ACPS now closed for the entire thanksgiving week

[Anonymous]

I would guess this is about the lack of sub coverage in general and teachers having to give up their planning time on a consistent basis. This appeases them because there is no other solution in the pipeline. This will continue for the rest of the year. I work in APS so I don't know the particulars in ACPS but I know this is happening on a regular basis at my school (and we have 2 school-based subs. It's not enough)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't buy it - you don't have sick leave or family days?

Have you ever had a job? It is not required in most jobs that paid leave is approved. You request it ahead of time and based on the needs of the organization it could be denied for the specific days you asked for. This does not mean you don’t have paid leave. It means you can’t take it whenever you feel like it at all times.

And yes of course you can just be a jerk and call out sick when you’re not really sick. But most people are ethical and feel some sort of an obligation not do to that.

Ethics are one thing. If you buy plane tickets and have non refundable reservations and are flying out on a day they later don’t approve for personal leave as they always did , you’re gonna call out. This is a staffing issue that will not improve in future years. Public education cannot withstand the assault its under and this is your first sign.

+1 Alexandria has actually been much better situated than any of the other school systems around us. I haven't seen any data but anecdotally we have had better retention than other contiguous districts from last year to this year, and that directly benefits students in Alexandria schools.

I did not see the email until I was walking out the door of the building. As I walked down the hallway and spoke to my colleagues, four of them told me that this gave them a reason to not quit at the break...and I believe them.

It has been an unbelievably stressful year. We all feel pushed to the breaking point. The lack of subs means that none of us have had a regular classroom, without extra kids split up from an absent teacher's classroom, in over a month. The general feeling is that this is a sign that what we're doing is valued even if we aren't being treated respectfully by parents. It means a lot.

[Anonymous]

It has been an unbelievably stressful year. We all feel pushed to the breaking point. The lack of subs means that none of us have had a regular classroom, without extra kids split up from an absent teacher's classroom, in over a month. The general feeling is that this is a sign that what we're doing is valued even if we aren't being treated respectfully by parents. It means a lot.

What do you mean, treated respectfully? Are you viewing people's distress over a last minute decision to provide additional days off, with no childcare provisions or assistance, as disrespect to you? If so, why? Do you feel that respect necessarily encompasses additional days off, with no coverage, and people being happy about how that lack of coverage impacts them? Or is there a separate lack of respect that you are referencing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reason number 634,262,825,962 to put your kids in private or religious schools.

Many of them close the whole week, plus a week in February.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reason number 634,262,825,962 to put your kids in private or religious schools.

Private schools can't get subs either. My sister teaches in a popular Catholic school. They have been doubling up on classes when teachers are sick.

Truth. We live close to a well-attended Catholic school. Several of our neighbors send their children there and I know a handful of the teachers from kids' sports. They are not having an easy time finding subs at all and they pay more than our public district.

But they don't close because of it. Huge difference. They figure it out.

Last year they added extra days off after winter break with not much notice. So yes, they did close. Whether you believe that was solely because of post-travel quarantine is up to you. It remains to be seen what will happen this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't buy it - you don't have sick leave or family days?

Have you ever had a job? It is not required in most jobs that paid leave is approved. You request it ahead of time and based on the needs of the organization it could be denied for the specific days you asked for. This does not mean you don’t have paid leave. It means you can’t take it whenever you feel like it at all times.

And yes of course you can just be a jerk and call out sick when you’re not really sick. But most people are ethical and feel some sort of an obligation not do to that.

Ethics are one thing. If you buy plane tickets and have non refundable reservations and are flying out on a day they later don’t approve for personal leave as they always did , you’re gonna call out. This is a staffing issue that will not improve in future years. Public education cannot withstand the assault its under and this is your first sign.

+1 Alexandria has actually been much better situated than any of the other school systems around us. I haven't seen any data but anecdotally we have had better retention than other contiguous districts from last year to this year, and that directly benefits students in Alexandria schools.

I did not see the email until I was walking out the door of the building. As I walked down the hallway and spoke to my colleagues, four of them told me that this gave them a reason to not quit at the break...and I believe them.

It has been an unbelievably stressful year. We all feel pushed to the breaking point. The lack of subs means that none of us have had a regular classroom, without extra kids split up from an absent teacher's classroom, in over a month. The general feeling is that this is a sign that what we're doing is valued even if we aren't being treated respectfully by parents. It means a lot.

