Is the 22-23 Calendar designed to be an f-u to parents?

[Anonymous]

I think the calendar looks good. Would have liked it a couple months ago though, before camp registrations opened (one in particular we were looking at filled in early December, and we got lucky this year that we're returning from our booked family vacation a couple days early, though in most years we would have conflicted and missed the start of school).

I hope in future years they can release the calendar sooner, at least a full year in advance... the 23-24 calendar should be released by end of this school year IMO. What additional information that informs their decision would they need that they couldn't obtain within the next few months?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the calendar looks good. Would have liked it a couple months ago though, before camp registrations opened (one in particular we were looking at filled in early December, and we got lucky this year that we're returning from our booked family vacation a couple days early, though in most years we would have conflicted and missed the start of school).

I hope in future years they can release the calendar sooner, at least a full year in advance... the 23-24 calendar should be released by end of this school year IMO. What additional information that informs their decision would they need that they couldn't obtain within the next few months?

Yes, yes, yes. Stop surveying people when you can't please everyone in a district of 180,000 students. Just put out a calendar a year out - absolute latest should be end of first quarter for the next school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I swear, some of y’all just sit around looking for things to be pissed about. School is school. It’s designed to work for students, teachers, support staff. and admin. It isn’t your personal daycare center. It isn’t your personal babysitting service. You knew this when you decided to have children. And you made a choice. The state is not responsible for your children. You are. So do what the rest of us do. Figure it out.

Hallelujah. And those struggling single moms with 9-5 jobs five days a week?

- well they should just hire a nanny like the rest of us.

Besides, who really matters here is: the teachers union.

Now the bargaining unit will get some extra days (paid days) to sit around listening to anti-racism lectures (because teachers cannot figure out on their own how to not be racists).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Abrar Omeish quoting the Quaran and religious holidays in her FB post. Thought religion not supposed to be considered in the calendar.

🚨 Yesterday, our board voted to pass the FY22-23 Standard School Year Calendar. We have finally, for the first time ever, put one in place that begins to reflect this community: inclusive of Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, Orthodox Good Friday, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, Veterans Day, and Lunar New Year. 🙌🏻🙌🏼🙌🏽🙌🏾🙌🏿

Indeed, it is an E Pluribus Unum project. Like this nation, our community calendar requires unity and collective power to achieve. It remains in need of continuous improvement and involves every single one of us to build “out of many, one.” These are the values I grew with and will never give up on.

Calendars structure our time. They schedule our priorities. I am proud that everyone came together this year to pass a calendar that:

✅ Centers student achievement and instruction time
✅ Supports student and staff mental health through caring culture
✅ Minimizes disruption for families and students with disabilities
✅ Increases planning time for overworked staff
✅ Expands opportunities for staff development to respect the profession after years of cutbacks
✅ Reduces operational disruption for families
✅ Thinks more creatively about how we retain and recruit a premier workforce

To our dear bus drivers: we are not done yet. Those two days must be made up for, and the budget conversation remains ongoing to ensure this is the case. A working group that focuses on your concern will be meeting before the budget vote, and I commit to bringing an amendment if the promised correction is not made. Please review my comments from last night for more details: youtube.com/watch?v=yG0DJqAOH0U&t=4835s

Many may not realize that this win came only after a grueling two years of work– building coalitions with community partners, investing in interfaith relationships, deliberating to bring creative solutions that meet the needs of a vast array of constituent groups, and intentionally elevating the voices of those who are often unseen.

On the campaign trail, I used to share this as a “pie in the sky” dream of something I might try starting conversations around.

Today, it is a reality.

💪 Let this be a lesson that we must never allow those who seek to divide us claim our narrative.
💪 Let it be a reminder that, even if we are not successful the first time, we must keep on, and we must continue the fight.
💪 Let it be a permanent example that we are more powerful when we are together than when we are apart, and that EVERYbody wins when we work to construct, to build, and to improve upon, rather than to simply divide and destroy.
We win when we lead with compassion, and sometimes we win bigger when we bring others along with us.

