The response to MoCo's calendar change shows why the FCPS religious holidays will never go away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The snow days should be virtual days at this point. A week without school over a snowstorm is ridiculous in 2026

We would have been absent. Virtual school is a waste of time unless you are enrolled in a dedicated virtual program that is established for that type of learning. The COVID year was a complete waste, and my kid attended every day. The math was so bad that we started RSM and found competition math. DS loved it and still participates in math competitions but he was learning nothing in math during COVID.

I agree virtual school is a waste. Teachers should telework on snow days like other professionals and subsequent teacher workdays/early release days cancelled.

Teachers already work on snow days. I’m a professional. I work until the work is done, which often means every day of the week.

Are you saying that it should simply be somehow tracked? Micromanaged?

So what you’re really saying is that teacher work time shouldn’t be reflected in the calendar. Parents shouldn’t have to find childcare so teachers can get behind-the-scenes work done.

Fine. I actually agree. But until we teach fewer classes or have fewer duties, I’m not sure what the solution is. Simply put: teachers do need time to get work done. That’s just fact. And random snow days isn’t enough.

In the rest of the white-collar professional world, on days of inclement weather, employees, bring home laptops, and participate in meetings, trainings, calls, etc. It’s not “tracking” or “micromanagement” when Deloitte does it, why is it such an imposition for teachers?

As I wrote, I am working on snow days. I am also bringing home my laptop, participating in team meetings, etc. I don’t need an administrator to TELL me to work. I don’t need an administrator to TELL me to contact my team and schedule a meeting because we have the gift of time that day. I’m already on it.

My comment regarding micromanaging is related to the suggestion above that teachers should be ***told*** to work on these days. Oh, we are. I don’t need an administrator checking in on me.

Why if an administrator tells you to is that wrong, but if the CEO or team lead at a normal company tells their employees that they’ll be meeting virtually tomorrow because of the snow that’s fine? Yes, sometimes people need to be told to work. Public employees on contract days should be expected to work, yes, but that expectation could be reflected in the result in school calendar.

I don’t know why you feel the need to pick a fight. This isn’t a big deal unless you decide to make it one. Just don’t assume I’m lazily basking in the glory of a snow day and I’ll be fine.

I mean— thats exactly the impression you’re giving. No one can MAKE me work. No one can CHECK my work. Just because I’m paid for this day doesn’t mean anyone can EXPECT something.

The NYT ran an opinion piece last week about school choice. NYC has charter schools with 12 hour days. The “don’t micromanage!” me attitude isn’t going to fly much longer.

NYC charter schools have nothing to do with Virginia public schools. Charter schools are notorious for poor working conditions for teachers because you don’t have to have a professional license to teach at one. The outcomes in education at charters are also not great as a result of this and many other factors such as they don’t have to abide by federal accountability standards.

Bad news:

https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-gov-youngkin-federal-school-choice-tax-credit/291-ba2b27e9-77f1-456b-b161-4b29d6bd44dd

I did not say charter schools don’t exist in Virginia. I said what they do in charter schools doesn’t impact what we do in public schools. They are two incredibly different entities with very different standards and conditions. What happens at some shifty charter that uses vouchers is not indicative of what occurs at PUBLIC schools which have licensure requirements and such to teach there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we want to remove religious holidays, it needs to be all. It isn’t right to leave in Christian holidays but then view Muslim holidays as expendable. A new calendar system where only federal holidays are honored and no religious holidays are included at all would work, but it would require people who are very used to having Christian holidays honored to accept the change. No two week winter break. Christmas Eve in school, only Christmas Day off for the federal holidays and back on 12/26. Spring break untied from Easter.

There are no Christian holidays on the FCPS calendar (except for the ridiculous Orthodox ones they added).

Christmas is at the center of the Winter Break and Spring Break is tied to Easter. FCPS tried to uncouple Spring Break from Easter but the Teachers who live in other counties threw a hissy fit because their counties kept Spring Break tied to Easter. Instead of the entire region realizing there was a problem with tying Spring Break to easter, FCPS caved. It was around that time that we got all of the other religious holidays added to the calendar and the current awful mess we have.

