Proposed APS Calendar Policy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone read the comments? They are like 98% negative. Will the school board care?

Oh my gosh it's brutal.

It’s hilarious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone read the comments? They are like 98% negative. Will the school board care?

Oh my gosh it's brutal.

It’s hilarious!

Thank you for the tip off - I’m dying reading these. Duràn is so busted in trying and failing to push this calendar through last year. Why on Earth do we have to start when Ffx does?

[Anonymous]

Where can we find the comments?

[Anonymous]

Links are on this page:

https://www.apsva.us/engage/thoughtexchange/

It’s one of those “word bubble” type programs. Use the same words to what’s already trending if you want them to “pop”. Like short, disruptive, early, etc.

Let’s see if the SB even pretends to care that 95% of families are against this policy. They didn’t seem to care when they did the last revision. The justification for all the religious holidays is now apparently “we did it before”. Gonna need to do better than that if you want your paid days off, Syphax planners.

[Anonymous]

So the school spend a lot of money and resources for this survey instrument, get's negative feedback on a surveyed policy, and then does nothing about it. What's the point?

[Anonymous]

Longer time in school provides more time for indoctrination and shorter summers mean less time for deprogramming by parents.

Creeping closer to year round school calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So the school spend a lot of money and resources for this survey instrument, get's negative feedback on a surveyed policy, and then does nothing about it. What's the point?

It’s just a new forum for their bs community engagement sessions that are just time wasters for forgone conclusions.

[Anonymous]

I’m actually confused why school has to end so late in June. I have kids in elementary school so maybe I’m missing something. But June seemed to be filled with class parties, field day, picnics, movie days etc. I’m fine with having a week for that but why have an entire month? If the are so dead set on august can we at least push for ending a week early in June? As for the religious holidays if they want to keep them there should be a basis for picking them such as by student population. Also can eliminate Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day and Veterans Day as holidays (though honestly should just be less religious holidays.) I am also confused over why Election Day has to be off. The explanation for that is always that elections happen in schools. But why do they have to? Why can’t they take place in public libraries or rec centers? I just don’t get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m actually confused why school has to end so late in June. I have kids in elementary school so maybe I’m missing something. But June seemed to be filled with class parties, field day, picnics, movie days etc. I’m fine with having a week for that but why have an entire month? If the are so dead set on august can we at least push for ending a week early in June? As for the religious holidays if they want to keep them there should be a basis for picking them such as by student population. Also can eliminate Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day and Veterans Day as holidays (though honestly should just be less religious holidays.) I am also confused over why Election Day has to be off. The explanation for that is always that elections happen in schools. But why do they have to? Why can’t they take place in public libraries or rec centers? I just don’t get it.

The goal is 180 days of school. We have too many religious holiday closures which means the calendar gets longer and longer. We added 5 new holidays last year and a couple the year before that. There are people lobbying for even more because it’s not fair that some are recognized over others. They’re not wrong which is why we need to just end it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m actually confused why school has to end so late in June. I have kids in elementary school so maybe I’m missing something. But June seemed to be filled with class parties, field day, picnics, movie days etc. I’m fine with having a week for that but why have an entire month? If the are so dead set on august can we at least push for ending a week early in June? As for the religious holidays if they want to keep them there should be a basis for picking them such as by student population. Also can eliminate Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day and Veterans Day as holidays (though honestly should just be less religious holidays.) I am also confused over why Election Day has to be off. The explanation for that is always that elections happen in schools. But why do they have to? Why can’t they take place in public libraries or rec centers? I just don’t get it.

The goal is 180 days of school. We have too many religious holiday closures which means the calendar gets longer and longer. We added 5 new holidays last year and a couple the year before that. There are people lobbying for even more because it’s not fair that some are recognized over others. They’re not wrong which is why we need to just end it.

