Melanie Meren's FB post about the calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have no problem with the days off. We just roll with it.

You're so chill. Can I be like you? A mediocre cog!

You’re not a regular mom. You’re a COOL mom.

[Anonymous]

3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)

I don't know how anyone can argue this is a good schedule with continuity of learning. No-school November has spread into other months of the FCPS school calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)

I don't know how anyone can argue this is a good schedule with continuity of learning. No-school November has spread into other months of the FCPS school calendar.

Those arguing it is a good schedule are out of their mind.

It is a horrible schedule for kids of all grades!!! This isn't about child care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)

I don't know how anyone can argue this is a good schedule with continuity of learning. No-school November has spread into other months of the FCPS school calendar.

It’s a great schedule for my family. Allows high school students plenty of time to do college visits and prep for AP exams.

We love the calendar this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)

I don't know how anyone can argue this is a good schedule with continuity of learning. No-school November has spread into other months of the FCPS school calendar.

Why stop there? 4/10 no school again

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)

I don't know how anyone can argue this is a good schedule with continuity of learning. No-school November has spread into other months of the FCPS school calendar.

Why stop there? 4/10 no school again

You're right.

3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)
4/10 No School (School Planning Day)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)

I don't know how anyone can argue this is a good schedule with continuity of learning. No-school November has spread into other months of the FCPS school calendar.

Why stop there? 4/10 no school again

You're right.

3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)
4/10 No School (School Planning Day)

PP again. Granted spring break is in there but the Monday after spring break, the Friday after spring break, the two half days the week before spring break all add up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)

I don't know how anyone can argue this is a good schedule with continuity of learning. No-school November has spread into other months of the FCPS school calendar.

Why stop there? 4/10 no school again

You're right.

3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)
4/10 No School (School Planning Day)

Gotta get some days off in April before the very long Memorial Day weekend

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)

I don't know how anyone can argue this is a good schedule with continuity of learning. No-school November has spread into other months of the FCPS school calendar.

Why stop there? 4/10 no school again

You're right.

3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)
4/10 No School (School Planning Day)

Gotta get some days off in April before the very long Memorial Day weekend

From another post, it seems that April 21 is also going to give us some time to rest before the very long memorial day weekend! Paired with an early release next day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)

I don't know how anyone can argue this is a good schedule with continuity of learning. No-school November has spread into other months of the FCPS school calendar.

It’s a great schedule for my family. Allows high school students plenty of time to do college visits and prep for AP exams.

We love the calendar this year.

+1 same. Parent of a HS student. We like the schedule and it’s great for us.

[Anonymous]

If Meren is leading the charge, as she claims, it’s doomed to be a debacle that fails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:3/20 No School (Holiday Eid al-Fitr /Nowruz)
3/25 3-hour early release (Elementary)
3/27 2-hour early release (EOQ)
3/30-4/3 No School (Spring Break)
4/6 No School (Teacher Work Day)

I don't know how anyone can argue this is a good schedule with continuity of learning. No-school November has spread into other months of the FCPS school calendar.

And this is why we are pulling our kids out of FCPS. The staff run it in their interest. I feel bad for the teachers because I think most genuinely care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Melanie Meren just posted this on Facebook:

The School Board has heard from many families regarding the lack of full, five-day school weeks this year and the significant burden this places on families who must navigate complex and often costly childcare arrangements. In the 2025-26 school year alone, partial weeks occurred more than half the time, functioning as an informal “childcare tax” that falls hardest on our hourly-wage and most vulnerable households.
To address these challenges, I am collaborating on a new draft policy to be circulated among my School Board colleagues that aims to consolidate overlapping directives into a single, unified framework. A primary goal is to prioritize five-day school weeks as the default standard to restore instructional continuity and provide families with stability they need.
Another goal is to clarify the Superintendent’s responsibilities in developing the student calendar while ensuring the School Board reviews and approves it as part of our annual work cycle.
My goal is to have the calendar beginning in SY 26-27 adjusted to increase the number of five-day school weeks.
I’ll keep the community updated as work proceeds.
Sincerely,
Melanie

So, reach out to your Board and have your opinions heard! Don't wait for some dumb and poorly designed survey to land in your spam folder.

