" Can someone please tell me why school was cancelled today? "

" They do not want to get the kids to school and then the bad weather move in this afternoon before they get them back home. It is always a hard decision to make because no one can predict what the weather will do but it is better safe than sorry. Sometimes the ice moves in quicker than they can get some of the out of town students home on the bus. I know for one all my kids were doing today were having holiday parties so it was not a big deal that they did not go. "

" You want to know why we did not have school this morning??? Take a short drive out into the country and you will answer your own question. Like said above better to be safe than sorry. "

" I'm with Beaches thoughts.

I can understand the safety factor, regarding our kids, but I'd like to know more info about CHS's Semester Exams.

We received our automatic message from CHS, stating that Friday, if the kids attend school, semester exams will now be given in 30 minute time tables.

An hour & a half semester exams, now shortened to 30 mintues?

How is this possible, without the results, etc., being so badly skewed?

Is it being considered to possibly have CHS's Semester Exams after the Winter break?
Or possibly, a couple of the days next week?

What's the deal here?

I invite/request someone from CHS, or the Charleston School Board to post online, here, & inform us all about this matter, further.

Thank You,
~Rotty

PS: Go get this story, JG-TC!
Please & Thank You. "

" I invite/request someone from CHS, or the Charleston School Board to view & answer the question posed here:

Weather again shuts downs schools
http://tinyurl.com/4slg8z

Thank You.
~Rotty "

" I understand that, but it is tough when both parents work and don't have family around to take the child when school is cancelled. Missing work isn't a good option - I can do it when it's tough to get to work, but when the roads are clear it's tough to convince my boss that I can't be there. "

" Sorry about my extra post(s), gang, it was meant for another thread. "

" So Beaches you would rather send your child on a bus possibly for up to an hour on icy roads in the country and take a chance that someone loses their life...sorry but all your boss has to do is look around at the neighboring schools and see that they do not have school either and figure it out. ...As for you Rotty ..it seems that you do an awful lot of griping about school issues and people within the district on this on line fashion...why don't you try calling the District Office and ask your questions...except its alot harder to be the *** that you portray yourself to be on line when you are actually talking in person. "

" And one more thing...when did the schools become your babysitter!! Give people a break and quit all the griping...If school had been in session today the comments would have gone the other way...people complaining that school was in seesion. Its kind of one of those situations your damned if you do and your damned if you don't. One thing for sure there will always be some one griping about the way it was done. "

" Ruh Roh - Oh No!

It looks like we have another Moderator wannabe in our midst!

I do what I can for all of my adoring fans, blondie2.

OH MY GOSH!
I'm sounding like Soapbox Susan Humphreys!
LOL!
I know, it's claptrap isn't it?

Seriously though, I'm never one to clam up, & go quietly into the night, if ya catch my drift.

I figured there's got to be more than just myself that are wondering about this new ploy, as for the semester exams.
I just thought it would be nice, if more people were informed, since alot more of us seem to be enjoying forums & comment venues, nowadays.

Sorry if I ruffled your feathers, but hey, it's just too much damn fun.
GET USED TO IT!
LOL!
:-P "

" blondie2--just let Rotty rant, unless what he states is wrong.

Rotty--what ploy are you talking about? As for final exams, 850 people got the automatic phone calls yesterday and today. If you multiple that by 2 or 5 or however many people each of those students and their families spoke to, a LOT of people knew about the change in final exams and the concerns that every student has with the time change. Do you seriously want us to believe that you wouldn't be posting complaints about your children having to study all 17 days over Winter Break for exams in January?

Finally, and I know that it is a minor point, but according to my son, who is also a student at CHS along with your son and daughter, exams were to be 75 minutes long today and 70 minutes long on Fri, not 90 minutes as you keep repeating. So the teachers were already having to make adjustments for those two days, and then they had to make adjustments for 45 minute finals, if school had been held today. I know that you have little faith in the teachers at CHS, but they are trained professionals. I'm sure that they will take into account the shortened time period and the stress of taking all 6-7 exams in one day when computing grades. "

" illinoistransplant to the rescue!
LOL!

