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Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Fairfax Times
()
Date: February 20, 2014 07:54AM
Snow makeup days cut into summer break
School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140218/NEWS/140229961/1117/snow-makeup-days-cut-into-summer-break&template=fairfaxTimes
Snow days have started to eat into summer vacation for Fairfax County schools.
Schools have lost eight days to snow and frigid conditions so far this year, leaving no room to spare on the calendar.
Makeup days for earlier weather-related closings scuttled planned long weekends, including Presidents Day this week. But last week’s snow days pushed the last day of school from Friday, June 20, to Monday, June 23, and any additional weather-related closings would further cut into the summer holiday.
“There’s no space left on the schedule,” said John Torre, spokesman for the county school system. “We had to extend the school year beyond the planned end date.”
State law does provide an option that could save summer vacation.
The state sets the requirements for makeup days due to severe weather and other emergency situations. If local school districts do not follow these rules, they face a reduction in state funding.
But the state Board of Education can waive these makeup day stipulations for school closings that result from a state of emergency, such as the one Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) declared ahead of last week’s snowstorm.
Still, students should not count on such a waiver for relief, according to Charles Pyle, spokesman for the state Department of Education.
School districts such as Fairfax County can choose to apply for a waiver, but they must show that they have rescheduled as many days as possible. The state Board of Education would not rubber-stamp such requests but would consider each decision carefully, Pyle said.
“A school division must demonstrate that it has done everything that’s practical, that’s possible, to make up the lost time,” Pyle said.
This year, Fairfax County has missed eight days of school so far. Two days were lost to a snowstorm in December. January saw one closing due to extreme cold and three more to another snowstorm. And snow days seven and eight came last week, Feb. 13-14.
State law requires the first five closings to be made up by schools. FCPS builds three extra days into its calendar over the standard 180-day school year to provide cushioning, but after that it needs to find room for the extra class time.
This year, the Presidents Day holiday scheduled for Monday and a student holiday planned for April 7 were canceled to fill in for the fourth and fifth snow days.
Beyond five closings, school districts only need make up every other missed day, so the sixth snow day in January did not cause any schedule snags.
But with number seven, Fairfax County schools ran out of wiggle room in the calendar, so a day was added to the end of the school year. Any more closings would further extend the calendar into summer vacation.
So far, Fairfax school officials have not discussed any plans to apply for a waiver, Torre said.
Such a waiver has only been granted once since the option was added to state law in 2004, according to Pyle.
Fairfax County received the first, and only, waiver in the 2009-10 school year.
Schools had lost 10 days of school to blizzards in December and February, storms locally dubbed “Snowpocalypse” and “Snowmageddon,” respectively. That equaled four makeup days on top of the three built into the school calendar, one more than required so far this year.
The state Board of Education granted a waiver allowed FCPS to forgo one of those makeup days.
Lauren Wyant, 6, flies down the hill at Van Dyke Park in Fairfax City on Feb. 13, as students enjoyed a snow day off from Fairfax County Schools. While snow days provide a break now, makeup days have started cutting into summer vacation.
Attachments:
School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140218/NEWS/140229961/1117/snow-makeup-days-cut-into-summer-break&template=fairfaxTimes
Snow days have started to eat into summer vacation for Fairfax County schools.
Schools have lost eight days to snow and frigid conditions so far this year, leaving no room to spare on the calendar.
Makeup days for earlier weather-related closings scuttled planned long weekends, including Presidents Day this week. But last week’s snow days pushed the last day of school from Friday, June 20, to Monday, June 23, and any additional weather-related closings would further cut into the summer holiday.
“There’s no space left on the schedule,” said John Torre, spokesman for the county school system. “We had to extend the school year beyond the planned end date.”
State law does provide an option that could save summer vacation.
The state sets the requirements for makeup days due to severe weather and other emergency situations. If local school districts do not follow these rules, they face a reduction in state funding.
