Some Farmington school parents find 'flex days' a burden

The Farmington school district has gotten national recognition among educators for coming up with ways for students to learn from home via iPads on days when bad weather cancels classes.

But now, after four "flexible learning days" were built into this year's calendar, some parents are giving flex days the cold shoulder, with nearly half — 49 percent — saying in a recent survey that they don't like them. The main complaint: they had to take time off work or find day care on those days, causing headaches and costing money.

Next year, the district has scheduled just two of the days.

Superintendent Jay Haugen admitted flex days can be difficult for parents, shifting the responsibility on days when kids are typically in school.

"Literally on one of these days, students then are the parents' responsibility," Haugen said. "For some parents … that's a burden."

Flex days are sometimes called e-learning days or virtual days by other districts. "Flexible learning" can also mean students working online at school when their teacher is absent.

In Farmington, the original plan was to schedule two flex days so students could practice learning online and working independently — skills they'll need in the working world, said Barb Duffrin, the district's educational services director.

But when budget cuts were necessary last spring, parents suggested adding two more to save money, Duffrin said.

The change saved $75,000 on transportation and the cost of having buildings open, Haugen said.

Flex days are still workdays for teachers. Most spent the days collaborating with other teachers, but had office hours when they responded to students' questions.

Cassie Scharber, a University of Minnesota education professor, said making arrangements for kids on flex days could be frustrating for parents. But she thought there could be other reasons for the skepticism.

"I'm wondering if it's more about this newness and refining expectations [of parents]," she said.

Too much too soon?

Setting up four flex days — or three flex days and a snow day, as it turned out — may have been too much, too soon.

If a school day is canceled because of snow or cold, that day can replace one of the scheduled ones.

Parents are more understanding with emergency flex days, Haugen said. Four days were scheduled only to save money.

Officials "have to do a better job of communicating" about the days, too, he said.

Duffrin agreed that the problem arose with four days instead of two. Flex days weren't intended as a means to cut expenses, she said, but to practice learning online.

"A lot of it depends on what is the purpose," she said. "We had a purpose in mind … and we got off course."

But some parents are fans of the arrangement.

Marri Sczepanski said she's heard negative comments from irked Cub Scout parents. But her third-grade son enjoys learning on his own, she said. "It makes [kids] responsible for what they have to get done."

There were positive comments in the survey as well. Parents liked that kids had a variety of activities, getting to learn with their child and watching students become more independent, accessing the resources they needed.

Complaints included trouble locating online assignments and issues with work being too easy, too hard, too time-consuming or too quickly completed, said Duffrin.

"We get more homework [on flex days]," said sophomore Logan Hammond. "Like, a lot more."

He thought teachers might give more assignments to make up for kids getting to work from home, he said.

Scharber, the professor, was impressed overall. "I applaud them for breaking up notions of traditional learning … and being receptive to feedback," she said.

Erin Adler • 952-746-3283