1/2 day Wed for 2025-25 school year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A transparent handout to the teachers unions.

Nope. None of us wanted this.

The teachers probably didn’t, I can buy that. But something is driving this. And any time it’s less instructional hours for the same pay, it’s a union behind it.

Damn teachers union strikes again.

My regular statement on teachers' unions:

The unions usually being with well intentioned motives.
The leaders get a taste of power.
No one benefits from teachers' unions as much as the leaders of the teachers' unions.

I was a teacher. In my first year of teaching, the leader of the local union made six times the salary of a beginning teacher. That stunned me and I began to pay attention.
There had been a strike prior to the year I was hired. The teacher leaders of the strike were fired. Two years later, they all were rehired in supervisory positions making at least twice what they made before. It was a deal worked out at the end of the strike.

Look at Randi Weingarten. She makes more than Reid. What has she done to make teachers' lives better? We know she lobbied to keep kids out of school during Covid.

Teachers' unions benefit the union leaders and defends incompetent teacheres.

[Anonymous]

FCPS is going to have such an increase in kids staying for the full day next year. They really try to discourage you from having them stay, based on the language of all the emails. Changing to Wednesday guarantees increased numbers. Now that my kids saw the sample schedule they posted on their website they actually want to stay and so do their friends. I don’t see how this doesn’t cost the District. They mention subs as part of the supervision and they are running 2 bus routes home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Problem is there is also zero instruction on these days. Teachers can stay after school for an hour to plan for the next day. I see teachers in and out the same 7 hours the kids are in school. Add 30m for lunch and you have 1.5hrs every day to plan. That’s 7.5hrs a week.

Instruction is happening. I taught SS, Math and LA today. The schedule is modified but learning is happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They're doing Wednesdays to make their attendance numbers look better. Half day Mondays allowed for nice long weekend trips for families. Can't have that! Reid's stated reasoning is insulting to the intelligence of parents. As is the suggestion that less classroom time benefits students who are are already woefully behind.

At least one of her reasons for switching to Mondays makes A LOT of sense and directly impacted my child this year. My child has art on Mondays - between Monday holidays (President's Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Memorial Day, etc...) and the Monday half days, my child's class is FOUR projects behind in art. I know most of the DCUM parents are strivers and don't care about the arts, but my child cares about art and is really upset that she didn't get picked for the art show this year because she was rushed to complete the project that the art teacher selected for the show (that the other kids had completed weeks before over the course of three classes). So I'm fine with choosing a day other than Monday, that particular reason (that no one here is talking about -- specials like art and music) MATTER, especially to the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They're doing Wednesdays to make their attendance numbers look better. Half day Mondays allowed for nice long weekend trips for families. Can't have that! Reid's stated reasoning is insulting to the intelligence of parents. As is the suggestion that less classroom time benefits students who are are already woefully behind.

At least one of her reasons for switching to Mondays makes A LOT of sense and directly impacted my child this year. My child has art on Mondays - between Monday holidays (President's Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Memorial Day, etc...) and the Monday half days, my child's class is FOUR projects behind in art. I know most of the DCUM parents are strivers and don't care about the arts, but my child cares about art and is really upset that she didn't get picked for the art show this year because she was rushed to complete the project that the art teacher selected for the show (that the other kids had completed weeks before over the course of three classes). So I'm fine with choosing a day other than Monday, that particular reason (that no one here is talking about -- specials like art and music) MATTER, especially to the kids.

Sorry that should have read FROM Mondays. Switching to Wednesdays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Problem is there is also zero instruction on these days. Teachers can stay after school for an hour to plan for the next day. I see teachers in and out the same 7 hours the kids are in school. Add 30m for lunch and you have 1.5hrs every day to plan. That’s 7.5hrs a week.

I take home over 3 hours of work A NIGHT. When you see me leave shortly after the students, that’s so I can pick up my own child and take her to therapy. I work while she’s there. I then go home, make dinner, and work an extra 2-3 hours. This is 5 days a week. I then work a full day on Saturdays.

So just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean I’m not working. You’re getting PLENTY of hours out of me, more than my own children get.

Are you an elementary school teacher? I'm really curious about what it is that you're doing during this time at home - 3 hrs a night and all day Saturday? I'm not being mean or rude here, I truly want to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WTAF
Is the rationale the state law?? Or just a basic giveaway to teachers under the guise of better scores?? Will this happen in perpetuity ??
How can she keep doing this?!

How is this happening? It was bad enough this year but the excuse was a last minute state requirement for training. There is nothing like that now. How is she just going to steal instructional time from students? Why is the school board going along with this? Is she going to switch to 4 days of instruction next year like some other school districts in America?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is going to have such an increase in kids staying for the full day next year. They really try to discourage you from having them stay, based on the language of all the emails. Changing to Wednesday guarantees increased numbers. Now that my kids saw the sample schedule they posted on their website they actually want to stay and so do their friends. I don’t see how this doesn’t cost the District. They mention subs as part of the supervision and they are running 2 bus routes home.

My kid stayed most of the days this year and he had a blast. Send your kids! It actually is free childcare

[Anonymous]

I just feel this shouldn’t be allowed. There is no way for parents to protest this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They're doing Wednesdays to make their attendance numbers look better. Half day Mondays allowed for nice long weekend trips for families. Can't have that! Reid's stated reasoning is insulting to the intelligence of parents. As is the suggestion that less classroom time benefits students who are are already woefully behind.

