Explain ridiculously early 2023/24 start date?

[Anonymous]

Okay. Just found the survey results from last year.

35 percent of parents wanted two weeks before Labor Day.

43 percent wanted one week before Labor Day.

13 percent had no preference

9 percent wanted something else.

So clearly all of the Labor Day start people are a minority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay. Just found the survey results from last year.

35 percent of parents wanted two weeks before Labor Day.

43 percent wanted one week before Labor Day.

13 percent had no preference

9 percent wanted something else.

So clearly all of the Labor Day start people are a minority.

Adding- 46 percent wanted a longer winter break too.

[Anonymous]

But the highest positive response was for ONE week before labor day and none of the next three years has that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But the highest positive response was for ONE week before labor day and none of the next three years has that.

Administration and school board don’t care about survey results. It’s their way or the highway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am probably in the minority here. I would rather have a shorter summer and more days off during the school year. Kids and teachers need some extra time to re-fuel and catch up with work. Those extra days spread over the school year also give families more options to schedule doctors appts without taking kids out of school. Oh, then there is also that pesky “summer slide”.

I taught for many years, and yes, a lot of those PD sessions were a waste of time, but they at least gave teachers a day off from lesson planning. A happier, relaxed teacher is a better teacher.

Also, families could schedule vacations in the off season. I kept hearing about so many stories this summer of families in Italy struggling in the heat! Not us! We cannot afford those trips.

+1

My preferred schedule would be a 6 week summer and two weeks between each quarter and a 3/4 day weekend in the middle of the quarter.

+1
I would love that schedule too. HS kids could still be lifeguards and camp counselors full time during the break. They could do evening and weekend shifts when school is in session. In reality, most HS kids only work 6 weeks during the 9 week summer anyway... with travel, sports, etc. Most "teen-hiring' companies easily find ways to deal with different schedules. (HS teacher and parent of 9th and 12th grader here.)

+1 I would LOVE to see the 6-7 week summer with 2 week breaks in between each quarter. If wishes were horses...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS needs to tighten up its schedule. Yes, teachers have more administrative work than in the past but they have been doing it for years now. Judicious use of subs would allow teachers to do all the additional non-teaching functions during their regular work day.

Maybe the overhead at Gatehouse could help lighten the load for teachers rather than create more work for the front line teachers.

The need to start early to do well on AP exams is a weak excuse. Many states still start the day after Labor Day, have adequate school breaks and kids that receive 4s and 5s on AP exams on a regular basis.

Kids in fall sports have always started in August and families have arranged vacation schedules accordingly.

Inability to adopt a sensible calendar, yet another reason why FCPS is continuing its downward slide.

Coverage is not as easy to get as you think. Lack of subs, support staff who get pulled from their actual roles to cover classrooms so teachers can attend IEP meetings (so many more than in the past). It's just not the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:50% of kids in the US aren’t passing AP exams as it is so I really don’t see why we need to start a week or two earlier for them. College Board releases these scores every year. US kids do terrible on the exams.

Regardless, I don’t care when we start. But the goal needs to be out as early in June as possible. Once we pass the SOLs and Memorial Day, there isn’t meaningful learning happening in school. 3 weeks of school in august/September isn’t equivalent to 3 weeks of school in June. You can’t start new material or maintain good spirits from the kids trying to do stuff on June 16. So letting us go as early in June as feasible is better for everyone.

As someone who has proctored dozens of AP exams, half the kids shouldn’t be there. Every year I see kids draw pictures in the booklet rather than take the test, leave the written portion empty, complete the scantron without looking at the questions, etc.

Taking the test is optional. Why do they attend?

Not sure, parents probably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But the highest positive response was for ONE week before labor day and none of the next three years has that.

We’re also not seeing what they voted for for the end of the year, which impacts the start of the year. In recent surveys most families wanted a later start and an earlier end, which is not exactly feasible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the highest positive response was for ONE week before labor day and none of the next three years has that.

We’re also not seeing what they voted for for the end of the year, which impacts the start of the year. In recent surveys most families wanted a later start and an earlier end, which is not exactly feasible.

Sure it is. We’ve explained how so many times. An easy way to cut days off the end is to get rid of all of the teacher workdays and PD days. Have school on Veteran’s Day, with an assembly, once again and have school the day before Thanksgiving. That’s at least a week if not more right there. -teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But the highest positive response was for ONE week before labor day and none of the next three years has that.

