Anonymous wrote:This is just messed up. We have a super short Q3. Teacher work day and school planning immediately after the spring break. 3 days days off in May to celebrate yet another religious holiday. This school year has been a disaster. These kids are barely in school.
There needs to be 1 TW per quarter. One. And follow federal holiday schedule, no religious stuff. FYI, not a Christian here, I don't care if you are closed on my religious holidays or not.
None of this is going to happen. Your kids are still going to get their 180-ish days. Did your little rant make you feel better, though?
Anonymous wrote:BTW the teachers union in NYC is amazingly powerful but even they don’t advocate for schedule disruptions/more “work days”
Perhaps they advocate for better conditions in other ways: teaching fewer classes, a cap on the number of total students, a reasonable retake/retest policy, more dedicated planning time, fewer non-teaching duties, fewer meetings.
Anonymous wrote:Why is meren proposing we follow a calendar of a school system with one high school?
They are probably still using Lucy caulkins balanced literacy as they do in other NE districts. The teachers in MA show up the day before kids start to set up the classrooms so there isn’t professional development and they haven’t switch to science of reading everywhere.
You want trained teachers.
Conn goes back a week before students and stays a week later. Their test scores don’t suggest the kids aren’t reading.
They have ONE high school in a wealthy area of course their test scores are fine! I don’t understand why anyone would think a teeny tiny school district like that should be a model for huge, diverse Fairfax. Please enlighten me!
Nyc schools is bigger with fewer holidays or teacher workdays
and teachers get paid way more than here in fcps.
put the money where it should go: into teachers' pockets and maybe we can be like new york city too.
So you’re saying…NYC teachers are higher quality? That they grade more efficiently/time manage better? What would higher salary enable FCPS teachers to do?
I’m not necessarily opposed to more $ for teachers but I don’t think that is what is “breaking” them now. The insane job expectations seem to be the problem.
Anonymous wrote:Why is meren proposing we follow a calendar of a school system with one high school?
They are probably still using Lucy caulkins balanced literacy as they do in other NE districts. The teachers in MA show up the day before kids start to set up the classrooms so there isn’t professional development and they haven’t switch to science of reading everywhere.
You want trained teachers.
Conn goes back a week before students and stays a week later. Their test scores don’t suggest the kids aren’t reading.
They have ONE high school in a wealthy area of course their test scores are fine! I don’t understand why anyone would think a teeny tiny school district like that should be a model for huge, diverse Fairfax. Please enlighten me!
Nyc schools is bigger with fewer holidays or teacher workdays
and teachers get paid way more than here in fcps.
put the money where it should go: into teachers' pockets and maybe we can be like new york city too.
So you’re saying…NYC teachers are higher quality? That they grade more efficiently/time manage better? What would higher salary enable FCPS teachers to do?
I’m not necessarily opposed to more $ for teachers but I don’t think that is what is “breaking” them now. The insane job expectations seem to be the problem.
I'm a teacher and I agree. Given the choice between a 20% raise and 20% less work, I'd take less work. I'm not rolling in money over here, either.
Anonymous wrote:BTW the teachers union in NYC is amazingly powerful but even they don’t advocate for schedule disruptions/more “work days”
Perhaps they advocate for better conditions in other ways: teaching fewer classes, a cap on the number of total students, a reasonable retake/retest policy, more dedicated planning time, fewer non-teaching duties, fewer meetings.
There are many ways to show support to teachers.
And you’ve listed a few that aren’t at the expense of students. Pushing for more disruption and workdays, in addition to (clearly) alienating parents, also shows teachers as wholly out for themselves and not at all interested in whats best for their students— even when its things like missed meals, or whole days alone/unsupervised. Advocating a smaller classroom size at least has the appearance of recognizing that schools are supposed to care about students.
Anonymous wrote:BTW the teachers union in NYC is amazingly powerful but even they don’t advocate for schedule disruptions/more “work days”
Perhaps they advocate for better conditions in other ways: teaching fewer classes, a cap on the number of total students, a reasonable retake/retest policy, more dedicated planning time, fewer non-teaching duties, fewer meetings.
There are many ways to show support to teachers.
And you’ve listed a few that aren’t at the expense of students. Pushing for more disruption and workdays, in addition to (clearly) alienating parents, also shows teachers as wholly out for themselves and not at all interested in whats best for their students— even when its things like missed meals, or whole days alone/unsupervised. Advocating a smaller classroom size at least has the appearance of recognizing that schools are supposed to care about students.
