January 30, 2024 Newsletter
Parent's Corner:
APS' Disrupted School Calendar
Prioritizes Adults Over Students
(Editor's Note: From time to time we will offer op-eds, which are the unedited perspectives of an APS parent or teacher on a topic of interest or concern to APS.)
Recently, the Arlington School Board passed a two-year calendar that greatly increased the number of half-days while keeping, ostensibly, 180 days of school. In the midst of constant messaging from Dr. Durán, the School Board, and our school administrations about the importance of being in school and the concerns of absenteeism, Dr. Durán and the School Board doubled the number of early release days. To parents and students, this seems to acknowledge the importance of students being in school in name only.
As every parent knows, early release days do not include very much “schooling,” so in reality these are essentially lost days for instruction, bringing us to 170 full days of school next year and 169 the year after--and in the midst of a learning-loss crisis. Assemblies, class parties, theater performances by Encore Theater (as a specific example) and other special events seem to fall on these days – not to mention the fully lost afternoon periods for middle and high school students which cannot be made up.
The community and parents are entirely unclear on the purpose of these half days. Will they be used for grade prep so those designated "Grade Preparation" days could now be school days? Will they be used for tutoring to address our achievement gap and learning loss issues? Will they be used for professional development so those designated "Professional Development" days could now be school days? Or perhaps this is a way for teachers to finally access Syphax regarding their concerns about health insurance, HR, tech problems etc., thereby allowing Syphax to continue to close on designated Grade Preparation days and other school-based holidays? Or, are they a way to bring APS' number of school days back down to what seems to be a (very concerning) "new normal" wherein APS satisfies only the bare minimum of the state's requirements—the floor of 990 hours—rather than also the 180-day threshold?
Before 2020, APS provided as much as 181-184 days of school, with between three and five early release days. Next year, APS will provide 180 days of school with 10 early release days, and this will increase to 11 early release days in the 2025-2026 school year. A calendar with 180 days of school and ten or eleven early release days results in only 16 normal, five-day weeks. To parents, this looks like a wink and a nod to a normal school calendar rather than a sincere effort to serve our kids. Such a disrupted school year will no doubt hurt academic outcomes for students, especially the at-risk populations that the system is designed to serve, the precise populations APS repeatedly claims it is committed to.
From the Teacher's Lounge:
Increased Collaboration Time for Teachers Improves Instruction
(Editor's Note: From time to time we will offer op-eds, which are the unedited perspectives of an APS parent or teacher on a topic of interest or concern to APS.)
There was a lot of talk in the community when more early release days were added into the calendar, with the intention of having more collaboration (for teachers) within schools. (If they turn into more county-wide professional development, I will be right back here advocating for their demise.) While some might see this as taking away time from teaching, I want to offer a different perspective. Education is essentially a skilled service delivery in the same way a doctor or lawyer offers professional services. Just as the doctor or the lawyer do not work in isolation—they have a team working with them to provide the most current practice—educators do the same. Often as the end-user one does not see collaboration from the doctor or lawyer with their team since a request for service is met with a list of available slots, not “come in whenever works for you”; the caller is likely unaware of the time blocked off for collaboration.
Education in 2024 is very much a team approach from multiple service providers (classroom, sped, English language, counseling, etc). When those educators don’t have time to collaborate, they often just “do their best” which rarely serves anyone effectively. When it comes to best practice between classroom teachers and how to adapt the (cough, cough) high-quality materials APS provides, that collaboration is critical; my best lessons come from my colleagues. Worse, when that time isn’t provided, teachers simply do what they did last year (or for the past 10 years) or turn to technology to take off a burden; a stack of recopied worksheets or endless iPad practice isn’t what’s best for most students.
I acknowledge that early release presents challenges for some families—a problem for which there is a solution from those above my pay-grade. However, it’s not solely about how many hours kids are in class, it’s also about how effective and engaging those hours are.
January 25th School Board Meeting Recap
The January 25th School Board meeting opened by acknowledging the winners of the Martin Luther King Jr. literary and visual arts contest. Key takeaways from the School Board meeting include:
This was the first meeting with new board member Miranda Turner, who replaced outgoing member Reid Goldstein.
