2016-2017 MCPS Calendar

[Anonymous]

Kwanza is a not a religious holiday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really hope they don't move to August 21 start.

I do. Best scenario would be an early August start with a week before Memorial Day finish. Maxes out instructional time prior to high stakes testing like AP and IB exams. Many districts across the country operate under such a calendar.

You'd be surprised how little "instruction" goes on in high schools once AP exams are through. Memorial Day comes and students have checked out till next year.

Yes, this is a high school point of view. Elementary and middle school parents may have a different perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really hope they don't move to August 21 start.

I do. Best scenario would be an early August start with a week before Memorial Day finish. Maxes out instructional time prior to high stakes testing like AP and IB exams. Many districts across the country operate under such a calendar.

You'd be surprised how little "instruction" goes on in high schools once AP exams are through. Memorial Day comes and students have checked out till next year.

Yes, this is a high school point of view. Elementary and middle school parents may have a different perspective.

Students are in ES and MS for much longer than high school.

[Anonymous]

When does Montgomery County publish the finalized calendar? Hard to make any plans for the last week of summer if we don't know when school starts.

[Anonymous]

Usually they approve it at the meeting that was held today but now it's a delayed for a bit.

[Anonymous]

That is for the 2017-2018 school year..you are probably not making those summer plans yet?

[Anonymous]

I really don't need a professional day on September 12. I need them at the end of the quarters. I sincerely hope they're not planning to make preservice week 4 days instead of 5. That's the most likely situation. If they do then they'd better cut out all of the BS meetings and trainings we're forced to sit through instead of getting our rooms ready and preparing for Q1. Is this an operational issue for MCPS? If so then why not just close?

-teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't need a professional day on September 12. I need them at the end of the quarters. I sincerely hope they're not planning to make preservice week 4 days instead of 5. That's the most likely situation. If they do then they'd better cut out all of the BS meetings and trainings we're forced to sit through instead of getting our rooms ready and preparing for Q1. Is this an operational issue for MCPS? If so then why not just close?

-teacher

Thank you. I'm the one who asked whether a September 12 professional day would be useful for teachers. You have confirmed what I suspected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really hope they don't move to August 21 start.

When I looked at the calendar I thought it indicated that the week of Aug 21 would be Professional Days, with school starting for students on Aug 28. I could have read it wrong though.

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/muslim-community-wins-day-off-of-school-on-major-holiday-next-year/2015/11/10/cd615d46-87d2-11e5-be8b-1ae2e4f50f76_story.html?hpid=hp_local-news_muslim-302p%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WJLA just reported they voted it 6-2. I am at the point of believing we have lost perspective on educating children in MCPS. It's all about he logistics, facilities and entitlement and not about consistently educating kids - all of them. I'd give up all the onsies/twosie days off for a week in the fall to allow day to day instruction to occur. Kids never get into a rhythm with all the days off now. I am a practicing Jew, and I would be ok if my kids didn't get the high holidays off, I'd just keep them out to take them to synagogue, if it meant we didn't suffer from routinely interrupted instruction. It's a wonder they learn anything.

+1

[Anonymous]

And sadly, they don't view Veterans Day worthy enough for a holiday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really hope they don't move to August 21 start.

I do. Best scenario would be an early August start with a week before Memorial Day finish. Maxes out instructional time prior to high stakes testing like AP and IB exams. Many districts across the country operate under such a calendar.

You'd be surprised how little "instruction" goes on in high schools once AP exams are through. Memorial Day comes and students have checked out till next year.

Yes, this is a high school point of view. Elementary and middle school parents may have a different perspective.

I would support an earlier start date, if only for the weather (and I teach ES and have ES-age kids). August is gross around here. If the school year ended at Memorial Day, kids would get the entire month of June to play outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. I teach high school in MC and in some classes, nearly 1/4 of them were out for Eid this year. Even though the absences are excused, it does impact instruction.

I've been in the system for 20 years - most of my years spent downcounty. Where is this? My students were never out.

Not that teacher, but that's about right for my North Potomac neighborhood. Everyone is Iranian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indonesian, and there are even Uyghur (Muslim) Chinese in my neighborhood too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is for the 2017-2018 school year..you are probably not making those summer plans yet?

Can't read the tread title?