Minnesota parents again cope with distance learning, wistful for snow days

The blast of winter that closed schools a day after many kids just returned from winter break has made for a topsy-turvy start to the year for parents, and in some parts of the Twin Cities area, a longing for the traditional snow day.

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Osseo were among the school districts that on Wednesday had students grabbing their devices at home to take part in e-learning.

Kelly Barnhill, an author who has taught in Minneapolis schools, wasn't thrilled: "Just give the kids a snow day, for christsake," she tweeted in exasperation. "Must we give them a world that doesn't suddenly, randomly and magically stop, every once in a while?"

Streets still needed clearing in Minneapolis and St. Paul on Thursday, and for students in those two districts, that meant a second day of online learning.

Districts have turned to e-learning days in times of severe weather to meet instructional-hour requirements built into school-year calendars. Their use predates the pandemic — Farmington Area Public Schools has won national recognition for its "flexible learning days" — but all districts now have experience teaching remotely with devices.

Stephanie Stegeman, who has first- and third-graders at St. Paul's Global Arts Plus, said she agreed with the decision to keep schools closed and with its stance to favor digital learning over cancellations that may have to be made up at the school year's end.

The students in her children's classes seemed a bit rusty getting the hang of Google Meet on Wednesday, she said. But they did a better job Thursday, and the online turnout was more diverse, too.

"Getting that social-emotional connection is important — even if it isn't academically rigorous," Stegeman said.

In Osseo, most parents who weighed in on whether they preferred e-learning or a snow day on the district's Facebook page sided with letting the kids have a play day. One parent, Jennifer Beaudette, told the Star Tribune on Thursday: "True snow days are a favorite memory of so many raised in Minnesota."

Kim Hayden, the parent of a Minneapolis first-grader, took her daughter to work with her at a nonprofit Thursday.

"For so many families who don't have the devices at home or the luxury of being able to monitor the kids while they're online, [an e-learning day] is an added stress," she said. "Having an actual snow day is just way less stressful than having to navigate getting kids online."

After watching the snow pile up Tuesday night, Christina McHenry expected the Minneapolis district to call an e-learning day on Wednesday.

She let her two daughters – ages 9 and 12 – sleep in while she began her day working from home. Both students had a few assignments, but they found ways to make it feel a little more like a true snow day.

Eloise, the younger daughter, spent about four hours building snow forts — including one with a "sizeable cave" — with a neighbor. Her sister, Harriet, video chatted with friends to catch up while they completed some worksheets.

Christina McHenry said the e-learning days offered a reminder of just how many interruptions happen when children are learning alongside parents working from home.

"It felt like PTSD from all the distance learning during the pandemic," she said, adding that there were a few moments Wednesday when she was in a meeting right as her daughter was asking for spelling help.

Adam Nafziger grumbled when he first heard Minneapolis' snow days were turning into e-learning days. He envisioned his youngest son, a second-grader, at Keewaydin Elementary School, sitting with a device rather than enjoying fresh snow and free time.

But the e-learning assignments his son received looked a lot more like a "traditional snow day," said Nafziger, who is a stay-at-home dad. The students were given a bingo card of various activities — including playing outside, writing a letter to a friend, building a fort and having a dance party — and parents were instructed that each one shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.

"It took away that pressure that so many parents felt during distance learning of having to help their kids move through a lot of material," Nafziger said.

Iola Kostrzewski was looking forward to sending most of her six children back to school Tuesday. Her three oldest attend charter schools in the Twin Cities, and she home-schools two others while also taking care of her 6-month-old. The charter schools all called off classes this week and don't offer e-learning days. The roads have been too slick to venture out, and the kids' ambition to get outside to help shovel was short-lived, Kostrzewski.

"It's been a hot mess to have everyone at home all week," she said. "It's like a chicken coop where it's a new pecking order every hour. … I'm over it."