Calendar survey

[Anonymous]

Abolish the random days off
Shorten winter break dramatically
Don’t make school after the SOLs count because we all know nothing happens then but glorified babysitting.
Get to teaching!!! We have a lot of ground to catch up on. Stop whining about how your kids need breaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These "planning days" remain a mystery to me.

Right now ES teachers work seven hours - 830 to 330.

So that's 5 hours a week - that could be used for "planning". Why can't they do their planning then?

How much does "planning" really change, year to year?

If there are 180 days of instruction then that's 36 five-day weeks which leaves 16 more weeks in the year. Why can't "planning" occur in those other weeks?

My God, you have absolutely no clue what teachers do.

Of course lesson plans change from year-to-year as needs change. Additionally, teachers must plan differentiated lessons for a minimum of four different groups.

Planning time is also grading time and data analysis time.

Planning time is also time for IEP meetings, 504 meetings, child studies, local screenings, and parent conferences.

Teachers get paid for 195 days. Do you want them to spend those 16 weeks you propose they plan, UNPAID?

You haven’t even mentioned when the county introduces new programs that we’ve never used before and they want us to ditch our old lessons and use these new programs with new lessons. That we have to create because they tell us it was too expensive to buy the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These "planning days" remain a mystery to me.

Right now ES teachers work seven hours - 830 to 330.

So that's 5 hours a week - that could be used for "planning". Why can't they do their planning then?

How much does "planning" really change, year to year?

If there are 180 days of instruction then that's 36 five-day weeks which leaves 16 more weeks in the year. Why can't "planning" occur in those other weeks?

My God, you have absolutely no clue what teachers do.

Of course lesson plans change from year-to-year as needs change. Additionally, teachers must plan differentiated lessons for a minimum of four different groups.

Planning time is also grading time and data analysis time.

Planning time is also time for IEP meetings, 504 meetings, child studies, local screenings, and parent conferences.

Teachers get paid for 195 days. Do you want them to spend those 16 weeks you propose they plan, UNPAID?

Why not use tracking instead to cut down on planning time. Would be far more efficient to have different groups in different classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These "planning days" remain a mystery to me.

Right now ES teachers work seven hours - 830 to 330.

So that's 5 hours a week - that could be used for "planning". Why can't they do their planning then?

How much does "planning" really change, year to year?

If there are 180 days of instruction then that's 36 five-day weeks which leaves 16 more weeks in the year. Why can't "planning" occur in those other weeks?

My God, you have absolutely no clue what teachers do.

Of course lesson plans change from year-to-year as needs change. Additionally, teachers must plan differentiated lessons for a minimum of four different groups.

yes of course it would. We have made teaching FAR harder with this small group model plus all the other non-academic demands placed on them now & then wonder why we can't get enough teachers...

Planning time is also grading time and data analysis time.

Planning time is also time for IEP meetings, 504 meetings, child studies, local screenings, and parent conferences.

Teachers get paid for 195 days. Do you want them to spend those 16 weeks you propose they plan, UNPAID?

Why not use tracking instead to cut down on planning time. Would be far more efficient to have different groups in different classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who don’t get the survey, here is the gist:

1) Are you happy with the current calendar?
2) Preferred start/end date pairing (Aug 21 or 28)
3) Length of Winter and Spring Breaks (both long, both short, mix)
4) Fix Spring Break or match with Easter
5) Importance of pairing Spring Break with close districts
6) How to give teachers planning time (early dismissal, late arrival, or full days)
7) Impact on child care of #6 (which has least impact)
8) How to give elementary school teachers additional planning time (shorten day, early dismissals, full days at quarter end)
9) How to deal with added days (extend year or reduce other usual holidays)
Following trace from 9:
9a) Reduce Spring Break by 1
9b) Reduce Spring Break by 2
9c) Reduce Winter Break by 1
9d) Reduce Winter Break by 2
9e) Eliminate Wednesday before T-day
[b]9f) One asynchronous day
9g) Two asynchronous days

Omg, NO!!!! Absolutely no asynchronous days. Eliminate the Wednesday before Thanksgiving?? How the f do we travel? What the f?

