Why doesn't MCPS include more than 1 snow day in the calendar?

[Anonymous]

Working parents who need childcare: which is more disruptive, an increased number of planned half days or full days off with short notice due to inclement weather? If we gave teachers two half days to enter grades instead of one whole non instructional day at the end of each of the first 3 quarters, our calendar would have 3 more instructional days, and we might not need to make up any snow days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's because we've had light winters for the last several years so they just got used to not needing many snow days. I always thought that it was foolish to have anything less than 4 snow days baked into the calendar but that's purely my observation as a parent. Not sure what the insider reasons are.

I do think there was also the pressure to continue to recognize more non-Christian holidays (Diwali, Lunar New Year) in addition to MCPS's already recognized Jewish holidays. Also, the teachers' union strongly demanded more half days or non-instructional days to catch up on grading and/or PD.

So I think that squeezed out all of the snow days that used to be baked into the calendar.

The PP is correct. I have one who's a HS senior, and one in college. When they started MCPs, there were 4 days included. We typically had more snowfall then + no Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid, and Passover. Yes, I realize that all the previously mentioned days are not always off, but there has been a concerted effort to make them teacher work days.

Since my elder one started school, we always had Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as days off.

MCPS can do what Loudoun County, VA does. There's the option to have a 9 week summer break vs a 10 week summer break. They get many days off during the school year & typically have more snow days too.

Passover occasionally falls late, but it is often so close to Spring Break that non-Jews don’t notice it.

Having Passover off is the right thing to do. Kids will be up late for Seders two nights in a row. Everyone can learn from the message of surviving government tyranny and seeking freedom.

I would disagree I think that since Passover is celebrated at night just like Hanukkah it's not as big of a deal too need to take off school and I don't know if you've ever been to my house but we are able to do a pretty speedy Seder.

[Anonymous]

I think the mcps calendar is a great example of how you can't make everybody happy especially if you're trying to give off for multiple ethnic and religious holidays, winter and spring break and multiple teacher work days

[Anonymous]

As a teacher who has worked in multiple districts, I have a never seen a large school system waste so much time as MoCo does. It's not hard to find extra hours and days in the schedule. And many high schools waste tons of days with testing rescheduling, pep rallies, noninstructional time such as built in mental health periods in which kids sneak out, longer lunches, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's because we've had light winters for the last several years so they just got used to not needing many snow days. I always thought that it was foolish to have anything less than 4 snow days baked into the calendar but that's purely my observation as a parent. Not sure what the insider reasons are.

I do think there was also the pressure to continue to recognize more non-Christian holidays (Diwali, Lunar New Year) in addition to MCPS's already recognized Jewish holidays. Also, the teachers' union strongly demanded more half days or non-instructional days to catch up on grading and/or PD.

So I think that squeezed out all of the snow days that used to be baked into the calendar.

The PP is correct. I have one who's a HS senior, and one in college. When they started MCPs, there were 4 days included. We typically had more snowfall then + no Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid, and Passover. Yes, I realize that all the previously mentioned days are not always off, but there has been a concerted effort to make them teacher work days.

Since my elder one started school, we always had Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as days off.

MCPS can do what Loudoun County, VA does. There's the option to have a 9 week summer break vs a 10 week summer break. They get many days off during the school year & typically have more snow days too.

Passover occasionally falls late, but it is often so close to Spring Break that non-Jews don’t notice it.

Having Passover off is the right thing to do. Kids will be up late for Seders two nights in a row. Everyone can learn from the message of surviving government tyranny and seeking freedom.

I would disagree I think that since Passover is celebrated at night just like Hanukkah it's not as big of a deal too need to take off school and I don't know if you've ever been to my house but we are able to do a pretty speedy Seder.

Hanukkah celebrations do not take 4-5 hours, the way a Seder will.

I’m not Jewish, but I have been to many Seders the past 30 years. The little kids are at the table from sundown until midnight or later. Going to school the next morning is unreasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's because we've had light winters for the last several years so they just got used to not needing many snow days. I always thought that it was foolish to have anything less than 4 snow days baked into the calendar but that's purely my observation as a parent. Not sure what the insider reasons are.

I do think there was also the pressure to continue to recognize more non-Christian holidays (Diwali, Lunar New Year) in addition to MCPS's already recognized Jewish holidays. Also, the teachers' union strongly demanded more half days or non-instructional days to catch up on grading and/or PD.

So I think that squeezed out all of the snow days that used to be baked into the calendar.

The PP is correct. I have one who's a HS senior, and one in college. When they started MCPs, there were 4 days included. We typically had more snowfall then + no Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid, and Passover. Yes, I realize that all the previously mentioned days are not always off, but there has been a concerted effort to make them teacher work days.

Since my elder one started school, we always had Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as days off.

MCPS can do what Loudoun County, VA does. There's the option to have a 9 week summer break vs a 10 week summer break. They get many days off during the school year & typically have more snow days too.

