May/June attendance now optional?

[Anonymous]

In high school if you are in AP classes there isn’t much going on after the AP tests are taken in May. In other areas of the country high schools start in early August so the last day of school is the end of May to match the AP calendar. The other benefit is that first semester is done by winter break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a direct result of the ridiculous school calendar.

School should have been over last week. Continuing to stagger into June is idiotic. The people have spoken, will the School Board listen?

THIS! If you care about the quality of education, you need to be pushing for a school calendar that gets out earlier. MUCH earlier. First week of June at the very latest. They are literally just killing time at school to fill up the required hours now and that goes for all grades, even elementary. My 4th grader is turning in their laptops at the end of the day Thursday but they still have 3.5 days after that. What’s the point?!

This is going to be the case regardless of when we end.
The only good argument for ending earlier is the high school schedule regarding national dates for AP testing. Regardless of when we end, the last 5-8 days will be turning things in, fun days, etc. for elementary and middle school students. That will not change with an earlier end date.

My high school student still has finals coming up in his two classes that are mainly filled with sophomores - English 10 Honors and Honors Chem. But, the AP and electives are done and have been done because seniors have already graduated and were in those classes. But, again, no matter when the end date is, the two previous weeks will be seniors graduating and no class work for mixed grade classes. It doesn't matter if we end even on Memorial Day - that will still be the case.

Thank you for pointing out that the final week or so will be "a waste" whenever it happens. You'd have to more tightly couple the AP tests with finals etc, but even then you'll have AP parents complaining about possible finals on top of AP, so you have to give that a buffer.

The main issue to me is making the tests THE THING. Because once the SOLs and other tests below the HS level are done the teachers are DONE (generally speaking).


Also, most of the people yelling about how school right now is a waste would likewise be yelling if their kid was already out of school and they'd have to parent the kid for 2 months. School is in fact a form of social service daycare, we all know this.

Is it annoying to me that my HS kid will be home by noon starting on Thursday? Yes, but that's life. It isn't a new thing.

[Anonymous]

It's been weeks of not much but the last test or final. My kids just stay home and go in for the tests. The calendar was a disaster and we should have been out. Memorial Day 5 days was the icing on the cake of the stupidest calendar ever.

[Anonymous]

At West Springfield my kid's teachers moved on to teaching college material to prep them for the Fall. The kids were not skipping, they are motivated and eager to get ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At West Springfield my kid's teachers moved on to teaching college material to prep them for the Fall. The kids were not skipping, they are motivated and eager to get ahead.

According to calendar defenders, this is a waste of time since everyone forgets everything over the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a direct result of the ridiculous school calendar.

School should have been over last week. Continuing to stagger into June is idiotic. The people have spoken, will the School Board listen?

THIS! If you care about the quality of education, you need to be pushing for a school calendar that gets out earlier. MUCH earlier. First week of June at the very latest. They are literally just killing time at school to fill up the required hours now and that goes for all grades, even elementary. My 4th grader is turning in their laptops at the end of the day Thursday but they still have 3.5 days after that. What’s the point?!

This is going to be the case regardless of when we end.
The only good argument for ending earlier is the high school schedule regarding national dates for AP testing. Regardless of when we end, the last 5-8 days will be turning things in, fun days, etc. for elementary and middle school students. That will not change with an earlier end date.

My high school student still has finals coming up in his two classes that are mainly filled with sophomores - English 10 Honors and Honors Chem. But, the AP and electives are done and have been done because seniors have already graduated and were in those classes. But, again, no matter when the end date is, the two previous weeks will be seniors graduating and no class work for mixed grade classes. It doesn't matter if we end even on Memorial Day - that will still be the case.

High schools have a full month of non school after AP exams, not a week to wind things down.

[Anonymous]

My DW teaches Honors Algebra and was telling me a student took a zero on an assignment yesterday for not doing the work nor putting a name on it, so they must still be doing something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a direct result of the ridiculous school calendar.

School should have been over last week. Continuing to stagger into June is idiotic. The people have spoken, will the School Board listen?

