The number of student holidays is insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why? Because we don’t need every religious holiday off. No secular country in the world gives so many religious holidays. Provide leave for teachers who celebrate (Sorry, but that’s actually quite generous already!) and allow kids to make up work. Yes, Christmas is over winter break. The majority of the county would take off so schools couldn’t be staffed and classrooms would be empty if they were staffed. Its also a federal holiday.

Well unfortunately staffing is now a huge issue. So if 2,000 teachers took over for the Jewish holidays plus other people take off for sickness or other reasons it becomes an operational issue. So unless parents start volunteering to sub once a month then it is a problem to have school. There are so many vacancies already that they will need to cover.

But Jewish teachers usually don't take the Jewish holidays off. I'm a non-practicing Jew, so it doesn't matter for me, but I have had many practicing Jewish colleagues in FCPS over the past 25 years. They taught on all high holy days without batting an eye. There are many, many different religious holidays throughout the school year. We really shouldn't be taking any of them off. Celebrations can wait until the evening (or happen in the morning before school -- like on Ash Wednesday for Catholics).

They didn’t take off because most didn’t know about religious leave and/or didn’t want to use personal. When I first started, I didn’t know I could take off using religious leave. Have taken off every year since. Every Jewish teacher at my school takes off for the Jewish holidays.

+100, now that teachers know about it, many take it off. Almost all of the Jewish teachers took the days last year, at my school, now that they know they could take them off without using a personal day.

[Anonymous]

I have no interest in a longer summer. More breaks during the school year is a good path forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why? Because we don’t need every religious holiday off. No secular country in the world gives so many religious holidays. Provide leave for teachers who celebrate (Sorry, but that’s actually quite generous already!) and allow kids to make up work. Yes, Christmas is over winter break. The majority of the county would take off so schools couldn’t be staffed and classrooms would be empty if they were staffed. Its also a federal holiday.

Well unfortunately staffing is now a huge issue. So if 2,000 teachers took over for the Jewish holidays plus other people take off for sickness or other reasons it becomes an operational issue. So unless parents start volunteering to sub once a month then it is a problem to have school. There are so many vacancies already that they will need to cover.

But Jewish teachers usually don't take the Jewish holidays off. I'm a non-practicing Jew, so it doesn't matter for me, but I have had many practicing Jewish colleagues in FCPS over the past 25 years. They taught on all high holy days without batting an eye. There are many, many different religious holidays throughout the school year. We really shouldn't be taking any of them off. Celebrations can wait until the evening (or happen in the morning before school -- like on Ash Wednesday for Catholics).

Ash Wednesday is a minor holiday. Catholics the their major holidays off every year. As a Catholic teacher if someone suggested I work Christmas or Easter I'd take leave too! My first responder husband works them and we figure it out, but I don't have that kind of job.

[Anonymous]

I think the larger issue is not the holidays but TWD during the year. We have way more TWD than other places.

[Anonymous]

If I read calendar correctly, after start, the most weeks on a row that kids have full week of school in 2022 is 2 weeks and rest are short weeks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I read calendar correctly, after start, the most weeks on a row that kids have full week of school in 2022 is 2 weeks and rest are short weeks?

*IN a row (not on).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What sucks also is that SOLS will be in May and then there are weeks of school with no teaching whatsoever. So as far as “instructional time”, it is lost. That’s the babysitting part. So much would rather actual school without breaks and an early release once they stop teaching (or: after SOL).

That really isn’t true at all. Trust me, there is plenty of content that can still be taught and many fun learning projects that can be done.

My kid’s ES teachers did that and it was great. DD in 8th at a decent / mid-tier MS was basically just hanging out for at least two weeks at the end. It was ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why? Because we don’t need every religious holiday off. No secular country in the world gives so many religious holidays. Provide leave for teachers who celebrate (Sorry, but that’s actually quite generous already!) and allow kids to make up work. Yes, Christmas is over winter break. The majority of the county would take off so schools couldn’t be staffed and classrooms would be empty if they were staffed. Its also a federal holiday.

Well unfortunately staffing is now a huge issue. So if 2,000 teachers took over for the Jewish holidays plus other people take off for sickness or other reasons it becomes an operational issue. So unless parents start volunteering to sub once a month then it is a problem to have school. There are so many vacancies already that they will need to cover.

