Teachers deserve more planning time. For that to happen you might be inconvenienced. At our school kids can stay at school and leave at regular time on early release Mondays. You all want good teachers, but you don't want to provide them with the time, $$, and respect they deserve.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’m a retired teacher, now sub. This is a topic of discussion in the school today and so far I haven’t heard anyone (office staff, specialists, teachers) say they want early release Wednesdays. [/quote]

I would have more respect if FCPS would say that the 27 hours is over but have decided to implement new early release on Wed that is NOT the Monday early release days moved to Wed given those Mondays were to only be for 27 hours of learning that is now complete. Please don’t spin doctor and just say it straight- FCPS is going to do it anyway so just be direct and straight forward with parents.[/quote]

Why would they do that? Why would they open themselves up for criticisms?

There are always a few smart people who question why FCPS specifically need all this time off when the other counties’ teachers don’t. These people don’t just say “okay” to whatever they’re being told by authorities.

FCPS is obviously scared to look bad. Remember that image is everything; they want to look good. They want people to think they’re victims of a situation outside their control. So they blamed the law last year. The law that apparently only impacts them and no other districts.

Right now they’re looking for new reasons that would allow them to do the same. Since the law can no longer be blamed; they are likely to do something different.

Instead of blaming something (since there is no easy scapegoat this time around), they will most likely focus on the “positives” of more time off for students.

- students are too stressed - need more time to relax; this will improve their behavior and mental health
- teachers too stressed - need more time off so that they can attend trainings and meetings. No modules by the state anymore this year? Not a problem. FCPS have many “specialists” and “coaches” who can always run new PDs and make more PowerPoints for teachers to discuss. This will help them become better teachers.
- parents can bond with their children - who would say no to spending more time with their own kids? Every parent should be jumping for joy.
- doing weekday errands/appts - who doesn’t love doing errands and going to appointments on a weekday?

FCPS will come out looking really good! They are always looking out for the kids and prioritize kids’ learning and mental health. Cutting student hours is in the best interest of everyone - students, teachers, parents. Everyone wins!! [/quote]I promote you to Gatehouse!

Clearly the School Board and Superintendent have an egregious lack of respect for the families they serve and no integrity whatsoever. Even so, I'm not sure how they can get away with lying about the reason for the disruptive afternoons off in 2024-2025 (blaming it on the "state law" bogeyman even though other districts managed) and then changing the justification to something completely different going forward. Even worse, don't claim to care about lower SES families and then expect the parents, many of whom don't work from home or have flexible schedules, to suck it up when it comes to schedule disruptions. And with RTO, many of us don't have as much flexibility as in prior years. I'm not looking forward to taking random Wednesdays off so the schools can dismiss early. When did teaching the kids become such a low priority for FCPS?

I don't know what the process is to have an incompetent school board member or Superintendent removed, but I'd vote them out if I could.

Anonymous wrote:Insane if this applies to MS and HS.

Fire the SB immediately if that's the case!

Agree if this goes to MS and HS hitting new crazy. And her clip where Reid talks- Spin, spin, spin. “We designed those for planning”…. Say the rest- to meet 27 hours, which has now happened. At this point does Reid just want to propose asynchronous from home for all ES classes? Would solve the cell phone usage problem and wouldn’t have to buy pouches- win win!!

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and want no part of it. Today was our last one and I am so glad. Our schedule is different and it really ruins the day. And my classroom is used for the kids staying so I can’t even use my room to work. I would prefer to use my hours, take off and go home after dismissal.

Ours was today. Specialists help cover the students who stay, so they gain no planning time and some lose it if their regularly scheduled planning is after the early dismissal time. Teachers with planning time during today’s meeting time lose it. Those with planning time at the end of the day overlaps what they had today anyhow. Teachers with planning time before the early dismissal have theirs shortened from an hour to half an hour.

For example, let’s say dismissal is at 12:30. A meeting is held from 12:50-2:00. Grade level X has their regular planning time from 2:30-3:30. They gained half an hour of planning.

This is awful. The calendar for next year is already horrific for working parents with a ton of random days off.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a retired teacher, now sub. This is a topic of discussion in the school today and so far I haven’t heard anyone (office staff, specialists, teachers) say they want early release Wednesdays.

So it's happening?

Yes, scroll down her weekly message to above the picture of the “jazz guars”
https://www.fcps.edu/news/superintendents-weekly-reflections-136

“ And in the Superintendent Matters section of the School Board meeting, I discussed a review of the limited early release days, which this year were on Mondays, but for next school year we will be moving them to Wednesdays, with the same services as this year. I will be sharing more information about this with the community at the beginning of the coming week.”

