MCPS asks for 4 days off so teachers can prepare building for in-person instruction

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again, why are pretending that MCPS will open?

Everyone knows they will not.

Wrong. It’s happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, why are pretending that MCPS will open?

Everyone knows they will not.

Wrong. It’s happening.

Why? Because they gave a date? You are late to the party. These jokers have been giving dates since August.
This is another stall tactic and will serve as a reason to show that they were REALLY serious about opening up this time... but those pesky bulletin boards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread but-MCPS was denied the ability to waive 4 of the 180 required teaching days and they did not modify the calendar to add 4 days to the end of the year. All they gotta do is extend the school year like they do when there's lots of snow days. I would think everyone would be happy the state is protecting every single teaching day possible.

The issue with just adding days to the calendar is that you then have to pay teachers for those additional days, which haven't been budgeted for or negotiated about. Regardless of what the days are used for (additional teaching or time to set up the room or a combination of both), you can't ask any professional to work additional days without pay. You might think that the teachers SHOULD work without pay, but that's not going to happen.

Instead a compromise needs to be made, waive 2 of the required 180 teaching days? find money in the budget to pay for teachers for a few extra days? mandate that teachers cannot have required meetings a few Wednesdays in row so they can go in and set up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, why are pretending that MCPS will open?

Everyone knows they will not.

Wrong. It’s happening.

Why? Because they gave a date? You are late to the party. These jokers have been giving dates since August.
This is another stall tactic and will serve as a reason to show that they were REALLY serious about opening up this time... but those pesky bulletin boards.

Incorrect. The correct answer is money, threats from governor Hogan to withhold that money. I mean science, let’s go with science and metrics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread but-MCPS was denied the ability to waive 4 of the 180 required teaching days and they did not modify the calendar to add 4 days to the end of the year. All they gotta do is extend the school year like they do when there's lots of snow days. I would think everyone would be happy the state is protecting every single teaching day possible.

The issue with just adding days to the calendar is that you then have to pay teachers for those additional days, which haven't been budgeted for or negotiated about. Regardless of what the days are used for (additional teaching or time to set up the room or a combination of both), you can't ask any professional to work additional days without pay. You might think that the teachers SHOULD work without pay, but that's not going to happen.

Instead a compromise needs to be made, waive 2 of the required 180 teaching days? find money in the budget to pay for teachers for a few extra days? mandate that teachers cannot have required meetings a few Wednesdays in row so they can go in and set up?

Nobody wants teachers to work for free.
The point is that teachers are not returning. So no, they do not need to set up classrooms for a mythical return.
Also, as an already in person teacher in another district- the rooms are entirely set up by school leadership. The regulations are so intense with spacing and distance that it is not left to teachers to decide where ANYTHING goes.

And again... if you all were really/really going to open up all the other times you said you were going to open up- wouldn't this be done?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WEDNESDAYS! Cancel all staff meetings! Give teachers time in their classrooms!

Also - no frills this year. Kids don’t need fancy bulletin boards and center activities and so on. They need human interaction.

It's not just fancy thrills it's making sure the room is ada compliant and doesn't have random boxes everywhere

Indeed. A room packed for the summer takes some work. Perhaps not 4 days worth, though...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread but-MCPS was denied the ability to waive 4 of the 180 required teaching days and they did not modify the calendar to add 4 days to the end of the year. All they gotta do is extend the school year like they do when there's lots of snow days. I would think everyone would be happy the state is protecting every single teaching day possible.

The issue with just adding days to the calendar is that you then have to pay teachers for those additional days, which haven't been budgeted for or negotiated about. Regardless of what the days are used for (additional teaching or time to set up the room or a combination of both), you can't ask any professional to work additional days without pay. You might think that the teachers SHOULD work without pay, but that's not going to happen.

Instead a compromise needs to be made, waive 2 of the required 180 teaching days? find money in the budget to pay for teachers for a few extra days? mandate that teachers cannot have required meetings a few Wednesdays in row so they can go in and set up?

Have you noticed that many of these requests are being made on behalf of teachers without actually asking one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread but-MCPS was denied the ability to waive 4 of the 180 required teaching days and they did not modify the calendar to add 4 days to the end of the year. All they gotta do is extend the school year like they do when there's lots of snow days. I would think everyone would be happy the state is protecting every single teaching day possible.

The issue with just adding days to the calendar is that you then have to pay teachers for those additional days, which haven't been budgeted for or negotiated about. Regardless of what the days are used for (additional teaching or time to set up the room or a combination of both), you can't ask any professional to work additional days without pay. You might think that the teachers SHOULD work without pay, but that's not going to happen.

Instead a compromise needs to be made, waive 2 of the required 180 teaching days? find money in the budget to pay for teachers for a few extra days? mandate that teachers cannot have required meetings a few Wednesdays in row so they can go in and set up?

But yet they were paid for a few weeks to do nothing last March, correct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, why are pretending that MCPS will open?

Everyone knows they will not.

Wrong. It’s happening.

Why? Because they gave a date? You are late to the party. These jokers have been giving dates since August.
This is another stall tactic and will serve as a reason to show that they were REALLY serious about opening up this time... but those pesky bulletin boards.