But Jewish teachers usually don't take the Jewish holidays off. I'm a non-practicing Jew, so it doesn't matter for me, but I have had many practicing Jewish colleagues in FCPS over the past 25 years. They taught on all high holy days without batting an eye. There are many, many different religious holidays throughout the school year. We really shouldn't be taking any of them off. Celebrations can wait until the evening (or happen in the morning before school -- like on Ash Wednesday for Catholics).

They didn’t take off because most didn’t know about religious leave and/or didn’t want to use personal. When I first started, I didn’t know I could take off using religious leave. Have taken off every year since. Every Jewish teacher at my school takes off for the Jewish holidays.

+100, now that teachers know about it, many take it off. Almost all of the Jewish teachers took the days last year, at my school, now that they know they could take them off without using a personal day.

If they were not important enough to use one of their personal days for they don’t seem that important. If I worked somewhere that did not celebrate Christmas then come help or high water I would be putting in a vacation day request for Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why? Because we don’t need every religious holiday off. No secular country in the world gives so many religious holidays. Provide leave for teachers who celebrate (Sorry, but that’s actually quite generous already!) and allow kids to make up work. Yes, Christmas is over winter break. The majority of the county would take off so schools couldn’t be staffed and classrooms would be empty if they were staffed. Its also a federal holiday.

Well unfortunately staffing is now a huge issue. So if 2,000 teachers took over for the Jewish holidays plus other people take off for sickness or other reasons it becomes an operational issue. So unless parents start volunteering to sub once a month then it is a problem to have school. There are so many vacancies already that they will need to cover.

But Jewish teachers usually don't take the Jewish holidays off. I'm a non-practicing Jew, so it doesn't matter for me, but I have had many practicing Jewish colleagues in FCPS over the past 25 years. They taught on all high holy days without batting an eye. There are many, many different religious holidays throughout the school year. We really shouldn't be taking any of them off. Celebrations can wait until the evening (or happen in the morning before school -- like on Ash Wednesday for Catholics).

They didn’t take off because most didn’t know about religious leave and/or didn’t want to use personal. When I first started, I didn’t know I could take off using religious leave. Have taken off every year since. Every Jewish teacher at my school takes off for the Jewish holidays.

+100, now that teachers know about it, many take it off. Almost all of the Jewish teachers took the days last year, at my school, now that they know they could take them off without using a personal day.

If they were not important enough to use one of their personal days for they don’t seem that important. If I worked somewhere that did not celebrate Christmas then come help or high water I would be putting in a vacation day request for Christmas.

Well that is probably because our society values (and has made federal holidays) out of Christian holidays. Please keep your opinion about how Jews celebrate their holidays to yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why? Because we don’t need every religious holiday off. No secular country in the world gives so many religious holidays. Provide leave for teachers who celebrate (Sorry, but that’s actually quite generous already!) and allow kids to make up work. Yes, Christmas is over winter break. The majority of the county would take off so schools couldn’t be staffed and classrooms would be empty if they were staffed. Its also a federal holiday.

Well unfortunately staffing is now a huge issue. So if 2,000 teachers took over for the Jewish holidays plus other people take off for sickness or other reasons it becomes an operational issue. So unless parents start volunteering to sub once a month then it is a problem to have school. There are so many vacancies already that they will need to cover.

But Jewish teachers usually don't take the Jewish holidays off. I'm a non-practicing Jew, so it doesn't matter for me, but I have had many practicing Jewish colleagues in FCPS over the past 25 years. They taught on all high holy days without batting an eye. There are many, many different religious holidays throughout the school year. We really shouldn't be taking any of them off. Celebrations can wait until the evening (or happen in the morning before school -- like on Ash Wednesday for Catholics).

They didn’t take off because most didn’t know about religious leave and/or didn’t want to use personal. When I first started, I didn’t know I could take off using religious leave. Have taken off every year since. Every Jewish teacher at my school takes off for the Jewish holidays.

+100, now that teachers know about it, many take it off. Almost all of the Jewish teachers took the days last year, at my school, now that they know they could take them off without using a personal day.