APS staff spoke at public comment on the need to reduce class sizes, improve pay for teachers, praise for the new retest policy, the need to consider hourly employees during APS school closures, and the need to consider teacher feedback before implementing new English Learners policies.
Dr. Durán shared information on a new bullying and harassment reporting system to help reduce these incidents and increase collaboration with families in response to them.
Dr. Durán reported that the current testing re-take policy will be altered significantly, most noteably that: "Only the higher score, up to 80 percent, from the original or the retake or revision, will be used to calculated the student's grade"
A presentation on Career and Technical Education was delivered by Dr. Gerald Mann Jr.
The Board voted and approved 5-0 four resolutions regarding fiscal close-out and the Capital Improvement Plan, which impacted the School Operating Fund, the Grants and Bond Construction Fund, and the 2024 Adopted Budget.
Read the full recap here.
What We’re Reading and Listening To
Youngkin, Dems Back Overhaul of K-12 Funding Formula (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Changes are likely coming to the convoluted school funding formula in Virginia, one of only nine states that do not use a per-pupil formula…In the legislative session…, a Republican and a Democrat lawmaker plan to introduce budget language that would put together a formal commission to study student funding formulas from other states, and design a Virginia student-based funding formula. If all proceeds as planned, the newly designed funding formula would be introduced as legislation the following year.
Letter: Arlington School Board Unnecessarily Cutting Off Options (Sun Gazette)
At its Dec. 14 meeting, the Arlington School Board on a 3-to-2 vote adopted an amendment to the superintendent’s proposed 2024 Arlington Public Schools’ (APS) Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) direction that unnecessarily limits school-system staff to only explore and present scenarios at a low, medium and high cost (not to exceed $45 million) to relocate the Montessori Public School of Arlington into the legacy Arlington Career Center. The adopted amendment, which was not made public before the vote, prevents APS staff from exploring alternative options…that might offer cost savings or might create scenarios where tax dollars and existing spaces are used more efficiently.
The Misguided War on the SAT (NY Times)
[S]elective colleges dropp[ing their SAT and ACT requirements]…reflects a backlash against standardized tests that began long before the pandemic, and many people have hailed the change as a victory for equity in higher education…[However, r]esearchers who have studied the issue say that test scores can be particularly helpful in identifying lower-income students and underrepresented minorities who will thrive. These students do not score as high on average as students from affluent communities or white and Asian students. But a solid score for a student from a less privileged background is often a sign of enormous potential.
Virginia Education Leaders Launch New Effort on Student Mental Health (Sun Gazette)
Helping schools address the unprecedented rise in mental health and behavioral challenges facing Virginia students post-pandemic, the Virginia Department of Education has created the Office of Behavioral Health and Wellness to help focus resources and attention to our students who are struggling with these evolving challenges.
Classes in character do little to narrow gap in pupil outcomes, says study (The Guardian)
In recent years, policymakers in England and elsewhere in the world have focused on social and emotional learning, and the importance of developing character, determination and self-belief as a way of improving learning, particularly among children from lower income backgrounds. A study by academics from the universities of Cambridge, ZĂĽrich and TĂĽbingen, however, has found that the relative underperformance of disadvantaged pupils has little to do with them lacking the character, attitude or mindset of their wealthier peers.
See something that strikes a chord? Join the discussion on our Facebook page!
Feedback Period is Open
The below are open policies the APS School Board will be deliberating and voting on. Please make your voice heard!
I-10.30 Support for Students-Wellness Provide Feedback
M-2Foreign Exchange Student Programs Provide Feedback
You can see the rest of the policies currently scheduled for revision here. Graphics from APS.
Feedback on policies currently being considered by the School Board should be sent to engage@apsva.us or click the link provided.
Happening Soon
Saturday, February 3, 1:00pm - 4:00pm, Arlington Special Education PTA (SEPTA) 2024 Summer Camp & Activities Fair, Walter Reed Community Center. RSVP requested.
Thursday, February 9, 7:00 pm School Board Meeting. Sign up to speak. Syphax. Watch live.
Monday, February 12, Time TBD, Office Hours with School Board Member Miranda Turner. Virtual. Sign up.
Don't forget! You can subscribe to APS School Calendars here.
