I am a JCPS teacher and mother of a JCPS student, so with the cancellation of school the past two days, my world has been thrown a little off kilter. This year I truly was geared up and ready to go, you might even say eager, to get the school year going, to get the kids back into a routine that doesn't involve entertaining and feeding them 16 hours a day, to teach children that did not come from my loins and therefore respect me and actually pretend to listen, and finally, to have a reason to get dressed up. But then came one hellacious five-minute storm that not only wreaked havoc on Louisville trees and power lines, but discombobulated every household with children, including mine, in the district. Still, I am certain it was the right thing to do, and here are the top 10 reasons why.
10. A new superintendent does not need a lawsuit on her hands this early in the game. Save that for the student assignment plan.
9. Remember last year when little fist-graders arrived home on JCPS busses at nine at night? Yeah, that could be worse if schools don't have phones.
8. WIth the push to incorporate technology in the classroom, teachers turn to catatonic, drooling vegetables when the network is down. Seriously, all plans go out the door and we stand there like a deer in headlights. We need the juice to function.
7. Thousands of families actually lost power and that is a huge stress on families that need to feed and bathe children.
6. Which brings me back to the district, these stressed out families might send their kids to school late or not at all and that costs schools a lot of money. Very bad.
5. It really is hard to drive through some areas laden with fallen trees and I only have two kids in my car. Imagine having 60 to manage in the rearview mirror while veering around fallen debris. Not safe.
4. A couple bonus days does miracles for back-to-school angst and anxiety. Now, it's no big deal--come on already.
3. Teachers are finally prepared.
2. More time to shop back-to-school sales, visit that museum or park you've been trying to get to all summer, just enjoy each other, or plan your KY State Fair journey.
1. It was always a bad idea to start school on a Monday. Never before has this happened; after three days, kids (and teachers) are exhausted. Three days is the perfect amount to ease students back into the school mode, teach procedures, and be pleasant--it's the way it's supposed to be.
Photo: hancaquam@blogspot.com
