Proposed APS Calendar Policy

[Anonymous]

Not to mention long lunch breaks, and “slow” days when teachers have conferences or grade preparation days.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Two weeks off for winter break sounds BRUTAL. Whhhhhyyyyy?

So people can go on an actual vacation and still see family for Christmas.

Some of us can’t take a vacation and piecing together childcare is $$$$.

Finding childcare for a contiguous two weeks is easier than for random days scattered throughout the school year. Days off need to be clumped to create actual long weekends, longer holiday breaks or a longer summer.

Why? What do you use for childcare? All of the Kindercare type of places cover thr days off. All of the Tae Kwon Do after school program type of places cover the extra days off. Are you hiring babysitters for the days off, and they are only willing to book with you for a long week rather than a random day?

Not PP, but I’m guessing PP means something like camps. There are always more options for camps during the longer breaks. One random Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday? Maybe not, especially if you typically use extended day for childcare during the school year.

Extended day care covers the random school days off. I'm not really seeing thr childcare issue here.

This is wrong. It doesn't in Arlington. Which you would know if your children were in Arlington.

It does in Fairfax.

I had no idea that Arlington leaves you in the lurch. We get coverage here in Prince William.

Fairfax and PWC both offer extended day on school days off? APS parents, how do we get that here in Arlington? It is maddening and expensive to arrange for more childcare with all these days off on top of paying for extended day.

sorry buried my comment...


I don't know about PW but in Fairfax it is not run by the Schools and they limit who is in it. Extended Day is run by APS and they are school employees and while occasionally kids are shut out of it, historically and currently they a lot more kids in.

"Occasionally kids are shut out of it" doesn't begin to describe what has happened this year... waiting lists everywhere.

I don’t even think they are trying to staff this program. You can make better money flipping burgers, and last year they tried ending the benefit eligibility. What’s their target employment market?!

APS seems to value its own management above all right now, and this calendar is no different.

45 paid days off right from the start? Sign me up.

Ditto. I’m a fed and looking for a career change. Syphax sounds perfect. Less work, more days off, not too much of a salary cut from what I can tell.

What is their salary range. I seriously want to apply. They have a great gig.

Depends on what you’re doing, but it looks like junior level analyst types in the back office can make six figures. Not bad for working less than 85% of the year! Obviously performance is not a factor in your continued employment, and no one seems to be enforcing the in office policies. Not a bad gig at all!

Salary scales for most syphax jobs maxes out at $189k this year, which is greater than the max for federal employees GS15 Step 10 at $183,500 this year.

That is crazy

[Anonymous]

So now that we all understand that Syphax is an above/market cushy gig and likely has zero problems with staffing or retention, how do we get the school board to stop rubber stamping perks that are diverting money and resources away from in school learning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So now that we all understand that Syphax is an above/market cushy gig and likely has zero problems with staffing or retention, how do we get the school board to stop rubber stamping perks that are diverting money and resources away from in school learning?

They.do.not.care. Find more SB candidates that do care who can win the ACDC caucus.

Reid and Mary sort of do. Miranda will replace Reid. But the other 3 seem to be the rubber stamp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So now that we all understand that Syphax is an above/market cushy gig and likely has zero problems with staffing or retention, how do we get the school board to stop rubber stamping perks that are diverting money and resources away from in school learning?

They.do.not.care. Find more SB candidates that do care who can win the ACDC caucus.

Reid and Mary sort of do. Miranda will replace Reid. But the other 3 seem to be the rubber stamp.

The problem is that Miranda is not replacing a rubber stamper which sucks. Sutton just started. When does Diaz-Torres’ term end?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two weeks off for winter break sounds BRUTAL. Whhhhhyyyyy?

So people can go on an actual vacation and still see family for Christmas.

Some of us can’t take a vacation and piecing together childcare is $$$$.

Finding childcare for a contiguous two weeks is easier than for random days scattered throughout the school year. Days off need to be clumped to create actual long weekends, longer holiday breaks or a longer summer.

Why? What do you use for childcare? All of the Kindercare type of places cover thr days off. All of the Tae Kwon Do after school program type of places cover the extra days off. Are you hiring babysitters for the days off, and they are only willing to book with you for a long week rather than a random day?

Not PP, but I’m guessing PP means something like camps. There are always more options for camps during the longer breaks. One random Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday? Maybe not, especially if you typically use extended day for childcare during the school year.

Extended day care covers the random school days off. I'm not really seeing thr childcare issue here.

