Why Does FCPS Want That Snow Waiver?

[Anonymous]

It sounds like FCPS admins want to call 5 snow days this year to get that early school start / 'Kings Dominion Law' waiver for next fall.

Why does FCPS want to start school before Labor Day next year? I don't get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like FCPS admins want to call 5 snow days this year to get that early school start / 'Kings Dominion Law' waiver for next fall.

Why does FCPS want to start school before Labor Day next year? I don't get it.

Mainly for testing reasons, but really why do you want the state to tell you when to start school on time? It should be a local decision. Once they get the waiver, they can decide when school will start.

[Anonymous]

Well in HS, it gives more time to prepare for the AP tests that are held in May. It has always been a tight squeeze and having some breathing room would be advantageous. Many multiple week HS camps at Universities start the last week of school, so our children are hard pressed to attend or simply cannot attend.

My own bias is towards a shorter summer vacation and longer breaks between each quarter. Ideally, 6-8 week summer and 2 week breaks between the other quarters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well in HS, it gives more time to prepare for the AP tests that are held in May. It has always been a tight squeeze and having some breathing room would be advantageous. Many multiple week HS camps at Universities start the last week of school, so our children are hard pressed to attend or simply cannot attend.

My own bias is towards a shorter summer vacation and longer breaks between each quarter. Ideally, 6-8 week summer and 2 week breaks between the other quarters.

Yeah, sell that one to the parents who both have to work to make ends meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well in HS, it gives more time to prepare for the AP tests that are held in May. It has always been a tight squeeze and having some breathing room would be advantageous. Many multiple week HS camps at Universities start the last week of school, so our children are hard pressed to attend or simply cannot attend.

My own bias is towards a shorter summer vacation and longer breaks between each quarter. Ideally, 6-8 week summer and 2 week breaks between the other quarters.

Yeah, sell that one to the parents who both have to work to make ends meet.

? I'm 12:49 and we both work. What is the difference? There are camps for all the school days off. It doesn't really matter when school gets out as long as there are spaces in camps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like FCPS admins want to call 5 snow days this year to get that early school start / 'Kings Dominion Law' waiver for next fall.

Why does FCPS want to start school before Labor Day next year? I don't get it.

Mainly for testing reasons, but really why do you want the state to tell you when to start school on time? It should be a local decision. Once they get the waiver, they can decide when school will start.

What's wrong with the state telling the locality when school can start?

The state tells the locality who is licensed as a teacher, it sets the SOL curriculum, etc etc. I'm fine with the State setting the framework of what school should be like.

[Anonymous]

The waiver would mean a difference of five days. Then kids would have be off after those 5 days of a long weekend for Labor Day. I guess this could mean a lot for testing purposes in HS if we also had a lot of time off for snow days. I also know people that think 5 days is really not worth calling " snow/cold days" in order to get the waiver. I do feel bad for teachers that get behind for SOL prep(they are required to teach the material and that just is how it is) but I don't put much weight into what my kid scores/passes on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like FCPS admins want to call 5 snow days this year to get that early school start / 'Kings Dominion Law' waiver for next fall.

Why does FCPS want to start school before Labor Day next year? I don't get it.

Mainly for testing reasons, but really why do you want the state to tell you when to start school on time? It should be a local decision. Once they get the waiver, they can decide when school will start.

What's wrong with the state telling the locality when school can start?

The state tells the locality who is licensed as a teacher, it sets the SOL curriculum, etc etc. I'm fine with the State setting the framework of what school should be like.

More than half of the state has the right to decide when to start school. So obviously the state does not think it's important to be in charge of this for educational purposes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well in HS, it gives more time to prepare for the AP tests that are held in May. It has always been a tight squeeze and having some breathing room would be advantageous. Many multiple week HS camps at Universities start the last week of school, so our children are hard pressed to attend or simply cannot attend.

My own bias is towards a shorter summer vacation and longer breaks between each quarter. Ideally, 6-8 week summer and 2 week breaks between the other quarters.

Yeah, sell that one to the parents who both have to work to make ends meet.

That actually may be helpful to working parents because it will spread out the cost of 10 weeks of camp over the entire year. it's expensive to pay for 10 weeks of camp during the summer especially because a lot of places want a lump payment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like FCPS admins want to call 5 snow days this year to get that early school start / 'Kings Dominion Law' waiver for next fall.

Why does FCPS want to start school before Labor Day next year? I don't get it.

Mainly for testing reasons, but really why do you want the state to tell you when to start school on time? It should be a local decision. Once they get the waiver, they can decide when school will start.

What's wrong with the state telling the locality when school can start?

The state tells the locality who is licensed as a teacher, it sets the SOL curriculum, etc etc. I'm fine with the State setting the framework of what school should be like.