Indeed, it is befitting that yesterday was also Holocaust Remembrance Day. We think such human disasters could never happen again, but we forget that they don’t arise overnight.

🌎 Teaching our children the realities of our past and exposing them to the many beliefs, practices, and worldviews of their neighbors help us cultivate a more peaceful world that can come together. Reaching this goal doesn’t come from merely telling one another to have empathy. It requires intentionally teaching our children about our varied beliefs and establishing comfort around our differences as we bring them to the table unapologetically.

🌏 Recognizing days that matter to all of our community members is part of opening space for precisely that.

🌍 Through authentic understanding, we can *actually* see past our differences and reflect on the meaningful ways they reflect human experiences, building an empathy muscle that taps into our deeper humanity. The ability to do this makes it much more difficult to set us apart. It makes the plights of every one of us personal to the rest, and it is where I find my motivation to advance equity and inclusion at all costs.

Make no mistake– this is no easy task. In the toughest of times during this journey, I have challenged myself to remain steadfast towards this goal. I have sought comfort and inspiration from reminders in my own faith, which I will continue to carry forward as we lead ahead:

“O you who have believed, be constantly upright for God, witnesses with equity, and let not antagonism of a people provoke you to not do justice. Do justice; that (Literally: it) is nearer to piety. And be pious to God, surely God is Ever-Cognizant of whatever you do” (5:8).

🤝 Let’s keep the movement for a more equitable and inclusive future alive.

➡️ As much as I try, I cannot continue this work alone. Please support my ability to keep fighting: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fairfaxfighters

Why oh why did you dems elect her in the first place???

Please start researching your candidates. You had plenty of strong options that you could have put forth instead of her, plus at least one R who was an infinitely better choice.

Considering that she doesn’t seem to be one of the serious modern, re-form oriented Muslims it would be a good idea for her NOT to quote the Qur’an (or Hadith) in her official communications about her mindset and motivations. She might not like it if people look at other excerpts and decide she isn’t a good fit for public office.

[Anonymous]

Considering that she doesn’t seem to be one of the serious modern, re-form oriented Muslims it would be a good idea for her NOT to quote the Qur’an (or Hadith) in her official communications about her mindset and motivations. She might not like it if people look at other excerpts and decide she isn’t a good fit for public office.

That tweet was about fund raising. She knows her audience.

I just looked at her more recent donors. Why is Rigby donating to her? His name kind of stands out on her list.

[Anonymous]

^^^ why is ANYBODY donating to her at this point?

She is a racist bigot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Re: point 3: So you're mad that FCPS prioritizes professional development for teachers? [I'm not here to debate the quality of PD programs that FCPS offers, and many of them are not on the prescribed PD days which would mean engaging in it on our non-contract time anyway.] Of course, I see your slam about "whiny teachers", so it's clear where the comment's energy is coming from.

But, even some teachers are complaining--why? because they don't get to "work." They get "training" they don't need.

Yes, or training/PD that sucks. A true teacher workday can be spent grading student work, providing feedback that's more than a numerical score, planning a new unit and prepping the materials for said unit. All that takes time, the most precious commodity for teaching.

If we, the community, really wants to improve teaching and learning, listen to the people that are actually doing the job and telling you what they need: time. Time not relegated to off-contract hours. Time that can be used for professional work load, that is compensated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I swear, some of y’all just sit around looking for things to be pissed about. School is school. It’s designed to work for students, teachers, support staff. and admin. It isn’t your personal daycare center. It isn’t your personal babysitting service. You knew this when you decided to have children. And you made a choice. The state is not responsible for your children. You are. So do what the rest of us do. Figure it out.

Hallelujah. And those struggling single moms with 9-5 jobs five days a week?

- well they should just hire a nanny like the rest of us.

Besides, who really matters here is: the teachers union.

