Ridiculous to Close School Early?

[FlwrPwer]

I just wanted to get some insight as to what people here thought about this. I know what people around my area think, but I thought it would be cool to get some outside perspective.

I live in NY...southern NY. We are still in school. School does not end here until the 26th of June. We have such a long year because we don't usually get hot weather until the end of June so we are able to go into June.

Anyway, that all being said, our schools are not air conditioned....neither are our school buses. The amount of time using the a/c wouldn't warrant the price it would cost to put it in and run as we get out of school in June and start in September. A/C months in NY are really June, July, August and the beginning of Sept.

Yesterday, the temperature climbed to about 99 degrees and the heat index was well over 100 degrees. The administration came in and our classrooms were coming in at 96 degrees. With all that, many school districts closed early due to the extreme "heat." I have read articles in our local paper that people thought this was stupid and a bad idea. As a teacher, I know that when the temp heats that high, no kid wants to learn....or even has the ability to learn. As I walked through the halls yesterday, every classroom had the lights out, to reduce heat. It's a cinderblock building, much like all schools are. They do not breathe at all. Now, put 26 students in each room, sweating and the body temp raises the temp of the room.

I believe that no kid could learn that way and that closing early was smart. Especially with the amount of asthma problems we have today. How is a kid supposed to learn when they are dripping in sweat and the lights are turned off to reduce heat?

Anyway, I wanted to see what everyone else thought. Stupid to close early or smart on the part of the school districts?

Today the temp is supposed to go up to 98 again. We have air quality alerts and heat advisories advising people to stay in a/c houses. Odds are, it'll happen again....Not to mention that we have a cooking staff that has to cook in a kitchen that is 100 degrees. We have to give the kids lunch.

What would you do?

[AmyJane]

Aside from them not being able to learn in conditions like that it's just not healthy. I think it's right that they close the schools early or don't open them at all.
When I was in elementary school I remember one winter the heat broke and it got coooold in there. They sent us home even though we had clothes to bundle up in.
Stay home and stay cool, Karen!

[FlwrPwer]

Well, we are going in today to see what happens. The thing I find funny is, the parents who are complaining about us sending the kids home early, would be the same parents who would file a lawsuit if their student had heatstroke, got sick due to heat, or got dehydrated. Nothing pleases these people.

Their argument is taxes are so high, we should have a/c, but like I said, the cost to put it in and run it wouldnt be worth it. We wouldn't use it enough.

Some parents felt that we should've kept them in school to help them deal with adversity, but honestly, how many of those parents are working in a non-a/c job? So yeah, it was an inconvenience for them to have their students let home early, but because it inconveniences them, I should sit and swelter in a non-a/c building and the kids should be exposed to the health risks? please....

Sometimes parents are their own worst enemy. I think today the school will do whatever it takes to keep us in all day to quiet the parents. But like I said, those same parents complaining will be the first to file a lawsuit.

[AmyJane]

Yeah...you can never win when it comes to those types of parents. I know what you have to deal with. My best friend is a 1st grade teacher and she complains about certain parents all the time. Luckily she's done for the year. She's 8 months pregnant and can't deal with the heat in the classroom and has mild preeclampsia so she's been put on minor bed rest.

Well, good luck today! I hope they don't care about the griping parents and send you and the kids home! They say it's going to be hotter today than it was yesterday!

[SatelliteBlueNB]

I think it would be smart to send them home early. I remember back in elementary school, they sent us home when we had a heatwave because of the 'unsafe' conditions. I don't see why your school sees it as otherwise.

You could always buy one of those little air conditioners (not the window units, the freestanding ones.) and just put it in your classroom and then store it away when you don't need it. I'm sure your students would love you for it. And everyone else would be coming to hang out in your cool classroom!

[callisto9]

I think sending them home makes sense. You're talking about health and the potential to learn and both are in jeopardy when it's that hot. I know when I'm that hot, I get moody and fidgety. Sweating does not a happy girl make.