Smaller classroom size means more teachers, which means more funding, which means higher taxes. And the public already balks at that. So, direct your anger at those who deserve it - everyone.
Anonymous wrote:BTW the teachers union in NYC is amazingly powerful but even they don’t advocate for schedule disruptions/more “work days”
Perhaps they advocate for better conditions in other ways: teaching fewer classes, a cap on the number of total students, a reasonable retake/retest policy, more dedicated planning time, fewer non-teaching duties, fewer meetings.
There are many ways to show support to teachers.
And you’ve listed a few that aren’t at the expense of students. Pushing for more disruption and workdays, in addition to (clearly) alienating parents, also shows teachers as wholly out for themselves and not at all interested in whats best for their students— even when its things like missed meals, or whole days alone/unsupervised. Advocating a smaller classroom size at least has the appearance of recognizing that schools are supposed to care about students.
Smaller classroom size means more teachers, which means more funding, which means higher taxes. And the public already balks at that. So, direct your anger at those who deserve it - everyone.
The CBA isn’t making classroom size their issue, they’re making “planning time” their issue. They should focus on something that is better for students not clearly bad for students and families to benefit teachers.
Also, this schedule has higher costs for families. Higher costs spread across all of Fairfax is a lot saner than higher costs concentrated on households with children.
New Jersey has preferential hiring for residents into public jobs, that would be another change that would align teachers and parents better.
Anonymous wrote:Why is meren proposing we follow a calendar of a school system with one high school?
They are probably still using Lucy caulkins balanced literacy as they do in other NE districts. The teachers in MA show up the day before kids start to set up the classrooms so there isn’t professional development and they haven’t switch to science of reading everywhere.
You want trained teachers.
Conn goes back a week before students and stays a week later. Their test scores don’t suggest the kids aren’t reading.
They have ONE high school in a wealthy area of course their test scores are fine! I don’t understand why anyone would think a teeny tiny school district like that should be a model for huge, diverse Fairfax. Please enlighten me!
Nyc schools is bigger with fewer holidays or teacher workdays
and teachers get paid way more than here in fcps.
put the money where it should go: into teachers' pockets and maybe we can be like new york city too.
So you’re saying…NYC teachers are higher quality? That they grade more efficiently/time manage better? What would higher salary enable FCPS teachers to do?
I’m not necessarily opposed to more $ for teachers but I don’t think that is what is “breaking” them now. The insane job expectations seem to be the problem.
I'm a teacher and I agree. Given the choice between a 20% raise and 20% less work, I'd take less work. I'm not rolling in money over here, either.
+1
DH and I have never really complained about our salaries and benefits, except for perhaps years back when we’d receive no COLA or step increase. We are teachers with a combined 53 years working in FCPS. Our concerns, and those we hear from colleagues, usually have to deal with workload or lack of administrative support.
Anonymous wrote:BTW the teachers union in NYC is amazingly powerful but even they don’t advocate for schedule disruptions/more “work days”
Perhaps they advocate for better conditions in other ways: teaching fewer classes, a cap on the number of total students, a reasonable retake/retest policy, more dedicated planning time, fewer non-teaching duties, fewer meetings.
There are many ways to show support to teachers.
And you’ve listed a few that aren’t at the expense of students. Pushing for more disruption and workdays, in addition to (clearly) alienating parents, also shows teachers as wholly out for themselves and not at all interested in whats best for their students— even when its things like missed meals, or whole days alone/unsupervised. Advocating a smaller classroom size at least has the appearance of recognizing that schools are supposed to care about students.
Smaller classroom size means more teachers, which means more funding, which means higher taxes. And the public already balks at that. So, direct your anger at those who deserve it - everyone.
The CBA isn’t making classroom size their issue, they’re making “planning time” their issue. They should focus on something that is better for students not clearly bad for students and families to benefit teachers.
Also, this schedule has higher costs for families. Higher costs spread across all of Fairfax is a lot saner than higher costs concentrated on households with children.
New Jersey has preferential hiring for residents into public jobs, that would be another change that would align teachers and parents better.
At the elementary level, for example, the 300 minutes/week can be covered by daily one hour specials. That’s what is done at my school and most others I know of.
Anonymous wrote:BTW the teachers union in NYC is amazingly powerful but even they don’t advocate for schedule disruptions/more “work days”
Perhaps they advocate for better conditions in other ways: teaching fewer classes, a cap on the number of total students, a reasonable retake/retest policy, more dedicated planning time, fewer non-teaching duties, fewer meetings.