Winter Break has nothing to do with Christmas, which is only one day and a Federal holiday anyway.

Yes, FCPS tried to show woke they were by decoupling Spring Break from Easter and failed horribly. But Easter is always on a Sunday and is not a school holiday.

The point is, people can scream and cry about Christian holidays, but they have no impact to the calendar.

That sounds like impact to the calendar. With that said most of the world is off around Christmas so nothing can be done there but spring break should be secular based (specific timing in the school year) not always the week before Easter. All you need is to get Loudoun on board and the rest (Arlington, Prince William, ACPS, FCCPS) will automatically adjust. How this week before Easter practice started is puzzling since Easter moves around and it doesn't even help the Easter celebraters since that is the last day for teachers and sometimes students.

+1
Spring break connected to Easter is NOT a religious move; it is a logistical decision. I agree FCPS should team up with Loudoun and maneuver PWCS and make the jump to an early April fixed week. I don’t think teachers care when it is - just that it match the surrounding districts.

And frankly I celebrate Easter and would love the break not to overlap with it since then we could travel AND still celebrate Easter with family. Having spring break over Easter week is bad timing for many Christian families for that same reason.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I was a teacher. I don't understand the attack on teachers about a snow day. The teachers do not make the decision.

And, FWIW, I was a teacher of K and 1. Most of my work was done at school. Sure, I could plan outside of school, but preparing materials, and setting up the classroom is a key part of planning with young children.

I guess I am not sure what some on here are expecting of a teacher on a snow day. Remember, many also have children. It is difficult for everyone.

It’s actually very simple. Move to 1.5 hours of each early release that is “admin directed” to virtual. Move the training to virtual. Then when there is a snow day, teachers do the training online. The next early release/TWD is cancelled. No change to contract days. Literally no one loses in this scenario and it costs Fairfax not one penny.

You are not a teacher, are you?

No I’m one of these poor victims who is “monitored” by my workplace and expected to find and pay for childcare on snow days.

I’m the teacher you started attacking. This is the first time I’ve posted since my initial posts re: monitoring.

I suppose you need another adult to tell you when to work. I don’t. I will work my contracted hours, my weekends, and (yes) on snow days without someone else telling me to. I don’t know why that bothers you so much. Are you micromanaged at your job? Do you want me to suffer with you?

And you’re not alone. Guess what? I ALSO pay for someone to watch my children on teacher work days. You are aware teachers are also parents, aren’t you?

And I appreciate that “no one loses” to you in the scenario above. I guess it would take a teacher to see how teachers lose. I can’t schedule my extra work around random, unexpected snow days. I’m sure you’re about to tell me how I can, though.

No one asks you to. Your administration plans training— they put it online, state requirements met. What are you “losing” by being asked to work?
What are your students gaining by having class?

We can’t have a conversation as you don’t understand the work of a teacher. And I’m not saying that to be rude. You simply don’t. Trainings are such a small, tiny, minuscule part of what we do. Particularly ones that can be put online.

So you’re saying when FCPS said the state mandated literacy trainings would take up so much time they require monthly early release, they were lying? Where was the outcry from teachers anout this decepton?

Teachers have no say in that type of training. I would bet that most Teachers would have been happier with online training done at their pace then the length of time that they had to be in the mandated training. The County bought a program that said it required X amount of training to use. The County required the ES teachers to attend the training that the company sold. The teaches did not ask for that amount of training and, I would bet, most of them thought it was far too much and that it was disruptive.

Kind of like how I feel at the government mandated training that I have to take every year, same subjects, same videos, same training, every year. And it goes so well with my companies trainings on the same topics but the words directed at company projects and values instead of defending the country. Anyone who has worked for the DoD will roll their eyes at the time traveling cyber warrior who helps save the US from catastrophe by reminding you to remove your CAC card and don’t burn CDs at your desk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we want to remove religious holidays, it needs to be all. It isn’t right to leave in Christian holidays but then view Muslim holidays as expendable. A new calendar system where only federal holidays are honored and no religious holidays are included at all would work, but it would require people who are very used to having Christian holidays honored to accept the change. No two week winter break. Christmas Eve in school, only Christmas Day off for the federal holidays and back on 12/26. Spring break untied from Easter.