If they were not important enough to use one of their personal days for they don’t seem that important. If I worked somewhere that did not celebrate Christmas then come help or high water I would be putting in a vacation day request for Christmas.

Well that is probably because our society values (and has made federal holidays) out of Christian holidays. Please keep your opinion about how Jews celebrate their holidays to yourself.

Let's count how many federal holidays are Christian holidays. Ready... set... one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why? Because we don’t need every religious holiday off. No secular country in the world gives so many religious holidays. Provide leave for teachers who celebrate (Sorry, but that’s actually quite generous already!) and allow kids to make up work. Yes, Christmas is over winter break. The majority of the county would take off so schools couldn’t be staffed and classrooms would be empty if they were staffed. Its also a federal holiday.

Well unfortunately staffing is now a huge issue. So if 2,000 teachers took over for the Jewish holidays plus other people take off for sickness or other reasons it becomes an operational issue. So unless parents start volunteering to sub once a month then it is a problem to have school. There are so many vacancies already that they will need to cover.

But Jewish teachers usually don't take the Jewish holidays off. I'm a non-practicing Jew, so it doesn't matter for me, but I have had many practicing Jewish colleagues in FCPS over the past 25 years. They taught on all high holy days without batting an eye. There are many, many different religious holidays throughout the school year. We really shouldn't be taking any of them off. Celebrations can wait until the evening (or happen in the morning before school -- like on Ash Wednesday for Catholics).

They didn’t take off because most didn’t know about religious leave and/or didn’t want to use personal. When I first started, I didn’t know I could take off using religious leave. Have taken off every year since. Every Jewish teacher at my school takes off for the Jewish holidays.

+100, now that teachers know about it, many take it off. Almost all of the Jewish teachers took the days last year, at my school, now that they know they could take them off without using a personal day.

If they were not important enough to use one of their personal days for they don’t seem that important. If I worked somewhere that did not celebrate Christmas then come help or high water I would be putting in a vacation day request for Christmas.

Well that is probably because our society values (and has made federal holidays) out of Christian holidays. Please keep your opinion about how Jews celebrate their holidays to yourself.

There is one Federal Holiday for a Christian Holiday and that is Christmas. I suspect it was made a Federal Holiday because of the number of people who took the day off because they celebrate. Remove Christmas from the Federal Holiday list if you want, that will just be a period of high vacation requests. There are a good number of business that shut down for the week in between Christmas and New Years because so many people take that time off for vacations. While Christmas is a Christian holiday, it has pretty much become a secular holiday in the US. I celebrated it as a religious holiday as a kid but my DH did not and we don't at our house. I have friends of all faiths who allow Santa to visit, because why not? Santa sure as heck is not Christian even if he is associated with Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Oh stop with the *one* day Christmas discussion You're just derailing the discussion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why? Because we don’t need every religious holiday off. No secular country in the world gives so many religious holidays. Provide leave for teachers who celebrate (Sorry, but that’s actually quite generous already!) and allow kids to make up work. Yes, Christmas is over winter break. The majority of the county would take off so schools couldn’t be staffed and classrooms would be empty if they were staffed. Its also a federal holiday.

Well unfortunately staffing is now a huge issue. So if 2,000 teachers took over for the Jewish holidays plus other people take off for sickness or other reasons it becomes an operational issue. So unless parents start volunteering to sub once a month then it is a problem to have school. There are so many vacancies already that they will need to cover.

But Jewish teachers usually don't take the Jewish holidays off. I'm a non-practicing Jew, so it doesn't matter for me, but I have had many practicing Jewish colleagues in FCPS over the past 25 years. They taught on all high holy days without batting an eye. There are many, many different religious holidays throughout the school year. We really shouldn't be taking any of them off. Celebrations can wait until the evening (or happen in the morning before school -- like on Ash Wednesday for Catholics).

They didn’t take off because most didn’t know about religious leave and/or didn’t want to use personal. When I first started, I didn’t know I could take off using religious leave. Have taken off every year since. Every Jewish teacher at my school takes off for the Jewish holidays.

+100, now that teachers know about it, many take it off. Almost all of the Jewish teachers took the days last year, at my school, now that they know they could take them off without using a personal day.

If they were not important enough to use one of their personal days for they don’t seem that important. If I worked somewhere that did not celebrate Christmas then come help or high water I would be putting in a vacation day request for Christmas.

