Your take: School schedules vs. parents' sanity

👋 Hi, Mike here. After the most recent snowstorm forced the Philly school district to switch to virtual learning, I wondered how many full and in-person weeks of school students have had recently.

🚨 Spoiler alert: Not many.

Why it matters: Working parents are left scrambling to provide care for their young children when school is canceled (or goes virtual).

🧮 By the numbers: District students have had five uninterrupted weeks of schooling inside a district building since the start of November, per Axios' calculations.

• That figure accounts for days off (think Election Day, Veterans Day, winter break), early dismissals (like for staff development), and snow days when learning went virtual.
• Worth noting: The district declined my request to confirm. But we based our numbers on the online school calendar.

What they're saying: District spokesperson Naima DeBrest tells Axios that the school calendar "ensures that students receive the full number of required instructional days and hours."

• And when inclement weather hits the region, remote learning days allow students to "continue receiving instruction and maintain academic achievement."

💭 Mike's thought bubble: Sure, virtual learning could be productive for older students in high school who are (relatively) self-sufficient.

• But as any parent with a young school-aged child will tell you, the effectiveness of remote learning seems highly suspect, and virtual days often require child care anyway — or taking the day off work entirely.

📬 Share your thoughts: What's your take on the number of days district students haven't been in school?

• Send an email to [email protected] and let us know.