The head of the Macomb school district said he’s a fan of using e-learning days instead of canceling classes due to weather conditions.
Superintendent Patrick Twomey still prefers in-person learning. But he said an e-learning day allows for better continuity in educating students than a day that’s lost due to a weather-related cancellation.
“So when they do come back, the teacher doesn’t have to go back and re-teach, they can just pick up and move right along,” he said.
Twomey said Macomb first tried e-learning days for a couple years before the COVID-19 pandemic, and then e-learning was used regularly during the shutdowns caused by the pandemic.
Illinois school districts are currently allowed to use up to five e-learning days per school year if they have a state-approved plan in place. Twomey said the plan must demonstrate the district has a process for taking attendance and that teachers are available for the entire school day.
Twomey said he still goes out at 4:30 a.m. to check the conditions first-hand when wintery weather is in the forecast.
“If it’s about to snow, I drive all four quadrants of our district, same routes that our drivers drive, so I can get a good sense whether or not those roads are safe,” he said.
If the forecast calls for extremely cold conditions, he puts on a medium coat with no hat or gloves and walks for a mile to determine whether it’s too cold for students to be outside.
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