I hear ya' on the parents though. I bet they are a pain.

[pdoel]

I think they definitely should have closed school early. School's aren't designed to be cool. They get pretty hot. Our high school had a wing added. When it was designed, it was designed to be air conditioned, but then they changed their minds. So that whole section had just one or two tiny windows in each class room. It baked when it got warm.

I'm actually surprised you guys go as late as June 26th. That's way too long. Yeah, we're towards the north, but it still gets very warm come June. Our schools always ended the first week of June. The end of June is way too late.

[warren]

Originally Posted by FlwrPwer

The thing I find funny is, the parents who are complaining about us sending the kids home early, would be the same parents who would file a lawsuit if their student had heatstroke, got sick due to heat, or got dehydrated. Nothing pleases these people.

yep. kudos to your administration on making the decision to close...definitely the right thing to do.

[Lnzbug]

I think your school was right to close. What are snow days for?? Bad weather. I think a few heat days should be built in too.I think the school district should have parent teaching days. Let them suffer for just one day. They'll change their minds.
Good luck today. You could always have water balloon fights at recess

[FlwrPwer]

Well, the announcement was made and they will be dimissing the kids at noon today. This is a good time because the air quality is supposed to get real bad around 1:00.

Pete: the reason we go so late I think has a lot to do with holidays. The large Jewish population insures we get the High Holy Days off as well. Not that i'm complaining
We have a 41 week year, just like everyone else, so I think the reason we go so late is due to holidays.

[pdoel]

Ahhh. Yeah, we never got those types of holidays off.

[Lnzbug]

We get them off too. But we also start back to school in August. We also have air conditioning. I love the burbs.

[Smileybug]

Where I went to school, most schools had a/c but some didn't. We went to school into mid-June in Maryland. So on really hot days, we got out early for those schools without a/c. Why they didn't just let the ones without a/c get out early I don't know, but hey, not complaining!

We had the opposite problem. In winter, they would hardly ever delay opening, let alone cancel if weather was bad. In '96 we had a blizzard come through. I lived on a dead-end road. We had 32" of snow. School was closed for a few days but when they finally started it back up, my road still wasn't plowed. Called the school and their answer was that "the main roads are fine so figure out how to get here". Rediculous. And in high school, we had morning that was really icy. We had a 2-hour delay and the ice was still heavy...on the main road to the school (which was a very heavily traveled road). So we all are like, well, there is no way they are going to make us come to school...WRONG! I got picked up by my bf and his stepdad so I didn't have to walk. From my house, it took literally 5 minutes to drive to school. This day took 15 minutes. Everyone was at least twenty minutes late. And there was an accident with a few cars and a schoolbus. Needless to say, after that, the county rethought things. Then we got out constantly...even if it *might* snow, we'd get out early. Used up all our dang snow days too but at least everyone was safe after that. Sad it had to take an accident for them to wake up!

[BUGINME]

I am sitting here waiting for the AC repair guy to come, and I am hot and cranky.....I cannot imagine having to be in a hot classroom and expect to learn anything!

[Lnzbug]

Our ac is out too! The guy comes thursday to install a new unit. It's already cooled off considerably from this past weekend. Oh well, better late than never

[BUGINME]

Ours is less than a year old and not working!!

[Lnzbug]

That They better get out soon! The guy we're using should be ok, all the cops use him
I hope he gets out soon for you Michele. Did you check all the circuits to make sure one's not tripped?

[BUGINME]

My husband checked everything possible, then I made him do it again!!!

[D2Beetle]

Even in the Marine Corps we had what they called "Black Flag" days, so I see no problem in what the schools are doing; better safe than sorry when it comes to our children.

However all school buildings should be climate controlled, always, regardless of what the normal weather is.

[mybugrocks]

i think it was a good idea to close...i know what its like to be in heat and try to learn...granted it never got that hot but im heat intolerable so it was difficult for me...those kids needed to be sent home good job school administration