Now the bargaining unit will get some extra days (paid days) to sit around listening to anti-racism lectures (because teachers cannot figure out on their own how to not be racists).

There is no bargaining unit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I swear, some of y’all just sit around looking for things to be pissed about. School is school. It’s designed to work for students, teachers, support staff. and admin. It isn’t your personal daycare center. It isn’t your personal babysitting service. You knew this when you decided to have children. And you made a choice. The state is not responsible for your children. You are. So do what the rest of us do. Figure it out.

Hallelujah. And those struggling single moms with 9-5 jobs five days a week?

- well they should just hire a nanny like the rest of us.

Besides, who really matters here is: the teachers union.

Now the bargaining unit will get some extra days (paid days) to sit around listening to anti-racism lectures (because teachers cannot figure out on their own how to not be racists).

There is no bargaining unit.

Well, everything in the PPs post above is incorrect - just another DCUM troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@13:58

RE: point 1: so if Christmas fell on a weekday, and if winter break was decoupled from Christmas (similar to what we're debating about Easter), we should be in school? How do you account for the absences that will be pervasive among staff and students?

Re: point 3: So you're mad that FCPS prioritizes professional development for teachers? [I'm not here to debate the quality of PD programs that FCPS offers, and many of them are not on the prescribed PD days which would mean engaging in it on our non-contract time anyway.] Of course, I see your slam about "whiny teachers", so it's clear where the comment's energy is coming from.

They take away the break at Christmas/New Years, a significant portion of families are taking off those 2 weeks regardless and the days won't count due to too low attendance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Abrar Omeish quoting the Quaran and religious holidays in her FB post. Thought religion not supposed to be considered in the calendar.

🚨 Yesterday, our board voted to pass the FY22-23 Standard School Year Calendar. We have finally, for the first time ever, put one in place that begins to reflect this community: inclusive of Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, Orthodox Good Friday, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, Veterans Day, and Lunar New Year. 🙌🏻🙌🏼🙌🏽🙌🏾🙌🏿

Indeed, it is an E Pluribus Unum project. Like this nation, our community calendar requires unity and collective power to achieve. It remains in need of continuous improvement and involves every single one of us to build “out of many, one.” These are the values I grew with and will never give up on.

Calendars structure our time. They schedule our priorities. I am proud that everyone came together this year to pass a calendar that:

✅ Centers student achievement and instruction time
✅ Supports student and staff mental health through caring culture
✅ Minimizes disruption for families and students with disabilities
✅ Increases planning time for overworked staff
✅ Expands opportunities for staff development to respect the profession after years of cutbacks
✅ Reduces operational disruption for families
✅ Thinks more creatively about how we retain and recruit a premier workforce

To our dear bus drivers: we are not done yet. Those two days must be made up for, and the budget conversation remains ongoing to ensure this is the case. A working group that focuses on your concern will be meeting before the budget vote, and I commit to bringing an amendment if the promised correction is not made. Please review my comments from last night for more details: youtube.com/watch?v=yG0DJqAOH0U&t=4835s

Many may not realize that this win came only after a grueling two years of work– building coalitions with community partners, investing in interfaith relationships, deliberating to bring creative solutions that meet the needs of a vast array of constituent groups, and intentionally elevating the voices of those who are often unseen.

On the campaign trail, I used to share this as a “pie in the sky” dream of something I might try starting conversations around.

Today, it is a reality.

💪 Let this be a lesson that we must never allow those who seek to divide us claim our narrative.
💪 Let it be a reminder that, even if we are not successful the first time, we must keep on, and we must continue the fight.
💪 Let it be a permanent example that we are more powerful when we are together than when we are apart, and that EVERYbody wins when we work to construct, to build, and to improve upon, rather than to simply divide and destroy.
We win when we lead with compassion, and sometimes we win bigger when we bring others along with us.

