Columbus Day
It has come to my attention that this year students will no longer have off for Columbus Day. I’m not understand how this is even legal? It is a federal holiday. It has nothing to do with politics. How was this voted in by our board and do they plan on giving the students another day off in exchange?
There is no requirement for schools to close on Columbus Day, Veterans Day, MLK Jr. Day, Rosh Hashanah, Hannukah, Christmas, Thanksgiving........
This is the info on statutory holidays for the educators in the NJ schools. The school board still decides the observance of each holiday. Seems quite arbitrary and likely driven by the woke mob mindset in my opinion.
https://www.njsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/negotiations_advsior_schoolcalendar.pdf
A lot of districts use certain “holidays” for professional development days for staff. Columbus Day and MLK are notorious for days for this. Basically meaning staff attends for the day but not the students.
If you look at hackettstown district calendar you will see they have Election Day off this year. Maybe because it’s presidential election year they closed the schools since high school is polling place. If I remember correctly the last few years high school did remote learning instead that day.
For the last 15+ years, school districts have made individual decisions to either have PD (Professional Development) day for teachers and/or closed for students - Columbus + MLK are holidays that seem to be utilized that way. My district has gone back/forth on school for students on Columbus vs. PD for staff/students off or closed for both staff/students. This is nothing NEW....let's not play politics on this one. Some of this is in response to NJ State BOE requirement of days for PD for staff. Instead of using a random Monday for example to have PD for staff OR an abbreviated/early dismissal.... Columbus Day (Indigenous People Day to be completely PC) used for that purpose.
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