Calendar survey

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who don’t get the survey, here is the gist:

1) Are you happy with the current calendar?
2) Preferred start/end date pairing (Aug 21 or 28)
3) Length of Winter and Spring Breaks (both long, both short, mix)
4) Fix Spring Break or match with Easter
5) Importance of pairing Spring Break with close districts
6) How to give teachers planning time (early dismissal, late arrival, or full days)
7) Impact on child care of #6 (which has least impact)
8) How to give elementary school teachers additional planning time (shorten day, early dismissals, full days at quarter end)
9) How to deal with added days (extend year or reduce other usual holidays)
Following trace from 9:
9a) Reduce Spring Break by 1
9b) Reduce Spring Break by 2
9c) Reduce Winter Break by 1
9d) Reduce Winter Break by 2
9e) Eliminate Wednesday before T-day
9f) One asynchronous day
9g) Two asynchronous days

I love how reducing Spring Break by a day or two was thrown in there, like the length of Spring Break was suddenly an issue. It's not, nobody ever had a problem with the length of Spring Break.

Hey, School Board, the problem is all the random religious holidays you threw in ON TOP OF the ridiculously long Winter Break. Fix that, and you'll have a calendar that makes sense.

+1
I voted for a shorter winter break but also commented that the "1/2 week" part needs to be BEFORE xmas; I absolutely hate when they take the entire first week of Jan off - work starts back on the 2nd with a vengeance - it does not work to have kids home that week.

[Anonymous]

I thought starting in August would help us get our earlier in June and it doesn't. Now we also have all these random days off and religious holidays built in, in addition to 14 snow days that we don't get back if we dont use them. Why do we have spring break at the end of april when we get out in June. How is it this impossible for adults to work out a calendar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These "planning days" remain a mystery to me.

Right now ES teachers work seven hours - 830 to 330.

So that's 5 hours a week - that could be used for "planning". Why can't they do their planning then?

How much does "planning" really change, year to year?

If there are 180 days of instruction then that's 36 five-day weeks which leaves 16 more weeks in the year. Why can't "planning" occur in those other weeks?

Every school is different. As an ES teacher, I have 1 hour each day. 2 days are team meetings. So that leaves me 3 hours. But sometimes other meetings come up and at busier times of the year, it’s not always enough time so I’m also working earlier in the morning too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh Gosh. I hope no more Monday half days. We had that when I was a kid and was so bad for working parents. I wish FCPS had some interest in our kids education and not just the welfare of the FCpS employees.

When the elementary school teachers don't have enough planning time, that hurts students. And that's bad for working parents.

Btw working parents are already paying for aftercare so a couple more hours one day a week isn't a problem for working parents. It's more of an impact for SAHPs

There are not a lot of school districts that provide half-day Mondays, are there? I was looking at the school calendars districts that rate highly on Niche and at least by a short look (not extensive at all, obviously) it looks like they go 5 days a week. And they manage to do it and provide excellent instruction so the students test highly. There's nothing that unique about FCPS. Unless someone has data to support that kids performed better when we were doing half-day Mondays, I don't see why we'd go back to that. Could we try to get rid of unnecessary meetings for teachers as a start instead?

Arlington has them. The school districts that DH and that I went to didn't do things this way, because different school districts do things differently. This school district originally originally was designed for elementary school teachers to have weekly planning time; when they switched to full day Mondays, there was a transition period and then the planning time was gone. So we should put it back.

Arlington does not have half day Mondays and hasn’t for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought starting in August would help us get our earlier in June and it doesn't. Now we also have all these random days off and religious holidays built in, in addition to 14 snow days that we don't get back if we dont use them. Why do we have spring break at the end of april when we get out in June. How is it this impossible for adults to work out a calendar?

There aren’t 14 extra days built in to give back. Students have to have 180 scheduled and that’s exactly what is on the calendar. 14 extra days would mean there are 194 student days scheduled. There is extra time built in that amounts to so many days, but the extra days aren’t there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh Gosh. I hope no more Monday half days. We had that when I was a kid and was so bad for working parents. I wish FCPS had some interest in our kids education and not just the welfare of the FCpS employees.

When the elementary school teachers don't have enough planning time, that hurts students. And that's bad for working parents.

Btw working parents are already paying for aftercare so a couple more hours one day a week isn't a problem for working parents. It's more of an impact for SAHPs

There are not a lot of school districts that provide half-day Mondays, are there? I was looking at the school calendars districts that rate highly on Niche and at least by a short look (not extensive at all, obviously) it looks like they go 5 days a week. And they manage to do it and provide excellent instruction so the students test highly. There's nothing that unique about FCPS. Unless someone has data to support that kids performed better when we were doing half-day Mondays, I don't see why we'd go back to that. Could we try to get rid of unnecessary meetings for teachers as a start instead?