There are no Christian holidays on the FCPS calendar (except for the ridiculous Orthodox ones they added).

Christmas is at the center of the Winter Break and Spring Break is tied to Easter. FCPS tried to uncouple Spring Break from Easter but the Teachers who live in other counties threw a hissy fit because their counties kept Spring Break tied to Easter. Instead of the entire region realizing there was a problem with tying Spring Break to easter, FCPS caved. It was around that time that we got all of the other religious holidays added to the calendar and the current awful mess we have.

Winter Break has nothing to do with Christmas, which is only one day and a Federal holiday anyway.

Yes, FCPS tried to show woke they were by decoupling Spring Break from Easter and failed horribly. But Easter is always on a Sunday and is not a school holiday.

The point is, people can scream and cry about Christian holidays, but they have no impact to the calendar.

That sounds like impact to the calendar. With that said most of the world is off around Christmas so nothing can be done there but spring break should be secular based (specific timing in the school year) not always the week before Easter. All you need is to get Loudoun on board and the rest (Arlington, Prince William, ACPS, FCCPS) will automatically adjust. How this week before Easter practice started is puzzling since Easter moves around and it doesn't even help the Easter celebraters since that is the last day for teachers and sometimes students.

My guess is that the week before Easter is holy week and that there was a large enough contingent of Teachers and students whose families went to services on Thursday and Friday that the counties just gave off that week and it has stuck. The really devout Catholics I know try to attend services every day during Holy Week. A good number attend on Thursday and Friday. Those are long services and many prefer not to be trying to go to mass at night. At least, the Catholics I know. I also grew up in a town that proudly boasts its Irish Catholic heritage so there might have been a bit more Church attendance then the norm.

[Anonymous]

Claiming that the 2 WEEK winter break around Christmas (the longest break of the entire year) isn’t specifically about Christmas is disingenuous. If we scheduled Christmas the way we did every other major religion’s holidays, it would be one day off- Christmas Day. And again for New Year’s Day a week later. Those are the only two days in that span that are federal holidays. But it gets 2 weeks in the calendar because it’s the major Christian holiday. Pretending otherwise is goofy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Claiming that the 2 WEEK winter break around Christmas (the longest break of the entire year) isn’t specifically about Christmas is disingenuous. If we scheduled Christmas the way we did every other major religion’s holidays, it would be one day off- Christmas Day. And again for New Year’s Day a week later. Those are the only two days in that span that are federal holidays. But it gets 2 weeks in the calendar because it’s the major Christian holiday. Pretending otherwise is goofy.

No. It is not goofy. Yes, Christmas is a Christian holiday, but the two weeks off has been a tradition in our schools for many, many years. Why? Because people get together with family at that time to celebrate--and many are not even observant Christians. Many people travel to be with family at that time. There are festivities, parties, etc.

Many businesses and offices also shut down at that time. Do you not realize how difficult it would be to staff schools that would be open at that time?

It is part of the culture of the United States. Sorry you don't like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we want to remove religious holidays, it needs to be all. It isn’t right to leave in Christian holidays but then view Muslim holidays as expendable. A new calendar system where only federal holidays are honored and no religious holidays are included at all would work, but it would require people who are very used to having Christian holidays honored to accept the change. No two week winter break. Christmas Eve in school, only Christmas Day off for the federal holidays and back on 12/26. Spring break untied from Easter.

There are no Christian holidays on the FCPS calendar (except for the ridiculous Orthodox ones they added).

Christmas is at the center of the Winter Break and Spring Break is tied to Easter. FCPS tried to uncouple Spring Break from Easter but the Teachers who live in other counties threw a hissy fit because their counties kept Spring Break tied to Easter. Instead of the entire region realizing there was a problem with tying Spring Break to easter, FCPS caved. It was around that time that we got all of the other religious holidays added to the calendar and the current awful mess we have.

Winter Break has nothing to do with Christmas, which is only one day and a Federal holiday anyway.

Yes, FCPS tried to show woke they were by decoupling Spring Break from Easter and failed horribly. But Easter is always on a Sunday and is not a school holiday.

