Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Asheville City Schools cancelled classes for students on Monday and Tuesday. It seems like a distant memory now, with all the sunshine and the little warming trend we’ve got going. But the snow days seemed odd, especially after the brutal winter we’ve been having. Actual snow has forced schools to close for a number of days, and it’s starting to wreck havoc with the school calendar.
So what were Asheville City School officials up to when they cancelled school on Monday and Tuesday when you could count the number of snow flakes falling on one hand? Some folks around town are wondering if they weren’t just trying to make matters worse, all in an attempt to force change.
And who knows, it may have worked. The Asheville Citizen-Times this week reported that our state lawmakers are going to once again push for a change in state law, which right now mandates when schools starts and ends:
ASHEVILLE — With Western North Carolina school systems struggling to make up missed snow days, local lawmakers say they will again push to change the law that mandates when school can start and end.
“I think the weather that we’re having is helping to get people’s attention to why that calendar flexibility is important,” said state Rep. Ray Rapp, who introduced a bill last year to make changes to the law.
The 2004 state law prohibits school from starting any earlier than Aug. 25. School must end by June 10.
The calendar’s restrictions, coupled with a growing number of snow days, have some school systems scrambling to revise calendars.
Buncombe County officials have cut into spring break, and Asheville students will attend Saturday classes later this month.
So — conspiracy theory, or just bone-headed judgement on the part of Asheville City School officials?
you should here how whacked the lake view park/red oak area is for schools – 1 Neighbor in Buncombe country, next door neighbor asheville city Schools.
it’s awesome when my kid can’t go to school with his/her neighborhood friends. Awesome and they live next door on same side of the street.
Excellent points, all. Especially yours, Sheaves.
The children need the summers off to help their parents harvest the crops.
I know lots of teachers who would love the year round with quarterly breaks. Unfortunately, the teachers and administrators are pretty much the last people who would get input on a change like that. The summer camp and vacation rental lobbies are pretty damn strong, which is why the schools can’t go later than June 10.
Saturday make up days are not only ridiculous (I find it hard to believe anyone is going to learn much of anything today) but infringe on the schedules of everyone involved. Many kids have sports and activities that parents have paid for on Saturdays. Many members of the support staff at our schools (bus drivers, TAs, cleaning and cafeteria staff) have second jobs on the weekends that they will have to miss so they can come in for the half day. Most parents understand that things happen and days need to be made up but to get the robocall that school is canceled and we all need to scramble for child care and rearrange our Saturday schedules when we look outside and see the sunniest day in weeks is infuriating. If school system officials have so little respect for the time of parents, kids and school staff that they would manipulate it to play politics in this manner I can’t imagine supporting any law change that gives them MORE control over our schedule. There has to be a better way.
You raise an excellent point, and as an increasingly frustrated parent of a Claxton student, the thought has crossed my mind that the school system may be trying to reinforce the case for changing the calendar. I would be more sympathetic to their plight if they hadn’t canceled school at least three times this for year for nothing more than a cold and/or rainy day. Canceling classes the two days this past week, in particular, were extremely poor decisions, especially when they’re already struggling to make up days.
I am also disappointed in their decision to make up snow days on Saturdays. There are all sorts of potential conflicts–community activities, religious observations, staff with second jobs, students with jobs, etc.–from sending students for a half-day on Saturday. Plus there is the added effect of students having to go to school 15 of the next 17 days (starting this past Wednesday), which seems a bit much for teachers and students. Of course, that is assuming that Asheville City doesn’t close for any cold, windy days in the next two weeks.
I am a young teacher, and I most certainly did not get into the profession for the summer breaks. My yearly salary isn’t enough to meet my living needs and pay back my college loans, so I have to work a different job during the summers. No summer break for me! Many of my younger friends who are teachers work in the retail and service industry over the summers.
As far as the snow days go, Monday was an iffy day, but Tuesday was startlingly free of snow and ice. It’s also strange that Asheville City broke from Buncombe County (who had a 2 hour delay) by choosing to call off school. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing lots more about the snow day debacle of 2010…
Interesting how school systems handle this. We all want our kids educated and kept safe, but what about the parents. Yes, the parents trying to stay employed in a downsizing economy. It is hard to keep taking sick days to watch kids kept home from school due to wet roads and such. They don’t do this up north or out west. Who is going to get the promotion? The guy taking days off all the time to watch his young kids or the young guy with no kids?
Since our weather changes with every minute should we just make it so that if there is a snow day during the week we make it up the following Saturday?
It would even be much easier for parents if school was all year with breaks between quarters. Oh I forgot, summers off is why young teachers got into the profession in the first place.