I was talking with a fellow today in northern Idaho today about a cold snap they were having and some other folks in northern Canada where they already have some snow. That reminded me of the only official Snow Day issued in Panama. The story below:
The United States Pentagon can show great ingenuity when it wants or needs to. Here is a Panama December 31st 1999 story that you might enjoy. This told by a Zonian, a gentleman who lived in the Canal zone of Panama and grew up here.
“A few years after my tour in the Panama Canal Zone ended, I ran into an old schoolteacher friend who lived there when I did. He taught middle schoolers at a Canal Zone school for US dependents which was run by the Defense Department. The DOD runs dependents’ schools all over the world.
My friend was still living in the Zone on December 31 1999 when the United States officially transferred the Canal Zone to the Republic of Panama after 85 years of US control. The Panamanians were jubilant and the day was something of a national holiday. Panamanian businesses and schools were closed to celebrate the long-awaited occasion.
“For us however it was a normal school day” my friend said “But the Zone officials also wanted to close our schools because many of them were located close to the Zone boundary. They were afraid of possible rioting and looting.”
“That sounded like a wise precaution” I said. “Yes of course” he answered “The trouble was there was no such day off on our official school calendar. If they closed the schools we would not get paid.”
Teachers are universally underpaid so the thought of losing a day’s pay did not sit well with him or with his colleagues. “Our union said ‘no way’ to that. We informed the brass back in Washington we weren’t about to take an unpaid holiday” he said.
“So what did you do?” I naturally asked. “The Pentagon went back to the rules and regs that apply to all DOD schools. They found a regulation that allowed local dependents’ schools to shut down if there is a snowstorm. So they declared a snow day for December 31. The kids were safe and we got paid.” For the record it never gets below 80 degrees in Panama City in December.
The United States Pentagon can show great ingenuity when it wants or needs to. Here is a Panama December 31st 1999 story that you might enjoy. This told by a Zonian, a gentleman who lived in the Canal zone of Panama and grew up here.
“A few years after my tour in the Panama Canal Zone ended, I ran into an old schoolteacher friend who lived there when I did. He taught middle schoolers at a Canal Zone school for US dependents which was run by the Defense Department. The DOD runs dependents’ schools all over the world.
My friend was still living in the Zone on December 31 1999 when the United States officially transferred the Canal Zone to the Republic of Panama after 85 years of US control. The Panamanians were jubilant and the day was something of a national holiday. Panamanian businesses and schools were closed to celebrate the long-awaited occasion.
“For us however it was a normal school day” my friend said “But the Zone officials also wanted to close our schools because many of them were located close to the Zone boundary. They were afraid of possible rioting and looting.”
“That sounded like a wise precaution” I said. “Yes of course” he answered “The trouble was there was no such day off on our official school calendar. If they closed the schools we would not get paid.”
Teachers are universally underpaid so the thought of losing a day’s pay did not sit well with him or with his colleagues. “Our union said ‘no way’ to that. We informed the brass back in Washington we weren’t about to take an unpaid holiday” he said.
“So what did you do?” I naturally asked. “The Pentagon went back to the rules and regs that apply to all DOD schools. They found a regulation that allowed local dependents’ schools to shut down if there is a snowstorm. So they declared a snow day for December 31. The kids were safe and we got paid.” For the record it never gets below 80 degrees in Panama City in December.
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