School calendar

Tuesday night, the school board of Virginia Beach will vote on a calendar for the 2024-2025 school year. Who knew that one calendar would be so difficult to craft and would garner so much interest? It is difficult to produce a calendar that will satisfy everyone. Many locals want a post-Labor Day start because that is what the city has had for so long, and others insist it is better for our local economy. In a military community, a long winter holiday is desirable.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools has drafted both a pre- and post-Labor Day calendar; both have a two-week winter holiday. As a parent, student or community member the two calendars probably look the same, and I venture to guess most of the aforementioned would prefer the post-Labor Day calendar.

As a teacher with 29 years of experience, I know the importance of strategically placed staff days, which allow me to plan to meet the needs of my students. The high-quality instruction the students of Virginia Beach receive is dependent on teachers who receive training and time to collaborate with colleagues. Next school year teachers will be implementing new Standards of Learning and new literacy initiatives; that means a complete overhaul of lessons and assessments.

The post-Labor Day calendar ignores the need for staff days throughout the year and is not in the best interest of students or teachers. If you value education, email the School Board at schoolboard@vbcpsboard.com and ask them to vote for a pre-Labor Day calendar.

— Dawn Euman, secretary of the Virginia Beach Education Association and a Virginia Beach teacher, Virginia Beach