Snow Days in the Spotlight

Does Remote Learning Mean No More Snow Days? Should It?

I guess it’s no surprise that, in 2020, people can’t agree on the role—if any—that snow days should play during remote learning in a pandemic. With a major storm about to hit the Eastern Seaboard, the debate has heated up and seems to be a collision between snow day nostalgia, the need for kids to be off screens for a change, and very real concerns about learning loss. I put a quick poll up on Twitter to gauge people’s opinions and it almost ended in a perfect tie until, in the final minutes, the pro-virtual snow days pulled ahead for the win.

Rather than bore you with my take on other people’s virtual snow day takes, I’m putting them here for you to enjoy first hand.

Catherine Giusti @cgiusti77

In all years, why use this one to take away the simple joy of a snow day, @RIDeptEd? So much of the fun of school is missing this year. #bringbackthesnowday

Erika Sanzi @esanzi

@cgiusti77 @DanMcGowan I'm actually torn on it. My kids hardly need more down time. If they're really going to go out & enjoy the snow, fine. But if they're going to lay around & do what they normally do on a day off (w/all activities, sports, friend gatherings cancelled), I'm less jazzed about it.

Vesia @VesiaHawkins

@esanzi @radiokeri @ColleenDippel @RealTalkGwenS I thought snow days were for safety reasons.

Nicole marcone @Nicolemarcone1

@esanzi The point of a snow day is to keep people safe. Kids in hybrid situations are alredy missing so much learning time, it's crazy. As sad as I think it is, kids need to be online for snow days. They can build a snow man later!

Patrick Riccards @Eduflack

@esanzi @njleftbehind @MatRyanELATeach @marcportermagee @JGunlock @nyschooltalk @RbnLake @radiokeri @TillieElvrum @educatorbarnes @chiachess @davejose @KenBlockRI I’ll go in the record. We absolutely should have snow days. Aside from the possibility of losing power or internet with a half foot of snow, snow days are part of childhood!

Jared Has @jared_has

@esanzi @VesiaHawkins @radiokeri @ColleenDippel @RealTalkGwenS Maybe the first time? After that kids should be learning. High school kids will only play video games.

Tillie Elvrum @TillieElvrum

@Eduflack @esanzi @njleftbehind @MatRyanELATeach @marcportermagee @JGunlock @nyschooltalk @RbnLake @radiokeri @educatorbarnes @chiachess @davejose @KenBlockRI Nope! No snow days unless power is out (happy to share how we dealt with those situations as an online family). We appreciated staying on track or working ahead so we could enjoy time outside when the weather was good! #SnowWitch 😂

Jody Baldwin Stone @TheStonesEG

@esanzi @VesiaHawkins @radiokeri @ColleenDippel @RealTalkGwenS Yes! Had multiple conversations about this today within very different groups of people (friends, teaches from all over, admin). The consensus is - Kids deserves the magic of a snow day! Multi days in a row is where it gets muddy.

Inez Stepman ⚪️🔴⚪️ @InezFeltscher

All-virtual districts are still doing snow days. 🤦‍♀️

John Basinger @johnabasinger

@InezFeltscher I may get ratioed, but if and when we get a good snow, I want my kids away from the computer and out playing in the snow. So despite the fact that a snow day for virtual school makes no more sense than the rest of the performative silliness, I'm all for it.

Liz @schoolchoicegal

@esanzi @VesiaHawkins @radiokeri @ColleenDippel @RealTalkGwenS Arizona kids never get snow days! Years ago, we got one flood day. I'm on the fence. A snow day might be good for kids' sanity. But maybe bad for mom and dad's sanity if they are working at home.

Jennifer Gross (Alvaro) @jmglcsw

@esanzi I agree 100% with this school system.

steven c shepard @scshepard

@esanzi Wifey says snow days only if the power is off. I say, if waffle house is open, school is open!

The power outage issue is a very real one— personally speaking, we have so many trees around us that power lines go down during almost every storm. And for all of you DIYers readying to say, “surely you have a generator”, no we don’t.

I think National Parents’ Union president Keri Rodrigues best captures how I feel about this question:

Keri Rodrigues @radiokeri

@esanzi During the pandemic? No. When we return? Yes. I don't think kids should have to switch to remote learning if snow days occur during non-pandemic times. Complicated!

Rodrigues, a mom to three boys like me, rightly makes a distinction between pandemic snow days with kids already learning remotely and normal days when kids are actually in their school buildings five days a week. She doesn’t want them to spend their day home from school due to snow logged in all day for remote learning— I wholeheartedly agree and I swear it’s not just because I need my kids to shovel and bring in wood on command.

My 6th grader’s science teacher seems to have figured out a way to thread the snow day needle—according to my son, she will have her students go outside for part of science class and make observations and discoveries about the snow. He loves the idea—little does he know we have no boots in this house that will fit him and he will have to wear mine.

Leave your thoughts on this pandemic snow day debate in the comments so I can read them by the fire while we are getting clobbered by snow. Oh, and please subscribe while you’re here.