The number of student holidays is insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does Arlington start on the 29th and Fairfax on the 22nd? And we both get out the same week? What are they doing better with their calendar?

They have less Teacher Workdays. The religious holidays is not the issue. It is the TEACHER WORKDAYS added on to the religious holidays. There are too many. I say this as a teacher.

Wrong. It is absolutely the extra holidays - Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashana, and Diwali…wtf?!

Actually I just looked at surrounding counties that also have off those days.
Once school starts…
Loudoun has 5 PD days
PWCS has 5 PD Days
Fairfax has 9!!!!!

[Anonymous]

It is true more than 50 percent of the weeks august to Christmas break are 4 day weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is true more than 50 percent of the weeks august to Christmas break are 4 day weeks.

I moved out of Fairfax to a school system with the same start date but ends 3 weeks before FCPS. Not sure why you all need so many days off. In young elementary that's money out of your pocket to cover camps unless you're off the SACC wait-list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is true more than 50 percent of the weeks august to Christmas break are 4 day weeks.

As a teacher, I’m interested in seeing if it helps with teacher burn-out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does Arlington start on the 29th and Fairfax on the 22nd? And we both get out the same week? What are they doing better with their calendar?

They have less Teacher Workdays. The religious holidays is not the issue. It is the TEACHER WORKDAYS added on to the religious holidays. There are too many. I say this as a teacher.

APS has fewer instructional days than FCPS. Students in FCPS have 180, students in APS have 176 days. That’s how they get out at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does Arlington start on the 29th and Fairfax on the 22nd? And we both get out the same week? What are they doing better with their calendar?

They have less Teacher Workdays. The religious holidays is not the issue. It is the TEACHER WORKDAYS added on to the religious holidays. There are too many. I say this as a teacher.

Wrong. It is absolutely the extra holidays - Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashana, and Diwali…wtf?!

Actually I just looked at surrounding counties that also have off those days.
Once school starts…
Loudoun has 5 PD days
PWCS has 5 PD Days
Fairfax has 9!!!!!

I didn’t look at the other counties, but Loudon has a lot more holidays off for both students and staff than FCPS. And in FCPS, some of those holidays are PD days (Rosh Hashanah and Eid for example). That’s how we get up to 9.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just up the student holidays. Ridiculous! Sorry, but we don’t need off for every religious holiday. Give them a fall break, winter break, February break and spring break, like other secular countries. And, let them out two weeks earlier in June. It has to be impossible to teach with all the sporadic days off.

Other secular countries? Canadian schools do the same thing. There isn't a month that there isn't a day off for students where we are. Parents have access to that information and need to plan accordingly. It isn't impossible to teach, but it is a juggling act.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not even about childcare. It's about routine and continuity and the upcoming school year is FULL of disruptive days off. It's ridiculous and someone should call attention to it. I recently wrote them all down in our calendar and the amount of 3 day weekends and random days off are just awful. I think October and April barely have any full weeks. January we all know is a disaster year after year. December is nothing. November has tons of days off. It really leaves so few full weeks.

I'm all for all the school holidays in January because let's face it, so many snow days already. With two kids with ADHD, the days off are a blessing and a curse. They welcome the chance to catch their breaths, but the change in routine is incredibly disruptive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is true more than 50 percent of the weeks august to Christmas break are 4 day weeks.

As a teacher, I’m interested in seeing if it helps with teacher burn-out.

If only working mothers got 4 day weeks half the year to match the FCPS 4 day weeks. Obviously, it will increase parental burn out. So so so so glad we left the dumpsterfire FCPS school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is true more than 50 percent of the weeks august to Christmas break are 4 day weeks.

As a teacher, I’m interested in seeing if it helps with teacher burn-out.

If only working mothers got 4 day weeks half the year to match the FCPS 4 day weeks. Obviously, it will increase parental burn out. So so so so glad we left the dumpsterfire FCPS school system.

Ok, that was your decision. So glad you’re happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is true more than 50 percent of the weeks august to Christmas break are 4 day weeks.

As a teacher, I’m interested in seeing if it helps with teacher burn-out.

If only working mothers got 4 day weeks half the year to match the FCPS 4 day weeks. Obviously, it will increase parental burn out. So so so so glad we left the dumpsterfire FCPS school system.

You could get a job with FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is true more than 50 percent of the weeks august to Christmas break are 4 day weeks.

As a teacher, I’m interested in seeing if it helps with teacher burn-out.

If only working mothers got 4 day weeks half the year to match the FCPS 4 day weeks. Obviously, it will increase parental burn out. So so so so glad we left the dumpsterfire FCPS school system.

You could get a job with FCPS.

Or follow the boards related to your new school system?

[Anonymous]

Only 14weeks of 5 day schools. Who in their right mind advocates for this?!?

[Anonymous]

The 4 day weeks are annoying. Long enough to have to occupy the kids but too short for getaways

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only 14weeks of 5 day schools. Who in their right mind advocates for this?!?

DCUM is always spreading lies. It’s a lot closer to 24 weeks.