DCPS and Jewish holidays

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

"get over it?" How would you feel if school was open for Christmas and Easter or a holiday you observed? As for never living in a school district that gave the high holidays off plenty of them do so just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's the norm.

Well, I probably wouldn't like Saudi Arabia or the UAE or Indonesia or whatever you're imagining. However, having grown up in a Western nation I've come to expect Western norms. That includes whatever the national (in our case, Federal) holidays are.

I don't have to imagine this weirdo place you want me to, because I don't live there. And if I thought I'd hate it, I wouldn't move there. Sheesh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

"get over it?" How would you feel if school was open for Christmas and Easter or a holiday you observed? As for never living in a school district that gave the high holidays off plenty of them do so just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's the norm.

Well, I probably wouldn't like Saudi Arabia or the UAE or Indonesia or whatever you're imagining. However, having grown up in a Western nation I've come to expect Western norms. That includes whatever the national (in our case, Federal) holidays are.

I don't have to imagine this weirdo place you want me to, because I don't live there. And if I thought I'd hate it, I wouldn't move there. Sheesh.

You sound fun.

[Anonymous]

Saw this on the Maryland public schools board and thought it was interesting in light of the discussion here last week.

Four proposals for school year 18-19 are going before the MC School Board for a vote soon. http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/ARCHEU482A41/$file/170919%20PMC%20Calendar%20SY18-19.pdf

Two of them eliminate the September days off (which correspond to the Jewish holidays). In Maryland Good Friday and Easter Monday are state holidays, so school must close.

1: 180 days, closed 9/10 and 9/17, spring break is 6 days (4 days plus the 2 Easter days), 0 professional days
2. 182 days, no September closures, spring break is 4 days (2 days plus the 2 Easter days), 2 professional days
3. 182 days, closed 9/10 and 9/17, spring break is 4 days (2 days plus the 2 Easter days), 0 professional days
4. 180 days, no September closures, spring break is 6 days (4 days plus the 2 Easter days), 2 professional days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

"get over it?" How would you feel if school was open for Christmas and Easter or a holiday you observed? As for never living in a school district that gave the high holidays off plenty of them do so just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's the norm.

Well, I probably wouldn't like Saudi Arabia or the UAE or Indonesia or whatever you're imagining. However, having grown up in a Western nation I've come to expect Western norms. That includes whatever the national (in our case, Federal) holidays are.

I don't have to imagine this weirdo place you want me to, because I don't live there. And if I thought I'd hate it, I wouldn't move there. Sheesh.

You sound fun.

he/she sounds reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

"get over it?" How would you feel if school was open for Christmas and Easter or a holiday you observed? As for never living in a school district that gave the high holidays off plenty of them do so just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's the norm.

PP's "get over it" is unacceptably rude to your feelings. Now, to your "how would I feel question" the answer is two-fold:

1. I would feel that my school was rather odd for not closing on a federal holiday, and that they were fiscally irresponsible for opening on a day when 70% of the students and teachers were legally entitled to take the day off (this part changes based on the demographics of the school district obviously); and

2. I would feel glad that we have a law that would entitle my family to stay home anyway to celebrate our religious obligation, while also a very tiny bit bummed that my kids would have a day of make-up work (but I would probably turn that into a valuable life lesson for them).

[Anonymous]

Maybe we shouldn't have holidays off even if they are national holidays since they are based on religious reasons and our country should separate church and state.

[Anonymous]

At our DCPS school, I would think Orthodox Christianity is the second largest religious group. We have a significant number of students from North African families.

We celebrate Easter Monday celebrations from Central Europe. Its kind of like boxing day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

How about we don't take a school day off for ANY religious holidays.

- Athiest NP