APS cutting instructional days from calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has a calendar been recommended yet? It was supposed to have happened in November.

Yes.

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/arlington/Board.nsf/files/C99PRJ65E025/$file/H-1%202022-23%20School%20Year%20Calendar.pdf
If link doesn's twork. Go to apsva.us and find it under the Board docs for Dec 2nd school board meeting. Click view agenda, scroll down to the calendar on the agenda and click there.

APS is aligning spring break with all the districts that have decided already. I wonder if FCPS will pull a last minute switch again.

FCPS is just starting to develop their 2022-2023 calendar.

Exactly. That's what happened this year, APS aligned to all the other districts because FCPS said they would have spring break tied to Easter and then they switched after everyone else finalized their calendar.

Oh, I see. Thanks. So really, it wouldn't be a last minute switch for next year after making the change last year. Maybe they are planning on having a fixed spring break in the future.

FCPS used to develop their calendar a lot earlier than this.

FCPS recently held a Zoom focus group for calendar input with whoever wanted to register and during the Zoom presentation they surveyed respondents on everything about the calendar. I’m pretty sure they will stick to the fixed week of spring break/uncoupling it from Easter (currently the 1st week of April) like this year. The only thing that could change that is teachers requesting this not happen if they live out of county and their kid would be on a different spring break schedule.

Surveys have gone out to FCPS staff about Spring Break this year and if they will have to take off another week because their kids are in neighboring districts. The number who answered yes was quite high for teachers and staff saying yes, so it will be interesting to see what happens considering we already have a stub shortage.

“Yes” to keeping the fixed week? Is that what you mean? We both teach for FCPS and that’s what we answered.

No, a survey about who will have to take off from teaching the week after FCPS’ Spring Break because their kids are in a different county. The number was high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Of course school is not daycare, but until employers are more flexible with parents, the less random half days and middle of the week days off children have the better for the entire community.

Yes, the U.S. needs to provide a better social safety net, including reliable, affordable childcare for families that need it.

But we need to stop demanding that teachers step in every time society fails.

Agreed but this is DCUM so the bar is already very low

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Of course school is not daycare, but until employers are more flexible with parents, the less random half days and middle of the week days off children have the better for the entire community.

Yes, the U.S. needs to provide a better social safety net, including reliable, affordable childcare for families that need it.

But we need to stop demanding that teachers step in every time society fails.

Tell Arlington County to provide camps. Work with your neighbors to take turns dealing with days when school is closed. Stop telling teachers to babysit your kids.

Okay no one is asking teachers to step in and do more. Just maintain the current hour of EDUCATION not babysitting.

I don’t want cams, I want lessons and substance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm fine with fewer days if it was due to snow days (which have become all but useless). I'm not fine with starting early, ending just as late and having fewer days. Let them out earlier in June. It's ridiculous to stay in school so late when you are starting in August.

Yes, this! Fewer days? Fine. Then give the kids a longer summer. Or at very least a week off in October or February. Not tons of random days off mid week. Just start after Labor Day & end by Memorial Day. That’s what Maryland was doing a few years ago.

Yes! I grew up in NY and we would have a week off in February. It was great!

I grew up in CT and this was how it was too. Wish we had the week off between Christmas and New Years and then a week in February. It’s a long haul between winter break and spring break since it seems to be now in April every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Of course school is not daycare, but until employers are more flexible with parents, the less random half days and middle of the week days off children have the better for the entire community.

Yes, the U.S. needs to provide a better social safety net, including reliable, affordable childcare for families that need it.

But we need to stop demanding that teachers step in every time society fails.

Tell Arlington County to provide camps. Work with your neighbors to take turns dealing with days when school is closed. Stop telling teachers to babysit your kids.

Okay no one is asking teachers to step in and do more. Just maintain the current hour of EDUCATION not babysitting.

I don’t want cams, I want lessons and substance.

