A Hot Frozen Mess

So, it's ten below here, colder than yesterday, and the third day that our school district has canceled classes due to the most recent weather unpleasantness. For those keeping score, this is the second three day stretch this school year. For you mathematically challenged readers, that is six inclement weather days, which is one more than our calendar can absorb. As well, finals are supposed to begin next week.

This creates several problems, the most pressing of which is the finals issue. A decision is expected to be made by noon today concerning what the end of the semester schedule will be. Will we simply conduct next week as if this week never happened? Will we push back the end of the semester one full week? And, if we do that, will we still take MLK, Jr. Day off, or no? I am guessing no, but anyway.... I suppose that we will just go with what we have, spend three days next week cramming in a few things, and have exams on Thursday and Friday. After all, there are a host of other contingencies affected by a change in schedule that are even more boring than what I am already talking about, so moving the calendar seems like a CF waiting to happen.

The other big hairy deal is the extension of the school year. Will we add days at the end? Most likely. But, we could also extend a few school days, or add in a Saturday class meeting or two. It really doesn't matter what they do, honestly. It's kind of stupid, really. It's just a legal issue: students have to be in class for so many days/hours per school year. Hell, let's add one minute to each class, and, in half a school year, we'll have made up for that extra day. Does that mean students have received one extra day of instruction? Of course not. Does that really matter? Well, no, not really. Okay, maybe I am being a little bit cynical, here. Maybe. A little bit.

Whatever the district does to resolve our issues, everything is kind of hosed. Sure, we'll get done what needs to get done. We'll have our finals. Our kids will get their grades. It will all work out. But boy is this causing some serious stress around here.

And, we still have at least eight more weeks of potentially bad weather to make it through. Wow!