Are teachers calling out sick repeatedly? I don’t understand why in a profession with so many built in days off there is so much leave taken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't buy it - you don't have sick leave or family days?

Have you ever had a job? It is not required in most jobs that paid leave is approved. You request it ahead of time and based on the needs of the organization it could be denied for the specific days you asked for. This does not mean you don’t have paid leave. It means you can’t take it whenever you feel like it at all times.

And yes of course you can just be a jerk and call out sick when you’re not really sick. But most people are ethical and feel some sort of an obligation not do to that.

Ethics are one thing. If you buy plane tickets and have non refundable reservations and are flying out on a day they later don’t approve for personal leave as they always did , you’re gonna call out. This is a staffing issue that will not improve in future years. Public education cannot withstand the assault its under and this is your first sign.

+1 Alexandria has actually been much better situated than any of the other school systems around us. I haven't seen any data but anecdotally we have had better retention than other contiguous districts from last year to this year, and that directly benefits students in Alexandria schools.

I did not see the email until I was walking out the door of the building. As I walked down the hallway and spoke to my colleagues, four of them told me that this gave them a reason to not quit at the break...and I believe them.

It has been an unbelievably stressful year. We all feel pushed to the breaking point. The lack of subs means that none of us have had a regular classroom, without extra kids split up from an absent teacher's classroom, in over a month. The general feeling is that this is a sign that what we're doing is valued even if we aren't being treated respectfully by parents. It means a lot.

Are teachers calling out sick repeatedly? I don’t understand why in a profession with so many built in days off there is so much leave taken.

Actually no. If anything we are calling out less because THERE ARE NO SUBS and we know our colleagues will have to cover. But when people do have to be out, for whatever regular reason, there are not subs. There aren’t. So there aren’t subs to cover days when even more than a few will be out, nor will there be enough bus drivers. This is why Loudoun had to make 11/3 and 11/5 asynchronous. We are already short staffed and have no subs. Any 1-2 people calling out for illness or whatever has a cascading effect. I don’t know why y’all don’t get this.

[Anonymous]

Teachers have children who get sick and they also get sick themselves. When I was young and single, I'd take tylenol sinus and power through the day, but now I have two kids who get sick all the times and it's COVID - if you are sick - you need to stay home.

[Anonymous]

As with 99.999% of ACPSs problems, the issue I have with this is the absolute tone deaf nature of the communication. They presented this as a freaking gift, as if they were doing families a favor. And I know that some families may welcome this news, but for others this is a a real hardship. ACPS takes zero ownership of the stress and emotional distress they cause when they make these last minute decisions, message it terribly, and drop the mic into a weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP, and another LCPS parent here. Right, school isn’t daycare. However, when school closes, I have to make other arrangements for my Kindergartener, since DH and I both work full time. And when the school system makes these changes on short notice, whether that is due to snow days or to their complete inability to have seen this problem coming a mile away when they set up this ridiculous calendar, some working parents are left scrambling for childcare arrangements. The LCPS calendar for this week and next was crazy, and they should have realized it would be an issue. Guaranteed LCPS will do the exact same Thanksgiving week…we are already trying to make plans for it.

Poster you're responding to, and I am a working parent. I get it. But somehow the fact that America has no system to support its parents who need childcare has become a problem parents expect teachers to solve, and then parents wonder why teachers are leaving the profession.

I don't blame teachers, I blame administration for allowing this situation to happen in the first place.
And I'm sick of the "school isn't daycare" crowd acting as if working parents, especially those of early elementary schoolers, aren't affected at all by these policies and all have super accommodating employers or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It has been an unbelievably stressful year. We all feel pushed to the breaking point. The lack of subs means that none of us have had a regular classroom, without extra kids split up from an absent teacher's classroom, in over a month. The general feeling is that this is a sign that what we're doing is valued even if we aren't being treated respectfully by parents. It means a lot.

What do you mean, treated respectfully? Are you viewing people's distress over a last minute decision to provide additional days off, with no childcare provisions or assistance, as disrespect to you? If so, why? Do you feel that respect necessarily encompasses additional days off, with no coverage, and people being happy about how that lack of coverage impacts them? Or is there a separate lack of respect that you are referencing?

