Change in the FCPS calendar for kids off/teacher work days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

And this proves that someone will always be pissed. Last year, with the 11 snow days, which resulted severe modification to the calendar, people were pissed, saying things like why can't they adjust so there will be no problem? This year, they adjust, by adding two hours per week, and people are not happy.

The rules in virginia are the kids need to go 990 hrs or 180 days. Last year, the schedule was real close to 990 (for es only), but they had 183 by default. This year, they will be over 990 hrs until 11 days hit.

I have a good idea! How about picking one day a week as an "early release" for students? It could be the same day every week, so it would be consistent. If there aren't many snow days they wouldn't end up going extra and teachers could use that time for planning or meetings. It's a win-win!

It was called half day Mondays, remember?

Miss sarcasm much?

BTW: They were not half days. A half day would have been 3 hours and 20 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

You're not understanding how the requirements for school in Virginia work. FCPS did not add in 11 extra school days. Extra hours were added in so that there could be many snows days or delays, and 990 hour minimum would be met even if the 180 day minimum is not met.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

And this proves that someone will always be pissed. Last year, with the 11 snow days, which resulted severe modification to the calendar, people were pissed, saying things like why can't they adjust so there will be no problem? This year, they adjust, by adding two hours per week, and people are not happy.

The rules in virginia are the kids need to go 990 hrs or 180 days. Last year, the schedule was real close to 990 (for es only), but they had 183 by default. This year, they will be over 990 hrs until 11 days hit.

I have a good idea! How about picking one day a week as an "early release" for students? It could be the same day every week, so it would be consistent. If there aren't many snow days they wouldn't end up going extra and teachers could use that time for planning or meetings. It's a win-win!

haha, I love this!! "You don't know what you have till it's gone..."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

This. +1000. Nothing like the true costs of rushed, emotional decisions.

Again: what was "rushed" or "emotional" about this decision? The School Board has been discussing it since I was in elementary school, back in the 80's!! If you're new to the area, perhaps this was news to you, but to those of us who have lived here for decades, it was long overdue.

[Anonymous]

There was no public information that the system or school board was considering this for next year until it was disclosed at the school board work session in very late spring that there was a working group (with no teachers) studying this issue. It was most definitely rushed and secretive.

While people may have been considering this since YOU were a kid, there was no indication that this was officially going on in recent years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was no public information that the system or school board was considering this for next year until it was disclosed at the school board work session in very late spring that there was a working group (with no teachers) studying this issue. It was most definitely rushed and secretive.

While people may have been considering this since YOU were a kid, there was no indication that this was officially going on in recent years.

Yes, usually schedule changes are discussed for a year or more before implementation. This change was officially brought up just a few months ago and made it into the coming year's calendar just like that.

I'm glad mine are all out if elementary school now. We'd be very sad to have the early Mondays gone.

[Anonymous]

It was the right call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

And will they call the snow days for the tiniest snowflake now that there's little risk of extending the year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

... b/c you don't want your children exposed to one minute of education more than the absolute minimum????? Nice standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

This. +1000. Nothing like the true costs of rushed, emotional decisions.

Again: what was "rushed" or "emotional" about this decision? The School Board has been discussing it since I was in elementary school, back in the 80's!! If you're new to the area, perhaps this was news to you, but to those of us who have lived here for decades, it was long overdue.

You don't speak for all of us.

[Anonymous]

For those who wanted to keep short Mondays ---

NEWS FLASH --- it's over. Your position didn't win the day. Can you please give it a rest? The decision isn't going to be changed this year, probably not next year or the year after that. Harping about what you wanted and whether it was rushed and what the down-sides are --- NONE of it matters. Decision DONE.

Sit back and enjoy all your free Mondays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Thursdays and Fridays this summer while you still have them. Come Sept... it's going to be full days M-F. Accept it for what it is.... done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

... b/c you don't want your children exposed to one minute of education more than the absolute minimum????? Nice standards.

I have high schoolers. They can't apply for many, many summer internships and academic programs because of the ridiculous FCPS calendar that extends into late June.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

... b/c you don't want your children exposed to one minute of education more than the absolute minimum????? Nice standards.

It's FCPS. Get real. Everyone knows all new material stops in April for SOL prep and zero learning happens after the SOLs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

... b/c you don't want your children exposed to one minute of education more than the absolute minimum????? Nice standards.

It's FCPS. Get real. Everyone knows all new material stops in April for SOL prep and zero learning happens after the SOLs.

You're hilarious. If you can show me how I can get through all the math and social studies content by April, I'd nominate you for the Nobel prize. I am literally teaching new material up until early May. As for what happens after the SOLs, I'll give you that. After all it's one week and then school is out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is encouraging is the school can absorb 11 snow days without changing the calendar.

And what is discouraging is that there is no chance of getting those 11 days of summer back if we don't use a single snow day.

... b/c you don't want your children exposed to one minute of education more than the absolute minimum????? Nice standards.

You know that education can happen anywhere? All kinds of learning takes place outside of a classroom situation, some of which is way more important to a child's adult life.
Kids don't stop learning just because they are not in a classroom.