APS calendar options are here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See?
We need a predictable and reliable process. No more moving the goal posts.
If we had a system in place, like FCCPS, we would not even be having this “conversation”.

what is their system?

I’m going to try and link it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mc6NHd9r_nfMwPcYB1wvw8tbNNFyaag3/view
Basically they set a calendar policy and had lots of community engagement etc with setting the policy and now the calendars are uneventful.
The policy has school start two weeks before Labor Day. It only gives federal holidays, three days at Christmas, a two week winter break, and spring break as holidays. School is done the first week of June. Graduation is the day after Memorial Day. No religious holidays.

This makes a great deal of sense.

DP. I like the policy of not having an early release wednesday in a week that has another day off for a holiday. I like the focus on minimizing "choppy" weeks and maximizing each school week.
But if people want to start mid-August, I think winter break should be shorter and the school year end earlier in June. Maybe in lieu of a full two weeks at "Christmas" - because we all know it's about Christmas and New Year's - take the full week of Thanksgiving.

I also really like the sensibility of wanting spring break to align with the end of the 3rd quarter.

I really just don't understand why ACPS, APS, FCPS, and FCCS can't just each send a representative to a joint meeting and agree to use the same calendar each year using the same framework. If each one's trying to align something with another anyway, I just don't understand why one jurisdiction would be releasing a calendar before the main one they intend to align with - they should all just come out at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See?
We need a predictable and reliable process. No more moving the goal posts.
If we had a system in place, like FCCPS, we would not even be having this “conversation”.

what is their system?

I’m going to try and link it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mc6NHd9r_nfMwPcYB1wvw8tbNNFyaag3/view
Basically they set a calendar policy and had lots of community engagement etc with setting the policy and now the calendars are uneventful.
The policy has school start two weeks before Labor Day. It only gives federal holidays, three days at Christmas, a two week winter break, and spring break as holidays. School is done the first week of June. Graduation is the day after Memorial Day. No religious holidays.

This makes a great deal of sense.

DP. I like the policy of not having an early release wednesday in a week that has another day off for a holiday. I like the focus on minimizing "choppy" weeks and maximizing each school week.
But if people want to start mid-August, I think winter break should be shorter and the school year end earlier in June. Maybe in lieu of a full two weeks at "Christmas" - because we all know it's about Christmas and New Year's - take the full week of Thanksgiving.

I also really like the sensibility of wanting spring break to align with the end of the 3rd quarter.

I really just don't understand why ACPS, APS, FCPS, and FCCS can't just each send a representative to a joint meeting and agree to use the same calendar each year using the same framework. If each one's trying to align something with another anyway, I just don't understand why one jurisdiction would be releasing a calendar before the main one they intend to align with - they should all just come out at the same time.

Just stop. You make too much sense.

[Anonymous]

A regional approach that determines calendars two years out would be great. It’s so frustrating to plan vacations and camps without knowing dates until winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See?
We need a predictable and reliable process. No more moving the goal posts.
If we had a system in place, like FCCPS, we would not even be having this “conversation”.

what is their system?

I’m going to try and link it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mc6NHd9r_nfMwPcYB1wvw8tbNNFyaag3/view
Basically they set a calendar policy and had lots of community engagement etc with setting the policy and now the calendars are uneventful.
The policy has school start two weeks before Labor Day. It only gives federal holidays, three days at Christmas, a two week winter break, and spring break as holidays. School is done the first week of June. Graduation is the day after Memorial Day. No religious holidays.

This makes a great deal of sense.

DP. I like the policy of not having an early release wednesday in a week that has another day off for a holiday. I like the focus on minimizing "choppy" weeks and maximizing each school week.
But if people want to start mid-August, I think winter break should be shorter and the school year end earlier in June. Maybe in lieu of a full two weeks at "Christmas" - because we all know it's about Christmas and New Year's - take the full week of Thanksgiving.

I also really like the sensibility of wanting spring break to align with the end of the 3rd quarter.

I really just don't understand why ACPS, APS, FCPS, and FCCS can't just each send a representative to a joint meeting and agree to use the same calendar each year using the same framework. If each one's trying to align something with another anyway, I just don't understand why one jurisdiction would be releasing a calendar before the main one they intend to align with - they should all just come out at the same time.

YES. What the hell, APS? If you want to align with FCPS, then do it. But don’t just guess what you think they’re going to do and then say “but we tried” when they don’t align. This is the idiocy that drives me crazy with APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See?
We need a predictable and reliable process. No more moving the goal posts.
If we had a system in place, like FCCPS, we would not even be having this “conversation”.

what is their system?