More than half of the state has the right to decide when to start school. So obviously the state does not think it's important to be in charge of this for educational purposes.

I did not know that.

As a working parent, I would like more than 180 days for school. But starting school early and then having a 3 day Labor Day weekend is nutso for educational purposes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like FCPS admins want to call 5 snow days this year to get that early school start / 'Kings Dominion Law' waiver for next fall.

Why does FCPS want to start school before Labor Day next year? I don't get it.

Mainly for testing reasons, but really why do you want the state to tell you when to start school on time? It should be a local decision. Once they get the waiver, they can decide when school will start.

What's wrong with the state telling the locality when school can start?

The state tells the locality who is licensed as a teacher, it sets the SOL curriculum, etc etc. I'm fine with the State setting the framework of what school should be like.

More than half of the state has the right to decide when to start school. So obviously the state does not think it's important to be in charge of this for educational purposes.

I did not know that.

As a working parent, I would like more than 180 days for school. But starting school early and then having a 3 day Labor Day weekend is nutso for educational purposes.

you mean like the 4 day weekend we just had, then a 2 day week, then multiple days of snow...then 2 more 3 day weekends we're staring at right now?

I went to a school system in MD tat started the week before labor day. It really wasn't a big damn deal.

I don't understand why the entire country hasn't started transitioning to the modified/"year round" calendar. The places that have done this have found ways to make it work with camps and stuff running during break times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like FCPS admins want to call 5 snow days this year to get that early school start / 'Kings Dominion Law' waiver for next fall.

Why does FCPS want to start school before Labor Day next year? I don't get it.

Mainly for testing reasons, but really why do you want the state to tell you when to start school on time? It should be a local decision. Once they get the waiver, they can decide when school will start.

What's wrong with the state telling the locality when school can start?

The state tells the locality who is licensed as a teacher, it sets the SOL curriculum, etc etc. I'm fine with the State setting the framework of what school should be like.

More than half of the state has the right to decide when to start school. So obviously the state does not think it's important to be in charge of this for educational purposes.

I did not know that.

As a working parent, I would like more than 180 days for school. But starting school early and then having a 3 day Labor Day weekend is nutso for educational purposes.

It seems like most Republicans would probably be ok with eliminating Labor Day as a holiday anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like FCPS admins want to call 5 snow days this year to get that early school start / 'Kings Dominion Law' waiver for next fall.

Why does FCPS want to start school before Labor Day next year? I don't get it.

Mainly for testing reasons, but really why do you want the state to tell you when to start school on time? It should be a local decision. Once they get the waiver, they can decide when school will start.

What's wrong with the state telling the locality when school can start?

The state tells the locality who is licensed as a teacher, it sets the SOL curriculum, etc etc. I'm fine with the State setting the framework of what school should be like.

More than half of the state has the right to decide when to start school. So obviously the state does not think it's important to be in charge of this for educational purposes.

FCPS had elementary schools that were on a modified calendar. It was ended because of budget cuts.

I did not know that.

As a working parent, I would like more than 180 days for school. But starting school early and then having a 3 day Labor Day weekend is nutso for educational purposes.

you mean like the 4 day weekend we just had, then a 2 day week, then multiple days of snow...then 2 more 3 day weekends we're staring at right now?

I went to a school system in MD tat started the week before labor day. It really wasn't a big damn deal.

I don't understand why the entire country hasn't started transitioning to the modified/"year round" calendar. The places that have done this have found ways to make it work with camps and stuff running during break times.

[Anonymous]

I haven't seen one, but it would be interesting to see a survey of staff preferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like FCPS admins want to call 5 snow days this year to get that early school start / 'Kings Dominion Law' waiver for next fall.

Why does FCPS want to start school before Labor Day next year? I don't get it.

Mainly for testing reasons, but really why do you want the state to tell you when to start school on time? It should be a local decision. Once they get the waiver, they can decide when school will start.

What's wrong with the state telling the locality when school can start?

The state tells the locality who is licensed as a teacher, it sets the SOL curriculum, etc etc. I'm fine with the State setting the framework of what school should be like.

More than half of the state has the right to decide when to start school. So obviously the state does not think it's important to be in charge of this for educational purposes.

I did not know that.

As a working parent, I would like more than 180 days for school. But starting school early and then having a 3 day Labor Day weekend is nutso for educational purposes.

you mean like the 4 day weekend we just had, then a 2 day week, then multiple days of snow...then 2 more 3 day weekends we're staring at right now?

I went to a school system in MD tat started the week before labor day. It really wasn't a big damn deal.

I don't understand why the entire country hasn't started transitioning to the modified/"year round" calendar. The places that have done this have found ways to make it work with camps and stuff running during break times.

Because it costs $$$$$$$. Something we don't have enough of.