Half-days on Wednesdays!?

[Anonymous]

I believe they have done this in Arlington schools for years. I have have a number of friends/co-workers that had to leave early or worked from home on Wednesdays.

As a parent of middle and high school age kids I love this, I would be happy with Wednesdays off. I would expect that elementary schools would have after care available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. We have definitely had this discussion at our academic leadership team meetings. From what I understand this is a serious proposal being discussed at central. There has not been any formal decisions, but we are putting plans in place so we are prepared. We have been told it is for select students to receive “acceleration” learning from outside providers. Teachers will be receiving anti-bias training and more training on “accelerating” the learning of all students.

This is jaw droppingly absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A poster mentioned DCPS is considering half-days on Wednesdays for teacher PD. Does anyone know if this is really a proposal?

This is what they do at Two Rivers. I believe after care charged an extra $10 a week for Wednesdays.

[Anonymous]

The system is failing. The interests of children are not being taken in account. After children just missed a year and a half of education for the most part, it is not the time to take away more school. Do the Wednesday thing in 2022 if it’s such a good idea. Get our kids learning first!!!

[Anonymous]

How do we organize against this terrible idea?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. We have definitely had this discussion at our academic leadership team meetings. From what I understand this is a serious proposal being discussed at central. There has not been any formal decisions, but we are putting plans in place so we are prepared. We have been told it is for select students to receive “acceleration” learning from outside providers. Teachers will be receiving anti-bias training and more training on “accelerating” the learning of all students.

This is jaw droppingly absurd.

Honestly, this sounds fake since DCPS generally doesn’t care about “accelerating” students since so many are below grade level. Unless “acceleration” is another word for remediation (since we know DCPS is Orwellian when it comes to language.)

[Anonymous]

This just sounds like a rumor.

[Anonymous]

Our children need more hours in school after the last 1.5 school years of utter crap. Not half days or PD days or record keeping days or conference days or anything else.

[Anonymous]

Our charter has a half day. Aftercare is free until 4pm that day (and then normal aftercare fees afterwards). This was in the before times. Our kids were aftercare full users, so it was a nothing burger for us.

[Anonymous]

The training DCPS gives on PD days is total crap and a waste of time. There is no need for half a day a week to train. Kids need more class time, or at least some meaningful activities or even just PE for half a day. We clearly have a health crisis in this country given our COVID numbers and the increased risks associated with obesity and diabetes. Time to make a healthier country if kids are going to lose a half day of instruction. And as a single mom I guess I will be using my leave each Wednesday to take care of my kids.

-DCPS teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. We have definitely had this discussion at our academic leadership team meetings. From what I understand this is a serious proposal being discussed at central. There has not been any formal decisions, but we are putting plans in place so we are prepared. We have been told it is for select students to receive “acceleration” learning from outside providers. Teachers will be receiving anti-bias training and more training on “accelerating” the learning of all students.

This is jaw droppingly absurd.

Honestly, this sounds fake since DCPS generally doesn’t care about “accelerating” students since so many are below grade level. Unless “acceleration” is another word for remediation (since we know DCPS is Orwellian when it comes to language.)

Are they planning on wasting their federal money on this? On "outside partners" providing "acceleration" (likely: computer programs overseen by minimum wage non-union employees) while teachers get some other training that's a boondoggle for consultants?

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the knee jerk rejection of it. Why would you "organize against" this without learning what it is and how it will impact you directly?

I also don't understand the obsession with "hours of instruction". If this year has taught me anything, it is that hours of instruction is a poor proxy for learning, and that kids need a lot more variety in their schedules in order to learn (including breaks and independent study time and opportunities to talk to their classmates in an unstructured way). I feel like a half-day on Wednesdays would be a great opportunity to not only provide teachers with professional development time (which they need and deserve -- who doesn't want their kids' teachers to be growing and improving?), but could also really benefit kids, especially those who need acceleration. But I could also foresee this being an opportunity for non-academic interest groups, literacy tutoring with volunteers, and other enrichment activities. Or just a break from academics to play and be active in aftercare.

Why is everyone automatically assuming this is bad? I don't get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the knee jerk rejection of it. Why would you "organize against" this without learning what it is and how it will impact you directly?

I also don't understand the obsession with "hours of instruction". If this year has taught me anything, it is that hours of instruction is a poor proxy for learning, and that kids need a lot more variety in their schedules in order to learn (including breaks and independent study time and opportunities to talk to their classmates in an unstructured way). I feel like a half-day on Wednesdays would be a great opportunity to not only provide teachers with professional development time (which they need and deserve -- who doesn't want their kids' teachers to be growing and improving?), but could also really benefit kids, especially those who need acceleration. But I could also foresee this being an opportunity for non-academic interest groups, literacy tutoring with volunteers, and other enrichment activities. Or just a break from academics to play and be active in aftercare.

Why is everyone automatically assuming this is bad? I don't get it.

Is this a serious question? Because I KNOW how it would affect me: it would reduce instructional time and regular routines at exactly the time we need to get those things back. Kids don't need "acceleration" right now (by which I assume you mean remediation, but we're not allowed to say that anymore) - those kids need regular, in-class instruction, possibly LONGER days and a longer school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the knee jerk rejection of it. Why would you "organize against" this without learning what it is and how it will impact you directly?

I also don't understand the obsession with "hours of instruction". If this year has taught me anything, it is that hours of instruction is a poor proxy for learning, and that kids need a lot more variety in their schedules in order to learn (including breaks and independent study time and opportunities to talk to their classmates in an unstructured way). I feel like a half-day on Wednesdays would be a great opportunity to not only provide teachers with professional development time (which they need and deserve -- who doesn't want their kids' teachers to be growing and improving?), but could also really benefit kids, especially those who need acceleration. But I could also foresee this being an opportunity for non-academic interest groups, literacy tutoring with volunteers, and other enrichment activities. Or just a break from academics to play and be active in aftercare.

Why is everyone automatically assuming this is bad? I don't get it.

I agree with a lot of this. I’d be curious to know what the “acceleration” programming looks like—lots of parents have complained here that their kids are falling behind, and this could be an opportunity for them to catch up, with specialized attention and instruction. I’m not wild about the idea but I’m willing to hear more. I know my teacher friends are not going to be happy about more PD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the knee jerk rejection of it. Why would you "organize against" this without learning what it is and how it will impact you directly?

I also don't understand the obsession with "hours of instruction". If this year has taught me anything, it is that hours of instruction is a poor proxy for learning, and that kids need a lot more variety in their schedules in order to learn (including breaks and independent study time and opportunities to talk to their classmates in an unstructured way). I feel like a half-day on Wednesdays would be a great opportunity to not only provide teachers with professional development time (which they need and deserve -- who doesn't want their kids' teachers to be growing and improving?), but could also really benefit kids, especially those who need acceleration. But I could also foresee this being an opportunity for non-academic interest groups, literacy tutoring with volunteers, and other enrichment activities. Or just a break from academics to play and be active in aftercare.

Why is everyone automatically assuming this is bad? I don't get it.

Is this a serious question? Because I KNOW how it would affect me: it would reduce instructional time and regular routines at exactly the time we need to get those things back. Kids don't need "acceleration" right now (by which I assume you mean remediation, but we're not allowed to say that anymore) - those kids need regular, in-class instruction, possibly LONGER days and a longer school year.

And BTW what do you think that "acceleration" would be? It would be a freakin' computer program monitored by a low-wage worker. If teachers need more training, make the school year longer. DCPS got a ton of cash; they can do this without reducing instructional time.