2026-2027 calendar updates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone needs to fill out the survey and say as much and indicate you’re okay designating some of the religious holidays as makeup days.

I'm not super comfortable for this option, but I'm OK to short upcoming winter break or next spring break days, assuming that they give us enough ahead-of-time notice. Apparently MCPS is leaning toward a last-minute-notice pattern nowadays...

AT THIS POINT I prefer using holidays as a first choice and shortening spring and winter break as a second choice. In the future starting earlier is fine, especially if we can know when the prior school year will end at a reasonable time.

Everyone acting like childcare/camp is some 1 percent privilege is completely out of touch. I like in a solidly MC neighborhood in Rockville and basically every family I know with working parents has made a plan for how they will cover that week. For many it’s camp (and a half week is often the worst, because camps will cancel for the full week, so it’s extra hard to find child care for those handful of days) or they run and you have to pay for days you don’t use. I have a friend who is still scrambling to get a refund for a camp that was supposed to run the week after school ends this year, that was canceled before MSDE gave the waiver. The camp moved to a different week, and it’s not coming back. To make people do that again, for another week this same summer, is ridiculous. Many families in our neighborhood also fly overseas and either leave their kids with grandparents or stay the whole summer to get help with childcare. All of these things have been planned for and set up for months and are very expensive to change.

What about high school sports? Will they start even earlier? I don’t actually care about that but it’s just annoying to so many people.

I agree wholeheartedly with your comments on camps. It's not a privilege, it's a necessity in a HCOL area where almost every household needs dual incomes to survive. Especially considering WFH options are becoming increasingly rare. Do I want to pay thousands for camp every summer? No, but I do it because I have to work to put food on the table, a roof over our heads, and all the other myriad expenses that comes with life. At least it's tax deductible.

You may see it as a necessity in your high cost bubble, but you are out of touch. But most MCPS kids aren't in summer camps all summer--and very few are paying thousands every summer for camps. They can't afford it. And even for those with kids in camp-there aren't that many options available for the end of August--there are so many threads about the lack of options at for those last weeks in August because some school districts have already gone back to school earlier than MCPS (ex: FCPS).

Now let's compare the number of kids and staff in camp or traveling that week to the number of kids who need the after Diwali to be a day off.

Funny that you're picking on Diwali and not the 3 Jewish religious holidays built into the calendar. Feel free to advocate for getting rid of all the religious holidays and then we can keep the original August start date. But I'm glad MCPS is making efforts so we don't have the sh**show we did this year where kids got shortchanged on instructional days.

I picked Diwali because 1) the population who celebrate it is much smaller than the Jewish population and 2) the day designate to coordinate isn't even the holiday itself. That obviously makes it different if you take a second to think. I also wouldn't care if they designated the Jewish holidays, but if you're figuring out which ones should be on the chopping block for next year's calendar it obviously goes first in terms of the actual impact it would have on students and staff.

Really? I've never seen actual data on who celebrates which holidays in MCPS so it sounds like you're letting your religious biases substitute for actual fact (or your social circle is so narrow that you can't fathom other people celebrating non-Judeo Christian holidays.)

https://wjla.com/news/local/religious-faith-montgomery-county-maryland-diverse-region-public-religion-research-institute-christianity-islam-buddhist-hindus-unitarian-unaffiliated-prri-comprehensive-diversity-census

Montgomery County MD:
Jewish 9.3%
Muslim 3.2%
Buddhist 2.7%
Hindu 2.7%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone needs to fill out the survey and say as much and indicate you’re okay designating some of the religious holidays as makeup days.

I'm not super comfortable for this option, but I'm OK to short upcoming winter break or next spring break days, assuming that they give us enough ahead-of-time notice. Apparently MCPS is leaning toward a last-minute-notice pattern nowadays...

AT THIS POINT I prefer using holidays as a first choice and shortening spring and winter break as a second choice. In the future starting earlier is fine, especially if we can know when the prior school year will end at a reasonable time.

Everyone acting like childcare/camp is some 1 percent privilege is completely out of touch. I like in a solidly MC neighborhood in Rockville and basically every family I know with working parents has made a plan for how they will cover that week. For many it’s camp (and a half week is often the worst, because camps will cancel for the full week, so it’s extra hard to find child care for those handful of days) or they run and you have to pay for days you don’t use. I have a friend who is still scrambling to get a refund for a camp that was supposed to run the week after school ends this year, that was canceled before MSDE gave the waiver. The camp moved to a different week, and it’s not coming back. To make people do that again, for another week this same summer, is ridiculous. Many families in our neighborhood also fly overseas and either leave their kids with grandparents or stay the whole summer to get help with childcare. All of these things have been planned for and set up for months and are very expensive to change.

