How to make up snow days

A proposal in Lansing to allow schools to make up snow days by adding minutes onto the end of days within the existing schedule, is drawing fire from the state’s top educator. Superintendent of Schools Mike Flanagan calls it an “insane and silly” idea. He points to the number one education country in the world..Finland, and says they don’t add minutes, they add days when it snows and that’s what Michigan should do. But Republican State Representative Phil Potvin of Cadiilac maintains schools should have choices including adding thirty minutes, not five minutes at the end of the day which he claims is a cost saver for financially strapped districts. He says the cost savings is all in transportation by not running buses one more time and having people in school one extra day. Meanwhile the Chair of the Senate Education Committee sides with Flanagan on making up snow days. Republican State Senator Phil Pavlov says the state mandates the number of days in a school year, and lawmakers want to make sure this applies to snow days as well. When asked about forgiving the lost days..Flanagan says no to that, too.  (MRN)