At least one of her reasons for switching to Mondays makes A LOT of sense and directly impacted my child this year. My child has art on Mondays - between Monday holidays (President's Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Memorial Day, etc...) and the Monday half days, my child's class is FOUR projects behind in art. I know most of the DCUM parents are strivers and don't care about the arts, but my child cares about art and is really upset that she didn't get picked for the art show this year because she was rushed to complete the project that the art teacher selected for the show (that the other kids had completed weeks before over the course of three classes). So I'm fine with choosing a day other than Monday, that particular reason (that no one here is talking about -- specials like art and music) MATTER, especially to the kids.

My child has art on Wednesday's this year. It's not like art only happens 4 days a week. Someone still gets screwed at the end of the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Problem is there is also zero instruction on these days. Teachers can stay after school for an hour to plan for the next day. I see teachers in and out the same 7 hours the kids are in school. Add 30m for lunch and you have 1.5hrs every day to plan. That’s 7.5hrs a week.

I take home over 3 hours of work A NIGHT. When you see me leave shortly after the students, that’s so I can pick up my own child and take her to therapy. I work while she’s there. I then go home, make dinner, and work an extra 2-3 hours. This is 5 days a week. I then work a full day on Saturdays.

So just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean I’m not working. You’re getting PLENTY of hours out of me, more than my own children get.

Are you an elementary school teacher? I'm really curious about what it is that you're doing during this time at home - 3 hrs a night and all day Saturday? I'm not being mean or rude here, I truly want to know.

Are you serious or are you a troll? I’m a different elementary teacher and have to put in lots of extra hours to prepare all the lessons for my classes. I work on things in the evenings and on weekends (and sometimes early mornings) because there is no time during the school day as I am teaching a roomful of kids with a variety of needs. It takes a lot of time, energy, creativity, stamina, and patience to be a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They're doing Wednesdays to make their attendance numbers look better. Half day Mondays allowed for nice long weekend trips for families. Can't have that! Reid's stated reasoning is insulting to the intelligence of parents. As is the suggestion that less classroom time benefits students who are are already woefully behind.

At least one of her reasons for switching to Mondays makes A LOT of sense and directly impacted my child this year. My child has art on Mondays - between Monday holidays (President's Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Memorial Day, etc...) and the Monday half days, my child's class is FOUR projects behind in art. I know most of the DCUM parents are strivers and don't care about the arts, but my child cares about art and is really upset that she didn't get picked for the art show this year because she was rushed to complete the project that the art teacher selected for the show (that the other kids had completed weeks before over the course of three classes). So I'm fine with choosing a day other than Monday, that particular reason (that no one here is talking about -- specials like art and music) MATTER, especially to the kids.

My child has art on Wednesday's this year. It's not like art only happens 4 days a week. Someone still gets screwed at the end of the day.

The difference is there is a bunch of Monday holidays already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Problem is there is also zero instruction on these days. Teachers can stay after school for an hour to plan for the next day. I see teachers in and out the same 7 hours the kids are in school. Add 30m for lunch and you have 1.5hrs every day to plan. That’s 7.5hrs a week.

I take home over 3 hours of work A NIGHT. When you see me leave shortly after the students, that’s so I can pick up my own child and take her to therapy. I work while she’s there. I then go home, make dinner, and work an extra 2-3 hours. This is 5 days a week. I then work a full day on Saturdays.

So just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean I’m not working. You’re getting PLENTY of hours out of me, more than my own children get.

Are you an elementary school teacher? I'm really curious about what it is that you're doing during this time at home - 3 hrs a night and all day Saturday? I'm not being mean or rude here, I truly want to know.

Are you serious or are you a troll? I’m a different elementary teacher and have to put in lots of extra hours to prepare all the lessons for my classes. I work on things in the evenings and on weekends (and sometimes early mornings) because there is no time during the school day as I am teaching a roomful of kids with a variety of needs. It takes a lot of time, energy, creativity, stamina, and patience to be a teacher.

DP.

I try to explain that 50% of my job is teaching and 50% is the background work (preparing, communicating, grading, etc.). My hours at work get me through the first 50%, but I have to use my time at home to do most of the 2nd. This is due to the fact teachers aren’t given enough work time to pull off the miracles we have to pull off in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe this. Reid claims that Early Release Days mean better scores:

"During my Superintendent Matters report at a recent School Board meeting, I announced our plan to continue limited early release days and move them to Wednesdays for the 2025-26 school year. This decision follows a recommendation from the Early Release Steering Committee—which includes parents, caregivers, school-based staff, and central office staff—working in partnership with the Fairfax Association of Elementary School Principals (FAESP). The recommendation was based on the positive outcomes of this year’s limited early release Mondays.

For example, in grades K-3, we saw an 11 percentage point increase in students meeting reading benchmarks from fall to winter. In grades 3-6, multi-year trend data shows improved reading performance, with more students meeting or approaching grade-level expectations than in previous years. This progress is significant—and a clear indicator that this approach is working. This work matters!"

Gee. If Early Release Days yield such good results, why not just give the teachers a full day every week?

Why not just be honest?

Really. If less instruction time = better results, something stinks in FCPS. Also, wasn't it 7 ER Mondays? Now it quietly got bumped up to 8 Wednesdays? This administration is so stealthy, with the rationale morphing as they go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WTAF
Is the rationale the state law?? Or just a basic giveaway to teachers under the guise of better scores?? Will this happen in perpetuity ??
How can she keep doing this?!

How is this happening? It was bad enough this year but the excuse was a last minute state requirement for training. There is nothing like that now. How is she just going to steal instructional time from students? Why is the school board going along with this? Is she going to switch to 4 days of instruction next year like some other school districts in America?

Yes