School Systems on delay due to cold temps...Thoughts?

tcnoble

ashley8918 said:

ohannabelle said:

Fact is, there could, at any time, be any number of reasons a school could close for the day. Fact of life. Icy roads, floods, building damage, fire, bomb threats, power outages. 

Hell, I was driving Moose to school one morning and there were police at the entrances. Armed fugitive in the area. Any students arriving on foot were being sent to lockdown in the gym, busses and cars were being turned around.

The "what about parents that have to work?" question? The answer is, too bad. As I've often heard around here, failure to plan on your part does not equal an emergency on my part.

Accept that this will happen, and possibly out of the blue. You should always have an emergency babysitting plan in place at the beginning of each school year. That isn't the school's responsibility. It's part of being a parent. Be prepared for an emergency. 

The schools have legal responsibility for the health and safety of hundreds and thousands of other people's children. Guess how many risks you take, and how many times it's okay to gamble on those kid's safety? Zero. Never. 

(Except the really tough Admial Perry LarryGaga type kids. Those little bastards can just take the hike through the subzero arctic and hobble home on their frostbitten feet.  Uphill, in both directions. Give them a shot of whiskey with a hair in it, and hack their toes off when they get home. Slap em if they whine.)

THIS. I am so fucking sick of parents complaining about this. This is what it means to be a parent, Jesus.

I've had kids sit in the health office all day with a fever or some other ailment because mom or dad "CAN'T leave work" to come pick them up. Can't? What's wrong? Are you literally in a situation where you physically cannot move? Or is it a mere inconvenience in the middle of your day? Most of the time it's the latter and it is infuriating.

KatieinBkln

tcnoble said:

ashley8918 said:

ohannabelle said:

Fact is, there could, at any time, be any number of reasons a school could close for the day. Fact of life. Icy roads, floods, building damage, fire, bomb threats, power outages. 

Hell, I was driving Moose to school one morning and there were police at the entrances. Armed fugitive in the area. Any students arriving on foot were being sent to lockdown in the gym, busses and cars were being turned around.

The "what about parents that have to work?" question? The answer is, too bad. As I've often heard around here, failure to plan on your part does not equal an emergency on my part.

Accept that this will happen, and possibly out of the blue. You should always have an emergency babysitting plan in place at the beginning of each school year. That isn't the school's responsibility. It's part of being a parent. Be prepared for an emergency. 

The schools have legal responsibility for the health and safety of hundreds and thousands of other people's children. Guess how many risks you take, and how many times it's okay to gamble on those kid's safety? Zero. Never. 

(Except the really tough Admial Perry LarryGaga type kids. Those little bastards can just take the hike through the subzero arctic and hobble home on their frostbitten feet.  Uphill, in both directions. Give them a shot of whiskey with a hair in it, and hack their toes off when they get home. Slap em if they whine.)

THIS. I am so fucking sick of parents complaining about this. This is what it means to be a parent, Jesus.

I've had kids sit in the health office all day with a fever or some other ailment because mom or dad "CAN'T leave work" to come pick them up. Can't? What's wrong? Are you literally in a situation where you physically cannot move? Or is it a mere inconvenience in the middle of your day? Most of the time it's the latter and it is infuriating.

Poor kiddos! 

I guess it's possible the parent would be fired if they left--which is a real and shitty situation that a lot of workers without sick leave face--but this is why people have backup plans. Emergency baby sitters, as @ohannabelle has said. 

AlexisA01

Didn't some kid die last year for standing at the bus stop in the cold?

ashley8918

I don't understand how anyone could possibly think that this is a bad thing. Is your child's safety NOT the most important thing here?

I really do get it that it can be difficult for some parents. I've been that low-income single parent, working an hourly job. I couldn't afford a babysitter, and I would be fired if I didn't show up. But the thing is, that's not the school district's problem to solve. It's my/the parent's problem. 

What IS the school district's problem is the health and safety of the children as it relates to being in/getting to school. They have a responsibility to keep children not-dead or otherwise harmed in any way within their power. They are doing so by trying to prevent them from freezing to death.

YourDogDontKnowSit

I'm a teacher in NC, in one of the counties that did not delay this morning despite the freezing cold (but I'm not bitter or anything...) and my biggest reason for being in support of "cold delays" is that I work in an inner city/urban area (at least for around here, it's no NYC or anything, though). The vast majority of our schools are Title 1 - which means a huge percentage of our student population receives free or reduced lunch and free breakfast. If the school board or the state or the country (I'm not sure who "decides") has decided that that many of our families can't afford to feed their kids properly, I think it's safe to say that a lot of those same families can't afford heavy coats, gloves, hats, etc. for their children, either. These are the same families who put their kids on buses. So my second graders (7 and 8 year olds) who came to school today in thin zip up fleeces and hoodies with no gloves and no socks (seriously) were standing at the bus stop at 7:30/7:45 in freezing temperatures. 