The point is, people can scream and cry about Christian holidays, but they have no impact to the calendar.

That sounds like impact to the calendar. With that said most of the world is off around Christmas so nothing can be done there but spring break should be secular based (specific timing in the school year) not always the week before Easter. All you need is to get Loudoun on board and the rest (Arlington, Prince William, ACPS, FCCPS) will automatically adjust. How this week before Easter practice started is puzzling since Easter moves around and it doesn't even help the Easter celebraters since that is the last day for teachers and sometimes students.

My guess is that the week before Easter is holy week and that there was a large enough contingent of Teachers and students whose families went to services on Thursday and Friday that the counties just gave off that week and it has stuck. The really devout Catholics I know try to attend services every day during Holy Week. A good number attend on Thursday and Friday. Those are long services and many prefer not to be trying to go to mass at night. At least, the Catholics I know. I also grew up in a town that proudly boasts its Irish Catholic heritage so there might have been a bit more Church attendance then the norm.

You are probably correct. I grew up in the Bible belt in the South. There were fewer Catholics there and our Spring break was in March. It was never tied to Easter. The Catholics and Episcopalians were allowed to take a half day off on Good Friday, but the rest of us stayed in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Claiming that the 2 WEEK winter break around Christmas (the longest break of the entire year) isn’t specifically about Christmas is disingenuous. If we scheduled Christmas the way we did every other major religion’s holidays, it would be one day off- Christmas Day. And again for New Year’s Day a week later. Those are the only two days in that span that are federal holidays. But it gets 2 weeks in the calendar because it’s the major Christian holiday. Pretending otherwise is goofy.

No. It is not goofy. Yes, Christmas is a Christian holiday, but the two weeks off has been a tradition in our schools for many, many years. Why? Because people get together with family at that time to celebrate--and many are not even observant Christians. Many people travel to be with family at that time. There are festivities, parties, etc.

Many businesses and offices also shut down at that time. Do you not realize how difficult it would be to staff schools that would be open at that time?

It is part of the culture of the United States. Sorry you don't like it.

That tradition dates from a time when the default was the five day school week and the long summer. FCPS will need to choose to embrace one or the other going forward but the swiss cheese calendar, short summer, and long breaks pleases no one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The snow days should be virtual days at this point. A week without school over a snowstorm is ridiculous in 2026

We would have been absent. Virtual school is a waste of time unless you are enrolled in a dedicated virtual program that is established for that type of learning. The COVID year was a complete waste, and my kid attended every day. The math was so bad that we started RSM and found competition math. DS loved it and still participates in math competitions but he was learning nothing in math during COVID.

I agree virtual school is a waste. Teachers should telework on snow days like other professionals and subsequent teacher workdays/early release days cancelled.

Teachers already work on snow days. I’m a professional. I work until the work is done, which often means every day of the week.

Are you saying that it should simply be somehow tracked? Micromanaged?

So what you’re really saying is that teacher work time shouldn’t be reflected in the calendar. Parents shouldn’t have to find childcare so teachers can get behind-the-scenes work done.

Fine. I actually agree. But until we teach fewer classes or have fewer duties, I’m not sure what the solution is. Simply put: teachers do need time to get work done. That’s just fact. And random snow days isn’t enough.

In the rest of the white-collar professional world, on days of inclement weather, employees, bring home laptops, and participate in meetings, trainings, calls, etc. It’s not “tracking” or “micromanagement” when Deloitte does it, why is it such an imposition for teachers?

As I wrote, I am working on snow days. I am also bringing home my laptop, participating in team meetings, etc. I don’t need an administrator to TELL me to work. I don’t need an administrator to TELL me to contact my team and schedule a meeting because we have the gift of time that day. I’m already on it.

My comment regarding micromanaging is related to the suggestion above that teachers should be ***told*** to work on these days. Oh, we are. I don’t need an administrator checking in on me.

Why if an administrator tells you to is that wrong, but if the CEO or team lead at a normal company tells their employees that they’ll be meeting virtually tomorrow because of the snow that’s fine? Yes, sometimes people need to be told to work. Public employees on contract days should be expected to work, yes, but that expectation could be reflected in the result in school calendar.