I've had students in FCPS since 2015. We did not used to get Wednesday off. Then they made it an early release. Then a few years ago they gave it off. It's not like it's never happened that we've had school that day. Now, there were so many students and teachers gone that it made sense to give it off, but still.

A 4-day weekend for Thanksgiving is plenty!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most people are unhappy with all of the TWD on top of the new days off. The following holidays fall on a weekend next year: Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, Lunar NY. My proposed calendar was as follows:

Start Date Aug 21
Friday and Monday of Labor Day off
Yom Kippur(Mon- Sept 25)off or TWD
Teacher Workdays on Mon Nov 6 and 7 (Election Day)
Thanksgiving W/Th/Fri
Winter Break Dec 23- Jan 7
Martin Luther King Day off
2 TWD at End of Q2
Spring Break-First Week of April
Eid- TWD or off
Memorial Day off
Last Day June 14

I like most of this but I'd say have their last day before winter/Xmas break be Wednesday Dec 20th and then return on Wednesday Jan 3. It's 13 days, but close enough to 2 weeks.

The issue is also full weeks. I don’t see the winter break changing. Too many people traveling to home countries.

They still get two weeks, it is just a Wednesday to Tuesday week. People could also choose to skip the 3 days of the week before Christmas or 3 days of the week after New Years day if their travel requires it. I just don't see how having people go until 12/22, making evening of 12/22 or 12/23 the first day available for flights or to drive somewhere, is better for the majority. Those will be the busiest peak travel times of the year.

[Anonymous]

Assuming school starts on August 21, 2023 (a Monday). This year we had Rosh Hashanah off, next school year we won’t need it as a holiday because it’s on a Saturday (9/16/23), same with Yom Kippur a week later. They can go to school on Veterans Day especially as schools are closed earlier in the week for voting. That’s 3 days back already that we didn’t have this year. Christmas 2023 is on a Monday - they can have a short week the week before and go to school on the 18th and 19th. Boom I just saved us a whole school week of days off without having to even touch 2024. Now they can have their last day of school around June 7th, 2024 (Friday) instead of a week later on the 14th. You’re welcome FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who don’t get the survey, here is the gist:

1) Are you happy with the current calendar?
2) Preferred start/end date pairing (Aug 21 or 28)
3) Length of Winter and Spring Breaks (both long, both short, mix)
4) Fix Spring Break or match with Easter
5) Importance of pairing Spring Break with close districts
6) How to give teachers planning time (early dismissal, late arrival, or full days)
7) Impact on child care of #6 (which has least impact)
8) How to give elementary school teachers additional planning time (shorten day, early dismissals, full days at quarter end)
9) How to deal with added days (extend year or reduce other usual holidays)
Following trace from 9:
9a) Reduce Spring Break by 1
9b) Reduce Spring Break by 2
9c) Reduce Winter Break by 1
9d) Reduce Winter Break by 2
9e) Eliminate Wednesday before T-day
[b]9f) One asynchronous day
9g) Two asynchronous days

Omg, NO!!!! Absolutely no asynchronous days. Eliminate the Wednesday before Thanksgiving?? How the f do we travel? What the f?

I've had students in FCPS since 2015. We did not used to get Wednesday off. Then they made it an early release. Then a few years ago they gave it off. It's not like it's never happened that we've had school that day. Now, there were so many students and teachers gone that it made sense to give it off, but still.

A 4-day weekend for Thanksgiving is plenty!

They also started giving this Wednesday off because teachers were requesting PTO for travel and subs became an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Abolish the random days off
Shorten winter break dramatically
Don’t make school after the SOLs count because we all know nothing happens then but glorified babysitting.
Get to teaching!!! We have a lot of ground to catch up on. Stop whining about how your kids need breaks.

