DCPS and Jewish holidays

[Anonymous]

I wish they would give Rosh hashanah and yom Kippur off like all surrounding counties. I am not sure of the exact numbers, but obviously there are less Jew in DC than in MCPS, but maybe not PG and they get those days off. we have a lot of Jewish families at our school... way more than in some MC areas and they have the days off. Anything I can do? Get a petition going? I mean we have off the day after this year for a PD, you think they could just throw us a bone and say, we respect your holiday, students can have off. I mean we get Easter Monday off...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish they would give Rosh hashanah and yom Kippur off like all surrounding counties. I am not sure of the exact numbers, but obviously there are less Jew in DC than in MCPS, but maybe not PG and they get those days off. we have a lot of Jewish families at our school... way more than in some MC areas and they have the days off. Anything I can do? Get a petition going? I mean we have off the day after this year for a PD, you think they could just throw us a bone and say, we respect your holiday, students can have off. I mean we get Easter Monday off...

I'm pretty sure you can take the day off and the school administrators can mark it as an excused absence for religious holiday. Otherwise it sounds like an issue that you should have brought up during the twitter town hall with Chantwan.

[Anonymous]

Any student who misses school for religious reasons gets an excused absence. How does that not meet the need? When the calendar survey comes out for next year's school calendar submit your opinion about Jewish holidays and get others to do so as well.

[Anonymous]

We moved from NJ to FCPS where we don't get Jewish holidays off now either. At first I was upset and wanted to petition etc but that seemed like too much work, now I am just over it and my kids take the days off.

[Anonymous]

I've never lived in a school district that gave the high holidays off. I understand that when you move from one to the other it seems like you are "missing out" but it isn't a lot of school districts in the US that do it. I suggest you do what everyone else here is saying - just get over it, have your kids take the days off and receive an excused absence.

[Anonymous]

Adding this link to stress my point
http://brilliantmaps.com/u-s-counties-where-schools-close-for-jewish-holidays/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any student who misses school for religious reasons gets an excused absence. How does that not meet the need? When the calendar survey comes out for next year's school calendar submit your opinion about Jewish holidays and get others to do so as well.

NP. How does that not needs? My kid is missing multiple days of instruction. I don't really care if it is considered excused or not. And lots of kids have substitutes, so next to no actual teaching, because lots of Jewish teachers are out.

[Anonymous]

Ok. We also need to have holidays for Eid and the other major Muslim holidays, because there are as many Muslims as Jews in DCPS. We can dismiss for the year in July. Easy peasy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok. We also need to have holidays for Eid and the other major Muslim holidays, because there are as many Muslims as Jews in DCPS. We can dismiss for the year in July. Easy peasy.

FWIW I believe NYC gets off for both Jewish holidays and Muslim holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok. We also need to have holidays for Eid and the other major Muslim holidays, because there are as many Muslims as Jews in DCPS. We can dismiss for the year in July. Easy peasy.

That is precisely how schools with significant Muslim and Jewish populations handle it. I assume your concern over schedule doesn't include an offer to have school on Christmas to make up the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. We also need to have holidays for Eid and the other major Muslim holidays, because there are as many Muslims as Jews in DCPS. We can dismiss for the year in July. Easy peasy.

That is precisely how schools with significant Muslim and Jewish populations handle it. I assume your concern over schedule doesn't include an offer to have school on Christmas to make up the day.

There is the practical matter that most US employers are closed on Xmas. My employer is open for business on the High Holidays, so I would have to pay for childcare if schools closed on those days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok. We also need to have holidays for Eid and the other major Muslim holidays, because there are as many Muslims as Jews in DCPS. We can dismiss for the year in July. Easy peasy.

That is precisely how schools with significant Muslim and Jewish populations handle it. I assume your concern over schedule doesn't include an offer to have school on Christmas to make up the day.

There is the practical matter that most US employers are closed on Xmas. My employer is open for business on the High Holidays, so I would have to pay for childcare if schools closed on those days

Well we want to inconvenience anyone from the majority now would we. Let's just place the burden exclusively on members of minority religions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Adding this link to stress my point
http://brilliantmaps.com/u-s-counties-where-schools-close-for-jewish-holidays/

And this map isn't correct. For instance it indicates that Chicago Public Schools are close while in reality they don't.

[Anonymous]

So the whole system should be closed for every religious holiday - even if only 1 student practices a particular religion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So the whole system should be closed for every religious holiday - even if only 1 student practices a particular religion?

I think all or none is the best way to go.