KatieinBkln

YourDogDontKnowSit said:

I'm a teacher in NC, in one of the counties that did not delay this morning despite the freezing cold (but I'm not bitter or anything...) and my biggest reason for being in support of "cold delays" is that I work in an inner city/urban area (at least for around here, it's no NYC or anything, though). The vast majority of our schools are Title 1 - which means a huge percentage of our student population receives free or reduced lunch and free breakfast. If the school board or the state or the country (I'm not sure who "decides") has decided that that many of our families can't afford to feed their kids properly, I think it's safe to say that a lot of those same families can't afford heavy coats, gloves, hats, etc. for their children, either. These are the same families who put their kids on buses. So my second graders (7 and 8 year olds) who came to school today in thin zip up fleeces and hoodies with no gloves and no socks (seriously) were standing at the bus stop at 7:30/7:45 in freezing temperatures. 

This breaks my heart.

ashley8918

KatieinBkln said:

YourDogDontKnowSit said:

I'm a teacher in NC, in one of the counties that did not delay this morning despite the freezing cold (but I'm not bitter or anything...) and my biggest reason for being in support of "cold delays" is that I work in an inner city/urban area (at least for around here, it's no NYC or anything, though). The vast majority of our schools are Title 1 - which means a huge percentage of our student population receives free or reduced lunch and free breakfast. If the school board or the state or the country (I'm not sure who "decides") has decided that that many of our families can't afford to feed their kids properly, I think it's safe to say that a lot of those same families can't afford heavy coats, gloves, hats, etc. for their children, either. These are the same families who put their kids on buses. So my second graders (7 and 8 year olds) who came to school today in thin zip up fleeces and hoodies with no gloves and no socks (seriously) were standing at the bus stop at 7:30/7:45 in freezing temperatures. 

This breaks my heart.

Agreed. It's really fucking sad, but definitely a reality that needs to be considered in relation to this subject.

lyndausvi

Due to our sue-happy society I understand why schools choose to error on the side of caution. Yet there are times I'm surprised they didn't call schools out.  I've witnessed a lot of inconsistencies on their choices.  I think that is the issue for some, lack of consistency on when they will close or not.

I live in a mountain town now. Schools do not close here do to snow.  We have not have those blasts of below-freezing cold air other parts of the country as gotten.  Although I would be surprised if they closed for those reasons.

That all said, I do laugh when I see a picture of barely a dusting and they close schools.  Even though logically I understand TN doesn't have the infrastructure we have to handle such a thing,  it still gives me good chuckle.  

thespeshulestsnowflake

Apparently my school district was the only one in the county open today. The radio listed which schools were open rather than those that were closed.

LadyMillil

teddygirl9 said:

I dont think I've ever had my school delayed because of cold weather, but I live in Canada, where it gets plenty colder than that.

 

The only thing I remember being similar to this, is when we have a crazy blizzard/3ft of snow in one night, is that the teachers just don't get upset when you don't show up. They expect most people to cancel, and will either give bonus marks/quiz answers to the people who showed up, but no absenceses or negatives to the people who decided not to come in. I'd prefer this over pushing the time back, but that's just what I'm used to.

I grew up in a rural part of Ontario. There were several days a year when school was cancelled due to weather - mostly snow but sometimes extreme cold. There were also several days a year when school buses were delayed 2 hours due to weather issues. Since 90% of the students were bused to school, the "town kids" had a delayed start whenever the the buses were delayed.

lurkergirl

YourDogDontKnowSit said:

I'm a teacher in NC, in one of the counties that did not delay this morning despite the freezing cold (but I'm not bitter or anything...) and my biggest reason for being in support of "cold delays" is that I work in an inner city/urban area (at least for around here, it's no NYC or anything, though). The vast majority of our schools are Title 1 - which means a huge percentage of our student population receives free or reduced lunch and free breakfast. If the school board or the state or the country (I'm not sure who "decides") has decided that that many of our families can't afford to feed their kids properly, I think it's safe to say that a lot of those same families can't afford heavy coats, gloves, hats, etc. for their children, either. These are the same families who put their kids on buses. So my second graders (7 and 8 year olds) who came to school today in thin zip up fleeces and hoodies with no gloves and no socks (seriously) were standing at the bus stop at 7:30/7:45 in freezing temperatures. 

______________

Sadly this makes me wonder if making sure the kids had breakfast played into the decision. Like yeah they'll be cold, but at least they will have something to eat.

I don't think people realize that for many children, the food they get at school is the only food they get a lot of days. That's why I have a problem with the low calorie healthy lunch kick. There's a damn good reason why we served high calorie meals - it's so that kids who have nothing else to eat can still receive full servings of their daily nutritional needs if they have breakfast and lunch at school even if they don't get dinner.