This is wrong. It doesn't in Arlington. Which you would know if your children were in Arlington.

It does in Fairfax.

I had no idea that Arlington leaves you in the lurch. We get coverage here in Prince William.

Fairfax and PWC both offer extended day on school days off? APS parents, how do we get that here in Arlington? It is maddening and expensive to arrange for more childcare with all these days off on top of paying for extended day.

sorry buried my comment...


I don't know about PW but in Fairfax it is not run by the Schools and they limit who is in it. Extended Day is run by APS and they are school employees and while occasionally kids are shut out of it, historically and currently they a lot more kids in.

"Occasionally kids are shut out of it" doesn't begin to describe what has happened this year... waiting lists everywhere.

I don’t even think they are trying to staff this program. You can make better money flipping burgers, and last year they tried ending the benefit eligibility. What’s their target employment market?!

APS seems to value its own management above all right now, and this calendar is no different.

45 paid days off right from the start? Sign me up.

Ditto. I’m a fed and looking for a career change. Syphax sounds perfect. Less work, more days off, not too much of a salary cut from what I can tell.

What is their salary range. I seriously want to apply. They have a great gig.

Depends on what you’re doing, but it looks like junior level analyst types in the back office can make six figures. Not bad for working less than 85% of the year! Obviously performance is not a factor in your continued employment, and no one seems to be enforcing the in office policies. Not a bad gig at all!

Salary scales for most syphax jobs maxes out at $189k this year, which is greater than the max for federal employees GS15 Step 10 at $183,500 this year.

Wow, that's way higher than what I realized!!!

[Anonymous]

I wonder if I could get a job at syphax and keep my regular WFH job

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So now that we all understand that Syphax is an above/market cushy gig and likely has zero problems with staffing or retention, how do we get the school board to stop rubber stamping perks that are diverting money and resources away from in school learning?

They.do.not.care. Find more SB candidates that do care who can win the ACDC caucus.

Reid and Mary sort of do. Miranda will replace Reid. But the other 3 seem to be the rubber stamp.

I wish we could get rid of the ACDC caucus. Why the heck are we ruling out a huge group of potentially excellent candidates (Feds), so we can instead settle for children and political hacks looking for their next gig? What a a waste!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So now that we all understand that Syphax is an above/market cushy gig and likely has zero problems with staffing or retention, how do we get the school board to stop rubber stamping perks that are diverting money and resources away from in school learning?

They.do.not.care. Find more SB candidates that do care who can win the ACDC caucus.

Reid and Mary sort of do. Miranda will replace Reid. But the other 3 seem to be the rubber stamp.

I wish we could get rid of the ACDC caucus. Why the heck are we ruling out a huge group of potentially excellent candidates (Feds), so we can instead settle for children and political hacks looking for their next gig? What a a waste!

+1,000

I don’t know why our local Dems have to be so terrible

[Anonymous]

So syphax employees can earn more than federal employees and get way more paid leave? And apparently getting more office space? Where do I sign up?

[Anonymous]

School board voting on this at next meeting. Send some emails if you want to send a message!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School board voting on this at next meeting. Send some emails if you want to send a message!

Any suggestions on a message that will get through? It seems like if they are willing to completely discount over 1,000 ranked community opinions, a few emails don’t stand a chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School board voting on this at next meeting. Send some emails if you want to send a message!

Any suggestions on a message that will get through? It seems like if they are willing to completely discount over 1,000 ranked community opinions, a few emails don’t stand a chance.

Teachers should show up in protest at the next meeting. Why has the AEA been silent on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School board voting on this at next meeting. Send some emails if you want to send a message!

Any suggestions on a message that will get through? It seems like if they are willing to completely discount over 1,000 ranked community opinions, a few emails don’t stand a chance.

Teachers should show up in protest at the next meeting. Why has the AEA been silent on this?

Probably because they’re hoping to get a back office gig and benefit from it?

I don’t know why it’s not enough for the people voting for the SB and paying the bills to be in opposition to what is patently a multimillion dollar giveaway to the people who just happen to be the ones recommending it. Total conflict of interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School board voting on this at next meeting. Send some emails if you want to send a message!

Any suggestions on a message that will get through? It seems like if they are willing to completely discount over 1,000 ranked community opinions, a few emails don’t stand a chance.

Teachers should show up in protest at the next meeting. Why has the AEA been silent on this?

There’s a lot of differing opinions on the ideal calendar among staff