There are many ways to show support to teachers.
And you’ve listed a few that aren’t at the expense of students. Pushing for more disruption and workdays, in addition to (clearly) alienating parents, also shows teachers as wholly out for themselves and not at all interested in whats best for their students— even when its things like missed meals, or whole days alone/unsupervised. Advocating a smaller classroom size at least has the appearance of recognizing that schools are supposed to care about students.
Smaller classroom size means more teachers, which means more funding, which means higher taxes. And the public already balks at that. So, direct your anger at those who deserve it - everyone.
The CBA isn’t making classroom size their issue, they’re making “planning time” their issue. They should focus on something that is better for students not clearly bad for students and families to benefit teachers.
Also, this schedule has higher costs for families. Higher costs spread across all of Fairfax is a lot saner than higher costs concentrated on households with children.
New Jersey has preferential hiring for residents into public jobs, that would be another change that would align teachers and parents better.
At the elementary level, for example, the 300 minutes/week can be covered by daily one hour specials. That’s what is done at my school and most others I know of.
No in Fairfax County that’s what the early dismissal of elementary school that everybody hates so much is allegedly bringing them into compliance with. Not one hour specials.
Anonymous wrote:BTW the teachers union in NYC is amazingly powerful but even they don’t advocate for schedule disruptions/more “work days”
Perhaps they advocate for better conditions in other ways: teaching fewer classes, a cap on the number of total students, a reasonable retake/retest policy, more dedicated planning time, fewer non-teaching duties, fewer meetings.
There are many ways to show support to teachers.
And you’ve listed a few that aren’t at the expense of students. Pushing for more disruption and workdays, in addition to (clearly) alienating parents, also shows teachers as wholly out for themselves and not at all interested in whats best for their students— even when its things like missed meals, or whole days alone/unsupervised. Advocating a smaller classroom size at least has the appearance of recognizing that schools are supposed to care about students.
Smaller classroom size means more teachers, which means more funding, which means higher taxes. And the public already balks at that. So, direct your anger at those who deserve it - everyone.
The CBA isn’t making classroom size their issue, they’re making “planning time” their issue. They should focus on something that is better for students not clearly bad for students and families to benefit teachers.
Also, this schedule has higher costs for families. Higher costs spread across all of Fairfax is a lot saner than higher costs concentrated on households with children.
New Jersey has preferential hiring for residents into public jobs, that would be another change that would align teachers and parents better.
1- planning time benefits your child and you more than you think. Teachers can be trained in new techniques, or ways to identify disabilities or answer you emails with more planning time. They can grade papers and give more meaningful feedback etc, etc.
2- No teachers aren’t the ones pushing for this- it is coming from new curriculum initiatives and science of reading training.
3- If all you are concerned about is the amount you pay for camps, angle to get taxpayers to pay for school aged camp subsidies. ACPS used to sponsor minicamps. I”m going to bet you see that would be impossible, so instead you are choosing to pick on teachers who are the low hanging fruit for you. A group of women who don’t have much power and dedicated themselves to trying to teach your kids should be easy for you to steam roll. It is very maddening that you have to pay for camps and can’t tell them what to do.
Anonymous wrote:BTW the teachers union in NYC is amazingly powerful but even they don’t advocate for schedule disruptions/more “work days”
Perhaps they advocate for better conditions in other ways: teaching fewer classes, a cap on the number of total students, a reasonable retake/retest policy, more dedicated planning time, fewer non-teaching duties, fewer meetings.
There are many ways to show support to teachers.
And you’ve listed a few that aren’t at the expense of students. Pushing for more disruption and workdays, in addition to (clearly) alienating parents, also shows teachers as wholly out for themselves and not at all interested in whats best for their students— even when its things like missed meals, or whole days alone/unsupervised. Advocating a smaller classroom size at least has the appearance of recognizing that schools are supposed to care about students.
Smaller classroom size means more teachers, which means more funding, which means higher taxes. And the public already balks at that. So, direct your anger at those who deserve it - everyone.
The CBA isn’t making classroom size their issue, they’re making “planning time” their issue. They should focus on something that is better for students not clearly bad for students and families to benefit teachers.
Also, this schedule has higher costs for families. Higher costs spread across all of Fairfax is a lot saner than higher costs concentrated on households with children.
New Jersey has preferential hiring for residents into public jobs, that would be another change that would align teachers and parents better.
At the elementary level, for example, the 300 minutes/week can be covered by daily one hour specials. That’s what is done at my school and most others I know of.
