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Much beloved by school children, and dreaded by parents, snow days are events in which the weather is too terrible to safely transport children to and from their public schools. It’s a free, surprise day off from education that often leaves parents scrambling to find childcare.
But now that COVID-19 has forced every school in Massachusetts to create efficient online learning programs, teachers may be able to educate students at home on snow days via digital learning.
On Monday, Oct. 19, the Massachusetts Department of Education and Secondary Education announced that individual school districts will make the decision whether to call a snow day and give students the day off, or call a snow day and have students and teachers report to class online.
Snow days have caused scheduling problems over the last few harsh winters. If students miss too many days due to snow, they have to make up that education time in the summer. To avoid too many missed days, before the cold sets in, some schools provide students with takehome bags or folders full of work they can do if the weather cancels classes.
The Massachusetts education department has okayed school districts providing online learning during snow days for this academic year. Whether schools will have the same power next year is uncertain.
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