Weather is unpredictable. I get that. I really do. But what I do not understand is the inability of society to seem to function at all when this region gets snow.
I should first explain that I grew up about an hour from Erie, Pa. in Warren County. Even in a small town, we handled snow much better than I’ve ever seen around here. We had what they love to call "lake effect” snow. In short, that means when a weather pattern would hold over the Great Lakes, it would gain more moisture, and often that means more snow.
I’ve probably seen more snow in my lifetime growing up than anyone my age in Philadelphia. We don’t panic when we drive. We know how to turn the wheel to get out of spins. We know how to shovel, and prepare.
In Montgomery County, we prepare … and in my opinion, a bit too much. We fear even the lightest of snowfalls. We must cancel school and close area businesses. We run for the somehow essential "bread and milk,” as if Armageddon was occurring.
I ask you, in all honesty, have you EVER, and I mean EVER, not been able to leave your house after a day or MAX two? I have lived in the area since 2002, and can assure you I have not had a problem that kept us indoors more than a day.
What truly is bothersome about the snow reactions is the Snow Days. With two children in school, it is not very convenient to have days suddenly canceled, sometimes with barely a few hour’s notice. I’m thankful that my kids are old enough, if need be, to stay alone in the house for a few hours at a time. I have no clue what we’d do if they couldn’t.
In addition to the inconvenience and childcare concerns, the biggest problem with snow days is the make-up days. School districts around here have at least started to sensibly build some into the schedule. Yet, somehow we also seem to still end our school years on a Tuesday or a Wednesday? Whose idea was that? If we needed snow days, why not just tack them on the end of that week? It is wasted for all intents and purposes anyhow. You can’t take your vacation. You can’t start summer, so why not.
Instead we seem to have shorter spring breaks, nearly no Easter, or entire months without a single break for kids. It isn’t ideal.
What bothers me most is that this day and age, why do we need snow days at all? Most all of my children’s text books are now online. Their teachers post homework to their web pages daily. So, it stands to reason, given the level of technology we have as a society, that we could virtually "telecommute” to school on these days.
Many area schools provide children with access to the Internet. Some even provide laptops directly. Most all children have computers or online access at home. It seems almost a requirement.
If there are those in struggling circumstances that cannot access the Internet or computers, it is not unreasonable to think programs and services could easily be put into place. For most communities in our area, there already are programs, such as those created by Xfinity or AT&T, providing discounted or free services for those who qualify.
If the student did not have a computer, again the school district or large corporate sponsor should be able to provide a loanable solution, even if it was borrowed just for predicted days of bad weather.
Without much additional effort or cost, I think the school could afford to allow children to get in educational hours, meeting set requirements, but still being at home. Provided that electrical lines and the Internet are still working, there is no reason children could not put in hours of "homework” or operate educational programs without physically being in the classroom.
Clearly cyber schools have mastered these ways, and the education children receive in that manner meets all requirements of the state. They don’t undervalue that education, just because it was done at home.
Overall, I think we definitely have the technology to make this happen. Parents would not have to panic about that last-minute phone call. We wouldn’t have to reschedule vacations or force long months of spring with no long weekends.
Kids need breaks. And parents most certainly need breaks! Those breaks are generally well distributed along the school year calendar. But when Mother Nature does not cooperate, we end up with messy schedules and headaches for mom and dad.
Instituting "Snow Day Cyber School” could save a lot of that frustration. I think it is minimally worth a shot.
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