Who is N?ick Minock

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decouple Spring break from Easter. Work with the other counties to set a specific week and set that as spring break every year. Maybe the second or third week or March. Some years it will coincide with Easter but most years it won’t and that is fine.

Christmas will fall during the winter break but it is a Federal Holiday any way.

The year they did that so many staff took off for Good Friday they had to pull in central office staff to sub. So they would need to recognize that as a religious holiday. Easier to just have it spring break.

Actually the bigger issue was how many staff work in a neighboring county that DID have that spring break leading up to Easter. Their school-age children needed childcare.

If they want to de-couple spring break from Easter, it needs to be done in conjunction with all of the surrounding counties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If FCPS created an honest survey, Christmas would have been on the federal holiday list and Ash Wednesday & the two Orthodox holidays would have been listed with the religious holidays, as well as decoupling Easter from spring break.

No, because the Orthodox holidays and Ash Wednesday were never days off for students. They are O days. The days that are holidays for students and staff (when they fall on school days) are Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, and the two Eids. Any other listed day is not automatically a day off for students. If it was, it was because they tried to kill two birds with one stone by placing a teacher workday during an O day.

So, if you get rid of the holidays as stated, it would only give you 5 days of school back. Everything else is required days for teacher planning or training.

Have you looked at the calendar?

The orthodox holidays and buddhist holidays, both celebrated by aroynd 1%-2% of FFX County were all off this year.

Teacher work days were slapped on top of them in a feeble attempt to justify the days off, but the days made zero sense for teacher work days. They were either completely random, or right after longer breaks. It was 100% obvious those teacher work days were just there to give religious holidays off.

The same goes for Ash Wednesday and especially chinese new year. At least All Saints Day/Day of the dead coincided with Halloween and the end of the quarter.

The FCPS school board must think their constituents are idiots if they think people didn't see through the fake random teacher workdays placed on obscure religious holidays.

School was held on Ash Wednesday. It was listed as an O day. Lunar New Year and Orthodox Good Friday were the only religious holidays that they slapped out of cycle TW days on.

Bohdi Day was off.

And Theravada.

Both celebrated by around 2% of ffx cty.

School was held on both of those days this year. Days that are marked as O are when school is in session, but kids who observe those holidays are allowed an excused absence.

People like the PP who claimed Bodhi Day and Theravada were days off school probably don’t even have kids in FCPS. They’re just people who love the culture wars fanned by Minock and others. Other than Christmas, FCPS has five religious holidays that are not school days - two Eids, two Jewish holidays and Diwali. O days are school days.

It's not a "culture war" to want your kids in school. And it's not just the unnecessary religious holidays, it's also stuff like Lunar New Year, Diwali, Norwruz (whatever that is), Orthodox Good Friday, it goes on and on.

Get this stuff off the calendar. Put kids in school.

They are in school on lunar new year's, nowruz, orthodox Good Friday ….

Not this year for students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decouple Spring break from Easter. Work with the other counties to set a specific week and set that as spring break every year. Maybe the second or third week or March. Some years it will coincide with Easter but most years it won’t and that is fine.

Christmas will fall during the winter break but it is a Federal Holiday any way.

The year they did that so many staff took off for Good Friday they had to pull in central office staff to sub. So they would need to recognize that as a religious holiday. Easier to just have it spring break.

Actually the bigger issue was how many staff work in a neighboring county that DID have that spring break leading up to Easter. Their school-age children needed childcare.

If they want to de-couple spring break from Easter, it needs to be done in conjunction with all of the surrounding counties.

Its weird that we need to make a calendar that allows the *staff* to get childcare but not the parents of the actual students…really concise illustration of who the calendar is intended to serve.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we don't need 3 weeks off as "Christmas break." Federal holiday is literally one day

Why do we need so many 3 and 4 day weeks in the school year?? All parents want is for kids to go to school 5 day a week!

Not all

Why do you want to make life so hard for hard working duel income households??

