Executive Viewpoint

Inclement Weather Days Are Not My Favorite

Dr. Mike Hernandez, AAEA Executive Director

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 opportunities. Professional development days are critical to the educators and the district. These days should be opportunities to grow professionally to be more effective for students. Districts may be in the middle of training, such as the Science of Reading, or implementing the Professional Learning Community process. This work should not stop completely. Leaders must find a way to make this adult learning happen in another way or a different time.

Implement Saturday Classes

While not the most popular option, holding classes on Saturdays can be an effective way to make up for lost time. This approach allows schools to maintain the structure of the regular school week while recouping instructional hours. To mitigate potential resistance, schools can implement Saturday classes selectively and communicate the importance of ensuring students receive the full extent of their education. There are many activities on Saturdays these days, including travel sports, gaming tournaments, and other family activities. Your community may lose their minds if you go this route, but it could be a good strategy for continuity's sake and making up learning time before testing. Many will say that the students won't come on Saturday. Remember, you are the adults and set the expectations. Parents will often meet these expectations to ensure their children are learning.

Adding Days To End Of Year

Most calendars have days added to the end of the year. Often, these may include days in June. There always seems to be strong opposition to going to school in June. It is almost like feeding a Mogwai after midnight. Somehow, shortly after 11:59 pm on May 31st, our students magically transform into menacing beings incapable of learning. Kids can learn anytime if the expectations are there. The caveat to this is that districts have to plan accordingly. The idea that no learning happens after a certain time, such as after state-mandated summative testing, should be avoided. We must be vigilant to stamp this mindset from our schools and communities. Remediation can occur in the last few days. Introducing the next grade level or course standards can happen here. Even extensions of learning can happen during these times, just like the fourth critical question from Rick Dufour. How will we extend the learning for students who are already proficient? Whether it be after testing or a made-up snow day at the end of the year, no day should be wasted. There must be an expectation to learn at least 178 days or 1068 hours each year.

Snow days may disrupt the school calendar, but with thoughtful planning and creative solutions, educators can ensure that students receive the education they deserve. No solution is a silver bullet, but with collaboration and communication with stakeholders, schools can successfully make up for lost instructional time while maintaining the overall integrity of the academic year. As another colleague warned recently, we must ensure that 178 days or 1,068 hours do not become the maximum. Ultimately, the key is to prioritize educational continuity and maximize student learning with the time and opportunities we have been given.

Keep up the great work, and know I am always here to help you.