'Today' Weatherman Al Roker Makes a Surprising On-Air Plea
The next time you want to take a snow day, just call in Al Roker.
When a snow storm hit New York City on February 13, the Today show weatherman had a lot to say about it on the air — though not in the context you might think!
Al sat alongside co-hosts Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones to discuss the fact that New York City schools mandated remote learning for the day. Dylan mentioned that her husband, Brian Fichera, was texting her for help getting their sons set up, and that the Department of Education sent an email about technical difficulties with Zoom.
Al truly could not get behind the decision to have students partake in online learning when they could be playing outside in the snow. The Today star launched into a surprisingly passionate plea to let kids (and teachers) enjoy the winter weather.
"Of course, here in New York City, they didn't cancel school," he lamented while on the air. "It's remote, and the Department of Education's having all kinds of IT problems. Just give them the day off, people!" Al said, emphasizing the last part with hand claps during each word. Begging for students and parents to be let off the hook, he reiterated what they should be doing instead. "Give them a day off! Let them go out to the Central Park. Come on!"
Today shared the clip on social media, encouraging viewers to weigh in. As one former Today reporter affectionately pointed out on Instagram, this was "a real Al stirring his drink moment."
The post certainly sparked conversation, though most people were strongly on Al's side, posting comments such as "ROKER FOR PRESIDENT!!!" and "I’m a teacher, and I approve this message."
"Thanks so much, Al! I agree 100%," one person wrote on TikTok. "You tell them, Al!" another agreed. "Preach Al! Just let them have a day of fun in the snow!!! ❄️," a different follower added.
Naturally, there were some folks who disagreed. One commenter pointed out the potential reason why New York City schools weren't closed for the day. "Our kids are virtual learning from 9-12. If we take it as a day off, we have to give up a day off. Would rather do virtual," they wrote.
"As a teacher, I prefer remote learning for the day because then we do not have to add it to the end of the school year!" another educator noted on Instagram. "Lucky! Before these remote days we had snow days built into the calendar in NYC and if you didn’t use the snow days you just got extra days of learning," a third person replied.
Regardless of if you think Al is right or wrong, it's still pretty great to see another side of him on air.
You Might Also Like