What about high school sports? Will they start even earlier? I don’t actually care about that but it’s just annoying to so many people.

I agree wholeheartedly with your comments on camps. It's not a privilege, it's a necessity in a HCOL area where almost every household needs dual incomes to survive. Especially considering WFH options are becoming increasingly rare. Do I want to pay thousands for camp every summer? No, but I do it because I have to work to put food on the table, a roof over our heads, and all the other myriad expenses that comes with life. At least it's tax deductible.

You may see it as a necessity in your high cost bubble, but you are out of touch. But most MCPS kids aren't in summer camps all summer--and very few are paying thousands every summer for camps. They can't afford it. And even for those with kids in camp-there aren't that many options available for the end of August--there are so many threads about the lack of options at for those last weeks in August because some school districts have already gone back to school earlier than MCPS (ex: FCPS).

Now let's compare the number of kids and staff in camp or traveling that week to the number of kids who need the after Diwali to be a day off.

Funny that you're picking on Diwali and not the 3 Jewish religious holidays built into the calendar. Feel free to advocate for getting rid of all the religious holidays and then we can keep the original August start date. But I'm glad MCPS is making efforts so we don't have the sh**show we did this year where kids got shortchanged on instructional days.

I picked Diwali because 1) the population who celebrate it is much smaller than the Jewish population and 2) the day designate to coordinate isn't even the holiday itself. That obviously makes it different if you take a second to think. I also wouldn't care if they designated the Jewish holidays, but if you're figuring out which ones should be on the chopping block for next year's calendar it obviously goes first in terms of the actual impact it would have on students and staff.

Really? I've never seen actual data on who celebrates which holidays in MCPS so it sounds like you're letting your religious biases substitute for actual fact (or your social circle is so narrow that you can't fathom other people celebrating non-Judeo Christian holidays.)

I'm capable of drawing logical inferences from the fact that roughly 10% of Montgomery County is Jewish and 3% Indian. My social circle has nothing to do with anything.

Roughly? Where did you get that data? Out of your nether region?

The Jewish figure comes from the Jewish Databank:https://www.jewishdatabank.org/content/upload/bjdb/2018-United_States_Jewish_Population_(AJYB,_Sheskin,_Dashefsky)_DB_Final.pdf
The Indian figure comes from MoCo planning: https://montgomeryplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Profile-Asian-and-Pacific-Islanders-in-Montgomery-County.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

FCPS doesn't start earlier than us this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

We aren't FCPS, sp stop comparing. We don't need to maintain teacher development days and practically every teacher here would agree with that. We absolutely do not need to have every religious holiday we have on the calendar. Most schools in the country dont have off all of the holdays we do. The only people who will agree with you are ones who cannot seem to think outside of the box.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

And many think that trying to please everyone with every single holiday is not sustainable. It is not okay to start a week earlier than planned... I'm not traveling internationally but my kid is signed up for camp that they're looking forward to and that cost a not insignificant amount of money that I doubt we'll get back. Summer is too short as it is. We need to cut days off from within the calendar...

Or, you know, use the days MCPS ALREADY DESIGNATED as makeup days...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone needs to fill out the survey and say as much and indicate you’re okay designating some of the religious holidays as makeup days.

I'm not super comfortable for this option, but I'm OK to short upcoming winter break or next spring break days, assuming that they give us enough ahead-of-time notice. Apparently MCPS is leaning toward a last-minute-notice pattern nowadays...

AT THIS POINT I prefer using holidays as a first choice and shortening spring and winter break as a second choice. In the future starting earlier is fine, especially if we can know when the prior school year will end at a reasonable time.

Everyone acting like childcare/camp is some 1 percent privilege is completely out of touch. I like in a solidly MC neighborhood in Rockville and basically every family I know with working parents has made a plan for how they will cover that week. For many it’s camp (and a half week is often the worst, because camps will cancel for the full week, so it’s extra hard to find child care for those handful of days) or they run and you have to pay for days you don’t use. I have a friend who is still scrambling to get a refund for a camp that was supposed to run the week after school ends this year, that was canceled before MSDE gave the waiver. The camp moved to a different week, and it’s not coming back. To make people do that again, for another week this same summer, is ridiculous. Many families in our neighborhood also fly overseas and either leave their kids with grandparents or stay the whole summer to get help with childcare. All of these things have been planned for and set up for months and are very expensive to change.

