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Arlington students will still have Columbus Day off next year, after the School Board rejected a proposal to send students to class on the controversial holiday.
The Board unanimously adopted an attendance calendar for the 2019-2020 school year at its meeting last night (Thursday). Students will still get the chance to stay home on Oct. 14 this year, while staff will have the day set aside for “professional learning.”
Arlington Public Schools staff had proposed another option sending both students and staff to school on Columbus Day, putting the school system in line with the rest of the county government, which largely does not observe the holiday. Students would’ve had Oct. 7 off instead, and staff would use the day for training.
That option did attract some support from APS employees and students — 69 percent of staff approved of that calendar, according to an APS survey, while 76 percent of students said they liked it as well. Just 22 percent of staff and 14 percent of students said they supported the first option, though parents liked it a bit more. The status quo calendar earned support from 55 percent of parents, while the Columbus Day change garnered just 33 percent.
But Superintendent Patrick Murphy backed the calendar option maintaining Columbus Day as a student holiday instead, arguing that it provided fewer interruptions in the instructional calendar. It also better matches the calendar of other surrounding school systems, a key concern for APS employees who have children and live outside Arlington.
“This option is really similar to what we did this year, and most people felt like this worked, for the most part,” Erin Wales-Smith, interim assistant superintendent for human resources, told the Board at its Jan. 24 meeting.
Board members were initially skeptical of supporting a calendar that was so opposed by staff and students. But, in discussing the matter with staff, some members pointed out the second calendar, with Columbus Day no longer a holiday, appeared to show students and staff with more time off than the first calendar option did.
That difference could’ve accounted for some of the survey results, Board Vice Chair Tannia Talento reasoned. Staff ironed out that discrepancy in presenting the calendar options for the second time — now, students are set to see 30 days off next school year, as opposed to 29 under the rejected alternate plan.
Notably, the new school calendar also maintains Election Day as a day off for students, with staff doing off-site grade preparation.
The school system had a similar schedule in place last year, but the issue took on new urgency now that state lawmakers are advancing a bill to require all public schools to treat the first Tuesday in November as a holiday.
Arlington school officials are weighing a new proposal to give all staff Columbus Day off next year, a move that would end up giving students another day home from school in the process.
The county school system is currently accepting feedback on two options for the 2019-2020 year. One would maintain Columbus Day, which will fall on Oct. 14 next year, as a holiday for students and a “professional learning day” for all year-round employees, with those same workers getting Dec. 26 as a day off.
The other would make Columbus Day a holiday for students and staff alike, and Arlington Public Schools will set aside Oct. 7 for staff training instead. That would mean that students also get that day off, while 12-month staffers would need to report to work on Dec. 26.
The change would result in students having 27 weekdays off from school next year, compared to 26 under the first plan. It would not, however, impact the last day of school for students at any level, or affect the dates of any holiday breaks.
The school system is unique in the county in observing Columbus Day in the first place, as most other county government offices and facilities remain open for the controversial holiday.
School officials are still accepting feedback on those two options, and the final decision rests with the School Board, which has yet to review the new school calendar.
An online APS survey on the matter — asking responders to rate each of the two calendar options — will close by the end of the day today (Monday).
File photo
Columbus Day might make for a long weekend for federal government employees and a whole host of others, but don’t expect to see many county services on hold to mark the occasion.
Monday (Oct. 8) is the lone federal holiday where Arlington County offices and facilities remain open, with a few exceptions.
County schools will be closed Monday, as will the county’s courts and DMV locations. The county also won’t enforce parking meters on Columbus Day.
Arlington Transit will still operate, albeit with a Saturday schedule for routes 41, 42, 43, 45, 51, 55, 77 and 87. Other routes won’t run, and the ART call center will be closed.
Metro will also offer reduced service on its train and bus routes.
Trains will run on a Saturday schedule, running every 12 minutes during the day, and the service will be open from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Buses will run on a Saturday supplemental schedule, with full details available here. Planned night track work will continue as normal, which could further slow some trains.
File photo
As it has the past few years, Arlington is keeping most of its county offices open on Columbus Day.
State government-related offices will still close on Monday, as will Arlington Public Schools. Though county government offices will remain open, parking meters will not be enforced.
More from a county press release:
Arlington County government offices, libraries and other government services will be open on Monday, October 9, 2017. Virginia Commonwealth offices, including Arlington Courts, DMVs and Arlington Public Schools, will be closed in observance of Columbus Day. Trash and recycling services will operate on a normal schedule. Metered parking will not be enforced.
Photo via Wikipedia
Arlington Public Schools students enjoyed a long weekend thanks to Monday’s Columbus Day holiday.
Columbus Day may be a federal holiday, but it seems that with every passing year it becomes less relevant. Arlington County offices, for instance, remain open on Columbus Day. Purely anecdotal evidence — the volume of rush hour traffic on I-395 — seems to suggest that Columbus Day is the least observed federal holiday, at least in terms of workers taking the day off.
