APS cutting instructional days from calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a non-issue. APE is trying to make something out of nothing. Instructional hours are what count, not number of school days.

Eh, tell that to all the people who work jobs and have to find care on random Wednesdays.

Teachers aren't being paid to be babysitters.

Don't start this silliness again. Of COURSE school is childcare. It's not pejorative. It's factual.

Parents use it as childcare, but that is not the purpose of school, which is, and I know it's hard to believe but please try, education.

[Anonymous]

I'm fine with fewer days if it was due to snow days (which have become all but useless). I'm not fine with starting early, ending just as late and having fewer days. Let them out earlier in June. It's ridiculous to stay in school so late when you are starting in August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a non-issue. APE is trying to make something out of nothing. Instructional hours are what count, not number of school days.

Eh, tell that to all the people who work jobs and have to find care on random Wednesdays.

Teachers aren't being paid to be babysitters.

Don't start this silliness again. Of COURSE school is childcare. It's not pejorative. It's factual.

Parents use it as childcare, but that is not the purpose of school, which is, and I know it's hard to believe but please try, education.

Fun fact: education is best done by having a teacher present with a child.

Also yes, during the time when kids are with teachers the teachers are caring for them.

[Anonymous]

its interesting that APS is doing this (basing it on hours rather than instructional days) The State Board of Education specifically told FCCPS that this was not allowed- that a school system had to start from a calendar that has 180 instructional days, then if there is snow etc, they can look at hours to avoid taking days on at the end of the year- but they can't start with less than the state mandated minimum number of days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Fun fact: education is best done by having a teacher present with a child.

Also yes, during the time when kids are with teachers the teachers are caring for them.

Those are both true.

It does not follow, however, that education has to happen on the schedule that is most convenient for families in which all custodial parents work.

I say this as a parent in a family where both parents work outside the home. Believe me, I was gleeful when I didn't have to pay for full-time, year-round daycare any longer.

But school is still not childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a non-issue. APE is trying to make something out of nothing. Instructional hours are what count, not number of school days.

shocker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm fine with fewer days if it was due to snow days (which have become all but useless). I'm not fine with starting early, ending just as late and having fewer days. Let them out earlier in June. It's ridiculous to stay in school so late when you are starting in August.

+1.

Although looking at the neighboring districts, they're all doing it (except probably Fairfax). It could be worse, Alexandria and PWC propose to start a week earlier than Arlington but get out mid June as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a non-issue. APE is trying to make something out of nothing. Instructional hours are what count, not number of school days.

shocker

+1000

While I understand that more days off from school are difficult to manage, especially for parents who work outside the home or work remotely from home, approving the calendar in December for a school year that begins the following 10 months certainly gives parents enough lead time to make alternative arrangements.

[Anonymous]

Who cares if APE is pushing this? Good for them that someone is because our PTAs surely are not doing squat. All this talk about accelerated learning and catching kids up is such lip service. Look at what they do instead of what they say. They are increasing class sizes and reducing the number of days in school. Deplorable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who cares if APE is pushing this? Good for them that someone is because our PTAs surely are not doing squat. All this talk about accelerated learning and catching kids up is such lip service. Look at what they do instead of what they say. They are increasing class sizes and reducing the number of days in school. Deplorable.

And why are we below our neighboring districts? Fairfax has more days and the school day is the same number of hours. We should all be upset about this. At the very least, it deserves a serious convo with the Board.

[Anonymous]

Our school is starting after school tutoring for kids who are behind. My kids are getting pulled out for more advanced material. I see our principal working hard to get kids what they need. This is a diverse N Arlington school. I hope this is happening in other elementary schools.

[Anonymous]

Of course this matters. Days in school matter. The minimum hour thing is also crap. I was shocked to see from APE's newsletter link that Va has a minimum number of school hours far below other states, including the red state I grew up in. Why are we OK with schools being closed more days? Kids need to learn, especially now. Learning happens in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school is starting after school tutoring for kids who are behind. My kids are getting pulled out for more advanced material. I see our principal working hard to get kids what they need. This is a diverse N Arlington school. I hope this is happening in other elementary schools.

Which one? Why don't people just say what school - then we can push our PTAs and Principals to do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who cares if APE is pushing this? Good for them that someone is because our PTAs surely are not doing squat. All this talk about accelerated learning and catching kids up is such lip service. Look at what they do instead of what they say. They are increasing class sizes and reducing the number of days in school. Deplorable.

Is this the function of the PTA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course this matters. Days in school matter. The minimum hour thing is also crap. I was shocked to see from APE's newsletter link that Va has a minimum number of school hours far below other states, including the red state I grew up in. Why are we OK with schools being closed more days? Kids need to learn, especially now. Learning happens in school.

Are they intentionally aiming for the bottom? They will be below the worst states in the country for education-Alaska, Alabama and Louisiana. Way to go APS! No words.