MSDE isn't actually forcing MCPS to change the calendar next year like this, right?

[Anonymous]

The state resolution actually says that they shouldn't have any of their makeup days after the scheduled last day of school. So MCPS proposing moving the first day of school earlier so they can move the scheduled last day of school to June 11th and have space for makeup days afterwards is actually not in compliance with what MSDE is asking for.

"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Maryland State Board of Education hereby charges the State Superintendent of Schools to develop and issue guidance for LEAs for the 2026–2027 school year addressing best practices in calendar design, including the placement and communication of inclement weather and natural/civil disaster make-up days and an emphasis that inclement weather and natural/civil disaster make-up days not be identified after the last day of school established in the adopted calendar"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The state needs to change the antiquated law about Good Friday and Easter Monday.[/quote

Agreed. I grew up in the Methodist and Lutheran churches, and we never performed any religious observance on Easter Monday. Is it common in other denominations? And Good Friday will often have evening services available, but even if it's a mid-afternoon service, you can pull the kids out a little early. (I really get a lot out of the Good Friday services, so I'd be happy to pull my kids out to go to one.)

[Anonymous]

Honestly I have never cared about Easter Monday but in many cultures it is important. Kind of of like New Year's Day. People usually celebrate New Years Eve but need New Year's Day to recover. And maybe we don't care about that but it could have attendance impacts as large or larger than other holidays the DCUM crowd doesn't care about.

[Anonymous]

I'm confused, are they proposing moving the last day a week earlier too? or just moving the first day back so they can add in extra days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused, are they proposing moving the last day a week earlier too? or just moving the first day back so they can add in extra days?

They are proposing moving the last day of school back from June 16th to June 11th. They say they need to do this in order to be able to fit in extra makeup days after the end of the school year. But 1) they don't actually need those extra 3 makeup days at the end of the year, the state says they only need 3 and that brings them to 6; and 2) the state explicitly said that the makeup days should not be scheduled at the end of the school year.

See the presentation, page 15: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DT7SZF751736/$file/Proposed%20Amendments%202026-2027%20SY%20Calendar%20PPT%20260416.pdf

[Anonymous]

Why is there all of a sudden the need to end school before Juneteenth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused, are they proposing moving the last day a week earlier too? or just moving the first day back so they can add in extra days?

They are proposing moving the last day of school back from June 16th to June 11th. They say they need to do this in order to be able to fit in extra makeup days after the end of the school year. But 1) they don't actually need those extra 3 makeup days at the end of the year, the state says they only need 3 and that brings them to 6; and 2) the state explicitly said that the makeup days should not be scheduled at the end of the school year.

See the presentation, page 15: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DT7SZF751736/$file/Proposed%20Amendments%202026-2027%20SY%20Calendar%20PPT%20260416.pdf

DP

Thank you for explaining this.

This is insane. Why is Taylor determined to make the process for addressing the calendar issues he contributed to as chaotic and disruptive to the community as possible and ALSO determined to make the makeup days as useless as possible? I really don't get it.

[Anonymous]

This is about MCPS wanting to provide as little instruction as possible because providing instruction costs money and they need that money to spend on contracts so they can get their kickbacks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is about MCPS wanting to provide as little instruction as possible because providing instruction costs money and they need that money to spend on contracts so they can get their kickbacks

If they are adding days its not about instruction costs but this doesn't work as people already have plans, jobs, child care lined up, travel, etc. And, many of the schools don't have reliable, consistent air conditioning and as of April, the classrooms can be pretty misreable. In August its going to be horrible and they will have to shut down for heat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is about MCPS wanting to provide as little instruction as possible because providing instruction costs money and they need that money to spend on contracts so they can get their kickbacks

If they are adding days its not about instruction costs but this doesn't work as people already have plans, jobs, child care lined up, travel, etc. And, many of the schools don't have reliable, consistent air conditioning and as of April, the classrooms can be pretty misreable. In August its going to be horrible and they will have to shut down for heat.

They aren't adding days. They are proposing starting the school year earlier and ending the school year earlier.

It's April and we have already had 90 degree days. It's only going to get worse. MCPS needs to figure out how to have school when the weather isn't nice or there will be fewer and fewer days of school every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be 100% fine with no religious holidays being non school days if it meant not dealing with this nonsense and having a real summer break. I’d keep my kids home for Christmas and would understand that they would make up the work. If folks want to keep the kids home for Eid, they could do the same.