I don’t know why you feel the need to pick a fight. This isn’t a big deal unless you decide to make it one. Just don’t assume I’m lazily basking in the glory of a snow day and I’ll be fine.

I mean— thats exactly the impression you’re giving. No one can MAKE me work. No one can CHECK my work. Just because I’m paid for this day doesn’t mean anyone can EXPECT something.

The NYT ran an opinion piece last week about school choice. NYC has charter schools with 12 hour days. The “don’t micromanage!” me attitude isn’t going to fly much longer.

NYC charter schools have nothing to do with Virginia public schools. Charter schools are notorious for poor working conditions for teachers because you don’t have to have a professional license to teach at one. The outcomes in education at charters are also not great as a result of this and many other factors such as they don’t have to abide by federal accountability standards.

Bad news:

https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-gov-youngkin-federal-school-choice-tax-credit/291-ba2b27e9-77f1-456b-b161-4b29d6bd44dd

I did not say charter schools don’t exist in Virginia. I said what they do in charter schools doesn’t impact what we do in public schools. They are two incredibly different entities with very different standards and conditions. What happens at some shifty charter that uses vouchers is not indicative of what occurs at PUBLIC schools which have licensure requirements and such to teach there.

Indicative no. But they can chsngr public schools.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/opinion/democrats-students-school-choice.html?unlocked_article_code=1.NFA.NIIo.ucRfy-QWeoS_&smid=url-share

From the article:

When families have more agency, schools are compelled to adapt and improve to earn their trust, and a more responsive system follows

Keep treating the families of your students as though their time and money are endlessly at your disposal and that it is more important for FCPS for a teacher to have a day to sit in school doing paperwork than it is for a child to have their meals that day, and see how quickly parents will abandon FCPS.

And your biases are showing, by not mentioning in your outrage how many charter schools perform public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Claiming that the 2 WEEK winter break around Christmas (the longest break of the entire year) isn’t specifically about Christmas is disingenuous. If we scheduled Christmas the way we did every other major religion’s holidays, it would be one day off- Christmas Day. And again for New Year’s Day a week later. Those are the only two days in that span that are federal holidays. But it gets 2 weeks in the calendar because it’s the major Christian holiday. Pretending otherwise is goofy.

No. It is not goofy. Yes, Christmas is a Christian holiday, but the two weeks off has been a tradition in our schools for many, many years. Why? Because people get together with family at that time to celebrate--and many are not even observant Christians. Many people travel to be with family at that time. There are festivities, parties, etc.

Many businesses and offices also shut down at that time. Do you not realize how difficult it would be to staff schools that would be open at that time?

It is part of the culture of the United States. Sorry you don't like it.

That tradition dates from a time when the default was the five day school week and the long summer. FCPS will need to choose to embrace one or the other going forward but the swiss cheese calendar, short summer, and long breaks pleases no one.

So you think by breaking up the one consistent and prolonged break of the school year that the calendar will magically be fixed? Hardly. We’d probably start and end on the same dates and the 8 instructional days we get back would be used to implement more random early releases and cultural observances.

Also, FCPS would lose accreditation due to chronic absenteeism from people pulling their kids from school to spend time with family when the entire rest of the country is on winter break.

Thanksgiving break and winter break are untouchable. Spring break is also untouchable but they could at least tie it to the end of the quarter. FCPS isn’t the only district with a floating spring break. In my NY school it was tied to Passover. Some schools do the week before or after Easter. Some have a fixed week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we want to remove religious holidays, it needs to be all. It isn’t right to leave in Christian holidays but then view Muslim holidays as expendable. A new calendar system where only federal holidays are honored and no religious holidays are included at all would work, but it would require people who are very used to having Christian holidays honored to accept the change. No two week winter break. Christmas Eve in school, only Christmas Day off for the federal holidays and back on 12/26. Spring break untied from Easter.

There are no Christian holidays on the FCPS calendar (except for the ridiculous Orthodox ones they added).

