New Waiver Request

[Anonymous]

It will be interesting to see what they do for Howard. They do not build in any days..but plan to add at the end. Their waiver request has them adding a few days at the end but then still a waiver of 5? (maybe 4)..putting them in about the same place as MoCo except MoCo always had 4 built in.

[Anonymous]

It was approved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It will be interesting to see what they do for Howard. They do not build in any days..but plan to add at the end. Their waiver request has them adding a few days at the end but then still a waiver of 5? (maybe 4)..putting them in about the same place as MoCo except MoCo always had 4 built in.

HC has 5 snow days built into the calendar. They asked for a waiver of 4 days because they only missed 9 days of school total.

[Anonymous]

Just heard. School on Easter Monday, last day of class is June 13.

[Anonymous]

From: Montgomery County Public Schools
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2014 10:31 AM
Subject: A Message from Superintendent Starr

Dear Colleagues,



I’m writing to inform you about final changes being made to the school calendar in order to make up some of the instructional time we lost due to snow days. Under a plan approved by the Maryland State Department of Education this morning, MCPS will hold school on Monday, April 21, 2014 (Easter Monday) and Friday, June 13, 2014, which will now be the last day of school for students. The last day for staff will be Monday, June 16. None of the remaining snow days will have to be made up under the state-approved plan.



I realize that holding school on Easter Monday will be an inconvenience for many of our employees, students, and families. However, the Board of Education and I felt that this plan was the best way to ensure that we would make up two days of meaningful instructional time and cause the least disruption to our community’s summer plans. As you may be aware, MCPS had originally submitted a plan to the state that would make up one snow day—on June 13—but that request was denied. We will be sharing this news with parents and community members today, as well.



This was a very severe winter season and I am grateful for your dedication, commitment, and flexibility under these unusual circumstances. I look forward to our work together the rest of this year as we prepare students to thrive in their future.



Sincerely,



Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent

[Anonymous]

Is anyone actually going to be there easter monday? I'm not changing our flights to come back.

[Anonymous]

No chance we are changing our flights.

[Anonymous]

Why have the fucking contingency plan if they are going to drop planned days off instead of the end. And if those 2 days are meaningful then aren't the other missed days meaningful too? Oh wait, no. Camps are more meaningful.

[Anonymous]

My DC will be there. We come home from skiing before Easter every year anyway to spend Easter at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why have the fucking contingency plan if they are going to drop planned days off instead of the end.

I agree. Contact the board of education and ask for them to create contingency plans for future years that they will actually stick to, so that families can plan accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone actually going to be there easter monday? I'm not changing our flights to come back.

My kids will be there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why have the fucking contingency plan if they are going to drop planned days off instead of the end.

I agree. Contact the board of education and ask for them to create contingency plans for future years that they will actually stick to, so that families can plan accordingly.

Really, you are stressing out about 1 day? You are probably the same people who complained it was too cold to send your kids and kept them home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why have the fucking contingency plan if they are going to drop planned days off instead of the end.

I agree. Contact the board of education and ask for them to create contingency plans for future years that they will actually stick to, so that families can plan accordingly.

Really, you are stressing out about 1 day? You are probably the same people who complained it was too cold to send your kids and kept them home.

I'm 11:06, and the new plan actually doesn't affect me at all -- we don't have vacation plans for Easter Monday, and we are doing an aftercare-provided daycamp at the elementary school for the first few weeks of summer, so I wasn't stressed about whether school would extend a week into June or not. But for some reason, I'm really annoyed that the county has a published plan that they ignored without ever giving a good reason as to why the plan was okay when they approved it last year, but wasn't okay to follow this year. I want them to put some effort into creating a plan in good faith that will be acceptable in the future. Otherwise, there will be this level of confusion and complaint every time there are too many snow days.

To be honest, I'm surprised it's bugging me so much, but it is, and writing a letter requesting that they do better next time is a pretty easy thing to do.

[Anonymous]

I do agree that a contingency plan based on the idea that, if the contingency actually came to pass, you would try your best to do something different -- is not a good contingency plan.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know if June 13 will be a full day or an early release. The original last day of school June 12 was planned as an early release day.