Will DCPS ignore snow days again in June?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused why everyone is yelling about WTU when it appears the mostly non-unionized charter schools are the biggest skirters on this front?

Charters are generally much worse than DCPS but I bet there aren't very many schools in DC where kids actually get 180 days of instruction per the law. Schools are ignoring the law and no one seems to care. Some charters are nowhere close to 180 days.

This may be true, though as posted earlier in the thread this is a DC law not a federal law, and school attendance days vary widely across the country.

The question is why everyone keeps blaming WTU for something that they don't have much control over and which unionized schools aren't the biggest offenders. It feels like a way to just blame teachers even though they aren't at fault at all here

180 days is both DC law, and the national norm. Sure, there's a few outliers. Kansas requires 186 days. But 180 days has been the standard for generations. Our teachers are among the most highly paid in the country and our test scores are among the very worst. Given all that, it doesnt seem to much to ask that DC schools do their job on the days they're being paid to do their job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused why everyone is yelling about WTU when it appears the mostly non-unionized charter schools are the biggest skirters on this front?

Charters are generally much worse than DCPS but I bet there aren't very many schools in DC where kids actually get 180 days of instruction per the law. Schools are ignoring the law and no one seems to care. Some charters are nowhere close to 180 days.

This may be true, though as posted earlier in the thread this is a DC law not a federal law, and school attendance days vary widely across the country.

The question is why everyone keeps blaming WTU for something that they don't have much control over and which unionized schools aren't the biggest offenders. It feels like a way to just blame teachers even though they aren't at fault at all here

180 days is both DC law, and the national norm. Sure, there's a few outliers. Kansas requires 186 days. But 180 days has been the standard for generations. Our teachers are among the most highly paid in the country and our test scores are among the very worst. Given all that, it doesnt seem to much to ask that DC schools do their job on the days they're being paid to do their job.

But again the question is about WTU and why people are blaming WTU. This appears to be an admin problem in DC that people are ripping teachers for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused why everyone is yelling about WTU when it appears the mostly non-unionized charter schools are the biggest skirters on this front?

Charters are generally much worse than DCPS but I bet there aren't very many schools in DC where kids actually get 180 days of instruction per the law. Schools are ignoring the law and no one seems to care. Some charters are nowhere close to 180 days.

This may be true, though as posted earlier in the thread this is a DC law not a federal law, and school attendance days vary widely across the country.

The question is why everyone keeps blaming WTU for something that they don't have much control over and which unionized schools aren't the biggest offenders. It feels like a way to just blame teachers even though they aren't at fault at all here

180 days is both DC law, and the national norm. Sure, there's a few outliers. Kansas requires 186 days. But 180 days has been the standard for generations. Our teachers are among the most highly paid in the country and our test scores are among the very worst. Given all that, it doesnt seem to much to ask that DC schools do their job on the days they're being paid to do their job.

But again the question is about WTU and why people are blaming WTU. This appears to be an admin problem in DC that people are ripping teachers for.

Part of the problem is the ridiculous number of "professional development" days WTU demands. Everyone knows these are a complete waste of time. It would also be great if they could agree to move all PD days to June, at the end of the school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused why everyone is yelling about WTU when it appears the mostly non-unionized charter schools are the biggest skirters on this front?

Charters are generally much worse than DCPS but I bet there aren't very many schools in DC where kids actually get 180 days of instruction per the law. Schools are ignoring the law and no one seems to care. Some charters are nowhere close to 180 days.

This may be true, though as posted earlier in the thread this is a DC law not a federal law, and school attendance days vary widely across the country.

The question is why everyone keeps blaming WTU for something that they don't have much control over and which unionized schools aren't the biggest offenders. It feels like a way to just blame teachers even though they aren't at fault at all here

180 days is both DC law, and the national norm. Sure, there's a few outliers. Kansas requires 186 days. But 180 days has been the standard for generations. Our teachers are among the most highly paid in the country and our test scores are among the very worst. Given all that, it doesnt seem to much to ask that DC schools do their job on the days they're being paid to do their job.