Christmas is at the center of the Winter Break and Spring Break is tied to Easter. FCPS tried to uncouple Spring Break from Easter but the Teachers who live in other counties threw a hissy fit because their counties kept Spring Break tied to Easter. Instead of the entire region realizing there was a problem with tying Spring Break to easter, FCPS caved. It was around that time that we got all of the other religious holidays added to the calendar and the current awful mess we have.

Winter Break has nothing to do with Christmas, which is only one day and a Federal holiday anyway.

Yes, FCPS tried to show woke they were by decoupling Spring Break from Easter and failed horribly. But Easter is always on a Sunday and is not a school holiday.

The point is, people can scream and cry about Christian holidays, but they have no impact to the calendar.

That sounds like impact to the calendar. With that said most of the world is off around Christmas so nothing can be done there but spring break should be secular based (specific timing in the school year) not always the week before Easter. All you need is to get Loudoun on board and the rest (Arlington, Prince William, ACPS, FCCPS) will automatically adjust. How this week before Easter practice started is puzzling since Easter moves around and it doesn't even help the Easter celebraters since that is the last day for teachers and sometimes students.

My guess is that the week before Easter is holy week and that there was a large enough contingent of Teachers and students whose families went to services on Thursday and Friday that the counties just gave off that week and it has stuck. The really devout Catholics I know try to attend services every day during Holy Week. A good number attend on Thursday and Friday. Those are long services and many prefer not to be trying to go to mass at night. At least, the Catholics I know. I also grew up in a town that proudly boasts its Irish Catholic heritage so there might have been a bit more Church attendance then the norm.

You are probably correct. I grew up in the Bible belt in the South. There were fewer Catholics there and our Spring break was in March. It was never tied to Easter. The Catholics and Episcopalians were allowed to take a half day off on Good Friday, but the rest of us stayed in school.

Spring Break wasn't tied to Easter where I grew up, the families just pulled kids for services on Thursday and Friday and no one at school blinked an eye. I seem to remember reviewing material and subs without complaint. Spring Break was the same week in March every year. I am guessing that my earlier explanation is what happened in this area but it makes no sense to me. The Counties need to talk to each other and pick a week that is not tied to a religious period and use that for Spring Break. The moving things every year and hoping it fits in with the school calendar in a way that makes sense is stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Claiming that the 2 WEEK winter break around Christmas (the longest break of the entire year) isn’t specifically about Christmas is disingenuous. If we scheduled Christmas the way we did every other major religion’s holidays, it would be one day off- Christmas Day. And again for New Year’s Day a week later. Those are the only two days in that span that are federal holidays. But it gets 2 weeks in the calendar because it’s the major Christian holiday. Pretending otherwise is goofy.

No. It is not goofy. Yes, Christmas is a Christian holiday, but the two weeks off has been a tradition in our schools for many, many years. Why? Because people get together with family at that time to celebrate--and many are not even observant Christians. Many people travel to be with family at that time. There are festivities, parties, etc.

Many businesses and offices also shut down at that time. Do you not realize how difficult it would be to staff schools that would be open at that time?

It is part of the culture of the United States. Sorry you don't like it.

People get together at that time… because THAT is the time there’s 2 weeks off school! If we scheduled 2 weeks off at the beginning of Ramadan, that is when people would get together because that’s when they’d be off. Until about 10 years ago it wasn’t even called winter break, it was called Christmas break. Because that’s what it is. It doesn’t even occur at the natural point between semesters so it isn’t about marking a turning point of the year. It occurs in the middle of quarter 2 only 4 months into a 10 month year. It is functionally designed to give observing and cultural Christians lots of time for THEIR holiday. If we truly want to balance the calendar, knock it back to 2 days and boom, you suddenly have lots of instructional days to play with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Claiming that the 2 WEEK winter break around Christmas (the longest break of the entire year) isn’t specifically about Christmas is disingenuous. If we scheduled Christmas the way we did every other major religion’s holidays, it would be one day off- Christmas Day. And again for New Year’s Day a week later. Those are the only two days in that span that are federal holidays. But it gets 2 weeks in the calendar because it’s the major Christian holiday. Pretending otherwise is goofy.

