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[quote=Anonymous][quote]
                                Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Exactly. And if their childcare falls through then they get a taxpayer paid day off while the rest of us burn leave or scramble to find alternative arrangements.

What you are failing to see is that APS is reacting to teachers using their leave as needed. You can’t compare your office drone job that can go on with or without you for a day. If you aren’t there and take a day of leave your company can still operate without you. It’s not APS school staff fault that teachers are using their earned leave for childcare when other districts close which then puts APS in a bind and unable to operate because they can’t operate with less than a certain number of staff to supervise kids. Then APS has to make a decision on if they can operate.

And we can’t act like decisions of other counties, especially one as large as FCPS with over 180,000 students, won’t impact APS which is tiny comparatively. A large portion of APS staff lives in Fairfax and Alexandria.

If you run a public service that must be staffed (which I do, not a school) it is common and understood that the service stays open and not all leave requests get approved. Staff know there has to be coverage for them to have leave approved. Sure they could, on a day like this, lie and call in sick. But when you set the expectations and culture that not all leave requests will be approved, the public service is going to open, your colleagues are showing up and if you don’t you’re leaving them in a lurch… people behave differently and somehow manage to figure it out.

Do you think hospitals, doctor’s offices, libraries, grocery stores, or anything much else will be closed today? No. People who are supposed to work will figure it out.

This. There is now an expectation that if enough of them call out they’ll get the paid snow day. What incentive is there for them to pay for snow day camps, backup sitters, ask their spouse to take off, etc.? We act as if it’s impossible for APS to do what many other organizations do. And don’t just disregard “complainers” as being in the office working class and not understanding. Do you think hourly workers have the luxury of just calling out and not losing their jobs? Somehow grocery stores will manage to stay staffed. Essential workers have to figure out a way to go in.

APS has now created a certain culture of catering to leave requests that could be hard to overcome. We weren’t bound to larger jurisdictions like Fairfax and Loudoun when it came to reopening schools more days last year, but now we are tying our decisions to them when they close.

I guess y’all don’t go to the library much. Not big readers, I take it?

https://library.arlingtonva.us/2022/01/17/operatio...19-related-staffing-shortages/

The stuff you’re talking about is nonsense. For years and years and years APS has been fully operational during weather events when other districts have not been. In every industry, you have folks that must use their leave to care for their children at some time or another. APS is no different. However, in the middle of a pandemic, things happen, and that closure, that once, did affect their ability of operate that Thursday. You guys are going to believe what you want to, but this stuff about teachers not wanting to come to work is just not true. Flights have been cancelled. Supply chains broken down. But God forbid your children’s teachers should get a pass.

Why would you post that announcement from Arlington Public Library? What point are you making?

We all know there are covid-related staffing issues. We all know that on top of those covid-related staffing issues, if more staff take off due to childcare when a neighbor district is closing, this is now apparently going to tip the scales and we will close too. The point some people are trying to make is to check the underlying assumption that childcare issues on a weather day are an automatic pass for all the teachers. When this is not generally the case in any other industry.

By the way, except for those two locations. Arlington's libraries are open today business as usual. Do you think some of those library staff have school aged children?

You post about libraries being open, but don’t like it when confronted with the reality that they, too, are short-staffed. I’m sure some of them are caring for children. “Only 2” of 10… so 80%? How does that play out in a school environment, do you think? There is a point where I believe it becomes a safety issue, don’t you!

True story - the APS Library director is one of, if not the, highest paid Arlington Co employee. I believe it's close to $200K. All that for sitting at home and making youtube videos. So if you ever think those youtubers can't make good money.......

DP. Will you give it up with the stupid obsessive library posts? They are complete off topic which is rude AF.

Well, I just don’t understand- why don’t we hate them, too? Because we don’t use the library?

I do use the library, and I think you’re an enormous jack wagon. Maybe you should try not being completely self-absorbed for a few minutes - it could be an enlightening experience!

Wow. I’m really disappointed that someone touting how libraries are open, grocery stores are doing great, and all is well thinks poorly of me. Poster doesn’t like that argument any more! It’s not working for them! Make it stop!

Dear lord, learn to read. I am not that poster.

I get it. I need to stop addressing that poster, who clearly thinks teachers are lazy and have it good, compared to the libraries, airlines, grocery stores. Taking leave to care for children, because no other industry does that! That’s not what you would like to talk about. Please, direct the conversation.

I was the original poster who brought up libraries and it's a very good argument and I still like it quite a lot. Teachers do have it good compared to all these other professions.

The fact pattern.

-Libraries are a taxpayer funded service, like schools
-Libraries are staffed by government workers, like schools
-Libraries face covid-related staffing challenges, like schools
-Libraries have been forced to make operational adjustments and sometimes reduce services due to covid--related staffing challenged, like schools

[b]Where is the difference?[/b] Libraries still opening up today same as yesterday. Libraries are behaving as if they have some type of obligation to be open to the public. No other profession seems to think it's normal to say out loud to the community that they can't open because [b]their staff have to watch their kids.
[/b]
Ditto for these other professions. [/quote]

First, no one is saying the above. They cancelled because we were supposed to get snow, which we didn't, but that's a weatherperson fail. They cancelled to protect your children from harm as walkers and bus riders. That is why they cancel on a weather day.
Next, show me a librarian at a public library who is responsible for teaching and supervising a group of 25 kids all day, or groups of 25-50 kids all day long as part of their job. I'll wait.
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