But again the question is about WTU and why people are blaming WTU. This appears to be an admin problem in DC that people are ripping teachers for.

Part of the problem is the ridiculous number of "professional development" days WTU demands. Everyone knows these are a complete waste of time. It would also be great if they could agree to move all PD days to June, at the end of the school year.

This is a union demand? I thought teachers universally hate these days and find them not useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused why everyone is yelling about WTU when it appears the mostly non-unionized charter schools are the biggest skirters on this front?

Charters are generally much worse than DCPS but I bet there aren't very many schools in DC where kids actually get 180 days of instruction per the law. Schools are ignoring the law and no one seems to care. Some charters are nowhere close to 180 days.

This may be true, though as posted earlier in the thread this is a DC law not a federal law, and school attendance days vary widely across the country.

The question is why everyone keeps blaming WTU for something that they don't have much control over and which unionized schools aren't the biggest offenders. It feels like a way to just blame teachers even though they aren't at fault at all here

180 days is both DC law, and the national norm. Sure, there's a few outliers. Kansas requires 186 days. But 180 days has been the standard for generations. Our teachers are among the most highly paid in the country and our test scores are among the very worst. Given all that, it doesnt seem to much to ask that DC schools do their job on the days they're being paid to do their job.

But again the question is about WTU and why people are blaming WTU. This appears to be an admin problem in DC that people are ripping teachers for.

Part of the problem is the ridiculous number of "professional development" days WTU demands. Everyone knows these are a complete waste of time. It would also be great if they could agree to move all PD days to June, at the end of the school year.

This is a union demand? I thought teachers universally hate these days and find them not useful.

WTU has a long history of using stuff teachers don't even want as bargaining chips for some reason. PD days is probably the worst example of this.

However, not that teachers can do PD days remotely, you won't find them complaining about them so much...

[Anonymous]

^ now that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused why everyone is yelling about WTU when it appears the mostly non-unionized charter schools are the biggest skirters on this front?

Charters are generally much worse than DCPS but I bet there aren't very many schools in DC where kids actually get 180 days of instruction per the law. Schools are ignoring the law and no one seems to care. Some charters are nowhere close to 180 days.

This may be true, though as posted earlier in the thread this is a DC law not a federal law, and school attendance days vary widely across the country.

The question is why everyone keeps blaming WTU for something that they don't have much control over and which unionized schools aren't the biggest offenders. It feels like a way to just blame teachers even though they aren't at fault at all here

180 days is both DC law, and the national norm. Sure, there's a few outliers. Kansas requires 186 days. But 180 days has been the standard for generations. Our teachers are among the most highly paid in the country and our test scores are among the very worst. Given all that, it doesnt seem to much to ask that DC schools do their job on the days they're being paid to do their job.

But again the question is about WTU and why people are blaming WTU. This appears to be an admin problem in DC that people are ripping teachers for.

Part of the problem is the ridiculous number of "professional development" days WTU demands. Everyone knows these are a complete waste of time. It would also be great if they could agree to move all PD days to June, at the end of the school year.

This is a union demand? I thought teachers universally hate these days and find them not useful.

WTU has a long history of using stuff teachers don't even want as bargaining chips for some reason. PD days is probably the worst example of this.

However, not that teachers can do PD days remotely, you won't find them complaining about them so much...

Professional development days are stupid and cause far too many problems with school calendars.

[Anonymous]

I know of no teachers who like pd days. I’ve taught far longer than anyone “training” me from downtown. Please build them in as snow days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this is a really serious issue that no one pays attention to. our charter school doesnt come anywhere close to 180 days and no one cares. parents aren't paying attention and osse lets schools ignore the law.

I don't see how your charter is getting away with less than 180 days. All charters have to verify and publish a calendar showing a minimum of 180 days. Is your charter publishing a calendar with the days and then closing school on days when they should be open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went back to look at how this went down last year, and it seems like they found some technical way to claim that they fulfilled the 180 day requirement despite two snow days. But there was never a formal announcement explaining the decision; the only thing i can find is a Twitter post in late April reiterating that the last day of school was still June 17.

