as others?
1) what ability do the teachers have to conduct class remotely without notice? This can be handled with training and resources but will cost money.
2) what do you do if the snow day causes students or teachers to lose power/internet? Do you penalize students because their city/county even subdivision/apartment building infrastructure isn't as good as others?
It's usually due to inclement weather, not just snow on the ground. In some areas they don't have the equipment to deal with a lot of snow, so if it snows a bunch, people will be stuck inside their homes until streets are cleared. Not everyone has vehicles that are capable of driving in snow, which makes it even more difficult to get kids to school. And it all depends on the region. In southern states, a couple of inches of snow is enough to get school closed, while northern states take even more snow. I live in Colorado and it has to snow at least 8" with icy roads for school to close. I think the last time we had schools close we got 18" of snow overnight and people couldn't get out of their driveways.
That's the main thing. The lessons aren't going to be good quality. It just isn't enough time for a teacher to drastically modify 3-4 preps.
They can do whatever they want but we will sleep in and go play in the snow. Our internet will be "down" that day cause of the weather
This.
My wife is a HS teacher and it sounds like making them do 2x the work "just in case".
Unless it's s planned snowmageddon where kids will be out of school for many days, let them have their 1-2 days off.
Those days are caught up later anyways.
Nah. I understand why you ask that question, but I can't sanction it. There was nothing better than waking up as a kid and looking outside to see nothing but white and knowing that you had the day for yourself.
If anything this last year should have shown everyone how awful remote learning is for kids.... To think people come out of the pandemic think this all worked great, why even send kids to school is rather dismaying. (My missus is an educator, trying to teach 20 six year olds next door via Zoom as I type this).
if a bad snow storm causes power outages, those kids (or instructors?) can't work. No, do not cancel snow days.
Or that instructor has to take the extra time from the day off to shovel themselves out. You're taking away the time they would normally have.
Or that instructor has to take the extra time from the day off to shovel themselves out. You're taking away the time they would normally have.
Everyone is miserable. My wife who loves being a teacher absolutely hates her job right now. Shes so frustrated that so many kids are falling through the cracks
I'm a teacher. For me, personally, we're using Google Classroom for everything. If we were to have a snow day, I have no planning to do since everything we do is digital to begin with and I prepare for the week on the weekend prior to its start. Preparing ahead of time is the only way to stay sane these days as a teacher.
This, give the kids a fucking break every now and then. Let them enjoy life before it really starts to kick their asses.
I'd put a number on it. Like 5 snow days a year then past that it's remote so they don't fall behind on the curicullum. When the alternative is adding days to the end of the year, remote learning is better. But save a bank of days to let teachers/kids enjoy the occasional weather break.
I'm a teacher in western NC, and we legit don't even have built in snow days anymore. Every day is either a full work day for the teachers for professional development, or a normal school day.
(not counting holiday breaks, obviously)
I'd love some remote learning days
(not counting holiday breaks, obviously)
I'd love some remote learning days
Here in Southern California we have started getting fire days, where you don't go to school because the air quality is terrible and also you might have to evacuate depending on how the fire spreads. Don't remember that being a thing when I was growing up but "c'est la changement climatique".
Remote learning is very possible but the big hurdle is realizing many students dont have the means or resources
therefore anything more than some readings is unreasonable
a good teacher already plans out a week or so in advance and always has emergency plans.Most kids just do nothing or catch up on work
remote learning shouldnt be a thing
therefore anything more than some readings is unreasonable
a good teacher already plans out a week or so in advance and always has emergency plans.Most kids just do nothing or catch up on work
remote learning shouldnt be a thing
Asking everyone to be prepared to go remote at immediate notice seems too much. The system of snow days with makeup days later in the year works fine for small breaks in the education year. Remote is really only needed for long-term closures
They'll be gone in a lot of places, yeah. I work with teachers and various faculty members at teacher's colleges, and they're all saying to us and their students (future teachers), "COVID has changed the job market permanently." Every teaching interview moving forward will ask "so how did you adapt to COVID-19?" No tracher is going to get away with "oh I don't do remote learning."
Florida and Louisiana have been there for years (because hurricanes) and got top marks for how their schools adjusted to the pandemic (the rest of their pandemic response was abysmal). Other states will now be joining them.
Florida and Louisiana have been there for years (because hurricanes) and got top marks for how their schools adjusted to the pandemic (the rest of their pandemic response was abysmal). Other states will now be joining them.
My work closes when the weather is bad, and there's no way my boss is going to make us work remotely.
