Reply to APS - school start date for 2023

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Proposal:

Time the start of the school year so that the midpoint comes in late December. The first semester ends with a two-week winter break. Spring break comes midway through the second semester, not tied to Easter.

There's a grade prep day at the end of the first quarter and three days off for Thanksgiving. Schools do not get Federal holidays off. If you take your kids out of school for a vacation, teachers do not provide assignments in advance, and any missed tests go down as 0s.

Rosh Hashanna, Yom Kippur, Eid, and Diwali are all days off. Seniors can choose to be absent to visit colleges but teachers are not required to provide assignments in advance or make-up tests. [/quote]

Well I'm getting you don't have a senior. Seniors can "choose" to take days off?! Ha! I guess they can "choose" not to go to college then right? [/quote]

It sounds as though your kids haven't been through the search process yet? Some (not all) of mine have, both before and during COVID, and it used to be that absences for Admitted Student Days were excused, but that wasn't until March/April. I suspect some parents of seniors will complain that my proposed schedule doesn't provide enough days off for college visits, but I don't think the school year should be arranged for the convenience of one class. So letting students who can manage it take days off their senior year is my proposed compromise. (There are also spring breaks and summer vacations, so with judicious planning, there could be a fair number of visits)[/quote]

DP here.  Personally, I think a couple of days for college visits it more than adequate and generous. There are other long breaks and [b]lots of long weekends[/b] seniors can visit schools during. Just as the whole school shouldn't be scheduled around one class, one class shouldn't be scheduled around some of its students -- not all students even plan to go to college, while some only consider local options or a limited number of schools and don't need to make countless college visits, etc.  But I disagree that students shouldn't be able to get assignments or make-up tests for a few college visits [b]or for their religious holiday observances[/b].  Those should have the same considerations given for absences caused by illness.  It's not like they're just playing hooky.[/quote]

There aren't "lots of long weekends" if there's school during federal holidays.

It's the college visits for which you don't get advance assignments and make-up tests, not absences for religious holidays. [/quote]

Yes, that was my point about assignments and make-up tests - they should be provided just like they would be for absences due to sickness or religious observances.
And I didn't say take away the federal holidays - I said students can make use of them for their college visits.
You need to read more carefully and stop conflating posts.[/quote]

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