FCPS Closings/Who to contact about this issue/What can we do as parents to solve this problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has over 180,000 students.

The school system has more buses than Greyhound.

A couple days every year is not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

This is true when you have a major snowstorm or event that really would bring even the most durable folks to their knees like the year of Snowmageddon. This hasn't been that. This has been a year of interruptions -- this past one for a week when you didn't know from one minute to the next what was going to happen when the snow event fizzled and kids used high temperatures to snowboard outside in hoodies. There is no excuse for this kind of arbitrariness.

And I realize I am in the minority in high achieving FCPS, but these kind of weeks are murder for my kid, an honors high schooler who really gets off track when there is no school and his teachers check out as well. Getting him back in the groove after all the time off, let alone to stay in the groove during the downtime is murder. I realize I'm alone in this, as most kids are getting homework from their teachers and staying in close touch with them via email, not to mention doing their sports teams workouts on their own, coming up with extra service work and cooking for their families, but it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents can network with each other to solve these problems. Why not?

Exactly, find two other families. Each family is responsible for every third day off. To make it fun and community building, you can even add that one of the none off families is responsible for dinner that night.

Love this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And I realize I am in the minority in high achieving FCPS, but these kind of weeks are murder for my kid, an honors high schooler who really gets off track when there is no school and his teachers check out as well.

You do realize many teachers are parents. The closings/delays are tough for their kids as well as their jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I'm tired of complaining and feeling overwhelmed about this, so I started thinking about solutions today and how parents could make a change.

Someone on a previous forum mentioned open the cafeterias early so parents can drop off their children if the issue relates to children waiting in the cold for the bus. Brilliant idea and doable.

Other ideas....

Who will watch the children in the cafeteria?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I realize I am in the minority in high achieving FCPS, but these kind of weeks are murder for my kid, an honors high schooler who really gets off track when there is no school and his teachers check out as well.

You do realize many teachers are parents. The closings/delays are tough for their kids as well as their jobs.

Of course I do and I get that, and yet, you constantly see parents on this board insisting their High Schoolers are getting a steady stream of work from teachers and that your kid is deficient or lazy if they're not continuing to learn during repeated nonsensical school interruptions. How difficult is it to post an assignment? My point is that some teachers do and some teachers don't and that results in different educational experiences for different kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, that's my point. I don't think it is fair to screw over the preschool teachers to keep the preschools open. And clearly the preschool administrators agree, because that's why the schools are closed and they follow the FCPS schedules for snow days. Yes, the schools could technically be open, but it would screw their teachers over in terms of them having to find their own backup child care. Like I said, as much as this sucks personally to have my kid be out of school all week, I'm glad that they are doing the right thing by their teachers. Happy teachers = happy kids.

Bizarre, how is letting someone go to work screwing them over.

Many teachers at part-time pre-schools are not working at these jobs for the money. If the hours don't work well for their own family obligations, they won't be working at these jobs at all. The pre-schools would have a tough time getting enough teachers if the teachers can't be home for their own kids.

+1 Preschool teacher here. This poster is absolutely correct. Many of us have two or more children of our own, and we would lose money if we had to pay a sitter with the amount we make hourly.

That's fine but then parents should be reimbursed for the days that the preschools are closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, that's my point. I don't think it is fair to screw over the preschool teachers to keep the preschools open. And clearly the preschool administrators agree, because that's why the schools are closed and they follow the FCPS schedules for snow days. Yes, the schools could technically be open, but it would screw their teachers over in terms of them having to find their own backup child care. Like I said, as much as this sucks personally to have my kid be out of school all week, I'm glad that they are doing the right thing by their teachers. Happy teachers = happy kids.

Bizarre, how is letting someone go to work screwing them over.

Many teachers at part-time pre-schools are not working at these jobs for the money. If the hours don't work well for their own family obligations, they won't be working at these jobs at all. The pre-schools would have a tough time getting enough teachers if the teachers can't be home for their own kids.

+1 Preschool teacher here. This poster is absolutely correct. Many of us have two or more children of our own, and we would lose money if we had to pay a sitter with the amount we make hourly.

That's fine but then parents should be reimbursed for the days that the preschools are closed.

It would make more sense to ask the weather to reimburse you for the cost of the snow days.

[Anonymous]

I agree with what another PP mentioned about VADOT.....why is FCPS not all over vadot's ass to get the roads cleared? I would think we have enough leverage to pressure for better cleared roadways. If the excuses are the quality of the roads, then FCPS should start there. DOT should contract with additional companies for side streets, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, that's my point. I don't think it is fair to screw over the preschool teachers to keep the preschools open. And clearly the preschool administrators agree, because that's why the schools are closed and they follow the FCPS schedules for snow days. Yes, the schools could technically be open, but it would screw their teachers over in terms of them having to find their own backup child care. Like I said, as much as this sucks personally to have my kid be out of school all week, I'm glad that they are doing the right thing by their teachers. Happy teachers = happy kids.

Bizarre, how is letting someone go to work screwing them over.

Many teachers at part-time pre-schools are not working at these jobs for the money. If the hours don't work well for their own family obligations, they won't be working at these jobs at all. The pre-schools would have a tough time getting enough teachers if the teachers can't be home for their own kids.

+1 Preschool teacher here. This poster is absolutely correct. Many of us have two or more children of our own, and we would lose money if we had to pay a sitter with the amount we make hourly.

That's fine but then parents should be reimbursed for the days that the preschools are closed.

If you don't like your preschool's policies then find another one. Our preschool teachers are wonderful, highly-educated professionals. They are well-paid compared to other schools and paid regardless of school closings. I don't expect to be reiumbursed due to weather closures and I don't expect them to open when FCPS is closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents can network with each other to solve these problems. Why not?

Exactly, find two other families. Each family is responsible for every third day off. To make it fun and community building, you can even add that one of the none off families is responsible for dinner that night.

Love this.

This does not fix the education issue though.

[Anonymous]

Only solution: hire superintendent from western NY region. Hire VDOT top brass from western NY. Never another snow day! Guaranteed!!
Until then suck it up! Pay the SAHM $75 to watch your kid(s) and run for school board.
Enough complaining!! You want change, be the change!! I'll support you. I'll help you campaign. I may even run for svhool board myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only solution: hire superintendent from western NY region. Hire VDOT top brass from western NY. Never another snow day! Guaranteed!!
Until then suck it up! Pay the SAHM $75 to watch your kid(s) and run for school board.
Enough complaining!! You want change, be the change!! I'll support you. I'll help you campaign. I may even run for svhool board myself.

I think if people ran on the simple slogan of "less school days", guaranteed they would win in an avalanche.

[Anonymous]

Less snow days, not school days!

[Anonymous]

LOL ^^ Meant to say less snow days!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only solution: hire superintendent from western NY region. Hire VDOT top brass from western NY. Never another snow day! Guaranteed!!
Until then suck it up! Pay the SAHM $75 to watch your kid(s) and run for school board.
Enough complaining!! You want change, be the change!! I'll support you. I'll help you campaign. I may even run for svhool board myself.

I think if people ran on the simple slogan of "less school days", guaranteed they would win in an avalanche.

Um, maybe if they said "fewer" school days. Otherwise, I'd be concerned about their grammar skills.