Bill Giving MD Schools Flexibility on Start Date Gains Traction in Assembly (Opposed by Governor)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The governor has already said he will fight any effort to change the calendar.

Yes, but there's a supermajority in the General Assembly to override his veto.

Yes, but Hogan is trying to get a referendum vote on the ballot. Current estimates are that 70% of residents favor the Governor's XO vs the school district calendars and a referendum will override the legislature.

Where are these "current estimates" coming from. Of the dozens of parents I've talked to, only 1 liked Hogan's plan. No teachers have liked it. Hogan's plan makes teaching/learning mor pressured and retaining more difficult. It's a lose lose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Pretty much everyone I know in MoCo hates the Hogan calendar. It's the Ocean City people who like using the school calendar as a form of corporate welfare to their beach resorts.

Yeah no. People hate what MCPS has done in response to the labor day opening. They don't hate ending mid June and starting after Labor Day. It comes down to whether you look at other counties and notice that "Hey wait, all those other counties still have a normal spring break and winter break with the mid-June-labor day calendar, why can't MCPS do that" or if you just believe whatever BS MCPS gives you.

MCPS is a political beast. They intentionally made the calendar as screwy as possible combining it with the spin that they had no choice and just assuming no one would look at other counties. The intent was to get people in MoCo to push to give MCPS back control of the calendar. We'll see if it works.

This is just NOT TRUE. Hogan gave Garrett and another mountain county exceptions - they start before Labor Day. Howard County couldn’t fit the days into their schedules. Lots of other counties have less than a week of spring break. You are just WRONG.

Interesting point. I also agree w/ the person who was stymied by a Republican being against local control. Good point there as well.

Look, we all know that Hogan's plan is about economic growth for OC. So, what you aid about Garrett Co makes total sense. Those folks are probably not driving 5-6 hours to the OC. I wish Hogan would let us put the kids first -- long summer breaks and few breaks during the school year doesn't help the education of our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The Dems have a veto-proof majority in the legislature, don't they? So, when the BOE entertains the new calendar without the arbitrary restrictions set by Hogan, all of the posters who like the longer summer can have their say.

Why would we need a referendum??

Well the BOE only listens to the union not the actual citizens that it serves.

The members on the BoE hold elective office. They are there because a majority of the voters voted for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mcps decided our children couldn't have 5 days off for Spring Break this year.

Don't tell me teachers care about how the children fare in AP classes. My kid has a long-term substitute in one of their APs and was harrassed to the point dropping out of an AP last year for not offering accommodations and after getting physically assaulted on school grounds sustaining a concussion.

I fully support Governor Hogan and his interest in keeping MoCo students safe.

But do you fully support Governor Hogan and his executive order that all school districts, statewide, must base their calendars on the best interests of the Ocean City tourism industry?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Pretty much everyone I know in MoCo hates the Hogan calendar. It's the Ocean City people who like using the school calendar as a form of corporate welfare to their beach resorts.

Yeah no. People hate what MCPS has done in response to the labor day opening. They don't hate ending mid June and starting after Labor Day. It comes down to whether you look at other counties and notice that "Hey wait, all those other counties still have a normal spring break and winter break with the mid-June-labor day calendar, why can't MCPS do that" or if you just believe whatever BS MCPS gives you.

MCPS is a political beast. They intentionally made the calendar as screwy as possible combining it with the spin that they had no choice and just assuming no one would look at other counties. The intent was to get people in MoCo to push to give MCPS back control of the calendar. We'll see if it works.

This is just NOT TRUE. Hogan gave Garrett and another mountain county exceptions - they start before Labor Day. Howard County couldn’t fit the days into their schedules. Lots of other counties have less than a week of spring break. You are just WRONG.

+1 Virginia finally ended the "King's Dominion" rule that it had to start in September. Why can't Maryland stop with the corporate welfare for parts of the state and just let schools develop schedules that work for student learning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Pretty much everyone I know in MoCo hates the Hogan calendar. It's the Ocean City people who like using the school calendar as a form of corporate welfare to their beach resorts.

Yeah no. People hate what MCPS has done in response to the labor day opening. They don't hate ending mid June and starting after Labor Day. It comes down to whether you look at other counties and notice that "Hey wait, all those other counties still have a normal spring break and winter break with the mid-June-labor day calendar, why can't MCPS do that" or if you just believe whatever BS MCPS gives you.

MCPS is a political beast. They intentionally made the calendar as screwy as possible combining it with the spin that they had no choice and just assuming no one would look at other counties. The intent was to get people in MoCo to push to give MCPS back control of the calendar. We'll see if it works.

This is just NOT TRUE. Hogan gave Garrett and another mountain county exceptions - they start before Labor Day. Howard County couldn’t fit the days into their schedules. Lots of other counties have less than a week of spring break. You are just WRONG.

Garrett County first day of school, August 27. Allegany County first day of school, August 29. Well, how about that.

How come it's ok for Garrett County and Allegany County to start before Labor Day, but it's not ok for Montgomery County?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Garrett County first day of school, August 27. Allegany County first day of school, August 29. Well, how about that.

How come it's ok for Garrett County and Allegany County to start before Labor Day, but it's not ok for Montgomery County?

Because Larry won about 80% of the vote in those two counties, and he lost MoCo in both of his elections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"Obscure religious holidays" = "religious holidays I don't observe"

No they are religious holidays that the government and work places do not observe. If everything else was closed on those days fine but somehow MCPS is special and needs to be the ONLY place closed on those days.

