Romeo was not alone in canceling school today. My opinion on snow days and dirt roads is well documented and tiresome. The effects on commerce and families is obvious.
So let’s talk solutions.
This is Michigan. We are a state surrounded on three sides by Canada and the Great Lakes. Winter weather shouldn’t effect commerce and education as much as it does. We are a well-educated state. We are a state that has just awoken to the reality that it is competing for commerce with other states and other nations. Look around, what we are doing is failing our economy, our children, and public safety. So what are we going to do?
What are the solutions? How can we prevent minor snowfalls like today from stopping our children from being educated, forcing parents to take unplanned vacation days, and keeping everyone safer?
Ideas. We need ideas.
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COMMENTS / 4 COMMENTS
Kim added these words on Mar 05 08 at 3:09 pmMost of the time, the weatherman has predicted the snow the day before or sooner. Maybe teachers should have a “snow day folder” in which they give the children assignments to do if there is a snow day. They can bring it home the night before and only be required to do the work if there is no school the next day. All it would require is for teachers to have assignments printed up a day in advance. As far as employees, it would be a great start for businesses to give parents a few “parent” days that could be used when a child is sick or a snow day. That would probably fall under “personal days” but most of those are not paid.
adam mclane added these words on Mar 05 08 at 3:41 pmOf course, the teachers know before they send kids home that there won’t be school the next day. The “rumors” of it were spreading long before school ended yesterday. One parent told me a secretary told her “there’s no school tomorrow.”
I don’t know how it works. But I think if a school district goes over their days no one should get paid for that extra day.
adam mclane added these words on Mar 06 08 at 7:33 amOne suggestion I heard a couple times yesterday is this… people who make decisions about snow days in school districts need to turn off their TVs and make a decision based on actual conditions. Meaning, if they haven’t left their house and driven around different places in the district… they are unqualified to decide if there should be school or not.
Another suggestion. Determine the % of children who live on the “unpassable dirt roads.” Give those children an alternative loading location for their buses, communicate to parents in the same manner they do for canceling school and keep the schools open. Even if attendance is only 85-90% district wide… parents who need to go to work can still send their kids to school.
Another suggestion. Make snow days unpaid days off for all district employees. They can chose to use it as a personal day or vacation day… but not a paid day off. (I’ll admit, this is OUCH but does sound effective.) For most employees in other companies this is the case, it should be for district employees as well.
More suggestions?
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