2023 - 2024 school calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

So why do atheists have to tolerate their year being constantly disrupted by other people's religions? What about that group of people? I want a calendar that has breaks embedded in the year and that decision-making should be made based on what we know about productivity, mental health, and burnout across students and staff.

7:45 PP here-- sure, let's consider that. I'm just saying that telling minority groups to go elsewhere if they don't prefer the majority/Christian based calendar is gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

+100

So you are in favor of moving winter break to after second quarter ends in January? You can have Christmas day and New Year's Day off since they are fed holidays, but that's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

We have a two week Christmas break and spring break tied to Easter! Sure we don’t call it Christmas break or Easter break but that’s what it is. Otherwise winter break could be at the end of quarter in January and spring break would be at the end of third quarter. I’m with the atheist PP who wants no religious holidays at all but it’s really rich for Christians to take the longest breaks tied to their holidays and deny others the right to their holiday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

I don’t think this poster got the message that public education is for everyone. Even if you don’t like it, it’s still available to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

+100

So you are in favor of moving winter break to after second quarter ends in January? You can have Christmas day and New Year's Day off since they are fed holidays, but that's it.

Absolutely. Build a calendar that is based on evidence-based research related to productivity, skill acquisition, and mental health. After all, children are in school to acquire skills and teachers need a work calendar that supports that process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

+100

So you are in favor of moving winter break to after second quarter ends in January? You can have Christmas day and New Year's Day off since they are fed holidays, but that's it.

Why do you assume that Christmas is important to me?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

We have a two week Christmas break and spring break tied to Easter! Sure we don’t call it Christmas break or Easter break but that’s what it is. Otherwise winter break could be at the end of quarter in January and spring break would be at the end of third quarter. I’m with the atheist PP who wants no religious holidays at all but it’s really rich for Christians to take the longest breaks tied to their holidays and deny others the right to their holiday.

I don't understand the need to bend over backwards for religion. This is a public school. We should not be inserting new days off for religious days. PERIOD. This performative woeness is too much. It is disruptive and implausible to continue to add religious days to the calendar because there are simply too many. How many more will we add to ensure that kids only have 3 day school weeks? Lunar New Year, Nourouz, Chuseok, Buddha's birthday, etc.? These days aren't in the list, and yet I'm sure that someone will clammer to add them to ensure all is equitable. It is a fool's errand to accommodate every group because its is unduly burdensome to children, schools, and teachers.
Just look at this count of religious days - https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/CN2V3Q7AB3D6/$file/FCPS%20Calendar%20Framework%20-%20Blue%2C%20Orange%2C%20Green%2C%20Purple.pdf

I think the most hilarious example of performative wokeness are the O days for Dia de Los Muertos. Why that is even a thing is beyond me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

We have a two week Christmas break and spring break tied to Easter! Sure we don’t call it Christmas break or Easter break but that’s what it is. Otherwise winter break could be at the end of quarter in January and spring break would be at the end of third quarter. I’m with the atheist PP who wants no religious holidays at all but it’s really rich for Christians to take the longest breaks tied to their holidays and deny others the right to their holiday.

Can you please name one other school district, not private school, a school district that doesn’t give off the time between Christmas and New Year’s. FCPS is not about to be the first. They would lose every single teacher they have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

We have a two week Christmas break and spring break tied to Easter! Sure we don’t call it Christmas break or Easter break but that’s what it is. Otherwise winter break could be at the end of quarter in January and spring break would be at the end of third quarter. I’m with the atheist PP who wants no religious holidays at all but it’s really rich for Christians to take the longest breaks tied to their holidays and deny others the right to their holiday.

We don't have a Christmas break, and Spring Break is no longer tied to Easter. The School Board removed all ties to Christian holidays and then added in specific non-Christian religious holidays.

The fact of the matter is these new religious holidays are completely screwing up the school calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

We have a two week Christmas break and spring break tied to Easter! Sure we don’t call it Christmas break or Easter break but that’s what it is. Otherwise winter break could be at the end of quarter in January and spring break would be at the end of third quarter. I’m with the atheist PP who wants no religious holidays at all but it’s really rich for Christians to take the longest breaks tied to their holidays and deny others the right to their holiday.

Can you please name one other school district, not private school, a school district that doesn’t give off the time between Christmas and New Year’s. FCPS is not about to be the first. They would lose every single teacher they have.

