MCPS 2020-21 calendar??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry - can someone explain to me what's wrong with starting after Labor Day? There seems to be a lot of anger over this issue, but it's completely normal in much of the country.

It's completely normal in some parts of the country, and completely not-normal in other parts of the country.

My Facebook feed was full of first-day-of-school photos this week. Mostly friends in Alabama and Texas, but others, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry - can someone explain to me what's wrong with starting after Labor Day? There seems to be a lot of anger over this issue, but it's completely normal in much of the country.

It's completely normal in some parts of the country, and completely not-normal in other parts of the country.

It is difficult for MCPS to start after Labor Day and end before the third week of June due to religious holidays, snow days, using schools for elections, etc.

MCPS used to always start after Labor Day. I don't know how long ago they moved it up a week. I would love it to always start after Labor day but I'm not passionate about it either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry - can someone explain to me what's wrong with starting after Labor Day? There seems to be a lot of anger over this issue, but it's completely normal in much of the country.

It's completely normal in some parts of the country, and completely not-normal in other parts of the country.

It is difficult for MCPS to start after Labor Day and end before the third week of June due to religious holidays, snow days, using schools for elections, etc.

MCPS used to always start after Labor Day. I don't know how long ago they moved it up a week. I would love it to always start after Labor day but I'm not passionate about it either.

It must have been some time ago, because my kids are MCPS grads in their mid-20's, and they always started school before Labor Day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry - can someone explain to me what's wrong with starting after Labor Day? There seems to be a lot of anger over this issue, but it's completely normal in much of the country.

It's a political issue. Montgomery County is rabidly liberal. Many people in the County hate Larry Hogan. So, it's become an issue, when really it's a non-issue for most parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry - can someone explain to me what's wrong with starting after Labor Day? There seems to be a lot of anger over this issue, but it's completely normal in much of the country.

It's a political issue. Montgomery County is rabidly liberal. Many people in the County hate Larry Hogan. So, it's become an issue, when really it's a non-issue for most parents.

I don't agree with this at all.
I might have, until I had kids in high school. Once AP exams are taken around around early to mid-may, those classes are pretty much over and a waste of time. Starting earlier allows them to be prepared. Also, fall sports start August 17th for MCPS, so for many of us it's not about waiting until after Labor Day as we already can't vacation due to sports practices. For me, it's less about the start around Labor Day than having a full spring break. It is our only option to go anywhere (including college visits), so I really was not a fan of last year's calendar. Right there are a couple of non-political reasons for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry - can someone explain to me what's wrong with starting after Labor Day? There seems to be a lot of anger over this issue, but it's completely normal in much of the country.

It's a political issue. Montgomery County is rabidly liberal. Many people in the County hate Larry Hogan. So, it's become an issue, when really it's a non-issue for most parents.

I don't agree with this at all.
I might have, until I had kids in high school. Once AP exams are taken around around early to mid-may, those classes are pretty much over and a waste of time. Starting earlier allows them to be prepared. Also, fall sports start August 17th for MCPS, so for many of us it's not about waiting until after Labor Day as we already can't vacation due to sports practices. For me, it's less about the start around Labor Day than having a full spring break. It is our only option to go anywhere (including college visits), so I really was not a fan of last year's calendar. Right there are a couple of non-political reasons for you.

+1

It was not a political issue for most parents or teachers in MoCo. It was about the impact on Spring Break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry - can someone explain to me what's wrong with starting after Labor Day? There seems to be a lot of anger over this issue, but it's completely normal in much of the country.

It's a political issue. Montgomery County is rabidly liberal. Many people in the County hate Larry Hogan. So, it's become an issue, when really it's a non-issue for most parents.

I don't agree with this at all.
I might have, until I had kids in high school. Once AP exams are taken around around early to mid-may, those classes are pretty much over and a waste of time. Starting earlier allows them to be prepared. Also, fall sports start August 17th for MCPS, so for many of us it's not about waiting until after Labor Day as we already can't vacation due to sports practices. For me, it's less about the start around Labor Day than having a full spring break. It is our only option to go anywhere (including college visits), so I really was not a fan of last year's calendar. Right there are a couple of non-political reasons for you.

+1

It was not a political issue for most parents or teachers in MoCo. It was about the impact on Spring Break.

+2. For me it's also about the local school boards having control of their own calendars. I don't think the governor, regardless of party, should be restricting that via executive order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry - can someone explain to me what's wrong with starting after Labor Day? There seems to be a lot of anger over this issue, but it's completely normal in much of the country.

It's completely normal in some parts of the country, and completely not-normal in other parts of the country.

It is difficult for MCPS to start after Labor Day and end before the third week of June due to religious holidays, snow days, using schools for elections, etc.

