FCPS early release Mondays- updates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Why didn't they just give families full days off?

I was told by my principal that that option was discussed quite a bit, but was eliminated because parents already complain about not having five day weeks on the calendar and there weren’t enough resources to spread out across the pyramids.

This- let's be real whatever they do people will have a problem with.

I keep hearing this, but parents in Arlington and Loudoun were allowed to weigh in on the decision— and aren’t having a problem.

Oh yes they are. Are you kidding?

Look at the post above you from a Loudoun parent. Looks like letting parents weigh in instead of treating them with condescension gets a better result. How surprising.

[Anonymous]

FCPS and Arlington both used to have weekly early release days in ES years ago. Schools typically had enrichment programs that you can sign up for during the early release hours--STEAM, foreign language, sports clinics, various arts etc. -- and SACC adjusted to cover the early release hours. It definitely was something my kid looked forward to and didn't really upset the schedule. I think it worked out well.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It sure didn't take long for the teachers union to screw us over.

What does this have to do with the teachers union? They had nothing to do with it. Perhaps you can cite something that shows otherwise.

You don't think it's a coincidence they're going with half days, which are good for teachers, but terrible for kids and families?

The half days are because of Youngkin’s literacy act, not teacher unions.

Did that act specify half days to accommodate the training? No, it didn't.

Do they have the money to pay teachers for this training on non-contracted time....not they didn't. Here we are.

Exactly, it always comes down to money.

Weird the district with the highest budget can’t do what neighboring districts with significantly lower costs do.

It has nothing to do with budget, it has to do with teacher salaries and per student costs. FCPS does spend more than LCPS, but they also have more ESOL students. I don’t know how the SPED numbers compare….

Higher than Loudon, higher than Richmond, higher than Arlington? Weird that no other district took seven half days to implement a statewide requirement…FCPS is just so special.

Do you know what the others, including "Loudoun", are doing to implement the requirement?

Loudoun is doing full days after seeking parent feedback, and selected them for their proximity to other holidays. Arlington added two full days off. Alexandria says their plan will not be removing any instructional time. Richmond is using existing training days. It’s really just Fairfax who need 21 school hours arranged to be as wasteful of student and parent time as possible.

I don’t know why we don’t use some of the already scheduled SP and SD days.

ES Teacher

I’ve heard that those at least some of those days are supposed to have UDL training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS and Arlington both used to have weekly early release days in ES years ago. Schools typically had enrichment programs that you can sign up for during the early release hours--STEAM, foreign language, sports clinics, various arts etc. -- and SACC adjusted to cover the early release hours. It definitely was something my kid looked forward to and didn't really upset the schedule. I think it worked out well.

None of this has taken place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why didn't they just give families full days off?

I was told by my principal that that option was discussed quite a bit, but was eliminated because parents already complain about not having five day weeks on the calendar and there weren’t enough resources to spread out across the pyramids.

One parent doesn’t represent the county, many parents are still upset.

This- let's be real whatever they do people will have a problem with.

I keep hearing this, but parents in Arlington and Loudoun were allowed to weigh in on the decision— and aren’t having a problem.

Oh yes they are. Are you kidding?

Look at the post above you from a Loudoun parent. Looks like letting parents weigh in instead of treating them with condescension gets a better result. How surprising.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why didn't they just give families full days off?

I was told by my principal that that option was discussed quite a bit, but was eliminated because parents already complain about not having five day weeks on the calendar and there weren’t enough resources to spread out across the pyramids.

This- let's be real whatever they do people will have a problem with.

I keep hearing this, but parents in Arlington and Loudoun were allowed to weigh in on the decision— and aren’t having a problem.

Oh yes they are. Are you kidding?

Look at the post above you from a Loudoun parent. Looks like letting parents weigh in instead of treating them with condescension gets a better result. How surprising.

Hahhaha, students are getting raped in school and admin is covering it up in Loudon. That's totally where I want my kids to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS and Arlington both used to have weekly early release days in ES years ago. Schools typically had enrichment programs that you can sign up for during the early release hours--STEAM, foreign language, sports clinics, various arts etc. -- and SACC adjusted to cover the early release hours. It definitely was something my kid looked forward to and didn't really upset the schedule. I think it worked out well.

Falls Church City still has them. No problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why didn't they just give families full days off?

I was told by my principal that that option was discussed quite a bit, but was eliminated because parents already complain about not having five day weeks on the calendar and there weren’t enough resources to spread out across the pyramids.

An early departure Monday isn’t a five day week.