Dual income working family here—because I believe it’s better for my kids to have breaks throughout the year, not a 3 month summer. Ideally it would be long weekends or week long breaks vs Tuesday holidays, but I’ll take Tuesdays over extended summers.

Everyone wants what works best for their own kids. All of our kids are different.

How will your kids deal with college?? Lots of 5 day weeks with a ton of homework. How are 3 and 4 day weeks without lots of homework setting them up for success??

Did you go to college? In-class time is way down from K-12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we don't need 3 weeks off as "Christmas break." Federal holiday is literally one day

Why do we need so many 3 and 4 day weeks in the school year?? All parents want is for kids to go to school 5 day a week!

Not all

Why do you want to make life so hard for hard working duel income households??

Dual income working family here—because I believe it’s better for my kids to have breaks throughout the year, not a 3 month summer. Ideally it would be long weekends or week long breaks vs Tuesday holidays, but I’ll take Tuesdays over extended summers.

Everyone wants what works best for their own kids. All of our kids are different.

How will your kids deal with college?? Lots of 5 day weeks with a ton of homework. How are 3 and 4 day weeks without lots of homework setting them up for success??

You’ll want to pick another argument to support position, because lots of college classes are at most 2-3 times a week so many students can set their schedules to only have class on 2 days in a week.

[Anonymous]

We want school in fall, winter and spring. We need school to peter out around exams/memorial day. Everyone benefits from consistent 5 day weeks. It isn't rocket science. Only this moronic SB makes it so difficult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We want school in fall, winter and spring. We need school to peter out around exams/memorial day. Everyone benefits from consistent 5 day weeks. It isn't rocket science. Only this moronic SB makes it so difficult.

This!

I posted earlier as a former teacher. Consistency counts.

Once school begins to draw to a close, pools open, and graduation events are happening, you begin to lose the kids.
They are ready for summer.

And, by mid-August, they are ready to return to school.

A Monday off a week before Memorial Day just encourages the vacation mode. School should end Memorial Day weekend.
Sure, snow days may delay the end, but it is time to finish school.

Personally, I'd get rid of the five day Spring break which somehow turns into longer in Fairfax county.

[Anonymous]

Christmas Day is ONE federal holiday- not 3 weeks. If I want additional days- I take leave- not get a built n relaxing holiday for weeks on end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decouple Spring break from Easter. Work with the other counties to set a specific week and set that as spring break every year. Maybe the second or third week or March. Some years it will coincide with Easter but most years it won’t and that is fine.

Christmas will fall during the winter break but it is a Federal Holiday any way.

The year they did that so many staff took off for Good Friday they had to pull in central office staff to sub. So they would need to recognize that as a religious holiday. Easier to just have it spring break.

Actually the bigger issue was how many staff work in a neighboring county that DID have that spring break leading up to Easter. Their school-age children needed childcare.

If they want to de-couple spring break from Easter, it needs to be done in conjunction with all of the surrounding counties.

This is the reality of NoVA. Teachers who live in county X work in county Y for various X and Y in NoVA. Spring break needs to be coordinated across the 3-4 different public school systems. Other single days off do not need the same level of coordination.

Down state in a rural area, maybe Louisa County, most teachers will live in the county where they teach. So not much need to coordinate there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we don't need 3 weeks off as "Christmas break." Federal holiday is literally one day

Why do we need so many 3 and 4 day weeks in the school year?? All parents want is for kids to go to school 5 day a week!

Not all

Why do you want to make life so hard for hard working duel income households??

Dual income working family here—because I believe it’s better for my kids to have breaks throughout the year, not a 3 month summer. Ideally it would be long weekends or week long breaks vs Tuesday holidays, but I’ll take Tuesdays over extended summers.

Everyone wants what works best for their own kids. All of our kids are different.

How will your kids deal with college?? Lots of 5 day weeks with a ton of homework. How are 3 and 4 day weeks without lots of homework setting them up for success??

You’ll want to pick another argument to support position, because lots of college classes are at most 2-3 times a week so many students can set their schedules to only have class on 2 days in a week.