Thanks for the specific time table, i.t., I guess I was just trying to round it up, from what I had heard.

I'm sure, as you say, the teachers are professional enough to rework the tests down to the 30-minute format, & be able to properly compute grades, that really wasn't my point.


Can you then explain to us all the exact reason why MHS is putting off their exams until after break?

And by the way, I don't have a son & daughter in the school system, I have two daughters, & the one who's at CHS is ready for the exams, whether it would be today, tomorrow, last week, or after break.

I guess this will just end up being yet another topic that we'll have to agree to disagree on. "

" It turns out they erred on the side of caution. I admire that -- what if instead of coming later than forecast, the freezing rain had come earlier? It's quite a responsibility to make sure all the students in the district arrive home safely when the weather's bad, and there would have been plenty of complaints since most other area schools closed today.

Another factor to consider besides those who live in the country where roads are bad or the fact that students might have been stranded is the deplorable condition of the sidewalks around town. A number of children in my neighborhood walk too and from school, and that walk would have been downright treacherous with the thick glaze of ice on the walks -- and even more harrowing if they had resorted to walking in the streets. "

" Beaches wrote on Dec 18, 2008 9:05 AM:

" Can someone please tell me why school was cancelled today? "


Because, it was supposed to start bad weather about 3:00, of course, school is out by then, so I really cannot answer your question. "

" Blondie2 - wow - I obviously touched a nerve, but I never indicated that I wanted the schools to be my babysitter, in fact, I prefer them to teach my child. But I also would like them to be in session if it is possible, so that my child can be taught. If it is truly dangerous, my mistake. But your assumptions about my intent were way off base. "

" Kind of like when I when I worked at Donnelley's, only the opposite. If it was bad weather, we were supposed to call the plant to check on the road conditions. In 12 years of calling the plant during bad weather, I was never once told that the roads were bad.

Got snowed in once for 48 hours, couldn't get any food to us, but the booze came out of the walls. "

" blondie2 wrote on Dec 18, 2008 3:58 PM:

" And one more thing...when did the schools become your babysitter!!

When the school's are legally responsible for your child from the time they get on the bus until the time they get off of the bus.

The definition of babysitting:

Babysitting is the practice of temporarily caring for a child on behalf of the child's parents. "

" Well.... guess it's settled now.
lol
Exams are happening after break.

Have a good one & be safe all! "

" My speculation is that the decision to close the schools is only indirectly related to safety. The primary reason classes are cancelled is to protect the CUSD2 treasury from a potential lawsuit in the event a student is involved in a weather-related bus accident.

This being the case, why not cancel bus service but keep the schools open? The obvious answer to that question is that the superintendent and the union don't want the teachers burdened with having to administer make up exams at a later date for the students who couldn't make it to school. Plus, of course, the teachers enjoy a paid day off so they can drive to Champaign to finish their Christmas shopping. (Oh, sorry, guess I should have said Vacation Shopping.)

Why not do the exams on next Monday and Tuesday? Is there something sacred about the Christmas break schedule? Could it be that, once again, the union is standing in the way of the education process?

The solution to the whole thing is to (1) fire the boards law firm and (2) stop hiring superintendents whose only qualification is having served several years as a union member. Isnt there supposed to be distinction, a line down the middle of the table, between management (the superintendent) and labor (the teachers union)? When was the last time weve witnessed any discord between the superintendent and the teachers on any issue? Shouldnt there be a red flag when the CUSD2 superintendent and every one of the CUSD2 principals/assistant principals function as shop stewards for the union? "

" Okay, I'm not being sarcastic here - because I live in town - are the secondary country roads bad today? Everything around me has melted, so I don't have a basis for understanding the cancellation. A friend of mine had no trouble getting to Champaign to work, but again it was interstate driving. "