No in Fairfax County that’s what the early dismissal of elementary school that everybody hates so much is allegedly bringing them into compliance with. Not one hour specials.
I’m a ES teacher. Where in the CBA does it state anything about the 3 hour early dismissals? The PP said the CBA is making “planning time the issue”. I only see the requirement for 300 minutes/week which, as I said, is achieved with a daily 60 minute special/planning period.
Anonymous wrote:What I struggle to understand is the number of parents on this board who routinely imply (or even outright declare) that teachers are somehow less deserving of respect than other professionals.
I cannot imagine teaching children that any profession—surgeon, sanitation worker, nurse, architect, attorney, grocery clerk, EMT, detective, engineer, teacher, pharmacy tech, salesperson, librarian, soldier, president, athletic trainer, mechanic, mail carrier, and so on—is inherently more or less worthy of respect and/or dignity. A functioning, well-oiled society depends on the talents and contributions of all of us. Every role matters and every person fulfilling those roles deserves respect.
It is genuinely baffling to see parents here react with hostility and hatred when teachers simply assert that they too deserve to be treated with respect. It is mind-boggling to watch people compare teachers’ responsibilities to their own as though the goal is to prove superiority rather than to understand the complexity of a profession they cannot understand. It is disheartening to see teachers denigrated so casually while other professions are praised, as though respect is a finite resource.
Additionally, the idea that education is a “part‑time job” is not just inaccurate; it’s willfully ignorant.
If we want children to grow into adults who value community, collaboration, and shared responsibility, we should model that by recognizing the worth/value of every profession. We must stop modeling vitriol and denigration of any person who contributes to society, regardless of what their role may be. Not one single profession or person is more worthy or important than any other.
Just think:
-- Your child dreams of being a police officer, but he/she constantly hears you talk about how awful and violent police officers are. How would that make your child feel about the disrespect you will show them if they choose to enter that profession?
-- Your child dreams of being an attorney, but he/she constantly hears you talk about how dishonest and conniving attorneys are. How would that make your child feel about the disrespect you will show them if they choose to enter that profession?
-- Your child dreams of being an electrician, but he/she constantly hears you talk about how uneducated electricians are. How would that make your child feel about the disrespect you will show them if they choose to enter that profession?
-- Your child dreams of being a doctor, but he/she constantly hears you talk about how cold and selfish doctors are. How would that make your child feel about the disrespect you will show them if they choose to enter that profession?
-- Your child dreams of being a teacher, but he/she constantly hears you talk about how whiny and entitled teachers are. How would that make your child feel about the disrespect you will show them if they choose to enter that profession?
--
So many parents on this board need to grow up and leave their "mean girl" mentality in the past. Be an adult and be a better role model for your kids; they deserve better.
When the majority of these roles think of “respect and dignity” they are not asking for it at anyones expense.
If a sanitation worker said we need to miss nine collections every year to train, it’s not likely people would support that. It’s not a lack of respect to say we need hospitals staffed on Christmas. When people say the number of days of school missed for training and planning is too high and it is not a good use of taxpayer resources , that is similarly not disrespectful.
It is disrespectful because you’re not listening to the teachers who say they need the days. You’re discrediting their professional opinions and needs.
Disagreeing is not the same as not listening. I understand wanting more days to plan/train/catch up. I disagree it is the public interest to close school more often. That is not a disrespectful position.
There are ways to do teacher training days without closing school more often, like putting them on federal holidays as is done for indigenous peoples day. That is rarely perceived by teachers as a more “respectful” suggestion.
I’m a teacher. I’ll happily give up every federal holiday if it means I can get some paid work time to do work. Is it the right option? No, probably not. We deserve holidays just like workers in other professions. But would I accept it? Yes. Absolutely. I am so absurdly overloaded that I’ll take anything at this point to get my head above water.
But I have to disagree with you regarding the “listening” comment. I am rarely listened to on this site. People often disagree with me about my lived experiences, believing their assumptions about my working conditions are more accurate than my reality. If I try to explain something calmly and clearly, I’m told to stop whining. That’s what we mean by not listening, and that’s the most common way teachers are treated here.
Ok, if not Federal Holidays you feel you deserve what about some of the religious holidays? Surely you agree that the number of teachers observing both Eid and Rosh Hashanah is likely very limited?
Every day school is closed, the families of the children schools are intended to serve spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on childcare. Children go unsupervised. Children go without meals. Believing that the public is better served by limiting the number of days off doesn’t mean people don’t listen. It means they believe some things take higher priority in the public good than your experience. If you can only feel “listened to” when people agree with you, yes, you will struggle here.
