RPS officials, parents react to virtual snow days: 'It is not the best system'

The only break from their routine came as they neared their usual time to leave for school.

They wouldn’t be going anywhere that day, however. Instead, they would be transforming their living room into a classroom and completing take-home packets and tuning into their classes remotely as Richmond Public Schools called for asynchronous learning.

It has become the norm this year as the division navigates school closures and lost instructional hours. But it hasn’t come without drawbacks.

While virtual learning has become a new tool schools can use, many parents have raised concerns about its implementation and whether it’s an adequate substitute to other options.

“I recognize that this is an unwinnable situation for the administration, but as a parent, it’s also very challenging,” Boschen said. “If we’re going to have plans in place for some sort of remote schooling, that we take it seriously, and if we’re counting these as seat hours, that we really make academic progress because we are behind.”

When crafting their yearly calendars, school divisions often take the “a few to grow on” approach in which they schedule a few extra days on top of their state-mandated 180 instructional days to account for any potential closures.

This school year, however, with its harsh winter — the most recorded snowfall since 2018 — coupled with the January water crisis that left the region without clean, running water for nearly a week, Richmond Public Schools has drained all of its banked days.

This isn’t the first time the division, or others in the region, has faced a similar dilemma.

Historically, school divisions either opt to take previously scheduled off days, typically holidays or teacher planning days, and turn them into regular school days or they tack on additional time to the end of each school day.

Greg Muzik has seen many snow days in his decades-long career as an educator. In most cases, the Mary Munford Elementary School principal said, there is no solution comparable to in-class learning, and there is no clear-cut alternative that does not come with drawbacks.

“It is not the best system,” Muzik said in reference to virtual learning. “But adding days to the school year, taking spring break or adding Saturday school has its own problems.”

“Last Tuesday was a makeup day and our absentee rate doubled that day,” Muzik added.

In 1996, Chesterfield County Public Schools opted to lengthen its school days by 20 minutes to meet the state-required 990 instructional hours. It proved successful as students adjusted to the new schedule.

This is also the approach Henrico County Public Schools is taking this year as it attempts to make up its own lost time. It is a decision that comes only after the division saw pushback from parents when it attempted to go virtual.

Henrico parent Adam Hahn recently complained about asynchronous and virtual learning to the School Board.

“Understanding that learning milestones must still be reached and instruction must continue, confining children to computer screens on snow days is negative for students, negative for parents and likely adds very little academic value,” Hahn said.

But it isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

According to the Richmond Public School division’s Chief Engagement Officer Danielle Greene-Bell, who is one of a select few tasked with making the call to close schools, asynchronous learning is the most viable option for the division to provide equitable learning as well as allow division staff to address issues that arise as a result of the weather.

Several considerations come into play when determining whether schools will open for the day, including road conditions, proper staffing and school building infrastructure.

Road conditions play a massive part in the division’s decision to close its schools. If any of the roads are icy and slick, then the division cannot send out its bus fleet as it poses a safety risk for students and staff.

Many of Richmond’s school buildings are in failing condition, which makes them more prone to power outages. Power outages can result in spoiled food, inconsistent heating and water pipe breaks.

With the use of virtual learning, the division can focus on its operational efforts and ensure every student has the opportunity to learn.

“With tools like asynchronous learning, it allows us to have minimal interruption to their learning for a few days until we can get back in school,” Greene-Bell said. “We never want to close schools, but we will if we have to, to ensure our students are safe.”

“Safety is our top priority, always,” Greene-Bell added.

Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual learning is still in its infancy, however, and many parents are concerned with its development and current implementation.

Lessons began early Tuesday morning in Boschen’s home as his middle schoolers sat hunkered behind their laptops, taking notes and listening to that day’s lectures.

As they worked on their assignments, Boschen split his time between juggling his own workload and keeping his fourth-grader occupied.

While the elementary student had begun his work at the same time as his siblings, he had finished his take-home packet in a little over an hour. The rest of the day he set aside for playing.

“We have gone through so much and yet we’ve not really adjusted our systems in a way that’s effective if this is the expected future,” Boschen said. “He was given one packet that didn’t last him the full day. I think that’s just the reality of this situation for a lot of parents.”