One of the benefits of online learning from the comfort of your home is that your student doesn’t have to slog through the snow to catch the school bus. No matter what winter may bring, your youngster can just keep on learning, via the computer and associated technology.
Not so fast.
A notice from Fairbanks School Superintendent Karen Gaborik, issued at 6:05 pm on Sunday, says all remote classes are cancelled Monday, due to weather. Here’s the official word on the matter:
“Due to the winter storm warning which is predicting more snow, freezing rain, dangerous road conditions, and power outages, ALL remote district classes and in-school sessions are CANCELLED for Monday, November 9, 2020.”
“As of now, school and classes are expected to resume Tuesday, November 10. Additional communication will be sent if this changes.”
In school sessions? Is that why I see school buses running Monday thru Friday with no children on board? I thought school was closed until Covid-19 is in the yellow zone? Why are some children doing remote learning and others are in school? This makes no sense! My grand children miss school terribly. They miss learning and their friends. If school is open for a few, why not all children?
On the surface, this does seem silly, but in our school district (KPBSD) 99% of our teachers actually work from their classrooms while students are remote. That is where all their resources are, so if teachers can’t get to school due to weather, it makes sense to call a “snow day.” It would be difficult for teachers to connect with their students from home unless they’d brought all their materials and tech home with them on Friday.
It sounds silly because it is silly.
Roads are not impassible, they are merely sort-of slick. (As of 2:09 am, I just drove home from work.). The notion that teachers are delicate flowers who need to be protected from the weather is absurd. Get your kids out of the failing school system and it’s entitled, self absorbed administration.
Exactly the point, teachers are at school in Fairbanks.
So policemen, firemen, EMTs, paramedics, correctional officers, hospital workers and a whole lot more are expected to be at work, but teachers get the day off. Must be nice.
They have teachers and staff come in and teach their remote classes from school buildings M-F.
Why?
Got me, but given this school district requirement a snow day does actually make sense.
Might be cause of required internet connectivity-but not sure.
It does seem silly, until you remember that the teachers still need to get to their classrooms to prepare for their distance learning lessons. They don’t pack all their materials home every night. If it’s too dangerous for buses, it’s too dangerous for teachers to drive, too.
I think the teachers are still reporting to the schools? Does sound pretty hilarious though……?
Go back to the lower 48 with your excuses. Every private sector worker is going to work tomorrow and driving on those ‘dangerous’ roads. But workers who suck off the government get all days off they want because they’re scared of snow. Worthless and pathetic the lot of you. Teachers, you have no right to call yourselves Alaskans.
Amen…
I’m a private sector worker and can choose to go to work at the office or work from home if I don’t feel like driving in, as can most my coworkers. Maybe because it is a professional position that required education and experience to achieve. Teachers have it much tougher than I do, and that’s a fact. But we need blue collar folks like you to haul our trash and we’re glad you’re out in the snow and hope you stay safe.
Teachers did not make this decision, district did. Why get mad at teachers?
Give them a break. Remember…Those that can, do. Those that can’t, teach.
Those that used to be able to do it but can’t anymore teach others how to do it. Fixed it for you.
There will be a solar storm on the dark side of the moon sometime in the distant future. The same computer models that created climate change can predict this cataclysm, with just a few keyboard clicks. Expect school to be canceled that day, as well as polar bears going extinct and oceans drying up.
It’s science……….
Here is a road report from Fairbanks… its a bit slippery but but doable Sunday night the parking lots to the stores are cleared and some how the the parking lots are full of shoppers. The sidewalks and bicycle paths are clear I rode my bike to the store.
It’s Fairbanks in the winter, for crying out loud, it’s 4 in the morning as I write this and just went out and checked the roads pretty clear for Fairbanks in the winter. Later I’ll go and check the winter recreation areas — my guess is all the teachers a will be out cross-country skiing.
Too dangerous for teachers to be on the road. Can’t work from home. GCI is too high priced. Come on Musk.
Most of the folks that pay these teachers by way of property taxes will somehow make it to work. No work , no pay. What a concept!
Right on Ak Fireflower! Lived in this state over 50 years. These are not Alaskans. They are babies from the lower 48. Everyone else seems to be able to get to work. What a bunch of garbage. Get those kids back in school!!
I thought school weather days was because of the busing issue. With kids at home learning from a computer screen how does that justify a paid day off for teachers.
Who else in working community is getting a paid weather day?
Typical liberal approach, small wonder
Kids are not ready for the real world upon graduation.
It’s not a paid day off for teachers. They don’t get to count this day as part of their negotiated agreement teacher work days. It will have to be made up. So don’t worry about who’s getting paid or not getting paid.
A resident since 1983 never has Fairbanks called for a snow day.
Exactly the point, teachers are at school in Fairbanks.
Teachers did not make this decision, district did and it usually is because buses can’t run. We have students in school too at this time. Again not a teacher decision.
From a teacher: It takes tough people to live in Alaska, especially Fairbanks. The various districts need to toughen up!! I.e. no “snow days” ever… But lumping this issue in with a not so terrible “human” agenda is not so “Christian” -yes talking to the hypocritical Orange menace supporters.
How peaceful and inclusive of you. I can only imagine how horribly you must abuse your conservative and Christian students.
Too many DSMFs have come up. We need a series of brutal winters to discourage the riff-raff and non-hackers from staying around.
Thank you !!
The teachers, and the school district are failing our children in so many ways. As a health care professional I have been at work everyday and then some. The teachers are selfish, self centered, people who should be teachers for the right reason ( the children). Yet the government officials and the teachers union are using our children as figurative covid shields and holding their education hostage, because they don’t want to deal with backlash from bars and restaurants or come up with other solutions to curb the virus. Teachers and anyone else too afraid to do their job because of covid, or to afraid to drive because of snow should be ashamed of themselves. What would happen if my coworkers and I didnt go to work or just half ***ed your medical care, simply because we were selfish and afraid? Put the children first people. Be brave and courageous. It is a great way to live.
I know or knew I have a bunch of teachers like you describe but they’re not all that way. Some actually show up to work everyday for the kids. Always always against the nea. I always thought they overcharged the teachers while supplying them nothing in return. When it came to negotiation time the nea didn’t have any power. Basically you had a team of negotiators and they all agreed to accept what the superintendent was offering. There was no recourse unless you wanted to tear up your contract. You were at the grace of the superintendent. Now mostly he was a fair man and tried to give the teachers as much as he could while still being fiscally responsible. The bottom line is just like most Democrats suck, I’m sure there are a few of them that are pretty decent people.
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