APS needs to be able to say that they are very sorry but it is just too hard for a public school to accommodate that, particularly so close to the end of the school year. But they seem incapable of saying no. Of course they should provide flexibility for students and teachers who are observing the holiday - but they should not be closing school. |
That's a very reasonable take "for holidays where the exact date is not known at least a year in advance we offer an excused absence or floating holiday. |
Predict APS will approve it bc will say their policies require it so the next question is will they redraft policy to say they will give approx day (and not change that) or if make it floating require all APS schools to not schedule anything 3-4 days before or after in case one of those days becomes the holiday (in which case not sure how can manage that when near school end- graduations. Etc). |
And now that SOLs have to happen the last two weeks of the school year, how will that work if this holiday falls in that timeframe? |
they won't even go that far. once the question of redrafting the policy is asked, they'll say that they will revisit next year, kicking the can down the road. they'll vote, it'll be 5-0, and no one will speak of it again |
Looks like they needed to have said that in their policy but they didn’t so guessing they fear lawsuits if don’t give holiday now and weighing that against people just mad but the mad people won’t have grounds to sue. Guessing, but the first speaker was quick to call out “required.” To be able to not give to entire school, APS needed to have better written how they would handle religious holidays. |
Isn't there also something in their policy saying that the school board won't change the calendar at the last minute? if not, that should be an official policy! |
Best way to avoid lawsuits is to get out of the religious holiday game. Say that we follow the federal government, put it on them. Make it the PIP -APS follows federal holidays. Staff get two Floating holidays. Students get excused absences. |
This. Bus driver should sue. Why are Muslim holidays celebrated but not orthodox? |
I predict this is going to escalate in the news quickly- especially being an election year for governor. |
HR report speaker says excited that will take all the HR on a retreat. Not the Good Friday bus driver that spoke but the other bus driver that asked for better salaries- sure he will be thrilled to hear that HR has budget for a retreat. |
Someone needs to get Trump to shut down this nonsense. Take away federal funding if they don’t drop these religious days off for a public school. |
repubs would be smart to run with this story. |
I wish they would have given a bit more notice. I think even having this in ArlNow would have made a big impact on public response. I was speaking to other parents at a sports practice tonight and they had no idea. |
+1 It's like a parody of modern liberalism |