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

[Anonymous]

I would like a later end date (late June) but my understanding is that that is not realistic for high school students because of the timing of AP tests.

[Anonymous]

This legislation makes sense because it doesn’t mandate that schools start before Labor Day it just leaves it up to each county. This would allow MCPS to schedule Spring Brwak, end date as it makes sense etc. If voters want an after Labor Day start than the BOE can create a calendar with a late start. But they wouldn’t be confined to a June 15th end and it would be based on local needs and local voters.

[Anonymous]

Gonzales Maryland Poll - March 2019

QUESTION 5: Labor Day Schools For the past 3 years, an executive order has mandated that public schools in Maryland begin after Labor Day.

Some say that keeping schools closed through Labor Day gives families more vacation opportunities and helps businesses in the state.
Others say that a statewide executive order interferes with local autonomy, and that local school jurisdictions should determine their school-year calendar.

In your opinion, should all public schools in Maryland stay closed through Labor Day, or should each local school jurisdiction decide when the school year begins?

POST-LABOR DAY SCHOOL OPENING Number Percent
Closed Through Labor Day 457 55.9 %
Local Board Decides 328 40.1 %
No answer 32 3.9 %
Total 817 100.0 %

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gonzales Maryland Poll - March 2019

QUESTION 5: Labor Day Schools For the past 3 years, an executive order has mandated that public schools in Maryland begin after Labor Day.

Some say that keeping schools closed through Labor Day gives families more vacation opportunities and helps businesses in the state.
Others say that a statewide executive order interferes with local autonomy, and that local school jurisdictions should determine their school-year calendar.

In your opinion, should all public schools in Maryland stay closed through Labor Day, or should each local school jurisdiction decide when the school year begins?

POST-LABOR DAY SCHOOL OPENING Number Percent
Closed Through Labor Day 457 55.9 %
Local Board Decides 328 40.1 %
No answer 32 3.9 %
Total 817 100.0 %

You left out the important part:

“Voters between the ages of 35 and 54 are the only bloc in which a majority don’t think schools should be mandated to remain closed through the holiday that marks the end of summer,”

I.e., the voters who actually have kids in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzales Maryland Poll - March 2019

QUESTION 5: Labor Day Schools For the past 3 years, an executive order has mandated that public schools in Maryland begin after Labor Day.

Some say that keeping schools closed through Labor Day gives families more vacation opportunities and helps businesses in the state.
Others say that a statewide executive order interferes with local autonomy, and that local school jurisdictions should determine their school-year calendar.

In your opinion, should all public schools in Maryland stay closed through Labor Day, or should each local school jurisdiction decide when the school year begins?

POST-LABOR DAY SCHOOL OPENING Number Percent
Closed Through Labor Day 457 55.9 %
Local Board Decides 328 40.1 %
No answer 32 3.9 %
Total 817 100.0 %

You left out the important part:

“Voters between the ages of 35 and 54 are the only bloc in which a majority don’t think schools should be mandated to remain closed through the holiday that marks the end of summer,”

I.e., the voters who actually have kids in school.

Here's the full polling report. Data tables for the schools question start on page 27: https://htv-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com/files/gonzales-maryland-poll-march-2019-1551775985.pdf

[Anonymous]

I read through the report, which was pretty interesting. The problem with many of these polls nowadays (oh my, just became my grandma for a second), is that it's limited to people who answer the phone when the caller's number is unknown, not local, or blocked. If you're calling me and the number isn't saved in my contacts (meaning I know you), I don't answer. If it's actually pertaining to me, I'll listen to the voicemail and decide myself. That's pretty much standard operating procedure for most people I know, although it may not be for others. Just saying, these results are going to be less representative than they would be in the age before cell phones or people routinely answering teh phone without knowing the caller in advance.

[Anonymous]

I agree. And I also think the question was asked in an uneven way. I would like to see the question asked more about local/board control vs. state/governor control. Labor Day is not the only concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree. And I also think the question was asked in an uneven way. I would like to see the question asked more about local/board control vs. state/governor control. Labor Day is not the only concern.

