Not Again

Gill, a couple snow days isn’t going to make or break students. Let them enjoy it a bit. Never seen such backlash about the topic before tbh

Christian, just defending my opinion if that’s ok.

Remember when we used to pride ourselves on being from minnesnoda and being able to drive through any weather no matter how bad it was? Getting around in this stuff should be fun not scary.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

When I went to school, the teachers had to live in the district to teach there. We very, very seldom saw a snow day and even then it had to be one doozy of a storm to close the schools. And buses served only those kids who lived a mile or more from the school. Teachers today can live 40 miles away and I think the closing have as much to do with the teachers getting stranded as it does with kids being in any sort of jeopardy. Maybe we need to go back to those requirements.

I haven’t even opened a garage door yet. According to the weather map I use I think we have maybe an hour of this crap then clearing. Or at least the snow stopping. I took advantage of the great day yesterday to put a new drive wheel in the snow blower. I want the belts to go along with the drive wheel but they were out so I ordered them. Neither the belts or the wheel are hard to install and everything up till yesterday was the original stuff and we bought the blower used 12 years ago. The forward travel was starting to stutter so it was time.

The snow plows went by at about 45 miles an hour an hour ago and I watched as a wave of snow went over that piled on the curb and went well up into our lawn. Of course I have sidewalk between the street and the lawn, so that should be a fun one to blow out.

I don’t know about ya’ll but I was plenty happy with the brown and mud we had back in January. This white schnit sucks.

Open mouth. Insert foot.

There’s an immense teacher shortage already. Adding living requirements would compound issues. Minnesota graduated 85% fewer teacher candidates in 2018 than in 2008. As the AD I sit in on a lot of hires in our district. We literally post a special education position with a great benefit package, starting around 45k with no experience, upwards of 65k with some experience, and we get maybe one application if we are lucky, sometimes no qualified applications. Ask Wisconsin how their “open market anti union” concept went with a shortage of teachers. Now there are bidding wars costing districts thousands due to low supply of qualified staff.

It’s so easy to bash teachers, coaches, adminstration, districts, etc. for every decision they make. Until you’re the Superintendent of a rural district with gravel roads covered in 6-8″ of snow and kids not properly dressed and sue happy parents watching your every decision…I would wise up and lay off. If it’s the cake walk many think it was, I highly doubt there’d be a shortage.

I believe all-day kindergarten is for state paid daycare.
I think someone is angling for something state paid from all these school closings. I work next to a High School and a few times I wondered why they were closed.
I was listening to MPR and they were discussing how some schools teach through digital media on school closing days. They mentioned how students go to coffee houses in groups to do their homework. Now, its ok for kids to go to coffee shops to do homework but not ok to go to school?

I think far too many people are painting with a broad brush here.

You really have to look at the issue differently for rural and urban districts. The suburban metro area can and should handle things differently than rural ones.

I cannot speak for metro schools as our area school graduates about 90 kids per grade. Our school has 3 large parking lots and probably 2 miles of sidewalk. Every one of the ~30 exits has to have the snow plowed away a solid 100′ for fire/firedrill purposes. The district owns one plow truck that’s 20 years old…a pickup. One buildings and grounds employee runs that, one runs a mower with a thrower, and a couple run shovels. It takes their crew approximately 4 hours start to finish for a 3-4″ snowfall.

We have some gravel roads and students that have an hour bus ride. Our road plowing doesn’t even begin until the morning after the storms.

I’m lucky enough to not live in the metro. A large chunk of the student population here snowmobiles, ice fishes, or hits the area ski slope regularly. I was raised in an old school way thinking that a snow day isn’t a bad thing. Get kids outside doing something, building forts, clearing driveways and BEING KIDS.

As far as teachers go I’d wager 2/3 of our district staff was at school for the day today. There are still emails, scouting reports, coaching evaluations, licensing documentation, lesson plan and scheduling changes, grading, special education referrals, etc. to deal with. A “closing” doesn’t stop those things from happening. Closings just mean students don’t report and people with no experience in the field get a green light to b**** about something.

Wow Bucky, why the hostility?

You make some good points but you completely ignore the other side of the coin. You’re suggesting the district is always right and all criticism is wrong. If that’s the attitude then we are doomed.

