This is Rabbi Jen Feldman.

The School Board adopted calendars for 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 that again leave Saturdays available to be used for make-up days.

Saturday in Judaism is the Sabbath  — a time of communal and family celebration.  It is a time of refraining from work, of rest and renewal. School on the Sabbath forces Jewish students to choose between their religious commitments and their secular education.

But Saturday school creates serious obstacles for many others as well:

  • Many high school students have weekend jobs. Attendance at high school on Saturday make-up days was significantly lower than on regular school days.
  • Many teachers also have weekend jobs or other commitments and have to find substitutes for their classes for Saturday make-up days.
  • Students who are fragile learners are challenged by a six day school week.
  • School Board members themselves have expressed concerns about the quality of some educational programming on Saturday make-up days.
  • The expense of opening the schools on Saturday is significant, affecting resources that should be available for other educational priorities.

 

We ask that the Board make decisions guided by the values of respect for diversity, inclusion of all groups, and making the best use of student and teacher time. Extending each regular school day by several minutes – as has been done by Orange, Chatham, and Durham County schools — would allow for making up snow days without requiring school on Saturdays.

We understand that start times for extra-curricular activities would have to be delayed if we were to bank time in this way.  We believe that creating education accessible to all is worth a few minute delay in the start time of a sporting competition.

Banking time and excluding Saturdays meets the needs of the Jewish community, working students, fragile learners, and many faculty members and staff. This is a solution that reflects and embodies CHCCS’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and CHCCS’s mission: the quality education of all students.

Also submitted by:

Revs. Jill and Rick Edens, United Church of Chapel Hill, U.C.C.
Reverend Carl King, University United Methodist Church
Rev. Thomas O. Nixon, Senior Pastor, St. Paul AME Church
Rev. Stephen Elkins-Williams, Chapel of the Cross
Rev. Lavisha Williams, St. Joseph CME Church.
The Reverend Robert Dunham, University Presbyterian Church
The Reverend Lisa G. Fischbeck, The Episcopal Church of The Advocate
The Reverend Dr. Clarke French, Church of the Holy Family (Episcopal), Chapel Hill
Reverend Thom Belote, minister, The Community Church of Chapel Hill, Unitarian Universalist
The Reverend J. Mark Davidson, Pastor, Church of Reconciliation
Rev. W. Dale Osborne, Binkley Baptist Church
Minister Robert Lee Campbell, Deacon, Faith Tabernacle Oasis of Love International Church
Peace and Justice Action of Binkley Baptist Church
Rev. Will Rose, Parish Pastor Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Chapel Hill
Rev. Dr. Marcus McFaul, Binkley Baptist Church
Rabbi Larry Bach, Rabbi-elect, Judea Reform Congregation
Rabbi Jen Feldman, Kehillah Synagogue
Rabbi Daniel Greyber, Beth El Synagogue