Tuesday, March 01, 2005
An Open Letter
Dear Powers that Be,
Can I call you PTB for short? Or I could call you Betty, and Betty when you call me you can call me Al, as in "Al I ever wanted was a snow day." Listen here, Betsy, because I have a serious beef with your decision, announced this morning, to open up local schools following the recent snowstorm. Perhaps I would not be quite as annoyed if this were a one-time deal, but this is the second storm in a row where students have been given an early dismissal the day of a storm and then were expected to come to school on time the following morning. When you closed school yesterday, at 1 in the afternoon, it was with the full expectation and understanding that this was a MAJOR WINTER STORM with significant accumulations across the city and the region. Yet here we are today, 5:30 in the morning, and look!: we get to go to school!
Now Betsy, I know that you are sitting there snug and secure in your warm offices downtown and the decision to keep the school's open come hell or high water seems remarkably simple. After all, if you can get to work, we can get to work. But things are not quite that simple. Consider the remarkably poor level of snow clearance on the majority of roads in the city. The major avenues and bus routes are well cleaned, but otherwise the back roads where most students (and at least one teacher) live are left pracitcally uncleaned. And that's just in the city. What about my colleagues who commute anywhere from half an hour to an hour away in the suburbs? The highways are relatively clear right now, but as traffic increases for morning rush, what little ice and snow remains will almost certainly bog people down. Last Friday around 20 teachers were absent, and I'm betting the equivalent occurs today.
But let's get to the real point Ms. B: the students. The majority of them will not be at school. Yes...that's right. Even though you said they should be at school. They will NOT be there. Inertia is a powerful phenomenon. Some students will be in attendance--generally the most dense--the ones whose parents won't let them stay home because they would misbehave. But even the most attentive of student, the one who shows up because they like school, will be mentally off today. Because half their classmates will be missing...and they know that very little new material will be covered if it will have to be retaught the following day. Last week I created a makeshift lesson by letting the students do bookwork. But there was not enough time on Monday to introduce new material to students to really give them review. This does not mean I will not try if necessary. But holy moly, Betsy-wetsy, this is going to be a wasted day. And anyone in the classroom could TELL you that.
But honestly, Queen Bess, you've lost touch with the common classroom. I'm not even sure if you've even been there. Probably you graduated from a top business school with a degree in administration. Maybe a doctorate in education. And you thought you could run the school system like a business and treat students like an obedient and loyal workforce. But your real workforce, the ones who stick with this system even when it gives up on the students, your teachers, they are the ones who have to clean up the messes you cause. Messes like this snow day, or rather lack of a snow day. Because it will be a mess. As much teaching will likely occur in my classroom today as if I stayed at home. But I still have to go to school. And why? Why are both students and teachers being denied what is perhaps the last opportunity the year will offer for a weather related day off and all the stress relief benefits such would entail? Why deny us all one last happy moment of winter before the long stretch towards spring break?
You tell me, Ms. B. I'm all ears.
Sincerely yours,
Invisible Ben
Dear Powers that Be,
Can I call you PTB for short? Or I could call you Betty, and Betty when you call me you can call me Al, as in "Al I ever wanted was a snow day." Listen here, Betsy, because I have a serious beef with your decision, announced this morning, to open up local schools following the recent snowstorm. Perhaps I would not be quite as annoyed if this were a one-time deal, but this is the second storm in a row where students have been given an early dismissal the day of a storm and then were expected to come to school on time the following morning. When you closed school yesterday, at 1 in the afternoon, it was with the full expectation and understanding that this was a MAJOR WINTER STORM with significant accumulations across the city and the region. Yet here we are today, 5:30 in the morning, and look!: we get to go to school!
Now Betsy, I know that you are sitting there snug and secure in your warm offices downtown and the decision to keep the school's open come hell or high water seems remarkably simple. After all, if you can get to work, we can get to work. But things are not quite that simple. Consider the remarkably poor level of snow clearance on the majority of roads in the city. The major avenues and bus routes are well cleaned, but otherwise the back roads where most students (and at least one teacher) live are left pracitcally uncleaned. And that's just in the city. What about my colleagues who commute anywhere from half an hour to an hour away in the suburbs? The highways are relatively clear right now, but as traffic increases for morning rush, what little ice and snow remains will almost certainly bog people down. Last Friday around 20 teachers were absent, and I'm betting the equivalent occurs today.
But let's get to the real point Ms. B: the students. The majority of them will not be at school. Yes...that's right. Even though you said they should be at school. They will NOT be there. Inertia is a powerful phenomenon. Some students will be in attendance--generally the most dense--the ones whose parents won't let them stay home because they would misbehave. But even the most attentive of student, the one who shows up because they like school, will be mentally off today. Because half their classmates will be missing...and they know that very little new material will be covered if it will have to be retaught the following day. Last week I created a makeshift lesson by letting the students do bookwork. But there was not enough time on Monday to introduce new material to students to really give them review. This does not mean I will not try if necessary. But holy moly, Betsy-wetsy, this is going to be a wasted day. And anyone in the classroom could TELL you that.
But honestly, Queen Bess, you've lost touch with the common classroom. I'm not even sure if you've even been there. Probably you graduated from a top business school with a degree in administration. Maybe a doctorate in education. And you thought you could run the school system like a business and treat students like an obedient and loyal workforce. But your real workforce, the ones who stick with this system even when it gives up on the students, your teachers, they are the ones who have to clean up the messes you cause. Messes like this snow day, or rather lack of a snow day. Because it will be a mess. As much teaching will likely occur in my classroom today as if I stayed at home. But I still have to go to school. And why? Why are both students and teachers being denied what is perhaps the last opportunity the year will offer for a weather related day off and all the stress relief benefits such would entail? Why deny us all one last happy moment of winter before the long stretch towards spring break?
You tell me, Ms. B. I'm all ears.
Sincerely yours,
Invisible Ben
