DCPS Proposes changes to the school calendar - too many days off!

[Anonymous]

For those with kids in or going into the DC schools, there is an open
forum to "discuss" the proposed changes to the school calendar on
Thursday evening.
Link to DCPS web notice of forum:

http://www.k12.dc.us/offices/ofpe/community-forums.htm#calendar

If you can not attend the forum the web site also has a link where you
can send your opinion.

[Anonymous]

There is a professional development day once a month for teachers where there is no school for kids (even the 2nd week of school). This is really crappy for the kids and familes the need to scramble for child care so often. Waste time if you ask me! Get teachers back to school earlier or have these days during fall and spring breaks!

[Anonymous]

Before you send comments, please consider checking with your school to see whether it plans to provide childcare for students whose parents can't find any on their own.
I think adding a monthly teacher's development day makes sense since people can plan around it, work from home that day, etc.
The teachers could really use it!

[Anonymous]

I agree with PP. It will be nice to know ahead of time so I can make the necessary plans. Ultimately, I feel like giving the teachers these days for professional development will benefit our kids.

[Anonymous]

since people can plan around it, work from home that day, etc

I certainly can't work from home that day, and won't be leaving my kids with random people that show up to provide child care on that day.

Do all local school districts give a day off per month for teacher development?

[Anonymous]

I heard on the radio that DCPS will be working with DPR to try to provide alternatives for kids on those days. Of course, we're talking about two agencies with less than stellar records here, but at least they're thinking about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a professional development day once a month for teachers where there is no school for kids (even the 2nd week of school). This is really crappy for the kids and familes the need to scramble for child care so often. Waste time if you ask me! Get teachers back to school earlier or have these days during fall and spring breaks!

I'm sure that the problem is that when professional days are arranged during summer or breaks or on Fridays, teachers simply don't attend. When they're scheduled for Wednesdays during the school year, it's much harder for teachers to avoid these.....

Not showing up/complying with requirements for teacher professional development is a problem not only in DC schools....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a professional development day once a month for teachers where there is no school for kids (even the 2nd week of school). This is really crappy for the kids and familes the need to scramble for child care so often. Waste time if you ask me! Get teachers back to school earlier or have these days during fall and spring breaks!

I'm sure that the problem is that when professional days are arranged during summer or breaks or on Fridays, teachers simply don't attend. When they're scheduled for Wednesdays during the school year, it's much harder for teachers to avoid these.....

Not showing up/complying with requirements for teacher professional development is a problem not only in DC schools....

When they are arranged during summer, teachers are required to attend. Their summer break simply ends before the children. The item under discussion here is ongoing professional development, (a worthy goal) versus a one-shot yearly session. No teacher tries to avoid worthwhile professional development--though a LOT of crap comes down the chute that yes, teachers resent being required to attend.--teacher

[Anonymous]

13:27 I sympathize. Maybe the school will arrange something, not sure what you mean by "random people." DCR? Does your school have an aftercare program? If not, maybe parents can arrange something. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Teachers really have it "rough" only working 190 days a year at 6-7 hours a day. Perhaps they should invest the 260/days (8 hour/days) per year that the majority of the (government) work force does and get 2-3 weeks off per year for combined sick/vacation... imagine how good education would be! I work for the government if you consider my 10+ years experience and masters degree I'd be making $10K more per year on the DCPS pay scale and have fewer work days per year by at least a month!

[Anonymous]

I really have to chime in here as a teacher. I work all day usually from 8:00 until 5 in my classroom. Come home take care of the kids and then work for two or three more hours a night. I also log hours on the weekend. I did not go into teaching for the hours or the pay. It is a love and passion for education and the belief that all kids are entitled to a good education. I really hate it when people slam teachers for their hours. I invite you to come and teach with me for a day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers really have it "rough" only working 190 days a year at 6-7 hours a day. Perhaps they should invest the 260/days (8 hour/days) per year that the majority of the (government) work force does and get 2-3 weeks off per year for combined sick/vacation... imagine how good education would be! I work for the government if you consider my 10+ years experience and masters degree I'd be making $10K more per year on the DCPS pay scale and have fewer work days per year by at least a month!

So do it.

[Anonymous]

15:41 This is so not their schedule. Yes the summer off but teachers work 55 - 60 hour weeks during the school year and weekends, too. It is not a cushy job! These are not proposed vacations days, they are proposed work days.

16:49: Do what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:41 This is so not their schedule. Yes the summer off but teachers work 55 - 60 hour weeks during the school year and weekends, too. It is not a cushy job! These are not proposed vacations days, they are proposed work days.

16:49: Do what?

Working for DCPS was one of the most exhausting experiences of my life. And I was not a newbie, but a committed professional. Summers off did very little to offset the emotional drain of spending the bulk of the year in this punitive bureaucracy. Now that I am out, and working in a lovely and supportive professional educational environment--I am looking forward to my first 'real' summer where I am actually physically and psychologically 'off' -- no mandates hanging over my head, not trainings, no optional classes that I used to take just to find inspiration for the next school cycle. And yes, I do feel spoiled. Most of the good teachers I know still in DCPS look absolutely exhausted and worse, mentally numb--and I would not be surprised if they are looking for their exit plans. Shower them with rose petals and offers to support their classrooms in ANY way if you value their teaching expertise and what they bring to the table, rather than this tired old complaint about summers off. This is what I do for my child's teachers in a public setting, because I completely GET the hell they go through and that the ONLY thing that makes the difference (ie allows them to focus on a love of teaching and quest for child learning) is a supportive direct supervisor and parent community. Again, I can state, if you work in a supportive well-functioning work-place, the entire summer off seems almost ludicrously luxurious (I can't wait!!). If you work in DCPS, where bleed daily for your profession, summer off is more like recovery from PTSD. --teacher

[Anonymous]

I'm with you, PP. My good friend is a teacher at DCPS (at one of the "good" schools), and he is emotionally and physically exhausted most of the time. He gains weight, can't sleep, and generally does nothing but teach during the school year. It takes him all summer to recover.

And, since when are required courses (my read of the 1 Wed per month development is that they'll be in a training course) "time off?"

DCPS says they'll plan activities for the kids at that time. Let's see what they do before we start complaining.