Executive Viewpoint Dr. Mike Hernandez, AAEA Executive Director
INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS ARE NOT MY FAVORITE I don't know about you, but calling schools off for weather was my most gut-wrenching day as a superintendent. Depending on the impossible-to-predict the weather, you are either the hero or the goat. One of our colleagues recently posted on social media about the difficulties of making the right decision and drawing the ire of the community. Snow days can be a delightful surprise for students (and adults) eagerly anticipating a day off, but they can also disrupt the academic calendar and pose challenges for educators. When winter weather forces school closures, it becomes crucial to implement effective strategies for making up lost instructional time. However, figuring out the various approaches schools can take while including the stakeholders can be challenging. The following are some common ideas on how to approach making up lost instructional time. Extend School Days Extending regular school days is one standard method for making up snow days. Schools can gradually compensate for the missed hours by adding extra minutes to each day. While this approach may require adjustments to transportation schedules, classified work schedules, and after-school activities, it offers a straightforward way to recover lost instructional time without significantly altering the school calendar. There are some things to consider when using this method. Leaders must work with their teaching staff to adjust pacing guides to effectively utilize the extra minutes each day. Adding time may be easier in the elementary grades, where students may be self-contained. Still, in upper grades that change classes throughout the day, it may require time adjustments to each class with support for teachers to adjust lessons. No matter how you do it, the material for the course still needs to be taught and learned. Utilize Virtual Learning (AMI) In the age of technology, virtual learning provides a valuable tool for schools to continue education during unexpected closures. Snow days can be transformed into productive remote learning days, with teachers conducting virtual classes, assignments, and assessments online. Utilizing platforms and tools that facilitate virtual collaboration ensures that students stay engaged and on track with their studies. This is if you have everything working very well in your district, which means you have well-trained staff, students, and parents who know how to maximize the learning platform and support students in a virtual environment. Students must also have working computers with appropriate software and internet access to participate in the learning effectively. In my experience, this is a difficult task on a holistic district level. However, given the constraints of regulations in our state, districts may only choose to utilize online learning on rare occasions to limit learning loss during weather breaks while still complying with required attendance laws. Convert Professional Development/Vacation Days Schools often allocate professional development or vacation days throughout the academic year to provide teachers with opportunities for training and collaboration. During snow-related closures, these days can be repurposed for instructional time. By converting planned professional development days into regular school days, schools can minimize disruptions to the academic calendar and maximize learning
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