What about high school sports? Will they start even earlier? I don’t actually care about that but it’s just annoying to so many people.

I agree wholeheartedly with your comments on camps. It's not a privilege, it's a necessity in a HCOL area where almost every household needs dual incomes to survive. Especially considering WFH options are becoming increasingly rare. Do I want to pay thousands for camp every summer? No, but I do it because I have to work to put food on the table, a roof over our heads, and all the other myriad expenses that comes with life. At least it's tax deductible.

You may see it as a necessity in your high cost bubble, but you are out of touch. But most MCPS kids aren't in summer camps all summer--and very few are paying thousands every summer for camps. They can't afford it. And even for those with kids in camp-there aren't that many options available for the end of August--there are so many threads about the lack of options at for those last weeks in August because some school districts have already gone back to school earlier than MCPS (ex: FCPS).

I live in Montgomery County, it's all a "high cost bubble"

Also keep in mind that people of all backgrounds travel. Just because most can't afford to spend 5 weeks in Europe staying in fancy hotels doesn't mean nobody else takes vacations. Those weeks in August before school starts are hard to find childcare for and it's often the one time of year some families do plan to travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

We aren't FCPS, sp stop comparing. We don't need to maintain teacher development days and practically every teacher here would agree with that. We absolutely do not need to have every religious holiday we have on the calendar. Most schools in the country dont have off all of the holdays we do. The only people who will agree with you are ones who cannot seem to think outside of the box.

Yup. Teachere here-PD days are a waste of my time. I'd gladly give some of them up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone needs to fill out the survey and say as much and indicate you’re okay designating some of the religious holidays as makeup days.

I'm not super comfortable for this option, but I'm OK to short upcoming winter break or next spring break days, assuming that they give us enough ahead-of-time notice. Apparently MCPS is leaning toward a last-minute-notice pattern nowadays...

AT THIS POINT I prefer using holidays as a first choice and shortening spring and winter break as a second choice. In the future starting earlier is fine, especially if we can know when the prior school year will end at a reasonable time.

Everyone acting like childcare/camp is some 1 percent privilege is completely out of touch. I like in a solidly MC neighborhood in Rockville and basically every family I know with working parents has made a plan for how they will cover that week. For many it’s camp (and a half week is often the worst, because camps will cancel for the full week, so it’s extra hard to find child care for those handful of days) or they run and you have to pay for days you don’t use. I have a friend who is still scrambling to get a refund for a camp that was supposed to run the week after school ends this year, that was canceled before MSDE gave the waiver. The camp moved to a different week, and it’s not coming back. To make people do that again, for another week this same summer, is ridiculous. Many families in our neighborhood also fly overseas and either leave their kids with grandparents or stay the whole summer to get help with childcare. All of these things have been planned for and set up for months and are very expensive to change.

What about high school sports? Will they start even earlier? I don’t actually care about that but it’s just annoying to so many people.

I agree wholeheartedly with your comments on camps. It's not a privilege, it's a necessity in a HCOL area where almost every household needs dual incomes to survive. Especially considering WFH options are becoming increasingly rare. Do I want to pay thousands for camp every summer? No, but I do it because I have to work to put food on the table, a roof over our heads, and all the other myriad expenses that comes with life. At least it's tax deductible.

You may see it as a necessity in your high cost bubble, but you are out of touch. But most MCPS kids aren't in summer camps all summer--and very few are paying thousands every summer for camps. They can't afford it. And even for those with kids in camp-there aren't that many options available for the end of August--there are so many threads about the lack of options at for those last weeks in August because some school districts have already gone back to school earlier than MCPS (ex: FCPS).

I live in Montgomery County, it's all a "high cost bubble"

Also keep in mind that people of all backgrounds travel. Just because most can't afford to spend 5 weeks in Europe staying in fancy hotels doesn't mean nobody else takes vacations. Those weeks in August before school starts are hard to find childcare for and it's often the one time of year some families do plan to travel.

+1. For all the talk of who has money for camps and vacations in Europe, a lot of kids at our Title I school have travel plans the last week of the summer, not just the middle class kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

We aren't FCPS, sp stop comparing. We don't need to maintain teacher development days and practically every teacher here would agree with that. We absolutely do not need to have every religious holiday we have on the calendar. Most schools in the country dont have off all of the holdays we do. The only people who will agree with you are ones who cannot seem to think outside of the box.

Yup. Teachere here-PD days are a waste of my time. I'd gladly give some of them up.

