I don't understand why NYC public schools don't close

[Dream]

It's crazy out there, had to make a huge effort to just to get out. DH took DD out to school but 2 blocks down he couldn't go so they're turning around and coming back.

I can't believe they're not closing the schools, all private schools are closed but nyc public schools are open. What are they thinking:thumbsdown:

[Green_Tea]

Not in NYC, but a friend who is seems to think the new mayor is trying to make some sort of statement. Seems like a dumb move!

[mmsmom]

I agree but after listening to a NPR program yesterday about homelessness in the US where they pointed out that for a lot of kids school is the only place where they are warm and fed, I am glad they stay open. I would hope though that they are lenient on attendance policies for those that can't get there.

[TwinFoxes]

OP, a friend of mine posted that schools were open, and I was really surprised!


I agree but after listening to a NPR program yesterday about homelessness in the US where they pointed out that for a lot of kids school is the only place where they are warm and fed, I am glad they stay open. I would hope though that they are lenient on attendance policies for those that can't get there.

It does seem like there should be some sort of school's equivalent to the Feds' "liberal leave" policy on inclement weather days. Our county is huge, so it can literally be a trace of snow in the eastern part, and really coming down in the western part, so the whole district closes. I think it's time for some outside the box thinking when it comes to closing policies in a lot of districts.

[ErinMC]

I agree but after listening to a NPR program yesterday about homelessness in the US where they pointed out that for a lot of kids school is the only place where they are warm and fed, I am glad they stay open. I would hope though that they are lenient on attendance policies for those that can't get there.

Agreed. My sister teaches in the Chicago Public Schools and has said the same thing - the schools stay open to give the kids a warm place and lunch. At the same time, it's tough to expect kids who walk to school and/or take public transportation (thinking of middle and high schoolers here) to be out in the elements in weather like this.

[rachelh]

I agree but after listening to a NPR program yesterday about homelessness in the US where they pointed out that for a lot of kids school is the only place where they are warm and fed, I am glad they stay open. I would hope though that they are lenient on attendance policies for those that can't get there.

Yup! Except for the fact that I saw on the news this am that some kids were stuck waiting outside school in the snow because no one was there yet to open the doors for them.

[Dream]

I agree but after listening to a NPR program yesterday about homelessness in the US where they pointed out that for a lot of kids school is the only place where they are warm and fed, I am glad they stay open. I would hope though that they are lenient on attendance policies for those that can't get there.

I would be ok with this but then its not fair to expect us to get the kids to school in this weather and will be marked absent if they're not in school. Not matter how safe we drive there's other vehicle on the road and right now it doesn't feel safe at all.

[BabyBearsMom]

OP, a friend of mine posted that schools were open, and I was really surprised!



It does seem like there should be some sort of school's equivalent to the Feds' "liberal leave" policy on inclement weather days. Our county is huge, so it can literally be a trace of snow in the eastern part, and really coming down in the western part, so the whole district closes. I think it's time for some outside the box thinking when it comes to closing policies in a lot of districts.

Yes please! Where I grew up, closings were decided town by town not at the county level. I so wish they would adopt that policy here! I am dreading the girls starting school and dealing with the 9 zillion county snow days.

[egoldber]

closings were decided town by town not at the county level. I so wish they would adopt that policy here!

Well, this is one of the largest districts in the country. Many places have town based districts, so that does make it easier. But there are also advantages to the larger district. :) And this school year is very unusual. We haven't had this many closings since Snowmageddon. :) Most years they don't have any snow days, or only a couple.

[Dream]

This is not the first time NYC public schools didn't close, we had so many storms so far and the schools only closed one day, the day after schools opened in the New Year. It seems like snow days in NYC are very rare.

[vonfirmath]

Well, this is one of the largest districts in the country. Many places have town based districts, so that does make it easier. But there are also advantages to the larger district. :) And this school year is very unusual. We haven't had this many closings since Snowmageddon. :) Most years they don't have any snow days, or only a couple.

We have a town based district, but have recently started making decisions more on a county based level anyway because of the teachers and such who come from the surrounding area.

[egoldber]

We have a town based district, but have recently started making decisions more on a county based level anyway because of the teachers and such who come from the surrounding area.

