Explain ridiculously early 2023/24 start date?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am probably in the minority here. I would rather have a shorter summer and more days off during the school year. Kids and teachers need some extra time to re-fuel and catch up with work. Those extra days spread over the school year also give families more options to schedule doctors appts without taking kids out of school. Oh, then there is also that pesky “summer slide”.

I taught for many years, and yes, a lot of those PD sessions were a waste of time, but they at least gave teachers a day off from lesson planning. A happier, relaxed teacher is a better teacher.

Also, families could schedule vacations in the off season. I kept hearing about so many stories this summer of families in Italy struggling in the heat! Not us! We cannot afford those trips.

+1

My preferred schedule would be a 6 week summer and two weeks between each quarter and a 3/4 day weekend in the middle of the quarter.

I totally get your perspective, and I had that perspective when my kids were in elementary school too. But, when kids get older, then summer jobs are probably not possible in a 6 week summer, summer classes at the community college are also not possible, etc. So, it really isn't feasible for the older set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can't these AP tests be moved to May? Why are they so early? Everything is digital now.

They are in May and they are on the same date and time for everyone everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate it. One week before Labor Day is fine. Beyond that and you pretty much lose August as a vacation month. Same for June. Beyond 1.5 weeks takes away that month as a vacation month. Plus the water in the pools is colder then. With all the activities starting in August, it makes sense to have 8 weeks free of activities for families to actually have a break from school.

YOU HAVE THREE FULL WEEKS in August to vacate and that isn't enough for you? You can't make a vacation to fit in a three week period? I think that's a planning or mental failure on your part, not a failure of the school calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HS sports tryouts and sports have already begun for my 2 oldest.

For us, school has "started" already (can't plan vacations, have to be home at X time, back and forth to school, etc).

So yea, a super early school date pushes everything super forward

Right. People who like the early August start date and don't mind short summers likely have young kids still. Once you get to high school age you see how much sports and music and internships and camps cut into the summer. Not to mention trying to get a summer job when you're only out of school for 9 weeks. If your kid does a spring sport or swimming they are likely going through the end of July. And if they do a fall sport or marching band they are starting back up now. Hopefully they don't do both!

Yep. Fall sports started YESTERDAY, July 31. And don't say "don't do sports" b/c we can easily say "Don't do AP classes." And sports is just as valid -for enrichment, exercise, staying out of trouble- as School. And my kid, ftr, does both.

If FCPS would do a normal calendar and end at Memorial day or the first week of June like most states, then the August sports starts date would not be an issue.

The issue is fcps not ending school until late June.

1000% agree! but, I only have two more years to go before I'm out from under FCPS's silliness... so it's up to the rest of you to advocate for sensible calendars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have friends in California that started school yesterday - so the trend overall is earlier start dates.

Wow that is nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IF you want

Full 2 weeks + for Xmas break, (used to be 10 days, now it's more like 14-16 days)

+

Wed-Fri off at Tgiving (used to be only Thurs. and Fri. off with early release on Wed.)

+

A bunch of religious days off

+

ALL the federal holidays off

+

Full week for spring break

... well, at some point you are going to have start earlier and end later just to fit in something close to the required amount of hours.

You don't get to eat your piece of cake and save it at the same time. So, we start earlier and end later with a lot of messed up weeks in between.

I don't want all of these!! I don't want Veteran's Day, I don't want religious holidays (Including tying spring break to Easter), and I don't need a 17 day holiday break.

The problem is that the school board keeps asking. And of course every answers that they want every possible day off plus to get out in early June and start in late August. Just stop asking through these stupid surveys and make a calendar that makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have friends in California that started school yesterday - so the trend overall is earlier start dates.

Wow that is nuts.

Not so nuts when summer vacation starts around Memorial Day.

Kids are ready to learn and eager to get back to friends, sports and activities by mid August. They are ready to be done with school sometime around May. Ask any teacher which is a more productive month, the first month of school or the last month of school. 90 percent of them will say the last month of June school is a waste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate it. One week before Labor Day is fine. Beyond that and you pretty much lose August as a vacation month. Same for June. Beyond 1.5 weeks takes away that month as a vacation month. Plus the water in the pools is colder then. With all the activities starting in August, it makes sense to have 8 weeks free of activities for families to actually have a break from school.

YOU HAVE THREE FULL WEEKS in August to vacate and that isn't enough for you? You can't make a vacation to fit in a three week period? I think that's a planning or mental failure on your part, not a failure of the school calendar.

Not PP, but what is wrong with you, other than not knowing the correct verb to use which would be vacation and not vacate? Get a dictionary and chill out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IF you want

Full 2 weeks + for Xmas break, (used to be 10 days, now it's more like 14-16 days)

+

Wed-Fri off at Tgiving (used to be only Thurs. and Fri. off with early release on Wed.)

