New to FCPS - what was the rationale for starting and ending school a week early?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they start after labor day, all they have to do is shorten winter break by a week to get the week back in June. It would make things a lot easier on working parents, too.

Starting in September is just too late.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because otherwise, the kids were in school until June 23rd or later. Who wants to be in school at that late date?

My niece and nephew in the Silicon Valley in California went to back to school this past Monday, August 13. An August 28 start isn't that bad.

Missouri starts this week and gets out before Memorial Day (usually 1 week before).

Kansas too.

Texas starts around the 3rd week of August (20 something) and gets out the week before Memorial day. California too.

It just makes so much sense to go back to school in August and get out earlier.

This region is so backwards about the school calendar.

I’m not sure that this exists, but it would be interesting to see total # of students in the country by when school starts. A lot of NJ, NY, and MD start after Labor Day, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because otherwise, the kids were in school until June 23rd or later. Who wants to be in school at that late date?

My niece and nephew in the Silicon Valley in California went to back to school this past Monday, August 13. An August 28 start isn't that bad.

Missouri starts this week and gets out before Memorial Day (usually 1 week before).

Kansas too.

Texas starts around the 3rd week of August (20 something) and gets out the week before Memorial day. California too.

It just makes so much sense to go back to school in August and get out earlier.

This region is so backwards about the school calendar.

I’m not sure that this exists, but it would be interesting to see total # of students in the country by when school starts. A lot of NJ, NY, and MD start after Labor Day, for example.

Last fall was the first time Maryland required all of its schools to start AFTER Labor Day. I think it was probably a reaction to Fairfax changing to BEFORE labor Day and the Repub. governor in Md. wanting to off-set any losses of beach vacation profits. Once he heard there would be fewer Virginians in OC, he made a proclamation that ALL Md. schools had to start after Labor Day (you know -- to support "family bonding time" -- even the kids in PG County are not exempt and are supposed to be spending quality family time at the beach during the week before Labor Day).

PP is right that NYC starts after Labor Day -- but they don't finish until June 26th!

I checked a bunch of districts in NJ and most start after Labor Day -- but also don't finish until June 21-25th. That is crazy late. Of course, we know what the priorities are -- Chris Christie sitting on a beach that he closed to everyone else!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because otherwise, the kids were in school until June 23rd or later. Who wants to be in school at that late date?

My niece and nephew in the Silicon Valley in California went to back to school this past Monday, August 13. An August 28 start isn't that bad.

Missouri starts this week and gets out before Memorial Day (usually 1 week before).

Kansas too.

Texas starts around the 3rd week of August (20 something) and gets out the week before Memorial day. California too.

It just makes so much sense to go back to school in August and get out earlier.

This region is so backwards about the school calendar.

I have friends/family back in the midwest (Iowa/Kansas) and the HS kids literally take the AP exams in mid May and graduation is like May 15th!. We always took the standardized test in March, so we weren't waiting to do that. I know that Maryland has their standardized test in March as well.

[Anonymous]

Its the most overrated school system in the country.

Their secondary schools teach nothing. Think of it as a gain not s loss

Their elementary school are pretty good

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its the most overrated school system in the country.

Their secondary schools teach nothing. Think of it as a gain not s loss

Their elementary school are pretty good

Why do you say this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Superintendent worked 5 years in another county where school year ended in early-mid June. Came here and was shocked we were still in school after mid June.

I seriously heard him share this at a community meeting.

That is quite a valid point.

Fairfax County could learn a lot from the City of Lynchburg, where Mr. Brabrand worked before becoming the head of FCPS.
For 2018-2019, Lynchburg started August 15 and gets out May 31st. They have a Friday-Tuesday fall break, and they get out Dec. 20th for Winter Break and go back Jan. 2.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Ohio. I just checked their calendar and the students start Wednesday September 8 and their last day is Friday June 8.

The teacher contract is only about 6 days longer than the student calendar with 2 of those days before students start and one after they finish.

[Anonymous]

Sorry. The above should read “Wednesday September 5”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its the most overrated school system in the country.

