LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Dave McWhorter is trying to make the best of today’s NTI school day across Fayette County.
“I was scheduled to work today. But it wasn’t hard to get my shift covered and came out with the kids to have some fun,” he said.
McWhorter was keeping an eye on his son and about five or six other kids who came to the hill on Richmond Road near the old Shriner’s Hospital to do a little afternoon sledding.
Others, however, were not as appreciative of the district’s decision to dip into its bag of NTI days, for a weather-related reason, given the snowstorm we just had wrapped up early Monday morning.
“We’re getting some flashbacks of what it was like, so one NTI day in the grand scheme of things probably isn’t a big deal, but is it going to continue,” Leanne Seabourn wondered.
Mrs. Seabourn would have preferred to have the district use one of its allotted “snow days” for this situation or to have the day made up later in the year in person. She said most of the parents she communicates with feel as if NTI should be used only as a last resort.
The FCPS district will be using NTI days for winter weather for the rest of the school year. If at some point they need to send kids home due to the spread of COVID-19, then those days will be classified as, “remote learning” days.
Mr. McWhorter says he’s fine with either, as long as it doesn’t cut into the summer break. He’s also gained a lot of appreciation for the teachers during the last 22 months.
“I have a much more profound respect for teachers trying to corral 30 kids, or 25, than me trying to corral one kid. It’s eye-opening sometimes,” he said.
Mrs. Seabourn understands the challenges as well.
“It’s a lot of work to place on parents to figure out accommodations. And for teachers to have to put something (a lesson plan) together so last-minute,” she said.
