What the?? 2 hr delay FCPS for Wed??!!!

[Anonymous]

Prince William opened on time today.

I work from home, so can handle a delay and would be happy to watch a neighbor's child for a couple hours if both parents had to get to work. I understand the frustration of WOHPs when trying to figure out the logistics of a delay and don't think the parents consider schools their child's babysitter - that's such a ridiculous statement. If you're lucky enough to not have to worry about such schedule changes, you shouldn't judge parents who do have to worry about it.

[Anonymous]

My sister's kids were on a delay yesterday in central VA, where they were also in the single digits. She said their district "treated the gas tanks" on the buses. It sounds like there is an additive available that FCPS doesn't have have.

We put tights on under pants since we don't have long johns and extra layers.

[Anonymous]

What is with Fairfax Co lately?

It's falling apart at the seams.

[Anonymous]

Well, for what it's worth, DH is out there right now trying to get DC to private on a delayed schedule and he says it is hell - iced roads and accidents everywhere. Our private follows FCPS. He should have been back an hour ago but texted that it's just a mess. Maybe FCPS made the right choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, for what it's worth, DH is out there right now trying to get DC to private on a delayed schedule and he says it is hell - iced roads and accidents everywhere. Our private follows FCPS. He should have been back an hour ago but texted that it's just a mess. Maybe FCPS made the right choice.

What?? Where do you live? All roads are dry as a bone as far as I've seen. Accidents everywhere? Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, for what it's worth, DH is out there right now trying to get DC to private on a delayed schedule and he says it is hell - iced roads and accidents everywhere. Our private follows FCPS. He should have been back an hour ago but texted that it's just a mess. Maybe FCPS made the right choice.

What?? Where do you live? All roads are dry as a bone as far as I've seen. Accidents everywhere? Really?

+1. I have no idea what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is all about potential liability and the adults....FFX County doesn't want to run the risk of getting sued if Little Susie's left toe gets cold and her parents decide to sue because she had to wait at the bus stop.

I am from New England and this is totally crazy. Don't use bio-diesel if it won't work in the cold. We have cold temps every few years in this country...we don't live in Miami.

I agree with this. They aren't protecting the kids; they're protecting themselves.

[Anonymous]

In Montgomery County the high schoolers were taking a national exam, so they didn't close schools. Interesting that they somehow got the busses to work for a test, but otherwise the busses don't run well enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about finding a stay at home mom and paying her to watch your kids on days like this? Everyone should have some type of plan. What do you do when your child is sick?

I have plans for when there are extenuating circumstances ... like illness. NOT for freakin 20 degree weather! SMH.

It is forecast to be 2 degrees at 6:30 am tomorrow morning, when many middle and high schoolers are outside (in the dark) waiting at their bus stops. I am guessing FCPS thought it would be good to delay the start so the buses would have time to warm up and the temps are above 10 degrees when they pick up middle and high schoolers.

The way the bus routes work, the middle/high school runs are first, and then the buses make their elementary school runs.

Fine. Then have "no bus service" days. No need to completely lose another day of school.

So they should have no bus service days so kids whose parents have cars can avoid a two hour delay? What about kids whose parents don't have cars? I guess those kids just don't get to go to school that day, but no big deal, your kid is taken care of. Maybe you don't know anyone without a car, but in some parts of Fairfax County it's not uncommon.

School districts are limited geographically. There is no reason why people can't team up with a neighbor to get their kid to school.

You aren't even TRYING to find ways for schools to be open. We sent a man to the freaking moon, it should not be impossible for us to get our kids to school when it's 5 degrees outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So sorry that all of you who use school as free babysitting are annoyed. I'm getting pretty sick of you all whining. I'm sure that there is a very good reason why school will be starting late....think of all those kids who have to walk or wait for long periods at the bus stop. Or the kids who are in trailers ALL DAY LONG who have to walk to the main building to go to the bathroom.

And I'm pretty sick of all the ridiculous excuses. Most of the kids in our neighborhood are driven to school and/or the bus stop. The trailers issue is a pretty pathetic reason for a first-world school system that is so smug about how good it is to cancel classes. If we need more real classrooms and bathrooms then lets stop kidding ourselves and address these issues. Or perhaps we can just cancel school for the winter and make the kids go in the summer when going outside wouldn't be such a problem.

