School Holidays Have Consequences for Working and other Parents

Williamsburg State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assembly woman Grace Meng are working on a law and called on Mayor Bloomberg to make the Asian Lunar New Year a school holiday. It’s a beautiful press release issue that doesn’t hurt anyone. Why don’t recognize the Asian Community? Fact is that these holidays cause hardship for others, but they are easy to miss or ignore, since very few, including the effected ones, realize what such a law and school holidays will mean.

School holidays are burdens on working parents, who have to skip work or find other arrangements for their kids. It’s especially burdening for parents of children with special needs, who have to struggle a full day with their kid at home, because all the special classes – including does in private schools funded by the Department of Ed - are closed on school holidays.

State Senator Daniel Sqadron, Representing Williamsburg

It is very nice for Senator Squadron to recognize his Asian constituency, and their holiday should be recognized no less that Jewish Holidays. In the same time, I think that before adding school holidays, it’s imperative propose voluntary school classes on non-major school holidays, to assist struggling working parents, and at least fund and allow for special education programs to remain open in these days.

I urge everyone to contact State Senator Squadron and Assembly member Meng to respectfully ask them to consider the outcome of their sponsored legislation on hard working families and special children. We strongly support the celebration of the Asian New-Year, but before adding any holiday, we should come up with a system where the non-major holidays don’t burden families of working parents and disabled kids.

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