THIS! If you care about the quality of education, you need to be pushing for a school calendar that gets out earlier. MUCH earlier. First week of June at the very latest. They are literally just killing time at school to fill up the required hours now and that goes for all grades, even elementary. My 4th grader is turning in their laptops at the end of the day Thursday but they still have 3.5 days after that. What’s the point?!

The last week of school has always been about filling time. It was like that in the 80's and 90's. We had half days during finals and then the last week back in the 80's. Kids take their finals, study for other finals, and then wait for Teachers to grade. The last bunch of days are more there so that kids who missed finals can retake them and for adminstrative tasks. You could change the calendar so we get out the week after Memorial day and the last week will be dead space. This has nothign to do with the screwed up claender and the timing of school ending and everything to do with finals and then down time because grades need to be completed and entered.

It is worse at HS because you hav more mixed classes and seniors have to be done before graduation which impacts the kids who are not seniors in the class.

My kid likes hanging out with friends before summer. They have some class parties. They socialize a bit. Kids who need to make up stuff make up their work. Teachers grade. It has always been this way.

It's not a week in FCPS.

It's a full month.

Ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a direct result of the ridiculous school calendar.

School should have been over last week. Continuing to stagger into June is idiotic. The people have spoken, will the School Board listen?

THIS! If you care about the quality of education, you need to be pushing for a school calendar that gets out earlier. MUCH earlier. First week of June at the very latest. They are literally just killing time at school to fill up the required hours now and that goes for all grades, even elementary. My 4th grader is turning in their laptops at the end of the day Thursday but they still have 3.5 days after that. What’s the point?!

This is going to be the case regardless of when we end.
The only good argument for ending earlier is the high school schedule regarding national dates for AP testing. Regardless of when we end, the last 5-8 days will be turning things in, fun days, etc. for elementary and middle school students. That will not change with an earlier end date.

My high school student still has finals coming up in his two classes that are mainly filled with sophomores - English 10 Honors and Honors Chem. But, the AP and electives are done and have been done because seniors have already graduated and were in those classes. But, again, no matter when the end date is, the two previous weeks will be seniors graduating and no class work for mixed grade classes. It doesn't matter if we end even on Memorial Day - that will still be the case.

Thank you for pointing out that the final week or so will be "a waste" whenever it happens. You'd have to more tightly couple the AP tests with finals etc, but even then you'll have AP parents complaining about possible finals on top of AP, so you have to give that a buffer.

The main issue to me is making the tests THE THING. Because once the SOLs and other tests below the HS level are done the teachers are DONE (generally speaking).


Also, most of the people yelling about how school right now is a waste would likewise be yelling if their kid was already out of school and they'd have to parent the kid for 2 months. School is in fact a form of social service daycare, we all know this.

Is it annoying to me that my HS kid will be home by noon starting on Thursday? Yes, but that's life. It isn't a new thing.

There is not a single high school parent who would be "complaining about parenting their kids" if school ended at the end of May after AP exams followed by a finals week.

They would rejoice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At West Springfield my kid's teachers moved on to teaching college material to prep them for the Fall. The kids were not skipping, they are motivated and eager to get ahead.

Same. My sophomore had 1 AP class and just yesterday he was still working on a paper that is due Friday. I'm not sure how the teacher handled seniors, maybe they did that paper early or just won't have it factored in their grade, but even in his AP class, they are still working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a direct result of the ridiculous school calendar.

School should have been over last week. Continuing to stagger into June is idiotic. The people have spoken, will the School Board listen?

THIS! If you care about the quality of education, you need to be pushing for a school calendar that gets out earlier. MUCH earlier. First week of June at the very latest. They are literally just killing time at school to fill up the required hours now and that goes for all grades, even elementary. My 4th grader is turning in their laptops at the end of the day Thursday but they still have 3.5 days after that. What’s the point?!

