Dear Incoming Chancellor: Start Schools After Labor Day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Consolidated professional development before the school starts. Start after Labor Day.

So that the lessons and development are rendered pretty much useless? Great idea!

[Anonymous]

Another two-career family here in favor of the August start. Friends in Arizona have year-round school and that looks tempting for me. My oldest went to language immersion camp anyway this summer (not so much "dragon mom" as "if I'm paying that much for camp, they better be imparting some skill!") so it wasn't like summer diverged notably from the school year. In fact DC preferred school to camp.

[Anonymous]

I'd be cool with year-round school. Eliminate the summer brain drain, make life easier on working parents and their kids. Put in one- or two-week breaks throughout the year--camps will start up to cater to the need for care.

[Anonymous]

I would say more time on task throughout the school year to really focus on studies. Rather than wasting the last week or so at the end of each term. In addition to the end of year time suck. A real policy to enforce time wastage.

I would even say more days s year to maintain recess and PE time.

Finally. I cannot afford another $1,000 in a summer for two weeks of camp. Single mother. Single income. We are not going on vacation during this extra time.

However. I may reconsider if kids can be put to work earning money over summer on farms. Per the intentent of summer break.

[Anonymous]

Start school after Labor Day!

[Anonymous]

Noooooooo. Year round school please.

[Anonymous]

No... lazy teachers blah blah blah, I don't want to have to pay for summer camp, blah blah blah, lazy teachers, my child needs to outlearn your child.

Did I cover all the bases?

[Anonymous]

Heck no. oP must work for a summer camp.

[Anonymous]

I love the August start for DCPS. 2 months off is enough for summer break.
The max my husband and I can take off is 3 weeks. The rest is camps. I have a friend with kids in private and her kids seemed
envious of my kids going back to school. They went on 3 vacations but had nothing to do the last two weeks of break and said they were bored out of their minds. Unless you are very wealthy and can summer in the Hamptons or Aspen, filling up another two weeks of break is a challenge.

I like having a 2 wk winter break although I don't think DCPS has that this year.

[Anonymous]

It's pain because here kids can't be home alone all day until who know what age. I'd just let them be home all day and do nothing.
I don't believe in brain drain or at least brain seems to drain more with 2 months off vs 3 months off (Pisa scores).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with you that the school year should be consolidated -- I don't understand why DC teachers need so many more professional days than teachers in other jurisdictions. Starting the week before labor day and ending a week earlier than they do now would be perfect for my family.

What evidence do you have that dcps has more professional development days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do camps work with the extended year? Currently they're all organized during the summer and align with the private school year, at least near our house. If DCPS has random weeks of breaks during the school year, what do the kids do? Do parents then have to take those weeks off because no camps are offered? That would be a burden.

Also, DCPS can't get scores up despite throwing money at the school system hand over fist for years (more than nearly any jurisdiction), I hope for the best but am skeptical that they have a real plan for doing better just with the addition of more days. It will be interesting to see how these first school fare, hopefully it will show positive results.

My family lives in NC and they have year round schools. Many places that offer after school care will offer week long camps when school is out for intercession