Say it Ain’t So! Are Snow Days Cancelled in Massachusetts?

The way education looks in Massachusetts and across the country has changed dramatically over the past 18 months.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, teachers, staff, students and parents have all had to make major adjustments multiple times to make this "new normal" work.

One of the most prominent changes was the roll out of virtual or remote learning. Students and teachers across the country were forced to embrace this new way of learning for better or for worse. Most students in Massachusetts have returned to some kind of in-person learning, although some did chose to enroll in virtual academy's.

So now that most, if not all students in Massachusetts have the ability to attend classes from home, what will happen to snow days? Will snow or other weather days trigger a remote learning day? Luckily for students across the Commonwealth the answer is, snow days aren't going anywhere.

We talked with the Superintendent of Pittsfield Public Schools, Joe Curtis, who clarified that the Pittsfield District, nor any other district in Massachusetts, will substitute snow days with remote learning days. Via directives from the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, traditional snow days will stay in place.

Curtis echoed the sentiment, saying the decision to cancel schools due to weather is often a last minute call and simply wouldn't give teachers time to prep to teach lessons in a completely different manor at the drop of a dime. Curtis also mentioned that sometimes inclement weather can effect electricity and/or internet, another reason a remote learning snow day is not a viable option.