FCPS Early Release Mondays

[Anonymous]

Don’t most of you ‘work from home’ anyways? I don’t see how it’s so hard for you to pickup your kid early for 7 days in the entire school year!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I wish they would have done this on Fridays so we could get a jump start on the weekend.

They probably don't want the teachers to leave early for the weekend

Wouldn’t the training be mandatory for teachers? Why should this be a problem?

Given most parents who telework do so on Fridays, and parents who would want more family time would benefit from early Friday’s, I really see no justification in not doing this Friday afternoons.

So telework Monday

Do people not understand that when workers are remote, they are still....wait for it....working? When I telework, I can't leave my house to go get my kid and then care for them all afternoon. Maybe you have a six year old who can entertain themselves for three hours, and a boss who doesn't care if you're actually working, but I have neither.

Look at the PPs:

*I wish they would have done this on Fridays so we could get a jump start on the weekend.

* Given most parents who telework do so on Fridays, and parents who would want more family time would benefit from early Friday’s [sic]

So you can use the at-school option.

Kids in a cafeteria overseen by subs? hopefully people complain to VDOE about inadequate staffing if that's the plan

They will need to support kids with IEPs just like a regular school day

I don’t think afterschool activities are covered with IEP’s

Its not an afterschool activity. They promised coverage by the school system until the regular dismissal time. They have to support special ed kids for that. Just like a field trip;

It’ll be more like SACC than a field trip (no SPED support required).

It seems like that will be an issue for VDOE and the courts

You can contact whom ever you like.

The child is not being denied access to the activities, the real question is do they require support to sit in the room and play games after school hours? This may be true with a physical disability.

Without you sharing more info, who can really know. Maybe you could offer some examples without being specific to your specific family. If a student with a reading goal, they may not get support based on the activities offered. The SPED teachers will be in the training, so I doubt their be academic activities beyond the tutoring interventions.

This is off topic, but FCPS does not have any written policies in place that require schools make field trips or after school activities fully available to students with disabilities.

I personally know of one child with a permanent physical challenge who the school would not allow to participate in a hike because it would they might fall. The child was given worksheets and left on the school bus with an aide during the field trip. Schools can choose to include children but are not required to do so as long as they offer another educational opportunity.

This will be case for the early release Mondays as well. Schools and PTAs can choose exclude or simply discourage the children with IEP.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I wish they would have done this on Fridays so we could get a jump start on the weekend.

They probably don't want the teachers to leave early for the weekend

Wouldn’t the training be mandatory for teachers? Why should this be a problem?

Given most parents who telework do so on Fridays, and parents who would want more family time would benefit from early Friday’s, I really see no justification in not doing this Friday afternoons.

So telework Monday

Do people not understand that when workers are remote, they are still....wait for it....working? When I telework, I can't leave my house to go get my kid and then care for them all afternoon. Maybe you have a six year old who can entertain themselves for three hours, and a boss who doesn't care if you're actually working, but I have neither.

Look at the PPs:

*I wish they would have done this on Fridays so we could get a jump start on the weekend.

* Given most parents who telework do so on Fridays, and parents who would want more family time would benefit from early Friday’s [sic]

So you can use the at-school option.

Kids in a cafeteria overseen by subs? hopefully people complain to VDOE about inadequate staffing if that's the plan

They will need to support kids with IEPs just like a regular school day

I don’t think afterschool activities are covered with IEP’s

It’s not an afterschool activity. They promised coverage by the school system until the regular dismissal time. They have to support special ed kids for that. Just like a field trip;

Coverage = day care, not part of the school day.

If its an activity the school system is providing, then they need to provide access to students with disabilities as well. FCPS is promising to cover those hours so they need to be prepared to provide special ed support.

School will be dismissed three hours early. It is not during the school day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t most of you ‘work from home’ anyways? I don’t see how it’s so hard for you to pickup your kid early for 7 days in the entire school year!

1. I work from the office. If I’m taking time off to get my kid I’m taking the whole day, not rushing to drop off and getting up early. FCPS doesn’t value the time in the classroom why am I supposed to?

2. Once then kids are home what do you suggest they do?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:WTAF is this. Do they not want our kids to actually learn? My 1st grader has done nothing for 2 weeks as it is. Along with 4 day weeks seemingly every other week. Reid is a joke.

Nope, it's not Michelle Reid's fault, this is 100% GLENN YOUNGKIN'S fault. He passed the law requiring additional teacher planning time. Look it up: VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT.

But but but....Glenn makes everything better lol. Nope!

And, here is the political backlash! Was pinning the horrible planning and implementation of this on Youngkin the subplot? Do better for families, kids and teachers!

LOL...you all are funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t most of you ‘work from home’ anyways? I don’t see how it’s so hard for you to pickup your kid early for 7 days in the entire school year!

You do know that even at the height of the pandemic only 30% of this area worked from home, right? And that was high for the United States as a whole. How privileged are you not to think of everyone who can't?