Arlington has them. The school districts that DH and that I went to didn't do things this way, because different school districts do things differently. This school district originally originally was designed for elementary school teachers to have weekly planning time; when they switched to full day Mondays, there was a transition period and then the planning time was gone. So we should put it back.

Arlington does not have half day Mondays and hasn’t for years.

I thought they had half day Wednesdays? When did they get rid of them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh Gosh. I hope no more Monday half days. We had that when I was a kid and was so bad for working parents. I wish FCPS had some interest in our kids education and not just the welfare of the FCpS employees.

When the elementary school teachers don't have enough planning time, that hurts students. And that's bad for working parents.

Btw working parents are already paying for aftercare so a couple more hours one day a week isn't a problem for working parents. It's more of an impact for SAHPs

There are not a lot of school districts that provide half-day Mondays, are there? I was looking at the school calendars districts that rate highly on Niche and at least by a short look (not extensive at all, obviously) it looks like they go 5 days a week. And they manage to do it and provide excellent instruction so the students test highly. There's nothing that unique about FCPS. Unless someone has data to support that kids performed better when we were doing half-day Mondays, I don't see why we'd go back to that. Could we try to get rid of unnecessary meetings for teachers as a start instead?

Arlington has them. The school districts that DH and that I went to didn't do things this way, because different school districts do things differently. This school district originally originally was designed for elementary school teachers to have weekly planning time; when they switched to full day Mondays, there was a transition period and then the planning time was gone. So we should put it back.

Arlington does not have half day Mondays and hasn’t for years.

I thought they had half day Wednesdays? When did they get rid of them?

They have a few early release days per year. I’m on my sixth year at APS and have never had weekly early release.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not thrilled with the extra religious holidays added to the calendar; these first 3 months have been “choppy,” at best. If we continue with them, however, let’s swap them out and not take off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Veteran’s Day, and shave 3 days off the winter break. We are off a FULL week of school before before we even get near the Christmas holiday this year.

Or how about FCPS goes back to being a secular public school that just teaches our kids? Keep the fixed week spring break and allow excused absences for students to observe their respective religious days like they always did. There is no purpose to keep extending the school year into June! The important school days need to happen in the beginning of the school year when the testing and assessments are being administered (at least at the ES level). After Memorial Day learning is wrapping up, they are having fun, parties, watching movies, etc…. We don’t need an extra week of that in June.

I mean, this would make sense. Of course, the irony is that there's a huge contingent of fed workers in this area who would be off on the federal holidays and would then need to take days off for the religious holidays that their kids are out. So, of course, FCPS would go for the most difficult option for parents. Because equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not thrilled with the extra religious holidays added to the calendar; these first 3 months have been “choppy,” at best. If we continue with them, however, let’s swap them out and not take off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Veteran’s Day, and shave 3 days off the winter break. We are off a FULL week of school before before we even get near the Christmas holiday this year.

Or how about FCPS goes back to being a secular public school that just teaches our kids? Keep the fixed week spring break and allow excused absences for students to observe their respective religious days like they always did. There is no purpose to keep extending the school year into June! The important school days need to happen in the beginning of the school year when the testing and assessments are being administered (at least at the ES level). After Memorial Day learning is wrapping up, they are having fun, parties, watching movies, etc…. We don’t need an extra week of that in June.

I mean, this would make sense. Of course, the irony is that there's a huge contingent of fed workers in this area who would be off on the federal holidays and would then need to take days off for the religious holidays that their kids are out. So, of course, FCPS would go for the most difficult option for parents. Because equity.

I wouldn't mind having a day off from work where I could send my kids to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not thrilled with the extra religious holidays added to the calendar; these first 3 months have been “choppy,” at best. If we continue with them, however, let’s swap them out and not take off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Veteran’s Day, and shave 3 days off the winter break. We are off a FULL week of school before before we even get near the Christmas holiday this year.

Or how about FCPS goes back to being a secular public school that just teaches our kids? Keep the fixed week spring break and allow excused absences for students to observe their respective religious days like they always did. There is no purpose to keep extending the school year into June! The important school days need to happen in the beginning of the school year when the testing and assessments are being administered (at least at the ES level). After Memorial Day learning is wrapping up, they are having fun, parties, watching movies, etc…. We don’t need an extra week of that in June.

I mean, this would make sense. Of course, the irony is that there's a huge contingent of fed workers in this area who would be off on the federal holidays and would then need to take days off for the religious holidays that their kids are out. So, of course, FCPS would go for the most difficult option for parents. Because equity.

I wouldn't mind having a day off from work where I could send my kids to school.

That's Veterans Day. It was so weird to have the kids home for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not thrilled with the extra religious holidays added to the calendar; these first 3 months have been “choppy,” at best. If we continue with them, however, let’s swap them out and not take off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Veteran’s Day, and shave 3 days off the winter break. We are off a FULL week of school before before we even get near the Christmas holiday this year.