The root cause of this is Columbus and his legacy: the soldiers he led to the New World enslaved, raped, slaughtered and otherwise destroyed native populations. In recent years, the reality of Columbus’ harsh treatment of natives has increasingly outweighed his accomplishments in the collective consciousness.
Still, Columbus Day could optimistically be said to be more about the discovery of America than the man himself. And it’s the lone federal holiday in an otherwise busy month of October.
Do you think Arlington Public Schools students should continue to get the day off?
Photo via Wikipedia
Arlington County offices will be open on Columbus Day (Monday).
County offices and libraries will be open for the federal holiday. ART buses and Metro will run on a holiday schedule. Courts will be closed.
Parking meters will be enforced. Arlington Public Schools and administrative offices will be open, but students will not have class.
Most Arlington County offices and facilities are closed for Columbus Day today (Oct. 8).
Among the closures are county government offices, courts, DMV Select offices, the Department of Human Services, libraries, and public schools.
Community centers are closed, with the exception of Barcroft, which is open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Washington-Lee High School pool is also open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Wakefield and Yorktown pools are open from noon to 6:00 p.m.
ART buses are operating on a holiday schedule. Trash pickup is proceeding on a normal schedule.
ARLnow.com will be monitoring any possible breaking news stories but will be on a limited publishing schedule.
In observance of Columbus Day (and the fact that most of our readers have the day off) ARLnow.com will be on a limited publishing schedule today.
Don’t worry, we’ll be here if any big news happens.
Flickr pool photo by Chris Reed Photography
Columbus Day is one week from today, and many government offices and services will be closed to mark the holiday.
Closures for Monday, Oct. 10 include Arlington County courts, Virginia DMV offices, Arlington Public Libraries, Arlington Public Schools and Arlington’s Department of Human Services.
County parks will be open, but administrative offices will be closed. Parks and recreation classes, meanwhile, will not be offered. The Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., but all other Arlington community centers will be closed. Arlington’s three high school pools will be open under modified schedules.
Metro and ART will be operating under holiday schedules. Parking meters will not be enforced.
Normal trash and recycling pickup will take place as usual.
Columbus Day is the one federal holiday that Arlington County government does not observe.
Both because it’s a convenient holiday to swap for an off day on the unofficial holiday of Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — and because, despite his exploration feats, Columbus is regarded by some as “a murderer, tyrant, and scoundrel,” Columbus Day here is just any other day for county employees.
Of course, for many — including federal employees and Arlington Public Schools students — Columbus Day is a day off. But Columbus is not always mentioned as the reason.
“No School for Students (Countywide PL for Staff)” is how APS describes today’s day off, while other holidays on the school calendar are named.
Arlington Transit, meanwhile, is operating on a modified schedule, but Columbus is not credited.
“In observance of the Indigenous People’s Day holiday on Monday October 10, 2022, ART will be operating on a Saturday schedule,” the transit agency wrote.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is now recognized by the White House, but started in the states, with South Dakota first adopting a version (“Native American Day”) as an alternative to Columbus Day in 1989 and other states like Alaska and Minnesota following suit in the mid-2010s. In some cases it’s used instead of the term Columbus Day, while in others it’s used in addition.
Columbus has his supporters, who tout his accomplishments despite all of the negatives associated with his journeys. And there are those who have simply always known today as Columbus Day and aren’t going to start calling it something else now.
But for others, calling the second Monday in October Indigenous Peoples’ Day is preferable.
With Columbus out of favor as a historical figure, especially locally, we’re wondering how many Arlington residents have, in their personal lives, taken to referring to today’s holiday as Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day.
County Offices Open — “Arlington County Government offices and facilities are closed on all federal holidays except Columbus Day.” [Arlington County]
Metro Service Plan Today — “In observance of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Monday, Oct. 10, Metrorail will operate normal weekday service and Metrobus will operate on a Saturday supplemental schedule. MetroAccess customers may make reservations to travel on the holiday; however, subscription trips will be canceled.” [WMATA]
WHS Counselor Controversy — A conservative news site says a Wakefield High School counselor is “part of [a] group offering to resettle gay kids with new parents,” while a liberal news site says the report constitutes “a massive right-wing freakout” about what is actually an as-yet unused offer of “emergency housing.” [Daily Wire, Salon, Fairfax Times]
Local Author’s New Book — “My Gap Year — Reinterpreted is an experimental rewrite of a diary that journalist-author Charlie Clark produced at age 18 during a nine-month hitchhiking tour of nine countries of Europe and North Africa. More than a travelogue, the essay is personal and reflective, taking advantage of a 68-year-old’s wisdom (ha!) and insight into his younger self during a time of change.” [Politics and Prose]
Fairfax Chafes at Dillon Rule — “Fairfax County deserves more local authority, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay says, calling Virginia’s Dillon Rule “increasingly more intrusive” in day-to-day operations. The Dillon Rule dictates that localities only have the authority to create laws, set guidelines, and wield power if the state expressly grants it to them.” [FFXnow]
It’s Monday — Clear throughout the day. High of 66 and low of 44. Sunrise at 7:14 am and sunset at 6:39 pm. [Weather.gov]