How many hours are planned for this school year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has a calendar been recommended yet? It was supposed to have happened in November.

Yes.

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/arlington/Board.nsf/files/C99PRJ65E025/$file/H-1%202022-23%20School%20Year%20Calendar.pdf
If link doesn's twork. Go to apsva.us and find it under the Board docs for Dec 2nd school board meeting. Click view agenda, scroll down to the calendar on the agenda and click there.

APS is aligning spring break with all the districts that have decided already. I wonder if FCPS will pull a last minute switch again.

FCPS is just starting to develop their 2022-2023 calendar.

Exactly. That's what happened this year, APS aligned to all the other districts because FCPS said they would have spring break tied to Easter and then they switched after everyone else finalized their calendar.

Oh, I see. Thanks. So really, it wouldn't be a last minute switch for next year after making the change last year. Maybe they are planning on having a fixed spring break in the future.

FCPS used to develop their calendar a lot earlier than this.

FCPS recently held a Zoom focus group for calendar input with whoever wanted to register and during the Zoom presentation they surveyed respondents on everything about the calendar. I’m pretty sure they will stick to the fixed week of spring break/uncoupling it from Easter (currently the 1st week of April) like this year. The only thing that could change that is teachers requesting this not happen if they live out of county and their kid would be on a different spring break schedule.

Surveys have gone out to FCPS staff about Spring Break this year and if they will have to take off another week because their kids are in neighboring districts. The number who answered yes was quite high for teachers and staff saying yes, so it will be interesting to see what happens considering we already have a stub shortage.

“Yes” to keeping the fixed week? Is that what you mean? We both teach for FCPS and that’s what we answered.

No, a survey about who will have to take off from teaching the week after FCPS’ Spring Break because their kids are in a different county. The number was high.

I wonder if allowing staff members’ children to attend tuition free would help. Would many take advantage of that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has a calendar been recommended yet? It was supposed to have happened in November.

Yes.

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/arlington/Board.nsf/files/C99PRJ65E025/$file/H-1%202022-23%20School%20Year%20Calendar.pdf
If link doesn's twork. Go to apsva.us and find it under the Board docs for Dec 2nd school board meeting. Click view agenda, scroll down to the calendar on the agenda and click there.

APS is aligning spring break with all the districts that have decided already. I wonder if FCPS will pull a last minute switch again.

FCPS is just starting to develop their 2022-2023 calendar.

Exactly. That's what happened this year, APS aligned to all the other districts because FCPS said they would have spring break tied to Easter and then they switched after everyone else finalized their calendar.

Oh, I see. Thanks. So really, it wouldn't be a last minute switch for next year after making the change last year. Maybe they are planning on having a fixed spring break in the future.

FCPS used to develop their calendar a lot earlier than this.

FCPS recently held a Zoom focus group for calendar input with whoever wanted to register and during the Zoom presentation they surveyed respondents on everything about the calendar. I’m pretty sure they will stick to the fixed week of spring break/uncoupling it from Easter (currently the 1st week of April) like this year. The only thing that could change that is teachers requesting this not happen if they live out of county and their kid would be on a different spring break schedule.

Surveys have gone out to FCPS staff about Spring Break this year and if they will have to take off another week because their kids are in neighboring districts. The number who answered yes was quite high for teachers and staff saying yes, so it will be interesting to see what happens considering we already have a stub shortage.

“Yes” to keeping the fixed week? Is that what you mean? We both teach for FCPS and that’s what we answered.

No, a survey about who will have to take off from teaching the week after FCPS’ Spring Break because their kids are in a different county. The number was high.

I wonder if allowing staff members’ children to attend tuition free would help. Would many take advantage of that?

If they teach at a desirable school it might be a good incentive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has a calendar been recommended yet? It was supposed to have happened in November.

Yes.

