MoCo Councilmembers who Don't Pay Attention to the School Calendar, Push Back on MCPS Using Established Make-Up Day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't disagree that optics are bad to only cancel the Eid non-instructional day, while Jewish holidays, Lunar New Year and several Christian hoildays remain untouched. But--why didn't these councilmembers speak out when the calendar was approved with Eid as a designated makeup day? MCPS has 3 makeup days in the calendar and only 1 snow day, so MCPS is just doing what it said it would do.

For these councilmembers to say it's better to get a waiver the state of Maryland to not have the required amount of instructional days in lieu of cancelling the Eid non-instructional day, are saying it's better to shortchange all kids the required instructional time, because MCPS didn't plan adequate snow days and makeup days into its calendar.

These councilmembers should pay more attention to what's and give their opinions when decisions are being made, rather than coming in after the fact to complain.

Councilmembers Glass, Jawando and Mink
https://mocoshow.com/2026/02/06/councilmembers-criticize-mcps-decision-to-use-eid-as-make-up-day/

Councilmembers Push Back on MCPS Plan to Use Eid al-Fitr as Make-Up Day
Montgomery County Councilmembers are raising concerns about a decision by Montgomery County Public Schools to designate Eid al-Fitr as an instructional make-up day following weather-related closures.
Councilmember Evan Glass said using the Muslim holiday as a make-up day is troubling and sends the wrong message about inclusion and equity. In a statement, Glass noted that other major religious and cultural holidays, including Christmas, Rosh Hashanah, and Lunar New Year, are treated as non-instructional days, and said the situation could have been avoided with similar treatment for Eid al-Fitr.

Councilmember Will Jawando also criticized the proposal in a letter to the Board of Education, calling on school leaders to reverse the decision. Jawando said holding classes on Eid al-Fitr places Muslim students and families in a position of choosing between religious observance and school attendance. While acknowledging the challenges created by recent winter storms and state instructional requirements, he urged the district to pursue alternative solutions that do not require holding classes on religious holidays.

Councilmember Kristin Mink said she strongly disagrees with the proposal and expressed disappointment that Eid al-Fitr, March 20, would be designated as an instructional day. Mink said Montgomery County should prioritize equitable respect for cultural and religious holidays within the school calendar and that Muslim families should not be singled out to give up a previously recognized holiday to meet instructional requirements.

Right. So if you understand the equity problem, that the Muslim holiday is the only being singled out to be taken back, then why are you confused?

As hard as this is Prince George's county used both Eid days. https://www.pgcps.org/inside-scoop-blog/2025-2026/important-update-school-calendar--virtual-education-day-plan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:March 20th was always designated on the approved calendar as a make up day…if this was a priority then this concern should have been raised prior to the calendar being adopted. You can’t be mad the school system is using the days they always designated as make up days in case of snow.

As a teacher I’m happy to have another instructional day with my students prior to AP exams after losing 5 days of school when AP exams happen in May no matter what. Adding days to the end of the year doesn’t help once the AP exams are over.

They also have April 15 designated but apparently aren’t using it because of teachers needing the end of term time. You good with giving that up too?

DP. That’s up to the teachers. Or would you prefer a delay in grades? Or are you going to force teachers to work on their personal time and MCPS violate it’s union contract?

March 20th was on the calendar as a make up day, and it vi es before April 15yh. Why didn’t you complain last year before MCPS finalized its school calendar?

The end of term day for Q2 (and S1) had to be canceled and they did just fine, an odd number quarter (no end of semester) should be a problem. Worst case create a half day or two for "day" requirement purposes. They should have used March 20 AND April 15 since they are still short on required days but if April 15 is used they'll only be short 1 and it would fall on a Monday if Juneteenth stays.

[Anonymous]

There should be no days off for any religious holidays. That would be most equal. I would say the kids shouldn’t get Christmas off but it is a national holiday. Spring break should not be scheduled around Easter either. Fair is fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There should be no days off for any religious holidays. That would be most equal. I would say the kids shouldn’t get Christmas off but it is a national holiday. Spring break should not be scheduled around Easter either. Fair is fair.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There should be no days off for any religious holidays. That would be most equal. I would say the kids shouldn’t get Christmas off but it is a national holiday. Spring break should not be scheduled around Easter either. Fair is fair.

Good luck on staffing the schools on Christmas day - or maybe it wont be so hard to do since only a fraction of kids would show up. It's not even that it's a christian holiday, it's that a lot of families celebrate it, even the non religious ones.

Which brings it back to having off when it impacts staffing/ student attendance - that's the whole reason they extended thanksgiving break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:March 20th was always designated on the approved calendar as a make up day…if this was a priority then this concern should have been raised prior to the calendar being adopted. You can’t be mad the school system is using the days they always designated as make up days in case of snow.

As a teacher I’m happy to have another instructional day with my students prior to AP exams after losing 5 days of school when AP exams happen in May no matter what. Adding days to the end of the year doesn’t help once the AP exams are over.

They also have April 15 designated but apparently aren’t using it because of teachers needing the end of term time. You good with giving that up too?

DP. That’s up to the teachers. Or would you prefer a delay in grades? Or are you going to force teachers to work on their personal time and MCPS violate it’s union contract?

March 20th was on the calendar as a make up day, and it vi es before April 15yh. Why didn’t you complain last year before MCPS finalized its school calendar?

We did complain

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:March 20th was always designated on the approved calendar as a make up day…if this was a priority then this concern should have been raised prior to the calendar being adopted. You can’t be mad the school system is using the days they always designated as make up days in case of snow.

As a teacher I’m happy to have another instructional day with my students prior to AP exams after losing 5 days of school when AP exams happen in May no matter what. Adding days to the end of the year doesn’t help once the AP exams are over.