I assume something similar will happen this year, assuming no additional snow days. Otherwise, presumably the last day of school will move to Friday, 6/20, with the teacher records day moving to Monday, 6/23.

Our charter school had “asynchronous learning” days during spring break last year. This year they proactively added them in November. The kids did worksheets. No one learned anything.

It didn’t bother me because our kids are in lower elementary, and I wouldn’t have sent them for days added at the end of the year anyway because we scheduled summer travel for the day after the last day of school. But as they get older loss of instructional time is going to be a bigger issue.

Charters are really abusing the rules, much more than DCPS. Some of them are not even in the ballpark of 180 days.

At least DCPS tallies up the 180 days on the calendar: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY%2024-25%20Calendar%20Final_03202024_English.pdf

Which charters are egregiously shirking on the 180 day requirement? Can anyone link to calendar examples?

No one can point to the examples because they don't exist. In this entire thread, despite numerous posts that there are schools skirting the 180 days requirement, not one actual school doing so is named nor is there a single calendar link provided showing a school with less than 180 days. I love this forum - one random anonymous person claims wrongdoing without pointing to any evidence, then a bunch of people pile on to the mistruth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went back to look at how this went down last year, and it seems like they found some technical way to claim that they fulfilled the 180 day requirement despite two snow days. But there was never a formal announcement explaining the decision; the only thing i can find is a Twitter post in late April reiterating that the last day of school was still June 17.

I assume something similar will happen this year, assuming no additional snow days. Otherwise, presumably the last day of school will move to Friday, 6/20, with the teacher records day moving to Monday, 6/23.

Our charter school had “asynchronous learning” days during spring break last year. This year they proactively added them in November. The kids did worksheets. No one learned anything.

It didn’t bother me because our kids are in lower elementary, and I wouldn’t have sent them for days added at the end of the year anyway because we scheduled summer travel for the day after the last day of school. But as they get older loss of instructional time is going to be a bigger issue.

Charters are really abusing the rules, much more than DCPS. Some of them are not even in the ballpark of 180 days.

At least DCPS tallies up the 180 days on the calendar: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY%2024-25%20Calendar%20Final_03202024_English.pdf

Which charters are egregiously shirking on the 180 day requirement? Can anyone link to calendar examples?

No one can point to the examples because they don't exist. In this entire thread, despite numerous posts that there are schools skirting the 180 days requirement, not one actual school doing so is named nor is there a single calendar link provided showing a school with less than 180 days. I love this forum - one random anonymous person claims wrongdoing without pointing to any evidence, then a bunch of people pile on to the mistruth.

Er, well, there's multiple charter schools that have professional development days every week. It's not possible to have 180 days if you take weekly PD days on top of snow cancellations unless you're going to school well into the summer, and they aren't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went back to look at how this went down last year, and it seems like they found some technical way to claim that they fulfilled the 180 day requirement despite two snow days. But there was never a formal announcement explaining the decision; the only thing i can find is a Twitter post in late April reiterating that the last day of school was still June 17.

I assume something similar will happen this year, assuming no additional snow days. Otherwise, presumably the last day of school will move to Friday, 6/20, with the teacher records day moving to Monday, 6/23.

Our charter school had “asynchronous learning” days during spring break last year. This year they proactively added them in November. The kids did worksheets. No one learned anything.

It didn’t bother me because our kids are in lower elementary, and I wouldn’t have sent them for days added at the end of the year anyway because we scheduled summer travel for the day after the last day of school. But as they get older loss of instructional time is going to be a bigger issue.

Charters are really abusing the rules, much more than DCPS. Some of them are not even in the ballpark of 180 days.

At least DCPS tallies up the 180 days on the calendar: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY%2024-25%20Calendar%20Final_03202024_English.pdf

Which charters are egregiously shirking on the 180 day requirement? Can anyone link to calendar examples?

