How does a 2 hour delay help anything? Either close school or make it a regular day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The frustrating thing about today is that it's a temperature issue rather than an icy roads issue. I think they should be handled differently, because there are no direct safety issues with normal start time on very cold days.

Here's my idea. On 2 hour delayed starts, school staff (or selected school staff) should be asked to report on time. School administrators can handle this as they'd like to (liberal leave for teachers/staff who need it). School doors open as usual and kids are corralled in the gym/library/cafeteria etc. until the start of school. This is exactly what happens on a normal day (for ES and MS), except the period of corralling would be up to 2 hours instead of 40 minutes. Enough teachers would be on hand to keep things under control.

After the first year of doing it this way, the school would get a sense of how many teachers/staff they would need on hand based on the number of kids who arrive. Probably more in some schools than others. And they could use a rotation or whatever method they want to staff the normal arrival period.

This would make it safer for all kids, because parents would choose the safer option for them. And if not so many kids are in need of the early drop off option, most of the teachers could use the two hours as a planning period.

Have you ever corralled hundreds of children in a relatively small space for hours? Please get back to me once you’ve done it and let me know how it goes. What you’re proposing is hours of free babysitting. Who wouldn’t send their kids for hours of free babysitting. Teachers and staff are not babysitters. If you want a babysitter for your kid then hire one privately or send your kid to before/after care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The frustrating thing about today is that it's a temperature issue rather than an icy roads issue. I think they should be handled differently, because there are no direct safety issues with normal start time on very cold days.

Here's my idea. On 2 hour delayed starts, school staff (or selected school staff) should be asked to report on time. School administrators can handle this as they'd like to (liberal leave for teachers/staff who need it). School doors open as usual and kids are corralled in the gym/library/cafeteria etc. until the start of school. This is exactly what happens on a normal day (for ES and MS), except the period of corralling would be up to 2 hours instead of 40 minutes. Enough teachers would be on hand to keep things under control.

After the first year of doing it this way, the school would get a sense of how many teachers/staff they would need on hand based on the number of kids who arrive. Probably more in some schools than others. And they could use a rotation or whatever method they want to staff the normal arrival period.

This would make it safer for all kids, because parents would choose the safer option for them. And if not so many kids are in need of the early drop off option, most of the teachers could use the two hours as a planning period.

Have you ever corralled hundreds of children in a relatively small space for hours? Please get back to me once you’ve done it and let me know how it goes. What you’re proposing is hours of free babysitting. Who wouldn’t send their kids for hours of free babysitting. Teachers and staff are not babysitters. If you want a babysitter for your kid then hire one privately or send your kid to before/after care.

Thank you! What a nightmare!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The frustrating thing about today is that it's a temperature issue rather than an icy roads issue. I think they should be handled differently, because there are no direct safety issues with normal start time on very cold days.

Here's my idea. On 2 hour delayed starts, school staff (or selected school staff) should be asked to report on time. School administrators can handle this as they'd like to (liberal leave for teachers/staff who need it). School doors open as usual and kids are corralled in the gym/library/cafeteria etc. until the start of school. This is exactly what happens on a normal day (for ES and MS), except the period of corralling would be up to 2 hours instead of 40 minutes. Enough teachers would be on hand to keep things under control.

After the first year of doing it this way, the school would get a sense of how many teachers/staff they would need on hand based on the number of kids who arrive. Probably more in some schools than others. And they could use a rotation or whatever method they want to staff the normal arrival period.

This would make it safer for all kids, because parents would choose the safer option for them. And if not so many kids are in need of the early drop off option, most of the teachers could use the two hours as a planning period.

You do understand that it is not the school’s responsibility to provide babysitting for your child, right? One of your obligations as a parent is to figure out childcare for the hours that your child is not in school. In case you haven’t figured it out, this will happen a handful of times a year. So you need to plan accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with OP. Someone should at least open the school so some kids can arrive at the regular time and do study hall

It is called SACC ...and the waitlist is a mile long

[Anonymous]

The children should be corralled into a gym of other space? Only in MD, only in MD!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How come DCPS was open yesterday and today on time. Those kids are walking to school in the dark

Eh, DC is a heat island and hardly get any snow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go in late, telecommute, ask your husband to handle it, pay someone, carpool, etc.

You are a bad parent if you make your kids walk.

Actually you are a bad parent for driving them. How coddling can we be to make our kids so entitled and lazy. Wrap them up like Ralphy’s mom did in Christmas Story and send them on their way. These kids are desperate for exercise. You starting up and heating the car to drive to the bus stop or the school is obnoxious. Only this generation of parents think cold air is unsafe. How have the Canadians not all died of hypothermia yet?

