This site is a free service for communication, self-expression and freedom of speech.

We believe this site increases the availability of information, encourages healthy debate, and connects viewers.

While reporting on topics:
We will ask the questions some newspapers don't.
We will print the questions that some newspapers won't.

All sources of information are confidential.


Monday, February 21, 2011

A Snow Day's Snowball Effect

     The Westfield Board of Education has announced that Spring Break, scheduled for April, will be cut short if Mother Nature's wrath disrupts efforts to open schools in the event of another snow or ice storm before the end of the school year.


     With many teachers, parents, and students already scheduled to be on vacation the week of April 4th - 8th, some classrooms could potentially be left with a few students if Friday April 8th becomes a scheduled school day.  This would be necessary to make up for any additional "snow day" which would be the school district's fourth snow day of the school year.  Westfield has already used up its scheduled three "snow days".  Those three days are automatically figured into the school calendar in the event they are needed.

     Some school districts have given consideration to making up additional snow days on Saturdays.

     After the school district utilizes three "snow days" a decision has to be made when to make up any additional days; make them up during spring break or tack them on at the end of the school year in June.

     The fact of the matter is, with many people scheduled to be out of town during Spring Break, if Westfield uses another "snow day", Friday April 8th will most likely see the highest number of absentees of any other day on the school calendar.

     Westfield teachers planning to be away on vacation for Spring Break, are hoping there is no DPW furlough day scheduled for the day after the next snowstorm. 

So we will ask our readers this question:

If another snow storm forces the closing of Westfield Public Schools, should the day be made up  during Spring Break or at the end of the school year?  A poll to the right of this page is posted to cast your vote/opinion.

6 comments:

  1. Should another snow day be needed and they have to close down, how about taking either Good Friday or Memorial Day instead of a day from Spring Break. Why disrupt an entire weeks vacation when you can cancel just one day or summer vacation. Maybe its time to cancel teachers convention during the school year and put those days in the bank for such emergencies.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bottom line is this..... whether it is during spring break or at the end of year..... it will likely be the highest absentee day of the year. As for taking Good Friday that is VERY wrong, it is a Religious day and many would take offense to this, including myself! If Memorial day was taken it would be same effect as spring break or end of year. Not sure what the answer is but i am sure there could be a solution. Saturday is REALLY a joke. OH WAIT...... I have an answer.... Get rid of the DEAD WEIGHT incompetent so called HEAD of the DPW and get someone in who can do the job correctly because if we had someone in there who knew what he was doing one of those days would not have been lost but it was because the Town workers were not dispatched correctly. This comes directly from some of the Town Workers i spoke to. None of these men have any respect for this KNUCKLEHEAD CLAUDE who runs the DPW, so instead of helping the situation if something he does is worng for example send the men out later then they should have, they right out told me they do everything in there power to make it even worse! They said they all enjoy making his life HELL and making him look bad! That could be the first step in fixing the SNOW DAYS...... Bring back Dan Kelly and he will show you how to run the DPW properly! The town needs to hire someone who has run a company and knows how to manage men, and crews and the appropriate size of crews. I just love when i watch my tax money being poured down the toilet as i drive by DPW men pretending to work! Oh wait or is that as they sit at a local deli or the 7-11 or Quick Chek in Scotch Plains (BTW, why are they allowed to go to the Quick Chek in Scotch Plains ?)for hours on end...... I love watching 1 or 2 men actually doing the work while 3 - 4 additional men stand and watch! This is why when you speak to 75% of the people who live in this town they all say the same thing..... i cant wait until my kids are out of school so we can move out of this town...... WOW what a great feeling to live in such a wonderful place!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Don't blame claude, he got the job handed to him without having the proper certifications. Just lie on the job application and you can get the job if you want it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't get it. I keep reading disgruntled story after story and yet when there is a golden opportunity every other Tuesday evening at 8:00 for your grievances to be heard by your elected officials no one shows up. Wake-up Westfield residents and let your voices be heard. I'm certain the mayor and council members would love to see you in person. The next council meeting is March 1st at 8:00, municipal bldg on Broad St.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your poll is stupid - teacher contracts prevent them from having to teach on a Saturday.
    Also, they can't tack the day on at the end of the year because it will change the date of graduation and the non-alcoholic party thing can't be rescheduled.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Don't get upset, it's only an opinion poll. We are not advocating Saturday school.

    ReplyDelete