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| Unused Snow Days May Shorten School Year |
| posted by: Alix | April 02, 2012, 10:01 PM |
|
This winter left much to be desired for snow-lovers nearly nationwide. While winter weather might not have closed many schools this year, districts across the country are deciding what to do with an unusually high number of leftover emergency weather days. Many schools will let students finish the year early or add on vacation days to spring break or other scheduled time off to make up for the unique circumstances. At least nine of the snowiest U.S. cities had less than 60% of their average snowfall this year, wreaking havoc on school calendars this spring. For example in Marion County, West Virginia, students won't attend classes on six of the scheduled Fridays during the last eight weeks of the year because the district used only two of the eight snow days. Similarly in Burlington, Vermont, a city that experienced less than half of their average snowfall total, students will get out two days earlier to balance the required calendar. The news isn't welcome for many parents who must account for last minute child care. President of Families and Work Institute Ellen Galinsky called the "school is out and work is not" reality a common anxiety for working parents. Often time positions in the private sector don't have the same flexibility. "Do families have the short-notice flexibility to take the time off and make it up later?" she asks. "It's often hard to do that depending on what the job is." Others are using this unusually warm winter as another opportunity to discuss the traditional school calendar. One blogger commented, "And we wonder why the U.S. lags behind the world in education, when our kids take off over two months during the summer, and spend an average of 180 days in school." This winter phenomenon may be another contributing factor to the continued push for longer schools days and an all year-long calendar option. While most of the country operates on the traditional short, five-day school week with summers off, many have argued for school week models that not only add instructional time, but do so based on the highest student need. Although costs associated with keeping schools open have kept many districts from exploring these innovative options, constantly shifting school days may create a movement among parents for school calendar consistency. Has the unusual winter season affected your school's calendar? Comment below.
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