Because Christian holidays and observances got baked into school calendars 100+ years ago. It’s still based on Christian observances. The same reason weekends are Saturday/Sunday and not Friday/Saturday or some other iteration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Not to mention that there is actual, justifiable operational reasons to close school between Christmas and New Years. There would be so many students and teachers out, the schools could not effectively operate.

There is no operational reason to close on ANY of the new religious holidays. It's just pandering.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

We have a two week Christmas break and spring break tied to Easter! Sure we don’t call it Christmas break or Easter break but that’s what it is. Otherwise winter break could be at the end of quarter in January and spring break would be at the end of third quarter. I’m with the atheist PP who wants no religious holidays at all but it’s really rich for Christians to take the longest breaks tied to their holidays and deny others the right to their holiday.

Can you please name one other school district, not private school, a school district that doesn’t give off the time between Christmas and New Year’s. FCPS is not about to be the first. They would lose every single teacher they have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

I don’t think this poster got the message that public education is for everyone. Even if you don’t like it, it’s still available to you.

How does this comment make sense? Public education is available to all students. We're saying that you cannot shut the school down because of your religion. Attend public, just don't force your religion on your fellow students. You see the difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why won't the school board admit that NOTHING happens instruction-wise after SOLs are administered, which is usually the first week of May. And then we are just doing nothing for 3-4 weeks, even after retakes. Such a waste of time, for the purpose filling out a calendar with days.

It's also frustrating that the schools essentially get locked down during SOLs - you can't use the library or other spaces, and this is frustrating when you have younger kids who don't even take the SOLs.

I teach at an ES and we most certainly continue with instruction past the SOL tests.

Look. You may but most don’t. Stop trying to dispute this. Most teachers don’t teach after the SOLs which is why so many are upset with the calendar.

Agree. My kid was at a highly rated ES, with an AAP center. After SOLs it was a LOT of movies. A lot of movies. Did I mention a lot of movies? (And i was room parent and on PTA most years so I saw it firsthand).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all these calendars and the multitude of religious days off is ridiculous. I don't know why we have to start 2 weeks before Labor Day because the religious camps insist on having their religion dictate the school calendars. If you must celebrate YK or RH, go to a Jewish school. Diwali or Bohdi Day? I guess go to an Indian school, or learn to adapt. And now we have Eid and Ramadan off?

Let's see how many more groups we can accommodate so that we start in July and have 2 days off each week. This wokeness is out of control.

And you religious folk need to stop forcing your religious observances on the rest of us.

+1

This is an appalling attitude. Even if you don’t think religious holidays should result in school closures, telling minoritized groups to go elsewhere is disgusting. Opinions differ greatly and there is no calendar that will make everyone happy. It’s okay to disagree and debate, but maybe try to be a little more respectful in your discourse.

Absolutely not. If religious groups insist on pushing their religious observances on us, I will insist that they go elsewhere. Can you for one second image that we were shutting school for white Mormons or Evangelicals? The tone on this board would be incredibly different. But for some reason, we're fine with inserting religion back into school - even when we've worked so hard to separate public sector from it - provided its minority groups. It's hypocritical, and I'm calling the left out on it. Get rid of the religious days, and stick to fed calendar only. You need a religious accommodation? You'll get an excused absence, or you can find a religiously based schools like most of the Catholics that I know.

We have a two week Christmas break and spring break tied to Easter! Sure we don’t call it Christmas break or Easter break but that’s what it is. Otherwise winter break could be at the end of quarter in January and spring break would be at the end of third quarter. I’m with the atheist PP who wants no religious holidays at all but it’s really rich for Christians to take the longest breaks tied to their holidays and deny others the right to their holiday.

Can you please name one other school district, not private school, a school district that doesn’t give off the time between Christmas and New Year’s. FCPS is not about to be the first. They would lose every single teacher they have.

The point is the vitriolic PP used evangelicals and Mormons as examples of groups that aren’t getting special treatment but, hello, yes we get off for their holidays. I’m Jewish and I actually agree about not having all of the days off for all the different religious holidays because it’s just too much (I do think there should bug be tests or major activities on those days) but the OP’s attitude was really offensive and derogatory about other peoples’ religious observances. The Jewish holidays that were added to the calendar are the most important Jewish holidays of the year and this is a complicated issue for a lot of people that doesn’t mean we need to send our kids to a religious school because it’s something that’s been grappled with in the school calendar, and the same is true for the holidays of other major religions.