Your response is a good example. Your "distress" about the two days is nothing over which I have any control and I don't understand why you are attacking me about it. By "treated respectfully" I mean that tone and word choice matter. When you speak with, Zoom with, text with or email your child's teacher, tone and word choice matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As with 99.999% of ACPSs problems, the issue I have with this is the absolute tone deaf nature of the communication. They presented this as a freaking gift, as if they were doing families a favor. And I know that some families may welcome this news, but for others this is a a real hardship. ACPS takes zero ownership of the stress and emotional distress they cause when they make these last minute decisions, message it terribly, and drop the mic into a weekend.

Oh, give me a break. This is hardly last minute. Thanksgiving is over three weeks away. When you exaggerate like you are you bring the whole conversation down.

- Signed, a Parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As with 99.999% of ACPSs problems, the issue I have with this is the absolute tone deaf nature of the communication. They presented this as a freaking gift, as if they were doing families a favor. And I know that some families may welcome this news, but for others this is a a real hardship. ACPS takes zero ownership of the stress and emotional distress they cause when they make these last minute decisions, message it terribly, and drop the mic into a weekend.

Oh, give me a break. This is hardly last minute. Thanksgiving is over three weeks away. When you exaggerate like you are you bring the whole conversation down.

- Signed, a Parent

What exactly are you talking about??? These calendars are published well over a year in advance, sometimes multiple years in advance. 3 weeks is absolutely short notice.

Oh, and congrats on being a parent, I guess? I happen to be one too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't buy it - you don't have sick leave or family days?

Have you ever had a job? It is not required in most jobs that paid leave is approved. You request it ahead of time and based on the needs of the organization it could be denied for the specific days you asked for. This does not mean you don’t have paid leave. It means you can’t take it whenever you feel like it at all times.

And yes of course you can just be a jerk and call out sick when you’re not really sick. But most people are ethical and feel some sort of an obligation not do to that.

Ethics are one thing. If you buy plane tickets and have non refundable reservations and are flying out on a day they later don’t approve for personal leave as they always did , you’re gonna call out. This is a staffing issue that will not improve in future years. Public education cannot withstand the assault its under and this is your first sign.

+1 Alexandria has actually been much better situated than any of the other school systems around us. I haven't seen any data but anecdotally we have had better retention than other contiguous districts from last year to this year, and that directly benefits students in Alexandria schools.

I did not see the email until I was walking out the door of the building. As I walked down the hallway and spoke to my colleagues, four of them told me that this gave them a reason to not quit at the break...and I believe them.

It has been an unbelievably stressful year. We all feel pushed to the breaking point. The lack of subs means that none of us have had a regular classroom, without extra kids split up from an absent teacher's classroom, in over a month. The general feeling is that this is a sign that what we're doing is valued even if we aren't being treated respectfully by parents. It means a lot.

Are teachers calling out sick repeatedly? I don’t understand why in a profession with so many built in days off there is so much leave taken.

Because we have kids who get sick? Because we ourselves get sick? Because we have doctors appointments and dental appointments? You don't understand why we would need to be out for those things?

People also forget that we aren't allowed to take just an hour of leave at the end of the day to run to the doctor's appointment or to come in 30 minutes after the first bell because we were able to get an early appointment. We are required to take a half-day or a full-day of leave. The inflexibility of the system adds to the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As with 99.999% of ACPSs problems, the issue I have with this is the absolute tone deaf nature of the communication. They presented this as a freaking gift, as if they were doing families a favor. And I know that some families may welcome this news, but for others this is a a real hardship. ACPS takes zero ownership of the stress and emotional distress they cause when they make these last minute decisions, message it terribly, and drop the mic into a weekend.

Oh, give me a break. This is hardly last minute. Thanksgiving is over three weeks away. When you exaggerate like you are you bring the whole conversation down.

- Signed, a Parent

What exactly are you talking about??? These calendars are published well over a year in advance, sometimes multiple years in advance. 3 weeks is absolutely short notice.

Oh, and congrats on being a parent, I guess? I happen to be one too.

Duh. She distinguished herself from being a teacher. But you seem intent on being a jerk so I guess you won't get it. (Another Parent Waiting For You to "Slam" Me, Too)