Proposed APS Calendar Policy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Separation id church and all aspects of school once and for all. Please!

+1 - while I agree no religious holidays or alignment, do what we should have that is best for education, we need to keep in mind that staffing challenges for when neighboring jurisdictions where teachers live that haven't adopted an education first policy. First item is acknowledging the real challenge in a problem. What should we do when staffing levels are lower due to needs of staff who live elsewhere? Maybe it's some sort of alternative class organization approach that requires less staff - partial consolidate classes of some sort?

I don't think the random days off present any more of a challenge for teachers who live in other districts than they do for working parents all over the area. Teachers work on teacher work days and manage to get their children child care. Things like a lack of Spring Break alignment create more of a unique challenge b/c teachers can't just take a week off the 'week before' their spring break to go on vacation with their kids. Alignment seems like a poor justification for keeping the extraneous religious holidays. That being said, its pretty clear APS is going to enshrine them in policy- FCCPS is the leader on this one, but no one is following.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:APS parent who is VERY happy about the religious observance days, although I think there are too many conference / prof development days in the calendar, and would like to see the kids in school on Election Day since most of the rest of the world has to work then as well. About to go comment on Mary's page.

So everyone should get every religious holiday off; but you begrudge teachers their mandatory professional development days and parent-teacher conference days?

Let’s start by trimming the number of days teachers are required to be in school before the year starts.

Let’s have PD offered during the year based on what the teachers agree would be useful.

I'd rather have a week break in October for teachers to do ALL of their PD for the year. Done. Then put those scattered days back as school days throughout the rest of the year. But we've got to stop all these choppy part-time weeks. It's a PIA for everyone (except those who insist their kids need mental health breaks every week. That's what the weekends are for, folks! If your kids can't handle so much, maybe you shouldn't let them do so many extracurriculars)

What you want isn't important. At all. This is about what benefits teachers (and thus kids) the most

Make the same response to everyone else who has cited their preference in this chain, have you?
And who are you to say that clustering days off and minimizing disruptions in the routine throughout the year would not benefit teachers and thus kids the most?

Teachers here have said that they prefer to have PD scheduled to allow them to go into class the next day and start implementing what they learned.

Fine. Assuming they are actually ready to start implementing what they just learned the very next day, make PD days Mondays or Fridays, eliminate ER days entirely, shorten the winter break, stop providing "grade prep days" that extend breaks, and go back to a secular calendar with reasonable accommodations for individual religious needs.

Boy, you just couldn't be more hostile to teachers, could you?

Oh please. It isn't hostility. It's practicality. I'm sure there are some things that can be immediately implemented; but I would hope these trainings are substantive and include things that maybe can't just be inserted last minute into the teacher's curriculum or instruction plans.

It is what teachers said would work best for them, so yes, saying you know better than the people in the classroom is hostile. Dismissive. Rude AF.

I never said I knew what was better. I merely offered an idea that would be preferable imo and you've done nothing but jump all over me ever since. Whereas, I haven't noticed you jumping on anybody else who offered an opinion or criticized them for knowing better than everyone else. What is your problem? And where do you get your great insight? Have you confirmed that every teacher agrees that whatever it is you're arguing is the "best" for teachers and students? If it is, like I responded to your original accusatory response, fine. Adjust the calendar in other ways. I know for a fact that not every teacher believes the current calendar is "best" for teachers and students or for teaching and learning.

Wait, weren't you just touting how practical you're being? Here's a tip: No calendar is going to be deemed "best" by everyone, not even by everyone in a particular demographic.

But you keep saying that a particular approach you don't like is objectively bad, and none of them are bad for everyone, either. You just don't like them for you and your family. That's fine, but own it. And say it: "The current calendar is meeting lots of people's biggest needs and not meeting others. But it is meeting some of them, and I fully understand that, even if I don't like it."

[Anonymous]

What does Montgomery county do? They’ve given the Jewish holidays off for a long time.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:APS parent who is VERY happy about the religious observance days, although I think there are too many conference / prof development days in the calendar, and would like to see the kids in school on Election Day since most of the rest of the world has to work then as well. About to go comment on Mary's page.

So everyone should get every religious holiday off; but you begrudge teachers their mandatory professional development days and parent-teacher conference days?

Let’s start by trimming the number of days teachers are required to be in school before the year starts.

Let’s have PD offered during the year based on what the teachers agree would be useful.

I'd rather have a week break in October for teachers to do ALL of their PD for the year. Done. Then put those scattered days back as school days throughout the rest of the year. But we've got to stop all these choppy part-time weeks. It's a PIA for everyone (except those who insist their kids need mental health breaks every week. That's what the weekends are for, folks! If your kids can't handle so much, maybe you shouldn't let them do so many extracurriculars)

What you want isn't important. At all. This is about what benefits teachers (and thus kids) the most

Make the same response to everyone else who has cited their preference in this chain, have you?
And who are you to say that clustering days off and minimizing disruptions in the routine throughout the year would not benefit teachers and thus kids the most?

Teachers here have said that they prefer to have PD scheduled to allow them to go into class the next day and start implementing what they learned.

Fine. Assuming they are actually ready to start implementing what they just learned the very next day, make PD days Mondays or Fridays, eliminate ER days entirely, shorten the winter break, stop providing "grade prep days" that extend breaks, and go back to a secular calendar with reasonable accommodations for individual religious needs.

Boy, you just couldn't be more hostile to teachers, could you?

Oh please. It isn't hostility. It's practicality. I'm sure there are some things that can be immediately implemented; but I would hope these trainings are substantive and include things that maybe can't just be inserted last minute into the teacher's curriculum or instruction plans.

It is what teachers said would work best for them, so yes, saying you know better than the people in the classroom is hostile. Dismissive. Rude AF.