This isn't about babysitting. This is about expecting a school system to be able to properly educate kids. And if FCPS has to cancel school every time cold, windy or stormy weather threatens the increasing number of students being taught in trailers, they're not doing that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So sorry that all of you who use school as free babysitting are annoyed. I'm getting pretty sick of you all whining. I'm sure that there is a very good reason why school will be starting late....think of all those kids who have to walk or wait for long periods at the bus stop. Or the kids who are in trailers ALL DAY LONG who have to walk to the main building to go to the bathroom.

And I'm pretty sick of all the ridiculous excuses. Most of the kids in our neighborhood are driven to school and/or the bus stop. The trailers issue is a pretty pathetic reason for a first-world school system that is so smug about how good it is to cancel classes. If we need more real classrooms and bathrooms then lets stop kidding ourselves and address these issues. Or perhaps we can just cancel school for the winter and make the kids go in the summer when going outside wouldn't be such a problem.

This isn't about babysitting. This is about expecting a school system to be able to properly educate kids. And if FCPS has to cancel school every time cold, windy or stormy weather threatens the increasing number of students being taught in trailers, they're not doing that.

They would just close when it's "dangerously hot" or the UV index is high. Overweight kids will overheat. Poor people can't afford sun screen. Trailers don't have adequate A/C. Etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about finding a stay at home mom and paying her to watch your kids on days like this? Everyone should have some type of plan. What do you do when your child is sick?

I have plans for when there are extenuating circumstances ... like illness. NOT for freakin 20 degree weather! SMH.

It is forecast to be 2 degrees at 6:30 am tomorrow morning, when many middle and high schoolers are outside (in the dark) waiting at their bus stops. I am guessing FCPS thought it would be good to delay the start so the buses would have time to warm up and the temps are above 10 degrees when they pick up middle and high schoolers.

The way the bus routes work, the middle/high school runs are first, and then the buses make their elementary school runs.

Fine. Then have "no bus service" days. No need to completely lose another day of school.

So they should have no bus service days so kids whose parents have cars can avoid a two hour delay? What about kids whose parents don't have cars? I guess those kids just don't get to go to school that day, but no big deal, your kid is taken care of. Maybe you don't know anyone without a car, but in some parts of Fairfax County it's not uncommon.

School districts are limited geographically. There is no reason why people can't team up with a neighbor to get their kid to school.

You aren't even TRYING to find ways for schools to be open. We sent a man to the freaking moon, it should not be impossible for us to get our kids to school when it's 5 degrees outside.

If FCPS closes for too many days because of bad weather, they make it up at the end. The days don't just go away. I can guarantee you that a two hour delay is logistically way better than cancelling bus service and expecting all the kids in the entire school system (over 180,00) to get driven to school. But keep telling yourself that you are somehow coming up with solutions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So sorry that all of you who use school as free babysitting are annoyed. I'm getting pretty sick of you all whining. I'm sure that there is a very good reason why school will be starting late....think of all those kids who have to walk or wait for long periods at the bus stop. Or the kids who are in trailers ALL DAY LONG who have to walk to the main building to go to the bathroom.

And I'm pretty sick of all the ridiculous excuses. Most of the kids in our neighborhood are driven to school and/or the bus stop. The trailers issue is a pretty pathetic reason for a first-world school system that is so smug about how good it is to cancel classes. If we need more real classrooms and bathrooms then lets stop kidding ourselves and address these issues. Or perhaps we can just cancel school for the winter and make the kids go in the summer when going outside wouldn't be such a problem.

This isn't about babysitting. This is about expecting a school system to be able to properly educate kids. And if FCPS has to cancel school every time cold, windy or stormy weather threatens the increasing number of students being taught in trailers, they're not doing that.

You do realize this weather pattern happens maybe once in 20 years? The cancel school for winter rant is a little over the top for a cancellation due to a rare weather pattern. Calm down and let it go. Something FCPS should consider doing is creating a zoning system and close based on zones for all those snow days that happen every year. For example, kids in Falls Church get off way too many snow days for no reason. Those happen all the time. If you want to rant about something, maybe something that actually happens more frequently might be a good place to start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we need more real classrooms and bathrooms then lets stop kidding ourselves and address these issues.

[phone]

Listen to Dr. Garza's proposed budget presentation tomorrow night and see if she addresses the need for more real classrooms and bathrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is with Fairfax Co lately?

It's falling apart at the seams.

Ask Dr Garza.