Change in May 2022 "O" day -- now it could affect different AP tests?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one would really care if Eid was an "O" day if FCPS hadn't also decided that NO ONE can take AP tests on "O" days!

That is where FCPS screwed up big time.

Omeish isn't fulfilling her duty to represent the Muslim population very well if she wasn't able to tell the SB about Eid being lunar-dependent.

I won't be voting for her again. Of course, it'll be too late by the time there is another election. My youngest will be in his last year (in 2024) and the damage from all the SB has already been done.

So the rest of the country can take AP tests on scheduled days, but FCPS is basing their calendar on moon sightings?

Yes.

Also, FCPS kids get delayed scores which means they don’t have the info they need for college registration. And they get a different test curved it’s only makeup kids. Most of which will now be FCPS. Normally, our kids do well because we compete with Alabama. Now, it’s less than 10% of FCPS kids getting a 5 on some tests.

Plus, kids in Spanish and Chem literally cannot sit for both.

This screws our kids all over the place.

I don't have kids in high school myself, but if I did I'd do a deep dive into whatever the regulations are for the organization that administers the AP exam and compare that to FCPS decision, which isn't even supported by their own regulation, and see if there's anyway to prove their decision is impermissible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line is that FCPS should not be mucking around with AP exam dates.

They can pick whatever "O" days they want -- but leave AP exams out of the equation.

This x1000. Let kid who want to take off use the makeup day. Why would they force everyone to use the makeup day? It makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

I can’t imagine this would stand up to court scrutiny. If you really are affected, consider it. I would.

[Anonymous]

Honestly the College Board is at fault here. FCPS is trying to right their wrong.

[Anonymous]

Is there a link to any source that says the May 2 exams are being moved? Not sure where to confirm this info for my kid's exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly the College Board is at fault here. FCPS is trying to right their wrong.

APs are always scheduled the first two weeks of May and announced a year out. You think we should wait until a lunar sighting to decide when we have APs in public school? Ummm no. Public schools are secular. If the accommodation makeup date for just the kids who need it doesn’t work, you need to be at a religious school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a link to any source that says the May 2 exams are being moved? Not sure where to confirm this info for my kid's exams.

I've been told FCPS is very aware of the issue. But they haven't said what they are going to do yet. As a parent of a kid who was supposed to take 2 AP exams on May 3, we were told in the fall that those exams would not be given on May 3 because it was an O day. The exams would be moved to May 17 (the national make up day fir AP exams) .

FCPS could fix this right now and say that O days are not affecting AP exams. That creates some other problems because some may have declined to take exams because of the dates -- which they are now changing. But, it would be the right thing to do. This is why public schools should NOT be making policies based on religious holidays!

[Anonymous]

I'm curious as to why, if this is such a huge deal, this has never been brought up to the school board or superintendent. It's a huge deal but everyone is just rolling over and accepting it? Why? My kids aren't high school age yet but you can bet your ass if they were I'd be raising hell about this issue (somewhere other than a public message board).

It seems like, if this is true, a simple call to the media to put the story on blast could be enough to pressure FCPS to clarify their position here. I'm completely baffled as to why an O day in FCPS would affect students who need to take a national exam. Is it because the exams are taken in school buildings? If that's the case, let's find another place to do them (local college auditorium/classroom maybe?) and take FCPS out of the equation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly the College Board is at fault here. FCPS is trying to right their wrong.

No. The fault is 100% on FCPS for saying that NOTHING can be done on an O day -- including national tests. Then they multiplied their fault by not knowing when one of the religious days was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious as to why, if this is such a huge deal, this has never been brought up to the school board or superintendent. It's a huge deal but everyone is just rolling over and accepting it? Why? My kids aren't high school age yet but you can bet your ass if they were I'd be raising hell about this issue (somewhere other than a public message board).

It seems like, if this is true, a simple call to the media to put the story on blast could be enough to pressure FCPS to clarify their position here. I'm completely baffled as to why an O day in FCPS would affect students who need to take a national exam. Is it because the exams are taken in school buildings? If that's the case, let's find another place to do them (local college auditorium/classroom maybe?) and take FCPS out of the equation.

