NORTON SHORES, Mich. — In a year where nearly every school district has now implemented some form of remote learning, there has no doubt been a question arising in the minds of students, teachers, and parents alike.
Many may have thought things would have returned to normal before this question would have to be addressed, but with stay at home orders and quarantines continuing into the winter weather season, this question has now come front and center.
In the age of remote learning, is there still a need for the snow day?
Well, like many things this year, the answers to this new question are varied and depend on who you ask.
For instance, if you ask Bill O'Brien, the superintendent of Mona Shores Public Schools, the snow day will live on, regardless of whether remote learning is taking place or not.
In a statement released by MSPS, Bill O'Brien said the following about their policy.
"In a year of unpredictability and uncertainty we have an opportunity to keep one thing the same. Snow days are an incredible opportunity for kids to learn in unstructured ways. Be it cooking, cleaning, playing, reading, or building - learning will happen. Snow day challenges are a fun way that schools have always kept students engaged on these days out of the building. We will continue these fun and unique ways of keeping kids learning on days at home."
"On top of all of that, the mental health of all of us certainly benefits from traditional snow days," O'Brien says. "The mental strain on our entire community, but especially our kids, during this pandemic is incredible. Snow days are a chance for us to say we are keeping one thing the same, one thing that you can look forward to, one thing that gives hope."
This policy is however just one answer to the snow day question. If you head east of Mona Shores, over to Cedar Springs, superintendent Scott Smith has taken a different approach.
For Cedar Springs Public Schools it is going to depend on how the school is operating.
If they are in person, snow days will be as normal. If they can prepare for at home learning in advance of a storm, that too may be a possibility. If the school is currently in remote learning, then that will likely continue unless storms are knocking out power and communications for the district.
A similar policy was also confirmed to us by the superintendent of Holland Public Schools, Dr. Brian Davis, and by the superintendent of Tri-County Schools, Allen Cumings.
These two solutions to the snow day question aren't the only ones in play for West Michigan.
For instance the Communications and PR Coordinator for Caledonia Community Schools tells us instructional differences between grade levels in their district means snow days will remain as normal.
Looking at North Muskegon Public Schools, superintendent Dr. Curt Babcock tells us they are still working on the answer to this question, but believes snow days will likely look different in the future.
Mona Shores superintendent Bill O'Brien expects that in the coming years this will be an issue the state will eventually examine and provide more guidance as to what will be expected of schools going forward.
In an interview with 13 On Your Side he said the following.
"(I) wouldn’t be surprised, post-pandemic, if there are changes made to legislation related to snow days. We’ve certainly learned that there are remote learning opportunities that could exist on snow days during regular years, not during pandemics, and so that’s something we will explore in the future as well, and I would expect that the legislature will do the same."
For now it seems the best policy is to keep a close eye out for communications from your school district as for how they are going to handle each situation on a case by case basis, and of course keep an eye out for the latest closing and delay information provided by 13 On Your Side, and on the 13 OYS app!
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