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/arlington/Board.nsf/files/C99PRJ65E025/$file/H-1%202022-23%20School%20Year%20Calendar.pdf
If link doesn's twork. Go to apsva.us and find it under the Board docs for Dec 2nd school board meeting. Click view agenda, scroll down to the calendar on the agenda and click there.

APS is aligning spring break with all the districts that have decided already. I wonder if FCPS will pull a last minute switch again.

FCPS is just starting to develop their 2022-2023 calendar.

Exactly. That's what happened this year, APS aligned to all the other districts because FCPS said they would have spring break tied to Easter and then they switched after everyone else finalized their calendar.

Oh, I see. Thanks. So really, it wouldn't be a last minute switch for next year after making the change last year. Maybe they are planning on having a fixed spring break in the future.

FCPS used to develop their calendar a lot earlier than this.

FCPS recently held a Zoom focus group for calendar input with whoever wanted to register and during the Zoom presentation they surveyed respondents on everything about the calendar. I’m pretty sure they will stick to the fixed week of spring break/uncoupling it from Easter (currently the 1st week of April) like this year. The only thing that could change that is teachers requesting this not happen if they live out of county and their kid would be on a different spring break schedule.

Surveys have gone out to FCPS staff about Spring Break this year and if they will have to take off another week because their kids are in neighboring districts. The number who answered yes was quite high for teachers and staff saying yes, so it will be interesting to see what happens considering we already have a stub shortage.

“Yes” to keeping the fixed week? Is that what you mean? We both teach for FCPS and that’s what we answered.

No, a survey about who will have to take off from teaching the week after FCPS’ Spring Break because their kids are in a different county. The number was high.

I wonder if allowing staff members’ children to attend tuition free would help. Would many take advantage of that?

If they teach at a desirable school it might be a good incentive.

If not attending full time, perhaps allow the staff member to take their child to work for at least that week.

[Anonymous]

The most egregious thing is that the new holidays seem to have been added without any surveys or discussion about how many kids in the community actually observe them. I am not saying we need to get rid of the religious holiday, but it is ridiculous that we added them w/o discussion of how we would make up for the lost instructional time. I am Jewish, btw. But I’m also a teacher and the disjointed schedule in the beginning of the school year is very difficult to hit a stride. This is also the time when kids are most attentive and eager to learn and we should make the most of the beginning of the year.

[Anonymous]

It’s not egregious and just because APS didn’t survey families doesn’t mean that they did it arbitrarily. Families have been asking for these religious holidays for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not egregious and just because APS didn’t survey families doesn’t mean that they did it arbitrarily. Families have been asking for these religious holidays for years.

Wow. It is absolutely egregious to add holidays w/o mentioning that they wouldn’t add extra days elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

APS is a very small district and is really hurting it’s recruiting by now following FCPS calendar. Lots of teachers with kids in Fairfax looking to move because of calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:APS is a very small district and is really hurting it’s recruiting by now following FCPS calendar. Lots of teachers with kids in Fairfax looking to move because of calendar.

Well, FCPS puts out their calendar late and people of Arlington complain when they publish in December because they think it’s too late. FCPS is the last district to publish. We’ve aligned with LCPS, ACPS,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:APS is a very small district and is really hurting it’s recruiting by now following FCPS calendar. Lots of teachers with kids in Fairfax looking to move because of calendar.

This is not my experience. I've worked in two APS elementary schools and the vast majority of people with kids also lived in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The most egregious thing is that the new holidays seem to have been added without any surveys or discussion about how many kids in the community actually observe them. I am not saying we need to get rid of the religious holiday, but it is ridiculous that we added them w/o discussion of how we would make up for the lost instructional time. I am Jewish, btw. But I’m also a teacher and the disjointed schedule in the beginning of the school year is very difficult to hit a stride. This is also the time when kids are most attentive and eager to learn and we should make the most of the beginning of the year.

+1. There needs to be some threshold. We can't observe every single holiday. Why did we pick these to add? How many students and staff observe them? As a percentage?