'Definitely A Wake-Up Call': Remote Learning Impacted By Storms, Power Outages
BROCKTON (CBS) - It was like a snow day without the snow for seventh grader Jenna Durant when her remote learning day was cancelled because of weather of another kind, and it was frustrating. "I'm starting to get into a pattern. I wish we didn't have a bump in the road," said Durant who attends the Silver Lake Regional Middle School in Kingston.
Like many areas strong winds and rain brought down trees and power lines causing outages in the Silver Lake Regional District that forced the closure of the middle and high schools because not every student could log on. "This is something we need to consider so it doesn't happen again because we tend to lose power a lot around here," said her mother Kristen Durant.
Weather is a consideration for school districts, especially with winter months ahead, and since students need access more than ever now to power their remote learning.
The Mayor of Brockton, a city that also dealt with outages, said it's on his plate of concerns. "Weather can be difficult in New England. We have to think about every option now to counter that. It was definitely a wake-up call that's for sure," said Mayor Robert Sullivan.
All absences in Brockton due to the power outage will be excused.
In the Silver Lake District where Wednesday is already an all-remote day, some parents say they hope backup plans are being formulated because power issues could happen at any time. "We have to have backup to supplement in the event we lose power or facing technology challenges," said parent Jeffrey Keating.
Jenna Durant anticipates more schoolwork to make up for the day, and has ideas of her own going forward. "Create a plan for what they'll do if they lose power again like a new designated location or generators or something like that," she said.