Very few schools can you get away with two or three days of class. Plus if you went to a quality school you studied for 40 hours a week. Oh wait! I bet you went to school for dance or under water basket weaving!!

[Anonymous]

This survey was stupid. They claim that if they use the federal calendar there would be less holidays but the way it should work is federal calendar winter, spring and summer break .done no more .

[Anonymous]

To please fcps they can just just start winter break on 12/23 and call it winter break if Christmas is so scary and not inclusive

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decouple Spring break from Easter. Work with the other counties to set a specific week and set that as spring break every year. Maybe the second or third week or March. Some years it will coincide with Easter but most years it won’t and that is fine.

Christmas will fall during the winter break but it is a Federal Holiday any way.

The year they did that so many staff took off for Good Friday they had to pull in central office staff to sub. So they would need to recognize that as a religious holiday. Easier to just have it spring break.

Actually the bigger issue was how many staff work in a neighboring county that DID have that spring break leading up to Easter. Their school-age children needed childcare.

If they want to de-couple spring break from Easter, it needs to be done in conjunction with all of the surrounding counties.

This is the reality of NoVA. Teachers who live in county X work in county Y for various X and Y in NoVA. Spring break needs to be coordinated across the 3-4 different public school systems. Other single days off do not need the same level of coordination.

Down state in a rural area, maybe Louisa County, most teachers will live in the county where they teach. So not much need to coordinate there.

The reality is many teachers do not want to live in the county they work in. And guess what! They can schedule kids and family doctors appointments in order to take sick leave to stay home for the week! If you want winter and spring break canceled. Train to be a substitute teacher!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decouple Spring break from Easter. Work with the other counties to set a specific week and set that as spring break every year. Maybe the second or third week or March. Some years it will coincide with Easter but most years it won’t and that is fine.

Christmas will fall during the winter break but it is a Federal Holiday any way.

The year they did that so many staff took off for Good Friday they had to pull in central office staff to sub. So they would need to recognize that as a religious holiday. Easier to just have it spring break.

Actually the bigger issue was how many staff work in a neighboring county that DID have that spring break leading up to Easter. Their school-age children needed childcare.

If they want to de-couple spring break from Easter, it needs to be done in conjunction with all of the surrounding counties.

This is the reality of NoVA. Teachers who live in county X work in county Y for various X and Y in NoVA. Spring break needs to be coordinated across the 3-4 different public school systems. Other single days off do not need the same level of coordination.

Down state in a rural area, maybe Louisa County, most teachers will live in the county where they teach. So not much need to coordinate there.

The reality is many teachers do not want to live in the county they work in. And guess what! They can schedule kids and family doctors appointments in order to take sick leave to stay home for the week! If you want winter and spring break canceled. Train to be a substitute teacher!!

Seems like Fairfax could get more independence if it restricted hiring to county residents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Decouple Spring break from Easter. Work with the other counties to set a specific week and set that as spring break every year. Maybe the second or third week or March. Some years it will coincide with Easter but most years it won’t and that is fine.

Christmas will fall during the winter break but it is a Federal Holiday any way.

The year they did that so many staff took off for Good Friday they had to pull in central office staff to sub. So they would need to recognize that as a religious holiday. Easier to just have it spring break.

Actually the bigger issue was how many staff work in a neighboring county that DID have that spring break leading up to Easter. Their school-age children needed childcare.

If they want to de-couple spring break from Easter, it needs to be done in conjunction with all of the surrounding counties.

This is the reality of NoVA. Teachers who live in county X work in county Y for various X and Y in NoVA. Spring break needs to be coordinated across the 3-4 different public school systems. Other single days off do not need the same level of coordination.

Down state in a rural area, maybe Louisa County, most teachers will live in the county where they teach. So not much need to coordinate there.

The reality is many teachers do not want to live in the county they work in. And guess what! They can schedule kids and family doctors appointments in order to take sick leave to stay home for the week! If you want winter and spring break canceled. Train to be a substitute teacher!!

Seems like Fairfax could get more independence if it restricted hiring to county residents.

And, not enough teachers would be the result.