[Anonymous]

I wonder when they will update the calanders to get rid of the section on “number of five day instructional weeks per quarter” because it’s truly embarrassing. 4 full instructional weeks in the longest quarter?

[Anonymous]

I saw some people up thread are being told Scouts will offer programs. I'd like to see what that is.

Because:

Girl Scout Leaders are volunteers and most are working moms or SAHMs with other small children who would need child care. I love Girl SCouts and I'm a leader but I can't do afternoons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish they would have done this on Fridays so we could get a jump start on the weekend.

They probably don't want the teachers to leave early for the weekend

Wouldn’t the training be mandatory for teachers? Why should this be a problem?

Given most parents who telework do so on Fridays, and parents who would want more family time would benefit from early Friday’s, I really see no justification in not doing this Friday afternoons.

So telework Monday

Do people not understand that when workers are remote, they are still....wait for it....working? When I telework, I can't leave my house to go get my kid and then care for them all afternoon. Maybe you have a six year old who can entertain themselves for three hours, and a boss who doesn't care if you're actually working, but I have neither.

Look at the PPs:

*I wish they would have done this on Fridays so we could get a jump start on the weekend.

* Given most parents who telework do so on Fridays, and parents who would want more family time would benefit from early Friday’s [sic]

So you can use the at-school option.

Kids in a cafeteria overseen by subs? hopefully people complain to VDOE about inadequate staffing if that's the plan

They will need to support kids with IEPs just like a regular school day

I don’t think afterschool activities are covered with IEP’s

Its not an afterschool activity. They promised coverage by the school system until the regular dismissal time. They have to support special ed kids for that. Just like a field trip;

It’ll be more like SACC than a field trip (no SPED support required).

It seems like that will be an issue for VDOE and the courts

LOL

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish they would have done this on Fridays so we could get a jump start on the weekend.

They probably don't want the teachers to leave early for the weekend

Wouldn’t the training be mandatory for teachers? Why should this be a problem?

Given most parents who telework do so on Fridays, and parents who would want more family time would benefit from early Friday’s, I really see no justification in not doing this Friday afternoons.

So telework Monday

Still doesn’t answer the question of why we’re addressing absenteeism in teachers by punishing parents. If the teachers will not show up for mandatory training if it’s held on Friday that is 100% a discipline/employee problem. Let the kids at least get a longer weekend.

It’s 100% speculation that FCPS chose Monday afternoons to reduce teacher absenteeism. We have no idea why they chose that day.

Because…parents and other stakeholders weren’t consulted. This is why everyone is enraged.

Enraged, really? It’s ok to be upset and/or annoyed, so take a couple days. Nothing is changing, you need to find a way to get over it.

Working parents have every right to be enraged. The calendar already looks like Swiss cheese. Kids barely have any full weeks. Now they have added 1/2 day Mondays to the mix. there is zero consistency in attendance or continuity of work. This creates massive strain on workin parents and negatively impacts their work schedules. this is no small change.

Teachers are working parents, too. This impacts them, as well. I wonder how many of them are as enraged as you?

Then why support the public school system at all if teachers are not willing to work? I have never supported charters nor thought that sending my kids to private was a good idea. but now that I see just how little FCPS actually cares about students and families I would completely reconsider. Luckily, I only have one kid who remains in ES so I don't have to worry about the older two. But at this point I am fully behind why families want to pull their kids out, get their money back, and use those funds to send their kids to a school that actually stays open. It's crazy that is the bare minimum that we are asking - just hold classes. We've been at this since 2020. Families are leaving, and with good reason.

This had nothing to do with teacher absenteeism or teachers not being willing to work. It had to do with the massive inequality when it comes to elementary teacher planning time. Elementary teachers have considerably less planning time and the county has been trying to address that for a while.

The reason given for not doing this on Friday was teacher absenteeism.

LOL. of course. So make it the most inconvenient option for parents and families because that's the only time teachers would show up. Love the family friendly school system.

This works great for our family. We plan on using these long weekends to travel or just enjoy Mondays off. Inconvenient would be doing it in the middle of the week

This is so let them eat cake. So you'll travel for those 7 day "long weekends" even though your kid is technically supposed to be present in the morning? And travel all of the 13 existing long weekends that have been put in place for holidays and teacher workday? that's a lot of travel. Unfortunately, both spouse and I are employed so we cannot take off that much. It must be nice to be unemployed.

I’m not who you’re quoting, and I am employed, but what’s the alternative here? Do the morning rush and drop off just to turn around and get the kids again, but take time off work anyway? I can’t see why I have to do that to myself or my kids for a stupid choice made by FCPS without input from parents. I’m going to have to take the time off anyway, I may as well be doing something enriching and enjoyable with my kids.

But, again, I had better not hear a single word about how parents and teachers are a partnership or how we need to support our schools.