Indeed, it is befitting that yesterday was also Holocaust Remembrance Day. We think such human disasters could never happen again, but we forget that they don’t arise overnight.

🌎 Teaching our children the realities of our past and exposing them to the many beliefs, practices, and worldviews of their neighbors help us cultivate a more peaceful world that can come together. Reaching this goal doesn’t come from merely telling one another to have empathy. It requires intentionally teaching our children about our varied beliefs and establishing comfort around our differences as we bring them to the table unapologetically.

🌏 Recognizing days that matter to all of our community members is part of opening space for precisely that.

🌍 Through authentic understanding, we can *actually* see past our differences and reflect on the meaningful ways they reflect human experiences, building an empathy muscle that taps into our deeper humanity. The ability to do this makes it much more difficult to set us apart. It makes the plights of every one of us personal to the rest, and it is where I find my motivation to advance equity and inclusion at all costs.

Make no mistake– this is no easy task. In the toughest of times during this journey, I have challenged myself to remain steadfast towards this goal. I have sought comfort and inspiration from reminders in my own faith, which I will continue to carry forward as we lead ahead:

“O you who have believed, be constantly upright for God, witnesses with equity, and let not antagonism of a people provoke you to not do justice. Do justice; that (Literally: it) is nearer to piety. And be pious to God, surely God is Ever-Cognizant of whatever you do” (5:8).

🤝 Let’s keep the movement for a more equitable and inclusive future alive.

➡️ As much as I try, I cannot continue this work alone. Please support my ability to keep fighting: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fairfaxfighters

Why oh why did you dems elect her in the first place???

Please start researching your candidates. You had plenty of strong options that you could have put forth instead of her, plus at least one R who was an infinitely better choice.

Considering that she doesn’t seem to be one of the serious modern, re-form oriented Muslims it would be a good idea for her NOT to quote the Qur’an (or Hadith) in her official communications about her mindset and motivations. She might not like it if people look at other excerpts and decide she isn’t a good fit for public office.

Please stop quoting this racist school board member.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@13:58

RE: point 1: so if Christmas fell on a weekday, and if winter break was decoupled from Christmas (similar to what we're debating about Easter), we should be in school? How do you account for the absences that will be pervasive among staff and students?

Re: point 3: So you're mad that FCPS prioritizes professional development for teachers? [I'm not here to debate the quality of PD programs that FCPS offers, and many of them are not on the prescribed PD days which would mean engaging in it on our non-contract time anyway.] Of course, I see your slam about "whiny teachers", so it's clear where the comment's energy is coming from.

They take away the break at Christmas/New Years, a significant portion of families are taking off those 2 weeks regardless and the days won't count due to too low attendance.

Not positive, but I'm pretty sure that money for schools comes from Average Daily Attendance. If you have lots and lots of kids missing days (and you would, if you took away the December break, it would greatly eat in to funds received. Add to that all the days off from staff members and you have a very big problem.

[Anonymous]

This calendar was really well-made. It should be like this every year forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I swear, some of y’all just sit around looking for things to be pissed about. School is school. It’s designed to work for students, teachers, support staff. and admin. It isn’t your personal daycare center. It isn’t your personal babysitting service. You knew this when you decided to have children. And you made a choice. The state is not responsible for your children. You are. So do what the rest of us do. Figure it out.

Hallelujah. And those struggling single moms with 9-5 jobs five days a week?

- well they should just hire a nanny like the rest of us.

Besides, who really matters here is: the teachers union.

Now the bargaining unit will get some extra days (paid days) to sit around listening to anti-racism lectures (because teachers cannot figure out on their own how to not be racists).

That is not the schools’ problem. It’s just not. Calendars aren’t created around the “struggling single mom”.

[Anonymous]

This isn't any different from any other year. I have a HS senior, and in grade school Mondays were all half days. 4.5 day, then home on the bus. Tuesday-Friday were full day.

If FCPS wanted to F with you, they would go back to half-day Mondays. This schedule isn't bad.