Anonymous wrote:Do all these other districts observe the religious holidays for all the various faiths? Or turn them into teacher training/work days? The more woke you are, the fewer days are available for school.

Sorry, FCPS doesn't care if your kids are in school. Woke holidays are more important than learning.

Anonymous wrote:I like it. No one needs a 12 week summer. 7 or 8 weeks is plenty. The frequent 3 day weekends are a lovely break for my kids.

I wish a few of the holidays were consolidated into fall break and a mid February break instead of days off on Tuesday, but I get that they’re not randomly selected days.

False. Highs schoolers who want to participate in internships, summer programs (many of which are in different parts of the country or even the world and can last 6 or more weeks over varying portions of the summer), and/or have jobs plus maybe have a few weeks of actual vacation/down time need a 12ish week summer vacation. For elementary 7 or 8 weeks might be fine, but when you have a high schooler with specific interests they want to pursue over the summer -- which helps to build their resume for college applications -- it's completely different.

Do all these other districts observe the religious holidays for all the various faiths? Or turn them into teacher training/work days? The more woke you are, the fewer days are available for school.

Anonymous wrote:I like it. No one needs a 12 week summer. 7 or 8 weeks is plenty. The frequent 3 day weekends are a lovely break for my kids.

I wish a few of the holidays were consolidated into fall break and a mid February break instead of days off on Tuesday, but I get that they’re not randomly selected days.

Unless your child is in HS and hoping to get a job or internship for the summer. How old are your kids? Elementary?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like it. No one needs a 12 week summer. 7 or 8 weeks is plenty. The frequent 3 day weekends are a lovely break for my kids.

I wish a few of the holidays were consolidated into fall break and a mid February break instead of days off on Tuesday, but I get that they’re not randomly selected days.

Summer was only 9.5 weeks (67 days) for students and 7.5 weeks (53 days) for returning teachers. I'm not sure where you got 12 weeks.

Apparently FCPS deleted all their past school year calendars so I had to go the wayback route to dig even last year's calendar. https://web.archive.org/web/20240915224807/https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/2024-2025-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf
Teachers last day for 24-25 was June 18 and their first day August 11 so just 53 days.

Anonymous wrote:I like it. No one needs a 12 week summer. 7 or 8 weeks is plenty. The frequent 3 day weekends are a lovely break for my kids.

I wish a few of the holidays were consolidated into fall break and a mid February break instead of days off on Tuesday, but I get that they’re not randomly selected days.

Summer was only 9.5 weeks (67 days) for students and 7.5 weeks (53 days) for returning teachers. I'm not sure where you got 12 weeks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richmond area schools start later and get out earlier too. Can’t blame the calendar on the state as clearly other districts have figured out how not to have a super long year. It’s all the holidays. It didn’t need to be this way but too many people just blindly accept whatever the school board does, because they aren’t Republican and we have to always do the opposite of whatever Republicans would do regardless of whether it make sense or not.

Reid is responsible for this one and the school board needs to reign her in. During a recent school board meeting, McElveen asked her about having a calendar committee, like there used to be, to make decisions about the calendar. Reid very directly replied that she didn't need a committee for the calendar. And her office has very quietly been releasing calendars, which just keep getting worse. They are currently available through the 2027-2028 school year.

Those years are long but nothing will beat this years record! August 18 (tomorrow) to June 17 a SOLID 10 months on the dot! Returning teachers started last Monday and go to June 18 and New Teachers were there on August FOURTH! So teachers are there from August 4 or 11 to June 18! That screams year round! Unlike most year round schools there are only 2 breaks during the year that are at least a week long. The 2 week break in December/early January and spring break week late March/early April!

I like it. No one needs a 12 week summer. 7 or 8 weeks is plenty. The frequent 3 day weekends are a lovely break for my kids.

I wish a few of the holidays were consolidated into fall break and a mid February break instead of days off on Tuesday, but I get that they’re not randomly selected days.

Anonymous wrote:Arlington starts a full week later than FCPS (Aug. 25) and gets out the day after FCPS. The FCPS calendar is a train wreck.

