Schools - early dismissal on Wednesdays (Seattle, Bellevue: low income, apartments, daycares)

[jenlion]

What's up with this?

I've heard from a couple of people now, and I see on one school sign, that schools let out early on Wednesdays. Every one of these people HATES it.

What is this about, why do they do it?

The parents and daycares we visited say it presents a HUGE problem for familes where both parents work. ("I'm sorry, I'd like to work on Wednesday afternoons, but I can't. There's no school on Wednesday afternoons").

What the heck? This makes no sense to me at all. I caught one Google blurb about "teacher planning", but that's got to be BS. Teachers all around the country manage to plan without taking off a whole afternoon a week and screwing up everything else. (Maybe it's why the schools are "so great" here? haha). Is there any other reason? Please don't tell me it's to force the mothers to stay home from work and appropriately bond with their children. Bonding is great, but I'll do that when I want to, not when some governing body says I have to.

Is it as generally unpopular as it is with my neighbors? How long has it been going on? Is it expected to last?

[CityGirl72]

Ours isn't every Wednesday (and sometimes Fridays)

They use them for Administrative Meetings - so that the aren't teachers have time.

Luckily we already have afterschool care - so when these days happen our child just goes to the on site care.

[FoxyKnox]

In Puyallup, it's every Wednesday. And yes, there are a lot of families who hate it. However, in Puyallup I'm not sure if it's all the schools or just the high schools.

[jmueller8]

I taught in Edm*nds for a few years and during that time, the teacher's union negotiated a one-Wednesday-a-month early dismissal policy; that time was used for administrative meetings as well. I'm not sure if it was district-wide or just for that school, but it definitely presented some problems for a lot of families. I can understand both sides actually; as a parent it's really difficult to manage everyone's schedules during a normal school week, let alone the wonky ones. And teachers do need more resources around here, that's for certain. The profession is an underpaid one in general, but in the state of Washington, even more so. There are so many complaints about the state of our public school systems, but what do people expect? With no state income tax, Seattle's relatively low property taxes, and a general aversion-to-taxes vibe overall, how do our school systems prosper? I guess I just don't quite understand the whole "bad school system" thing in a state that supposedly has such a great reputation for social justice and progressiveness. Anyway, I'm getting off-topic... at that time I heard the Bellevue school systems were trying to adopt the weekly Wednesday thing as well. It would be interesting to hear if any other districts do this.

[jwb123]

My son was in the Edmonds school district for Kindergarten (he's in 2nd now) and we didn't have Wednesday early releases.... I mean, occasionally the school had early releases through out the year - but not on a regular basis like it's being discussed in this thread.

There are so many complaints about the state of our public school systems, but what do people expect? With no state income tax, Seattle's relatively low property taxes, and a general aversion-to-taxes vibe overall, how do our school systems prosper? I guess I just don't quite understand the whole "bad school system" thing in a state that supposedly has such a great reputation for social justice and progressiveness.

That's a whole thread in and of itself, but I totally agree with you. The school system is not good in WA, and it's likely the direct result of low property taxes and school inititives and bonds not getting approved. I think that may change though, as younger families move further out from the city limits, and places like Redmond & Bellevue due to being unable to afford it. I mean, Lake Washington school district is SO good because it has the money - wealthy families living in the area. For a good district, in the WA, you have to go where the money is - and that's just how it is....

I also want to add that WA's reputation for social justice and progressiveness is largely undeserved, and really, I think that statement can only be true for certain aspects, politically. I have a child with serious special needs (medical and otherwise), and I was shocked to find, in a state like WA - he could only get assistance if we were poverty level, making something like $700 a month... and on welfare. but again... that's a whole other topic.

[LAtoSeattleAnn]

We have half Fridays here in the Snoqualmie Valley and it's annoying. I don't know how working parents do it. Seems like I drop off my son, go back home, then back to take my kindergartner then it's time to pick both kids up! Makes for lots of driving all morning.

[70Ford]

Actually, for a good district almost anywhere....you have to go where the money is.

[jwb123]

Well, I just added that disclaimer mainly because people have tried to debate that point with me on this forum.... but "the money" in WA, is different than "the money" elsewhere. I am in one of the top school districts in TX right now, and it's a mixed district, with high end developments, and low income developments - but across the board, the district is quality... you don't see that in WA.

Lake Washington, for example - there aren't really any "low income" areas.... there may be pockets of apartments, or something, but not really what is considered "low income".

[toughguy]

Its funny because when I browse the TX boards, I always see people complaining that the schools are horrible, except in the affluent suburban areas like Richardson and Grapevine in Dallas and Sugarland in Houston. Dallas and Houston also have inner city magnet schools which concentrates all of the brightest students into one or two highschools, artificially inflating their prestige in the process.

The school I went to was in the Bellevue school district, and about half of the students were immigrants living in subsidized housing. We have gone over this before, if you look at test scores, WA and TX are pretty much even. I have not lived in Texas so I can't offer anecdotal evidence like you can, but the number just don't bear out your accusations that the schools there are so much better.

[jwb123]

Its funny because when I browse the TX boards, I always see people complaining that the schools are horrible, except in the affluent suburban areas like Richardson and Grapevine in Dallas and Sugarland in Houston. Dallas and Houston also have inner city magnet schools which concentrates all of the brightest students into one or two highschools, artificially inflating their prestige in the process.

I don't know about the rest of Texas - I only know about Austin, as it's a world away from the rest of this vast state. I also know that our particular district is known as one of the best in the state.

What I know about WA schools comes from first hand experience, and comparing the two. If you have children, you know that is more telling over any statistical score. When my now 2nd grader left the Edmonds school district in first grade, they were still doing NURSERY RHYMES - while he was on a 4th grade reading level!! He came to this school & district and was behind in math. There are other Seattlites who have moved to Austin who have shared with me on our forums that they have experienced the same thing.... so personal experience is what I am basing my "accusation" on...

My experience with the Lake Washington and Issaquah school district comes from close family friends and my nieces and nephews... I think those districts are probably even, in comparison to where we are now.

As often noted on this board, Lake Washington and Issaquah are some of the best districts in the area... with North Shore closely behind them, and Bellevue is good - but it's more specific to particular schools vs. the whole district. These are the exceptions in WA, not the rule.