In the survey MCPS did last year, 17% of staff said they would not be at work on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. They would not have enough substitutes for that number of people.

I'm a teacher and I seriously doubt the validity of the reported % of staff that would be out on the Jewish High Holidays.

Only 22% of staff completed the survey. I suspect that teachers who would not teach on the High Holidays would be more likely to take the time to fill out the survey than teachers who would be present those two days. I wonder if there is an overrepresentation of such teachers and if the number is therefore skewed.

I believe MCPS should open on the Jewish Holidays and then there would be actual data that could be used to help create future calendars.

[Anonymous]

Forgot to add a link to the survey that works:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/calendar/survey2018/180719-MCPS-Calendar-Survey-Final%20Rpt(1).pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mcps decided our children couldn't have 5 days off for Spring Break this year.

Don't tell me teachers care about how the children fare in AP classes. My kid has a long-term substitute in one of their APs and was harrassed to the point dropping out of an AP last year for not offering accommodations and after getting physically assaulted on school grounds sustaining a concussion.

I fully support Governor Hogan and his interest in keeping MoCo students safe.

+1 I could have written these EXACT words. Shame on MCPS for taking away Spring Break instead of the professional days. It was their choice, not Hogan's

You do realize, genius, that there is exactly ONE Professional day in this year's calendar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mcps decided our children couldn't have 5 days off for Spring Break this year.

Don't tell me teachers care about how the children fare in AP classes. My kid has a long-term substitute in one of their APs and was harrassed to the point dropping out of an AP last year for not offering accommodations and after getting physically assaulted on school grounds sustaining a concussion.

I fully support Governor Hogan and his interest in keeping MoCo students safe.

But do you fully support Governor Hogan and his executive order that all school districts, statewide, must base their calendars on the best interests of the Ocean City tourism industry?

Look, you union beasts are going to call it what you will. I, stupidly, believe unions shouldn't support pedophiles and a policy that screws over all children victimized by the crimes of smug administrators. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mcps decided our children couldn't have 5 days off for Spring Break this year.

Don't tell me teachers care about how the children fare in AP classes. My kid has a long-term substitute in one of their APs and was harrassed to the point dropping out of an AP last year for not offering accommodations and after getting physically assaulted on school grounds sustaining a concussion.

I fully support Governor Hogan and his interest in keeping MoCo students safe.

But do you fully support Governor Hogan and his executive order that all school districts, statewide, must base their calendars on the best interests of the Ocean City tourism industry?

Look, you union beasts are going to call it what you will. I, stupidly, believe unions shouldn't support pedophiles and a policy that screws over all children victimized by the crimes of smug administrators. Good luck.

All your name calling and hyperbolic language just smacks of partisanship at any cost. Just admit it -- Hogan's order puts the interests of Ocean City businesses over the education of our kids. That's the bottom line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"Obscure religious holidays" = "religious holidays I don't observe"

No they are religious holidays that the government and work places do not observe. If everything else was closed on those days fine but somehow MCPS is special and needs to be the ONLY place closed on those days.

In the survey MCPS did last year, 17% of staff said they would not be at work on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. They would not have enough substitutes for that number of people.

I'm a teacher and I seriously doubt the validity of the reported % of staff that would be out on the Jewish High Holidays.

Only 22% of staff completed the survey. I suspect that teachers who would not teach on the High Holidays would be more likely to take the time to fill out the survey than teachers who would be present those two days. I wonder if there is an overrepresentation of such teachers and if the number is therefore skewed.

I believe MCPS should open on the Jewish Holidays and then there would be actual data that could be used to help create future calendars.

Then a LOT of MCPS students would be missing. We are not Jewish but all but 2 of my eldest's friends are. And youngest has many Jewish friends too. It's a significant portion of the student body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mcps decided our children couldn't have 5 days off for Spring Break this year.

Don't tell me teachers care about how the children fare in AP classes. My kid has a long-term substitute in one of their APs and was harrassed to the point dropping out of an AP last year for not offering accommodations and after getting physically assaulted on school grounds sustaining a concussion.

I fully support Governor Hogan and his interest in keeping MoCo students safe.

+1 I could have written these EXACT words. Shame on MCPS for taking away Spring Break instead of the professional days. It was their choice, not Hogan's

You do realize, genius, that there is exactly ONE Professional day in this year's calendar?

It sure would be nice to have even one tacked on to Spring Break. Hey, don't hate the player, hate the game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mcps decided our children couldn't have 5 days off for Spring Break this year.

Don't tell me teachers care about how the children fare in AP classes. My kid has a long-term substitute in one of their APs and was harrassed to the point dropping out of an AP last year for not offering accommodations and after getting physically assaulted on school grounds sustaining a concussion.

I fully support Governor Hogan and his interest in keeping MoCo students safe.

But do you fully support Governor Hogan and his executive order that all school districts, statewide, must base their calendars on the best interests of the Ocean City tourism industry?

Look, you union beasts are going to call it what you will. I, stupidly, believe unions shouldn't support pedophiles and a policy that screws over all children victimized by the crimes of smug administrators. Good luck.

All your name calling and hyperbolic language just smacks of partisanship at any cost. Just admit it -- Hogan's order puts the interests of Ocean City businesses over the education of our kids. That's the bottom line.

That's kind of a cop out when I said my kid was harmed on school property and suffered a violation of ADA and you defend this and the policies that result in hurting children. I didn't realize "protecting children" was a partisan issue. sigh.