No one can point to the examples because they don't exist. In this entire thread, despite numerous posts that there are schools skirting the 180 days requirement, not one actual school doing so is named nor is there a single calendar link provided showing a school with less than 180 days. I love this forum - one random anonymous person claims wrongdoing without pointing to any evidence, then a bunch of people pile on to the mistruth.

Er, well, there's multiple charter schools that have professional development days every week. It's not possible to have 180 days if you take weekly PD days on top of snow cancellations unless you're going to school well into the summer, and they aren't.

Do they serve lunch? Then the day counts and a school day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this is a really serious issue that no one pays attention to. our charter school doesnt come anywhere close to 180 days and no one cares. parents aren't paying attention and osse lets schools ignore the law.

I don't see how your charter is getting away with less than 180 days. All charters have to verify and publish a calendar showing a minimum of 180 days. Is your charter publishing a calendar with the days and then closing school on days when they should be open.

There's the rub. It all comes down to what counts as a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went back to look at how this went down last year, and it seems like they found some technical way to claim that they fulfilled the 180 day requirement despite two snow days. But there was never a formal announcement explaining the decision; the only thing i can find is a Twitter post in late April reiterating that the last day of school was still June 17.

I assume something similar will happen this year, assuming no additional snow days. Otherwise, presumably the last day of school will move to Friday, 6/20, with the teacher records day moving to Monday, 6/23.

Our charter school had “asynchronous learning” days during spring break last year. This year they proactively added them in November. The kids did worksheets. No one learned anything.

It didn’t bother me because our kids are in lower elementary, and I wouldn’t have sent them for days added at the end of the year anyway because we scheduled summer travel for the day after the last day of school. But as they get older loss of instructional time is going to be a bigger issue.

Charters are really abusing the rules, much more than DCPS. Some of them are not even in the ballpark of 180 days.

At least DCPS tallies up the 180 days on the calendar: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY%2024-25%20Calendar%20Final_03202024_English.pdf

Which charters are egregiously shirking on the 180 day requirement? Can anyone link to calendar examples?

No one can point to the examples because they don't exist. In this entire thread, despite numerous posts that there are schools skirting the 180 days requirement, not one actual school doing so is named nor is there a single calendar link provided showing a school with less than 180 days. I love this forum - one random anonymous person claims wrongdoing without pointing to any evidence, then a bunch of people pile on to the mistruth.

Er, well, there's multiple charter schools that have professional development days every week. It's not possible to have 180 days if you take weekly PD days on top of snow cancellations unless you're going to school well into the summer, and they aren't.

Do they serve lunch? Then the day counts and a school day.

Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went back to look at how this went down last year, and it seems like they found some technical way to claim that they fulfilled the 180 day requirement despite two snow days. But there was never a formal announcement explaining the decision; the only thing i can find is a Twitter post in late April reiterating that the last day of school was still June 17.

I assume something similar will happen this year, assuming no additional snow days. Otherwise, presumably the last day of school will move to Friday, 6/20, with the teacher records day moving to Monday, 6/23.

Our charter school had “asynchronous learning” days during spring break last year. This year they proactively added them in November. The kids did worksheets. No one learned anything.

It didn’t bother me because our kids are in lower elementary, and I wouldn’t have sent them for days added at the end of the year anyway because we scheduled summer travel for the day after the last day of school. But as they get older loss of instructional time is going to be a bigger issue.

Charters are really abusing the rules, much more than DCPS. Some of them are not even in the ballpark of 180 days.

At least DCPS tallies up the 180 days on the calendar: https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY%2024-25%20Calendar%20Final_03202024_English.pdf

Which charters are egregiously shirking on the 180 day requirement? Can anyone link to calendar examples?

No one can point to the examples because they don't exist. In this entire thread, despite numerous posts that there are schools skirting the 180 days requirement, not one actual school doing so is named nor is there a single calendar link provided showing a school with less than 180 days. I love this forum - one random anonymous person claims wrongdoing without pointing to any evidence, then a bunch of people pile on to the mistruth.

Schools get waivers from the 180 day requirement all the time. Of course, they often fail to mention to parents when they do.