Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not about the calendar. Complaining about the school calendar seems “non-political” on the surface, but it provides a way to voice broader discontent with the school board’s values or priorities. It’s easier to rally people around something tangible, like too many days off, than around abstract policy disagreements.

That's why this discussion will never end. Concerns about childcare challenges (despite many available solutions), the impact on student learning (FCPS consistently ranks among the top school systems in the country), or the length of summer break (too short for what, exactly?) will never be satisfied. Because it's not about the calendar. It’s a means to rally support for a different school board.

So just say what you mean so that we can have a proper discussion.

Oh yes? Share the “many” taxpayer funded, age and developmentally appropriate childcare options available for one-off days.

There are actually quite a few options, though availability can vary by age and location. Many of them were posted earlier in the thread. For one-off school holidays, families often use:

Fairfax County Park Authority “Schools Out” day camps at local recreation centers, which run 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. for elementary-aged children. These taxpayer-funded through the county’s park system

Local RECenter programs and YMCA camps that offer day programs aligned with FCPS holidays. RECenters are county-operated facilities funded by taxes, though some program fees may apply.

Private enrichment programs like Mad Science, Bricks 4 Kidz, ArtSpace, and STEM or sports camps that run single-day sessions.

School- or PTA-organized programs at some elementary schools for early release or teacher workdays.

These are all taxpayer-supported or community-based programs designed to be age-appropriate and structured, and many families in Fairfax use them regularly for occasional school closures. Hope they help you manage the one-off school closures like they've helped me.

None of what you've listed provides transportation, support for children with special needs, or before/aftercare. Fairfax expects September birthdays to start kindergarten at four which most Rec center classes don’t accept, so early days off like 9/9 are just SOL.

Yes— there are plenty of options for parents who have unlimited money and time. If FCPS wants to underscore their commitment to being a school district out of touch with those constituents that do not, they will continue as they are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The calendars are a disgrace because they’re not pedagogically supported— it’s 100% about the adults (teachers clamoring for more time off, board members clamoring for THEIR religious holidays) and not about the students or families public institutions should serve. The hypocrisy of combining a calendar like this with the constant harping about attendance is nauseating— FCPS doesn’t want kids in school, but they really want to scold.

So my calendar of preference: no religious holidays, even Christmas, are school-wide closures. There is a week long winter break at New Year which may or may not include Christmas depending on the way the calendar falls.

BUT any absence for religious observance is excused. No one is penalized for being out, for example, Christmas Eve or Diwali.

Teacher work days are on less important Federal holidays (no a teacher shouldn’t have to work Labor Day but Columbus Day seems fair) or Election Day.

I’m a retired ES teacher, now substitute and I don’t hear this. The number of contracted days has stayed the same and teachers don’t like the choppy schedule.

Maybe its just on DCUM where they insist they can’t grade on time or do any normal-job responsibilities without endlessly keeping kids out of the classroom?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The calendars are a disgrace because they’re not pedagogically supported— it’s 100% about the adults (teachers clamoring for more time off, board members clamoring for THEIR religious holidays) and not about the students or families public institutions should serve. The hypocrisy of combining a calendar like this with the constant harping about attendance is nauseating— FCPS doesn’t want kids in school, but they really want to scold.

So my calendar of preference: no religious holidays, even Christmas, are school-wide closures. There is a week long winter break at New Year which may or may not include Christmas depending on the way the calendar falls.

BUT any absence for religious observance is excused. No one is penalized for being out, for example, Christmas Eve or Diwali.

Teacher work days are on less important Federal holidays (no a teacher shouldn’t have to work Labor Day but Columbus Day seems fair) or Election Day.

How big of you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FFor those who have concerns about the current calendar, consider reaching out to your school administration or your school board member. This can be a good way to better understand the reasoning behind the calendar and why it is structured the way it is.

The only "reason" behind the calendar is woke politics. There is no operational or academic rationale for it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School calendar is fine, now we have three year's calendar and it really helps families plan ahead. Remember those days that we didn't have any calendar a few months before the new school year??