+

A bunch of religious days off

+

ALL the federal holidays off

+

Full week for spring break

... well, at some point you are going to have start earlier and end later just to fit in something close to the required amount of hours.

You don't get to eat your piece of cake and save it at the same time. So, we start earlier and end later with a lot of messed up weeks in between.

I don't want all of these!! I don't want Veteran's Day, I don't want religious holidays (Including tying spring break to Easter), and I don't need a 17 day holiday break.

The problem is that the school board keeps asking. And of course every answers that they want every possible day off plus to get out in early June and start in late August. Just stop asking through these stupid surveys and make a calendar that makes sense.

Agreed! I'd prefer my kids in school on Veteran's Day, maybe do an assembly with veterans for speakers or something. And Indigenous People's Day. And winter break is way too long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have friends in California that started school yesterday - so the trend overall is earlier start dates.

Wow that is nuts.

Not so nuts when summer vacation starts around Memorial Day.

Kids are ready to learn and eager to get back to friends, sports and activities by mid August. They are ready to be done with school sometime around May. Ask any teacher which is a more productive month, the first month of school or the last month of school. 90 percent of them will say the last month of June school is a waste.

I always said the same thing in these calendar discussions -- time at the beginning of the year is more valuable than any time in June. And people always argue back that it's all the same... blah blah blah.

Once JUNE hits on the calendar, kids/teachers are triggered for SUMMER Mindset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am probably in the minority here. I would rather have a shorter summer and more days off during the school year. Kids and teachers need some extra time to re-fuel and catch up with work. Those extra days spread over the school year also give families more options to schedule doctors appts without taking kids out of school. Oh, then there is also that pesky “summer slide”.

I taught for many years, and yes, a lot of those PD sessions were a waste of time, but they at least gave teachers a day off from lesson planning. A happier, relaxed teacher is a better teacher.

Also, families could schedule vacations in the off season. I kept hearing about so many stories this summer of families in Italy struggling in the heat! Not us! We cannot afford those trips.

+1

My preferred schedule would be a 6 week summer and two weeks between each quarter and a 3/4 day weekend in the middle of the quarter.

+1
I would love that schedule too. HS kids could still be lifeguards and camp counselors full time during the break. They could do evening and weekend shifts when school is in session. In reality, most HS kids only work 6 weeks during the 9 week summer anyway... with travel, sports, etc. Most "teen-hiring' companies easily find ways to deal with different schedules. (HS teacher and parent of 9th and 12th grader here.)

[Anonymous]

Simply don’t understand it. Raised in PA. Started school the day after Labor Day, had Columbus and Veterans days off, Thanksgiving, Friday after Thanksgiving and the following Monday (first day of hunting season) off in the fall. Two week break at Christmas, both Presidents birthdays in February, spring break week at Easter and out no later than June10th.

No teacher in service days, no days of at the end of the quarter, no CRT training, etc. All teacher training, usually a week or less, done in August.

Worked fine then, could work now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate it. One week before Labor Day is fine. Beyond that and you pretty much lose August as a vacation month. Same for June. Beyond 1.5 weeks takes away that month as a vacation month. Plus the water in the pools is colder then. With all the activities starting in August, it makes sense to have 8 weeks free of activities for families to actually have a break from school.

YOU HAVE THREE FULL WEEKS in August to vacate and that isn't enough for you? You can't make a vacation to fit in a three week period? I think that's a planning or mental failure on your part, not a failure of the school calendar.

NO you don't have 3 more weeks of vacay.

You clearly don't have kids in HS sports or band.

[Anonymous]

Arlington, Loudoun and Prince William Counties have all seen the light and shortened their winter breaks this year. They have 12 days (including weekends) and FCPS has 17 days (including weekends.)

That is ludicrous.

Until we have a school board that stays in their own lane and puts educating our kids at the forefront of their mission, this is going to perpetuate. More staff development days, more religious holidays, longer winter and spring breaks…. Why do they have off Veteran’s Day?! They used to be in school and honor the Veterans with special programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Simply don’t understand it. Raised in PA. Started school the day after Labor Day, had Columbus and Veterans days off, Thanksgiving, Friday after Thanksgiving and the following Monday (first day of hunting season) off in the fall. Two week break at Christmas, both Presidents birthdays in February, spring break week at Easter and out no later than June10th.

No teacher in service days, no days of at the end of the quarter, no CRT training, etc. All teacher training, usually a week or less, done in August.

Worked fine then, could work now.

Yeah no. I am not a teacher but even I know that teachers have a lot more paperwork, IEP meetings, to deal with nowadays.