https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:01:53 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873439 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 23:11:59 +0000 Grace 2873439@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsMini: I’m in Winnipeg, so I’ve thought that was weird too, but it must have something to do with it being a lot warmer on the East Coast than on the prairies. DH goes to Halifax to work and he says the whole city shuts down for snow all the time. Definitely not just an American thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873424 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 21:14:24 +0000 youboots 2873424@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes people who make gross assumptions behind a keyboard are 🙄 Also no wonder kids get such a sense of entitlement when they hear their parents make icky comments about teachers. Or treat educators like the help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873420 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 21:08:30 +0000 Mrsbells 2873420@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I think many parents are just frustrated with snow days. It can be hard scrambling to figure things out but naturally people only realize how hard it is for them and dont think about it from the other perspective. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873419 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 21:02:46 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2873419@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I think all public employees get frustrated with all the public opinions, lol. Sorry you had to put up with that. Changes in routines can be frustrating and it sounds like people didn't act like their best selves in reacting, and you probably heard/got the worst of it. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873340 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 13:17:17 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2873340@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: The exact same thing happened in Northern VA back in 2011 - commute time snow that basically paralyzed the whole area. Took people 8+ hours to get home, kids stuck on buses for hours, etc. This area is conservative on snow anyway because it's further south and doesn't deal with snow well, but after the 2011 storm it's gotten even worse, so FWIW, I do get the knee-jerk reaction and it may not ease up any time soon, unfortunately. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873335 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 13:04:05 +0000 yerpie110 2873335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I live and work in Bergen County (15 minute commute) and in that November storm, it took me an astounding 7 hours to get home! My husband works in Newark and it took him 10.5! I have never experienced anything like what happened, and neither have my parents/co workers who have been in this area their entire lives. The stories from that day still feel surreal. </p> <p>That storm was pure insanity and I think many schools in our area are still traumatized by the incident (as I am) and being extremely cautious/conservative in their decisions. It's interesting because the storms we've had this season have been more snow that shifts to ice that shifts to rain. I don't remember a lot of storms like that in years past. It's the ice that gets everyone worried, which I think many parents don't understand. 2 inches of snow is nothing, but 2 inches of snow plus an inch of ice and you're looking at disaster. </p> <p>I hear parents complain all the time on social media in our area. Schools are dammed if they do, dammed if they don't. It's annoying but for me, safety is always first. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873306 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 11:26:17 +0000 Anagram 2873306@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsMini: yeah, this year has been odd. Typically we only close for more like 6+ inches and only if roads are bad (like if it snows, then warms up and turns to ice overnight). If they can plow and roads are clear, then there’s typically no closed school.</p> <p>But this last November, there was an early snow that started right during school dismissal—it was projected to only snow 1-2 inches but it dumped about 5-6 all in about 2 hours. The problem was, it made everyone try to leave work early (people that normally work way last school dismissal), so the whole NYC metro was on the roads at once and no plows or salt trucks could get through because of traffic. It made a traffic snarl of epic proportions—it took me 6.5 hours to get home. Some schools had to keep students overnight because their parents couldn’t reach them. </p> <p>So it’s less about snow and more about the bad weather/traffic/wrecks combination in the most populous urban area in the US. If that makes sense. </p> <p>Anyway, now everyone is overly cautious because the same people that are complaining. About yesterday were also complaining about November when schools didn’t get out early. There were kids on buses for like 5-6 hours. It was crazy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873305 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 11:00:42 +0000 MsMini 2873305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It seems like snow days are so common in the states! I live in Alberta Canada and the rural schools that serve more of the farming communities close rarely but the city schools almost never close! Our school board actually made a statement that schools would remain open unless “dire” circumstances presented themselves. We have had extreme cold weather warnings, extreme snowfall warnings etc and the schools in town are always open! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873270 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 09:06:43 +0000 Anagram 2873270@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Carrot: To be fair, the majority of parents range from totally normal to even super great. There's just always a vocal minority of perpetually unsatisfied people. And I'm sure every workplace/career has those people. Sometimes I feel like teachers hear it more often, because every adult has been in a classroom for many years, so that lends a false familiarity that we all think since we've been in a classroom, we know what it's like to teach and therefore we feel entitled to have a vocal opinion. =) </p> <p>I am totally over it today. Ready to focus again and remember the appreciative majority. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873254 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 08:16:34 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2873254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I grew up in Bergen County, my parents still live there (in the same apartment building I grew up in because they insisted on working 3 jobs each to live in the county so we could go to the schools there) and all your comments here (about the entitled parents, the lack of support for social services like paid leave, etc.) is exactly why I refuse to move back despite wanting my daughter to grow up closer to her grandparents (hubby's parents are in Union). That aside, though :)</p> <p>As a parent of a kindergartner, now living in a similarly affluent county in Northern VA, I completely agree that parents are assholes and I've been known to be one of them. I have never once blamed the teachers, because y'all have the hardest job ever and these calls are not on you in any way (and probably complicate things more than they help). I get frustrated with the inconsistency of snow days in our county - often closes for what seems like minor weather events, and because the county is so big and does have a lot of affluence and also a high percentage of kids who are on free and reduced meals and parents who work hourly jobs that don't have the flexibility to just stay home, so that frustrates me. But I also know the calls are made out of extra caution, and it's hard to make everyone happy. I can't fathom how anyone can blame the teachers, though, that's just crap behavior and particularly in Bergen County people need to wise up. Thank you for what you do, I'm sorry on behalf of the jerks I grew up with :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873248 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 08:03:32 +0000 Anagram 2873248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dynamite: There's a little bit of that, but I think that's common all over the US. And parents realllllllly pass it on to their kids. I have a student right now who came into our newly renovated library and said "My parents said our taxes paid for all of this". What a weird comment to make.</p> <p>And actually, the library reno was funded by the educational fund, which is a charity started by and maintained by parents--they raise huge amounts of money for just this type of thing. And I got the feeling this kid's parents were probably not the type to be involved in the educational fund.</p> <p>It's just a specific type of disrespect/entitlement. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873219 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 00:07:59 +0000 Dynamite 2873219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I get stressed out on snow days thinking about all the kids whose only consistent meals come from school. The thought of those kids going hungry just kills me. My kid goes to a Title I school, so it's a lot of her little class mates. :( </p> <p>It's also pretty messed up that the area you teach in is too expensive for teachers to live there. It kind of makes sense that parents might feel entitled to treat you like the hired help. Still sucks tho. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873217 Thu, 21 Feb 2019 00:04:17 +0000 misolee 2873217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You deserve to rant. School teachers have my utmost respect. Parents ranting about teachers deciding school days is ridiculous and plain dumb. So is parents calling to complain about something that can't be changed.</p> <p>Also, everyone up north stay safe.</p> <p>I do have to admit, I have felt a little ragey and rolled my eyes tons when school gets canceled for "snow" day in advance where I live (the South) bc the hype never lives up. School got canceled once in January bc they were concerned about snow. The temperature didn't even dip below freezing. I was slightly annoyed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873138 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 18:52:36 +0000 wrkbrk 2873138@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: Amen. I couldn’t agree more. And in the same vein, I find it highly obnoxious when parents at our very snotty daycare blame teachers for any and all school closures - electricity issues, snow days, staff development. Um, the teachers didn’t decide to close the school, and no one is trying to deliberately mess up your work plans. Get a clue! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873125 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 17:23:07 +0000 meredithNYC 2873125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I feel you! I'm not far from you (Fairfield County, CT) and sometimes the crap on our town Moms FB page directed towards teachers makes me rage. I'm not even a teacher, but I just want to scream into the void, "Everyone is doing the best that they can!" And you're right -- you can't win because someone is going to be pissed no matter what. But the overall attitude I see towards teachers/the teaching profession is gross -- i.e. teachers are lazy, teachers give too much homework/not enough homework, teachers have too much time off, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873101 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:52:33 +0000 Anagram 2873101@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: omg, our governor just Announced that he is expanding the family leave in our state, from six weeks to 12 weeks, which is a great thing but not actually a big change because we already have six weeks of paid family leave here. It’s a very small payroll deduction, like on my paycheck every two weeks it’s literally about $2.15. Anyway in the comments Section of the news article, there were a ton of outraged people and a bunch of posters saying he is ruining our state, taxes are going to be too high, and one commentor had a fabulous suggestion that we should stop paying teachers so much, and instead just have teaching interns that don’t have degrees instead to save money. And his cmment had a bunch of likes. Like how crazy ore people that they want to have teachers with no degree and no experience teaching their own kids to save money?</p> <p>Actually, I guess the truth is, anyone that had the money would just rather put their kids in private school. They just don’t want their tax dollars ever going to help people poorer than themselves. It’s mind boggling. I guess they would rather live in a country like India, where the divide between social classes is so great that you can have billionaires and a huge underclass that all coexisting together. Maybe they haven’t ever experienced eating at a restaurant where child beggars are banging on the windows motioning to their mouth and saying “food food”. Maybe they think that kind of life would be enjoyable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873095 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:24:03 +0000 jennlin821 2873095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I was just reading an article on Slate.com and this was a sentence that stood out to me: </p> <p>"We tell them nothing in life matters more than education, while we treat the people who educate them as largely interchangeable, disposable parts."</p> <p>It seemed apt for your current rant. </p> <p>again much love. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873090 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:03:25 +0000 LadyDi 2873090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I feel like social media just exacerbates people's anger (with school closings and a lot of things). Everyone fuels each other's fire, but I am sure it's frustrating as an educator to sit there and read everyone's complaints. Teachers are under appreciated already and have zero control over the situation. </p> <p>@Ajsmommy: The last company I worked for never let us leave early or closed. It was a large health system and I understand that the hospital portion couldn't just close because of bad weather but I worked in the health insurance arm in a big office building and there was no reason to force us to come into the office when the weather was bad. Very frustrating. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873088 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:02:23 +0000 periwinklebee 2873088@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly the only forum on the internet I can tolerate is HB. Most others are full of people making inflammatory statements, like the one about teachers wanting a paid day off. Some people are an infuriating combination of ignorant and entitled. </p> <p>And the lack of respect that politicians - and many in society more generally - have for educators is repulsive... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873084 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 14:18:18 +0000 MrsSCB 2873084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work for a university, and it truly is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. You would not believe the amount of parent complaining we still get on social media, despite the fact that in our case, the “children” involved are, um, adults. Who don’t even live at home for the most part! Mind boggling. Anyway, I typically assume school systems are doing their best. Weather predictions aren’t perfect or infallible! Totally get your frustration. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873079 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 13:59:31 +0000 nana87 2873079@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>that's ridiculous that parents would blame teachers! I'm in higher ed and the lack of respect for education at all levels is infuriating. I'm also in the same local area, I hope the snow doesn't make commutes too difficult! That day earlier this winter was ridiculous. We are pretty close to our daycare (just over a mile) and pick-up was still a total clusterf*&amp;^! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873077 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 13:46:35 +0000 Anagram 2873077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: haven’t moved. I just work in bergen. I’ll wall you where-I’ve gotten to know the surrounding areas pretty well because most of my coworkers live around and have kids in all the different districts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873073 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 13:40:07 +0000 JennyPenny 2873073@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow, I can't believe that anyone would think that the teachers have anything to do with those decisions - that's absurd. But I 100% agree with you on respect for teachers. If teachers were treated as professionals I think a lot of the problems we see with education would shrink. </p> <p>As an aside, I work in Ed Tech and we hire in service teachers every summer to help us develop our products. And without fail they all try to find ways to stay with us instead of return the classroom. It's not because they aren't passionate about education - but it's because they love being treated with respect. We value their opinions and treat them as humans who have needs (bathroom breaks, lunch, needing supplies to do their job, needing time for appointments). I wish they could get that in their current teaching jobs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873071 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 13:30:26 +0000 SweetiePie 2873071@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: first off, I get that people have different preferences and level of comfort - some will want the snow day and some won’t. That’s just life. But for anyone to say that teachers just want paid days off - you’re not right in the head if you actually believe that. Ding dongs. 🙄</p> <p>Second - do you live in Bergen County now???? We’re strongly considering moving there this July after the school year. Wall me what town you’re in! If you don’t mind. :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873069 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 13:05:03 +0000 Lindsay05 2873069@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh people. Deal with it. I am forever grateful for teachers not because of dealing with kids but putting up with whiney parents. You deserve to rant. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873068 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 13:01:53 +0000 Ajsmommy 2873068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: unfortunately I feel like it's one of those things that you are just never going to make everyone happy.... my kids aren't in school yet but I see the fb posts on my community page and they are crazy to me... if they close people get mad, if they don't close people get mad, they get mad if they close too early or too late.. smh.... you just can't make everyone happy..</p> <p>Not to thread jack or anything but I'm annoyed that my work won't send us home..... I drove into work on empty roads when they are usually grid locked bc most other companies closed... we are in NO WAY essential employees and there is no reason why we can't close for inclement weather. Our management has said if we want to stay home or go home we can use a vacation or sick day... ughhhhhh </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873067 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 12:51:02 +0000 Dahlia 2873067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: Haha, amazing, isn't it? People think teachers/professors have so much power and get paid so much and the reality is we have no power at all and get paid peanuts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873066 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 12:48:14 +0000 Anagram 2873066@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dahlia: wait, you mean professors don't get together and vote every time there's a snow day? Next you are going to tell me you don't personally set the university's holiday schedule! :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873065 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 12:43:47 +0000 Dahlia 2873065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I hear you. It's not quite as bad for me, but I work at a university and students get super upset when we don't have a snow day and get super pissy with me about it. I don't have a say! And I have to deal with making it in in the snow too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/random-vent-of-the-day-snow-days-in-public-schools#post-2873062 Wed, 20 Feb 2019 12:35:46 +0000 Anagram 2873062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: the elementary kids, yes. Our middle and High schools are still a big percentage "choice" students who come from nearby areas. Some as far as North Bergen. I think they come on public transport (I actually don't know how they come) but I don't think they walk.</p> <p>I only know that from when I went to a Sitter Social. I was surprised that almost all of them were from nearby cities. It made it hard to get a sitter because I didn't know how they would get home at night.</p> <p>Hopefully today won't be as insane as last time. But it's already snowing heavily up here in northern bergen county. Last time, the major traffic snarls were almost exclusively because the NJ transit buses couldn't get up the small hills/overpasses and kept blocking the lanes for everyone else. The buses just aren't made for slippery conditions. </p>