Yup, the religious holidays are just a can of worms since there are an endless number of potential observances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m actually confused why school has to end so late in June. I have kids in elementary school so maybe I’m missing something. But June seemed to be filled with class parties, field day, picnics, movie days etc. I’m fine with having a week for that but why have an entire month? If the are so dead set on august can we at least push for ending a week early in June? As for the religious holidays if they want to keep them there should be a basis for picking them such as by student population. Also can eliminate Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day and Veterans Day as holidays (though honestly should just be less religious holidays.) I am also confused over why Election Day has to be off. The explanation for that is always that elections happen in schools. But why do they have to? Why can’t they take place in public libraries or rec centers? I just don’t get it.

The goal is 180 days of school. We have too many religious holiday closures which means the calendar gets longer and longer. We added 5 new holidays last year and a couple the year before that. There are people lobbying for even more because it’s not fair that some are recognized over others. They’re not wrong which is why we need to just end it.

If you didn’t have two full weeks for winter break and starting two weeks before Labor Day, the school year would be shorter.

Don’t solely blame religious holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m actually confused why school has to end so late in June. I have kids in elementary school so maybe I’m missing something. But June seemed to be filled with class parties, field day, picnics, movie days etc. I’m fine with having a week for that but why have an entire month? If the are so dead set on august can we at least push for ending a week early in June? As for the religious holidays if they want to keep them there should be a basis for picking them such as by student population. Also can eliminate Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day and Veterans Day as holidays (though honestly should just be less religious holidays.) I am also confused over why Election Day has to be off. The explanation for that is always that elections happen in schools. But why do they have to? Why can’t they take place in public libraries or rec centers? I just don’t get it.

The goal is 180 days of school. We have too many religious holiday closures which means the calendar gets longer and longer. We added 5 new holidays last year and a couple the year before that. There are people lobbying for even more because it’s not fair that some are recognized over others. They’re not wrong which is why we need to just end it.

If you didn’t have two full weeks for winter break and starting two weeks before Labor Day, the school year would be shorter.

Don’t solely blame religious holidays.

Well, for the most part adding the religious holidays is what is prompting the starting two weeks earlier and not getting out any earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m actually confused why school has to end so late in June. I have kids in elementary school so maybe I’m missing something. But June seemed to be filled with class parties, field day, picnics, movie days etc. I’m fine with having a week for that but why have an entire month? If the are so dead set on august can we at least push for ending a week early in June? As for the religious holidays if they want to keep them there should be a basis for picking them such as by student population. Also can eliminate Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day and Veterans Day as holidays (though honestly should just be less religious holidays.) I am also confused over why Election Day has to be off. The explanation for that is always that elections happen in schools. But why do they have to? Why can’t they take place in public libraries or rec centers? I just don’t get it.

The goal is 180 days of school. We have too many religious holiday closures which means the calendar gets longer and longer. We added 5 new holidays last year and a couple the year before that. There are people lobbying for even more because it’s not fair that some are recognized over others. They’re not wrong which is why we need to just end it.

If you didn’t have two full weeks for winter break and starting two weeks before Labor Day, the school year would be shorter.

Don’t solely blame religious holidays.

I agree. The two week winter break used to be a ceiling, not a floor, and only when the days lined up just right. The number of teacher work days and professional days is also a big contributor. There’s no reason schools need to be closed on Election Day, Veterans Day, or Columbus Day.

Mind you I think the religious holidays are out of control too. But if APS were that committed to them they could have swapped them with existing, unnecessary days off. I say we scale back on all of them.

[Anonymous]

The calendar needs fewer gaps. APS can choose what days to lose, but it absolutely needs to find a way to reduce the number of random days off.

I personally love the 2 week winter break.

I'd love to get out sooner in June (as those are basically wasted school days where kids learn nothing).

I hate starting 4 school days before Labor Day. It makes for a super choppy start to the year. We either need to start after Labor Day or two weeks before Labor Day. If we're starting two weeks before Labor Day we should get a fall break or a February break and have fewer random days off

[Anonymous]

I don't think the two weeks before labor day is because of all the random days off. I think that is a general push to start earlier because AP tests, etc. Remember a lot of school districts have already started (CA, GA etc). That said, I'd love fewer random days off!