Well if you add in the no preference it is about equal. You have to also remember they surveyed employees and students.

Employees and Students
2 weeks before LD- E-50% S-43%
1 week before LD- E-35% S- 32%
No Preference E-10%. S- 19%
Other- E- 5 %. S- 5%

In my opinion, parents should have no say. My school district never surveyed parents. They created the calendar and no one complained. We started after Labor Day and went into Late June (June 24-26).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the highest positive response was for ONE week before labor day and none of the next three years has that.

We’re also not seeing what they voted for for the end of the year, which impacts the start of the year. In recent surveys most families wanted a later start and an earlier end, which is not exactly feasible.

Except it is possible. For example, in 2017-18 we started August 28 and ended June 15. Still had the full 2 week winter break, a full week spring break, and several long weekends.

This year we ended June 15 but started August 21.

I like the 2017-2018 model, but would also be fine if they did August 21-June 7. But why the extra week of school to accommodate nonsense days off?

[Anonymous]

The simple answer is that the School Board is run by idiots that treat the calendar like their social justice agenda instead of doing what's best for the school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the highest positive response was for ONE week before labor day and none of the next three years has that.

We’re also not seeing what they voted for for the end of the year, which impacts the start of the year. In recent surveys most families wanted a later start and an earlier end, which is not exactly feasible.

Sure it is. We’ve explained how so many times. An easy way to cut days off the end is to get rid of all of the teacher workdays and PD days. Have school on Veteran’s Day, with an assembly, once again and have school the day before Thanksgiving. That’s at least a week if not more right there. -teacher

Different Teacher here- the extra PD days is what elongates the calendar. Most school districts do not have this.

I would make Columbus/Veteran’s Day school days. I would also get rid of like 2-3 PD days.

Just looking at the calendar this year…
If Columbus Day was a student day, and May 3 and one of the days after Spring Break, we could end the SY on Friday June 7.

For 24/25
Taking away Two PD days in Oct(1 being Columbus) and Veteran’s Day the last day could be Friday, June 6.

For 25/26
This calendar ends late June 17, but if you took away Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day and another PD day you could end school on Friday June 12.

The gist is, just 3 days makes a huge difference.

I am telling you- they need teachers to make the calendars. 🤣

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don't have to do 180 days - we could use hours but the SB insists on doing 180 days.
We have two weeks off for winter break and one week off for spring break and many religious holidays - those days all add up to elongate the calendar.
We used to start post-Labor Day which I liked. The SB wanted to change it for really no legitimate reason - & at the time claimed that moving the start before labor day would help with AP prep and SOL prep. The dumb thing was that SOL prep was already backloaded as much as possible so it made no difference to move the calendar up for that and it was a real red herring in the whole decision- leaving only AP test prep affected - and those same kids are the same ones likely with less time now to work on the common app before school starts - so it's all a wash for them anyway.

Literally every year when they do these surveys, the majority want an August start. So everyone clamoring about Labor Day, most parents wanted an August start.

Some....I have talked to many that want after Labor Day start or to get out earlier.

Ok. This district is huge. I can say I spoke to many who like the August start.

ok...but do they just want babysitters. Most likely. If FCPS goes back in August it should get out that first week of June. That's the point you blew past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the highest positive response was for ONE week before labor day and none of the next three years has that.

We’re also not seeing what they voted for for the end of the year, which impacts the start of the year. In recent surveys most families wanted a later start and an earlier end, which is not exactly feasible.

Sure it is. We’ve explained how so many times. An easy way to cut days off the end is to get rid of all of the teacher workdays and PD days. Have school on Veteran’s Day, with an assembly, once again and have school the day before Thanksgiving. That’s at least a week if not more right there. -teacher

Different Teacher here- the extra PD days is what elongates the calendar. Most school districts do not have this.

I would make Columbus/Veteran’s Day school days. I would also get rid of like 2-3 PD days.

Just looking at the calendar this year…
If Columbus Day was a student day, and May 3 and one of the days after Spring Break, we could end the SY on Friday June 7.

For 24/25
Taking away Two PD days in Oct(1 being Columbus) and Veteran’s Day the last day could be Friday, June 6.

For 25/26
This calendar ends late June 17, but if you took away Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day and another PD day you could end school on Friday June 12.

The gist is, just 3 days makes a huge difference.

I am telling you- they need teachers to make the calendars. 🤣

All of this and remove all the unnecessary religious holidays and we're good.