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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote] 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.[/quote]

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.[/quote]

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.[/quote]

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. [/quote]

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

https://library.arlingtonva.us/2022/01/17/operations-update-covid-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.[/quote]

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