Why is the school year longer than the 2005-09 years?

[Anonymous]

In those years school started the final Monday in August, there were two weeks off for winter break (granted the 2005-06 break was very late) and the last day was June 15 or earlier.
There was school the day before thanksgiving but 1 or 2 extra days off in the spring which no longer are given that offset that.
https://dcps.dc.gov/node/936772 (old calendars going back to 2004-05 except 2008-09)
https://teacherquality.nctq.org/dmsView/74-08_7261 (2008-09 calendar)

The 2026-29 calendars start earlier and barely make the before June 19 threshold. The 2028-29 calendar starts very early (although that is 3 years after the upcoming school year) and will need to be redone.

[Anonymous]

There’s a concerted effort in District government to keep low and moderate income kids covered by District programming for as much of the year as possible. If not DCPS, then DPR summer camps or SYEP. It’s partially a crime prevention strategy and partially a way for low and moderate income households to have supervision for their children year-round. There are more teacher training days than before, but that’s secondary to the main point.

[Anonymous]

Aren't they all 180 days?

[Anonymous]

Probably more contractually required professional development days for teachers. Around 2016 they also got rid of half days in favor of full days so that turned 8 half days of school into four full days off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aren't they all 180 days?

It's not the number of school days but TOTAL days from the first to last day of school. Some more non-school days must been added that makes the length of the school year longer. School should be out by June 19 (I'd say June 21 but since schools are now off annually for Juneteenth might as well start summer then) and should not start earlier than the final week of August. It's TOO hot! If anything the camps need to be a week longer! The first week of August being the last week of camp is absurd!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably more contractually required professional development days for teachers. Around 2016 they also got rid of half days in favor of full days so that turned 8 half days of school into four full days off.

Yup. This is the explanation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably more contractually required professional development days for teachers. Around 2016 they also got rid of half days in favor of full days so that turned 8 half days of school into four full days off.

Yup. This is the explanation.

Yup!

2005-2006 was my very first year teaching and my first in DCPS. All the teacher work days were also put together post the new year so students had two weeks off, but teachers didn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't they all 180 days?

It's not the number of school days but TOTAL days from the first to last day of school. Some more non-school days must been added that makes the length of the school year longer. School should be out by June 19 (I'd say June 21 but since schools are now off annually for Juneteenth might as well start summer then) and should not start earlier than the final week of August. It's TOO hot! If anything the camps need to be a week longer! The first week of August being the last week of camp is absurd!

It's a labor issue. College kids and foreign students head back to their campuses or home countries in August. Getting kids into summer camp the last three weeks of August around DC is actually really difficult - there's not a lot of availability. For example, the pricey HeadFirst camps loose staff and get booted from their private school campuses (St. Albans/NCS, St Pat's) by the end of 1st week of August.

DCPS is going to start school a week earlier beginning in 2028: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/page_content/attachments/SY%2026-29%20Calendars_FINAL_English_042825.pdf

[Anonymous]

One contributor is there used to be a half day at the end of each term that counted toward the 180 days. This 1/2 day is contract mandated for teachers to do their end of term report cards/grading. These were turned into full days off for kids (1/2 day records and 1/2 day teacher PD).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One contributor is there used to be a half day at the end of each term that counted toward the 180 days. This 1/2 day is contract mandated for teachers to do their end of term report cards/grading. These were turned into full days off for kids (1/2 day records and 1/2 day teacher PD).

Yup, this adds four full days off!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aren't they all 180 days?

There aren’t really 180 days in a school year, at least not in DC. The city lets schools use some shady accounting so they can claim they’re following the law. Charters are especially bad. Some of their school years are really short.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't they all 180 days?

It's not the number of school days but TOTAL days from the first to last day of school. Some more non-school days must been added that makes the length of the school year longer. School should be out by June 19 (I'd say June 21 but since schools are now off annually for Juneteenth might as well start summer then) and should not start earlier than the final week of August. It's TOO hot! If anything the camps need to be a week longer! The first week of August being the last week of camp is absurd!

It's a labor issue. College kids and foreign students head back to their campuses or home countries in August. Getting kids into summer camp the last three weeks of August around DC is actually really difficult - there's not a lot of availability. For example, the pricey HeadFirst camps loose staff and get booted from their private school campuses (St. Albans/NCS, St Pat's) by the end of 1st week of August.

DCPS is going to start school a week earlier beginning in 2028: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/page_content/attachments/SY%2026-29%20Calendars_FINAL_English_042825.pdf

Awful, no need to begin on August 21 (which is August 14 for teachers and August NINTH for new teachers)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't they all 180 days?

It's not the number of school days but TOTAL days from the first to last day of school. Some more non-school days must been added that makes the length of the school year longer. School should be out by June 19 (I'd say June 21 but since schools are now off annually for Juneteenth might as well start summer then) and should not start earlier than the final week of August. It's TOO hot! If anything the camps need to be a week longer! The first week of August being the last week of camp is absurd!

It's a labor issue. College kids and foreign students head back to their campuses or home countries in August. Getting kids into summer camp the last three weeks of August around DC is actually really difficult - there's not a lot of availability. For example, the pricey HeadFirst camps loose staff and get booted from their private school campuses (St. Albans/NCS, St Pat's) by the end of 1st week of August.

DCPS is going to start school a week earlier beginning in 2028: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/page_content/attachments/SY%2026-29%20Calendars_FINAL_English_042825.pdf

Do they really start college by MID-August?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably more contractually required professional development days for teachers. Around 2016 they also got rid of half days in favor of full days so that turned 8 half days of school into four full days off.

Yup. This is the explanation.

This is the issue all these PD days and no half days DRAG the year on. Reduce the PD days and either return 4 half days or cut two days from the requirement if people are too insane to handle half days.

[Anonymous]

I remember when we had half days and people complained loudly about them because of childcare planning. Many parents said that it was easier to have kids out for a full day, rather than a half day. I distinctly remember those arguments.