by Washington Post Editorial Board
Schools that have experimented with online learning to replace snow days, such as Pascack Valley Regional High School District in northern New Jersey, which does get its fair share of snow, say it has proved to be worthwhile. Far better, Pascack Superintendent P. Erik Gundersen told us, than tacking on makeup days to spring break (poorly attended) or the end of the school year (worthless). He also said the practice helps prepare students for life by showing them how to balance family life with work responsibilities.
To be sure, there are challenging issues of cost, logistics and accessibility that would need to be worked out by schools, particularly those with large districts. But the benefits — foremost, added learning for students — make this policy one worthy of study and debate. And while they are at it, school administrators might also want to consider why the school calendar is still based on a world in which children needed the summer free to work on the family farm.
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