The last week of school has always been about filling time. It was like that in the 80's and 90's. We had half days during finals and then the last week back in the 80's. Kids take their finals, study for other finals, and then wait for Teachers to grade. The last bunch of days are more there so that kids who missed finals can retake them and for adminstrative tasks. You could change the calendar so we get out the week after Memorial day and the last week will be dead space. This has nothign to do with the screwed up claender and the timing of school ending and everything to do with finals and then down time because grades need to be completed and entered.

It is worse at HS because you hav more mixed classes and seniors have to be done before graduation which impacts the kids who are not seniors in the class.

My kid likes hanging out with friends before summer. They have some class parties. They socialize a bit. Kids who need to make up stuff make up their work. Teachers grade. It has always been this way.

It's not a week in FCPS.

It's a full month.

Ridiculous.

It has been a week for my kid. He has one more test tomorrow and is done with everything then.

[Anonymous]

As an FCPS parent and teacher who is still teaching content this week, I am so annoyed so many schools allow this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a direct result of the ridiculous school calendar.

School should have been over last week. Continuing to stagger into June is idiotic. The people have spoken, will the School Board listen?

THIS! If you care about the quality of education, you need to be pushing for a school calendar that gets out earlier. MUCH earlier. First week of June at the very latest. They are literally just killing time at school to fill up the required hours now and that goes for all grades, even elementary. My 4th grader is turning in their laptops at the end of the day Thursday but they still have 3.5 days after that. What’s the point?!

This is going to be the case regardless of when we end.
The only good argument for ending earlier is the high school schedule regarding national dates for AP testing. Regardless of when we end, the last 5-8 days will be turning things in, fun days, etc. for elementary and middle school students. That will not change with an earlier end date.

My high school student still has finals coming up in his two classes that are mainly filled with sophomores - English 10 Honors and Honors Chem. But, the AP and electives are done and have been done because seniors have already graduated and were in those classes. But, again, no matter when the end date is, the two previous weeks will be seniors graduating and no class work for mixed grade classes. It doesn't matter if we end even on Memorial Day - that will still be the case.

Thank you for pointing out that the final week or so will be "a waste" whenever it happens. You'd have to more tightly couple the AP tests with finals etc, but even then you'll have AP parents complaining about possible finals on top of AP, so you have to give that a buffer.

The main issue to me is making the tests THE THING. Because once the SOLs and other tests below the HS level are done the teachers are DONE (generally speaking).


Also, most of the people yelling about how school right now is a waste would likewise be yelling if their kid was already out of school and they'd have to parent the kid for 2 months. School is in fact a form of social service daycare, we all know this.

Is it annoying to me that my HS kid will be home by noon starting on Thursday? Yes, but that's life. It isn't a new thing.

No the people who are yelling now have summer plans for their kids which *aren’t* time wasting and that’s why they’re frustrated. The parents whose kids fritter their summer away on phones don’t care where they’re wasting the time, its wasted either way.

[Anonymous]

My high schooler has spent most of the last month doing projects that aren't strictly required per the SOLs / APs, but are beneficial. And they have been graded. Math (AP precalc, so had to finish all core content by May) has been trying to get a jump on next year's content. Some kids are checked out, but those who are paying attention will hopefully have an easier time in the fall.

He has one final coming up during 'finals week'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a direct result of the ridiculous school calendar.

School should have been over last week. Continuing to stagger into June is idiotic. The people have spoken, will the School Board listen?

THIS! If you care about the quality of education, you need to be pushing for a school calendar that gets out earlier. MUCH earlier. First week of June at the very latest. They are literally just killing time at school to fill up the required hours now and that goes for all grades, even elementary. My 4th grader is turning in their laptops at the end of the day Thursday but they still have 3.5 days after that. What’s the point?!

Either you don't understand how 4th grade works or your child is at a really crappy school. My 4th grader's laptop stays at school, and is really only used for mandatory things (assessments, lexia, etc), so it wouldn't be a big deal at all if it got "turned in". I volunteered today and the teacher has the schedule for the next week written out, they have a LOT to finish up and are going to be doing school work up until the last day.