I want to add something to my rant from yesterday about school cancellations. I know that with the economy the way it is right now, to have to unexpectedly pay for a day of babysitting or lose a day of work can be quite the financial hit. It sucks, and I get that. But that's the reality of being a parent; sometimes care for your child costs money. It's not the schools' responsibility to provide day care every day that you work. The public school system's only obligation is to provide an education. They fulfill that obligation by making up the missed days at the end of the school year. The quality and effectiveness of the education they provide is another subject for another time, but you'd learn that I am not some blind public school apologist who defends every move the public school system makes - quite the opposite really - it's just that in this particular case I believe they are making the right decision. One day when I have a child in school, I want a school administration that is going to put my child's safety above everything else, even my finances.
It's a fortunate side effect that public school, in its current form, results in taxpayer-supported day care as a bonus. But one day, especially with the funding cuts the education system continually suffers, public education may come to students in another form, via telecommuting, for example, and the burden of supervision may once again fall entirely to the parents. And if that happens, they will still be fulfilling the only obligation the law assigns to them.
By all means, complain about the economy. Be upset that things are so bad that one day of having to find alternate care for your child can set you so far back financially. It sucks. And don't think that those of us without kids aren't struggling, too. Everyone has their own ideas regarding who or what is to blame for that, and you should feel free to direct your anger and frustration at whoever you believe that is. But don't direct it at school administrators for failing to come to your rescue - it's not their job.
Regarding yesterday, school was canceled in many districts in this state in anticipation of forecasted frigid temperatures and wind chill, combined with snow and ice. And I'm not talking about uncomfortably cold temperatures; try dangerously cold. That weather did not happen the way it was expected to, and it would have been perfectly safe to have school. But school administrators don't control the weather, nor do they have any way of knowing when the weather is going to defy forecasters' expectations. I was pleased to see that a good half of respondents to a local news channel poll last night felt that the districts made the best choice possible with the information they had at the time... as do I. Yes, they called it extremely early - the previous afternoon. But even if they had waited until morning, the forecast hadn't changed, and the same decision would have been made. No one expected the weather to change until it did. And what if they hadn't canceled school, and the weather had lived up to expectations? All it would take is a bus, or even a parent driving their kids to school, getting in a bad accident in the ice, disabling the vehicle and its heat system, and school districts could have ended up with deaths from hypothermia (possibly exacerbated by injuries) on their hands. If you think that's a stretch, don't. School bus accidents can and do happen. When I was in school we had one get stuck in an irrigation ditch at the end of our driveway. Again, it's absolutely better to be safe than sorry.
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