It is clear from Meren’s post that she is concerned about the childcare costs to families. She does not cite academics as one of her concerns.

FCPS staff and leadership are all aware that the content in ES does not require a full five days. Parents should also be aware of this in order to be fully informed during any policy change discussions.

Then— crazy idea here— use the time to teach children more than the bare minimum required.

Or, end elementary school two weeks earlier than middle and high school so the kids can start summer (and summer plans which prioritize kids) sooner.

+1. Why is everyone afraid of their kids learning more than the bare minimum required for a test?

This is one of the things that has really surprised me the most about the early release Wednesday. Let’s take them at their word-hyphen that the teachers desperately *desperately* need three extra hours to plan.

What stops FCPS from finding enriching programming for three hours? Have author talks, nature/science presentations, classical musicians, heck that bubble man. Get the same people providing “childcare” to supervise the kids in a 90 minute assembly where the kids are exposed to something worthwhile and interesting. Less pushback from the parents then you do warehouse children on screens for then reminding parents that it’s only for “hardship” cases.

I honestly think this is the answer. Having days off or early releases is fine, especially if the teachers need it. The issue is the constant disruption it causes to families (for all sorts of reasons) and the constant scrambling. So many people are in survivor mode and this is just one more thing on top of the "mountain of things" that need to be handled.

Money is definitely an issue but I think many parents would be willing to work around cost and find solutions if it meant having one less major stressor. Just think about how much easier things would be if families knew that, no matter what, kids *could* be in school Monday through Friday from August to June.

The solutions could be endless. Schools could offer things like mini-camps, tutoring, enrichment programs, gym or playground time, movie days, read-ins, guest lectures, special assemblies, field trips, mentor programs, community service or structured free time where students can dive deeper into interests they enjoy. Other options could include special projects, student clubs, creative writing, public speaking, piano lessons, sports, photography, and more.

Staffing could come from a mix of employees, contractors, volunteers, parents, substitute teachers, and local businesses in the community.

Funding could also come from multiple sources, including tax dollars, grants, and private payments, with support built in for families who could not afford it. Many kid-focused businesses would jump at the chance to offer free or low-cost programs simply for the exposure. Traditional advertising is expensive and the return is unpredictable, so having direct access to families would be extremely appealing to many organizations.

All great points. It’s entirely FCPS’ choice to act like the labor of women comes at no cost and anyone who isn’t a SAHM is a “hardship case”

Great point. I thought this county was supposed to be progressive and empower girl bosses. Apparently not.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Melanie Meren just posted this on Facebook:

The School Board has heard from many families regarding the lack of full, five-day school weeks this year and the significant burden this places on families who must navigate complex and often costly childcare arrangements. In the 2025-26 school year alone, partial weeks occurred more than half the time, functioning as an informal “childcare tax” that falls hardest on our hourly-wage and most vulnerable households.
To address these challenges, I am collaborating on a new draft policy to be circulated among my School Board colleagues that aims to consolidate overlapping directives into a single, unified framework. A primary goal is to prioritize five-day school weeks as the default standard to restore instructional continuity and provide families with stability they need.
Another goal is to clarify the Superintendent’s responsibilities in developing the student calendar while ensuring the School Board reviews and approves it as part of our annual work cycle.
My goal is to have the calendar beginning in SY 26-27 adjusted to increase the number of five-day school weeks.
I’ll keep the community updated as work proceeds.
Sincerely,
Melanie

So, reach out to your Board and have your opinions heard! Don't wait for some dumb and poorly designed survey to land in your spam folder.[/quote]

It is clear from Meren’s post that she is concerned about the childcare costs to families. She does not cite academics as one of her concerns.

FCPS staff and leadership are all aware that the content in ES does not require a full five days. Parents should also be aware of this in order to be fully informed during any policy change discussions. [/quote]

Then— crazy idea here— use the time to teach children more than the bare minimum required.

