Why does FCPS have all these random days of week off???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Counterpoint: we should stop bickering about religious holidays and random Fridays and reckon with the reality that kids need more than 180 days in school. Especially after the disaster of the past two years. Kids are way behind and its going to take more than cheerful press releases from Gatehouse to catch them up.

FCPS should use federal funds to renegotiate teacher contracts and get kids in seats for at least 200 days/year.

This is why parents should have no say. Everyone has a different opinion.

Winter break- some love two weeks, others hate it
Mid June end- summer needs to be shorter, summer needs to be longer

I can literally keep going. Surveys to parents should stop. The county needs to make a calendar where teachers give feedback regarding consistency, planning and learning outcomes. I can 100 percent tell you, that if you put teachers in charge, they would have come up with a much better calendar.

+100

Agreed. Whose stupid idea was it to ask parents? Does any other school system do that? There are too many competing interests. Surveying employees makes sense, but not parents. It’s not like parents have a choice but to send their kids to school regardless of the calendar. Asking for parent input has created a mess with every little interest group fighting for their cause.

No the interest groups were appointed to the calendar committee. Parent voting clearly was not on the same page as the interest groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Counterpoint: we should stop bickering about religious holidays and random Fridays and reckon with the reality that kids need more than 180 days in school. Especially after the disaster of the past two years. Kids are way behind and its going to take more than cheerful press releases from Gatehouse to catch them up.

FCPS should use federal funds to renegotiate teacher contracts and get kids in seats for at least 200 days/year.

This is why parents should have no say. Everyone has a different opinion.

Winter break- some love two weeks, others hate it
Mid June end- summer needs to be shorter, summer needs to be longer

I can literally keep going. Surveys to parents should stop. The county needs to make a calendar where teachers give feedback regarding consistency, planning and learning outcomes. I can 100 percent tell you, that if you put teachers in charge, they would have come up with a much better calendar.

+100

Agreed. Whose stupid idea was it to ask parents? Does any other school system do that? There are too many competing interests. Surveying employees makes sense, but not parents. It’s not like parents have a choice but to send their kids to school regardless of the calendar. Asking for parent input has created a mess with every little interest group fighting for their cause.

No the interest groups were appointed to the calendar committee. Parent voting clearly was not on the same page as the interest groups.

The calendar committee should have been made up of teachers, not religious leaders. This school board has gotten way into the political games. I hope people start paying more attention to who is endorsing these candidates. Those are the groups to whom the school board members are beholden. Just like politicians.

[Anonymous]

So FCPS teachers can do what they do best...nothing.

[Anonymous]

As a parent of HS kids, I appreciate these breaks for my kids. HS is very demanding nowadays and the kids need the reprieve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of HS kids, I appreciate these breaks for my kids. HS is very demanding nowadays and the kids need the reprieve.

LOL!

[Anonymous]

Sad that you all vote for board members who put religion over your child's education. These claims of equity are an implied insult to Latinos as well because there definitely was not a group lobbying FCPS for Day of the Dead off. Clearly it was thrown in to help justify adding the four "more serious" religious holidays that are actually recognized by the schools this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have been a million calendar threads. Parents were surveyed. Clearly you didn’t want what others did.

The parent survey counts for nothing.

OP here. I’m fairly certain I filled out a calendar survey and I am 100% certain the current school calendar does not reflect what I wanted.

I do remember I did not mind an earlier start for an earlier end date. Nowhere did I vote for an earlier start date AND a later end date.

I definitely did not vote for all these one off days off sprinkled all over the calendar.

It’s almost as if your vote was one vote and not a binding edict you issued to the school district.

No, parents generally did not vote in favor of this calendar. They voted against extending the year and against prioritizing alignment with other districts. FCPS just ignored what a string majority of parents voted for.

Oh, you tabulated the votes personally? Pro Tip: What your fellow rich, entitled parents voted for in your school isn’t what everyone agreed with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Counterpoint: we should stop bickering about religious holidays and random Fridays and reckon with the reality that kids need more than 180 days in school. Especially after the disaster of the past two years. Kids are way behind and its going to take more than cheerful press releases from Gatehouse to catch them up.

FCPS should use federal funds to renegotiate teacher contracts and get kids in seats for at least 200 days/year.

Will never, ever happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Counterpoint: we should stop bickering about religious holidays and random Fridays and reckon with the reality that kids need more than 180 days in school. Especially after the disaster of the past two years. Kids are way behind and its going to take more than cheerful press releases from Gatehouse to catch them up.

FCPS should use federal funds to renegotiate teacher contracts and get kids in seats for at least 200 days/year.

Will never, ever happen.

they aren’t even using the 180 days well. For first 2 weeks at our elementary, it is just team building and stay in homeroom. For week 3, they just begin to switch classes and learn new routines with brand new teachers. No real instructions or lessons have started and it’s Week 4. The past 3 weeks have been a waste of time. They should have used that time for review of last year material or time to fill in a gap. They don’t teach cursive or even penmenship. They have skipped other topics in the recent years due to Covid yet no plan is used to fill in those gaps. Moreover, the workshop model is not good for all types of learners. It’s a shame, but I can see why test results dropped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Counterpoint: we should stop bickering about religious holidays and random Fridays and reckon with the reality that kids need more than 180 days in school. Especially after the disaster of the past two years. Kids are way behind and its going to take more than cheerful press releases from Gatehouse to catch them up.

