TONAWANDA, NY (WKBW) — With another round of lake effect snows expected to hit parts of the region, it is causing some schools to shut down for another day this week.
7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley says some superintendents tell her for now a snow day and not a remote day.
“Transitioning to remote instruction or remote learning is much more complicated than just flipping a switch,” remarked Dr. Timothy Oldenburg, superintendent, Tonawanda City School District.
Tonawanda City School Superintendent Dr. Oldenburg tells me teachers need time to prepare virtual lessons to engage students from remote locations and there's nothing wrong with a good, old-fashioned snow day.
“If we were to close school, it would be a traditional snow day, which I think is still one of the joys of being a young child and having that surprise that school is just canceled for the day,” replied Oldenburg.
“It really loses something when you're calling for a remote day,” reacted Mark Laurrie, superintendent, Niagara Falls City School District.
Niagara Falls City School Superintendent Laurrie agrees. he tells me it makes no sense to force students into remote learning on a snow day.
“The remote days are really going to be in play when you have exhausted all of your snow days and we have prepared for three and haven't taken any yet. You have pre-notice, especially in a district like Niagara Falls, and that you go into it with an understanding that your full lesson and the full engagement of students is not necessarily going to be there,” Laurrie noted.
There wasn’t enough snow in the City of Tonawanda to call for a snow day, but the superintendent tells me some of his high school students made their case.
“Everything from you know mental health and the anxiety of school leading into the end of the first semester with some exams and midterms coming up to a celebratory reason for the Bills win,” explained Oldenburg.
The superintendent says a snow day is all part of growing up in Western New York and he's not ready to take that away from students.