Tom did absolutely nothing to bash anyone. Telling him to wise up and lay off is disrespectful and not even considering what value the suggestion has is pure ignorance on your part.

biggill wrote:

Wow Bucky, why the hostility?

You make some good points but you completely ignore the other side of the coin. You’re suggesting the district is always right and all criticism is wrong. If that’s the attitude then we are doomed.

Tom did absolutely nothing to bash anyone. Telling him to wise up and lay off is disrespectful and not even considering what value the suggestion has is pure ignorance on your part.

You agree that his points about controlling where teachers live would somehow change something?!?!? Believe me when I say that it doesn’t matter where a teacher lives. The district and bus company don’t take that into account whatsoever.

The district is not always right. The district does not even always make the decision exclusively itself either. Bus companies, school board members, highway commissioners, and building and grounds coordinators are all in on the decision for many places. I do think that districts try to protect kids to the best of their abilities regarding weather, an inexact science. People speaking in absolutes about decisions they’ve never had to make…AFTER a weather system passes is pointless. Most of the time they get it right. When they do not, they were still attempting to make a decision that benefits everyone’s safety.

buckybadger wrote:

You agree that his points about controlling where teachers live would somehow change something?!?!?

I believe something can be learned from it. It is suppose to spark conversation and ideas. It doesn’t have to be taken 100% at face value. Pretty basic stuff, I shouldn’t have to spell that out.

If people in power can’t use criticism constructively, then you have the wrong people making decisions.

Again guys. No argument to be made. School was canceled. That’s that end of argument. Nothing you say changes it. Crying wont change it. It was canceled so pull your drawers up and deal with it. It’s not the 80s and 90s any more I’m pretty sure its 2019. Many many things have changed

Bucky, Bucky, Bucky…..you need to settle down. Take a friggin pill. What, were you one of those nummies pushing shovels at the school today? Or was it a non-work day for you too? You get this wound up over a tongue-in-cheek comment and work in public relations…..maybe you should find a job in construction where you can vent some of that displeasure thru labor.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Again guys. No argument to be made. School was canceled. That’s that end of argument. Nothing you say changes it. Crying wont change it. It was canceled so pull your drawers up and deal with it. It’s not the 80s and 90s any more I’m pretty sure its 2019. Many many things have changed

Bearcat you’ve completely nailed it on the head.. but I’d rather enjoy the never ending drama on this website, so please don’t bring any of your common sense here. Thanks

Tom Sawvell wrote:

maybe you should find a job in construction where you can vent some of that displeasure thru labor.

Like running a Jackhammer.

WS

Good posts Buckybadger. I didn’t see your posts as hostile at all. You provided solid, first hand explanations for the multiple reasons and factors that go into deciding on school cancellations, and the internet critics couldn’t handle them because it didn’t jive with their opinions. Thanks for your first hand perspective, and your job as an educator.

Well this escalated quickly. I was mainly commenting on the weather rather than people being too soft to make it to school. In fact call me soft because I worked from home rather than drive in. I don’t mind it, but I can’t stand dealing with the other “drivers”.

One things for sure…

IT’S FEBRUARY ON IDO!

breakerbreaker wrote:

If they would just plow through they would be done in early may late april.

Then some indidvudals on here would say “kids these days get out of school early! We used to go to July!”

mplspug wrote:

One things for sure…

IT’S FEBRUARY ON IDO!

Walleye season hasn’t even closed yet, might be a long spring on the forum…

breakerbreaker wrote:

woah woah woah MEA week is well known for the teacher sex romp week. Cheaters paradise now why would we not let them have that!. Ya know they wouldn’t worry about snow days if they didn’t take a day or 3 off every other week. It is truly asinine, my wife’s mom works at the school has a calendar up on there fridge every highlighted day is a day off its. If they would just plow through they would be done in early may late april.

With all the sex romps and days off – I don’t know why you don’t quit what you are doing for a living and become a teacher. Then again, I do have a fairly good idea why not

Bearcat89 wrote:

Again guys. No argument to be made. School was canceled. That’s that end of argument. Nothing you say changes it. Crying wont change it. It was canceled so pull your drawers up and deal with it. It’s not the 80s and 90s any more I’m pretty sure its 2019. Many many things have changed

Agree.

