Closing School for the Cold: The Debate Redux
This post from last year is getting massing nationwide traffic, so I am linking to it here and recopying it here for a rediscussion, since all of Delaware is closed today, which of course also gives us the opportunity to repost this:
Several school districts in Delaware are closed today for the bitter cold. I personally disagreed with this decision. Until I read the former Rsmitty’s post on Facebook about it, which I am republishing here:
Yeah, 25+ years ago, many had one parent at work and the other parent at home to make sure you left the house bundled up like little brother Randy from The Christmas Story. In 2013, this ideal is far less reality and more dreamt about. Either both parents work or the only parent of the household is working, creating a whole different dynamic than that of Carol and Mike Brady (they also had Alice to help…but they lived in California…lazy bums). There is also the reality that in many cases, today’s students don’t have a warm car (if it even starts tomorrow) to wait in at the bus stop or to ride in to get to school. It is also a reality that some of today’s students don’t have adequate coats for single-digit temps, let alone -20 wind chills, if not lower. Why do you think coat drives are such a HUGE deal? Remember what is impacted by wind chills: HUMANS. So, the low is supposed to be +2 to +7, but the wind chills -20 or lower. Frost bite in minutes, hypothermia moments later. That cozy winter coat you might have gotten for Christmas isn’t even adequate for -20, unless you got it from an outdoorsman oriented store, specifically for high-altitude mountain trekking in the winter. But, it’s not just a coat. Thick mittens, not gloves, mittens, are necessary. Knit-style hat? Of course. Better have a scarf, too. Goggles, yes goggles, as well, since the surface of your eyes, seriously, are in equal danger from that exposure. No small amount of exposed flesh is safe from this, not a bit. Yup, it’s inconvenient that I have to be home tomorrow, but on the contrary, my kids are never inconvenient to me, neither is the notion that a less-forunate kid is better off for this decision.
And…yes…schools from New England through the upper Midwest are all closed, we are not an anomoly. In the reality of 2013, where far too many kids are left to grow up with decisions on their own far more quickly than we were, for whatever circumstance, this is fine on the broader spectrum. I, for one, will not be seeking to “vote out the school board” or make the superintendent stand up to explain himself to the taxpayers over this. I instead will be happy my kids have a warm home and are still blissfully ignorant of the crap that awaits them as adults.
I might also note two other issues that factored into the decision to close schools. First, the crossing guards for walking students (of which there are many in the city and in Brandywine Hundred), would have to be out in this cold for four straight hours. Second, schools with trailers that serve as classrooms. Not only would the trailer themselves be cold, but the walk for the students back and forth to the main school building.
Err on the side of caution.
I’ve studied it and 95% of the grousing about this comes from people who are habitual grousers.
“Err on the side of caution. ”
Yep. Because someone will sue the school district for something. Over in Bridgeville buses slipped on icy roads and there was a crash involving 3 buses. A paramedic overheard parents saying they plan to sue the school board. But if it’s not a vehicle accident, it will be an icy sidewalk, having to be out in the cold waiting for a late bus, or something, anything else. Yep, someone will sue. Risk mitigation. If the kids miss a lesson on how to conjugate a verb, well that’s a small price to pay for some parents not be able to get a ride on the easy street train, so be it.
Of course it should be noted that the benchmark for school closure in Minneapolis is -35 degree wind chill.
People who live in Minneapolis, or other wintery, cold areas, usually have appropriate cold weather attire – coats like this, as well as serious hats, gloves, scarves, etc.. Most of us in Delaware will only have these sorts of things if we ski.
And it’s funny how we take precautions seriously when it comes to heat, but not really for cold. Let a heat wave hit and it’s all, “Stay inside, only go out if you have to, turn on your air conditioning, drink fluids, check on the elderly, don’t mow the law, etc.” I’m fine with these warnings because they make sense.
This is the same reason we close schools for snow more than northern states – we don’t fund our snow removal budget based on 2 – 3 feet of snow per year (or have laws about removing cars off of streets and into parking garages so plows can plow) so it’s cheaper to close school for a few days. We simply aren’t prepared for a lot of regularly occurring snow – and given the climate here, it will melt rather quickly – just like our closets aren’t outfitted with -20 attire.
And I really don’t understand the grousing. The number of comments I’ve read (not here) about how wimpy kids are today and how in their day they walked to school in a foot of snow, uphill, both ways are disturbing. This isn’t some sort of endurance test or contest of which generation is/was tougher.
It is dangerously cold outside – uncharacteristically cold for this area. That is why school districts closed schools. Uncharacteristic circumstances require uncharacteristic decisions.
“The number of comments I’ve read (not here) about how wimpy kids are today and how in their day they walked to school in a foot of snow, uphill, both ways are disturbing.”
Old people grousing about young people is disturbing? Welcome to the history of the human race!
This is what BO says about the elderly:
“And, by the way, the older people here, as wise and as respected as you may be:
your stuff is often boring. Compared to what they’re doing. You’re not connected. And, as a consequence, you are not connecting.”
Barack Obama 2/19/2015
I don’t know pandora. School in, school out. I don’t want these kids confused about ICE IS.:) It’s a tough call. You may worry about their coat, and I may worry about the 2 meals many just missed today–going into a weekend now–and perhaps also not getting a weekend bookbag of food some districts or buildings provide thru services. It’s always a parent’s ultimate decision to send with weather considerations.
But hey–if Ft. Drum and the US Army Mountain Battalion gets off because of snow, ice, and weather, heck if I’m taking on mother nature with poster board. But at least the soldiers can still report to the mess hall :). Just a thought, on this tiring subject and winter. 🙁
I don’t want these kids confused about ICE IS.:)
And then there are the traffic reports telling you to “watch out for black guys.”