But the state Board of Education can waive these makeup day stipulations for school closings that result from a state of emergency, such as the one Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) declared ahead of last week’s snowstorm.
Still, students should not count on such a waiver for relief, according to Charles Pyle, spokesman for the state Department of Education.
School districts such as Fairfax County can choose to apply for a waiver, but they must show that they have rescheduled as many days as possible. The state Board of Education would not rubber-stamp such requests but would consider each decision carefully, Pyle said.
“A school division must demonstrate that it has done everything that’s practical, that’s possible, to make up the lost time,” Pyle said.
This year, Fairfax County has missed eight days of school so far. Two days were lost to a snowstorm in December. January saw one closing due to extreme cold and three more to another snowstorm. And snow days seven and eight came last week, Feb. 13-14.
State law requires the first five closings to be made up by schools. FCPS builds three extra days into its calendar over the standard 180-day school year to provide cushioning, but after that it needs to find room for the extra class time.
This year, the Presidents Day holiday scheduled for Monday and a student holiday planned for April 7 were canceled to fill in for the fourth and fifth snow days.
Beyond five closings, school districts only need make up every other missed day, so the sixth snow day in January did not cause any schedule snags.
But with number seven, Fairfax County schools ran out of wiggle room in the calendar, so a day was added to the end of the school year. Any more closings would further extend the calendar into summer vacation.
So far, Fairfax school officials have not discussed any plans to apply for a waiver, Torre said.
Such a waiver has only been granted once since the option was added to state law in 2004, according to Pyle.
Fairfax County received the first, and only, waiver in the 2009-10 school year.
Schools had lost 10 days of school to blizzards in December and February, storms locally dubbed “Snowpocalypse” and “Snowmageddon,” respectively. That equaled four makeup days on top of the three built into the school calendar, one more than required so far this year.
The state Board of Education granted a waiver allowed FCPS to forgo one of those makeup days.
Lauren Wyant, 6, flies down the hill at Van Dyke Park in Fairfax City on Feb. 13, as students enjoyed a snow day off from Fairfax County Schools. While snow days provide a break now, makeup days have started cutting into summer vacation.
Attachments:
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Concerned Parents
()
Date: February 20, 2014 10:27AM
Jesus, why extend the year? Just have them go on Saturdays!
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Weekend Make Up days
()
Date: February 20, 2014 11:43AM
Concerned Parents Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jesus, why extend the year? Just have them go on
> Saturdays!
Agreed two Saturdays should make up for the time. The state wavier won't happen any more since the new education law went into effect. Plus, not making up the day would put certification in jeopardy also.
Two Saturdays as makeup days should do it.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jesus, why extend the year? Just have them go on
> Saturdays!
Agreed two Saturdays should make up for the time. The state wavier won't happen any more since the new education law went into effect. Plus, not making up the day would put certification in jeopardy also.
Two Saturdays as makeup days should do it.
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Stabitha
()
Date: February 20, 2014 11:46AM
Hahaha....good luck getting any of these lazy little shits to show up on a Saturday
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
9b7Kc
()
Date: February 20, 2014 01:18PM
Stabitha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hahaha....good luck getting any of these lazy
> little shits to show up on a Saturday
The parents don't have any excuse now to take their kids to school.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hahaha....good luck getting any of these lazy
> little shits to show up on a Saturday
The parents don't have any excuse now to take their kids to school.
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Home in Burke
()
Date: February 20, 2014 01:23PM
Make up days are important to cover the required material. However, adding days at the end of the year, particularly since all SOL testing is usually complete by the end of the first week of June is pointless.
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Stabitha
()
Date: February 20, 2014 02:26PM
Home in Burke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Make up days are important to cover the required
> material. However, adding days at the end of the
> year, particularly since all SOL testing is
> usually complete by the end of the first week of
> June is pointless.
