Parents were used as props to justify the schedule change

 Parents were used as props to justify the schedule change

I hope parents understand that they were used as props in the schedule change. I hope they understand that the district doesn’t care about helping with childcare problems and please don’t take my word for it, take there.

This is what the district said in their specious and self-serving press release.

From the DCPS press release

The change was based on recommendations from the district’s calendar committee, which is comprised of stakeholder groups such as parents, teachers, the teacher union, administrators, district leaders, and community partners. Some of the concerns included the challenges some parents experienced with getting childcare. There were also concerns about low attendance on those early release days and the limited time for instruction.  

https://www.teamduval.org/2024/01/16/input-from-parents-staff-lead-to-new-schedule-for-last-week-of-school/

First notice, anything about testing?

Neither do I, and in fact, I have talked to several people on the calendar committee, and they say testing was never brought up, though helping parents was. Now juxtapose above with what the district told principals.

Principals,

 

The 2022/2023 attendance data shows a dramatic decrease in student attendance for the last week of school.  As you are aware the state testing windows go through the last day of school, and several schools received a school grade of an “I” for less than 95% of students participating in the assigned assessments.  Due to the decline in student attendance, and the state testing schedules the Calendar Committee was asked to solicit input regarding the half days implemented during the last week of the 2022/2023 school year.

 

Now, to be fair, they did mention parent concerns in the second paragraph, but it's obvious that testing kids was their most important reason for the change. This is backed up by the fact they didn’t get rid of any of the other half days. Nope, they just eliminated the ones that were a boon to teachers.   

Parents, there are solutions to the half-day childcare problem. One could be using subs to bridge the gap between the end of the half-day and the extended day, but did the district consider them? Note they just pitted teachers against parents, using parents as nothing more than props. Think about that, friends; if the district doesn’t care about teachers or parents, then just who do they care about?