Off days are great for some students and frustrating for others, we’ve discussed this so many times, and no one is going to convince anyone otherwise. Maybe it’s time to move on.

Maybe you're ok with a bad calendar, but many parents actually care about their kids education.

What's bad for some kids isn't bad for others. As another PP noted, for MS and HS kids, shorter weeks give them some downtime and help reduce burnout. Seniors have time to work on college applications. And with block scheduling, planned days off don't get "missed", the even/odd schedule just goes to the next day.

The calendar is a primarily a problem for elementary school students and parents. But even in that group, there are parents who wouldn't want a longer summer because then you are stuck paying for more weeks of camp and after college kids go back to school, there are fewer camps and they are really expensive.

I care about my child's education, and once they were out of elementary school and could be home by themselves, I didn't care at all whether they had a particular day off or not.

So screw the elementary school kids because lazy seniors can't do applications on the weekend?

Not exactly a winning argument.

I don’t think anyone’s saying elementary kids don’t matter. It’s just that different ages have different needs. High schoolers especially have a lot on their plates between AP classes, heavy reading and projects, sports, SAT prep, and college applications. They’re not being lazy. And while the student holidays and teacher workdays weren’t necessarily designed to give them downtime or catch-up space, that’s still a real benefit of the current calendar. So it’s fair to say the calendar isn’t a burden for every group. It just impacts families in different ways.

Gee. Why do high school kids even need to go to school? Those complaining about teachers not teaching need to realize that it is hard to teach if the kids are not there.

I don’t think anyone’s suggesting high schoolers shouldn’t go to school. The point was just that when there are scheduled days off, older students often use that time to catch up or recharge. It’s not about skipping class. It’s about recognizing that the built-in breaks affect different age groups differently.

They have two built -in breaks every week

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I swear to god, how many threads about the stupid calendar do we need? There's one every week.

We'll have them until they make it sane.

Keep whining. You’re accomplishing nothing.

Anonymous wrote:The calendars are a disgrace because they’re not pedagogically supported— it’s 100% about the adults (teachers clamoring for more time off, board members clamoring for THEIR religious holidays) and not about the students or families public institutions should serve. The hypocrisy of combining a calendar like this with the constant harping about attendance is nauseating— FCPS doesn’t want kids in school, but they really want to scold.

So my calendar of preference: no religious holidays, even Christmas, are school-wide closures. There is a week long winter break at New Year which may or may not include Christmas depending on the way the calendar falls.

BUT any absence for religious observance is excused. No one is penalized for being out, for example, Christmas Eve or Diwali.

Teacher work days are on less important Federal holidays (no a teacher shouldn’t have to work Labor Day but Columbus Day seems fair) or Election Day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me how to vote to get any improvement to this horrific school calendar that is a complete atrocity to working families and disservice too kids trying to learn. I don’t care if I have to vote blue, red or purple - it just needs to change for next year.

The calendars are planned out for the next three years. Take a look at them now and start planning ahead for childcare. Here are some ideas.

(When I had a school-aged child, my husband and I took turns taking days off. Or we would partner with another family and take turns that way. You're going to need to start working with other families as your kids get older anyway. Having a parent carpool saved us when our daughter was in high school sports and didn't have her license yet. She had to be picked up after school every day.)

1. Community and Local Program Options

Park Authority Day Camps: Fairfax County Park Authority often offers one-day “Schools Out” camps or workshops at recreation centers. These usually run 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and include sports, crafts, and games.

Local YMCAs or JCCs: Many host “Schools Out” programs with flexible drop-off and pickup times.

STEM or Art Centers: Look for one-day workshops at places like Code Ninjas, iCode, ArtSpace, or local pottery/painting studios.

Sports Clubs: Soccer, basketball, and gymnastics facilities sometimes offer day clinics during school breaks.

2. Parent-Organized Solutions

Childcare Swap: Partner with a few trusted families to rotate childcare duties on teacher workdays. Each parent takes one day off work to host a small group of kids.

Shared Sitter/Nanny Pool: Team up with neighbors to hire one sitter for a group of children—lowering costs and adding built-in playmates.

