money Snow days canceled at New York City public schools
Students and teachers learned all about virtual classrooms in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic swept the nation. And a big lesson learned during that time was that snow days weren't always necessary when your entire educational process is conducted over a computer.
As more schools opened up to in-person learning over the last several months, the convenience of remote learning led some districts to question if the unscheduled day off for snow would survive.
For public schools in New York City, the nation's largest district, the snow day is no more. The city's Department of Education made the announcement in the release of its 2021-22 school year calendar.
"On 'Snow days' or days when school buildings are closed due to an emergency, all students and families should plan on participating in remote learning," the city's school district website stated.
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The policy appears to be a continuation of the district's shift last year when in September it announced it wouldn't have snow days. If school buildings couldn't open, students would learn remotely.
New York isn't alone. Education Week, a news organization covering K-12 education, surveyed principals and district leaders in November and found nationally that 39% converted snow days to remote learning days and 32% were considering it.
But the snow day isn't dead for everyone, as some districts' leaders defended the unexpected days off as a time-honored tradition that all students should enjoy.
"Snow days are chances for on-site learners and virtual learners to just be kids by playing in the snow, baking cookies, reading books and watching a good movie," New Jersey's Mahwah Township Public Schools told parents in an email in October. “These are times for memory-making, and we believe these types of opportunities should remain intact.”
USA TODAY reporter Elinor Aspegren contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Snow days canceled at New York City public schools
