DETROIT – With Tuesday’s severe weather approaching a unique dilemma is shaping up for parents and students.
We are talking about a snow day. With districts fully integrated into remote learning will districts declare a snow day? As of Monday afternoon, that answer still was not clear.
There are many things educators have to grapple with to get children educated during a pandemic.
That includes remote learning, face-to-face learning, hybrid learning, parents, teachers, students and now the issue of snow days.
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“Are the kids going to be able to get there? We just need a day to pause,” said Heidi Hedquist of the Pontiac School District.
In Michigan, it is a foregone conclusion that you are probably going to have snow days. In fact, the state allows for up to six snow days when the weather makes it dangerous or unrealistic to take children to and from school.
With remote learning, we now know children can get educated whether there are 30 inches of snow on the ground and counting or a clear, cold, sunny day.
So why do we need snow days? It is a question that educators have been debating particularly with measurable learning loss in the last 10 months of educating through a pandemic.
Reyonna Orr has three children in the L’Anse Creuse School District.
“Snow days are important. Everybody deserves a day off,” said Orr, adding the pandemic has been especially stressful on students.
Her two sons are doing full face-to-face learning and her daughter is in school four days a week for a hybrid learning model.
“We all need snow slash mental health … Give us a break day,” she said.
Weather forecast: 6-to-10 inches of snow tonight