Seattle Schools is asking the Office of Superintendent of Public Education (OSPI) for a waiver for the January 19 and 20 snow days, when Gov. Chris Gregoire declared Washington in a State of Emergency. If approved, Seattle Schools would not have to make up the two days at the end of the school year. Otherwise, SPS says it will cost the District roughly $500,000 to make up two of the snow days in June. OSPI officials will decide next month how school districts would proceed with applying for the waivers.
Seattle schools made up one of the three snow days on Friday, Jan. 27, which had been scheduled as a furlough day. State law does not require students to make up a day for Tuesday, Jan. 17, when students had a late arrival and an early dismissal.
According to SPS:
Making up the time during mid-winter break is not an option, as families and staff have arranged their schedules around the school calendar, which was approved by the School Board in May 2011. That calendar, which is available online at http://bit.ly/DistrictCalendar, listed Jan. 27 as a weather make-up day, and up to three additional days are to be made up at the end of the school year.
Due to the snow days, the District has extended the first semester three days, through tomorrow, January 31. The second semester starts on Wednesday, February 1.
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FIrst of all, the district calender lists March 16 as a possible snow make-up day (otherwise, it’s a day off for professional development). Yeah, they list is as the fifth make-up day, but if they don’t want to extend the year (as listed on the calender), they can use that for one day one day.
Second, don’t they schedule the year with at least one day of padding, just in case of snow days? Or am I thinking of places where it snows more often?
Third, with the professional development and “day between semesters” and the early dismissal and the mid-winter break and holidays, there’s barely a three-week stretch of full uninterrupted school all year. Figure something out and teach the kids, already!
Why do they list possible snow days then? They knew this could happen. Possible make-up days are listed on the calendar. It’s not like we haven’t had plenty of snow days in the past. The kids are out of school so much, I would rather see them make up the days. Really, if we want students to do well, shouldn’t they actually go to school?