Or, end elementary school two weeks earlier than middle and high school so the kids can start summer (and summer plans which prioritize kids) sooner.[/quote]

+1. Why is everyone afraid of their kids learning more than the bare minimum required for a test?[/quote]

We aren’t. We just don’t need the childcare and can handle the 4 day weeks and random days off here and there. If that helps teachers, I’m all for it. [/quote]

Teachers signed up for this job. Why do they need to only work 4 days a week? We don't need religious holidays. We don't need weeks off in the winter. We don't need 5 days off for Memorial Day.
Kids shouldn't be getting the bare minimum! You won't convince me otherwise.[/quote]

But equity and multiculturalism!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Melanie Meren just posted this on Facebook:

The School Board has heard from many families regarding the lack of full, five-day school weeks this year and the significant burden this places on families who must navigate complex and often costly childcare arrangements. In the 2025-26 school year alone, partial weeks occurred more than half the time, functioning as an informal “childcare tax” that falls hardest on our hourly-wage and most vulnerable households.
To address these challenges, I am collaborating on a new draft policy to be circulated among my School Board colleagues that aims to consolidate overlapping directives into a single, unified framework. A primary goal is to prioritize five-day school weeks as the default standard to restore instructional continuity and provide families with stability they need.
Another goal is to clarify the Superintendent’s responsibilities in developing the student calendar while ensuring the School Board reviews and approves it as part of our annual work cycle.
My goal is to have the calendar beginning in SY 26-27 adjusted to increase the number of five-day school weeks.
I’ll keep the community updated as work proceeds.
Sincerely,
Melanie

So, reach out to your Board and have your opinions heard! Don't wait for some dumb and poorly designed survey to land in your spam folder.

It is clear from Meren’s post that she is concerned about the childcare costs to families. She does not cite academics as one of her concerns.

FCPS staff and leadership are all aware that the content in ES does not require a full five days. Parents should also be aware of this in order to be fully informed during any policy change discussions.

Then— crazy idea here— use the time to teach children more than the bare minimum required.

Or, end elementary school two weeks earlier than middle and high school so the kids can start summer (and summer plans which prioritize kids) sooner.

+1. Why is everyone afraid of their kids learning more than the bare minimum required for a test?

This is one of the things that has really surprised me the most about the early release Wednesday. Let’s take them at their word-hyphen that the teachers desperately *desperately* need three extra hours to plan.

What stops FCPS from finding enriching programming for three hours? Have author talks, nature/science presentations, classical musicians, heck that bubble man. Get the same people providing “childcare” to supervise the kids in a 90 minute assembly where the kids are exposed to something worthwhile and interesting. Less pushback from the parents then you do warehouse children on screens for then reminding parents that it’s only for “hardship” cases.

I honestly think this is the answer. Having days off or early releases is fine, especially if the teachers need it. The issue is the constant disruption it causes to families (for all sorts of reasons) and the constant scrambling. So many people are in survivor mode and this is just one more thing on top of the "mountain of things" that need to be handled.

Money is definitely an issue but I think many parents would be willing to work around cost and find solutions if it meant having one less major stressor. Just think about how much easier things would be if families knew that, no matter what, kids *could* be in school Monday through Friday from August to June.

The solutions could be endless. Schools could offer things like mini-camps, tutoring, enrichment programs, gym or playground time, movie days, read-ins, guest lectures, special assemblies, field trips, mentor programs, community service or structured free time where students can dive deeper into interests they enjoy. Other options could include special projects, student clubs, creative writing, public speaking, piano lessons, sports, photography, and more.

Staffing could come from a mix of employees, contractors, volunteers, parents, substitute teachers, and local businesses in the community.

Funding could also come from multiple sources, including tax dollars, grants, and private payments, with support built in for families who could not afford it. Many kid-focused businesses would jump at the chance to offer free or low-cost programs simply for the exposure. Traditional advertising is expensive and the return is unpredictable, so having direct access to families would be extremely appealing to many organizations.

All great points. It’s entirely FCPS’ choice to act like the labor of women comes at no cost and anyone who isn’t a SAHM is a “hardship case”

Great point. I thought this county was supposed to be progressive and empower girl bosses. Apparently not.

FCPS’ schedule is about as misogynistic as it gets, if you look at the actual data of who they are expecting to step out of the workplace to accommodate their choices. It’s weird how it never gets included in their equity planning.