When children are little, one of the first things we do is teach them to say “I’m sorry.” We do it because it teaches them compassion for others, how to take responsibility, learn how to respect others, as well as how to learn from their mistakes. So I can’t help but wonder if all of the kids that sat on buses for much of the night last night or slept on the floors in their schools in Atlanta were thinking that someone might say that to them. May actually take responsibility for an epic fail in decision making. Unfortunately some did, but not all. Apparently some adults have forgotten how.
As a native Atlantan, I have been through several of these snow storms and have listened to the criticism many times over the years. But here are the facts: Atlanta is simply not equipped for storms that involve ice and snow. We do not have chains on our cars, most do not have all wheel drive because it is rarely needed and an added expense, and we only drive on ice maybe once every four years. That barely constitutes practice. And besides the UGG wearers, most commuters don’t wear winter boots, or heavy winter coats. Plus, we have one of the worst traffic situations in the country when it isn’t snowing or sleeting. You add ice and snow, and well, chaos unfolds as was demonstrated yesterday. That is why we have weather forecasters with systems in place called “Warnings” and “Watches.” Apparently, some people don’t understand the difference between a warning or a watch, so allow me to explain. A “Watch” means that there is weather coming that is conducive for bad weather to occur. A “Warning” means it is going to happen. We don’t know exactly when, we don’t know exactly where, but we know it is going to happen. Tornadoes are a great example of this. Everyone seems to understand that when there is a tornado warning in your area that you should go to your basement, and get under something like a mattress or something of that nature, curl into a ball and protect your head. It may come, it may not, but you are prepared. But for some reason, administrators and school superintendents just don’t seem to understand that this preparation rule should apply for ALL weather warnings. So, that being said, when there is a “Winter Storm WARNING” you should probably not put every kid in the state in school buses and plan a regularly scheduled school day.
This is where the necessary apology comes in. Most public schools in Georgia do not allow absences except in medical issues or deaths in the family, and even with medical issues you better have a doctor’s note and you may still get a truancy warning in the mail. So when they make the decision that there is school today, then you send your kid to school. Even in private schools, if your kid misses school especially in the older grades, it gets really hard to make up that school work, so if there is school you send them. The decision is not left up to the parent. The parent trusts the schools to make these decisions soundly and with great thought and concern for the wellbeing of the students, because there is just too much red tape for parents to break through if their kids miss school. And if you do decide to have school even when the chances of snow and ice are over 70% the night before, and there is a “Winter Storm Warning” in place, expect to say you’re sorry the next day, because you have really messed up. The fact is that you can’t gamble when it comes to nature. The cost is too great if you lose.
People make mistakes, we all get it, because we all do it. But in order to teach our children how to take responsibility, role models really need to demonstrate it for them. Just say you’re sorry. It will only hurt for a minute and you will gain a lot of respect in the end.