Oh wow. I thought it was just for ES. But Middle and High School will also be doing early release days on Wednesdays.

Where do you see MS and HS? I clicked on the clip from the board meeting and she only mentioned ES to help balance the planning time compared to MS and HS.

Insane if this applies to MS and HS.

Fire the SB immediately if that's the case!

I am a teacher and want no part of it. Today was our last one and I am so glad. Our schedule is different and it really ruins the day. And my classroom is used for the kids staying so I can’t even use my room to work. I would prefer to use my hours, take off and go home after dismissal.

This is ridiculous. These early releases were supposed to be just for this year because of the VA Literacy Act trainings. This school system is being run into the ground under Reid and the useless board.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a retired teacher, now sub. This is a topic of discussion in the school today and so far I haven’t heard anyone (office staff, specialists, teachers) say they want early release Wednesdays.

So it's happening?

Yes, scroll down her weekly message to above the picture of the “jazz guars”
https://www.fcps.edu/news/superintendents-weekly-reflections-136

“ And in the Superintendent Matters section of the School Board meeting, I discussed a review of the limited early release days, which this year were on Mondays, but for next school year we will be moving them to Wednesdays, with the same services as this year. I will be sharing more information about this with the community at the beginning of the coming week.”

Oh wow. I thought it was just for ES. But Middle and High School will also be doing early release days on Wednesdays.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a retired teacher, now sub. This is a topic of discussion in the school today and so far I haven’t heard anyone (office staff, specialists, teachers) say they want early release Wednesdays.

So it's happening?

Yes, scroll down her weekly message to above the picture of the “jazz guars”
https://www.fcps.edu/news/superintendents-weekly-reflections-136

“ And in the Superintendent Matters section of the School Board meeting, I discussed a review of the limited early release days, which this year were on Mondays, but for next school year we will be moving them to Wednesdays, with the same services as this year. I will be sharing more information about this with the community at the beginning of the coming week.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a retired teacher, now sub. This is a topic of discussion in the school today and so far I haven’t heard anyone (office staff, specialists, teachers) say they want early release Wednesdays.

So it's happening?

PP
I don’t know if it is 100% or not, but the feeling I’m picking up is that the early dismissals are disruptive.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’m a retired teacher, now sub. This is a topic of discussion in the school today and so far I haven’t heard anyone (office staff, specialists, teachers) say they want early release Wednesdays. [/quote]

I would have more respect if FCPS would say that the 27 hours is over but have decided to implement new early release on Wed that is NOT the Monday early release days moved to Wed given those Mondays were to only be for 27 hours of learning that is now complete. Please don’t spin doctor and just say it straight- FCPS is going to do it anyway so just be direct and straight forward with parents.[/quote]

Why would they do that? Why would they open themselves up for criticisms?

There are always a few smart people who question why FCPS specifically need all this time off when the other counties’ teachers don’t. These people don’t just say “okay” to whatever they’re being told by authorities.

FCPS is obviously scared to look bad. Remember that image is everything; they want to look good. They want people to think they’re victims of a situation outside their control. So they blamed the law last year. The law that apparently only impacts them and no other districts.

Right now they’re looking for new reasons that would allow them to do the same. Since the law can no longer be blamed; they are likely to do something different.

Instead of blaming something (since there is no easy scapegoat this time around), they will most likely focus on the “positives” of more time off for students.

- students are too stressed - need more time to relax; this will improve their behavior and mental health
- teachers too stressed - need more time off so that they can attend trainings and meetings. No modules by the state anymore this year? Not a problem. FCPS have many “specialists” and “coaches” who can always run new PDs and make more PowerPoints for teachers to discuss. This will help them become better teachers.
- parents can bond with their children - who would say no to spending more time with their own kids? Every parent should be jumping for joy.
- doing weekday errands/appts - who doesn’t love doing errands and going to appointments on a weekday?

FCPS will come out looking really good! They are always looking out for the kids and prioritize kids’ learning and mental health. Cutting student hours is in the best interest of everyone - students, teachers, parents. Everyone wins!!

Anonymous wrote:I’m a retired teacher, now sub. This is a topic of discussion in the school today and so far I haven’t heard anyone (office staff, specialists, teachers) say they want early release Wednesdays.

I would have more respect if FCPS would say that the 27 hours is over but have decided to implement new early release on Wed that is NOT the Monday early release days moved to Wed given those Mondays were to only be for 27 hours of learning that is now complete. Please don’t spin doctor and just say it straight- FCPS is going to do it anyway so just be direct and straight forward with parents.