+1. The question was asked in a way that didn’t explain the issues fully. I would bet the numbers would shift quite a bit if people were told that a) the businesses benefitting were a narrow swath of tourism dependent beach resorts, ii)older students taking AP exams would be penalized by starting later than many of their peers in other states despite having the same May test date, iii) that many holidays important to certain groups (Eid, certain Jewish holidays, Diwali) would not be able to be celebrated as holidays, and iv) schools would feel pressure to not hold snow days because of lack of appropriate days in which to extend the school years.

[Anonymous]

Wow, that poll is definitely interesting. What jumps out to me is Hogan's approval rating. I'd say that with these numbers he should get anything he wants. Legislature would be foolish to fight him too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that poll is definitely interesting. What jumps out to me is Hogan's approval rating. I'd say that with these numbers he should get anything he wants. Legislature would be foolish to fight him too much.

There are three branches of state government in Maryland:

1. The governor (aka the executive branch)
2. The legislature (aka the legislative branch)
3. The courts (aka the judicial branch)

People vote for governor. People vote for legislators. The governor adminsters the government. The legislature makes the laws. The governor has a veto, but there is a supermajority in the legislature to override the veto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzales Maryland Poll - March 2019

QUESTION 5: Labor Day Schools For the past 3 years, an executive order has mandated that public schools in Maryland begin after Labor Day.

Some say that keeping schools closed through Labor Day gives families more vacation opportunities and helps businesses in the state.
Others say that a statewide executive order interferes with local autonomy, and that local school jurisdictions should determine their school-year calendar.

In your opinion, should all public schools in Maryland stay closed through Labor Day, or should each local school jurisdiction decide when the school year begins?

POST-LABOR DAY SCHOOL OPENING Number Percent
Closed Through Labor Day 457 55.9 %
Local Board Decides 328 40.1 %
No answer 32 3.9 %
Total 817 100.0 %

You left out the important part:

“Voters between the ages of 35 and 54 are the only bloc in which a majority don’t think schools should be mandated to remain closed through the holiday that marks the end of summer,”

I.e., the voters who actually have kids in school.

Yup. Those are the ones who understand that the Hogan calendar is problematic. To others, it’s just a hypothetical about vacation time.

[Anonymous]

It's a ridiculous poll that the legislators should ignore.

The legislation DOES NOT require schools to start before Labor Day. They could still start after labor day. It just leaves it up to the individual county BOE.

[Anonymous]

I love the after Labor Day start time but I would like to go later in June to get a winter break in February and a proper spring break. I understand AP exams are early and after that High School students are checked but I'd like to see MCPS get creative with a late end date in June and have the kids spend half the day in enriching classes and the other half on a volunteer project, internship or local travel in the DMV area for cultural experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the after Labor Day start time but I would like to go later in June to get a winter break in February and a proper spring break. I understand AP exams are early and after that High School students are checked but I'd like to see MCPS get creative with a late end date in June and have the kids spend half the day in enriching classes and the other half on a volunteer project, internship or local travel in the DMV area for cultural experiences.

I would prefer starting in August so kids with APs don't get one month less of instructional time. But totally agree that it would be great to get a full week spring break (and dare I dream of a winter break and a spring break as I had growing up.) It's such a compressed calendar now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that poll is definitely interesting. What jumps out to me is Hogan's approval rating. I'd say that with these numbers he should get anything he wants. Legislature would be foolish to fight him too much.

There are three branches of state government in Maryland:

1. The governor (aka the executive branch)
2. The legislature (aka the legislative branch)
3. The courts (aka the judicial branch)

People vote for governor. People vote for legislators. The governor adminsters the government. The legislature makes the laws. The governor has a veto, but there is a supermajority in the legislature to override the veto.

The governor sets the policy agenda and with the veto has some oversight of the legislature. If the legislature wants to override Hogan's veto, of course they can. But, they would be overriding the will of (by far) the most popular bi-partisan governor in the United States.