MCPS used to always start after Labor Day. I don't know how long ago they moved it up a week. I would love it to always start after Labor day but I'm not passionate about it either.

It must have been some time ago, because my kids are MCPS grads in their mid-20's, and they always started school before Labor Day.

It changed while I was in school here. I’d say around 1990 but I don’t remember exactly which year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry - can someone explain to me what's wrong with starting after Labor Day? There seems to be a lot of anger over this issue, but it's completely normal in much of the country.

It's a political issue. Montgomery County is rabidly liberal. Many people in the County hate Larry Hogan. So, it's become an issue, when really it's a non-issue for most parents.

I don't agree with this at all.
I might have, until I had kids in high school. Once AP exams are taken around around early to mid-may, those classes are pretty much over and a waste of time. Starting earlier allows them to be prepared. Also, fall sports start August 17th for MCPS, so for many of us it's not about waiting until after Labor Day as we already can't vacation due to sports practices. For me, it's less about the start around Labor Day than having a full spring break. It is our only option to go anywhere (including college visits), so I really was not a fan of last year's calendar. Right there are a couple of non-political reasons for you.

+1

It was not a political issue for most parents or teachers in MoCo. It was about the impact on Spring Break.

+2. For me it's also about the local school boards having control of their own calendars. I don't think the governor, regardless of party, should be restricting that via executive order.

+ 3

I'm rabidly liberal but not terribly partisan, and I didn't really have anything major against Hogan until he tried to take autonomy in decision-making away from local school districts. I don't get why people who are otherwise anti-big-government are OK with this. "If 'liberal' MoCo is against it, well, then I must be in favor of it?"

If anything, the data shows that shorter summer breaks improve student outcomes by preventing the "summer slide"; but under Hogan's order, school systems wouldn't even have the opportunity for research and debate and community input on the subject. They simply didn't have the flexibility to set a calendar that reflected their own communities' wishes, or their students' best interests—whatever they determined that to be.

It was a heavy-handed and politically-motivated move on Hogan's part, for sure. But I'm not convinced the backlash was equally politically-motivated.

[Anonymous]

MCPS was looking into moving it even earlier in order to meet community demand before the hogan order s, so it’s ridiculous to say that MCPS parents want an earlier start because they dislike hogan.
We were on vacation 2 years ago at one of the most popular national parks in the country—the stop the junior ranger programs in mid August because there are not enough kids in late August to justify the programs. Basically everyone is back in school before Labor Day except some places in the northeast. My nieces and nephews out west have already started.

The hS issues are the big ones but the late start is also an issue with staffing summer camps. There are many fewer camps running late August because all the college kids are back in school so they can’t staff them. That makes it hard for working parents.

[Anonymous]

They'll go back to starting the last full week in August...and they'll pepper the school year with lots of random professional days and religious holidays. That way, we can all enjoy scrambling for childcare for random days.

Remember what the schedule was like before the Governor's mandate? We had several stints without a full week of school due to an over abundance of random days off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They'll go back to starting the last full week in August...and they'll pepper the school year with lots of random professional days and religious holidays. That way, we can all enjoy scrambling for childcare for random days.

Remember what the schedule was like before the Governor's mandate? We had several stints without a full week of school due to an over abundance of random days off.

They're actually not "random" days off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They'll go back to starting the last full week in August...and they'll pepper the school year with lots of random professional days and religious holidays. That way, we can all enjoy scrambling for childcare for random days.

Remember what the schedule was like before the Governor's mandate? We had several stints without a full week of school due to an over abundance of random days off.

Where’s the parent backlash against the MD Assembly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They'll go back to starting the last full week in August...and they'll pepper the school year with lots of random professional days and religious holidays. That way, we can all enjoy scrambling for childcare for random days.

Remember what the schedule was like before the Governor's mandate? We had several stints without a full week of school due to an over abundance of random days off.

Where’s the parent backlash against the MD Assembly?

The backlash against the MD Assembly for allowing local school districts to set their own calendars, instead of requiring them to use the calendar that suits the Ocean City tourism industry?

If you want MCPS to start after Labor Day, tell the BoE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They'll go back to starting the last full week in August...and they'll pepper the school year with lots of random professional days and religious holidays. That way, we can all enjoy scrambling for childcare for random days.

Remember what the schedule was like before the Governor's mandate? We had several stints without a full week of school due to an over abundance of random days off.

Where’s the parent backlash against the MD Assembly?

The backlash against the MD Assembly for allowing local school districts to set their own calendars, instead of requiring them to use the calendar that suits the Ocean City tourism industry?

If you want MCPS to start after Labor Day, tell the BoE.

But understand that if they do start after Labor Day, which means Sept. 8, 2020, the last day of school will likely end up being in the 4th week of June.