Snow day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My main problem now is that I am required to work in the office. I am burning through vacation leave that I would have used in the summer. Our streets and sidewalks are clear. I will gladly help shovel, salt, whatever to get school open. I also love spending time with my kid, but he really should be in school.

Ok fair except you act like he’s not in school for no reason. It’s not like FCPS or any other district just canceled school for fun. Some of you just struggle so much with accepting that sometimes things are out of our control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My main problem now is that I am required to work in the office. I am burning through vacation leave that I would have used in the summer. Our streets and sidewalks are clear. I will gladly help shovel, salt, whatever to get school open. I also love spending time with my kid, but he really should be in school.

Ok fair except you act like he’s not in school for no reason. It’s not like FCPS or any other district just canceled school for fun. Some of you just struggle so much with accepting that sometimes things are out of our control.

Never out of people’s control. I shoveled my street for 3 blocks to get to the main road that was plowed. Sure would have been great if the neighbors helped. But wasn’t going to wait on a bunch of whiners typing away on DCUM all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a lot of schools' parking lots are not plowed... that's on FCPS or VDOT?

There are 200 schools in FCPS. Can you be more specific? “Seems like a lot” is pretty weak without an actual number. Or do you just spew whatever pops in your head at the moment with no real evidence?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This proves you can't make everyone happy.

The kids are happy they won't have to risk their lives on a bus and icy roads.

Again, hug your children. Spend this time with them. You won't live forever. And for some of you, you will outlive your child.

This is a gift to you both.

I spend enough time with my kids thank you very much. We plan time! I need my kid who struggles with academics to learn so he will graduate and not live with me forever. If you want productive citizens get these kids to school!

I’m sorry not all streets are plowed. I don’t think that the kids should stay home because a few have piles of snow. Ugh! If you think it is unsafe and are worried keep them home. You want to punish all the kids for your kids safety. Let me be the judge.

Our neighborhood and school is fine.

It’s been four days. Please get a life.

And it isn’t about “your neighborhood and school.” It’s a large district. FFS.

+1

While DCUM is hardly broadly representative, I am quite surprised at the large number of parents so eager to get their kids out of the house that safety is a secondary concern. As has been said over and over, FCPS has 13 built-in snow days (elementary has 10 this year). We've used four in the name of safety. So, there will be four fewer joke days at the end of the school year where kids have "study hall" (a/k/a play on your FCPS-provided device) or watch a movie and throw spitballs. If you have child care issues, that is not FCPS's job to solve. Public schools exist to provide education -- not babysit your kids -- and there is enough fluff built in that these four days make no difference in achieving that aim. For once, Reid is actually putting the kids -- all the kids -- first. Get your priorities straight. You're just going to have to suffer through having your kids at home.

I think it js safe. My driveway and neighborhood street is clear and DRY. The route to school is safe. It can’t be perfect. It will never be perfect. There is always risk. I’m sorry some people are still in unsafe places but keeping education from my kids while we wait for everyone to think it is safe is not right. If you don’t think it is safe keep your kids home. Teachers and other school employees can also decide for themselves. Again, might not be perfect but you’ve got to start getting the kids back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a lot of schools' parking lots are not plowed... that's on FCPS or VDOT?

There are 200 schools in FCPS. Can you be more specific? “Seems like a lot” is pretty weak without an actual number. Or do you just spew whatever pops in your head at the moment with no real evidence?

Seems like it's an observation- not writing a scientific paper. I think the point was to inquire if FCPS or VDOT is responsible for school lots

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They really should be making the teachers do the trainings this week so elementary kids can have those days back.

That’s not a bad idea— the teachers aren’t taking busses to work and presumably could do the training in the schools/central office which have been properly cleared.

This was discussed like 100 pages ago, the trainings aren’t available/created yet.

NP. Why have we had 3 early releases so far if the teachers aren't able to access the materials?

It’s made available in intervals, not all at once.

I was able to access the whole thing. I have 1 section left. I would rather be done early so I can use those early days for other things when things get busy at the end of the year. Also a lot of schools have staff meetings during those early days.

