Parents To Mayor: Make Up Your Mind On School Closings
NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- It's a waiting game to find out if New York City children will go to school Wednesday.
And some parents are angry saying Mayor Michael Bloomberg's late call will leave them scrambling for child care, reports CBS 2's Demetra Ganias.
We're expecting a snowy mess when we wake up Wednesday morning, but students and teachers might just get a snow day. The problem is they'll have to wait until 5 a.m. to figure it out. That's a problem for many parents, especially because the mayor has already declared a weather emergency.
When Ganias reached out to the Department of Education about the late call to close schools she was told that Mayor Bloomberg and Education Chancellor Cathie Black will compare notes and make a final decision. However, many parents are begging for more of a heads up.
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"By this evening, at least by 8 o'clock this evening. Let us know something, so we can prepare for tomorrow," one Upper West Side parent said.
When asked what she is going to do if she has to work and the kids are home, one parent from Brooklyn said, "I really don't know. I'm stuck, just like the last time."
That woman stayed home with the kids during the Dec. 26 storm and she'll do it again, but no faking sick.
"I'm honest, because sometimes there's no way to commute with the streets the way they are," she said.
School buses are a major factor in helping the Department of Education to decide whether or not to cancel school. So it's not just about how much of the white stuff falls, but how safe it is to be on the road.
The Department of Education is advising parents to create a contingency plan, so children are not home alone.
The DOE also said school staff are "responsible and obligated" to report to work on time.
It's not all sympathy, though, for teachers commuting from outside the boroughs.
"I don't think teachers should live outside of the city, personally," one man said.
And some argue the game-time decision is wise, given the weather's fickle nature.
The last time schools were closed by snow was Feb. 26 of last year. In fact, schools were also shut down by snow on Feb. 10.
In New Jersey, many parents - like Dr. Patricia Czernizer - were relieved that their kids' schools announced that they were closed, meaning their children wouldn't have to brave nasty road conditions, reports CBS 2's Christine Sloan.
"That way, I will wake up in the morning, do my thing, and he could stay home and worry about going the next day," Dr. Czernizer said.
However, some parents complained that the cancellations, many announced late Tuesday night, made it difficult to make arrangements for child care their younger kids while they went to work.