They also have April 15 designated but apparently aren’t using it because of teachers needing the end of term time. You good with giving that up too?

DP. That’s up to the teachers. Or would you prefer a delay in grades? Or are you going to force teachers to work on their personal time and MCPS violate it’s union contract?

March 20th was on the calendar as a make up day, and it vi es before April 15yh. Why didn’t you complain last year before MCPS finalized its school calendar?

We did complain

And what was the result? Do you think that complaining now in the face of a desperate need to make up snow days will resonate with the vast majority of MCPS families? You should complain about MCPS closing at the drop of a hat.

[Anonymous]

Why isn’t Presidents’ Day and the random day after it on the table?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There should be no days off for any religious holidays. That would be most equal. I would say the kids shouldn’t get Christmas off but it is a national holiday. Spring break should not be scheduled around Easter either. Fair is fair.

Good luck on staffing the schools on Christmas day - or maybe it wont be so hard to do since only a fraction of kids would show up. It's not even that it's a christian holiday, it's that a lot of families celebrate it, even the non religious ones.

Which brings it back to having off when it impacts staffing/ student attendance - that's the whole reason they extended thanksgiving break.

If this is an attendance issue, then please explain why you need a whole week to celebrate Christmas and Easter and need the Monday after Easter off too. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have winter break after first semester? And spring break in between quarters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My frustration with council members bringing this up now is that it had been clearly labeled in the calendar that was published last year.

It was frustrating the MCPS didn't use the labeled in school make up days last year, and now when they do, they're met with pushback. The time for that pushback was last year when the calendar was being developed.

They should start pushing back for next years calendar now so we're not facing the same issues. They could easily switch the unnecessary transition day back to a regular day and that will give us at least one more built in snow day.

The 2026/27 calendar has already been approved. Guess what, Eid is one of the makeup days next year too! If the county council paid any attention, they’d have raised this issue before the calendars were approved. It comes across as very performative after the fact.

I think everyone will also love that the other designated make-up days include October 16 and November 2. It will really be helpful to go back in time and use those if/when we have weather related closures in early 2027.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/pdfs/2026-2027/2026-2027-TRADITIONAL-Calendar.pdf

Yeah that’s really stupid. Why would you have make up days so early??? Only if you never intend to use them

That’s ridiculous. How could you have snow makeup days in October and November. That’s basically saying that they don’t want to use them at all. MCPS is so unprofessional.

I guess we’re doomed to June half days where kids watch videos for the next few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There should be no days off for any religious holidays. That would be most equal. I would say the kids shouldn’t get Christmas off but it is a national holiday. Spring break should not be scheduled around Easter either. Fair is fair.

Good luck on staffing the schools on Christmas day - or maybe it wont be so hard to do since only a fraction of kids would show up. It's not even that it's a christian holiday, it's that a lot of families celebrate it, even the non religious ones.

Which brings it back to having off when it impacts staffing/ student attendance - that's the whole reason they extended thanksgiving break.

If this is an attendance issue, then please explain why you need a whole week to celebrate Christmas and Easter and need the Monday after Easter off too. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have winter break after first semester? And spring break in between quarters?

We don't. I think they've planned for winter and spring break around these holidays since other jobs often are off at that time too, so parents can use less leave or won't need to pay for as many child care days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:March 20th was always designated on the approved calendar as a make up day…if this was a priority then this concern should have been raised prior to the calendar being adopted. You can’t be mad the school system is using the days they always designated as make up days in case of snow.

As a teacher I’m happy to have another instructional day with my students prior to AP exams after losing 5 days of school when AP exams happen in May no matter what. Adding days to the end of the year doesn’t help once the AP exams are over.

They also have April 15 designated but apparently aren’t using it because of teachers needing the end of term time. You good with giving that up too?

DP. That’s up to the teachers. Or would you prefer a delay in grades? Or are you going to force teachers to work on their personal time and MCPS violate it’s union contract?

March 20th was on the calendar as a make up day, and it vi es before April 15yh. Why didn’t you complain last year before MCPS finalized its school calendar?

We did complain

And what was the result? Do you think that complaining now in the face of a desperate need to make up snow days will resonate with the vast majority of MCPS families? You should complain about MCPS closing at the drop of a hat.

Actually, the fault is MoCo, cities, Maryland, and MCPS now sending crews to clean until well after the storm ended and then giving up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:March 20th was always designated on the approved calendar as a make up day…if this was a priority then this concern should have been raised prior to the calendar being adopted. You can’t be mad the school system is using the days they always designated as make up days in case of snow.

As a teacher I’m happy to have another instructional day with my students prior to AP exams after losing 5 days of school when AP exams happen in May no matter what. Adding days to the end of the year doesn’t help once the AP exams are over.

They also have April 15 designated but apparently aren’t using it because of teachers needing the end of term time. You good with giving that up too?

DP. That’s up to the teachers. Or would you prefer a delay in grades? Or are you going to force teachers to work on their personal time and MCPS violate it’s union contract?

March 20th was on the calendar as a make up day, and it vi es before April 15yh. Why didn’t you complain last year before MCPS finalized its school calendar?

We did complain

And what was the result? Do you think that complaining now in the face of a desperate need to make up snow days will resonate with the vast majority of MCPS families? You should complain about MCPS closing at the drop of a hat.

Actually, the fault is MoCo, cities, Maryland, and MCPS now sending crews to clean until well after the storm ended and then giving up!

So virtual learning would have been the answer - and that falls squarely on MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Take the day off from work and grant students excused absences if they need Eid off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The most logical solution here is to cut back on spring break days.

That’s risky.

The reality is many teachers, staff, and students booked travel using the calendared spring break holiday.

Plus, the state has a policy that Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays for a reason…and I get the history behind it is staff travel around Easter.