Editorial

Winter’s wear and tear on education

Posted 2/6/19

It’s no secret that most kids really love a snow day. That fresh blanket of snow that greeted many sleepy eyes in the morning was often a welcome sight. It often meant sleeping in late or …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in
Editorial

Winter’s wear and tear on education

Posted

It’s no secret that most kids really love a snow day. That fresh blanket of snow that greeted many sleepy eyes in the morning was often a welcome sight. It often meant sleeping in late or playing in the snow.

For teachers, too, a snow day is often welcome, at least until the accumulation of them starts to eat away at spring break.

For parents, especially those who work, snow days can pose problems. It means arranging for daycare or sitters at the last minute or perhaps meals that weren’t anticipated.


And what’s worse for parents than a snow day? How about a last minute change in the schedule, like a two-hour delay or perhaps an early dismissal? That means expecting the unexpected: a late trip to the bus stop in the morning or an early trip in the afternoon. And that can mean re-arranging work schedules and making other last minute plans. That can also mean chaos for those who earn their living as school bus drivers. Some of them report to other jobs between the opening and dismissal bells.

So what can be worse for parents than a two-hour delay or an early dismissal? Right, when both happen in the same day. And that’s what happened last Wednesday in many schools throughout the area.

We can understand why school superintendents don’t want to entertain the risks of putting school buses on icy roads. We live in a litigious society where one mishap can be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

So why, then, open school when there’s already been a two-hour delay and snow in the forecast for the afternoon? Why bring them in, take attendance, serve a meal and send them home again? Why gas up the school buses on a day when bringing kids to school serves no real purpose? Can we really believe that students received much in the way of an education?

The answers may lie in the very questions themselves. We know that school aid is based on attendance and that a lost day of attendance impacts that aid. But when making these decisions, priority should be given to the safety of students and staff and to the quality of education, neither of which was accommodated last Wednesday.

They may get it right most of the time, but not last week.