FCPS should use federal funds to renegotiate teacher contracts and get kids in seats for at least 200 days/year.

Will never, ever happen.

they aren’t even using the 180 days well. For first 2 weeks at our elementary, it is just team building and stay in homeroom. For week 3, they just begin to switch classes and learn new routines with brand new teachers. No real instructions or lessons have started and it’s Week 4. The past 3 weeks have been a waste of time. They should have used that time for review of last year material or time to fill in a gap. They don’t teach cursive or even penmenship. They have skipped other topics in the recent years due to Covid yet no plan is used to fill in those gaps. Moreover, the workshop model is not good for all types of learners. It’s a shame, but I can see why test results dropped.

I doubt no new content has been taught but if this is the case this is an issue with your school not FCPS. My kid has had several quizzes and has first math test this week. Upper ES

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Counterpoint: we should stop bickering about religious holidays and random Fridays and reckon with the reality that kids need more than 180 days in school. Especially after the disaster of the past two years. Kids are way behind and its going to take more than cheerful press releases from Gatehouse to catch them up.

FCPS should use federal funds to renegotiate teacher contracts and get kids in seats for at least 200 days/year.

Will never, ever happen.

With no negotiation there can be no renegotiation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Counterpoint: we should stop bickering about religious holidays and random Fridays and reckon with the reality that kids need more than 180 days in school. Especially after the disaster of the past two years. Kids are way behind and its going to take more than cheerful press releases from Gatehouse to catch them up.

FCPS should use federal funds to renegotiate teacher contracts and get kids in seats for at least 200 days/year.

Will never, ever happen.

they aren’t even using the 180 days well. For first 2 weeks at our elementary, it is just team building and stay in homeroom. For week 3, they just begin to switch classes and learn new routines with brand new teachers. No real instructions or lessons have started and it’s Week 4. The past 3 weeks have been a waste of time. They should have used that time for review of last year material or time to fill in a gap. They don’t teach cursive or even penmenship. They have skipped other topics in the recent years due to Covid yet no plan is used to fill in those gaps. Moreover, the workshop model is not good for all types of learners. It’s a shame, but I can see why test results dropped.

I doubt no new content has been taught but if this is the case this is an issue with your school not FCPS. My kid has had several quizzes and has first math test this week. Upper ES

+1
If that were true they’d be 3 weeks behind in pacing at his point.

Third Grade Teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Counterpoint: we should stop bickering about religious holidays and random Fridays and reckon with the reality that kids need more than 180 days in school. Especially after the disaster of the past two years. Kids are way behind and its going to take more than cheerful press releases from Gatehouse to catch them up.

FCPS should use federal funds to renegotiate teacher contracts and get kids in seats for at least 200 days/year.

Will never, ever happen.

With no negotiation there can be no renegotiation.

FCPS will never go beyond the state requirement. If they did, the pay would have to be amazing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Counterpoint: we should stop bickering about religious holidays and random Fridays and reckon with the reality that kids need more than 180 days in school. Especially after the disaster of the past two years. Kids are way behind and its going to take more than cheerful press releases from Gatehouse to catch them up.

FCPS should use federal funds to renegotiate teacher contracts and get kids in seats for at least 200 days/year.

Will never, ever happen.

they aren’t even using the 180 days well. For first 2 weeks at our elementary, it is just team building and stay in homeroom. For week 3, they just begin to switch classes and learn new routines with brand new teachers. No real instructions or lessons have started and it’s Week 4. The past 3 weeks have been a waste of time. They should have used that time for review of last year material or time to fill in a gap. They don’t teach cursive or even penmenship. They have skipped other topics in the recent years due to Covid yet no plan is used to fill in those gaps. Moreover, the workshop model is not good for all types of learners. It’s a shame, but I can see why test results dropped.

I doubt no new content has been taught but if this is the case this is an issue with your school not FCPS. My kid has had several quizzes and has first math test this week. Upper ES

+1
If that were true they’d be 3 weeks behind in pacing at his point.

Third Grade Teacher

+1, I’m only 1 day behind - due to iReady and will make up the time this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sad that you all vote for board members who put religion over your child's education. These claims of equity are an implied insult to Latinos as well because there definitely was not a group lobbying FCPS for Day of the Dead off. Clearly it was thrown in to help justify adding the four "more serious" religious holidays that are actually recognized by the schools this year.

What? Day of the Dead is not a federal holiday in Mexico, nor is it a school holiday. I'm Hispanic and from a majority Hispanic city. Day of the Dead is not a school holiday there either. Latinos want their kids in school more days, not less. All of these days off are incredibly burdensome for people that need to work and don't have backup care. For most of the people that I know, the kids end up staying home alone while parents are off at work when FCPS is closed. The kids home alone with no supervision (particularly in MS and HS during summer) is already recognized as "at risk" days for substance abuse and other ways to get in trouble.

So no one is clamoring for more days off except for wealthy white ladies.