I’m going to try and link it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mc6NHd9r_nfMwPcYB1wvw8tbNNFyaag3/view
Basically they set a calendar policy and had lots of community engagement etc with setting the policy and now the calendars are uneventful.
The policy has school start two weeks before Labor Day. It only gives federal holidays, three days at Christmas, a two week winter break, and spring break as holidays. School is done the first week of June. Graduation is the day after Memorial Day. No religious holidays.

This makes a great deal of sense.

DP. I like the policy of not having an early release wednesday in a week that has another day off for a holiday. I like the focus on minimizing "choppy" weeks and maximizing each school week.
But if people want to start mid-August, I think winter break should be shorter and the school year end earlier in June. Maybe in lieu of a full two weeks at "Christmas" - because we all know it's about Christmas and New Year's - take the full week of Thanksgiving.

I also really like the sensibility of wanting spring break to align with the end of the 3rd quarter.

I really just don't understand why ACPS, APS, FCPS, and FCCS can't just each send a representative to a joint meeting and agree to use the same calendar each year using the same framework. If each one's trying to align something with another anyway, I just don't understand why one jurisdiction would be releasing a calendar before the main one they intend to align with - they should all just come out at the same time.

YES. What the hell, APS? If you want to align with FCPS, then do it. But don’t just guess what you think they’re going to do and then say “but we tried” when they don’t align. This is the idiocy that drives me crazy with APS.

Agreed. Stop wasting resources ($) on surveys and the data gathering. APS: Just do what the Super wants and use that saved resources on teachers/school support staff pay. Stop pretending you care about teachers/parents' opinions.

[Anonymous]

how does one read the comments that were submitted with the survey?

[Anonymous]

The report and slideshow is already up. Option 1 got the least amount of responses and that is the one Duran is recommending, proving that all of these APS surveys are a complete farce. Disgraceful, a slap in the face to all teachers and stakeholders, but not at all surprising.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The report and slideshow is already up. Option 1 got the least amount of responses and that is the one Duran is recommending, proving that all of these APS surveys are a complete farce. Disgraceful, a slap in the face to all teachers and stakeholders, but not at all surprising.

Yup, it's been up for 3 days now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See?
We need a predictable and reliable process. No more moving the goal posts.
If we had a system in place, like FCCPS, we would not even be having this “conversation”.

what is their system?

I’m going to try and link it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mc6NHd9r_nfMwPcYB1wvw8tbNNFyaag3/view
Basically they set a calendar policy and had lots of community engagement etc with setting the policy and now the calendars are uneventful.
The policy has school start two weeks before Labor Day. It only gives federal holidays, three days at Christmas, a two week winter break, and spring break as holidays. School is done the first week of June. Graduation is the day after Memorial Day. No religious holidays.

This makes a great deal of sense.

DP. I like the policy of not having an early release wednesday in a week that has another day off for a holiday. I like the focus on minimizing "choppy" weeks and maximizing each school week.
But if people want to start mid-August, I think winter break should be shorter and the school year end earlier in June. Maybe in lieu of a full two weeks at "Christmas" - because we all know it's about Christmas and New Year's - take the full week of Thanksgiving.

I also really like the sensibility of wanting spring break to align with the end of the 3rd quarter.

I really just don't understand why ACPS, APS, FCPS, and FCCS can't just each send a representative to a joint meeting and agree to use the same calendar each year using the same framework. If each one's trying to align something with another anyway, I just don't understand why one jurisdiction would be releasing a calendar before the main one they intend to align with - they should all just come out at the same time.

YES. What the hell, APS? If you want to align with FCPS, then do it. But don’t just guess what you think they’re going to do and then say “but we tried” when they don’t align. This is the idiocy that drives me crazy with APS.

Agreed. Stop wasting resources ($) on surveys and the data gathering. APS: Just do what the Super wants and use that saved resources on teachers/school support staff pay. Stop pretending you care about teachers/parents' opinions.

Oh my God, yes, please, please, please stop creating, disseminating, and compiling data for meaningless surveys. Pay the people that work directly with the kids more.

[Anonymous]

The other issue they are going to have with Option 1 is finding teachers for summer school. Who wants to teach and then go back Aug 10? That’s virtually no break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See?
We need a predictable and reliable process. No more moving the goal posts.
If we had a system in place, like FCCPS, we would not even be having this “conversation”.

what is their system?

I’m going to try and link it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mc6NHd9r_nfMwPcYB1wvw8tbNNFyaag3/view
Basically they set a calendar policy and had lots of community engagement etc with setting the policy and now the calendars are uneventful.
The policy has school start two weeks before Labor Day. It only gives federal holidays, three days at Christmas, a two week winter break, and spring break as holidays. School is done the first week of June. Graduation is the day after Memorial Day. No religious holidays.

This makes a great deal of sense.