I think you just provided an example of “not listening.”
I already said I’d happily give up federal holidays. Seriously. I’ll go in on Thanksgiving if it means I can get some planned grading/planning time. I can still be home by 4 to eat with the family. And yes, I’ll give up religious holidays, too. That’s how desperate I am to get some time at work. I wish I were kidding, but I’m not. So clearly I am ready and willing to work with you to fix the calendar.
Yet you read it differently and then told me what I already know: teacher planning time is a burden on families.
This is, unfortunately, what the teacher experience is like on this site. I wish we could have a conversation that didn’t start with the assumption that teachers are asking for perks at the expense of the public or our students.
I read it differently, because what you said is you deserve federal holidays off. That is another way of saying you believe you are “entitled” to federal holidays off. It is my perspective that the public interest takes precedence over “deserving” federal holidays.
And once again, you proved my point. You ignored the main point, focused on what you wanted to hear from an “entitled” teacher, and attacked.
Yes, I think we deserve federal holidays. And I also said that yes, I’ll happily give them up. Both can be true.
I’m willing to work together here. Increasingly, it’s obvious your place isn’t one of cooperation.
Again, you’re not being attacked. Your own words are being questioned. People can disagree about the best use of resources. But if disagreeing with you is the same as “attacking” “disrespecting” or “not listening” then there’s no use for you here. You have not shown that there is a greater public good being served by additional planning days off, all you have shown is that you cannot stand people who think differently than you do.
Oh, I’m most definitely being attacked. Possibly even trolled.
I wrote:
“I’ll happily give up every federal holiday if it means I can get some paid work time to do work. Is it the right option? No, probably not. We deserve holidays just like workers in other professions. But would I accept it? Yes.”
You won at the start of this. I said I’d give up federal holidays. But that wasn’t enough. You needed me to say I don’t DESERVE holidays.
And I’m not going to do that for you.
Most reading this will likely see the thread as a good example of how teachers are treated. Thank you.
No, you’re making things up. You don’t need to say you don’t deserve them— but by stipulating that you do deserve them, and that “other professions” get them, you are showing that it is you who who are “not listening”.
Or prove me wrong, get with the board and get all of the teacher workday move to other holidays. That will sure show me how cooperative and unentitled you are.
… said the man wanting free to parents school camps and daycare on holidays paid for by tax money.
Nope, says the parent who wants my kid in school for regular five day weeks, with a long enough summer vacation for meaningful camp and travel experience. The schedule is wasteful, both of parent resources and children’s time. It does not justify it’s negative attributes. But nowhere did I say there should be paid for camp.
What you said was:
Every day school is closed, the families of the children schools are intended to serve spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on childcare. Children go unsupervised. Children go without meals. Believing that the public is better served by limiting the number of days off doesn’t mean people don’t listen. It means they believe some things take higher priority in the public good than your experience.
Which is ridiculous. Basically you are arguing that instead of parents paying for camps you want schools to be open all the time like that doesn’t cost more money as well. It does just yiu want other people to pay for it not just you and your ex wife.
It doesn’t cost dramatically more to have school open than it does to have a teacher workday, except in food costs for children, who otherwise can’t afford meals.
The cost of parents for childcare is significantly higher, and comes directly out of the households in which the children live.
Five day weeks should be the default, planning should be layered with federal holidays, and other mandatory breaks, and public institutions should not recognize religious holidays. Schools are a public service, and exist to serve children. Why that is controversial is beyond me.
Definitely a troll suddenly federal holidays are ok and we should all work on Christmas.
Yes parents pay for camps and everyone pays for school. If you expand the number of school days without paying teachers and school staff more you are expanding solely on the backs of school employees.
Someone is always paying you aren’t aware enough to see beyond just the price of camp you are paying
School days aren't expanding. Just the number of days that students are actually in class should expand. 195 days is 195 days.
Except you are proving my point because the school year has to be 180 days.
I think the disconnect comes from the fact some posters don’t see the need for planning time. In their minds, teachers should only be paid for the time they are directly in front of students. It comes from the same mindset that sees education as childcare.
Seeing education as education would appreciate the fact that teachers need time to prepare effective, successful lessons.
Very weird, then, that the highest achieving districts in the country don’t have all these midyear planning days. Two NE posters shared calendars with only one or two.
