The academic year calendar for private schools do follow public school calendars in the most general of ways, but there are some differences.
Firstly, public schools in NYC have a mandatory 180 days calendar with teachers required to serve additional specified number of days in the classroom. Private schools do not have a mandatory 180 day schedule nor are their teachers required to serve an additional specific amount of time.
Public schools often begin the last week of August or first week of September. Private schools generally begin the second week of September. Public schools have ‘Nationally’ recognized holidays off whereas Private schools, especially if they are centered on a specific religion or culture, will have additional or even all together different holidays.
Traditionally, the ability to be able to take your child out of school for special family vacations or planned personal holidays has always been a positive point in private school environments. The strict regulation of days off, absentee levels and government recognized holidays is seen as an unnecessary impediment to family life for many parents. Indeed, parents of children in private schools stress the greater importance of education over the factual amount of time that their child is physically in the classroom. “Face time” isn’t a factor if your child is thriving in their academic studies.
Recently the NYC school boards have been deciding on a vote to allow a 4 day school week in NYC schools to support a lagging budget and reduce overall costs on things like heating, transportation and meals programs. The argument that young children simply cannot handle a 10 hour day at school is one that is being debated hotly right now.
Thankfully this is not an issue for private schools in NY that govern their own attendance and opening/closing schedule independently.
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