APS calendar- 26-27

[Anonymous]

The calendar gets you no matter what age your kids are. If they are young, you have to take days off or pay for care in all the random days off. If they are older, they miss out on summer opportunities that start before APS gets out of school. For this upcoming summer every single program my daughter was interested started before June 18. I’m sure there are programs that start later but we haven’t found any of interest to her that are also within our price range.

Out relatives in the Midwest are out the first week of June and start the same week. Our relatives in Massachusetts get out two days earlier and start a week later.

But the loudest voices who can scream racist the longest get their way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t APS pass a broad policy about developing calendars and say they would do 2 weeks at every Christmas holiday? A couple years ago.

Yea I swear I remember the same thing, so I’m surprised to see they didn’t do it for this calendar.

I also recall this… but they also set a policy of 180 days, start 1 week before Labor Day, out by June 18, and must include all these religious holidays. So I guess something had to give, with Labor Day so late next year. Too bad it wasn’t a one-off day off vs part of winter break.

[Anonymous]

Wow 6 full weeks before Christmas break (which is very short).

[Anonymous]

I think they need to make a choice between grading days at the end of the marking period and religious holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they need to make a choice between grading days at the end of the marking period and religious holidays.

Or cut the Federal holidays like Indigenous Peoples day, MLK day, President's Day, etc. They can be observed as part of the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if APS will rethink school on December 21 and 22. The Fairfax board has a thread about emails from FCPS about not missing schools around the breaks, attendance is important etc.

We won’t be traveling so my kids will be there but I’m going to guess there will be a lot of student and staff absences.

I hope so. We are taking out kids out this year on the 19th, but they couldn't miss two days next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they need to make a choice between grading days at the end of the marking period and religious holidays.

Or cut the Federal holidays like Indigenous Peoples day, MLK day, President's Day, etc. They can be observed as part of the curriculum.

They could. But many parents are off on these days. Virtually no one is off on the non-federal religious holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They either need to come off the 180 day commitment or eliminate holidays — don’t care if religious or Columbus Day or whatever. Something has to give. The calendar is out of control. We’ve gotten nothing out of moving up a week. They just added more days off. All the nonsense about more instructional days before AP exams was just a scam to put in the religious holidays.

go blame APE, they had their usual tantrum until APS caved and added this extra time. which no one wants and it's just a waste.

Stop. You cannot blame this horrible calendar on APE.

APE wanted more school days. You got em!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They either need to come off the 180 day commitment or eliminate holidays — don’t care if religious or Columbus Day or whatever. Something has to give. The calendar is out of control. We’ve gotten nothing out of moving up a week. They just added more days off. All the nonsense about more instructional days before AP exams was just a scam to put in the religious holidays.

go blame APE, they had their usual tantrum until APS caved and added this extra time. which no one wants and it's just a waste.

Stop. You cannot blame this horrible calendar on APE.

APE wanted more school days. You got em!

It went from 178/179 to 180

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They either need to come off the 180 day commitment or eliminate holidays — don’t care if religious or Columbus Day or whatever. Something has to give. The calendar is out of control. We’ve gotten nothing out of moving up a week. They just added more days off. All the nonsense about more instructional days before AP exams was just a scam to put in the religious holidays.

go blame APE, they had their usual tantrum until APS caved and added this extra time. which no one wants and it's just a waste.

Stop. You cannot blame this horrible calendar on APE.

APE wanted more school days. You got em!

It went from 178/179 to 180

yeah that's the 2 days people are complaining about having to be in school the week of Xmas-- Dec 21 and 22nd. Thanks APE!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They either need to come off the 180 day commitment or eliminate holidays — don’t care if religious or Columbus Day or whatever. Something has to give. The calendar is out of control. We’ve gotten nothing out of moving up a week. They just added more days off. All the nonsense about more instructional days before AP exams was just a scam to put in the religious holidays.

go blame APE, they had their usual tantrum until APS caved and added this extra time. which no one wants and it's just a waste.

Stop. You cannot blame this horrible calendar on APE.

APE wanted more school days. You got em!

It went from 178/179 to 180

yeah that's the 2 days people are complaining about having to be in school the week of Xmas-- Dec 21 and 22nd. Thanks APE!

Looks like Eid and Yom Kippur to me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they need to make a choice between grading days at the end of the marking period and religious holidays.

Or cut the Federal holidays like Indigenous Peoples day, MLK day, President's Day, etc. They can be observed as part of the curriculum.

They could. But many parents are off on these days. Virtually no one is off on the non-federal religious holidays.

I am generally not a supporter of APS closing school for religious holidays but the counterpoint is that no one has to miss school for Columbus Day or President's Day observance (and most parents would love a day off from work when the kids are in school - that is the holy grail!!!). But if you are Jewish and observing Yom Kippur, your kids can't go to school that day. That said, that is not true for all the religious holidays. Even with Rosh Hashanah some families would probably let their kids go to school for the afternoon by high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow 6 full weeks before Christmas break (which is very short).

9 full weeks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they need to make a choice between grading days at the end of the marking period and religious holidays.

Or cut the Federal holidays like Indigenous Peoples day, MLK day, President's Day, etc. They can be observed as part of the curriculum.

They could. But many parents are off on these days. Virtually no one is off on the non-federal religious holidays.

I am generally not a supporter of APS closing school for religious holidays but the counterpoint is that no one has to miss school for Columbus Day or President's Day observance (and most parents would love a day off from work when the kids are in school - that is the holy grail!!!). But if you are Jewish and observing Yom Kippur, your kids can't go to school that day. That said, that is not true for all the religious holidays. Even with Rosh Hashanah some families would probably let their kids go to school for the afternoon by high school.

Well, my point was that if a parent is already off work, 1) they don’t need to find childcare for young kids, and 2) they can take a long weekend trip with the family. Sending kids to school on every federal holiday while having all these religious ones off would be pretty annoying. That said, I agree they don’t need EVERY federal holiday off. And if they start after Labor Day again, no need to factor in Labor Day and the Friday before. So get rid of a couple of fed days, religious holidays, and get back at least a week of summer break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they need to make a choice between grading days at the end of the marking period and religious holidays.

Or cut the Federal holidays like Indigenous Peoples day, MLK day, President's Day, etc. They can be observed as part of the curriculum.

They could. But many parents are off on these days. Virtually no one is off on the non-federal religious holidays.

I am generally not a supporter of APS closing school for religious holidays but the counterpoint is that no one has to miss school for Columbus Day or President's Day observance (and most parents would love a day off from work when the kids are in school - that is the holy grail!!!). But if you are Jewish and observing Yom Kippur, your kids can't go to school that day. That said, that is not true for all the religious holidays. Even with Rosh Hashanah some families would probably let their kids go to school for the afternoon by high school.

Well, my point was that if a parent is already off work, 1) they don’t need to find childcare for young kids, and 2) they can take a long weekend trip with the family. Sending kids to school on every federal holiday while having all these religious ones off would be pretty annoying. That said, I agree they don’t need EVERY federal holiday off. And if they start after Labor Day again, no need to factor in Labor Day and the Friday before. So get rid of a couple of fed days, religious holidays, and get back at least a week of summer break.

For those who don't work for the government, which are many people, we are finding childcare or taking time off for both religious and Federal holidays right now. Dropping some of these days, regardless of the category, would be helpful. It's too much.

I wish APS would adopt the model from Falls Church City where we still have school on religious holidays, but teachers don't introduce new content or test on those days. Students get excused absences for their religious holidays.