Then open your mouth and tell your union rep or your administrator. It's not MCPS parents who are choosing all these non-instructional days for their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

And many think that trying to please everyone with every single holiday is not sustainable. It is not okay to start a week earlier than planned... I'm not traveling internationally but my kid is signed up for camp that they're looking forward to and that cost a not insignificant amount of money that I doubt we'll get back. Summer is too short as it is. We need to cut days off from within the calendar...

Or, you know, use the days MCPS ALREADY DESIGNATED as makeup days...

Because that went so well this year. MCPS refused to use the makeup days, and MCPS students got screwed and lost a lot of instructional time. The only ones who won were MCPS staff who got a bunch of extra days off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

We aren't FCPS, sp stop comparing. We don't need to maintain teacher development days and practically every teacher here would agree with that. We absolutely do not need to have every religious holiday we have on the calendar. Most schools in the country dont have off all of the holdays we do. The only people who will agree with you are ones who cannot seem to think outside of the box.

Yup. Teachere here-PD days are a waste of my time. I'd gladly give some of them up.

Then open your mouth and tell your union rep or your administrator. It's not MCPS parents who are choosing all these non-instructional days for their kids.

None of this is the fault of teachers. Shut up.
- MCPS parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

We aren't FCPS, sp stop comparing. We don't need to maintain teacher development days and practically every teacher here would agree with that. We absolutely do not need to have every religious holiday we have on the calendar. Most schools in the country dont have off all of the holdays we do. The only people who will agree with you are ones who cannot seem to think outside of the box.

Yup. Teachere here-PD days are a waste of my time. I'd gladly give some of them up.

Then open your mouth and tell your union rep or your administrator. It's not MCPS parents who are choosing all these non-instructional days for their kids.

None of this is the fault of teachers. Shut up.
- MCPS parent

Individual teachers, no. Their union? Yes, absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

We aren't FCPS, sp stop comparing. We don't need to maintain teacher development days and practically every teacher here would agree with that. We absolutely do not need to have every religious holiday we have on the calendar. Most schools in the country dont have off all of the holdays we do. The only people who will agree with you are ones who cannot seem to think outside of the box.

Yup. Teachere here-PD days are a waste of my time. I'd gladly give some of them up.

Then open your mouth and tell your union rep or your administrator. It's not MCPS parents who are choosing all these non-instructional days for their kids.

None of this is the fault of teachers. Shut up.
- MCPS parent

Be a better person rather than being nasty. If the teacher's union is inflexible about the schedule and using make-up days and non-instructional days, and this is what you have--kids who lost out on several instructional days this year and at least MCPS is trying to make sure it doesn't happen next year.

No one is acting in a vacuum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I travel right before school begins (right before pre-service). It is too late to change the first day of school for 2026. The first day of school is not a day you can ask for a sub- especially at the elementary level. If MCPS needs to start the year earlier in August, they need to start that plan for the 2027-2028 year.

It is completely maddening that they would even contemplate starting school earlier in August at this late date.

You mean compared to the constant changes we had this school year with the changes to the June end date and to the makeup days that weren't really make up days. I have no issue with these changes being announced now in April for a schedule to begin slightly earlier in August. Plenty of time for people to adjust.

+1 This is a sensible start date so we can have some snow days built into the calendar. For once, I'm happy with what MCPS has decided.

They haven't decided on anything actually. It's not sensible, it's ridiculous. The calendar has been set for a year and people have made summer plans based on the calendar. For them to try and claim "too many people made spring break plans" for NEXT YEAR vs in 4 months is just completely tone deaf of them per usual.

That's your opinion. Many others will disagree. We need to start earlier in August to maintain all the teacher development days, non-instructional days, and religious holidays that are in the calendar like FCPS does. Might as well start next year in 2026-2027 so it's not a mess like this year. For those who have expensive international travel that week, thoughts and prayers to you.

We aren't FCPS, sp stop comparing. We don't need to maintain teacher development days and practically every teacher here would agree with that. We absolutely do not need to have every religious holiday we have on the calendar. Most schools in the country dont have off all of the holdays we do. The only people who will agree with you are ones who cannot seem to think outside of the box.

Yup. Teachere here-PD days are a waste of my time. I'd gladly give some of them up.

Then open your mouth and tell your union rep or your administrator. It's not MCPS parents who are choosing all these non-instructional days for their kids.

None of this is the fault of teachers. Shut up.
- MCPS parent

Individual teachers, no. Their union? Yes, absolutely.

+1 Some people are either clueless or have no sense of responsibility. Union's don't act against their membership's wishes.