No more snow days?

Remember waking up on a snowy weekday morning, hoping Mother Nature would cause school to be canceled? It is not uncommon in our part of the country. But really, that school day isn’t canceled, just postponed, typically until the end of the school year. A snowy winter often means kids are still in school well into June. But in Minnesota, that may no longer be the case. Minnesota legislators are considering doing away with snow days. Instead of canceling classes during the harshest winter days, students would learn from home. They would get on their laptops or tablets and follow along with the teacher’s online instructions from home. This makes sense. Kids already spend as much time as possible with their eyes fixed on a small screen. This way they wouldn’t have to go to school in the summer, when attention spans for both students and teachers are likely shorter as the weather warms. If approved, Minnesota schools would not be required to teach online on snow days. Instead, it would be an option for districts. There may be some hurdles, like how to teach students who don’t have internet access at home. But this idea has merit, and is something that Wisconsin lawmakers should consider as well.