I never said I knew what was better. I merely offered an idea that would be preferable imo and you've done nothing but jump all over me ever since. Whereas, I haven't noticed you jumping on anybody else who offered an opinion or criticized them for knowing better than everyone else. What is your problem? And where do you get your great insight? Have you confirmed that every teacher agrees that whatever it is you're arguing is the "best" for teachers and students? If it is, like I responded to your original accusatory response, fine. Adjust the calendar in other ways. I know for a fact that not every teacher believes the current calendar is "best" for teachers and students or for teaching and learning.

Wait, weren't you just touting how practical you're being? Here's a tip: No calendar is going to be deemed "best" by everyone, not even by everyone in a particular demographic.

But you keep saying that a particular approach you don't like is objectively bad, and none of them are bad for everyone, either. You just don't like them for you and your family. That's fine, but own it. And say it: "The current calendar is meeting lots of people's biggest needs and not meeting others. But it is meeting some of them, and I fully understand that, even if I don't like it."

I don't think you're responding to the poster you think you are. None of your comments make sense relative to my original or subsequent comments.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:A week off in October rather than the scattered days would be AMAZING.

+1. Please end the scattered days. A floating week in fall could be made to accommodate holy days in the Jewish calendar.

Weren't the holy days in September last year? I'm not sure that works. I would be okay with an October break--just extend the days off on the existing short week.

I would prefer that we follow the lead of FCC and just excuse anyone who is out for religious reasons. Right now there are too many breaks in weird places and some religions are being left out.

We used to do that, didn't work very well for kids or teachers.

I never heard of any significant issues.

The current calendar isn't working well, as evidenced by the APS survey results and this thread.

Sounds like you are not a religious minority. Teachers never followed the requirements of no tests or new info on these days.

I’m a practicing Muslim. Getting sick of white people speaking for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does Montgomery county do? They’ve given the Jewish holidays off for a long time.

They have a much larger Jewish population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does Montgomery county do? They’ve given the Jewish holidays off for a long time.

They have a much larger Jewish population.

So what's their school calendar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does Montgomery county do? They’ve given the Jewish holidays off for a long time.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/calendar/2023-24_TraditionalCalendar.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does Montgomery county do? They’ve given the Jewish holidays off for a long time.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/calendar/2023-24_TraditionalCalendar.pdf

https://mocoshow.com/blog/mcps-board-approves-2023-2024-school-year-calendar/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does Montgomery county do? They’ve given the Jewish holidays off for a long time.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/calendar/2023-24_TraditionalCalendar.pdf

https://mocoshow.com/blog/mcps-board-approves-2023-2024-school-year-calendar/

Note how they start and end the same time as APS last year & this year. They do not have a shortened summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does Montgomery county do? They’ve given the Jewish holidays off for a long time.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/calendar/2023-24_TraditionalCalendar.pdf

https://mocoshow.com/blog/mcps-board-approves-2023-2024-school-year-calendar/

Note how they start and end the same time as APS last year & this year. They do not have a shortened summer.

And they don't get Nov 7th off for election day. Are their schools used for voting sites?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does Montgomery county do? They’ve given the Jewish holidays off for a long time.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/calendar/2023-24_TraditionalCalendar.pdf

https://mocoshow.com/blog/mcps-board-approves-2023-2024-school-year-calendar/

Note how they start and end the same time as APS last year & this year. They do not have a shortened summer.

And they don't get Nov 7th off for election day. Are their schools used for voting sites?

They also don't get Nov 10th for Veteran's Day. So that's a full 5-day week; whereas it's a chopped up 3-day week for Arlington. I don't know that their 2 early release days Thanksgiving week are particularly appealing, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does Montgomery county do? They’ve given the Jewish holidays off for a long time.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/calendar/2023-24_TraditionalCalendar.pdf

https://mocoshow.com/blog/mcps-board-approves-2023-2024-school-year-calendar/

Note how they start and end the same time as APS last year & this year. They do not have a shortened summer.

And they don't get Nov 7th off for election day. Are their schools used for voting sites?

They also don't get Nov 10th for Veteran's Day. So that's a full 5-day week; whereas it's a chopped up 3-day week for Arlington. I don't know that their 2 early release days Thanksgiving week are particularly appealing, though.

I like the format of the calendar. Makes it easy to see the whole year and the "flow" of each month.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There was an AEM post today detailing the 12 mos v 10 mos employee inequity. Just crazy this isn’t being covered by the press.

Also saw this posted online: https://www.gazetteleader.com/arlington/opinion/letter-aps-calendar-proposal-does-not-prioritize-learning-7471776

Oh that letter! It's from one of the notorious APEs. Now they are attacking religious minorities who finally got their holidays.

Personally my kids benefit from the holidays. They are appreciated as mental health breaks from a hectic intense schedule.

Ewww.

They still polluting APS education email lists with their ignorance and aggression. Zero self-awareness.

"The schedule doesn't prioritize learning!"

Wait, no, it doesn't prioritize the need for childcare. Or sobriety (only the OD happened during school):

"APS’s plan, however, persists with this policy, leaving working families to grapple with costly child-care alternatives during closures. Older students are also left unsupervised, a serious concern given recent student drug overdoses."

And we're concerned about teachers' incomes! Only not enough to pay them more!

"Moreover, APS staff deserve a traditional summer break. These unpaid religious holidays have shrunk summer break by a week, affecting teachers’ ability to supplement their income."

APE has always seen APS as childcare. It's the same old theme.

And I love how they feign concern for drug overdoses. Anything to make their point!

Hi, Syphax Staffer! We’re coming for your paid days off!

[Anonymous]

Just started listening to meeting. What did I miss?