Halloween is nearly here and children across the state are preparing to dress in their spookiest, or maybe not-so-scary, costumes to ask neighbors for a sweet treat. The night is typically a long one, complete with over-stuffing yourself with too much chocolate and candies, but it will be especially hard for kids the next day since it falls on a school night this year. However, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools may give students a day off.
During its meeting Tuesday night (October 26), Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will vote on whether to designate November 1, the day after Halloween, as a teacher workday to allow them to complete professional development requirements.
The district has multiple reasons for wanting to change the calendar, WCNC reports. November 1 falls on the day before another teacher workday, so it would give educators a chance to get more work done outside of class time. Another reason is that it's the day after Halloween, and the district anticipates having a "high rate" of absent students.
Ahead of Tuesday's meeting, board members were already addressing families about the vote, the Charlotte Observer reports, including Rhonda Cheek.
"I will be supporting this, although I understand the disruption to families," Cheek wrote on her Facebook page. "Our staff needs this. In addition there is some mandated training (by the state) that our teachers cannot complete during their normal school day."
If approved, the number of instructional days in the school year will lower to 176, still within the required number of schooling hours.