What's wrong with just making up the days? Cancel spring break, MLK day, and tack the rest of the days on the end of the year. Why do educators always seem to look for a way out of their duty?

I am glad to hear it. I don't mind if they try to pick up a day or two here or there, but to try to fit in twelve days would take away the down time the kids (and parents) need. Kids are natural learners, and they learned a ton during the storm and its aftermath, much of which they wouldn't ever have learned in school. Our kids talked to a Red Cross worker from Kentucky about the Kentucky Derby and KFC, they learned about CERT and hurricanes, they learned a TON about how we use electricity (and gasoline) and how people live without it - and our fourth grader was so affected by the election that he hand wrote a letter to President Obama with some suggestions for his second term (and if you know my son, you know the schools have to pull teeth to get him to write anything longer than a spelling word!) The schools might miss a couple of week of prep for the standardized tests, but I can't see two weeks affecting the schools' ratings to a huge degree either. It is what it is. I'm glad they're back in school, and they've been through enough already without having to have breaks cut or longer school days or whatever imposed on them, too.

Mr, Lundin is miscounting the days..Teacher Convention was scheduled as 2 off days..So it is 9 and 10 days to be made up

Just do what Jefferson is doing - school on mlk day and presidents day and take off some spring break days

We lost 9 days and 10 days for the high school.
2 days were scheduled off for teachers convention.

And sure Hopatcong is not going to get a waiver for 10 days but maybe 3-5..
MLK Day, Friday before Presidents Day, Good Friday and even Saturdays should be considered and a resolution needs to be finalized and implemented by next meeting. It probably would have been talked at this meeting if HEA would stop there petty sit ins and actually start putting children first. What I saw last night makes me ashamed and embarrassed as a parent of a hopatcong student and a resident of this town..Work action ok, but not at the expense of ANY CHILDS future.. Write the recommendation letters..

How come nothing is ever mentioned about the HEA and their bully tactics? Yet they turn it around and act like they are being bullied...What a joke and Mr. Ryder telling a student he could not write a reccommendation letter shows union FIRST..SHAME ON ANY TEACHER FOR THAT STANCE.
Hey HEA..your hearing was postponed due to unforseen circumsatances..Show some good faith to the students and parents of these kids..Write the letters of recommendation..rest of job action is your choice but using the kids as pawns and possibly hurting their chances at elite education, just wrong..Hope most of you are retire of fired for poor teaching by time my kids get to High shool or I will be applying to other more qualified districts too

You can't take away days that are considered "Federal" holidays such as President's Day and Good Friday!
But I agree with Sam about the Friday of Winter Break and MLK Day (which they took away last year). I would keep Good Friday and the Monday after Easter but make them go back Tue-Fri of Spring Break, that makes up 6 days, since we are getting out the 14th of June (which is early), I would tack onthe rest to the end of the year!
Saturday School IS NOT a good idea!!! Many high schoolers have jobs and other activities and MANY teachers and Support Staff also have weekend jobs which would make going to school on the weekends difficult.
They will figure it out!

The days should be made up during MLK, President's Day, and Spring Break. I have to work all those dates and have put my children in daycare anyway as does many parents in Hopatcong. It would not be a hardship for the kids. They are out of school more than they are in. Honestly that makes the most sense to me. Many parents are in agreement so I am not sure why this was not an easy vote.

The more kids are in school the less chance for them to get into trouble, which seems to happen alot in Hopatcong.

Also - we need to stop teaching just to pass tests and start teaching for the point of teaching.

I find it sad the events of last night. I am for supporting our teachers just not at the expense of any child. I love this town but am not willing to risk/gamble my child's future with a few bad apples. I may have come across abrupt but my point is valid and simple. Please write the recommendations, these kids did nothing wrong and don't deserve to be caught in the middle.

Teachers should be embarassed for the stand that they are taking on the student letters. Many children need the letter to get them into a college. It is a very competitive field and having a letter will definately put you ahead. Too bad the teachers have long forgotten how its for the kids and any issues they have should be dealt with them not turn around to bully our kids and jeopardize their future. Shame on you HEA.

an easy solution is to make up 4 hours per day missed, as half days of school are counted within the 180 days required. or less hours per day if the n.j.d.o.e would approve

Another greedy display by our teachers who want want want and have NO problems holding our children's education for ransom! Should have fired every last high school teacher and made them reapply for their jobs. Hired our best back and gotten rid of the selfish, just in it for the benefits leeches! It has become very apparent that our present lot does not want to take responsibility, accountabilityor do anything outside their stick it to the taxpayer contracts. I say the kids should go on strike or at least the seniors since its their life our teachers are ruining. Still think its about the kids?

Honesty when is ever about the kids. I am so tired of all we are subject to by this school system. I have a word of advice for young parents get out while you can because It's only getting worse every year.

Why can't kids go to June 30? Randolph schools go to the end of June. Most European schools only have a month off in the summer and have longer days. Somehow their children service, so ours also would.

Randolph schools do not go to the end of June. Both of my parents work for Randolph and it goes to June 20th.

How about a little thinking out of the box? A weekend or 2 of programs--a weekend trip to Washington DC or a camping trip to Mohican Outdoor Center would add 2 days (or 3 if done on a holiday weekend) and the kids would be having so much fun that they wouldn't realize that they are actually learning. Younger kids could do day trips like Space Farms, the Franklin Mine or the Newark Museum (if it still has a great children's museum as it did when I was young),. Perhaps a day trip to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly would help teach how the storm was forecast and tracked. I don't know what problems there might be in such an endeavor but I'm guessing that the school board is getting quite a bit of FEMA money to reimburse for some costs and maybe some of that could be legitimately be used to restore education time lost thus reducing the cost of a weekend away or day trips.