It's only early departure for elementary. Middle and high school will have full days all of those days.

Which still means most FCPS schools…don’t have five day school weeks this year. I don’t see why the fact that middle and high school students will is relevant since they don’t present the same childcare challenges—still not addresses— as elementary school.

School isn't daycare. You should never view it at such. Be thankful they are telling you the days now.

This is the dumbest thing I've heard. Yes, it's not daycare (if by that you mean for under 5 year olds). But it's where kids go daily and you should be able to count on it. That's like saying you shouldn't trust that the bridges are always there. Stop buying in Arlington because you shouldn't rely on a bridge to get to work. Except your tax payer dollars paid $$$ for that school and the bridge.

Nah...think about snow days. As a responsible parent, you have to plan for things. What if the school has no power one random morning; or it snows so much they close school early.

I'm thankful they are sharing the days and giving responsible parents time to plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS and Arlington both used to have weekly early release days in ES years ago. Schools typically had enrichment programs that you can sign up for during the early release hours--STEAM, foreign language, sports clinics, various arts etc. -- and SACC adjusted to cover the early release hours. It definitely was something my kid looked forward to and didn't really upset the schedule. I think it worked out well.

None of this has taken place.

It may take a little time to ramp up, but I bet it will in a month or two after school starts. It's not like you can magically immediately will teachers for activities into place, but there are a lot of informal education programs in the area that will likely start providing services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the pyramids have a three hour early release on Nov 25. This is the week of Thanksgiving where they have Wednesday through Friday off, too. They are pushing families now to just take the whole week off.
There is only one full day of school that week on Tuesday, Nov 26.

But remember we must all combat absenteeism and if you go to the travel page you’ll find parents being scolded for taking their kids out for such things as traveling abroad.

Teacher from above. There will be nothing academic covered for ES on 11/25 and only about 30 mins of instruction on 11/26.

This is so true and it's why these early releases are so upsetting to parents (I'm sure they are for teachers, too).

I must have received 5 emails about making sure my kid attended the last day of high school - they had 10 minute periods. What's the point? FCPS needs to get real.

[Anonymous]

The original question was had your school communicated about in school care after an early release? No, we have heard nothing from our school yet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why didn't they just give families full days off?

I was told by my principal that that option was discussed quite a bit, but was eliminated because parents already complain about not having five day weeks on the calendar and there weren’t enough resources to spread out across the pyramids.

An early departure Monday isn’t a five day week.

It's only early departure for elementary. Middle and high school will have full days all of those days.

Which still means most FCPS schools…don’t have five day school weeks this year. I don’t see why the fact that middle and high school students will is relevant since they don’t present the same childcare challenges—still not addresses— as elementary school.

School isn't daycare. You should never view it at such. Be thankful they are telling you the days now.

This is the dumbest thing I've heard. Yes, it's not daycare (if by that you mean for under 5 year olds). But it's where kids go daily and you should be able to count on it. That's like saying you shouldn't trust that the bridges are always there. Stop buying in Arlington because you shouldn't rely on a bridge to get to work. Except your tax payer dollars paid $$$ for that school and the bridge.

That is certainly not a dumb thing to say. I agree with the original poster that schools are not day care.

[Anonymous]

I mean, the SB just approved a $700k line item of "Elementary School Early Release Mondays Placeholder" last night, so yes it looks like they'll be doing something, but no I wouldn't expect local schools/SACC to have had time to formulate any sort of care plan, let alone communicate it out to parents. This is a district of 200 schools, it's gonna take a minute.

[Anonymous]

Our school has shared the days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS and Arlington both used to have weekly early release days in ES years ago. Schools typically had enrichment programs that you can sign up for during the early release hours--STEAM, foreign language, sports clinics, various arts etc. -- and SACC adjusted to cover the early release hours. It definitely was something my kid looked forward to and didn't really upset the schedule. I think it worked out well.

None of this has taken place.

It may take a little time to ramp up, but I bet it will in a month or two after school starts. It's not like you can magically immediately will teachers for activities into place, but there are a lot of informal education programs in the area that will likely start providing services.

I’m sure the local martial arts places and day care centers that kids go to after school are aware of the early releases. “At school” after school offerings are going to depend on the PTA, as they always have. Schools with more involved parents/PTA’s will have programs come in, but it’s not free - some are actually kind of $$$. Schools with less involved or no PTA will get nothing. But the fact remains that even the highest quality or most fun and enjoyable after school program is not a substitute for instructional time.