I recently read an interview with the person who decided school closings/delays for our district and he said this was one of the things they had to consider as well. Even if our county is mostly OK, so many teachers here live in surrounding (less expensive COL) counties that it doesn't make sense to open if the teachers can't get in to work.

[alleycat]

It seems like snow days in NYC are very rare.

Just saw part of the mayor's news conference, since 1978, NYC has had 11 snow days.

Growing up in NYC, I can't recall having any snow days (tho according to the mayor, there were the 11). I do remember the time there was early dismissal in April because a blizzard was coming.


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[Pyrodjm]

There have only been 11 snow days since NYC since 1978.

I grew up here, don't remember a single one. It's like a sick joke. I taught in public schools for 3 years. We just knew that no matter what, the schools would open. It's unsafe, especially on mornings like this one. This afternoon when buses are bringing kids home, it'll be on roads covered with a mix of icy rain and snow. I just keep my kids home and yes it's counted as an absence just like any other. They can kiss my butt with their stupid attendance policy. My kids won't be penalized because I have more sense than the mayor. If it's not safe for me to drive on the road, children shouldn't be expected to get to school. All of NYC is NOT Manhattan. There are many, many areas in the outer boroughs where trains don't run and they aren't at all easily accessed by public transportation.

[Dream]

There have only been 11 snow days since NYC since 1978.

I grew up here, don't remember a single one. It's like a sick joke. I taught in public schools for 3 years. We just knew that no matter what, the schools would open. It's unsafe, especially on mornings like this one. This afternoon when buses are bringing kids home, it'll be on roads covered with a mix of icy rain and snow. I just keep my kids home and yes it's counted as an absence just like any other. They can kiss my butt with their stupid attendance policy. My kids won't be penalized because I have more sense than the mayor. If it's not safe for me to drive on the road, children shouldn't be expected to get to school. All of NYC is NOT Manhattan. There are many, many areas in the outer boroughs where trains don't run and they aren't at all easily accessed by public transportation.

Totally agree. We managed to bring her to school during the other storms but just couldn't waddle through this one. My younger daughter attends Montessori in the Great Neck school district and they close when ever there's bad storms like this.

[llama8]

On LI we are all closed, but I can't believe the city schools didn't close. So many teachers risk their lives to drive in and hardly any kids show. Many of my city school teacher friends have 5 out of 30 kids in their class show up while they risked their lives to come in. The school bus accident today will hopefully lead to a lawsuit and the school will close in the future when the weather is this bad out.

[Dream]

On LI we are all closed, but I can't believe the city schools didn't close. So many teachers risk their lives to drive in and hardly any kids show. Many of my city school teacher friends have 5 out of 30 kids in their class show up while they risked their lives to come in. The school bus accident today will hopefully lead to a lawsuit and the school will close in the future when the weather is this bad out.

I feel bad for the teachers. I didn't know there was a school bus accident today.

[lmh2402]

DeBlasio is an a$$. and today's poor decision (and attempt to then backtrack and blame the weather forecasters) is just further evidence that he's an a$$.

i think i had a total of maybe 2 snow days - where the schools were actually closed - growing up (attending NYC public schools). but i do remember them closing when it was truly bad. i remember an early closing once. and i remember even closing for a hurricane. you don't put people's safety at risk like this. it's awful.

[buddyleebaby]

I'm in NYC right now and even after growing up here and attending NYC public schools, I can't believe they kept schools open today. It is, in my opinion, extremely dangerous out there. Cops need to be out. Medics need to be out. Nurses need to be out. Let the teachers and CHILDREN stay home.

ETA DiBlasio has somehow bungled every storm since he took office.

[pastrygirl]

I grew up in NYC, too, and don't remember schools closing for snow. I remember staying home very, very occasionally because of snow, but am not sure if it was an actual snow closing. I had a 5-block walk to school and don't remember ever having trouble walking there and back in the snow.

[janine]

Watching it on the news now - majority of our office (including Manhattan based people) stayed home. Total rookie decision by the new mayor who said "as a PARENT" repeatedly as a basis for his decision...how about as a MAYOR for the city that got some 9 inches? Buried here in NJ, hope all the kids who went in got home safe.