The mommies driving kids about 7 houses to the bus stop, only to turn around to drive BACK the 7 houses back home again, are ridiculous. Do you remember a bunch of cars idling at your bus stop as a kid?

Yes! There's a bunch of cars lined up at the bus stop all winter long and whenever it rains throughout the year. One of those cars is my next door neighbor, I live 4 houses away from the stop! I walk my kid to the bus stop as I walk the dog, no matter the weather and there are 5th graders sitting in cars, unable to walk 5-10 houses distance in the cold apparently. Ridiculous. Kids are dressed head to toe in Under Armour, I'm sure they can afford umbrellas for rain and appropriate winter apparels.

We have a lot of cars at the bus stop, but I think most of the parents leave straight from the stop for work. I walk my kids because they prefer it. I would prefer to drive because then I could leave straight from the stop but it actually takes us longer to drive to the stop than to walk. Anyway, umbrellas are not allowed on our MCPS ES school bus. Parent must take the umbrella if kid has one when kid gets on the bus.

What the heck? What school. Never heard of that. My DD has an umbrella in her backpack every day. I never drive her and I don’t walk with her either. She uses that umbrella to and from if needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Diesel engines on area school-buses are not equipped to start easily in low temperatures. The two hour delay is to ensure that mechanics can start all buses to avoid failures once kids are on board.

That is the ONLY reason, since a two hour delay from 8 to 10 am doesn't affect the temperature by that much.

I’m reporting this post. It’s factual, informative, rational, and not the slightest bit snarky. It doesn’t belong on DCUM.

Right?! Can someone please come in here and call this PP some nasty names?

It may be factual, but it was not the stated reason for the delay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go in late, telecommute, ask your husband to handle it, pay someone, carpool, etc.

You are a bad parent if you make your kids walk.

You’re such a loser.

I’m not OP but she’s a “bad parent” if she has to work and her kids have to walk? Go to hell. You’re an anonymous troll spewing negative crap at strangers; I’m sure you’re a happy and fulfilled person.

OP is making the point she’s in a jam. Also millions of kids in vast swaths of the world have walked outside at 15 degrees with no issue. Sorry your precious snowflakes are soft as puppy sh$t.

Overnight low is 2F where I am. I have to agree with pp that if you let your kid walk tomorrow morning, I think you meet the “bad parent” criteria.

Bad parent here. My 8 and 10yr old walk daily - without any adults either. I know, the horror!!! Sometimes they meet up with other neighbors. Sometimes not. Even if one is sick, the other goes and meets up with other kids.

Rain, heat, snow, or cold. Only time I think about taking or getting them is if there is a thunderstorm now. I remember an ES teacher commenting on a post last year stating her walkers were the most attentitive in class. She attribituted to getting exercise and fresh air. It really hit home and this year I drive them so much less. I think it is great to wake them up in the AM and de stress them when they walk home. I clearly see a difference in the afternoon. And going in all kinds of weather makes them resilient, accountable for checking the weather and dressing appropriately. But yes, I am a bad mom.

Good for you PP! We have all the SAHM in pajamas in their minivans sitting at the bus stop every morning. The few kids that walk get the luxury of breathing in all the fumes. We are talking 70 degrees and sunny.

I don’t get it. If you already in the car, just drive them to school and stop the build up of toxocities at the bus stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Diesel engines on area school-buses are not equipped to start easily in low temperatures. The two hour delay is to ensure that mechanics can start all buses to avoid failures once kids are on board.

That is the ONLY reason, since a two hour delay from 8 to 10 am doesn't affect the temperature by that much.

I’m reporting this post. It’s factual, informative, rational, and not the slightest bit snarky. It doesn’t belong on DCUM.

Right?! Can someone please come in here and call this PP some nasty names?

It may be factual, but it was not the stated reason for the delay.

WHOOOOOOOOOSH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Diesel engines on area school-buses are not equipped to start easily in low temperatures. The two hour delay is to ensure that mechanics can start all buses to avoid failures once kids are on board.

That is the ONLY reason, since a two hour delay from 8 to 10 am doesn't affect the temperature by that much.

I’m reporting this post. It’s factual, informative, rational, and not the slightest bit snarky. It doesn’t belong on DCUM.

Right?! Can someone please come in here and call this PP some nasty names?

It may be factual, but it was not the stated reason for the delay.

WHOOOOOOOOOSH.

Seriously. The reason given was “subzero windchills.” I guess the PP is an extremely concrete thinker.