High School Helpers: Many responsible high school students are available for daytime babysitting on no-school days. Ask through neighborhood groups or school parent chats.

3. Flexible Work Options

Adjust Work Hours: If possible, shift hours earlier or later to accommodate a partial day at home.

Remote Work Day: Some parents coordinate with their managers to work from home when schools close.

Split Schedule with a Partner or Friend: One parent covers the morning, another covers the afternoon—so neither has to take a full day off.

Clearly written by someone not dealing with this.

I dealt with it for seven years from kindergarten to sixth grade, and I dabbled in a little bit of all of these options. It all worked out in the end, and my kid is thriving.

The people who struggle with this do not have the time to post on DCUM.
They are not suburban moms living a comfortable lifestyle.

I'm a suburban mom living a comfortable lifestyle. And I have a demanding job. And I do plan ahead but sometimes still have to scramble to find care for my kids on these days.

Well, then you’re not planning ahead well enough. You get the calendar YEARS in advance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's so insane about the school year calendar? I think it's great that we're observing religious holidays beyond the Christian ones.

Do you have a job? If I have to explain this to you, you clearly do not have younger children and work full time.

Your job is not the school’s problem. 🤷‍♀️

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me how to vote to get any improvement to this horrific school calendar that is a complete atrocity to working families and disservice too kids trying to learn. I don’t care if I have to vote blue, red or purple - it just needs to change for next year.

The calendars are planned out for the next three years. Take a look at them now and start planning ahead for childcare. Here are some ideas.

(When I had a school-aged child, my husband and I took turns taking days off. Or we would partner with another family and take turns that way. You're going to need to start working with other families as your kids get older anyway. Having a parent carpool saved us when our daughter was in high school sports and didn't have her license yet. She had to be picked up after school every day.)

1. Community and Local Program Options

Park Authority Day Camps: Fairfax County Park Authority often offers one-day “Schools Out” camps or workshops at recreation centers. These usually run 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and include sports, crafts, and games.

Local YMCAs or JCCs: Many host “Schools Out” programs with flexible drop-off and pickup times.

STEM or Art Centers: Look for one-day workshops at places like Code Ninjas, iCode, ArtSpace, or local pottery/painting studios.

Sports Clubs: Soccer, basketball, and gymnastics facilities sometimes offer day clinics during school breaks.

2. Parent-Organized Solutions

Childcare Swap: Partner with a few trusted families to rotate childcare duties on teacher workdays. Each parent takes one day off work to host a small group of kids.

Shared Sitter/Nanny Pool: Team up with neighbors to hire one sitter for a group of children—lowering costs and adding built-in playmates.

High School Helpers: Many responsible high school students are available for daytime babysitting on no-school days. Ask through neighborhood groups or school parent chats.

3. Flexible Work Options

Adjust Work Hours: If possible, shift hours earlier or later to accommodate a partial day at home.

Remote Work Day: Some parents coordinate with their managers to work from home when schools close.

Split Schedule with a Partner or Friend: One parent covers the morning, another covers the afternoon—so neither has to take a full day off.

Clearly written by someone not dealing with this.

I dealt with it for seven years from kindergarten to sixth grade, and I dabbled in a little bit of all of these options. It all worked out in the end, and my kid is thriving.

The people who struggle with this do not have the time to post on DCUM.
They are not suburban moms living a comfortable lifestyle.

I'm a suburban mom living a comfortable lifestyle. And I have a demanding job. And I do plan ahead but sometimes still have to scramble to find care for my kids on these days.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me how to vote to get any improvement to this horrific school calendar that is a complete atrocity to working families and disservice too kids trying to learn. I don’t care if I have to vote blue, red or purple - it just needs to change for next year.

The calendars are planned out for the next three years. Take a look at them now and start planning ahead for childcare. Here are some ideas.

(When I had a school-aged child, my husband and I took turns taking days off. Or we would partner with another family and take turns that way. You're going to need to start working with other families as your kids get older anyway. Having a parent carpool saved us when our daughter was in high school sports and didn't have her license yet. She had to be picked up after school every day.)