Sorry for the tangent!

WhatawagSBNy

tcnoble said:

I am torn with my jealousy here. I live in Vegas. I'm a teacher. I would love to be at home in my pajamas.

But it was 72 degrees when I left work yesterday soooo there's that.

**********
Here and in most towns in my area, public offices, libraries , schools etc close automatically if over 89 degrees in the building. No or rare Ac. Which can be strange if it is 95 out but old thick walled brick buildings keep out the heat and the brick is slow to get hot as long as the temp drops 10 to 30 degrees at night. But when the temp is only 85 or less for a third, fourth, fifth day when temp was in 70's at night the now heated building can take in enough strong sun on brick, places still close if inside temp reaches 90. Tourists and people new to the area get nuts - but it isn't even 85 out. And has not been for 2 days. Why are town hall and the library and some schools still closed?
Especially if open 1 day after a thirty inch snowfall in winter. It is what we are prepared for.

hellosweetie1015

Yall. I read that some places in the U.S. And Canada were colder today than Mars.

I'm like 72% sure it was link bait and I totally didn't click on it to confirm but still. Worth mentioning. If it's plausible that it was colder on our nice cushy life sustaining planet than it is on a planet farther from the sun... I think it's okay to close a school for two hours

larrygaga

ohannabelle said:

Fact is, there could, at any time, be any number of reasons a school could close for the day. Fact of life. Icy roads, floods, building damage, fire, bomb threats, power outages. 

Hell, I was driving Moose to school one morning and there were police at the entrances. Armed fugitive in the area. Any students arriving on foot were being sent to lockdown in the gym, busses and cars were being turned around.

The "what about parents that have to work?" question? The answer is, too bad. As I've often heard around here, failure to plan on your part does not equal an emergency on my part.

Accept that this will happen, and possibly out of the blue. You should always have an emergency babysitting plan in place at the beginning of each school year. That isn't the school's responsibility. It's part of being a parent. Be prepared for an emergency. 

The schools have legal responsibility for the health and safety of hundreds and thousands of other people's children. Guess how many risks you take, and how many times it's okay to gamble on those kid's safety? Zero. Never. 

(Except the really tough Admial Perry LarryGaga type kids. Those little bastards can just take the hike through the subzero arctic and hobble home on their frostbitten feet.  Uphill, in both directions. Give them a shot of whiskey with a hair in it, and hack their toes off when they get home. Slap em if they whine.)

hahahhaahahaha

Omg I never wanted to be like this. 

I am my own grandfather now. 

I mostly wanted to say how 5 degrees isn't that a big of a deal where I come from, but I totally sounded like an ass. Frostbite hurts like a bit and it's really dangerous. It's so hard not to make fun of people who think 40 degrees is enough for a coat, and for that I apologize. I shouldn't be so bitter, I live in detroit now and the weather is so much better!

emmaaa

lurkergirl said:

I'm a teacher in NC, in one of the counties that did not delay this morning despite the freezing cold (but I'm not bitter or anything...) and my biggest reason for being in support of "cold delays" is that I work in an inner city/urban area (at least for around here, it's no NYC or anything, though). The vast majority of our schools are Title 1 - which means a huge percentage of our student population receives free or reduced lunch and free breakfast. If the school board or the state or the country (I'm not sure who "decides") has decided that that many of our families can't afford to feed their kids properly, I think it's safe to say that a lot of those same families can't afford heavy coats, gloves, hats, etc. for their children, either. These are the same families who put their kids on buses. So my second graders (7 and 8 year olds) who came to school today in thin zip up fleeces and hoodies with no gloves and no socks (seriously) were standing at the bus stop at 7:30/7:45 in freezing temperatures. 

______________ Sadly this makes me wonder if making sure the kids had breakfast played into the decision. Like yeah they'll be cold, but at least they will have something to eat. I don't think people realize that for many children, the food they get at school is the only food they get a lot of days. That's why I have a problem with the low calorie healthy lunch kick. There's a damn good reason why we served high calorie meals - it's so that kids who have nothing else to eat can still receive full servings of their daily nutritional needs if they have breakfast and lunch at school even if they don't get dinner. Sorry for the tangent!

I wondered the same thing. The school board could have thought that it was important to make sure those kids had their breakfast since they probably wouldn't get it at home. Lurkergirl is right in saying that most kids who get free or reduced lunch often don't get a meal otherwise. A few kids I went to high school with would ration their lunch and breakfast so they had supper and food for the weekend. It's a sad and heartbreaking situation all around. What is worse that the school board felt that it was either some kids are cold or they don't eat and had to make that decision (if in fact that was a reason for their decision).