Middle schooler Emily Beckman is doing her darndest to bring back old-fashioned snow days to Academy District 20, the Colorado Springs, Colo., school district she attends, which converted four of six annual built-in snow days to remote learning days after the pandemic.
In a produced by Rocky Mountain PBS, 12-year-old Emily opines on the 鈥渕agical鈥� nature of these spontaneous days off: sleeping in, sipping hot cocoa, having snowball fights with her brother, sledding. But the tween has a serious streak, too. She started a for the return of school days in her school district, and recently pleaded her case before its board of education. So far, no decision has been made.
Elsewhere in the nation, the pendulum appears to be swinging back toward snow days. There are no hard data to show the precise breakdown of snow versus remote learning days during bouts of wintry weather, and policies continue to evolve. But some districts and even entire states are moving away from remote learning during inclement weather鈥攊n spite of, or perhaps because of, schools鈥� experience with remote learning during the pandemic.
鈥淚n Maine, we have always had a number of snow days, usually three or four, worked into our yearly calendar,鈥� Rebecca Wright, assistant principal at Ellsworth High School in Maine, wrote in an email.
That鈥檚 not changing anytime soon: 鈥淧eople need the break that the snow days afford, and we had poor overall attendance for remote learning鈥� during the pandemic, she said.
Changing attitudes about remote learning days
In November 2020, when extended school closures were common, an EdWeek Research Center survey reported that around 70 percent of principals and school district officials had converted or were considering converting snow days to remote learning days. That survey has not been revived, but there鈥檚 reason to believe the results would now differ.
Parents and teachers also have strong鈥攁nd mixed鈥攐pinions on remote versus snow days. Some teachers bemoan snow days, when students could be continuing their school lessons from home. But others point out that this isn鈥檛 always an equitable option, as some families lack internet connections or computers.
Other educators, like Maryland high school teacher Rebekah, appreciate the break snow days offer. 鈥淪now days are magical and allow for much-needed play, especially for older students,鈥� Rebekah said on X.
For parents, how they feel about snow days depends on their family鈥檚 personal circumstances. Overseeing their children鈥檚 remote learning while working from home can be challenging for parents.
Why the pendulum seems to be swinging in favor of snow days
A move away from remote learning days is happening even in areas that experience significant snowfall. Anchorage, Alaska, for instance, has what experts call a 鈥渟ubarctic鈥� climate. In , 132 inches of snow fell there. But this December, the Anchorage school district it was pivoting from remote learning back to snow days.
The district made the announcement after Alaska鈥檚 education commissioner, , suggested in a letter to the state鈥檚 superintendents that school districts reconsider remote learning, saying it doesn鈥檛 鈥渁dequately meet students鈥� needs.鈥� The commissioner鈥檚 office did not respond to Education Week鈥檚 request for further comment.
Still, some parents in the Alaska school district were frustrated by the decision. Jessica Casperson, parent to elementary and middle school students, pointed out that Alaska鈥檚 summers are short already, and tacking on instructional days at the end of the school year will cut into them even further.
鈥淲hen you are now adding on extra school days where we could have just been doing remote learning days, that really interferes with family time,鈥� she told a .
Meanwhile, Natalie Page, principal of Sesser-Valier High School in Sesser, Ill., said their area has been hit hard with snow and ice this week鈥攈ard enough to close schools for three consecutive days. They鈥檝e all been snow days.
鈥淲e decided that going a few extra days at the end of May [to make up lost time] was worth it since our students learn best in person,鈥� Page wrote in an email.
Not all administrators side with snow days
Not everyone鈥檚 on board with snow days.
Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, has long supported multiple efforts鈥攆irst introduced by state policymakers about a decade ago, well before the pandemic鈥攖o allow schools to use remote learning days during bouts of inclement weather. A long-established state law that requires a minimum of 180 in-class instruction days per academic year stands in the way. (An exception was made during the pandemic.)
鈥淚t seems quizzical, almost whimsical. I don鈥檛 understand why this [legislation] hasn鈥檛 passed,鈥� Bozza said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not suggesting that this remote learning is going to be used frequently. It鈥檚 just another tool that school district leaders can use to make responsible decisions in the best interest of students.鈥�
Back in Colorado Springs, middle school student Emily Beckman perseveres in her quest to convert remote learning days back to snow days. To date, her petition has garnered 3,395 signatures.
Krystal Story, spokesperson for Academy District 20, said the district has long been reviewing its snow-day policies and, in November, distributed a survey to staff, parents, and students soliciting their feedback; it received more than 4,500 responses. The district is reviewing survey responses and hopes to make an announcement about snow-day policies soon, Story said.
