Will Snow Days Become A Thing Of The Past?

The best part of winter when I was a kid was not so much the outdoor activities as it was a snow day. Remember them?

Well, according to NYSED.gov website, it was announced yesterday (9/8) that the New York State Education Department is setting up a one year pilot that allows state school districts to opt in for remote instruction during a snow emergency. In short, that would mean no day off for students.

It will be in effect for the 2020-2021 school year, and after that the New York State Education Department will review how it worked and will determine if it makes sense to continue remote instruction during days that would normally be a snow day and a day off for students.

I'm not sure how I feel about all this. One hand, it's a great idea. On the other hand, I feel for kids who will no longer experience the excitement of a day off due to snow.

I remember the excitement it gave me. The day before an expected significant snowfall, the announcer on the AM radio (yes, I'm dating myself, so get off my lawn), mentioning how much snow we might expect, and the approximate time and length of the storm.

I would be glued to the weather reports, and watching out the window to see it all start. Where we lived in the country, we would usually get more snowfall than in the nearby towns, and that would be a big factor for the school district in determining whether to send the buses out and haul our snotty noses to school.

During the night, I would have a hard time sleeping, waiting for the time we normally get up, and turning on the local radio station to hear what school districts were closed for a snow day. It seemed like the list of schools closed would go on forever before hearing if my school district had also closed. When the announcement came, it was one of the mos to exiting things to happen in my life.

To think kids may no longer get to experience the excitement of a snow day, is so sad. Oh well, I got my snow days, so there's that.

via NYSED.gov