Your take: School schedules vs. parents' sanity
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👋 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.
