Write a letter to oppose the waiver

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and the professional days could be taken away but under the contract, it is not an option.

How realistic is it that the contract could be changed? I see districts all over NC and VA using professional days. In Wake County, NC (Raleigh), they are making up 6 missed days - 3 on professional days and 3 tacked added in June. They are not using

I'm not pro waiver; but I don't think the optimal time for the make-up plan is June. Let it be during a workday. However, that'd still leave us several days short.

You obviously haven't lived in Montgomery County very long and don't understand the strength and power of the teacher's union.

The teachers now have less days to cover the same amount of curriculum. What exactly do you think the Union is doing that is benefiting the teachers in this situation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and the professional days could be taken away but under the contract, it is not an option.

How realistic is it that the contract could be changed? I see districts all over NC and VA using professional days. In Wake County, NC (Raleigh), they are making up 6 missed days - 3 on professional days and 3 tacked added in June. They are not using

I'm not pro waiver; but I don't think the optimal time for the make-up plan is June. Let it be during a workday. However, that'd still leave us several days short.

You obviously haven't lived in Montgomery County very long and don't understand the strength and power of the teacher's union.

The teachers now have less days to cover the same amount of curriculum. What exactly do you think the Union is doing that is benefiting the teachers in this situation?

Fewer.

But yeah, MCEA is nowhere near the powerhouse of union thugs everyone seems to think it is.

[Anonymous]

The Maryland State Board of Education on Tuesday decided that school districts can ask for up to five make-up days due to snow be waived.
http://marylandpublicschools.org/press/03_25_2014_a.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and the professional days could be taken away but under the contract, it is not an option.

How realistic is it that the contract could be changed? I see districts all over NC and VA using professional days. In Wake County, NC (Raleigh), they are making up 6 missed days - 3 on professional days and 3 tacked added in June. They are not using

I'm not pro waiver; but I don't think the optimal time for the make-up plan is June. Let it be during a workday. However, that'd still leave us several days short.

You obviously haven't lived in Montgomery County very long and don't understand the strength and power of the teacher's union.

The teachers now have less days to cover the same amount of curriculum. What exactly do you think the Union is doing that is benefiting the teachers in this situation?

Fewer.

And, uh, longer summer vacation.

[keithcc]

Hi all,

Our family is among those who oppose the waiver for MCPS. We are strong believers in public education, and agree with those who feel that MCPS should use the contingency plan it published, and end the school year on June 20.

After reviewing the calendar, the waiver, and other information published by MCPS, I've concluded that a June 13th end date would not comply with Maryland's legal requirement of 1,080 open hours of school for elementary students.

By my calculations, the current waiver requests provides only 1072.5 hours of elementary school time. Details, including sources, are available at are available at this page:
https://plus.google.com/111355200183289225526/posts/9bhNCnye2JJ

If you are interested in taking a principled stand for a full school year, please contact me at [e-mail]
(no haters, please!)

thanks,
Keith

[Anonymous]

keithcc wrote:Hi all,

Our family is among those who oppose the waiver for MCPS. We are strong believers in public education, and agree with those who feel that MCPS should use the contingency plan it published, and end the school year on June 20.

After reviewing the calendar, the waiver, and other information published by MCPS, I've concluded that a June 13th end date would not comply with Maryland's legal requirement of 1,080 open hours of school for elementary students.

By my calculations, the current waiver requests provides only 1072.5 hours of elementary school time. Details, including sources, are available at are available at this page:
https://plus.google.com/111355200183289225526/posts/9bhNCnye2JJ

If you are interested in taking a principled stand for a full school year, please contact me at [e-mail]
(no haters, please!)

thanks,
Keith

Keith, you rock!!! Thank you for being proactive and standing for education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the waiver is passed, no teacher or school should ever dock your child again for missing a day to go out of town for a family trip, wedding, etc. Apparently each and every day of school is not important.

There might be a difference between having a day of school that your child missed, and not having a day of school.

No, the point is that the days don't matter despite the "fake" snow days schedule that imply they do until they become real.

Yes, I understood your point. My point was that you're comparing apples and oranges.