Based on what most of the students who post here say, going to school at all is pointless
-------------------------------------------------------
> Make up days are important to cover the required
> material. However, adding days at the end of the
> year, particularly since all SOL testing is
> usually complete by the end of the first week of
> June is pointless.
Based on what most of the students who post here say, going to school at all is pointless
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
taxpayer
()
Date: February 20, 2014 02:40PM
Be sure to send me a check for the waiver days if you get them. My tax dollars aren't for paying the bloated school system for not working.
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Just the point Stab
()
Date: February 20, 2014 02:54PM
Stabitha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Home in Burke Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Make up days are important to cover the
> required
> > material. However, adding days at the end of
> the
> > year, particularly since all SOL testing is
> > usually complete by the end of the first week
> of
> > June is pointless.
>
> Based on what most of the students who post here
> say, going to school at all is pointless
If the students end up like you, then for once you're right.
Totally pointless.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Home in Burke Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Make up days are important to cover the
> required
> > material. However, adding days at the end of
> the
> > year, particularly since all SOL testing is
> > usually complete by the end of the first week
> of
> > June is pointless.
>
> Based on what most of the students who post here
> say, going to school at all is pointless
If the students end up like you, then for once you're right.
Totally pointless.
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
180
()
Date: February 20, 2014 03:26PM
Time after the SOLs and AP Exams is pointless. FCPS should apply for the waiver.
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Luke Warmwater
()
Date: February 20, 2014 03:28PM
Just the point Stab Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
> If the students end up like you, then for once
> you're right.
> Totally pointless.
Well if they dont ever go to school, they will most certainly end up just like you.
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
> If the students end up like you, then for once
> you're right.
> Totally pointless.
Well if they dont ever go to school, they will most certainly end up just like you.
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Rick Sanchez
()
Date: February 20, 2014 10:03PM
School is a waste...brrrp..of time anyway.
Attachments:
Attachments:
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Hussein Obama-
()
Date: February 20, 2014 10:15PM
Not only is it bad that you parents subject your own children to be educated by people you do not know, you remain slaves to their schedule. Totalitarian liberal control. That is pathetic. I'm glad our family travels wherever, whenever we want and are always way ahead of public school standards.
Homeschool. Show your children you love them.
Homeschool. Show your children you love them.
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
Oh Right!
()
Date: February 21, 2014 07:17AM
Hussein Obama- Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not only is it bad that you parents subject your
> own children to be educated by people you do not
> know, you remain slaves to their schedule.
> Totalitarian liberal control. That is pathetic.
> I'm glad our family travels wherever, whenever we
> want and are always way ahead of public school
> standards.
>
> Homeschool. Show your children you love them.
Jesus you're a waste of space. Most people are to stupid to teach anyone anything else (for example...YOU).
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not only is it bad that you parents subject your
> own children to be educated by people you do not
> know, you remain slaves to their schedule.
> Totalitarian liberal control. That is pathetic.
> I'm glad our family travels wherever, whenever we
> want and are always way ahead of public school
> standards.
>
> Homeschool. Show your children you love them.
Jesus you're a waste of space. Most people are to stupid to teach anyone anything else (for example...YOU).
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
DirtMcGirt
()
Date: February 21, 2014 09:32AM
More school days means I have to see more days of these sensative & disrespectful pricks with their skin tight camo spandex pants on the way to work.
http://nyfashioncity.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ebay-korea_pop-korean_fashion-guy-skinny-jeans-for-men_ragged-jeans-men-vintage-ripped-jeans-denim-jeans_21.jpg
http://nyfashioncity.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ebay-korea_pop-korean_fashion-guy-skinny-jeans-for-men_ragged-jeans-men-vintage-ripped-jeans-denim-jeans_21.jpg
Re: Snow makeup days cut into summer break; School system could apply for state waiver to spare vacation days
Posted by:
DD7Nc
()
Date: February 21, 2014 03:43PM
Looking forward to the kids going to school on Saturday!