Educators and families are actively debating when school districts should schedule professional development, as changes to calendars affect both learning time and predictability. In Fairfax County Public Schools in northern Virginia, the district planned for 2026–27 by adding state-required PD on evidence-based literacy instruction and dedicated teacher planning time, while also juggling early-release days, holidays, and full-staff development sessions. Parents and educators are weighing tradeoffs: full-day in-service PD is commonly used, but repeated interruptions and short weeks can undermine instructional rhythm. A Fairfax County school board member, Mateo Dunne, described the current approach as “chaotic and erratic,” pointing to how partial-week patterns have become normalized. An EdWeek Research Center survey found 72% of educators reported their district or school used full-day, in-service PD, with educators most preferring full-day sessions (32%) and built-in collaboration or coaching time (22%). The reporting also notes tensions around voting-day operational changes that can swap early-release plans for full-day instruction.