Or how about FCPS goes back to being a secular public school that just teaches our kids? Keep the fixed week spring break and allow excused absences for students to observe their respective religious days like they always did. There is no purpose to keep extending the school year into June! The important school days need to happen in the beginning of the school year when the testing and assessments are being administered (at least at the ES level). After Memorial Day learning is wrapping up, they are having fun, parties, watching movies, etc…. We don’t need an extra week of that in June.

I mean, this would make sense. Of course, the irony is that there's a huge contingent of fed workers in this area who would be off on the federal holidays and would then need to take days off for the religious holidays that their kids are out. So, of course, FCPS would go for the most difficult option for parents. Because equity.

I wouldn't mind having a day off from work where I could send my kids to school.

Just for the record, as a teacher I have greatly disliked the extra work days so far. I don’t need all of that time and I hate leaving my kids when they have no school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These "planning days" remain a mystery to me.

Right now ES teachers work seven hours - 830 to 330.

So that's 5 hours a week - that could be used for "planning". Why can't they do their planning then?

How much does "planning" really change, year to year?

If there are 180 days of instruction then that's 36 five-day weeks which leaves 16 more weeks in the year. Why can't "planning" occur in those other weeks?

Really?? That’s news to me. So I can start coming to work at 8:30 from now on? And I get to leave earlier too? This is all news to me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not thrilled with the extra religious holidays added to the calendar; these first 3 months have been “choppy,” at best. If we continue with them, however, let’s swap them out and not take off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Veteran’s Day, and shave 3 days off the winter break. We are off a FULL week of school before before we even get near the Christmas holiday this year.

Or how about FCPS goes back to being a secular public school that just teaches our kids? Keep the fixed week spring break and allow excused absences for students to observe their respective religious days like they always did. There is no purpose to keep extending the school year into June! The important school days need to happen in the beginning of the school year when the testing and assessments are being administered (at least at the ES level). After Memorial Day learning is wrapping up, they are having fun, parties, watching movies, etc…. We don’t need an extra week of that in June.

I mean, this would make sense. Of course, the irony is that there's a huge contingent of fed workers in this area who would be off on the federal holidays and would then need to take days off for the religious holidays that their kids are out. So, of course, FCPS would go for the most difficult option for parents. Because equity.

I wouldn't mind having a day off from work where I could send my kids to school.

That's Veterans Day. It was so weird to have the kids home for that.

I think the only jurisdiction that got it right/still goes to school on Veteran’s Day is Loudoun County Public Schools. My friends’ parents come from NC each year for a special event they have at their school honoring Vets. (Grandfather & dad were in the military.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not thrilled with the extra religious holidays added to the calendar; these first 3 months have been “choppy,” at best. If we continue with them, however, let’s swap them out and not take off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Veteran’s Day, and shave 3 days off the winter break. We are off a FULL week of school before before we even get near the Christmas holiday this year.

Or how about FCPS goes back to being a secular public school that just teaches our kids? Keep the fixed week spring break and allow excused absences for students to observe their respective religious days like they always did. There is no purpose to keep extending the school year into June! The important school days need to happen in the beginning of the school year when the testing and assessments are being administered (at least at the ES level). After Memorial Day learning is wrapping up, they are having fun, parties, watching movies, etc…. We don’t need an extra week of that in June.

I mean, this would make sense. Of course, the irony is that there's a huge contingent of fed workers in this area who would be off on the federal holidays and would then need to take days off for the religious holidays that their kids are out. So, of course, FCPS would go for the most difficult option for parents. Because equity.

I wouldn't mind having a day off from work where I could send my kids to school.

Just for the record, as a teacher I have greatly disliked the extra work days so far. I don’t need all of that time and I hate leaving my kids when they have no school.

Which level do you teach? (ES, MS or HS?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not thrilled with the extra religious holidays added to the calendar; these first 3 months have been “choppy,” at best. If we continue with them, however, let’s swap them out and not take off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Veteran’s Day, and shave 3 days off the winter break. We are off a FULL week of school before before we even get near the Christmas holiday this year.

Or how about FCPS goes back to being a secular public school that just teaches our kids? Keep the fixed week spring break and allow excused absences for students to observe their respective religious days like they always did. There is no purpose to keep extending the school year into June! The important school days need to happen in the beginning of the school year when the testing and assessments are being administered (at least at the ES level). After Memorial Day learning is wrapping up, they are having fun, parties, watching movies, etc…. We don’t need an extra week of that in June.

I mean, this would make sense. Of course, the irony is that there's a huge contingent of fed workers in this area who would be off on the federal holidays and would then need to take days off for the religious holidays that their kids are out. So, of course, FCPS would go for the most difficult option for parents. Because equity.

I wouldn't mind having a day off from work where I could send my kids to school.

Just for the record, as a teacher I have greatly disliked the extra work days so far. I don’t need all of that time and I hate leaving my kids when they have no school.

Which level do you teach? (ES, MS or HS?)

Elementary