how do we get APS to rethink 13 snow days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. Going to school extra days is NOT an educational benefit. School has tons of wasted time. The last week is usually a complete waste, too. And this year in APS, graduation is a full 2 weeks before school ends. Yet summer break has shrunk from 11 to 10 to 9 weeks over the past few years. APS used to use the 990 hour requirement. Now, it has lengthened the school day, has 13 built in snow days, and still insists on 180 days.

OP, writing to APS staff and the school board is an option, but it likely won’t change anything.

Agree. But isn't that reason to have more days, not fewer? You think they're going to make better use of their time with fewer days? Or that there weren't those wasted days before?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Going to school extra days is NOT an educational benefit. School has tons of wasted time. The last week is usually a complete waste, too. And this year in APS, graduation is a full 2 weeks before school ends. Yet summer break has shrunk from 11 to 10 to 9 weeks over the past few years. APS used to use the 990 hour requirement. Now, it has lengthened the school day, has 13 built in snow days, and still insists on 180 days.

OP, writing to APS staff and the school board is an option, but it likely won’t change anything.

No APS always used 180 days.

Okay, maybe you are right that historically they did use 180 days. But for a few years around Covid, it was closer to 175. Then they went back to 180 at the same time they added several religious holidays AND lengthened the school day. So now we have the ridiculous 13 snow days & a short summer.

I remember years when there were not enough snow days and they had to figure out where to get the extra days - eliminate part of spring break, take away holidays/teacher works days, make the school year longer. All were really disruptive. Keep the snow days and if they are extra so what. They will be needed eventually.

That must have been a while ago, since I have a kid in HS who started APS in K, and we’ve never experienced this. Even in 2016 (blizzard), they didn’t use more then the allotted number of snow days.

It was back when my current HS student was in elementary school. Then it nearly happened again a few years ago. That’s why they added more snow days. But memories are short and parents like to complain.

When did it almost happen again a few years ago?

PP is right. Almost had to add back a day in 2022.

We burned through 13 snow days in 2022? I know there was the week after winter break. But you’re right I don’t remember using up all of the other 8 days.

I believe we had fewer days back then. We added 10 minutes to the school day this year (or last year can’t remember)which brings us to 13 days.

[Anonymous]

I don't know what will make you people happy. You're unhappy with enough snow days to cover bad weather. You're unhappy with virtual days.

And ignorant of the recent past -

https://www.arlnow.com/2022/01/07/aps-may-soon-revert-to-virtual-learning-on-snowy-icy-days/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know what will make you people happy. You're unhappy with enough snow days to cover bad weather. You're unhappy with virtual days.

And ignorant of the recent past -

https://www.arlnow.com/2022/01/07/aps-may-soon-revert-to-virtual-learning-on-snowy-icy-days/

Don't be so obtuse. That article says we had 6 snow days built in that year. That we didn't go over (close, yes, but didn't go over the 6 days). We now have 13 snow days built in. I mean come on, there should be a middle ground in there somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could always pay for private school?

I don’t understand the people who post this. Do you think you’re cute?

No, just realistic. If you can’t afford private, take your government cheese and be grateful. There are many things wrong with public education. Having a few extra snow days isn’t it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could always pay for private school?

I don’t understand the people who post this. Do you think you’re cute?

No, just realistic. If you can’t afford private, take your government cheese and be grateful. There are many things wrong with public education. Having a few extra snow days isn’t it.

They won’t be happy with private if they want fewer days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know what will make you people happy. You're unhappy with enough snow days to cover bad weather. You're unhappy with virtual days.

And ignorant of the recent past -

https://www.arlnow.com/2022/01/07/aps-may-soon-revert-to-virtual-learning-on-snowy-icy-days/

Don't be so obtuse. That article says we had 6 snow days built in that year. That we didn't go over (close, yes, but didn't go over the 6 days). We now have 13 snow days built in. I mean come on, there should be a middle ground in there somewhere.

We did go over another year - but you know everything I guess....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could always pay for private school?

I don’t understand the people who post this. Do you think you’re cute?

No, just realistic. If you can’t afford private, take your government cheese and be grateful. There are many things wrong with public education. Having a few extra snow days isn’t it.

They won’t be happy with private if they want fewer days.

You have no idea what you’re talking about. The joke is, the more you pay, the less you go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The 13 days come from the 990 minute requirement. They added 10 minutes to the school day to get the 13 days.

I've been trying to do the math on this (I think you made a typo - it's a 990 hour requirement right?)


How does 10 min extra each day add up to 13 "days" of school?

Is a student day considered to be 5.5 hours?

5.5 hours x 60 minutes = 330 minutes needed for one "school day"

to get 13 extra snow days therefore you'd need 13x330 minutes = 4290 minutes somehow extra.

OK so now to each 180 school days, tack on another 10 minutes. That gains you 180x10 =1800 extra minutes gained.

That's not even close to the 4290 minutes you need.

1800 minutes / 330 minutes needed for a school day = 5.45 school "days" not 13.

SO where/how did APS get the other 8 extra days?

Did they add MORE than 10 min per day? It would have had to be 23 minutes.

180 days x 23 minutes = 4140... pretty close to 13 days now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 13 days come from the 990 minute requirement. They added 10 minutes to the school day to get the 13 days.

I've been trying to do the math on this (I think you made a typo - it's a 990 hour requirement right?)


How does 10 min extra each day add up to 13 "days" of school?

Is a student day considered to be 5.5 hours?

5.5 hours x 60 minutes = 330 minutes needed for one "school day"

to get 13 extra snow days therefore you'd need 13x330 minutes = 4290 minutes somehow extra.

OK so now to each 180 school days, tack on another 10 minutes. That gains you 180x10 =1800 extra minutes gained.

That's not even close to the 4290 minutes you need.

1800 minutes / 330 minutes needed for a school day = 5.45 school "days" not 13.

SO where/how did APS get the other 8 extra days?

Did they add MORE than 10 min per day? It would have had to be 23 minutes.

180 days x 23 minutes = 4140... pretty close to 13 days now.

Not exactly sure, but they were already using minutes for snow days for years before they added the extra 10 min. So they already had “extra” minutes built in. Then they added even more.

[Anonymous]

how long is your student day?

[Anonymous]

I just looked at your bell schedule for elementary.

6 hours and 50 minutes? That's an instructional day for a 3rd grader?

I'm in PG county and the student day is 6 hours and 10 minutes so... now I understand where your minutes are coming from!

[Anonymous]

But wait, APS... that's CRAZY. VA law says you need to have kids in school 5.5 hours per day x 18- days. 180 x 5.5 = 990 hours, the required number of hours.

APS has kids in school 6 hours 50 minutes. That's way longer than 5 hours 30 minutes.

You should have way more than just 13 extra days. What am I missing here?

[Anonymous]

I call BS on 13 snow days. People said the same last year and APS already took away two days and there are more half days this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But wait, APS... that's CRAZY. VA law says you need to have kids in school 5.5 hours per day x 18- days. 180 x 5.5 = 990 hours, the required number of hours.

APS has kids in school 6 hours 50 minutes. That's way longer than 5 hours 30 minutes.

You should have way more than just 13 extra days. What am I missing here?

This is because Arlington’s version of a conservative parents rights group Arlington Parents for Education threw their usual fit and lobbied for more time in school.