[Anonymous]

I don't want my kids to grow up being big pu$$ies either but some neighborhood roads are still very bad. I think someone like a 100 pages ago came up with the best solution in THESE cases. When it gets several days in, maybe FCPS should access each school and just keep the worst ones closed. Of course there will still be bit-ching and moaning...why do they get to stay home and not us. Why do those kids get to go to school and not us. It's impossible to please everyone but the facts are...some streets are just still too dangerous for buses and kids. Just because some parents don't care, don't make it the best decision to send the kids anyway. Given the situation, I think FCPS made the right decision....and I'm assuming that tomorrow will be closed too. Why open for one day when the roads will still be suspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My main problem now is that I am required to work in the office. I am burning through vacation leave that I would have used in the summer. Our streets and sidewalks are clear. I will gladly help shovel, salt, whatever to get school open. I also love spending time with my kid, but he really should be in school.

Ok fair except you act like he’s not in school for no reason. It’s not like FCPS or any other district just canceled school for fun. Some of you just struggle so much with accepting that sometimes things are out of our control.

Never out of people’s control. I shoveled my street for 3 blocks to get to the main road that was plowed. Sure would have been great if the neighbors helped. But wasn’t going to wait on a bunch of whiners typing away on DCUM all day.

We did the same except our neighbors were out as well clearing the roads.

Everyone on here keeps bemoaning it is unsafe but did nothing to fix the problem when they realized the plowing was subpar.

They would rather complain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VDOT is majorly incompetent and failing. The procedures for clearing secondary roads is inadequate. School systems and children pay the price. Anybody mad at schools being closed should be blaming VDOT. Efforts need to be made to look at these policies and procedures. Anybody have contact info on who to complain to about VDOT?

Property owners need to clear sidewalks. Even still, there are many public sidewalks (no property owner responsibility here) that need cleared for kids to walk to school. FCPS has over 50K walkers! Does any other school system in the country have as many walkers?

Any big city will have that many walkers. If a mile or less from school kids should walk. Same for bus stops. 1 mile radius from stop. We have become a nation of wimps.

Fcps is all suburban; urban and suburban pedestrian walkway cleanup is an unfair comparison. DEI can extend to anything 🤣

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My main problem now is that I am required to work in the office. I am burning through vacation leave that I would have used in the summer. Our streets and sidewalks are clear. I will gladly help shovel, salt, whatever to get school open. I also love spending time with my kid, but he really should be in school.

Ok fair except you act like he’s not in school for no reason. It’s not like FCPS or any other district just canceled school for fun. Some of you just struggle so much with accepting that sometimes things are out of our control.

Never out of people’s control. I shoveled my street for 3 blocks to get to the main road that was plowed. Sure would have been great if the neighbors helped. But wasn’t going to wait on a bunch of whiners typing away on DCUM all day.

Why on Earth would you shovel the street? It is easy to drive on snow that is below the bumper.

[Anonymous]

Our neighborhood and sidewalks are clean. Our path to school is clean. Our actual school's parking lot is not however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a lot of schools' parking lots are not plowed... that's on FCPS or VDOT?

There are 200 schools in FCPS. Can you be more specific? “Seems like a lot” is pretty weak without an actual number. Or do you just spew whatever pops in your head at the moment with no real evidence?

Seems like it's an observation- not writing a scientific paper. I think the point was to inquire if FCPS or VDOT is responsible for school lots

FCPS contracts out to have the lots cleared. To the poster, observing 5 lots uncleared might seem like a lot in their small radius and that FCPS isn’t doing their part. But if the other 195 are cleared, then FCPS is on top of it regarding parking lots.

Context matters even with causal observations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our neighborhood and sidewalks are clean. Our path to school is clean. Our actual school's parking lot is not however.

Which school?

[Anonymous]

I’ve been an employee and then parents in FCPS since 2001 and I’ve lived here since 92. At some point after huge storms we have gone back and kids stood in the street for the bus stop if the sidewalk wasn’t completely clear.

It’s another matter if the school isn’t clear or the busses can’t actually get into a neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My main problem now is that I am required to work in the office. I am burning through vacation leave that I would have used in the summer. Our streets and sidewalks are clear. I will gladly help shovel, salt, whatever to get school open. I also love spending time with my kid, but he really should be in school.

Ok fair except you act like he’s not in school for no reason. It’s not like FCPS or any other district just canceled school for fun. Some of you just struggle so much with accepting that sometimes things are out of our control.

Never out of people’s control. I shoveled my street for 3 blocks to get to the main road that was plowed. Sure would have been great if the neighbors helped. But wasn’t going to wait on a bunch of whiners typing away on DCUM all day.

Yeah a bunch of us shoveled our walks and the bus stops and other peoples walks but you can’t shovel all of Fairfax or control if others do, or how schools decide to close or not, so yeah, it’s out of your control.