Tell DCPS to start school 8/31 or after

[Anonymous]

http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Calendars/DCPS+Calendar+for+School+Year+2015-2016

They are scheduled to start school 2 weeks before Labor Day when most other school districts in the country start after Labor Day.

[Anonymous]

Again, with the calendar gripes. I think it is great. Plus most of us have our summer plans worked out already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again, with the calendar gripes. I think it is great. Plus most of us have our summer plans worked out already.

+100.

[Anonymous]

Yes, why would I do this??? No summer camps those final weeks of summer. Huge pain in the @$$ to have school start later.

[Anonymous]

But then would they go an extra week in the summer? They already go long enough.

How do the other school systems get in the required 180 days? Or do they have fewer days?

[Anonymous]

I think they do this to accommodate working parents. When I went to school in the dark ages our summer vacations started before Memorial Day and lasted til after Labor Day. Kids nowadays seem to get almost 4 wks less for summer vacation.

[Anonymous]

I thought it was done as a move to prevent summer learning loss. I much prefer a shorter summer break combined with a two week winter break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, why would I do this??? No summer camps those final weeks of summer. Huge pain in the @$$ to have school start later.

Oh right, because God forbid we have unstructured down time with our kids. What a pain!

[Anonymous]

I agree--they do this not just for working parents but for lower income working parents. Most parents that I know would have no problem making other arrangements for their kids to have enriching, supervised time during those two weeks--I HATE that they go back to school so EARLY. My kids are so happy when we are spending time at their grandmother's during those relaxed weeks--why it has to come to a screeching halt so early--I just think it is really awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But then would they go an extra week in the summer? They already go long enough.

How do the other school systems get in the required 180 days? Or do they have fewer days?

DCPS has two weeks off at Christmas, many other local school systems have only one week.

[Anonymous]

People, they have to get the 180 days in there somehow. Please submit your proposed schedule for the full year, then we can rightly discuss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, why would I do this??? No summer camps those final weeks of summer. Huge pain in the @$$ to have school start later.

Oh right, because God forbid we have unstructured down time with our kids. What a pain!

some of us don't have 4+ weeks to take off in the summer, even if we would like to! most of the parents i know are taking off 2 weeks, then we have two weeks at the holidays, one week spring break, professional days, federal holidays, snow days, etc. etc. not all of us are made of money or have a SAHP.

[Anonymous]

and don't forget if you have a PreK3 or PreK4 student there is transition week!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree--they do this not just for working parents but for lower income working parents. Most parents that I know would have no problem making other arrangements for their kids to have enriching, supervised time during those two weeks--I HATE that they go back to school so EARLY. My kids are so happy when we are spending time at their grandmother's during those relaxed weeks--why it has to come to a screeching halt so early--I just think it is really awful.

My nieces and nephews (different states) start school in early August. I think DC's timing is perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree--they do this not just for working parents but for lower income working parents. Most parents that I know would have no problem making other arrangements for their kids to have enriching, supervised time during those two weeks--I HATE that they go back to school so EARLY. My kids are so happy when we are spending time at their grandmother's during those relaxed weeks--why it has to come to a screeching halt so early--I just think it is really awful.

Things do not have to come to a screeching halt. You need to manage their expectations better and maybe go to Grandma's house earlier. I love spending time with my child, but when she is in school, I can go to work and accrue vacation time that allows us to do things in December, or July, or April.