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Another day off
Filed under: Big Kids, Work Life, Day Care & Education
So, today is President's Day and Ellie is out of school. Again. For reasons that are unclear to me, she was also off this past Friday (the calendar just says "no school"). In looking ahead on that calendar, I see that she has a week off next month for Spring Break, a Friday off in April for parent/teacher conferences, a day off in May for Memorial Day. That doesn't sound like a lot of days off until you factor in the days off she's already had off this school year and the grand total comes to sixteen, not including Thanksgiving and the two weeks she had off for Christmas.
Because I work from home and can pretty much make my own schedule, I look forward to her days off. But I know plenty of parents who don't have that luxury and all these days off create logistical nightmares. I understand the need for parent-teacher conference days and for in-service days so teachers can actually get some work done without the children around. But I don't understand some of the other days and wonder why there are so many. I don't remember getting so much time off as a kid. Does your child have lots of 'no school' days? If you work outside of the home, how in the world do you work it out?
Because I work from home and can pretty much make my own schedule, I look forward to her days off. But I know plenty of parents who don't have that luxury and all these days off create logistical nightmares. I understand the need for parent-teacher conference days and for in-service days so teachers can actually get some work done without the children around. But I don't understand some of the other days and wonder why there are so many. I don't remember getting so much time off as a kid. Does your child have lots of 'no school' days? If you work outside of the home, how in the world do you work it out?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-18-2008 @ 4:06PM
cheryl said...I'm writing this post from home when I should be at work, because of president's day. I do find myself a little overwhelmed by all the off days, holidays and snow days. Probably like a zillion other parents, we just take turns taking days off and working partial days, which we can get away with having office jobs, but there are some kinds of jobs where this wouldn't work at all. How do those parents cope?
I personally question the need for so many off days in the school system and have no idea why school schedules don't even make the smallest attempt to sync up with work schedules (oh, probably for the same reason companies refuse to consider job sharing and flextime: because we as a nation refuse to let go of the stay at home parent assumption).
Reply
2-21-2008 @ 9:48PM
Tracy said...Hi,
I am a teacher, a mom of three young school age boys, one whom I was lucky to stay home with for 6 years so I have been on all sides of this issue. Most school systems are mandated to have X amount of school days a year and believe it or not it is more than we had growing up. The school system can't control the weather and school systems play it safe so no one gets hurt. The reality is parents need to have a back up plan if they need to go to work when their child has the day off. We have always had time off for Christmas, Thanksgiving and a winter and spring break. Teachers need the break as much as the students. You think you are tired of having your 1 or so kids at home for a week? Try having 20+ kids not only to control, entertain AND teach for 7 hours 5 days a week!
I am just saying....
TJ
2-18-2008 @ 4:23PM
Angie Felton said...Because of last night's ice, we are on our TWELFTH snow day today. I'm about family timed right out!
Reply
3-09-2008 @ 9:02PM
copingmatters said...I can relate. We need policy change and a longer school year with fewer days off. It's a failed system. Unfortunately, the teachers are teathered with all the state testing requirements that have moved them away for teaching the basics to how to take tests. In addition, inner city schools are being charged with all kinds of ancillary support systems extending to dentistry, free meals, doctor visits, psychotherapy, because of the family status.
This week the Wall Street Journal Published an article with statistics noting that the US math scores are below those of some third world countries. This is a significant problem for the future of America. And don't dismiss it. I have argured this point with math teachers at my kids school for 3 years. They change programs annually and some kids don't know math facts in 8th grade because of these changes. If our school district is supposed to be one of the top in the country, what does that say about the rest of the school districts standings? The diminishing number of school days is a symptom of a much larger problem. What are they doing in school all day if they have 3 hours of homework at night? To be sure, they never go to school anymore and if you live where it snows it's even less. They also play tricks, for example, if they know a storm is coming, they call for early dismissal but keep them there long enough so that it counts for a full school day. This country needs of major educational reform. Our youth will not have the intellectual power to compete in the future without intervention. Kids are just getting left home alone a lot more now; parents have to work; and I don't think it's healthy for society: period. The end.
Reply
3-09-2008 @ 9:17PM
copingmatters said...I can relate. We need policy change and a longer school year with fewer days off. It's a failed system. Unfortunately, the teachers are teathered with all the state testing requirements that have moved them away for teaching the basics to how to take tests. In addition, inner city schools are being charged with all kinds of ancillary support systems extending to dentistry, free meals, doctor visits, psychotherapy, because of the family status.
This week the Wall Street Journal Published an article with statistics noting that the US math scores are below those of some third world countries. This is a significant problem for the future of America. And don't dismiss it. I have argured this point with math teachers at my kids school for 3 years. They change programs annually and some kids don't know math facts in 8th grade because of these changes. If our school district is supposed to be one of the top in the country, what does that say about the rest of the school districts standings? The diminishing number of school days is a symptom of a much larger problem. What are they doing in school all day if they have 3 hours of homework at night? To be sure, they never go to school anymore and if you live where it snows it's even less. They also play tricks, for example, if they know a storm is coming, they call for early dismissal but keep them there long enough so that it counts for a full school day. This country needs of major educational reform. Our youth will not have the intellectual power to compete in the future without intervention. Kids are just getting left home alone a lot more now; parents have to work; and I don't think it's healthy for society: period. The end.
Reply