Anonymous
11/02/2025 15:40
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:At least they have aftercare on some days? Our public school regular dismissal is at 1:40pm and they have no aftercare. You have to find a private provider. I think in general school isn't a great full time childcare solution unless you're rich enough to throw a lot of money at babysitters or have a parent with a very flexible schedule. :/
School is not supposed to be full time childcare.
I'm tired of all the a-hats on this thread with this response. This attitude sucks and ignores the reality that the school day has never been updated to reflect the reality of a world where many, many families have two working parents. The typical workday is 8-5. Why has our society continued to penalize working parents with a bizarre practice of having school end several hours after the workday? Or not at least having aftercare in place at every school until at least 5:30-6 on weekdays.
Stop pretending this isn't BS.
Several hours BEFORE the workday ends. Whoops.
Anonymous
11/02/2025 15:40
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:At least they have aftercare on some days? Our public school regular dismissal is at 1:40pm and they have no aftercare. You have to find a private provider. I think in general school isn't a great full time childcare solution unless you're rich enough to throw a lot of money at babysitters or have a parent with a very flexible schedule. :/
School is not supposed to be full time childcare.
I'm tired of all the a-hats on this thread with this response. This attitude sucks and ignores the reality that the school day has never been updated to reflect the reality of a world where many, many families have two working parents. The typical workday is 8-5. Why has our society continued to penalize working parents with a bizarre practice of having school end several hours after the workday? Or not at least having aftercare in place at every school until at least 5:30-6 on weekdays.
Stop pretending this isn't BS.
Anonymous
11/01/2025 23:33
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Anonymous wrote:Here’s the recent schedule of my k-8 Catholic school in Alexandria that supposedly is so “pro-family”:
10/31 - half day. No after care
11/11 - half day. No after care.
11/12 — half day. No after care.
11/13 - half day. No after care.
11/14 - no school.
11/25 - half day. No after care.
WHEN TF ARE PARENTS SUPPOSED TO WORK????? Or is this school only for families with SAHMs barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen?
Oh, and to make it even worse, no virtual option for attending parent-teacher conferences (even though that option was readily available during “covid” and was a simple thing to implement).
So is this school “pro family.”?
Should they persistently be asking me for money (especially when I’ve already paid for “after care” that’s not even offered multiple days a month)?
At least public schools don’t claim to be pro family (and don’t cost tens of thousands per year).
They want kids to spend more time with you. That’s the meaning of “pro family”.
They are firmly “pro money”.
Anonymous
11/01/2025 23:27
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I thought “pro family” just meant “anti abortion”
Pro birth. Then you’re on your own.
+1000000
If you really believe that, Catholic schools probably aren’t a great fit for many reasons.
Anonymous
11/01/2025 23:27
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:At least they have aftercare on some days? Our public school regular dismissal is at 1:40pm and they have no aftercare. You have to find a private provider. I think in general school isn't a great full time childcare solution unless you're rich enough to throw a lot of money at babysitters or have a parent with a very flexible schedule. :/
Where do you live? Appalachia? Every school district around here has after care or relatively cheap private-sector after care options (like those tai kwon do after care programs).
False. And FCPS. Try to be helpful on threads and not combative just to be combative
Anonymous
11/01/2025 23:25
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Anonymous wrote:Blame ACPS and FCPS. They pay their damn bus drivers $28/hour (and rising every quarter) and their teachers a whole lot more, so the only way for Catholic schools to compete is to reduce instruction time.
Instead of complaining, advocate for school choice and vouchers. That’s the only way to shake things up and effect change.
Irrelevant point to Catholic schools
Anonymous
11/01/2025 22:27
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:At least they have aftercare on some days? Our public school regular dismissal is at 1:40pm and they have no aftercare. You have to find a private provider. I think in general school isn't a great full time childcare solution unless you're rich enough to throw a lot of money at babysitters or have a parent with a very flexible schedule. :/
Where do you live? Appalachia? Every school district around here has after care or relatively cheap private-sector after care options (like those tai kwon do after care programs).
Prince George's County MD. There are private providers, which I mentioned, although they can be very expensive and/or sketchy, but the school, which is currently in a swing space, doesn't have any on site aftercare. They used to have a contract with a provider for on site aftercare, but they didn't have space for all the kids who needed aftercare. I assume they will restart that program or a similar one once they are back in their permanent location.
Anonymous
11/01/2025 22:10
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
The successful approach here is to partner with another family or two… divide and conquer these half days so you take turns missing work.
Anonymous
11/01/2025 22:02
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I thought “pro family” just meant “anti abortion”
Pro birth. Then you’re on your own.
+1000000
Anonymous
11/01/2025 21:57
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Sounds like 1/2 day for Halloween, parent teacher conferences, and the day before Thanksgiving break. This is all very typical.
Anonymous
11/01/2025 20:00
Subject: Re:Catholic schools are pro family???
OP, if you don’t like it, then leave. Simple solution and I would bet there are families who would love to take your place.
Anonymous
11/01/2025 18:41
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Op, where does your after care meet? If the classrooms, where would the teachers conduct their conferences?
Anonymous
11/01/2025 17:21
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
So they are not "pro-family" because the kids have early dismissal on:
Halloween (sugar day)
Veteran's Day (a Fed holiday)
Two days before Thanksgiving (when 1/2 the school is already traveling to be with family)
And also, there are half days when most schools have parent/teacher conferences.
It sounds like they are trying to work with families to offer time for parenting.
Yes, it does stink to assume both parents can drop everything to pick up a kid at lunch a few times a month.
It also stinks as a teacher to have to miss out on your own time with your children and extended family b/c schools are not just designed to teach, but to babysit.
Some parents hire those after care teachers to babysit on those weird days, as well. Or, they make friends and create a co-op with other parents.
Halloween (sugar day)
Veteran's Day (a Fed holiday)
Two days before Thanksgiving (when 1/2 the school is already traveling to be with family)
And also, there are half days when most schools have parent/teacher conferences.
It sounds like they are trying to work with families to offer time for parenting.
Yes, it does stink to assume both parents can drop everything to pick up a kid at lunch a few times a month.
It also stinks as a teacher to have to miss out on your own time with your children and extended family b/c schools are not just designed to teach, but to babysit.
Some parents hire those after care teachers to babysit on those weird days, as well. Or, they make friends and create a co-op with other parents.
Anonymous
11/01/2025 17:18
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Anonymous wrote:It’s just how schools are these days. Our public school has sooo many random days off.
Public schools are required to have 180 days a year. The half days count as full days even if it’s only half instructions. I guess private schools do the same cheap-o thing.
Anonymous
11/01/2025 17:16
Subject: Catholic schools are pro family???
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:At least they have aftercare on some days? Our public school regular dismissal is at 1:40pm and they have no aftercare. You have to find a private provider. I think in general school isn't a great full time childcare solution unless you're rich enough to throw a lot of money at babysitters or have a parent with a very flexible schedule. :/
Where do you live? Appalachia? Every school district around here has after care or relatively cheap private-sector after care options (like those tai kwon do after care programs).
I’ve got a couple colleagues who sent their kids to public schools and they had to get on a waiting list for aftercare multiple years before kindergarten—one got off the waitlist a week before school started. In our parochial every parent who needs aftercare gets it, and all you have to do is sign up, no waitlist.