Monday, February 08, 2010

Arlington Schools Need To Get Their Storm Priorities Straight

Memo to Dr. Patrick Murphy, Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools:

Today is the sixth day of school missed SO FAR due to this winter's storms. DC schools, in contrast, have missed only ONE full day of school (today).


We're not upset about today, but most of the rest of those missed days are inexcusable. Arlington in not Fairfax, where you came from. Arlington is a compact geographical area; the major roads in Arlington have been clear and passable on most of the days you closed our schools. The most inexcusable was last Wedesday (Feb. 3) when a short delay in school start times would've easily gotten everyone to school with little trouble (and you knew a big storm was headed here at the end of the week).


We could easily have had a half-day of school on Friday, too--which is what DC schools did.


You need to take a page from Michelle Rhee's book, and make it a PRIORITY to have kids in school, instead of making excuses to keep them out.


We fear that, with another storm headed this way, Arlington's schools will be closed all this week. There's simply no excuse. It's a lot of snow, but many parts of the world get far worse, yet still manage to get their kids to school.

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