Incorrect. The correct answer is money, threats from governor Hogan to withhold that money. I mean science, let’s go with science and metrics.

With other local districts going back they are going to at least try for something. Numbers going way down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WEDNESDAYS! Cancel all staff meetings! Give teachers time in their classrooms!

Also - no frills this year. Kids don’t need fancy bulletin boards and center activities and so on. They need human interaction.

It's not just fancy thrills it's making sure the room is ada compliant and doesn't have random boxes everywhere

Indeed. A room packed for the summer takes some work. Perhaps not 4 days worth, though...

You mean like maybe a few hours a few Wednesdays in February?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread but-MCPS was denied the ability to waive 4 of the 180 required teaching days and they did not modify the calendar to add 4 days to the end of the year. All they gotta do is extend the school year like they do when there's lots of snow days. I would think everyone would be happy the state is protecting every single teaching day possible.

The issue with just adding days to the calendar is that you then have to pay teachers for those additional days, which haven't been budgeted for or negotiated about. Regardless of what the days are used for (additional teaching or time to set up the room or a combination of both), you can't ask any professional to work additional days without pay. You might think that the teachers SHOULD work without pay, but that's not going to happen.

Instead a compromise needs to be made, waive 2 of the required 180 teaching days? find money in the budget to pay for teachers for a few extra days? mandate that teachers cannot have required meetings a few Wednesdays in row so they can go in and set up?

Actually, many professionals are asked to do that regularly. Most salaried employees do not receive extra pay if they have to work a night or weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread but-MCPS was denied the ability to waive 4 of the 180 required teaching days and they did not modify the calendar to add 4 days to the end of the year. All they gotta do is extend the school year like they do when there's lots of snow days. I would think everyone would be happy the state is protecting every single teaching day possible.

The issue with just adding days to the calendar is that you then have to pay teachers for those additional days, which haven't been budgeted for or negotiated about. Regardless of what the days are used for (additional teaching or time to set up the room or a combination of both), you can't ask any professional to work additional days without pay. You might think that the teachers SHOULD work without pay, but that's not going to happen.

Instead a compromise needs to be made, waive 2 of the required 180 teaching days? find money in the budget to pay for teachers for a few extra days? mandate that teachers cannot have required meetings a few Wednesdays in row so they can go in and set up?

But yet they were paid for a few weeks to do nothing last March, correct?

You are aware that not working for the two weeks last March wasn't a teacher decision? That came from MCPS Admin not individual teachers who decided not to work randomly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, why are pretending that MCPS will open?

Everyone knows they will not.

Wrong. It’s happening.

Why? Because they gave a date? You are late to the party. These jokers have been giving dates since August.
This is another stall tactic and will serve as a reason to show that they were REALLY serious about opening up this time... but those pesky bulletin boards.

Man you guys are really fixated on bulletin boards it's like the new basement dweller

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread but-MCPS was denied the ability to waive 4 of the 180 required teaching days and they did not modify the calendar to add 4 days to the end of the year. All they gotta do is extend the school year like they do when there's lots of snow days. I would think everyone would be happy the state is protecting every single teaching day possible.

The issue with just adding days to the calendar is that you then have to pay teachers for those additional days, which haven't been budgeted for or negotiated about. Regardless of what the days are used for (additional teaching or time to set up the room or a combination of both), you can't ask any professional to work additional days without pay. You might think that the teachers SHOULD work without pay, but that's not going to happen.

Instead a compromise needs to be made, waive 2 of the required 180 teaching days? find money in the budget to pay for teachers for a few extra days? mandate that teachers cannot have required meetings a few Wednesdays in row so they can go in and set up?

Actually, many professionals are asked to do that regularly. Most salaried employees do not receive extra pay if they have to work a night or weekend.

This is an argument for more unionized workforce if I ever didn't see one.

if you choose to work weekends and nights because you have poor time management then that's on you but if your job is requiring you to work extra hours then they should compensate at least give extra paid time off. Being a workholic is not a virtue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread but-MCPS was denied the ability to waive 4 of the 180 required teaching days and they did not modify the calendar to add 4 days to the end of the year. All they gotta do is extend the school year like they do when there's lots of snow days. I would think everyone would be happy the state is protecting every single teaching day possible.

The issue with just adding days to the calendar is that you then have to pay teachers for those additional days, which haven't been budgeted for or negotiated about. Regardless of what the days are used for (additional teaching or time to set up the room or a combination of both), you can't ask any professional to work additional days without pay. You might think that the teachers SHOULD work without pay, but that's not going to happen.

Instead a compromise needs to be made, waive 2 of the required 180 teaching days? find money in the budget to pay for teachers for a few extra days? mandate that teachers cannot have required meetings a few Wednesdays in row so they can go in and set up?

Actually, many professionals are asked to do that regularly. Most salaried employees do not receive extra pay if they have to work a night or weekend.

This is an argument for more unionized workforce if I ever didn't see one.

if you choose to work weekends and nights because you have poor time management then that's on you but if your job is requiring you to work extra hours then they should compensate at least give extra paid time off. Being a workholic is not a virtue

That's not an option for exempt employees. And I'm fine with it--it's on me to get the work done. During COVID, I have had to do a lot more work. That's okay. I'm a professional and I do it. - DP