DP. I like the policy of not having an early release wednesday in a week that has another day off for a holiday. I like the focus on minimizing "choppy" weeks and maximizing each school week.
But if people want to start mid-August, I think winter break should be shorter and the school year end earlier in June. Maybe in lieu of a full two weeks at "Christmas" - because we all know it's about Christmas and New Year's - take the full week of Thanksgiving.

I also really like the sensibility of wanting spring break to align with the end of the 3rd quarter.

I really just don't understand why ACPS, APS, FCPS, and FCCS can't just each send a representative to a joint meeting and agree to use the same calendar each year using the same framework. If each one's trying to align something with another anyway, I just don't understand why one jurisdiction would be releasing a calendar before the main one they intend to align with - they should all just come out at the same time.

YES. What the hell, APS? If you want to align with FCPS, then do it. But don’t just guess what you think they’re going to do and then say “but we tried” when they don’t align. This is the idiocy that drives me crazy with APS.

Agreed. Stop wasting resources ($) on surveys and the data gathering. APS: Just do what the Super wants and use that saved resources on teachers/school support staff pay. Stop pretending you care about teachers/parents' opinions.

Oh my God, yes, please, please, please stop creating, disseminating, and compiling data for meaningless surveys. Pay the people that work directly with the kids more.

Then how can they justify adding more employees at syphax on 12-month contracts who only work 7 days more than teachers on 10-month contracts? They gotta have something to do...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The other issue they are going to have with Option 1 is finding teachers for summer school. Who wants to teach and then go back Aug 10? That’s virtually no break.

That’s what I sent to the school board

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See?
We need a predictable and reliable process. No more moving the goal posts.
If we had a system in place, like FCCPS, we would not even be having this “conversation”.

what is their system?

I’m going to try and link it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mc6NHd9r_nfMwPcYB1wvw8tbNNFyaag3/view
Basically they set a calendar policy and had lots of community engagement etc with setting the policy and now the calendars are uneventful.
The policy has school start two weeks before Labor Day. It only gives federal holidays, three days at Christmas, a two week winter break, and spring break as holidays. School is done the first week of June. Graduation is the day after Memorial Day. No religious holidays.

This makes a great deal of sense.

DP. I like the policy of not having an early release wednesday in a week that has another day off for a holiday. I like the focus on minimizing "choppy" weeks and maximizing each school week.
But if people want to start mid-August, I think winter break should be shorter and the school year end earlier in June. Maybe in lieu of a full two weeks at "Christmas" - because we all know it's about Christmas and New Year's - take the full week of Thanksgiving.

I also really like the sensibility of wanting spring break to align with the end of the 3rd quarter.

I really just don't understand why ACPS, APS, FCPS, and FCCS can't just each send a representative to a joint meeting and agree to use the same calendar each year using the same framework. If each one's trying to align something with another anyway, I just don't understand why one jurisdiction would be releasing a calendar before the main one they intend to align with - they should all just come out at the same time.

YES. What the hell, APS? If you want to align with FCPS, then do it. But don’t just guess what you think they’re going to do and then say “but we tried” when they don’t align. This is the idiocy that drives me crazy with APS.

Agreed. Stop wasting resources ($) on surveys and the data gathering. APS: Just do what the Super wants and use that saved resources on teachers/school support staff pay. Stop pretending you care about teachers/parents' opinions.

Oh my God, yes, please, please, please stop creating, disseminating, and compiling data for meaningless surveys. Pay the people that work directly with the kids more.

Then how can they justify adding more employees at syphax on 12-month contracts who only work 7 days more than teachers on 10-month contracts? They gotta have something to do...

Syphax staff should be required to fill in when APS can't get enough subs. And if they can't do that, they have no business setting or administering academic policy.

[Anonymous]

I think the discussion about the difficulties of moving the start of school back a week highlight why it is better to do what FCCPS did and have the abstract discussion of when we want school to start, rather than a yearly debate. The fact is- the year you shorten summer is always going to be kind of painful. These are the benefits of the 2 week before labor day start day:
1. Allows more school before AP/IB exams (this reason has been discussed).
2. Kids who play fall sports already have to be back Aug 1st to start practice- the earlier start date better lines up with those schedules.
3. VA mandates that the friday before labor day and labor day be holidays. Starting 1 week before labor day means a 4 day school week followed by a 4 day weekend, followed by a 4 day week. Starting two weeks before labor day allows for a 5 day week, followed by a 4 day week before you hit a 4 day weekend, giving more of a chance to get into a learning stride.

The closeness of when summer school ends is a this year problem- presumably summer school shifts earlier if you start school earlier.

Of course the benefits of starting early get taken away if the response by the school system is to add lots of new holidays throughout the year keeping kids in school longer, and having more broken up weeks.

[Anonymous]

or if you adopt ventilation ladies suggestion and add a few days onto each break for testing and quarantine- true insanity.