Students in Missouri used to wait in anticipation of the cancellation of school due to bad weather conditions. A "snow day" meant a day off from school and time to sleep in late and then play in the snow. However, with the most recent implementation of AMI days, students are still required to complete assignments on those days away.
AMI is an acronym for Alternative Method of Instruction and is part of the Warsaw R-IX School District curriculum. An AMI day is a day in which school is cancelled (e.g. in the case of inclement weather) but students do not have to make up the day because they will be provided the opportunity to complete “Weather Work” assignments over a specified period.
According to Warsaw R-IX Superintendent Scott Gemes, it is a way to keep students on task and avoid making up instruction hours during the school year.
“With modern technology in place, we are able to keep students moving forward,” said Gemes. “Our high school and middle school students receive assignments through Google while our elementary students receive packets of material at the beginning of the year to use in case of a snow day.”
Students should take home devices and other school supplies as needed if there is a potential for school closure due to inclement weather. If there is a problem with internet connections then they should contact their teachers.
Gemes explained that students are able to submit their assignments to their teachers and teachers can grade the assignments and give instruction when the students return to school. The district is then able to count the AMI day as a school day and the students will not have to make up those days.
“Without AMI days, the school year might extend all the way until June,” said Gemes. “As it is now, the district has used all five of the AMI days so if we have to miss another day of school then we will have to make up that day.”
WHS English teacher Amber Glenn is on board with AMI instruction.
“I would prefer to have AMI days over making them up on Mondays," Glenn said. "My students tend to complete the work I send them, but I keep it pretty short. The students who typically complete their work on a daily basis, turn in their AMI. I give them 10 points per day, using a rubric for meeting the criteria. As long as they turn it in by the day the district sets, they are counted present for each day they complete work."
WHS Math teacher Amy Spunaugle said that AMI is helpful in some ways.
“It depends on which perspective I’m looking at it from,” said Spunaugle. “It’s nice that the administration has a few days they do not have to stress in calling off a day of school. My students are pretty good about doing their work. I do hate missing five days of full force education though.”
Warsaw South School pre-school teacher Kristy Henderson is in favor of the AMI days.
“I like them. I would rather have them now than make up 5 days later on in the year. I have had all my students return their work in a timely manner. I believe the assignments that students receive should be something they can do on their own or with very minimal parental help. I think it has been a learning curve for teachers, students, and parents with this program, but overall, I feel it is effective for my young students. It helps students get some quality work time and still have some time off for fun during a snow day,” said Henderson.
Some parents have trouble with AMI days.
“I personally don’t like them,” said mother of two, Jacquelyn Snow. "As working parents, we don’t get snow days and teaching my kids takes time I get to spend with them. I’m not a very good teacher.”
“Teachers need to be teaching our kids, but AMI days serve their purpose to keep students engaged,” said Gemes. “We hope the cold weather is over, but there is a possibility we might miss another day and since we have used our five AMI days, we will have to make up any time we miss the rest of the school year.”
In the Lincoln R-II School District, the concept is the same, however, no work is assigned to students on days away from school.
"We have 10 days built into our calendar," said Chris Sanders, an alternative classroom instructor. "As long as we aren't out more than 10 days, we don't have to make them up."
If the district ever does have more than 10 snow days, days may be added to the end of the school year or certain holidays or breaks may be taken away and replaced with school days.
But Sanders commented, "In my 11 years with the district, I don't think we've ever been over 10."
"We prefer in-person instruction over AMI days," said Lincoln R-II Superintendent Kevin Smith. "During Covid, we had some negative experiences with AMI and we didn't like the results. Therefore, we currently feel that additional school days and in-person instruction is a better fit for our students and community."
Sanders described an advantage being that teachers aren't required to have pre-made paperwork or assignments ready.
Lincoln R-II Elementary teacher Sarah Weatherby explained another advantage.
"I like that our schedule will not change with added days put into the end of the year," Weatherby said. "I appreciate the freedom that when a snow day is called, our schedule is not changing in the long run."
In Cole Camp, Superintendent Chris Hess explained.
"AMI days allow school districts to continue to provide instruction on days when it is too hazardous to come to school," she said.
But the superintendent added, "In order to count the student present for the AMI day and thus to be able to count them in district attendance, the assigned work has to be done."
Elementary Principal Andrea Curtis recognizes that nothing takes the place of being in the classroom with a teacher giving the lesson.
"It isn't ideal to have students at home for multiple days in a row and sporadic teaching," the administrator said. "But AMI helps with this aspect. The students are able to review concepts they have already been taught and keep their minds fixed on what they've been learning. They aren't learning new information."
To date, Cole Camp has utilized three of their 5 allotted AMI days.
Cole Camp Student Services Administrator Kevin Shearer ageed with Curtis.
"Nothing substitutes being in the classroom with a teacher," Shearer said. "But after testing and so far into May, parents and students are ready for summer, so AMI days do help to keep the school year on track."
He added, "Safety is the biggest concern."
While the difficult decision of whether or not school should be in session is ultimately up to the superintendents, the AMI option provides the them another way to keep students safe.