Well that is probably because our society values (and has made federal holidays) out of Christian holidays. Please keep your opinion about how Jews celebrate their holidays to yourself.

PLENTY of Jews celebrate Xmas in the non-secular way. I went to grad school in a heavily Jewish area, have spent Jewish holidays with friends and their families. Xmas, like it or not, is NOT going to not be a day off. You can make that stand, but it is not happening. FCPS decoupled all of the other Christian holidays (like Easter), which was appropriate.

But the PP was correct, if Xmas was not a holiday, I would not go to work. End of story. I'd take the day or two days or more, or whatever. If you don't, frankly, it is just not that important to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why? Because we don’t need every religious holiday off. No secular country in the world gives so many religious holidays. Provide leave for teachers who celebrate (Sorry, but that’s actually quite generous already!) and allow kids to make up work. Yes, Christmas is over winter break. The majority of the county would take off so schools couldn’t be staffed and classrooms would be empty if they were staffed. Its also a federal holiday.

Well unfortunately staffing is now a huge issue. So if 2,000 teachers took over for the Jewish holidays plus other people take off for sickness or other reasons it becomes an operational issue. So unless parents start volunteering to sub once a month then it is a problem to have school. There are so many vacancies already that they will need to cover.

But Jewish teachers usually don't take the Jewish holidays off. I'm a non-practicing Jew, so it doesn't matter for me, but I have had many practicing Jewish colleagues in FCPS over the past 25 years. They taught on all high holy days without batting an eye. There are many, many different religious holidays throughout the school year. We really shouldn't be taking any of them off. Celebrations can wait until the evening (or happen in the morning before school -- like on Ash Wednesday for Catholics).

Except many teachers are saving leave for maternity leave and personal leave can get denied.

They didn’t take off because most didn’t know about religious leave and/or didn’t want to use personal. When I first started, I didn’t know I could take off using religious leave. Have taken off every year since. Every Jewish teacher at my school takes off for the Jewish holidays.

+100, now that teachers know about it, many take it off. Almost all of the Jewish teachers took the days last year, at my school, now that they know they could take them off without using a personal day.

If they were not important enough to use one of their personal days for they don’t seem that important. If I worked somewhere that did not celebrate Christmas then come help or high water I would be putting in a vacation day request for Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why? Because we don’t need every religious holiday off. No secular country in the world gives so many religious holidays. Provide leave for teachers who celebrate (Sorry, but that’s actually quite generous already!) and allow kids to make up work. Yes, Christmas is over winter break. The majority of the county would take off so schools couldn’t be staffed and classrooms would be empty if they were staffed. Its also a federal holiday.

Well unfortunately staffing is now a huge issue. So if 2,000 teachers took over for the Jewish holidays plus other people take off for sickness or other reasons it becomes an operational issue. So unless parents start volunteering to sub once a month then it is a problem to have school. There are so many vacancies already that they will need to cover.

But Jewish teachers usually don't take the Jewish holidays off. I'm a non-practicing Jew, so it doesn't matter for me, but I have had many practicing Jewish colleagues in FCPS over the past 25 years. They taught on all high holy days without batting an eye. There are many, many different religious holidays throughout the school year. We really shouldn't be taking any of them off. Celebrations can wait until the evening (or happen in the morning before school -- like on Ash Wednesday for Catholics).

They didn’t take off because most didn’t know about religious leave and/or didn’t want to use personal. When I first started, I didn’t know I could take off using religious leave. Have taken off every year since. Every Jewish teacher at my school takes off for the Jewish holidays.

+100, now that teachers know about it, many take it off. Almost all of the Jewish teachers took the days last year, at my school, now that they know they could take them off without using a personal day.

If they were not important enough to use one of their personal days for they don’t seem that important. If I worked somewhere that did not celebrate Christmas then come help or high water I would be putting in a vacation day request for Christmas.

Well that is probably because our society values (and has made federal holidays) out of Christian holidays. Please keep your opinion about how Jews celebrate their holidays to yourself.

Agreed. Wow, people have a lot of comments on things they shouldn't comment on. "Well, Jewish people never cared before so let's keep screwing them." Dear lord.