And also agree everyone is suffering from Cabin Fever. It’s probably because winter started so friggin early like the beginning of November. Matter of fact, it’s probably because of the friggin climate change…..

Tom Sawvell wrote:

Bucky, Bucky, Bucky…..you need to settle down. Take a friggin pill. What, were you one of those nummies pushing shovels at the school today? Or was it a non-work day for you too? You get this wound up over a tongue-in-cheek comment and work in public relations…..maybe you should find a job in construction where you can vent some of that displeasure thru labor.

Behind teaching, being an Athletic Director, and coaching football… construction already is my additional part-time and Summer job. It is only limited to weekend remodeling projects and work with a local contractor in the summer who is a good friend. Sadly, I’m stuck finishing up a full basement this weekend instead of fishing. The plumber was delayed and threw off my entire schedule for rocking and moving a header. I enjoy the work when it’s on my time frame – which this no longer is. I’ll gladly pound a few nails in your honor.

I spent yesterday working along with most of you here on IDO and 2/3+ of the other teachers doing the same work we would any other day. Mine started with a staff meeting at 7:45am (those who didn’t attend had to today), then grading papers, finished a special education referral for a child on the ASD spectrum that moved in last week, changed all my lesson plans for AP Economics due to no students reporting to school, and hosted a three hour meeting with area coaches and athletic directors from 4:00-7:00pm on the scheduling nightmare that has ensued with trying to get games in before section play begins. From there, I was able to “relax” in my room for a bit and read some of the expert IDO posts on schools and weather. That fun was quickly cut short when I had 18 hardworking young athletes come in for their evening off-season lifting before warming up my vehicle at ~8:15 to head home to a supportive wife who is way out of my league and deserves 10x the attention I give. Thank God for those snow days to relax.

I don’t complain about my jobs. I love them. I get to do a little of everything. My wife even calls me crazy/stupid when I get home most nights. I do complain about people who don’t know a thing judging me and my career field based on a district’s decision for a snow day though

Some people are living, walking proof of just how inexact of a science education is – much like the weather. If people think districts are closing school for some benefit to their staff or administration you are sadly mistaken. The decision is made solely based on student safety and the liability of having kids on the roads. I’m off to an IEP meeting. I’ll let the rest of the IDO education experts keep this topic rolling.

Bucky

breakerbreaker wrote:

woah woah woah MEA week is well known for the teacher sex romp week. Cheaters paradise now why would we not let them have that!. Ya know they wouldn’t worry about snow days if they didn’t take a day or 3 off every other week. It is truly asinine, my wife’s mom works at the school has a calendar up on there fridge every highlighted day is a day off its. If they would just plow through they would be done in early may late april.

gim wrote:

I bet if you asked the people who are affected by it the most (the kids), every single one of them would be happy not to be in class!
When I was a kid, having a snow day was awesome. I’m sure it’s still like that too.

Doesn’t bother me either way but see how happy the kids are in the middle of June making up the time.

I’m about to go to work and I think its gonna be slow today so I’m bumping this up so I have some entertainment

mplspug wrote:

One things for sure…

IT’S FEBRUARY ON IDO!

Like clockwork!

I remember the whole walking uphill both ways thing.
We also liked tornadoes in the afternoon cause we got home faster.

On a serious note this thread has taught me quite a bit! Thinks to all of you that work in education.

I’d say odds are pretty good a school or two is cancelled tomorrow. Anyone wanna start the complaining about that? Let’s keep this one going.

Dang kids at home every day!!! Eating all the fruit snacks!!!

Alright this ones back. Nothing much on TV today

“Schools are soft”

“They’re closing only because teachers don’t live close by”

“This is Minnesota”

“We used to not even get two hour delays in this type of weather”

“Our weather was way more extreme and we never closed”

Wabasha County has a tank, yes a military tank that is stuck after being used to try and get stranded motorists. The highest measured wind gust for the area was 61mph with sustained winds in the 40+ mph range for over 8 hours. Why those busses aren’t out picking up kids is beyond me…

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