It's because FCPS created an "equity" policy that said no one can learn or do anything on anyone else's religious holiday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious as to why, if this is such a huge deal, this has never been brought up to the school board or superintendent. It's a huge deal but everyone is just rolling over and accepting it? Why? My kids aren't high school age yet but you can bet your ass if they were I'd be raising hell about this issue (somewhere other than a public message board).

It seems like, if this is true, a simple call to the media to put the story on blast could be enough to pressure FCPS to clarify their position here. I'm completely baffled as to why an O day in FCPS would affect students who need to take a national exam. Is it because the exams are taken in school buildings? If that's the case, let's find another place to do them (local college auditorium/classroom maybe?) and take FCPS out of the equation.

No. Schools are open that day. I’ve emailed my Rep., Pekarsky, and the at large members twice about this. And submitted the question to Pekarsky at a townhall. Both before and during on Zoom. She has not responded. I’m tempted to track to a SB meeting, because the lawyer in me knows what they are doing (disadvantaging kids for religious purposes) is unconstitutional. But, my kid has 6 AP tests. And we are in February. And college decisions are coming out. She needs to stay calm and not make a scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious as to why, if this is such a huge deal, this has never been brought up to the school board or superintendent. It's a huge deal but everyone is just rolling over and accepting it? Why? My kids aren't high school age yet but you can bet your ass if they were I'd be raising hell about this issue (somewhere other than a public message board).

It seems like, if this is true, a simple call to the media to put the story on blast could be enough to pressure FCPS to clarify their position here. I'm completely baffled as to why an O day in FCPS would affect students who need to take a national exam. Is it because the exams are taken in school buildings? If that's the case, let's find another place to do them (local college auditorium/classroom maybe?) and take FCPS out of the equation.

It's because FCPS created an "equity" policy that said no one can learn or do anything on anyone else's religious holiday.

Right. FCPS teachers cannot teach anything new or give an assessment. But APs are run at a national level and should not fall under the FCPS umbrella. These are not FCPS tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious as to why, if this is such a huge deal, this has never been brought up to the school board or superintendent. It's a huge deal but everyone is just rolling over and accepting it? Why? My kids aren't high school age yet but you can bet your ass if they were I'd be raising hell about this issue (somewhere other than a public message board).

It seems like, if this is true, a simple call to the media to put the story on blast could be enough to pressure FCPS to clarify their position here. I'm completely baffled as to why an O day in FCPS would affect students who need to take a national exam. Is it because the exams are taken in school buildings? If that's the case, let's find another place to do them (local college auditorium/classroom maybe?) and take FCPS out of the equation.

No. Schools are open that day. I’ve emailed my Rep., Pekarsky, and the at large members twice about this. And submitted the question to Pekarsky at a townhall. Both before and during on Zoom. She has not responded. I’m tempted to track to a SB meeting, because the lawyer in me knows what they are doing (disadvantaging kids for religious purposes) is unconstitutional. But, my kid has 6 AP tests. And we are in February. And college decisions are coming out. She needs to stay calm and not make a scene.

That's why I'm wondering if a tip to the media will help spur movement on FCPS' part. That seems to be the only thing they respond to and the media is following school board meetings like crazy trying to find all the latest gossip to put out there. This seems right up their alley.

[Anonymous]

The change to the calendar may end up being the gift you need to challenge this. The calendar and the O day regulation didn't appear to be a problem with the AP exams when it was released. It sounds like parents weren't aware until the fall students wouldn't be allowed to take the exams.

You have 30 days to submit a petition to the Circuit Court to review a decision of the School Board that is arbitrary or contrary to law. Since the School Board just approved the revised calendar, parents now have the ability to file that petition and get this in front of a judge.

I posted up thread that I don't have high schoolers, but if I did, I would absolutely consider going down that path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly the College Board is at fault here. FCPS is trying to right their wrong.

Well, no.

You don't know much about AP exams, do you?

They are always scheduled the first two weeks of May.

Many states throughout the country end their school year in May. Many end the week of May 15th.

The tests have to be graded so they can make it to the colleges in time for registration.

It i a very carefully oiled machine, based of nationwide standards, not the fcps school board and not a holoday that changes year to year based off the moon.