Their secondary schools teach nothing. Think of it as a gain not s loss

Their elementary school are pretty good

Why do you say this?

I'm not a troll

Have a few conversations with current high school students parents about academic teacher methodogy - how the kids are being taught content in their classrooms. The teachers are just phoning it in everyday. Scores remain fairly high because most FCPS families are well educated. The students do it all on their own or are tutored by parents and friends. That may work fine for your family, but the FCPS instructional institution remain vastly overrated.

Sports, theater, music extra curriculars are excellent, but daily academic instruction is exceedingly poor. It's a do it yourself - teach yourself curriculum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Superintendent worked 5 years in another county where school year ended in early-mid June. Came here and was shocked we were still in school after mid June.

I seriously heard him share this at a community meeting.

That is quite a valid point.

Fairfax County could learn a lot from the City of Lynchburg, where Mr. Brabrand worked before becoming the head of FCPS.
For 2018-2019, Lynchburg started August 15 and gets out May 31st. They have a Friday-Tuesday fall break, and they get out Dec. 20th for Winter Break and go back Jan. 2.

Why, yes, let’s change our schedule because of Lynchburg City schools. When looking at the standardized test scores for every public school district in VA, FCPS is 40th while Lynchburg is 108th. We could learn so much from them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Superintendent worked 5 years in another county where school year ended in early-mid June. Came here and was shocked we were still in school after mid June.

I seriously heard him share this at a community meeting.

That is quite a valid point.

Fairfax County could learn a lot Consider from the City of Lynchburg, where Mr. Brabrand worked before becoming the head of FCPS.
For 2018-2019, Lynchburg started August 15 and gets out May 31st. They have a Friday-Tuesday fall break, and they get out Dec. 20th for Winter Break and go back Jan. 2.

Why, yes, let’s change our schedule because of Lynchburg City schools. When looking at the standardized test scores for every public school district in VA, FCPS is 40th while Lynchburg is 108th. We could learn so much from them.

Considering the wealth in this area compared to Lynchburg and places outside NoVA, FCPS should be a lot higher than 40th!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Superintendent worked 5 years in another county where school year ended in early-mid June. Came here and was shocked we were still in school after mid June.

I seriously heard him share this at a community meeting.

That is quite a valid point.

Fairfax County could learn a lot Consider from the City of Lynchburg, where Mr. Brabrand worked before becoming the head of FCPS.
For 2018-2019, Lynchburg started August 15 and gets out May 31st. They have a Friday-Tuesday fall break, and they get out Dec. 20th for Winter Break and go back Jan. 2.

Why, yes, let’s change our schedule because of Lynchburg City schools. When looking at the standardized test scores for every public school district in VA, FCPS is 40th while Lynchburg is 108th. We could learn so much from them.

Considering the wealth in this area compared to Lynchburg and places outside NoVA, FCPS should be a lot higher than 40th!

4. How are districts ranked?

District rankings are calculated as follows: for each district, we determine a Rank Score by averaging the rank percentile for each of the schools in the district.

For instance, take this example of one district:

School Rank Rank Percentile
Lincoln Elementary 15th of 100 Elementary Schools .85
Jefferson Elementary 25th of 100 Elementary Schools .75
Jackson High School 5th of 50 High Schools .90
Average rank percentage (Rank Score): .8333

This calculation is made for all districts, and then the list of districts is sorted by Rank Score. The district with the highest score is ranked #1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Falls Church City starts after Labor Day and got out June 15 this year and gets out June 14 next year. Winter Break is shorter than FCPS.

I wish they would shorten winter break. Why are they off for two weeks when we are headed into winter and school is canceled weekly for cold, wind, snow, etc?

[Anonymous]

I don't like the 2 week Christmas break. Way too long and then we can't get a full week of school in January and February from weather issues. It totally kills the momentum.
Would be great to start after Labor day that way we can all enjoy the actual holiday. This really affected our vacation tradition.
I'm fine with ending school mid June.