Would suck if my kids had to remote learn while I'm having fun playing outside.
Would suck if my kids had to remote learn while I'm having fun playing outside.
our district has the teachers doing both in person and remote at the same time, so its not any extra work versus what they are already doing (which is way too much)... but they just sent out a notice that they won't do virtual learning for snow days up until 3 days. The 3 days are already built in to the schedule to allow for normal cancellations.
They also noted that they probably wouldn't do it later either as they have a better opportunity of being fully in school in May/June so even if it pushes the schedule a week, they think they will get a better opportunity for in school learning later in the year.
As far as in the future? I wouldn't deprive my kid of a good snow day just to do work, and wouldn't force him to sit in front of a computer all day versus playing outside especially when its the time of year where it gets dark so damn early.
They also noted that they probably wouldn't do it later either as they have a better opportunity of being fully in school in May/June so even if it pushes the schedule a week, they think they will get a better opportunity for in school learning later in the year.
As far as in the future? I wouldn't deprive my kid of a good snow day just to do work, and wouldn't force him to sit in front of a computer all day versus playing outside especially when its the time of year where it gets dark so damn early.
Teacher here. If your lesson is in any way effective, it's not going to easily lift and slide into an online setting without serious adjustment and work. This isn't even touching the procedures and expectations that you have to establish and train into your students to get them to conduct themselves correctly and effectively online. Even high schoolers need to be 'taught' how to learn online.
Bad idea that continues to assume teachers will just "figure out" the hard work it'll take to make this effective. So I see it becoming a thing. No one cares about us. I'm used to it.
Bad idea that continues to assume teachers will just "figure out" the hard work it'll take to make this effective. So I see it becoming a thing. No one cares about us. I'm used to it.
In Connecticut the state has said that if we do remote school days the teachers still have to come to the building. Supposedly our central office told our union that they're not going to risk the safety of the teachers, we'll see what happens this Thursday, I guess.
I guess it's that easy. Sometimes I forget just how car-centric the US is.
Where are these places where it snows every day during commuting hours for months?
If a district is actually having a hard time because of a large unusual weather event I can see them doing this, but efficiency is not the answer to healthiness and I would hope under normal circumstances they don't take that stuff from kids. They are home cause it is not safe to go, let them enjoy the time/weather and learn that most healthy people benefit from a break.
Yeah this concerns the hell out of me. Kids who already were not regularly attending school have just dropped off. Do they know what percentage of kids simply aren't participating at all?
Only for REALLY big storms, like where the power is going out and you'll have shovel multiple times throughout the day.
But when they cancel for like 4-6 inches spread out over the day? Yeah those are gone
But when they cancel for like 4-6 inches spread out over the day? Yeah those are gone
Snow days also takes into account internet and power outages as well,so remote learning may not be available to everyone after a storm.
Because they have to clear 18" (45cm) of snow overnight from every single road that has a kid on it, or it between a kid and the school, or else the busses won't be safe to run
and if the busses aren't safe to run, no one is getting to school
I live in Sweden. During a cold winter (Which was a while ago, admittedly. Thanks global warming.) there is absolutely a possibility that there is snow from november through february. In the northern parts of the country that is even fairly likely.
We're not going to fully comprehend how utterly devastated the education system will be after this for several years. It'll be absolutely rough though. We're talking a generational decline that will stick with certain groups for their entire lives.
If you're in the early childhood age range and poor, the odds aren't just stacked against you like before, it's practically towering over you at this point.
my Wife said in her class, about 5 kids are where they to be. One of them is our son heh.
absolutely not.
for a number of reasons:
1 not everyone has good internet
2 not everyone has a laptop/computer/tablet to participate with
3 until children are of a certain age, remote learning pretty much requires an adult to sit with them the entire time. ask me how i know.
anecdotally i also dont think kids are learning as well as they should be and are thus behind because of the pandemic. but thats not as big of a deal with one off snow days.
for a number of reasons:
1 not everyone has good internet
2 not everyone has a laptop/computer/tablet to participate with
3 until children are of a certain age, remote learning pretty much requires an adult to sit with them the entire time. ask me how i know.
anecdotally i also dont think kids are learning as well as they should be and are thus behind because of the pandemic. but thats not as big of a deal with one off snow days.
I have never had a snow day in my life due to the region I live in.
And so with no selfishness or skin in this game, I say...no. Give the children their snow days.
And so with no selfishness or skin in this game, I say...no. Give the children their snow days.
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Who would want to take away the joy of a child's snow day!?
Let them have their fun for the day.
Let them have their fun for the day.