That’s just not convincing. Is your only proof a DCUM post claiming to come from a NE district?
Where’s your data? Where is your analysis of “high achieving” districts and teacher planning time?
Do they provide planning days, like FCPS, or do they provide time through additional planning periods? What are the bell schedules? The additional duties assigned to teachers throughout the day? What’s the class size, which impacts grading load? Curricula… is it set by the district or do teachers have to develop it?
Give me data. Otherwise all I hear are words.
Greenwich Public school calendar posted above. Widely agreed to be a very good public school system.
Please share the site and demographics of Greenwich, PP. What a joke, it's not even remotely comparable to Fairfax County. It's small and wealthy.
Fairfax County is the is the 5th wealthiest county IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
Anonymous wrote:BTW the teachers union in NYC is amazingly powerful but even they don’t advocate for schedule disruptions/more “work days”
Perhaps they advocate for better conditions in other ways: teaching fewer classes, a cap on the number of total students, a reasonable retake/retest policy, more dedicated planning time, fewer non-teaching duties, fewer meetings.
There are many ways to show support to teachers.
And you’ve listed a few that aren’t at the expense of students. Pushing for more disruption and workdays, in addition to (clearly) alienating parents, also shows teachers as wholly out for themselves and not at all interested in whats best for their students— even when its things like missed meals, or whole days alone/unsupervised. Advocating a smaller classroom size at least has the appearance of recognizing that schools are supposed to care about students.
Smaller classroom size means more teachers, which means more funding, which means higher taxes. And the public already balks at that. So, direct your anger at those who deserve it - everyone.
The CBA isn’t making classroom size their issue, they’re making “planning time” their issue. They should focus on something that is better for students not clearly bad for students and families to benefit teachers.
Also, this schedule has higher costs for families. Higher costs spread across all of Fairfax is a lot saner than higher costs concentrated on households with children.
New Jersey has preferential hiring for residents into public jobs, that would be another change that would align teachers and parents better.
1- planning time benefits your child and you more than you think. Teachers can be trained in new techniques, or ways to identify disabilities or answer you emails with more planning time. They can grade papers and give more meaningful feedback etc, etc.
2- No teachers aren’t the ones pushing for this- it is coming from new curriculum initiatives and science of reading training.
3- If all you are concerned about is the amount you pay for camps, angle to get taxpayers to pay for school aged camp subsidies. ACPS used to sponsor minicamps. I”m going to bet you see that would be impossible, so instead you are choosing to pick on teachers who are the low hanging fruit for you. A group of women who don’t have much power and dedicated themselves to trying to teach your kids should be easy for you to steam roll. It is very maddening that you have to pay for camps and can’t tell them what to do.
Anonymous wrote:BTW the teachers union in NYC is amazingly powerful but even they don’t advocate for schedule disruptions/more “work days”
Perhaps they advocate for better conditions in other ways: teaching fewer classes, a cap on the number of total students, a reasonable retake/retest policy, more dedicated planning time, fewer non-teaching duties, fewer meetings.
There are many ways to show support to teachers.
And you’ve listed a few that aren’t at the expense of students. Pushing for more disruption and workdays, in addition to (clearly) alienating parents, also shows teachers as wholly out for themselves and not at all interested in whats best for their students— even when its things like missed meals, or whole days alone/unsupervised. Advocating a smaller classroom size at least has the appearance of recognizing that schools are supposed to care about students.
Smaller classroom size means more teachers, which means more funding, which means higher taxes. And the public already balks at that. So, direct your anger at those who deserve it - everyone.
The CBA isn’t making classroom size their issue, they’re making “planning time” their issue. They should focus on something that is better for students not clearly bad for students and families to benefit teachers.
Also, this schedule has higher costs for families. Higher costs spread across all of Fairfax is a lot saner than higher costs concentrated on households with children.
New Jersey has preferential hiring for residents into public jobs, that would be another change that would align teachers and parents better.
At the elementary level, for example, the 300 minutes/week can be covered by daily one hour specials. That’s what is done at my school and most others I know of.
No in Fairfax County that’s what the early dismissal of elementary school that everybody hates so much is allegedly bringing them into compliance with. Not one hour specials.
I’m a ES teacher. Where in the CBA does it state anything about the 3 hour early dismissals? The PP said the CBA is making “planning time the issue”. I only see the requirement for 300 minutes/week which, as I said, is achieved with a daily 60 minute special/planning period.
FCPS met the 300 minutes by adding early release, because teachers insist the 60 minutes daily is taken up with other things.
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