Is Out Children Learning?

If they go to a school in the Minnesota Public School System, the answer is very likely not today. Most of the Twin Cities Metro districts have cancelled school due to temperatures in the low single digit levels below zero Fahrenheit (it's currently -8 where I reside).

This is a curious and disturbing phenomenon. Snow days prevent kids from arriving at school, and present safety issues related to driving conditions. Cold at levels seen today present none of these issues. As a kid, I regularly played hockey outside for stretches of two hours or more on days with similar temperatures. Kids spend all day inside, so I'd think that the $10,000+ per pupil that the districts get could afford enough money to pay for heat.

If public school teachers unions really cared about teaching kids, they would put a stop to the idea of "cold" days. Of course, we have statistical data that shows how much the unions care about educating our kids.

Meanwhile, some Minnesota kids will learn today from teachers that care about their success.