A whole four days less?!? Oh the humanity!!

Anonymous wrote:The FIVE day Memorial Day weekend has got to the worst idea ever.

Nah. It’s almost as good as an English bank holiday. Maybe tack on a couple more days and travel when it’s cheaper.

Anonymous wrote:[twitter]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richmond area schools start later and get out earlier too. Can’t blame the calendar on the state as clearly other districts have figured out how not to have a super long year. It’s all the holidays. It didn’t need to be this way but too many people just blindly accept whatever the school board does, because they aren’t Republican and we have to always do the opposite of whatever Republicans would do regardless of whether it make sense or not.

Or some of us with older kids LIKE that there are days off throughout the school year to allow our kids to sleep in and breathe a little. I’m a fan of year round school so it’s okay with me if the kids have less time to forget everything they learned.

Yes by all means let’s change the calendar from how it was done for years because your kids are older now 🙄

This schedule works for our family too. No complaints!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richmond area schools start later and get out earlier too. Can’t blame the calendar on the state as clearly other districts have figured out how not to have a super long year. It’s all the holidays. It didn’t need to be this way but too many people just blindly accept whatever the school board does, because they aren’t Republican and we have to always do the opposite of whatever Republicans would do regardless of whether it make sense or not.

Or some of us with older kids LIKE that there are days off throughout the school year to allow our kids to sleep in and breathe a little. I’m a fan of year round school so it’s okay with me if the kids have less time to forget everything they learned.

I too am a fan of year round school, but with structured breaks not a day off here and there disrupting everything. I think there are only 3 or 4 full weeks in the entire first quarter.

Only 3! But one of those is actually the PSAT week so some kids will be home that day! Making it actually only two full 5 day weeks. One of which is the first week of school. lol.

That first week is going to be spent outside trying to figure out how to get 3000 students through 6 metal detectors.

So while the first week is technically a full week, the students will spend close to 20% of it standing outside the building in a giant cluster of 1000s of their classmates

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richmond area schools start later and get out earlier too. Can’t blame the calendar on the state as clearly other districts have figured out how not to have a super long year. It’s all the holidays. It didn’t need to be this way but too many people just blindly accept whatever the school board does, because they aren’t Republican and we have to always do the opposite of whatever Republicans would do regardless of whether it make sense or not.

Or some of us with older kids LIKE that there are days off throughout the school year to allow our kids to sleep in and breathe a little. I’m a fan of year round school so it’s okay with me if the kids have less time to forget everything they learned.

No one with older kids likes this ridiculous schedule. All the high school families bi$# about it

Getting out so late in June is terrible for high school students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun County schools start Thursday the 21st and get out almost a full week before FCPS? This doesn't make any sense. We are getting out SO late this year. What is the rationale behind this?

FCPS, 38 days off
LCPS, 34 days off

My childhood school district, 22 days off (no teacher work days and religous holidays)

This would mean that if Thanksgiving is a 5-day weekend along with 2 weeks off in late December/early January and a week of spring break there are only 4 other days off!

you are mostly correct with 2 of the days being the NJEA (NJ teachers union) conference. Thanksgiving is an early dismissial on wed, so a 4 day weekend.

I grew up in NJ. Most years didn't have 2 full weeks off in late December into January except in years that fall like this December but we typically had a week in February and another week in April. I'm guessing your district didn't have a February break and the other 4 days are probably MLK, President's Day, Good Friday and Memorial Day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun County schools start Thursday the 21st and get out almost a full week before FCPS? This doesn't make any sense. We are getting out SO late this year. What is the rationale behind this?

FCPS, 38 days off
LCPS, 34 days off

My childhood school district, 22 days off (no teacher work days and religous holidays)

This would mean that if Thanksgiving is a 5-day weekend along with 2 weeks off in late December/early January and a week of spring break there are only 4 other days off!

you are mostly correct with 2 of the days being the NJEA (NJ teachers union) conference. Thanksgiving is an early dismissial on wed, so a 4 day weekend.