They have more snow days because they are in Virginia which counts 990 hours as 180 days. Maryland requires 1080ES/MS,1170HS hours AND 180 calendar days. This is why they have more snow days built in. As for 9 week summer vs 10 that is because they have soo many teacher days during the school year like twice as many as MC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Working parents who need childcare: which is more disruptive, an increased number of planned half days or full days off with short notice due to inclement weather? If we gave teachers two half days to enter grades instead of one whole non instructional day at the end of each of the first 3 quarters, our calendar would have 3 more instructional days, and we might not need to make up any snow days.

since childcare providers are open on the half-days, this seems like a no-brainer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year, one of the makeup days wasn’t used because it was Eid. In fact, none of the makeup days were used. Instead, we went later into June. This makes no sense.

If the school is going to find excuses not to use contingency days, then don't mark certain days as contingency days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, one of the makeup days wasn’t used because it was Eid. In fact, none of the makeup days were used. Instead, we went later into June. This makes no sense.

If the school is going to find excuses not to use contingency days, then don't mark certain days as contingency days.

People have said that the contingency days aren’t supposed to be used so they’re really not contingency days. So then yes stop being unprofessional McPS and build snow days into the calendar.

I personally would just start the school year a week or two earlier in August the way a lot of districts do and everyone will be less stressed about plowing and buses on ice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's because we've had light winters for the last several years so they just got used to not needing many snow days. I always thought that it was foolish to have anything less than 4 snow days baked into the calendar but that's purely my observation as a parent. Not sure what the insider reasons are.

I do think there was also the pressure to continue to recognize more non-Christian holidays (Diwali, Lunar New Year) in addition to MCPS's already recognized Jewish holidays. Also, the teachers' union strongly demanded more half days or non-instructional days to catch up on grading and/or PD.

So I think that squeezed out all of the snow days that used to be baked into the calendar.

The PP is correct. I have one who's a HS senior, and one in college. When they started MCPs, there were 4 days included. We typically had more snowfall then + no Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid, and Passover. Yes, I realize that all the previously mentioned days are not always off, but there has been a concerted effort to make them teacher work days.

Since my elder one started school, we always had Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as days off.

MCPS can do what Loudoun County, VA does. There's the option to have a 9 week summer break vs a 10 week summer break. They get many days off during the school year & typically have more snow days too.

Passover occasionally falls late, but it is often so close to Spring Break that non-Jews don’t notice it.

Having Passover off is the right thing to do. Kids will be up late for Seders two nights in a row. Everyone can learn from the message of surviving government tyranny and seeking freedom.

I would disagree I think that since Passover is celebrated at night just like Hanukkah it's not as big of a deal too need to take off school and I don't know if you've ever been to my house but we are able to do a pretty speedy Seder.

Hanukkah celebrations do not take 4-5 hours, the way a Seder will.

I’m not Jewish, but I have been to many Seders the past 30 years. The little kids are at the table from sundown until midnight or later. Going to school the next morning is unreasonable.

Orthodox sure.

Reform seders are like 30 minutes maybe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, one of the makeup days wasn’t used because it was Eid. In fact, none of the makeup days were used. Instead, we went later into June. This makes no sense.

If the school is going to find excuses not to use contingency days, then don't mark certain days as contingency days.

Agreed.

Could it be a makeup day with an excused absence if you are in fact celebrating Eid?

[Anonymous]

We aren’t guaranteed school days off to celebrate every religion. If you want to take away Diwali, Eid or Lunar New Year, my guess is that you wouldn’t hear much outcry. Teachers wanted more development days/grading days in the calendar and it was easier for McPS to say they were adding those days in to celebrate a greater range of holidays, but I never saw any big efforts by any of those groups to add those holidays into the calendar (and I’m a member of one of the groups that celebrates one of those holidays.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year, one of the makeup days wasn’t used because it was Eid. In fact, none of the makeup days were used. Instead, we went later into June. This makes no sense.

Those days in June were also coded as make-up days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, one of the makeup days wasn’t used because it was Eid. In fact, none of the makeup days were used. Instead, we went later into June. This makes no sense.

If the school is going to find excuses not to use contingency days, then don't mark certain days as contingency days.

Agreed.

Could it be a makeup day with an excused absence if you are in fact celebrating Eid?

Making up days is hard. It means you have to find all the missed work and complete it all on your own time, which means missing extra-curriculars, family time, etc. it also means you don’t get the actual instruction. This puts you ad a disadvantage for celebrating your holiday! Now imagine you also had gotten sick a day or two in the week before—even more work to make up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year, one of the makeup days wasn’t used because it was Eid. In fact, none of the makeup days were used. Instead, we went later into June. This makes no sense.

If the school is going to find excuses not to use contingency days, then don't mark certain days as contingency days.

Agreed.

Could it be a makeup day with an excused absence if you are in fact celebrating Eid?

Observance of a religious holiday is always an excused absence.