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

[Anonymous]

Good - I think the school calendar should be left to the school district, not the state.

[Anonymous]

" I actually very happy with current calendar. It is much easier to plan ahead for summer. Nobody can study late in June or in early August. The problem is not start and end date. Problem is MCPS with ton of closed days. It is MCPS that is by purpose trying to twist parents' hands and make our life miserable with crazy schedule during the year and rediculous spring break.

I feel the exact same way."

Feel free to write to your reps if you like the compressed schedule. It's hard to understand but there is a vocal minority on DCUM that prefers it.

I say minority because before the order, 23 of the 24 counties in MD started before Labor Day. It didn't end up that way over the years because of anything MCPS did or didn't do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fingers crossed that this passes and we can have more buffer built into our schedule next year.

The 2019-2020 calendar has already been approved.

Even if this legislation passes, (1) I'm sure Hogan will veto it. (Will there be enough to overturn the veto? I kind of doubt it.) and (2) realistically, it won't be effective until 7/1/20 or even 10/1/20 at the earliest. MCPS BOE will already have adopted the 2020-2021 calendar, since that will be adopted at the end of 2019.

Still, I'll be writing my legislators!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fingers crossed that this passes and we can have more buffer built into our schedule next year.

The 2019-2020 calendar has already been approved.

Even if this legislation passes, (1) I'm sure Hogan will veto it. (Will there be enough to overturn the veto? I kind of doubt it.) and (2) realistically, it won't be effective until 7/1/20 or even 10/1/20 at the earliest. MCPS BOE will already have adopted the 2020-2021 calendar, since that will be adopted at the end of 2019.

Still, I'll be writing my legislators!

That wouldn't look like bipartisan governing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's silly to even discuss this since the teachers union is definitely not buying into a year around school without massive pay increases which aren't in the budget.

It wouldn’t mean more working days. It just means the school year is spread out through the year and has longer breaks throughout. I knew school staff from Florida that did this and they said once everyone adjusted they really loved it. My kids would much prefer to be in school in August than in late September or May, when being outside is so lovely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fingers crossed that this passes and we can have more buffer built into our schedule next year.

The 2019-2020 calendar has already been approved.

Even if this legislation passes, (1) I'm sure Hogan will veto it. (Will there be enough to overturn the veto? I kind of doubt it.) and (2) realistically, it won't be effective until 7/1/20 or even 10/1/20 at the earliest. MCPS BOE will already have adopted the 2020-2021 calendar, since that will be adopted at the end of 2019.

Still, I'll be writing my legislators!

That wouldn't look like bipartisan governing.

I think they will only vote on it if they think they have a veto-proof majority. I could be wrong, but that is my suspicion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's silly to even discuss this since the teachers union is definitely not buying into a year around school without massive pay increases which aren't in the budget.

It wouldn’t mean more working days. It just means the school year is spread out through the year and has longer breaks throughout. I knew school staff from Florida that did this and they said once everyone adjusted they really loved it. My kids would much prefer to be in school in August than in late September or May, when being outside is so lovely.

This bill doesn't reference year round schooling. It just talks about giving each district some flexibility in setting its calendar. A no brainer in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I write to my legislator it will be to keep the current school calendar. I’m pretty happy about the way in which things are going. I don’t want my kid on a hot school bus or in a hot classroom.

Huh? My kid's classroom has AC. So if you don't want them attending school in hot weather, and we keep running out of snow days because people don't want them on buses in icy weather, when should they do their 180 days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I write to my legislator it will be to keep the current school calendar. I’m pretty happy about the way in which things are going. I don’t want my kid on a hot school bus or in a hot classroom.

Yes because your little snowflake might melt. I have two kids in MCPS. They did fine with the old schedule, and they would prefer longer breaks in between quarters. Gives teachers and students some breathing room in between quarters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I write to my legislator it will be to keep the current school calendar. I’m pretty happy about the way in which things are going. I don’t want my kid on a hot school bus or in a hot classroom.

[phone]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really wish MoCo would consider a year-round calendar with a much shorter summer and several longer breaks scattered through the year. Less summer slide, less kids missing school for family vacations because no one can afford to fly a family during peak summer (and with our growing multi national population it is becoming an ever bigger issue), and less burnout through the year. We seem to be hanging onto the old system just because that’s how we used to do it, but it really doesn’t make sense anymore. I’d rather my kids had several multi-week breaks through the year to relax, do a camp, or travel than the long slog they have now... better to be in school in the heat of August and then having a break and playing outside in the glory days of October.

I would be annoyed at year round school. You can pull your kids out for a vacation. You can also tutor your kids at home so there is no summer slide - its called parenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I would be annoyed at year round school. You can pull your kids out for a vacation. You can also tutor your kids at home so there is no summer slide - its called parenting.

A school calendar that requires summer tutoring at home to prevent summer slide is not an effective school calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I would be annoyed at year round school. You can pull your kids out for a vacation. You can also tutor your kids at home so there is no summer slide - its called parenting.

A school calendar that requires summer tutoring at home to prevent summer slide is not an effective school calendar.

Truth! Anyway, this bill is NOT about year round school. It’s about the ability for districts to decide their start date (ie End August instead of post Labor Day)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually very happy with current calendar. It is much easier to plan ahead for summer. Nobody can study late in June or in early August. The problem is not start and end date. Problem is MCPS with ton of closed days. It is MCPS that is by purpose trying to twist parents' hands and make our life miserable with crazy schedule during the year and rediculous spring break.

yet. randomly placed half days, full days off and then an Auber-conservative snow day philosophy.

[Anonymous]

whippee!

Do we have a real K-8 curriculum yet?