tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63788550618801686.post2189228996933178298..comments2023-11-03T12:02:33.731-04:00Comments on Ohio House GOP: Kozlowski and Carey: Bipartisan Support Shows Necessity of Calamity Days BillOhioHouseGOPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08876418381053921367noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63788550618801686.post-48255280664637855962011-03-09T14:35:01.340-05:002011-03-09T14:35:01.340-05:00Anon 3/6/2011 - you can certainly set up professio...Anon 3/6/2011 - you can certainly set up professional development ahead of time and simply offer it during the calamity day. Also, while it is true that not every child has the internet at home, most kids have books or other exercises they can do. These are all solvable problems if we get consensus that we want to solve the problem. That consensus is lacking - not from an inability to take advantage of the time but because the will isn't there. It's just easier to say - SNOW DAY! and go sledding.Marc Scharenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63788550618801686.post-52641946153502235492011-03-06T21:03:37.395-05:002011-03-06T21:03:37.395-05:00"Why not have teachers take advantage of the ..."Why not have teachers take advantage of the time for ongoing professional development or for much needed time to collaborate with their colleagues." Because professional development needs to be set up while ahead of time.<br />"You can mandate that districts have online material ready to go for the kids and take advantage of online learning possibilities"<br />Because not every child has a computer and/or the internet at home.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63788550618801686.post-68233991497935705752011-02-26T11:44:35.942-05:002011-02-26T11:44:35.942-05:00The issue isn't safety. No school district is ...The issue isn't safety. No school district is going to open or not open based on whether they have calamity days left. The legislature should give school superintendents a bit more credit than that. <br /><br />The issue is whether it is good public policy to further reduce the number of days that school is in session. As it is, Ohio (and the United States) has one of the shortest school years in the world. State mandated days for parent conferences and record keeping further reduces the number of days kids are in school.<br /><br />The issue here is - how many of the 5 calamity days should be made up. Under HB1, all but 3 calamity days should be made up. Under this bill, all but 5 calamity days should be made up. In most years, this means kids are in school 2 days less, and needlessly so. <br /><br />Ohioans should realize that we are already paying for those days, so this is pouring money we don't have down the drain. <br /><br />There are many ways to improve the bill. <br /><br />You can mandate that teachers use snow days for professional development. The safety issue for most snow days is with kids, not with adults. Why not have teachers take advantage of the time for ongoing professional development or for much needed time to collaborate with their colleagues. <br /><br />You can mandate that districts have online material ready to go for the kids and take advantage of online learning possibilities. <br /><br />Once again, the issue is not child safety and it is insulting to all school administrators to hint that someone would not close school in dangerous circumstances because of a lack of calamity days. The issue is the length of the school year. I urge the legislature to look at this issue holistically as you decide education policy.Marc Scharehttp://www.mschare.comnoreply@blogger.com