So you prefer a 11-12 week summer vacation? Keep in mind that many people do not. Actually, quite a few of us would prefer to move toward year-round -- 9 weeks on, 3 weeks off for each quarter and a 5 week summer.

[Anonymous]

Just have extra planning days/teacher work days at the end of the quarters vs. sprinkled throughout the year. End the school year earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Abolish the random days off
Shorten winter break dramatically
Don’t make school after the SOLs count because we all know nothing happens then but glorified babysitting.
Get to teaching!!! We have a lot of ground to catch up on. Stop whining about how your kids need breaks.

So you prefer a 11-12 week summer vacation? Keep in mind that many people do not. Actually, quite a few of us would prefer to move toward year-round -- 9 weeks on, 3 weeks off for each quarter and a 5 week summer.

People want a longer summer break/getting out earlier in June because they really don’t learn a lot or do a lot after Memorial Day anyway so all that time just feels wasted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Abolish the random days off
Shorten winter break dramatically
Don’t make school after the SOLs count because we all know nothing happens then but glorified babysitting.
Get to teaching!!! We have a lot of ground to catch up on. Stop whining about how your kids need breaks.

So you prefer a 11-12 week summer vacation? Keep in mind that many people do not. Actually, quite a few of us would prefer to move toward year-round -- 9 weeks on, 3 weeks off for each quarter and a 5 week summer.

+1 for 9 wks on, 3 wks off, 5 wk summer

Is a calendar like that ever discussed in FCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Abolish the random days off
Shorten winter break dramatically
Don’t make school after the SOLs count because we all know nothing happens then but glorified babysitting.
Get to teaching!!! We have a lot of ground to catch up on. Stop whining about how your kids need breaks.

So you prefer a 11-12 week summer vacation? Keep in mind that many people do not. Actually, quite a few of us would prefer to move toward year-round -- 9 weeks on, 3 weeks off for each quarter and a 5 week summer.

"Many people" goes both ways. I know not a single person, parent or teacher, who wants shorter summers or year round school. Your anecdote is no more valid than mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Abolish the random days off
Shorten winter break dramatically
Don’t make school after the SOLs count because we all know nothing happens then but glorified babysitting.
Get to teaching!!! We have a lot of ground to catch up on. Stop whining about how your kids need breaks.

So you prefer a 11-12 week summer vacation? Keep in mind that many people do not. Actually, quite a few of us would prefer to move toward year-round -- 9 weeks on, 3 weeks off for each quarter and a 5 week summer.

+1 for 9 wks on, 3 wks off, 5 wk summer

Is a calendar like that ever discussed in FCPS?

It’s a complete non-starter. The tourism/theme park industry had to be dragged kicking and screaming into accepting a start before Labor Day and they only agreed to allow it statewide if all the school systems agreed to a 4 day weekend over Labor Day. You think they’re going to go for year round school? That’s for poor districts and has a negative association in most parts of the US.

We should be moving more toward a college-like schedule though, where they start school in early to mid August and get out in mid May.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Abolish the random days off
Shorten winter break dramatically
Don’t make school after the SOLs count because we all know nothing happens then but glorified babysitting.
Get to teaching!!! We have a lot of ground to catch up on. Stop whining about how your kids need breaks.

So you prefer a 11-12 week summer vacation? Keep in mind that many people do not. Actually, quite a few of us would prefer to move toward year-round -- 9 weeks on, 3 weeks off for each quarter and a 5 week summer.

People want a longer summer break/getting out earlier in June because they really don’t learn a lot or do a lot after Memorial Day anyway so all that time just feels wasted.

This is a big part of it for sure. And why my child is "sick" a lot in that period of time. DC can be home doing other things or sitting around in school. The "last day of school" counting toward those hours they have to be in school, is 2 hours of kids sitting around in he Aux Gym. Even the teachers were encouraging the kids to stay home. It's a joke.