Not PP but no, it is not apples and oranges. A day missed is a day of instruction not received regardless if you are the only student or not. You want to make it different but it is not.

[Anonymous]

The teachers now have less days to cover the same amount of curriculum. What exactly do you think the Union is doing that is benefiting the teachers in this situation?

Fewer.

But yeah, MCEA is nowhere near the powerhouse of union thugs everyone seems to think it is.
+1

[Anonymous]

keithcc wrote:Hi all,

Our family is among those who oppose the waiver for MCPS. We are strong believers in public education, and agree with those who feel that MCPS should use the contingency plan it published, and end the school year on June 20.

After reviewing the calendar, the waiver, and other information published by MCPS, I've concluded that a June 13th end date would not comply with Maryland's legal requirement of 1,080 open hours of school for elementary students.

By my calculations, the current waiver requests provides only 1072.5 hours of elementary school time. Details, including sources, are available at are available at this page:
https://plus.google.com/111355200183289225526/posts/9bhNCnye2JJ

If you are interested in taking a principled stand for a full school year, please contact me at [e-mail]
(no haters, please!)

thanks,
Keith

Thanks Keith _ I already emailed my concerns to the BOE contact posted earlier. I think waiving the days will set a bad precedent and will make Montgomer County lose some respect. I am not pleased with the direction MC is taking on many issues and I will keep voicing my opinion. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Yeah waiver went through
.

[keithcc]

No, the MCPS waiver has *NOT* gone through. The State Board has agreed to accept waiver requests of up to 5 days, and MCPS today decided request the full 5 days. However the final decision on waivers lies with the state superintendent of schools. She has not yet made a decision.

If you oppose the waiver, it is not too late to speak out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

keithcc wrote:Hi all,

Our family is among those who oppose the waiver for MCPS. We are strong believers in public education, and agree with those who feel that MCPS should use the contingency plan it published, and end the school year on June 20.

After reviewing the calendar, the waiver, and other information published by MCPS, I've concluded that a June 13th end date would not comply with Maryland's legal requirement of 1,080 open hours of school for elementary students.

By my calculations, the current waiver requests provides only 1072.5 hours of elementary school time. Details, including sources, are available at are available at this page:
https://plus.google.com/111355200183289225526/posts/9bhNCnye2JJ

If you are interested in taking a principled stand for a full school year, please contact me at [e-mail]
(no haters, please!)

thanks,
Keith

Thanks Keith _ I already emailed my concerns to the BOE contact posted earlier. I think waiving the days will set a bad precedent and will make Montgomer County lose some respect. I am not pleased with the direction MC is taking on many issues and I will keep voicing my opinion. Good luck.

I used to be neutral on the waiver, but now, after reading the arguments of parents who oppose the waiver, I support the waiver.

[Anonymous]

"In a letter sent late Tuesday, Superintendent Joshua P. Starr mentioned the winter’s serious conditions and cited the cost of extending the school year: An extra five days, he said, would run $3.5 million to $4 million, reports The Washington Post."
--http://gaithersburg.patch.com/groups/schools/p/montgomery-schools-add-one-more-snow-day-to-waiver-request

Money that could be spent supporting instructional programs (or even better snow removal equipment) for the 2014-15 school year instead of keeping schools with 50% attendance open for 5 additional days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"In a letter sent late Tuesday, Superintendent Joshua P. Starr mentioned the winter’s serious conditions and cited the cost of extending the school year: An extra five days, he said, would run $3.5 million to $4 million, reports The Washington Post."
--http://gaithersburg.patch.com/groups/schools/p/montgomery-schools-add-one-more-snow-day-to-waiver-request

Money that could be spent supporting instructional programs (or even better snow removal equipment) for the 2014-15 school year instead of keeping schools with 50% attendance open for 5 additional days.

This. Thanks for being a voice of reason.

[keithcc]

By this math, the extra days would cost $500,000 each.
That's an absolute bargain!

The FY2015 budget is $2.32 billion for 184 days -- $12.6 million per day. We should be thrilled to get it for $500k.

Mr. Starr and MCPS officials-- The service your teachers provide is really important. I urge you to value it more highly.