" Okay I have to say that this is my first time posting, usually I just sit back and read what everyone else has to say.
I graduated from Mattoon some years back, and we had very similiar weather conditions. However, the first day they did not cancel school, the blizzard moved in early and all of the country kids could not get home. No one can pin point the weather to a tee, ever. I do not have children of my own however, I am glad that someone takes into consideration the safety. The bus drivers just think how nerve racking that is, 30 kids being loud, with solid snow/ice covered roads?...That is a huge risk the Unit takes on.
Also, to follow Beaches comment....I know the city road look fantastic, however take a small trip in the country and see if you go off into a ditch! Charleston/Mattoon sent people out to test the road conditions Wednesday night and they were awful which I agree with. Last night before the "freezing rain" had even started I tried to make it down my parents road and 4 cars were in the ditch as I passed them. Their road was a solid sheet of ice before this storm came in. Yesterday at work the mess of the snow was melting off, however country roads do not get salted and sanded like in town does. Nor do they have the traffic volume in order to help melt the ice/snow quicker.
My next point, on too the final exams. When I was in school they postponed the exams until after Christmas break one year. I thought as a student "hey this is awesome, we got out of this stuff". I was a straight A student, so I don't care how much people think that their kids will study and get more prepared over their Christmas break, they won't. As a matter of fact, kids lose a lot of the information that the teachers have crammed into the students the last few weeks before finals. So it sounds like a good idea but the students then start telling the teachers they forgot, we didn't review enough, and before you know it, it uses up another 1-2 weeks into the next quarter, which rushes the rest of the curriculum. I'm not too sure why everyone is freaking out about these finals, as too these are not the important ones, per say( which I know all finals are important). These do not determine you GPA for the end of the year, do not have to write a term paper to graduate, etc.
So there you have it, my short "novel". Now that I am registered I look forward to joining all the rest of the goofy comments! "

" Really, histo? You were a straight A student? What, all the way through 2nd grade? LOL.

When you passed those four cars in the ditch, did you stop to offer your help, or are you one of those me-first people, too busy to care about your fellow man? Or, perhaps you meant those poor folks wound up in the ditch AFTER you passed them?

Sorry, just thought I'd try to be the first to initiate you to this site. Welcome aboard. Post away! And by the way, Mike P owns all copyrights to short novels on here. "

" histo217 wrote on Dec 19, 2008 10:23 AM:

"Now that I am registered I look forward to joining all the rest of the goofy comments!"

.......

Welcome to the mix, histo217!
As you've seen, it can be a rollercoaster ride out here sometimes.
LOL! "

" Man, you people lead a boring life. I can't believe there are so many comments on a story about a school closing. Here today, we had breaking news on Caylee Anthony, national news on a bailout plan for auto companies, reports of record local unemployment, a lockdown at an area high school, a bank robbery. Heck, I bet I could name 100 stories of more interest than a school closing.

Oh, and it's 81 here today. So we didn't have any cancellations. "

" Actually, grinda, I was a high honor student all the way thru high school. And no, if you knew me, I would be the first person to help a lending hand to anyone in need. No one was in their cars when I went past them. "

" Buckle up "histo217"! The ride can get bumpy! LOL! "

" Billie Brant wrote on Dec 19, 2008 4:45 PM:

" Buckle up "histo217"! The ride can get bumpy! LOL!

Really? You gotta be kiddin' Billie. lol! "

" Histo217....in addition to the other members...WELCOME ;-)

ROTTY....might want to give the new member the lesson on archiving 101...lol

Now in response to the article. I understand why they cancelled in anticipation but do feel that they were a little quick to do so this time. My youngest daughter walks to school or I take her and my oldest rides the bus to Charleston or I take her...don't have to worry about exams at this time just all of the rescheduled holiday concerts. My question is, since we live in town it has never been an issue but what happened to snow routes, years ago if the weather got bad they would cancel bus service for the country students but it would not be an unexcused absence if they did not attend. Can anyone expand on this?? "

" Beaches wrote on Dec 18, 2008 1:01 PM:

" it's tough to convince my boss that I can't be there. "

If I were your boss, it would be hard to convince me too....hard to understand why you aren't responsible enough to have back-up in case of emergencys? What do you do for early dismissals and all other days that the schools are closed? What do you do during Christmas break? And lastly, what do you do in the summer?

I think you boss should get a more responsible employee and replace you. "

" Lurker61920 wrote on Dec 20, 2008 7:00 AM:

"I think you boss should get a more responsible employee and replace you."

