When Will MCPS Finalize the 2018-2019 School Calendar?

[Anonymous]

The public sector is supposed to be transparent. We shouldn’t have to call to get information. They should be pushing it out. It’s on MCPS to communicate, not on us to research and crowdsource like they are some furtive, hostile actor.

[Anonymous]

PP, I think they just don’t have the schedule set yet so I don’t tHink this is a case of them withholding information.

Versus in other situations (like protecting kids from sexual predators, etc) where I do think MCPS withholds info.

Regarding the schedule I think they just haven’t got their act together yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The public sector is supposed to be transparent. We shouldn’t have to call to get information. They should be pushing it out. It’s on MCPS to communicate, not on us to research and crowdsource like they are some furtive, hostile actor.

They did. There was multi-multi-page thread on DCUM. People complained about it.

There's also lots of information available on the MCPS website.

[Anonymous]

OP, if you Google your question for the last 2 school calendars you come up with:

"The Board of Education adopted the calendar for the 2017-2018 school year at its December 13, 2016 meeting. The school year will begin on Tuesday, September 5, 2017, and the last day of school is scheduled for Thursday, June 14, 2018."

"The Board of Education adopted the calendar for the 2016-2017 school year at its Dec. 14, 2015 meeting. The school year will begin on Monday, August 29, 2016, and is scheduled to end on Friday, June 16, 2017."

It seems like the final call is normally made in December.

[Anonymous]

It's being discussed today. If you look at the meeting documents, you can see a summary of comments that were submitted and comments from other sources.

[Anonymous]

Anyone watch the meeting today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone watch the meeting today?

Why do that when you can just make uninformed rants on DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you Google your question for the last 2 school calendars you come up with:

"The Board of Education adopted the calendar for the 2017-2018 school year at its December 13, 2016 meeting. The school year will begin on Tuesday, September 5, 2017, and the last day of school is scheduled for Thursday, June 14, 2018."

"The Board of Education adopted the calendar for the 2016-2017 school year at its Dec. 14, 2015 meeting. The school year will begin on Monday, August 29, 2016, and is scheduled to end on Friday, June 16, 2017."

It seems like the final call is normally made in December.

This is the most helpful post IMO! Says when the calendar will most likely be finalize and shows that they are not behind this year versus in previous years.

[Anonymous]

They are getting closer to finalizing and have put forth a proposed calendar. Not any later than in previous years.

[Anonymous]

From yesterday's board meeting:

During the meeting, the Superintendent of Schools recommended a calendar for the 2018-2019 School Year (as reflected in the PowerPoint slide). The Superintendent's proposed calendar contains the following elements:

182 instructional days, with days 181 and 182 (June 12, 2019 and June 13, 2019) also serving as two of the three make-up days to extend the school year beyond the 180 day minimum requirement if necessary;
2 operational closures on Rosh Hashanah (September 10, 2018) and Yom Kippur (September 19, 2018);

2 non-instructional grading and planning days, one at the end of the second and third marking period;
2 non-instructional days for Spring Break in addition to the two State mandated closures before and after Easter. This would result in a 6 day Spring Break, from Wednesday April 17 through Monday, April 22.

Additional calendar options were offered by the Committee and will be posted on the website soon.

Proposed calendar here: http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/ASFQWU6702EB/$file/171024%20PMC%202018-2019%20School%20Year%20Calendar%20ex.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From yesterday's board meeting:

During the meeting, the Superintendent of Schools recommended a calendar for the 2018-2019 School Year (as reflected in the PowerPoint slide). The Superintendent's proposed calendar contains the following elements:

182 instructional days, with days 181 and 182 (June 12, 2019 and June 13, 2019) also serving as two of the three make-up days to extend the school year beyond the 180 day minimum requirement if necessary;
2 operational closures on Rosh Hashanah (September 10, 2018) and Yom Kippur (September 19, 2018);

2 non-instructional grading and planning days, one at the end of the second and third marking period;
2 non-instructional days for Spring Break in addition to the two State mandated closures before and after Easter. This would result in a 6 day Spring Break, from Wednesday April 17 through Monday, April 22.

Additional calendar options were offered by the Committee and will be posted on the website soon.

Proposed calendar here: http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/ASFQWU6702EB/$file/171024%20PMC%202018-2019%20School%20Year%20Calendar%20ex.pdf

Thank you

[Anonymous]

There's a also a good summary in Bethesda Magazine. Too bad about Spring Break. Hogan's dictates are making for stupid calendars.
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2017/MCPS-Superintendent-Calendar-Plan-Would-Shorten-Spring-Break-in-2018-2019/

[Anonymous]

Thanks Governor for this executive action. As parents, we feel less and less school holidays and more time to focus on work. If complaining about spring break, why not schedule that for the summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks Governor for this executive action. As parents, we feel less and less school holidays and more time to focus on work. If complaining about spring break, why not schedule that for the summer?

It's still the same number of required school days. Your child isn't getting more instruction time. You may have a preference for more summer holidays, and less spring break. Others may not share your preference. And irrespective of whether we share your preference, it would be nice to not be hamstrung by Governor Hogan's arbitrary start and end times for the school year.

[Anonymous]

Here is what the teachers recommended:
http://mceanea.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2017/10/Official-Stance.pdf