YOU are making the decision to pull/keep your child out. YOU. [b]There may very well be an option for you to keep your kids at school on Mondays.

Teachers don’t really care whether or not you support them. It’s the preference that you do, but we won’t lose sleep over, if it if you don’t.

And there may very well not. If there was a great plan with lots of qualified supervision and genuine enrichment I bet we would have heard all about it by now, don’t you?

I don’t think teachers need to lose sleep. I think they need to realize how hollow calls for their “support” sound when yet another misogynistic policy comes down from FCPS.

Once again: teachers don’t make these policies. Let me write it again because we know repetition helps concepts stick: teachers don’t make these policies.

So why are you attacking teachers? Guess what? They don’t make these policies.

And teachers are parents, too. These schedules impact them as parents, as well.

I can repeat concepts as well: teachers receive priority placement in SACC. This does not impact them equally to other parents.

I’m not attacking anyone. I’m saying don’t ask for “support” when demanding more from parents who don’t get special status and whose views aren’t being considered. It’s a bad look.

Well, teachers’ views aren’t considered, either. You can choose to work with teachers, or you can view them as the enemy.

I’ve always held the belief that working together is preferable, but you do you. If hostility toward all teachers because -some- teachers get SACC placement works for you, then okay.

All parents are asking is that we have a continuous school schedule. That is it. How are we supposed to "work together" when FCPS keeps cutting class days?

Seriously, you have to stop blaming teachers for things we have absolutely no control over. I mean, we have NONE.

Did you not read the above where it was stated that FCPS keeps cutting class dates? Stop playing the victim here.

This post is literally 32 pages of parents playing the victim.

HAHA this whole FCPS site is parents playing the victim.

Parents advocating for themselves and their children, you mean.

No it's not you can read and know what I'm saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw some people up thread are being told Scouts will offer programs. I'd like to see what that is.

Because:

Girl Scout Leaders are volunteers and most are working moms or SAHMs with other small children who would need child care. I love Girl SCouts and I'm a leader but I can't do afternoons.

I love Girl Scouts but like plenty of people wouldn’t trust BSA with my kids. This isn’t the kind of problem that volunteer-run organizations can be expected to solve since those volunteers are the same people scrambling for care for their kids next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw some people up thread are being told Scouts will offer programs. I'd like to see what that is.

Because:

Girl Scout Leaders are volunteers and most are working moms or SAHMs with other small children who would need child care. I love Girl SCouts and I'm a leader but I can't do afternoons.

I love Girl Scouts but like plenty of people wouldn’t trust BSA with my kids. This isn’t the kind of problem that volunteer-run organizations can be expected to solve since those volunteers are the same people scrambling for care for their kids next year.

I'm on the PPs, this will be on a school-to-school basis. Not every school will have the same activities based on staff, volunteers, etc. There may be some schools where one of the scout leaders is a SAHM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw some people up thread are being told Scouts will offer programs. I'd like to see what that is.

Because:

Girl Scout Leaders are volunteers and most are working moms or SAHMs with other small children who would need child care. I love Girl SCouts and I'm a leader but I can't do afternoons.

I love Girl Scouts but like plenty of people wouldn’t trust BSA with my kids. This isn’t the kind of problem that volunteer-run organizations can be expected to solve since those volunteers are the same people scrambling for care for their kids next year.

I'm on the PPs, this will be on a school-to-school basis. Not every school will have the same activities based on staff, volunteers, etc. There may be some schools where one of the scout leaders is a SAHM.

So, like everything else in FCPS, the schools with well resourced PTAs with scores of SAHMs will give the kids a great experience and the poorer schools will pile the kids into the gym with a sub?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t most of you ‘work from home’ anyways? I don’t see how it’s so hard for you to pickup your kid early for 7 days in the entire school year!

You do know that even at the height of the pandemic only 30% of this area worked from home, right? And that was high for the United States as a whole. How privileged are you not to think of everyone who can't?

It's also true that 30% of people have access to a hybrid model - meaning that they could (possibly) work from home on those 7 days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw some people up thread are being told Scouts will offer programs. I'd like to see what that is.

Because:

Girl Scout Leaders are volunteers and most are working moms or SAHMs with other small children who would need child care. I love Girl SCouts and I'm a leader but I can't do afternoons.

I love Girl Scouts but like plenty of people wouldn’t trust BSA with my kids. This isn’t the kind of problem that volunteer-run organizations can be expected to solve since those volunteers are the same people scrambling for care for their kids next year.

I'm on the PPs, this will be on a school-to-school basis. Not every school will have the same activities based on staff, volunteers, etc. There may be some schools where one of the scout leaders is a SAHM.

So, like everything else in FCPS, the schools with well resourced PTAs with scores of SAHMs will give the kids a great experience and the poorer schools will pile the kids into the gym with a sub?

Maybe, details haven't come out yet.