Superintendent of Schools Cliff Chuang called it a “little-snow snow day.”
And he stressed that he is taking steps to avert any others.
Chuang acknowledged at Tuesday’s virtual School Committee meeting – without being asked – that he was premature in cancelling school and activities for the following day late Monday afternoon.
“We make mistakes. We need to learn from our mistakes,” said Chuang, whose background before arriving in Bedford last summer was primarily with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
He said going forward, “I am considering waiting until 3:45 a.m. before making a decision, no matter how clear the path seems the day before.” Then he will notify parents and staff by electronic mail, following up with text messages and phone calls later.
“If I had a crystal ball, I would use that. But I do not,” he said.
He called the district “unique” in the range of constituencies that need the information, an “extensive network.” That comprises not only students from Bedford, Boston, and Hanscom Air Force Base, but also those enrolled and working in classrooms of the LABBB and CASE collaboratives. Some of those drivers leave their homes before 4 a.m., he noted.
Most district teachers and other educators reside outside of Bedford, Chuang added, so they are affected by varying snowfall totals.
“If kids can get to school and teachers can’t, it’s a problem,” he said.
Almost all districts in eastern Massachusetts announced cancellations late Monday, and Chuang said that “it was a cascade effect.” He called it “an example of groupthink among superintendents triggered by Boston’s decision,” not only to close school, but also to declare a snow emergency.
“We were all informed and advised by our DPWs and our bus companies not to have school,” he added.
When the storm track shifted south around 5 p.m., Chuang said, he concluded that “unringing the bell in such a situation can cause more confusion. And we still weren’t certain of the track.”
Chuang said one silver lining is the opportunity to use an animated musical email announcement, featuring cartoons of Chuang and several orchestra students playing “Let it Snow,” that “we had recorded in November secretly in anticipation of being able to use it.”
School Committee members were sympathetic.
“I appreciate your transparency,” said Sarah McGinley. “A lot of people were in the same boat. Thank you for trying to get ahead of it,” said Sheila Mehta-Green.
High school junior Shreyes Shivappa, the student representative to the School Committee, had a different reaction, saying, “Thank you for the snow day, Mr. Chuang. I really enjoyed it.”
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