No. It is not goofy. Yes, Christmas is a Christian holiday, but the two weeks off has been a tradition in our schools for many, many years. Why? Because people get together with family at that time to celebrate--and many are not even observant Christians. Many people travel to be with family at that time. There are festivities, parties, etc.

Many businesses and offices also shut down at that time. Do you not realize how difficult it would be to staff schools that would be open at that time?

It is part of the culture of the United States. Sorry you don't like it.

That tradition dates from a time when the default was the five day school week and the long summer. FCPS will need to choose to embrace one or the other going forward but the swiss cheese calendar, short summer, and long breaks pleases no one.

The tradition dates from when the US was very much a predominantly Protestant Country and families were traveling for Christmas. Yes, there was a separation of Church and State but so many people were taking vacations over that time period, it was turned into a long break at school. Christmas is a federal holiday because so many Govies were taking that day off of work. The reality is, you would still have a high level of kids and teachers and staff out of school at that time period so we keep the break and the Federal Holiday for that day. Today, the holiday is more secular then anything but the timing makes sense for vacations and in the school calendar. It remains a staffing issue.

FCPS goes the extra mile and turns it into a 2 week break, no diea why. It was a week when I was a kid, you got off on the 23rd and came back on the 2nd or 3rd. Suggest shortening the Winter Break around here and you may as well be suggesting executing Santa.

And none of that really has anything to do with the addition on all the religious holidays and cultural events. FCPS could send kids to school on Federal Holidays, which would reduce the ridiculousness of the calendar, or use those as teacher work days, which would reduce the ridiculousness of the calendar. Instead it opts to give everything off, have a calendar that is totally ridiculous, and extend the school year by close to 2 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we want to remove religious holidays, it needs to be all. It isn’t right to leave in Christian holidays but then view Muslim holidays as expendable. A new calendar system where only federal holidays are honored and no religious holidays are included at all would work, but it would require people who are very used to having Christian holidays honored to accept the change.[b] No two week winter break. Christmas Eve in school, only Christmas Day off for the federal holidays and back on 12/26. Spring break untied from Easter.

Even if you’re not Christian, winter break is very ingrained in our culture. It’sa very practical way for families to gather, because all the children and most of the adults have off at the same time. The alternative would be to constantly have work disrupted by families taking vacations at random times. I taught in a private school where this was common, and it was chaos. So much work, and the kids who left never caught up. I be had one student go from first in the class to sixth, and he could tell. He was not happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Claiming that the 2 WEEK winter break around Christmas (the longest break of the entire year) isn’t specifically about Christmas is disingenuous. If we scheduled Christmas the way we did every other major religion’s holidays, it would be one day off- Christmas Day. And again for New Year’s Day a week later. Those are the only two days in that span that are federal holidays. But it gets 2 weeks in the calendar because it’s the major Christian holiday. Pretending otherwise is goofy.

No. It is not goofy. Yes, Christmas is a Christian holiday, but the two weeks off has been a tradition in our schools for many, many years. Why? Because people get together with family at that time to celebrate--and many are not even observant Christians. Many people travel to be with family at that time. There are festivities, parties, etc.

Many businesses and offices also shut down at that time. Do you not realize how difficult it would be to staff schools that would be open at that time?

It is part of the culture of the United States. Sorry you don't like it.

That tradition dates from a time when the default was the five day school week and the long summer. FCPS will need to choose to embrace one or the other going forward but the swiss cheese calendar, short summer, and long breaks pleases no one.

So you think by breaking up the one consistent and prolonged break of the school year that the calendar will magically be fixed? Hardly. We’d probably start and end on the same dates and the 8 instructional days we get back would be used to implement more random early releases and cultural observances.

Also, FCPS would lose accreditation due to chronic absenteeism from people pulling their kids from school to spend time with family when the entire rest of the country is on winter break.

Thanksgiving break and winter break are untouchable. Spring break is also untouchable but they could at least tie it to the end of the quarter. FCPS isn’t the only district with a floating spring break. In my NY school it was tied to Passover. Some schools do the week before or after Easter. Some have a fixed week.

I disagree about Thanksgiving. My public school (in NY) break was Thurs-Fri. Weds could be a teacher work day if absenteeism is really the risk.