1. Community and Local Program Options

Park Authority Day Camps: Fairfax County Park Authority often offers one-day “Schools Out” camps or workshops at recreation centers. These usually run 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and include sports, crafts, and games.

Local YMCAs or JCCs: Many host “Schools Out” programs with flexible drop-off and pickup times.

STEM or Art Centers: Look for one-day workshops at places like Code Ninjas, iCode, ArtSpace, or local pottery/painting studios.

Sports Clubs: Soccer, basketball, and gymnastics facilities sometimes offer day clinics during school breaks.

2. Parent-Organized Solutions

Childcare Swap: Partner with a few trusted families to rotate childcare duties on teacher workdays. Each parent takes one day off work to host a small group of kids.

Shared Sitter/Nanny Pool: Team up with neighbors to hire one sitter for a group of children—lowering costs and adding built-in playmates.

High School Helpers: Many responsible high school students are available for daytime babysitting on no-school days. Ask through neighborhood groups or school parent chats.

3. Flexible Work Options

Adjust Work Hours: If possible, shift hours earlier or later to accommodate a partial day at home.

Remote Work Day: Some parents coordinate with their managers to work from home when schools close.

Split Schedule with a Partner or Friend: One parent covers the morning, another covers the afternoon—so neither has to take a full day off.

Clearly written by someone not dealing with this.

I dealt with it for seven years from kindergarten to sixth grade, and I dabbled in a little bit of all of these options. It all worked out in the end, and my kid is thriving.

Well aren't you special. And if you haven't dealt with THIS YEAR'S calendar with a younger child, with all the new holidays + the early releases, you have not really dealt with it.

Anonymous wrote:Remove the religious holidays and Lunar New Year.
Give excused absences.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me how to vote to get any improvement to this horrific school calendar that is a complete atrocity to working families and disservice too kids trying to learn. I don’t care if I have to vote blue, red or purple - it just needs to change for next year.

The calendars are planned out for the next three years. Take a look at them now and start planning ahead for childcare. Here are some ideas.

(When I had a school-aged child, my husband and I took turns taking days off. Or we would partner with another family and take turns that way. You're going to need to start working with other families as your kids get older anyway. Having a parent carpool saved us when our daughter was in high school sports and didn't have her license yet. She had to be picked up after school every day.)

1. Community and Local Program Options

Park Authority Day Camps: Fairfax County Park Authority often offers one-day “Schools Out” camps or workshops at recreation centers. These usually run 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and include sports, crafts, and games.

Local YMCAs or JCCs: Many host “Schools Out” programs with flexible drop-off and pickup times.

STEM or Art Centers: Look for one-day workshops at places like Code Ninjas, iCode, ArtSpace, or local pottery/painting studios.

Sports Clubs: Soccer, basketball, and gymnastics facilities sometimes offer day clinics during school breaks.

2. Parent-Organized Solutions

Childcare Swap: Partner with a few trusted families to rotate childcare duties on teacher workdays. Each parent takes one day off work to host a small group of kids.

Shared Sitter/Nanny Pool: Team up with neighbors to hire one sitter for a group of children—lowering costs and adding built-in playmates.

High School Helpers: Many responsible high school students are available for daytime babysitting on no-school days. Ask through neighborhood groups or school parent chats.

3. Flexible Work Options

Adjust Work Hours: If possible, shift hours earlier or later to accommodate a partial day at home.

Remote Work Day: Some parents coordinate with their managers to work from home when schools close.

Split Schedule with a Partner or Friend: One parent covers the morning, another covers the afternoon—so neither has to take a full day off.

Clearly written by someone not dealing with this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School calendar is fine, now we have three year's calendar and it really helps families plan ahead. Remember those days that we didn't have any calendar a few months before the new school year??

Off days are great for some students and frustrating for others, we’ve discussed this so many times, and no one is going to convince anyone otherwise. Maybe it’s time to move on.

Maybe you're ok with a bad calendar, but many parents actually care about their kids education.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I swear to god, how many threads about the stupid calendar do we need? There's one every week.

We'll have them until they make it sane.