District Seeks Waiver for Snow Days
From SPS Communications:
Rather than add days to the end of the school year, Seattle Public Schools is asking the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for a waiver for the Jan. 19 and Jan. 20 snow days.
Gov. Chris Gregoire declared Washington in a State of Emergency for those days, prompting Seattle Public Schools to seek a waiver to not make up the Jan. 19 or Jan. 20 snow days. This is contingent on a decision allowing the Emergency Proclamation to apply to schools in King County. OSPI officials said they will have more information next month on how to apply for waivers.
It would cost Seattle Public Schools roughly $500,000 to make up the two days in June.
Seattle schools made up one of the three snow days on Friday, Jan. 27. 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.
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.
The approved calendar for the 2012-13 school year shortens the mid-winter break, reducing it from a full week to four days over the Presidents Day weekend. The break includes the Friday before the weekend and Monday, Presidents Day, which is already a holiday and a non-school day.
Also, given the timing of the snow days last week, the District is extending the first semester three days, through Tuesday, Jan. 31. Second semester will start on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Rather than add days to the end of the school year, Seattle Public Schools is asking the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for a waiver for the Jan. 19 and Jan. 20 snow days.
Gov. Chris Gregoire declared Washington in a State of Emergency for those days, prompting Seattle Public Schools to seek a waiver to not make up the Jan. 19 or Jan. 20 snow days. This is contingent on a decision allowing the Emergency Proclamation to apply to schools in King County. OSPI officials said they will have more information next month on how to apply for waivers.
It would cost Seattle Public Schools roughly $500,000 to make up the two days in June.
Seattle schools made up one of the three snow days on Friday, Jan. 27. 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.
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.
The approved calendar for the 2012-13 school year shortens the mid-winter break, reducing it from a full week to four days over the Presidents Day weekend. The break includes the Friday before the weekend and Monday, Presidents Day, which is already a holiday and a non-school day.
Also, given the timing of the snow days last week, the District is extending the first semester three days, through Tuesday, Jan. 31. Second semester will start on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Comments
just saying...
I was okay with them not making up all the snow days about three years ago when we had a week and a half of snow days, and they made up most of them. This is not the same situation.
The District publishes a list of what vacation/development days will be used to make up snow days, in order. If people buy non-changeable tickets for those days, they're gambling. If they choose to gamble, we shouldn't be covering their losses.
If UW has a snow day, staff sent home must use vacation time, make up the hours, or not get paid.
And two hours at school does not make a school day. My daughter's class actually spent about 45 minutes of that time in line to call their parents to come and pick them up...
Let's take a poll.
For how many people does " arranging their schedules to incorporate mid winter break mean" either staying home from work on " vacation" to provide care of their kids or having to use friends/family for the same.
How many people would be relieved just to be able to go to work instead?
Most years I would say I'd rather just go to work, however this year I bought plane tickets to New York for midwinter break, so I'm glad they're not having school then.
The school year is pushed further into the summer- more families have summer plans than midwinter plans, those students who work summer jobs simply don't attend school & the time is ill-used.
--irked
I agree with you as a classified employee. They are more interested in funding the over loaded central administration monster with millions more spent than if any other district ran seattle.
Ask Duggan Harman and the 5-existing clowns on the school board that should all be out.
Less education and more money for administration is an abuse to school children.
I suggest you report the school Board and superintendent to the ethics hotline.
Only one problem, they do not know what ethics are.
Ah, now I understand your hyperbole @ 1/30/12 2:35 PM, and non sequitur @ 1/30/12 2:42 PM. All roads lead to charters, right?
-- Irritated
On a related subject, how would one go about suggesting changing early release days to late arrivals instead? Roosevelt (and some other high schools) have both.....and it makes a lot more sense to have late arrivals on a monthly basis than to have regular afternoon off (am I the only one that thinks of them as teen pregnancy Wednesdays?). Gives my teen a chance to catch up on a little sleep as well as meet with teachers in the morning when everyone is fresh.
---just some thoughts
-observer
I know my kid was frantically trying to find materials on the source that would have been handed out before finals week. Sadly it wasn't posted.
And YES, absolutely late starts instead of early dismissals! What are they thinking?
-mom
I like the mid-winter break idea. Those who have plans can do them with excused absences. That seems fair. Heavy duty teaching happens before the middle of May.
I wonder if transportation is part of the issue: busing contracts must cover certain days. If we add days either at the end or even during mid-winter break, what's the language? I can't think of anything else that would cost $500,000. Lunches I guess. That could be pricey. For a school district the size of ours, $500,000 doesn't seem like a lot.
Our school is mainly neighborhood. We could have had late start for three days. Of course, that would probably annoy some people as well. But, at least we'd have gotten some teaching in. I have to agree that showing up for lunch was kind of silly.
Sometimes schools have a hard row to hoe. Please don't blame it on the teachers.
n...
If teachers don't want to lose two days of pay (and we won't, because our contract clearly spells out what we earn) then we should teach two more days. The two days should be spent teaching students.
As a teacher-parent I'm home if my kids are home, but that's not true for my friends who have to pay for childcare every time their kids are home on a workday.
Even if parents opt out, two days of school should be added to the end of the year.
Parent and Teacher
Teachers are working all the time. Are we hourly workers or salaried workers? Frankly, I don't know.
n...
If necessary, the first inclement weather day will be scheduled for January 27, 2012 (Day between semesters); the second, third, and fourth make-up days will be added at year end. If a fifth make-up day is needed, it would be scheduled for March 16, 2012 (Professional Development day).
The District should simply do what they said they were going to do. That's basic integrity. You don't make a policy for a possible situation and then do something else when the situation actually arises.
And if the District was budgeting on only one snow day a year then they're even more foolish than I thought, and that's pretty foolish.
-Diane
I worked for the City for a time. We usually had to take sick leave for snow days. During one really bad snow about twenty years ago - not sure - we were all given a pass because no one could make it. But usually it had to be sick leave or comp time.
When I worked for a private company in the seventies, they ate it. Of course, it was a good company with a good bottom line and they were beholding to no one.
Personally, I'd take sick leave in a nano second. I have plenty. But not everyone does. So that's probably not an option.
Actually, I do agree that a bargain is a bargain and the calendar is set. I just bristle under the sense that this is about teachers more than principle. It will cost the District $500,000 for two days of day care. But the teachers will be working. The teachers must work.
Yes, we must.
n...
BTW...many private schools don't make up the snow days which is why they wait longer to call them.
Solvay
We made it snow, mirmac. Didn't you know? We have awesome powers...:)
FYI: all state school districts can ask for waivers - not just Seattle or King County.
n...
Just because many of people let this status quo problem exist with little fight does not mean I will not.
n...
That is the problem with our world in that many tend to always hold the little guy accountable, while the people at the top pilfer, lie, and cheat among other things. And somehow that is viewed as OK because it is business as usual.