[buddyleebaby]

Watching it on the news now - majority of our office (including Manhattan based people) stayed home. Total rookie decision by the new mayor who said "as a PARENT" repeatedly as a basis for his decision...how about as a MAYOR for the city that got some 9 inches? Buried here in NJ, hope all the kids who went in got home safe.

Not to mention that as a PARENT he closed schools last month for a storm that was not nearly as bad.

And then the school chancellor actually said "it's a beautiful day out there right now". What planet are they on? The very next news story was about a pregnant woman killed by a snow plow.

[llama8]

Not to mention that as a PARENT he closed schools last month for a storm that was not nearly as bad.

And then the school chancellor actually said "it's a beautiful day out there right now". What planet are they on? The very next news story was about a pregnant woman killed by a snow plow.

So true!!! Unbelievable.

[TwinFoxes]

I recently read an interview with the person who decided school closings/delays for our district and he said this was one of the things they had to consider as well. Even if our county is mostly OK, so many teachers here live in surrounding (less expensive COL) counties that it doesn't make sense to open if the teachers can't get in to work.

I do get this, that why I said there needs some outside the box thinking. It's just one of those things where I think the Steve Jobs's (RIP), Mark Cubans, and Sheryl Sandberg's of the world could come up with something. I don't know what...it just seems like saying over and over "no it won't work" isn't the way to go. I do wonder exactly how many teachers live really far away from their schools. At my former/DH's current job, they send other employees to pick up essential workers in rented SUVs during storms. I'm not saying that's the way to go, but I really do think that we need to think of something. i don't think it should be regular school days across the county, but some sort of "school day light". Maybe even just opening up a few schools as "centers" and sending students and teachers there. I'm just talking off the top of my head (or out of my ...) but I really think SOMETHING can be thought of. :) I'd just love to see them try SOMETHING.

[magnoliaparadise]

Yeah, that NYC Schools were open is mind boggling. Since we were so close to vacation, I made my DD1 go, but I gotta say, what made me stop and question MY decision to send my kid to school and follow the Mayor's words that school was open was that the Mayor THEN put out some sort of 'Hazard Warning' for the city. There was a big alert that the Mayor was advising residents to stay at home and not use the streets or public transportation because the roads were so bad. WTF? Thanks for telling me that AFTER you apparently thought it was safe enough for me to put my child on a school bus on the same roads that you are advising adults to stay off of, argh! That he did not acknowledge the hypocrisy of that and that no one kind of asked him to (maybe they did) is surprising. It's not a huge deal in the scheme of the world, but I gotta say, I started questioning the Mayor's judgement. Next time, I'll decide on my own.

The slushiness at the end of the day wasn't horrible, but the walkways were so blocked that on many streets, I literally had to carry one child at a time, cross the street, leave them at the other side of the street, and return to cross the traffic again to get the second child. And though DD1 is 6, she was scared to be left at the street corner of a busy road. At one point, I was going back to get her to cross the street and an older woman was helping her across and honestly, I started tearing up. I SO needed that help and I really appreciated it. Having a stranger help your kid when your kid is anxious is such a great gift.

And then there were these huge puddles up to my knees that you couldn't get around and my DD1 slipped and fell and was all wet and we had to take the subway home and she was crying... crazy day!

[westwoodmom04]

We're aren't the only ones wondering. http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2014/02/13/why_nyc_schools_don_t_have_snow_days.html It seems that they want to make sure that kids that wouldn't otherwise have heat and food have access to it. Also, it sounds like they were expecting a lot of kids who didn't need those things to stay home.

[Dream]

We're aren't the only ones wondering. http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2014/02/13/why_nyc_schools_don_t_have_snow_days.html It seems that they want to make sure that kids that wouldn't otherwise have heat and food have access to it. Also, it sounds like they were expecting a lot of kids who didn't need those things to stay home.

Then they should have announced that attendance was NOT mandatory!!

[vonfirmath]

What about the teachers that have tio get there to be there for the students? And because they have to get to class, that means they have to take THEIR kids to whatever childcare arrangements they have...