Elementary schools will close early on seven Mondays in 2024-05

Fairfax County elementary schools will be dismissed three hours early on seven Mondays in 2024-25 to give teachers more time for professional development.

FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid told the Fairfax County School Board on June 13 that teachers need the extra time so they can take the mandatory training required by the new Virginia Literacy Act and prepare for the state’s new reading and math Standards of Learning.

Early release dates for schools in the Annandale, Falls Church, Justice, and Woodson pyramids are Sept. 16, Oct.  21, Nov. 18, Feb. 10, March 10, April 21, and May 12.

The shorter school days on the seven Mondays will not affect the number of instructional hours mandated by the state but will reduce the amount of snow days built into the school calendar. 

On early-release days FCPS encourages parents and caregivers to have students take their normal route home, by bus, car, or walking.

For parents who can’t change their work hours, Reid says, “we will ensure that every student has supervised enrichment activities at the school and returns home at the regular time if that is what works best for your family.” Tutoring will be available, as well.

The School Age Child Care program will be extended on early-release Mondays for participating students.

The Virginia Literacy Act requires each local school board to provide a program of literacy instruction that is aligned with science-based reading research and provides evidenced-based literacy instruction to students in kindergarten through grade 8.

Teachers must complete multiple modules of literacy instruction training during the 2024-25 school year.

Completion of the training modules is expected to take 27 hours for K-6 classroom, special education, and ESOL teachers and 54 hours for K-6 reading specialists.

Sixth-grade teachers at middle schools will need to participate in evidence-based literacy instruction with their grade 7 and 8 colleagues.

K-3 teachers will also be required to take three hours of additional training on implementing newly required reading plans.

Reid had considered using substitute teachers while the regular teachers take the training, but rejected that idea because FCPS has a shortage of substitutes.

FCPS is forming a steering committee made up of school leaders, teachers, and families “to make sure this work is both supported and implemented consistently across all of our elementary schools.” If you want to be on the steering committee, apply here.

Reid will hold two community conversations about the early-release Mondays at the Gatehouse Administration Center on Tuesday, June 25 and Wednesday, June 26. Both sessions are 5:30-7:30 p.m.