Religious Diversity as well as Racial? (Alexandria, Fairfax: school districts, live, suburbs)

[littlewmn]

Just wondering if there is a large degree of religious diversity in the schools, or if everyone is by and large Christian?
I know of schools that have had exams on Jewish High Holy Days and who think they are honoring diversity by celebrating "Christmas in Different Lands" as part of the curriculum.
I know I am not in the Bible Belt, but I am still in the South, uh, sort of, right?

[Fairfax Mom]

I think there is religious diversity here - tons of Christians but there is a huge Buddist temple not far from me and also a Muslim Mosque and a Jewish preschool.

When I lived in NJ - the schools and the workplace never really took into account the Jewish holy days and it is probably the same way here.

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by littlewmn

Just wondering if there is a large degree of religious diversity in the schools, or if everyone is by and large Christian?
I know of schools that have had exams on Jewish High Holy Days and who think they are honoring diversity by celebrating "Christmas in Different Lands" as part of the curriculum.
I know I am not in the Bible Belt, but I am still in the South, uh, sort of, right?

Personally, i went to TC Williams HS in Alexandria and there were a large number of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and a lot of others. I'm a Christian and i felt like a minority up in there. I think that bible belt effect wears off inside the capital beltway.

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

When I lived in NJ -

I stopped reading right there

[Fairfax Mom]

Again, who cares if you stop reading. I am just comparing my experieces from one state to another and if you dont like it - please put me on block because I will post what I want and will not be bullied.

[juniperbleu]

I don't think the public schools here take off for Jewish holy days, mainly because when I mentioned schools having off for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the NoVa kids looked at me like I was crazy (and here I thought that was a nation-wide standard....).

And no, Northern Virginia is not the South. To even get a slight taste of that, you need to go south of Fredericksburg.

[5stones]

mainly because when I mentioned schools having off for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the NoVa kids looked at me like I was crazy (and here I thought that was a nation-wide standard....).

I have lived in 3 different states and 4 different school districts and none of them had school off for the Jewish holidays. It was an "optional day" for those of Jewish faith. Meaning if they didn't attend that day becuase of religious reasons then it was not counted as an absence.
SO no it's not a Nation wide standard. There is a much higher Jewish population in NY and NJ and maybe certin districts have made it a school hoilday there because so many kids would be absent if they didn't.

This year my kids had off Thurs-Tues around the Martin Luther King holiday but didn't have Presidents day off. (??) Presidents day is federal holiday and the kids went to school.

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by 5stones

SO no it's not a Nation wide standard. There is a much higher Jewish population in NY and NJ and maybe certin districts have made it a school hoilday there because so many kids would be absent if they didn't.

I realize that now. The topic came up as part of a political science course on public policy, and the issue came up with what to do if you run a school district where students of a minority religion want off for their important holy days.

Actually, I was in Philadelphia, not NY or NJ, which is a little funny since the vast majority of the Jewish students are in the suburbs or private schools, not the city public schools (to which I was referring). This is probably why I assumed it was a standard practice, since Jewish students were a very small minority in the district. In fact, the only Jewish people even involved with the school district that I know of were a few teachers here or there.

No complaints though, I know my mother always enjoys her Jewish holidays off.

[claremarie]

Montgomery County schools are off on the major Jewish holidays. However, most experts put the U.S. population at about 2%, so it is not surprising that many school systems, such as Fairfax, do not recognize the Jewish holidays. Obviously, in many major metro areas, the Jewish population is much higher, but that means that in many other areas the population is much lower. The Muslim population is about the same (or larger) than the Jewish population, and is increasing much faster than the Jewish population, yet few large school systems recognize Muslim holidays.
At some point, you have to draw the line, or the kids would never be in school.....

[littlewmn]

My point was not whether or not they got the day off, but that they didn't schedule major exams on that day. Some schools schedule Midterms on Rosh Hashana so religious Jews can not choose to be absent.
I wasn't expecting a day off, but rather a tolerant attitude to those who chose to be absent.
And some schools are secular in nature while others will argue tha Santa has nothing to do with Christmas and is just fine in the public schools.