.......

Don't ya just love these self-righteous think-they-know-it-alls?
LOL!
It looks like Lurker ought to keep on lurking in his/her's foggy sanctimonious abyss.

.......

Will do, 61912.
LOL!

.......

histo217, if you haven't learned yet.... Any of these articles that you take an interest in commenting on, you might want to make a folder under your "Bookmarks"/"Favorites" column, & add these web addresses/comment threads to them, or atleast until the comments die after a few days, & until you'd like to update it, & add others.
Alot of times, as you'll see, or have seen, these articles will ZOOM OFF into the Archive wastelands, without warning.
Then, as you'll see, if ya haven't already, when not alot is happening in the "Most Commented" section, it's because alot of posters are "behind the scenes" still "going at it" in the "Archived" articles.
LOL!
Again, Welcome Aboard, histo217.

.......

Now, where's blondie2?
I feel like GRIPE, GRIPE, GRIPING some more.
LMAO!
:-P "

" Lurker - you are correct, I am a lousy employee. In fact, on days that my child gets out early, I make plans ahead. And if my spouse were not ill at this time that would be the person who would take care of my child in these circumstances. I work in a field that is very customer service oriented, so missing work is a serious burden on my employer, so I go. Perhaps I should just quit work and let the rest of you support me by going on welfare. That may be my plan for next year. Thanks for being such a thoughtful person and changing my career path. "

" 61912, I don't teach in Charleston, but the district I teach in does still have the snow route option. However, in this particular case, it doesn't really offer much benefit. With exams scheduled, teachers would be faced with having to either proctor the exams for the ones who can make and then have them sit twiddling their thumbs after break while the snow route kids take the exams, or they have the town kids show up and do nothing, which is not much of a benefit when the possible risk is still there for students getting stranded by incoming bad weather.

I look at all of the posts on here which are so critical of the school districts and it really just burns my hide. I am a new teacher, and I have to say that the attitudes of community members are appalling in most cases. The expectations are unrealistic. In addition to being asked to prepare students for life after high school, in most cases without ever asking them to put forth effort (that is an entirely different topic which I will leave safely loaded in case it ever comes up), we are now expected to by psychic meteoroligists. How about the next time something like this comes up, or you see a teacher out in public, you just pat them on the back and encourage them to keep up the good work. I can tell you from experience that everyone I have encountered in the schools around this area are really passionate about helping the students in their communities achieve, even the ones who get bashed on here over and over again are really trying to do the best for your kids. It is really difficult to put in hours upon hours of work outside of the school day to prepare and then cringe everytime a parent approaches you waiting to be told that you are doing a lousy job. Do any of you have to deal with that every day? "

" First it was the spelling police, then came the grammar police, and now we get the employment advice police. What's next? "

" Better get used to it JAS. For some reason teachers seem to be a favorite target for some folks.

Most people have no idea of what all is involved in the average day of a teachers life.

I don't know if you were around when the Neoga teachers strike was going on, but if you were, you will remember the animosity shown toward those teachers on this site too.

I have wondered why that is for years now, and the only thing I can figure is that a lot of folks are just jealous of the fact that most teachers are well educated. There seems to be more prejudice directed towards those who are highly educated, as are school teachers, than toward those who lack a lot of formal education.

One would think that with the number of people going to college these days, people would get over their silliness and pettiness over some one else's education.

From personal experience, I also know those who tell you what a lousy job you're doing are the ones whose kids cause you the most problems in the classroom.

Not all teachers are that great, but I have the feeling, based on the passion you've shown on this site, that you're one of those who really cares about your students. Believe me the kids know whose just going through the motions and who really cares.

If you stay in education, someday you will experienced one of the greatest joys a teacher can have. And that is when a former student comes up and tell you how much you influenced them, and it will not be someone who you would have expected. It will often times be that kid that you worried about, and wondered what in the world would ever happen to him or her.

Believe me, that is when you will realize that you've chosen the right career path.

There is no higher calling than that of teaching our children.

So consider this message a cyber pat on the back. Thanks for what you and your fellow teachers do. "

" Thanks, Harry. "