Hold that thought
Now that the Portland public school bigwigs have decided that they can close only a few schools due to weather on a given day, leaving the rest open, how about expanding the smart idea of selectivity to delayed starts? Today it was obvious that there was no need for any special scheduling at most of the city's schools, and yet at a handful of schools an all-day closure was called for.
It's 2007. We all have computers and laptops. There are weather stations and weather cams all over town, and they sell them dirt cheap nowadays. Can we get the school closure machinery into the 21st Century?
| Posted at 11:40 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (5)
I agree with you, but I believe the haphazard school closure schedule is tied to the PPS school buses which zigzag all over town, east and west sides, twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon.
If all of the families could get their kids to school without any buses, PPS could close down by quadrants or neighborhoods with little or no problems.
The good news is PPS switched their buses to propane a few years ago saving the district millions at the local gas pumps.
Posted by Daphne | February 28, 2007 11:44 AM
It seems to me that the question of closing or delayed-opening schools is separate from the issue of coping with school bus delays. If a student lives far enough away from school to have to be bused -- particularly if the route goes over the West Hills -- he or she may just have to be late for school on a day like today. But kids who live in the same neighborhood as their schools should not be sitting home for two hours when the nearest snow on the ground is five miles away.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 28, 2007 11:57 AM
Don't forget, private schools go by PPS announcements too. What PPS does AFFECTS everyone. Living in the non-glamorous SE flatlands, I sure do hate to be affected by those living in Sylvan. Aren't those the citizens with the gas-guzzling SUVs meant for this kind of weather? Why do they need late openings? Their kiddies are perfectly safe in those things, right?
Posted by Irritated Mom | February 28, 2007 12:36 PM
Maybe it's time that the private schools stopped following PPS on this. It's not like the private schools can't send around a broadcast e-mail or post something on their own site at 5:30 a.m., in time to alert everyone.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 28, 2007 12:38 PM
The parents at my kid's private school maintain their own weather closure phone tree and it always works.
The principal makes one call and the phone tree goes into action.
But, they do mimic PPS, no matter what.
Posted by Daphne | February 28, 2007 12:47 PM