You say this knowing full well that MCPS can't safely operate school on Christmas so only other people's holidays will be affected, not yours

Not true at all. I'm not the PP but I would be perfectly fine with school happening on Good Friday or Easter Monday, and those are Christian holidays.

What do you mean it's not true at all? That PP proposed having school on Christmas. Gmafb

Huh? I was responding to the snarky comment after that which said that "you say this knowing full well that MCPS can't safely operate school on Christmas so only other people's holidays will be affected." The PP proposed having no religious holidays at all, so it's not just non-Christians that would be impacted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be 100% fine with no religious holidays being non school days if it meant not dealing with this nonsense and having a real summer break. I’d keep my kids home for Christmas and would understand that they would make up the work. If folks want to keep the kids home for Eid, they could do the same.

You say this knowing full well that MCPS can't safely operate school on Christmas so only other people's holidays will be affected, not yours

Not true at all. I'm not the PP but I would be perfectly fine with school happening on Good Friday or Easter Monday, and those are Christian holidays.

What do you mean it's not true at all? That PP proposed having school on Christmas. Gmafb

Huh? I was responding to the snarky comment after that which said that "you say this knowing full well that MCPS can't safely operate school on Christmas so only other people's holidays will be affected." The PP proposed having no religious holidays at all, so it's not just non-Christians that would be impacted.

Most Christians don't care about Easter Monday and kids can go to Good Friday services after school. The only one Christians really care about is Christmas (Easter is always on Sunday so it isn't impacted). And PP specifically mentioned Christmas knowing MCPS would never so much as consider contemplating having school on Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is what MSDE passed: https://marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/documents/2026/0324/resolution-26-01-on-school-calendar-planning-and-inclement-weather-make-up-days-a.pdf

Doesn't it just say that it encourages districts to make changes, and if they don't then MSDE won't give them a waiver if there's lots of snow days?

Also, doesn't it say that (in order to qualify for the waiver next year) MSDE is only asking for 6 makeup days if the school district has no virtual instruction plan, but if they do have one they only need 3?

Am I reading this wrong, or is MCPS misrepresenting this to the Board and the public?

To respond to the question. You are correct. Suggestions and guidance for next year, no mandate. Taylor is still fighting with the State BOE over the EV bus contract award. They say it is illegal, he continues to pay for it. The fake calendar crisis is his way of trying to make the State BOE look bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The state resolution actually says that they shouldn't have any of their makeup days after the scheduled last day of school. So MCPS proposing moving the first day of school earlier so they can move the scheduled last day of school to June 11th and have space for makeup days afterwards is actually not in compliance with what MSDE is asking for.

"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Maryland State Board of Education hereby charges the State Superintendent of Schools to develop and issue guidance for LEAs for the 2026–2027 school year addressing best practices in calendar design, including the placement and communication of inclement weather and natural/civil disaster make-up days and an emphasis that inclement weather and natural/civil disaster make-up days not be identified after the last day of school established in the adopted calendar"

Dr Taylor didn’t say it was a requirement just that it basically is if we want a waiver. But cmon, people are not going to understand all the weeds. Basically the State Board of Ed and MSDE told all the LEAs - but especially MCPS - that they had to do better for next year’s calendar or they wouldn’t grant waivers for this year. The State Board didn’t even just give MCPS a waiver - they had to waive their own waiver regulation! Read between the lines. State Dept of Education can make hell for school districts so not smart to ignore their “guidance.” MCPs already pissed off MSDE enough this year by trying to pass that bill to get around the waiver process. I don’t think the Superintendent’s recommended calendar is it - I think he needs some room to change the calendar and leverage to negotiate with the union. The other alternatives are using religious holidays or shortening spring breaks. The worst option is the current calendar.

[Anonymous]

Also you have to actually use the virtual learning plan to count and the VLP only kicks in after you have three snow days AND if circumstances allow for some preparation for a VLP, eg a big Snowcrete type storm where they know ahead of time they might be closed all week and they can send kids home with Chromebooks, printed materials, etc. It’s not a great option even then and the union won’t let MCPS teach new content, only review. So I don’t think it will be used often. Frankly they don’t need to change much in 26-27 if they could just use grading and reporting and religious holidays as spring makeups, plus June 17. But that requires people to be reasonable and recognizing when we have unusual emergency situations, not everything is going to be perfect, but we have to decide based on what works for the most people and what is actually going to restore instructional time. (pushing kids to the week after school ends is NOT).