It’s Complicated…. the Snow Day / Distance Learning Day Debate
Most will be glad to see 2020, which included both a pandemic and a contentious election, in the rearview mirror. This is especially the case for public officials, whose decision-making resulted in no “rights” or “wrongs.” Instead, 0% of decisions failed to meet everyone’s needs. Regardless of the reasoning behind decisions, complaints abound.
I’m not immune to being quick to judge other leaders, I admit. Are we being admonished by the governor a bit too much? With traditional public school districts numbering in the double-digits, why is there no personal touch from the commissioner? Why rebuke schools for moving to distance learning just prior to the holiday break only to suggest, one week later, that an additional 2 weeks of distance learning may be applied after that break? The answer, as is the answer to the complaints all leaders regularly receive, is “it’s complicated.”
The needs of a variety of constituents must be considered for all decisions. Governors have voters, union leaders, public health, businesses, the economy, and other needs and constituents to think about. The commissioner reports to the Board of Education and must be responsive to the governor’s office, in addition to teachers’ unions, district leaders, and families. For district leaders, it’s naive to think that students and students alone are our constituents. We also know that our decisions affect families, our staff, and our town.
Some have suggested that students and staff alike could have benefited from a good, old-fashioned, snow day – the kind that includes pajamas followed by snowsuits. Considerations toward the decision to have a distance learning day, instead, included:
- Expectations: An email from Emily Crowell of the RI Department of Education includes: “Per the original guidance provided with the statewide calendar, districts should be shifting to a distance learning day tomorrow if they need to make an adjustment, They would be required to make up any missed instructional days.”
- Learning: Would this be one more disruption after a series of disruptions from quarantines this year? Although educators worked hard this past spring to provide a comparable learning experience to students, nothing beats in-person instruction. Students are not performing to the levels seen in past years. Yet, some instruction is better than no instruction. We’ll soon have a week and a half off for vacation. Can we afford more time off at this time?
- Structure: Do students benefit from structure? The answer is “yes.” Some structure in a day provides comfort and discipline.
- Break: Do we all need a break? The answer is, again, “yes.” A break is coming in another week. We can hold on until then!
- Make-up Day: How difficult would it be to add a day at the end of the school year to make up a real snow day? Due to the statewide calendar, schools are already getting out on the 23rd – 2 weeks after we usually end the school year. We also don’t know how many more weather-related events may occur this year. Our buildings are hot in June. The prospect of stretching out the school year one more day into summer is not appealing.
- Building Project: We have a major building project going on and need every second of the summer 2021 break to complete the project before the start of the new school year.
- Middle and High School Students: How do we substantiate a snow day for students already in distance learning?
My reasoning, however sound, does not result in a right answer, just a decision that’s been made in my best judgment and in consultation with others who I know to act in the best interest of our students. As a leader, it’s all that can be expected. I’m sure that the debate about whether to have a snow day or a distance learning day will continue. I will continue to listen to the debate with care as well as with scrutiny. As General Douglas MacArthur once said, “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.”
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