Son in Pre-K and frustrated with DCPS organization already.

[Anonymous]

I should have added that your child should have received a calendar home from school. It is the DCPS picture calendar. That had the change reflected it in and those were sent to the printer months ago.

[Anonymous]

Um, they first put out a draft calendar and ask for comments. That one had the pd day in December. Then, they put out a final calendar, before the school year starts, based on feedback.
They also provide a printed calendar once school starts.

So, lets see, you download the wrong calendar, or downloaded really early without noticing it was a draft. . Yep, that's DCPS's fault.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure you were even looking at the 2013-2014 school year calendar? We didn't look at it until the end of August but ours really hasn't changed much at all.

That said, don't let anyone stop you from going private next year. Especially if you're at a good school!

Indeed, I don't think the calendar has changed one bit, certainly not since August. And I don't ever recall a PD in December on the 2013/14 calendar. Is it possible you were looking at the wrong one? They have them all lined up, the past, present, and future. And it's not impossible to click on the wrong one. The only thing I could potentially imagine is that you looked at a draft version (submitted for consultation) in maybe February or March.

If this is a reason to go private (or charter) - except for year-round daycare -, do keep in mind, however, that most of them start later and finish earlier. You'll just be scrambling for one to two more weeks of summer camp and all. That is preferable for some, no doubt.

No, I didn't download the wrong one. I downloaded the correct year in August. The first few months were fine, but December and on it's quite different. Lesson learned. From now on I check it one/month.

I never even mentioned anything about private. No intention of leaving the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this your first year in DCPS? Or any public school? The calendars change quite frequently. That Dec. change was made prior to school beginning or just after so you would have had a few months to plan for the change (though annoying). They may also change the end of the year days depending on snow/hurricane/earthquake days. Many school districts do this.

We have been in 4 different school districts across the nation -- always the same thing. I guess you get used to it. I work so it is a hassle.

Yes, first year. Like I said, lesson learned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I should have added that your child should have received a calendar home from school. It is the DCPS picture calendar. That had the change reflected it in and those were sent to the printer months ago.

Yes, he received one but only in October. They were sent to us with school directories. I had to rely on something before then and that's why I pretend the one from DCPS website in August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps my expectations are too high, but most places in the world are able to come up with a school calendar and not change it 4 times during the year, right?

My son is in pre-K and the school/teacher is great. I'm frustrated with the DCPS administration. I downloaded the calendar in July and planned all of the days the school was out. I just realized (well, someone pointed it out) that the calendar has been changed significantly. Instead of Dec 13th, they moved the professional day to Jan 6. WTF? Why can't they get their act together before the school year starts so we can all plan. It takes a lot of coordination for the working parents as it is. I guess I'm just venting.

OP. I understand your frustration with the change. However, I have to say that I am happy they made the change. It makes more sense to have the PD day tacked on to the end of winter break than to have an extra Friday off in December.

Also, we celebrate Epiphany (1/6) as the last day of the Christmas season. It's a bummer when the kids have to go to school that day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um, they first put out a draft calendar and ask for comments. That one had the pd day in December. Then, they put out a final calendar, before the school year starts, based on feedback.
They also provide a printed calendar once school starts.

So, lets see, you download the wrong calendar, or downloaded really early without noticing it was a draft. . Yep, that's DCPS's fault.

August is really early? How else am I supposed to know when the school starts or plan for days off? Like I said, I didn't get the printed one until October.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps my expectations are too high, but most places in the world are able to come up with a school calendar and not change it 4 times during the year, right?

My son is in pre-K and the school/teacher is great. I'm frustrated with the DCPS administration. I downloaded the calendar in July and planned all of the days the school was out. I just realized (well, someone pointed it out) that the calendar has been changed significantly. Instead of Dec 13th, they moved the professional day to Jan 6. WTF? Why can't they get their act together before the school year starts so we can all plan. It takes a lot of coordination for the working parents as it is. I guess I'm just venting.

OP. I understand your frustration with the change. However, I have to say that I am happy they made the change. It makes more sense to have the PD day tacked on to the end of winter break than to have an extra Friday off in December.

Also, we celebrate Epiphany (1/6) as the last day of the Christmas season. It's a bummer when the kids have to go to school that day.

I have absolutely no problems with the changes they made. Only that I didn't know about it. That's all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps my expectations are too high, but most places in the world are able to come up with a school calendar and not change it 4 times during the year, right?

My son is in pre-K and the school/teacher is great. I'm frustrated with the DCPS administration. I downloaded the calendar in July and planned all of the days the school was out.

Sounds like you understand and lesson learned OP, but you are also back peddling a ton. Last post you said you downloaded calendar in August, but your original post said July. Your original pistol also said the calendar changed 4 times, but you only give 1 example.

Hate on DCPS Central office all you like, but the exaggeration sand back peddling are silly.

[Anonymous]

Im so tired of posters who thinking complaining about Free prek is wrong. Its part of DCPS and it should function better. All of DCPS is free but your tax dollars pay for it as they do for Pre k. And seriously how effing hard is it get a caledar together. If they can't even get that right, how they are actually managing staff, curriculum, classes etc. Please everyone, raise the bar a little bit. OP you are right to be annoyed.

[Anonymous]

I downloaded the calendar either the week before or week of school and added the dates to our family calendar. I've never had a PD day listed for December.

[Anonymous]

DCPS, for years running, has the highest per-pupil $$ allocation in the entire nation -- and the organization still complains it's not enough. There is so much waste in the entire organization, in the form of too many full-time-employees, paid very very generous salaries, which has the effect of sucking away the money from the kids who need it the most. Plus, there is an unknowable amount of fraud and graft -- just look at the charter school fraudsters to get a picture of what is also likely happening in the DCPS organization.

[Anonymous]

I guess you think working parents are not at not DCPS headquarters. Flexibility with public schools is a prerequisite. It is not all that serious, it is not like they told you on December 12th that it was rescheduled for January. Sheesh.

Just let you know there's probably a good percentage of parents who are just happy with the change of the dates. I know I am.

[Anonymous]

Remember a few years ago when they told people in June that the school year was being extended. That was a cluster .....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS, for years running, has the highest per-pupil $$ allocation in the entire nation -- and the organization still complains it's not enough. There is so much waste in the entire organization, in the form of too many full-time-employees, paid very very generous salaries, which has the effect of sucking away the money from the kids who need it the most. Plus, there is an unknowable amount of fraud and graft -- just look at the charter school fraudsters to get a picture of what is also likely happening in the DCPS organization.

Amen! one of the main reasons that schools in NW are better is because parents hire more aids and pay for all kinds of resources. When will DC get their act together??? We are talking about a calendar here, not rocket science.

Also, it doesn't really matter whether is was late July or early August. The calendar should have been ready. It has changed significantly (like one day each month from the version i had). To me that reeks incompetence.